Capuchins and Priests

I didn't become a active (and baptizes and confirmed) member of the Catholic Church until college. Then I graduated, and my church attendance fell off. Partly it was the priests scandal, partly it was the sudden transformation of a church I thought cared about social justice and the poor into part of the anti-gay, anti-woman Republican machine, and partly it was because it's also weird to go to church randomly and by yourself as a 23, 26, or 29 year old.

The pope visited and my boyfriend and I started talking about how we wanted to help the church care more about social justice than the regulation of people's sex lives. So we decided to join the church, actually the Shrine, across the street from us. Not only did we start attending mass, but we're also engaged now with a group of people who is interested in social justice issues and pursuing them. And everyone else is liberal too - but in the best kind of way, where they care about the poor and those who don't have the blessings we all seem to have.

My new priest is also a Capuchin, and I'm meeting with a college friend of mine today who's getting his PhD in theology. I'm hoping to ask him about how a Capuchin becomes a priest. My priest also wants to learn more about educational research, and how he can influence the order to see how having a college degree doesn't necessarily make one a better priest. I think he feels alienated from many in his order who are craftsmen rather than intellectuals. I'm hoping my research can help!