The ceremony of the first vows of Brother Austin Rose, MIC, took place on Laetare Sunday, March 30, 2025, at the chapel of the Franciscan Sisters of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother in Toronto, Ohio. It was presided over by the Superior of the American Province of Marian Fathers, Fr. Chris Alar, MIC. Brother Austin was accompanied by his immediate family, Marian priests and brothers, and a large circle of friends.
In addition to the pronouncement of the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, a particularly moving moment was when, at the end of the Mass, Br. Austin solemnly read the text of the Oblatio (self-offering), with which the Marian Founder, St. Stanislaus Papczyński (1631-1701), gave birth to our religious family more than 350 years ago.
White Habit for First Vows
Worth noting is the fact that Br. Austin was the first in the history of the American province of the Marians to receive the white habit during his first religious vows. Normally, our law provides for the vestiture in the habit during perpetual vows, but each religious province, with the approval of the Superior General, has the right to make an individual choice of the time and circumstances of the vestiture in the white habit.
The Marians in the United States, following a centuries-old tradition existing in the Church, recently decided that the most appropriate time to receive the white habit would be during first vows. The white habit, worn by St. Stanislaus, is an external sign of religious consecration and a witness to the world of the Immaculate Conception.
Craig Austin Rose II, 24, entered the Marians in 2023. After his postulancy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, he completed his canonical novitiate in Steubenville, Ohio. He will begin seminary studies at Franciscan University in Steubenville this fall.
Please pray for Br. Austin and all our seminarians in formation!
{shopmercy-ad}