top of page

Capuchin Works

Our Works

The ministerial life of the Capuchin is one of preaching, a preaching which is done by deeds as well as by words. Grounded in our life of prayer, where we grow in our love of God, it is this same love which then sends us forth to serve our brothers and sisters, and to bring Christ to them. For the Capuchin this does not take on only one expression, thus you can find the Capuchin in almost every area of apostolic work: ministering to the poor, preaching missions and retreats, hearing confessions, ministering to migrants, or working as teachers, chaplains, or in the foreign missions. For the Capuchin all of these works are an expression of that one love which is at once both love of God and love of neighbour.

Here are some of the works undertaken by the Capuchins throughout Australia:

A prominent part of Capuchin ministry is to go amongst the poor and the marginalized. We seek to listen to, care for, and support the materially poor, with whom we have chosen to share our life. Some expressions of this work are our Open House in South Melbourne, and the Friars' Van in Leichhardt.

Outreach to the Poor

_DSC1824 (2).jpg

A fundamental and historically significant activity of the Capuchin Friar is that of the apostolate of preaching. The preaching of the Capuchin is one learned not only from books, but is also learned in their own spiritual struggle, and is the fruit of their meditation on Sacred Scripture.

Preaching

The Capuchins seek to support and cultivate communities of the faithful among young people seeking to follow in the footsteps of Christ. We arrange dinners, catechesis nights, day retreats, pilgrimages and more. The friars also invite young people to be collaborators in their ministries of outreach to the poor and marginalised.

Youth Ministry

In the sacrament of Penance the Capuchin has the honour of making God’s Mercy tangible, and reconciling the Father with his beloved children. Many Capuchin Saints were known for their heroic dedication to the ministry of reconciliation and this ministry continues in Australia today.

Confessions

As part of our work of evangelisation and pastoral care, we undertake a variety of chaplaincy works, such as hospitals, nursing homes, universities, prisons, and schools. The work of chaplaincy itself involves a variety of ministries, including preaching or giving talks, organising events, visiting the sick, or assisting the poor or homeless.

Chaplaincy

480553616_1048627060627386_8344633024602763812_n_edited.jpg

Our ministerial life is fundamentally at the service of the Church, and so the Capuchins have accepted the pastoral care of Parishes throughout Australia. Sharing our witness of prayer and fraternity, here we offer ourselves in service to build up the local Church.

Parish
Pastoral Care

In Australia and throughout the world, the Capuchin Friars operate Friary Churches; places of prayer and encounter with the Lord. A particular mark of these churches is often the availability of the Sacrament of Penance, a means of encountering the mercy of God.

St Anthony's Friary Church

The Capuchins undertake manual work, especially that required for the upkeep of their churches and friaries. Not only is this another way in which we serve the Lord, but in it we also unite ourselves with the Lord Himself, who worked as a carpenter.

Manual Work

Screenshot 2026-02-26 230004.png

Heeding the call of Christ to preach the Gospel to all creation, and following the example of our Father Francis, the Capuchins have a heart for mission. This mission can be in the form of missionary work in another country, helping to build up the local church there, or in the form of local missions, working on the new evangelisation of our country of Australia.

Missions

Learn more...

Support our Work The Capuchin Life

bottom of page