At the April 22-26 chapter meeting of St. Conrad Province held at St. Fidelis Friary in Victoria, Kan., Capuchin Brother Mark Schenk, 61, made history when he became the first lay friar elected to serve as Provincial Minister.

Born to a wealthy family, St. Francis of Assisi gave up riches and in his radical conversion to Christian life was called Il Poverello, “the little poor man.” He was also known as “the joyful troubadour of the Lord.”

Countless people have been inspired by the courageous example of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Conventual Franciscan who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the German death camp at Auschwitz. St. Maximilian's amazing story has been told and retold, but few have ever heard the story of Blessed Anizet Koplin.