Discerning Vocations in Costa Rica

Friar Justin Biase - center - with some of the young men discerning

to enter the Order of Friars Minor Conventual in Costa Rica

The Conventual Franciscan Friars in Alajuela, Costa Rica hold vocation retreat weekends every couple of months to allow men discerning Franciscan life to get a taste of what it's actually like. On one of the more recent weekends, there were four men who feel God calling them to the Conventual Franciscans so strongly that they will enter the order's postulancy program in January 2010. Nine other men who attended the weekend were also very keen about further exploring the order.

A landscape view from Costa Rica

Vocation discernment always takes time and is a very individual thing. As long as the communication flows freely between the candidate to the order and the order itself, then the candidate will at one point discover what God is calling him to do. We are after all called by God to one vocation or another. We cannot forget this. By discerning God's call we will find true fulfillment in life.

(Photo sources: Conventual Franciscan Friars Immaculate Conception Province Provincialgram, Armando Maynez on www.flickr.com, and franciscanseast.org.)