NEW YORK — Three men have been accepted into Holy Name’s postulant program and will be welcomed this summer at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston.
The postulants are Scott Carey from Cambridge, Mass.; Gerald Hopeck from Philadelphia, Pa.; and Michael Reyes from Parlin, N.J., according to Vocation Director Brian Smail, OFM. They were accepted by the Province at the June 10 Board of Admissions meeting.
The three men will arrive July 19 at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston, where the friars will host a cookout to welcome them on July 20. The formal Rite of Reception will take place Aug. 17 at the Shrine, where the postulant program is being conducted this year for the first time.
“All three of these young men were attracted to Franciscan life because they each had a relationship with friars who encouraged them to consider Holy Name Province,” said Brian, shown in photo. “This stresses all the more the importance of inviting men to consider our way of life, a task we all share as friars. Both our invitation and our witness are vital to attracting vocations.”
Brian said that HNP’s Vocation Ministry has experienced a rise recently in the number of men inquiring about joining Holy Name Province.
“I am very happy to report a marked increase in vocation inquiries from both the HNP Web site, and the “Vision” vocation Web site,” he said. “This is over the past three months or so.”
“We recently placed an ad on the Vision Web site, part of our efforts to increase our visibility on the Internet. Vision is a comprehensive site for those interested in religious life. It seeks to match a prospective candidate’s interests with a particular religious order.” www.vocationmatch.com.