Capuchins establish friary in Wichita

At points throughout his roughly two decades in the position, which stretched from the early 1980s until shortly after the turn of the millennium, Diocese of Wichita Bishop Eugene Gerber invited the Capuchin Franciscan friars to open a friary within the diocese, notes Capuchin Fr. Donald Rank.

Although the Capuchins gently declined each invitation, Fr. Rank relates, Bishop Gerber maintained it was only a matter of time. 

“He said, ‘It’s okay, you’ll be here one day,’” Fr. Rank said. “There seems to be some prophecy in that.”

That is because Diocese of Wichita Bishop Carl A. Kemme blessed the new St. Carlo Acutis Friary in north Wichita on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 7.

“As the bishop of the diocese, I am very happy to welcome the Capuchin Friars to Wichita,” Bishop Kemme said. “Blessing their new St. Carlo Acutis Friary was a great honor. I pray that they will find in our diocese a warm welcome and a fruitful life as they live out their Capuchin charisms.”

Fr. Rank notes that the Capuchins’ history in Kansas goes back to the 1800s, such as commissioning Victoria’s Basilica of St. Fidelis, also known as “The Cathedral of the Plains.” The decision to come to Wichita in 2025 was finalized in May by the provincial chapter. 

“The vote in favor of coming here was nearly unanimous,” Fr. Rank said.

In, not of, the world

According to Capuchins.org, in the 16th century a segment of Franciscans sought to more radically emphasize the Franciscan practices of prayer and poverty. “These men broke away from the Franciscans and began a reform movement which stressed the priority of contemplative prayer and a more rigorous austerity,” the website explained. “Wearing habits with large hoods, they soon garnered the name ‘cappucio,’ the Italian word for ‘hood.’ The Capuchins received approval of their way of life and were recognized as an official, independent branch of the Franciscans in 1528 in the papal bull ‘Religionis Zelus.’”

Fr. Rank notes that the term “friar” originates in “frater,” the Latin term for brother. Some friars, such as Fr. Rank, also are ordained to the priesthood and so generally are referred to as “father.” Since St. Francis sought to minimize distinctions between friars, the order’s superiors are deemed “guardians,” which is Fr. Rank’s position at the St. Carlo Acutis Friary. 

Among the reasons why the Capuchins have decided to finally come to Wichita, Fr. Rank relates, is the practical reality that there are now enough friars to do so. 

“There are more vocations, thanks be to God,” he said. 

Fr. Rank notes that Wichita falls under the Capuchins’ Denver province, which increasingly is tapping younger friars for leadership positions. “I have only been a priest for five years, but the province thought I was fit to direct the program here,” he said. “This is my first time as a guardian.”

The Sept. 7 dedication drew friars from throughout the area, including Denver, Hays, Lawrence, and San Antonio, but generally St. Carlo Acutis will house only a handful of friars. Along with Fr. Rank, other friars living in Wichita are Fr. Sales Pathrose, Fr. Charles Polifka, Br. Charlie Jarosik, Br. John Mary Lauderdale, and Br. Angelo Faustino Soto.

Unlike monks, who often isolate themselves in remote locations, Fr. Rank notes that Franciscans live in the world. “We are like monks in a city,” he said. “St. Francis found himself called by God to a life that mixed both the active and contemplative. It is rooted in contemplative prayer, and the Capuchin tradition has sought to continue that.”

Friar formation

Fathers Rank, Pathrose, and Polifka all have responsibility for helping with the formation of Brothers Jarosik, Lauderdale, and Saustino. Fr. Polifka will also perform some hospital ministry, while Fr. Pathrose will also engage in a ministry that seeks to help poor youth in his native India. 

Nevertheless, the friary’s focus is the integration year for the three younger friars. Fr. Rank notes the friars have already completed a year of postulancy, during which they lived in the community, but did not wear a habit. 

“They come in, get a feel for the life, and get a sense whether they are called to the next step,” Fr. Rank said. 

Novices who discern such a call may profess their first or simple vows – for at least three years – to the Capuchin life. The integration year follows. 

“This year we integrate them into the regular rhythm of our life,” Fr. Rank said. “They have had a very strong contemplative foundation in the novitiate, and now we continue to build on that to help them also to serve in our ministries. Here we will help with the Lord’s Diner, Vagabond Missions, St. Dismas Ministry to the Incarcerated,  and others.”

He adds that a friar also is encouraged to use the integration year to discern whether God is calling him to study for the priesthood. “If not, a brother discerns what other kind of ministry God may be calling him to,” Fr. Rank said.

Days at the friary begin with Office of Readings at 5:45 a.m., followed by morning prayer, a meditation period, and a Mass that begins at 7 a.m. An interval for breakfast and exercise follows. After that, three days a week feature class, while the other days focus on ministries. Mid-day includes its own prayers and the rosary, after which comes a period of manual labor. At 5 p.m. friars engage in meditation and evening prayer, followed by recreation, dinner, prayers, and kitchen cleanup. Night prayer is at 8:30, followed by general silence. 

So far, Fr. Rank indicates, the manual labor has focused on preparing the friary. “We have done various things in this house,” he said. “The guys have put a lot of sweat into it.”

That includes carrying in and placing the custom-made altar in the friary chapel. Adorning the altar’s face is a swatch of Italian, quoting St. Carlo: “L’Eucaristia è la mia autostrada per il Cielo,” which translates to “The Eucharist is my highway to Heaven.”

Fr. Rank reflects on that theme as he considers how his own vocational journey led him to the Capuchins. “I was looking into religious orders and someone told me to check out the monks in the mall,” he said. “I thought that was crazy, but they turned a mall storefront in Colorado Springs into a chapel with two confession booths.”

The approachable, engaging friars invited young Donald Rank on a discernment retreat, where he learned more about the life of St. Francis. “He was in love with Jesus, pouring himself out in the crib, the cross, and the Eucharist,” Fr. Rank said. “I had never thought about that before. God becomes so humble and little for us that he is even edible. That rocked my world. Being with the friars, praying with them, and seeing their joyful brotherhood was something I really wanted.”