Solemn Vows

Last night five Franciscan OFM brothers professed solemn vows at San Francisco Church on 25 de Mayo in Cochabamba. Hereafter, some may also become doctors, teachers or priests. The total process takes about 9 years to complete. Although the service was celebrated at night and in the middle of the week, the church was filled from front to back as well as the vestibule, the entranceway, the porch outside and the sidewalk by the street. The lay people joined in the recitation of prayers and hymns to celebrate the life commitment of the five young Bolivian men: Juan Carlos Narvaez, Leónidas Román, Wilder Barrientos; Wilber Sejas y Calixto Vallejos. Among those assisting in the Mass were most of the student friars that Lynn and I teach on Tuesdays and Fridays. (The photo is a frame grab from a short video taken using a Flip video camera from the back of the church. It does not capture the detail of the altar and the interior of the church, the second oldest in Cochabamba.)