Br. Kevin Kriso Reflects on 25 Years as a Franciscan

Mt. Irenaeus community marks his anniversary with April 25 celebration.

June 2, 1990, was a beautiful sunny day in Brookline, Massachusetts. Ten of us who had "persevered" through two years of Franciscan formation, took the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience for a period of four years. In 1994, seven of us took our vows for life.

People sometimes ask questions about the vows from a negative perspective - "So you have to give up this or that as a friar?" Yes, but over the years I have learned that I don't "have" to do anything. I "get" to do my vows.

At Mt. Irenaeus, we encourage people to reflect on their life's experiences. As Richard Rohr, ofm, writes, "God comes disguised as our lives." As I reflect on the people, experiences, places that have made up the last 25 years of my life, I realized how blessed I am to have the gift of this vocation. It is a way of life that is second to none because as much as I thought I knew God in 1990, I know God that much more now and know many more of God's people.

In our Mountain chapel on April 25, a few people (maybe about 70!) and I celebrated the gift of 25 years of Franciscan life. What struck me is that seven years ago when I came to the Mountain I knew maybe three of those 70. 

So, what does that all mean? None of us, myself included, have met all of the good people yet. We can lament as we get older that many of our friends and relatives pass over to God. That's true, it does happen. However, God comes into our lives disguised as the new friends He sends to us - if we are open to meeting them!