Fraternity Day

In former times, the Capuchin brothers used to gather frequently for the celebration of fellow friars' anniversaries of their profession of vows or their ordination. They also gathered to celebrate a brother's name day. (When a person entered religious life, it was the tradition to take on a new name, customarily one of the saints. Many Capuchins who took on names in religion reverted to their baptismal names after the Second Vatican Council. Our friars do not take on a religious name today.) Imagine a large extended family making a feast every month or even every other week to fete this wedding anniversary or that birthday, and you get the idea of what the Capuchins did.

As time went on, it became more difficult to gather the brothers of the growing, then aging and declining, Province of St. Mary for such "family" parties. Sensing that the bonds of brotherhood needed some reinforcement, the province established an annual day of gathering for all the brothers. For the last 15 or so years, the brothers have assembled to bless their religious jubilarians and priesthood jubilarians. In recent years, Fraternity Day has been scheduled on Nov. 11, Veterans Day, and held at St. Pius X Parish in Middletown, Conn., to make it relatively easy for friars from both New York and New England to join.

The Capuchins are nothing if not a eucharistic community. A Mass of thanksgiving for the brothers preceded a typically sumptuous meal. Capuchins show you how much they love you with food; the more they share and the better the food, the greater the love. If your heart ever doubts the sincerity of a friar's compassion, at least your stomach will have no arguments!

With a few dozen friars in assembly, the province did tend to some business, including a sobering review of revenues and expenses. Friars got their flu shots -- at least those who, unlike me, were not squeamish over needles or afraid of ill effects from inoculation. And the postulants visited the tailor shop, where our front, shoulders, head, and neck were measured for the garment that will define us for the rest of our lives.

We also learned the sad news that our brother Joseph McCarthy, a Capuchin for 59 years and a priest for 51, died today at age 77. His wake will be next Tuesday, and his funeral on Wednesday, both in Yonkers. It will be another day of gathering for the brothers -- another fraternity day, this one more sorrowful than joyful. But for those who love Jesus Christ as Francis did; and who love others like Christ, as Francis also did; then every day, be it joyful, luminous, sorrowful, or glorious, is truly fraternity day. And I suppose this is the summary and mystery of religious life.