All Capuchins, ordained to the priesthood or not, are first and foremost brothers. They are brothers to each other and to all of God’s creation. It is this emphasis on brotherhood that is the basis for our Capuchin way of life and our role in the Church.  

Many Capuchin friars feel called to serve God’s people as an ordained priest, while many others feel that they can contribute to the sanctification of the Church as a lay brother. Both engage in all kinds of ministry, and both are equally valuable and equally valid examples of the universal call to holiness. “By reason of the same vocation, brothers are equal. Therefore, according to the Rule, the Testament, and the earliest custom of the Capuchins, all of us are called brothers without distinction” (Capuchin Constitutions 90.1).