My Journey to Becoming a Franciscan Friar (Fr. Francis Mary Roaldi, CFR) - 9/2/25

9/2/25 - Fr. Francis Mary Roaldi, CFR, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal serving in the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, shares how his ordinary childhood in suburban Buffalo, once filled with simple dreams like Spider-Man and garbage trucks, slowly gave way to a restless search for meaning that ultimately led him to the priesthood. Though raised Catholic, faith wasn't central to his youth, and during college he drifted into depression and uncertainty until a providential conversation with a friend who "knew Jesus like a person" awakened him to the reality of God's love. From there, his journey took many turns: wrestling with relationships, questioning his place in the Church, and working as a caseworker in New York City before encountering the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. In the stillness of a chapel, he heard the life-changing invitation to "be a priest," a call he embraced after years of prayer and discernment. Now, with over seven years of priesthood and sixteen years as a consecrated religious, Fr. Francis reflects on God's faithful love and the unexpected path that transformed his life and vocation.