Capuchin Leader on Vocations: "You find Happiness as Part of a Mission"

When asked to reflect on the theme of the 100th anniversary of the Capuchin Franciscans' presence in the western United States - to create a culture of vocation awareness - the head of the worldwide religious community thought a moment before responding in Italian to an interpreter, fellow Capuchin Father Charles Serignat


"Yes, this is a huge challenge, of course, in a place like Los Angeles that is more and more secularized, where people are more and more concentrating on their own individual needs. And so a pursuit of happiness is seen in terms of satisfying one's own individual desires," said Father Mauro Johri, minister general of the Capuchins during an interview at St. Lawrence of Brindisi Parish in Watts. "Whereas if you're walking about raising vocational awareness, this means that you come to see that there isn't only your life, there are others as well around you.

"And so it's a question of presenting an alternative, and the alternative is that you are invited to take part in a plan that goes beyond just yourself, which involves other people," he continued. "You find happiness by being part of a mission, which is at the service of other people. That helps you to develop and to find your own fulfillment and happiness. So I think the big challenge is to help people to discover what does it mean to love. What is love all about?"

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