Friar Bishop Michael Martin, (l-r) Minister Provincial Friar Michael Heine, Friar Sebastian DeBacker, Friar Edgar Varela, and Vicar Provincial Friar Gary Johnson.

In a Mass prayed, preached, and sung in Dutch, Spanish, Latin, and English, Friar Edgar Varela, OFM Conv., and Friar Sebastian DeBacker, OFM Conv., made their  Solemn Vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience before Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv., on May 2, at The Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, Md.

Friar Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., bishop of Charlotte, presided. Friar Gary Johnson, OFM Conv., and Friar John Koziol, OFM Conv., were principal concelebrants.

Minister Provincial Friar Michael Heine blesses Friar Edgar Varela and Friar Sebastian DeBacker.

During his homily, Friar Michael said, “We come together to witness and celebrate our two friars, who will give their lives totally to the Lord in the way of Saint Francis. I am unsure if we ever had a solemn profession during the sede vacante – the empty chair of Saint Peter.

“The attention given to Pope Francis and your solemn profession tells the world that Saint Francis and his way of following the Lord are still relevant. As our minister general (Friar Carlos Alberto Trovarelli OFM Conv.)wrote: “To us Franciscans, his choice has always told us that our charism was alive, deeply relevant, and could still offer something to the world. For us, it marked the beginning of a renewed purification of our charism – a reflection on the depth of our way of life – so that we, too, might be witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in today’s world.”

Born in Zottegem, Belgium, Friar Sebastian is the son of Sabine De Schuiteneer and has three siblings: Björn, Bianka, and Ben. He is now in his apostolic year in Chicopee, Mass., serving at the Basilica of. St. Stanislaus and with senior friars in nursing care at Enfield. During field placements for his Master of Social Work from The Catholic University of America, he interned in psychotherapy and hospice care. He also spent a summer assignment in Rensselaer, N.Y., assisting the friars. Friar Sebastian has an MA in theology from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium).

“For me, these vows are not abstract ideals,” Friar Sebastian said of solemn vows. “They are how we commit ourselves more deeply to our baptismal calling. They are meant to shape us into Eucharistic people who live lives of offering, communion, and self-gift. It’s not easy. We often fail. But as I keep saying, the grace is in the trying, in the returning to the source of all.

“Making my solemn vows is not just a moment of commitment but a deepening of my desire to share in the graces I receive. I desire to live a life not rooted in power but in humility. I am not searching for certainty but for a deeper fidelity – fidelity to the quiet, daily acts that honor our shared human dignity. Personally, I feel God is calling me to do this as a religious brother.

Friar Edgar was born in Phoenix, Ariz., the son of Manuel and Maribel Varela. He has four siblings: Yessenia, Erica, Sergio, and German.

“As I prepared for profession of solemn vows and diaconate ordination, I’m thankful to Almighty God for the call to religious life,” Friar Edgar said. “I’m blessed to know that I have my fellow Franciscan friars so that together we may strive to walk in the footsteps of the Risen Christ and bring His love and mercy to all. Please remember to pray for me as I take these next two steps in my religious and priestly formation.”

Each friar knelt before Friar Michael, folding their hands between his on the Book of Gospels, and recited the profession formula.

His current assignment is at Blessed Sacrament Parish and School in Burlington, N.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Loyola University in Chicago, and Master of Divinity from The Catholic University of America.

Friar Edgar will be ordained a deacon by Bishop Martin on May 3, 2025, as his journey to the priesthood continues.

“Today, as you place your hands on the Gospels, into my hands, and through me into the hands of the Church, we are all reminded of our baptismal call. Your yes strengthens all of us in our own yes. Your courage inspires us. Your love enflames ours,” Friar Michael said.

The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker is a day to honor the father of Jesus as well as the friar brothers who serve Our Lady of the Angels Province. Religious Brothers Day is also celebrated on May 1, where, at The Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, Md., the noon Mass was attended by, among many others, eight friar brothers with more watching online.

The gift of the religious brother is “not to be a star but to be a light,” Brother Sebastian said, “A quiet light. A faithful flame that burns without consuming. A presence. A witness. A brother to all.”

In his welcome, Friar Gary Johnson, OFM Conv., vicar provincial of the province and director of the shrine said, “We give them thanks for their witness of the Franciscan life. We ask God to help us to acknowledge their commitment to our order and to us in a way that will help us honor God this Easter season and help us all see what total commitment to Jesus Christ looks like.”

Prior to the offertory, Friar Gary offered a special blessing for the friar brothers: “Lord God, bless those called to the religious brotherhood, those gathered here and throughout our communality and our Church.”

The reflection was delivered by Brother Sebastian De Backer, OFM Conv., who will make his solemn profession of vows at the shrine on May 2, 2025. “I think the real question of vocation isn’t, ‘What is God calling me to do?’ but rather, ‘Who is God calling me to be?’ He said the vocation of a religious brother is never private. “It’s a response to God’s love and a gift to others. A brother’s life is rooted in prayer, nourished by relationships, and shaped by a desire to be a sign of God’s tenderness in the world for all.”

Prior to the offertory, Friar Gary offered a special blessing for the friar brothers: “Lord God, bless those called to the religious brotherhood, those gathered here and throughout our communality and our Church. Let Your spirit uphold them always as they continue their fidelity to their call of God to both service and witness among your people.”

The gift of the religious brother is “not to be a star but to be a light,” Brother Sebastian said, “A quiet light. A faithful flame that burns without consuming. A presence. A witness. A brother to all.”

The friars gather with Minister Provincial Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv., (far left).

Speaking from the depths of my heart, I wish to honor Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis by means of a conclave and the Holy Spirit.

Being his fellow countryman, I met Bishop Bergoglio  in Buenos Aires while living in that city between 1996 and 1997. He was then the auxiliary bishop in charge of the deanery where our friary and Provincial Curia is located. Years later, I returned to the same friary in Buenos Aires and lived there in community from 2007 to 2015, this time as Minister Provincial. By then, Bishop Bergoglio  had already been made an archbishop and a cardinal. Then came his surprise election as Bishop of Rome in 2013, and, even more surprisingly, he took the name of “Francis.” A few weeks after he was elected, I had to report to Rome, as part of my duty as President of the Federación América Latina Conventuales (FALC). Being from Argentina, I was able to easily gain access to a public audience and take a seat in what is known as the “baciamano,” that is, the front row, where the pope greets people at the end of the audience.

I was looking forward to greeting him. As he was walking to the Chair, he spotted me and gave me a thumbs-up. Then, when the long-awaited moment came for us to greet one another (which was actually a hug), he called me by name!

I had witnessed a transformation in him. When he was governing the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, this “cardinal from the end of the world” did not like being on the front pages of newspapers or being greeted in public squares. He was afraid of being flattered. He preferred to be “what one is before God” and nothing more. This choice of his to be consistent meant he wasn’t always popular. He was austere and reserved. He was close to the “least” among us and “strict” with the powerful. He was a shepherd of his flock, not a “policeman of the masses.” He never refused a request for a meeting. At the end of the Chrism Masses, he would remain in his chair and dedicate himself to greeting each of the priests residing in the Archdiocese, who numbered several hundred. He was not a prince, he was a father.

It is well known that, even as an archbishop or cardinal, he always used the city’s public transportation system. Right before the conclave, he visited our friary in just that way.

He always asked the priests to deliver homilies and public statements as he did: short and incisive. He did not use many words, but his teachings were radical. He did not speak using flowery language, nor was that his nature; his choice to be consistent did not allow him to deceive others or himself. His deeds were not showy, but they were very significant. He was just another city dweller, though entrusted with a ministry in the Church. In fact, he was never a clergyman “clothed” in honors.

I remember when he built one of the most beautiful modern churches in the city near our friary, in a poor, working class neighborhood. He was a cardinal who acted like a father, ready to give his life for his children, not a paternalistic populist. He preferred to be deep in the details rather than shine as if he were on stage; he preferred being consistent with the Gospel rather than being popular. He was not trying to please; he was a father.

Every time I asked to speak on the phone with “the Cardinal of Buenos Aires”, I only had to ask the receptionist of the archbishop’s residence and in just two or three minutes, I would receive a call from “Bergoglio”. Every time I sent Christmas or Easter greetings to the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, a hand-signed thank you would arrive at our friary. He was not trying to be nice; he was considerate.

In 2010, he accepted my invitation to preside over a Mass during the General Assembly of our Order, held in Pilar, Argentina. He arrived “quietly” and presided “quietly”. He did not join us for lunch at the main table, he ate in the kitchen with the cooks. We were all struck by such simplicity, but today I understand that he did not like being sought out just because he was a cardinal, and he would put that title aside to dedicate himself to the least, or to point out the inconsistency or injustice of the “powerful.” BERGOGLIO always visited prisons, celebrated Mass in public squares to attract people living on the streets or those who worked in the streets at night. His message was strong, not gentle and his decisions were firm.

I am witness to the transformation that took place when he was elected pope. Let’s be clear; it was a transformation in his communicative and pastoral style. As Pope, BERGOGLIO was no longer just someone who kindly responded or opened the door—he came to meet you; not just as a shepherd devoted to the

On June 17, 2019, just after I was elected Minister General, our Chapter Assembly had an audience with the pope in a way that went beyond protocol. As he entered the Clementine Hall, Francis left his path to the Chair, and instead, came toward me and embraced me.

Thank God I was able to embrace him and call him “you” informally, as he wished. Pope Francis’ pontificate has been consistent with the evangelical principles and values that always defined him. Yet, he knew how to reinvent and transform himself. I believe he deeply internalized the meaning of Mercy, to the point that his gestures became not only fatherly, but also motherly and brotherly. He no longer spared a smile, much less a strong and significant “sign.” He spoke through signs and decisions with the ability to orient and anticipate the future. Not only did he want to remain consistent with his life choices and evangelical proclamation, he wanted to propose them to the Church and the world. He became a symbol of his own vision of the world and of faith.

I will never forget the times I was able to meet with him—his phone calls to respond to me, his handwritten messages, his willingness to see me and listen to me, and the care he took in addressing whatever he could take on.

He was like a father, a mother, and a brother to me. That’s what I felt.

It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Pope Francis, who met Sister Death this morning, the first day of the Octave of Easter. We watched him on TV yesterday as he gave the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica and spoke of peace in all the troubled parts of our world. He rode in the popemobile through the crowds in the square as if to give his final goodbye to the faithful and all of us. It is with a spirit of profound gratitude to God for the life and ministry of the People’s Pope.

This Jesuit, with a Franciscan heart, taught us by his words and especially by his example how to follow the Lord who loved the marginalized and outcast. He reminded us that the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth are intimately linked. His humble way inspired us not to seek fame and glory but to simply follow the Lord’s will without much pomp

He invited us to see the Church as a “Field Hospital” for all sinners, not a “Country Club” for the perfect. Who am I to judge, set the tone for his Pontificate. When he was elected, the Franciscan Cardinal sitting next to him in the Sistine Chapel reminded him to “not forget the poor.” May Pope Francis be welcomed into the house of the Father where Lazarus is poor no longer. May he find eternal peace.

Please join the friars of Our Lady of the Angles Province” as we remember this gentle, loving successor of St Peter, who looked into the empty tomb and believed!