DETROIT — Bro. Robert Wotypka, OFM Cap., professed solemn perpetual vows as a Capuchin friar July 23 at St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit.

Bro. Wotypka, a Philadelphia native, served with the Mercy Volunteer Corps in Detroit prior to joining the Capuchin formation program, an experience he called a “catalyst” for his vocation.

“It showed me how much I love serving others,” Bro. Wotypka said. “A life of service and simplicity resonated to me. I didn’t realize until my volunteer year that I was looking for an opportunity to minister.”

Bro. Wotypka, who recently graduated from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, will be ordained a deacon in September and will serve three Detroit-area parishes: St. Ambrose in Grosse Pointe Park, St. Charles Borromeo and Nativity of Our Lord in Detroit.

“I was called to this life,” Bro. Wotypka said. “The values of the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph and the mission of the Church spoke to me. I wanted to help my brothers and sisters and saw that I could do that best by being a Capuchin friar. My years of discernment through the Gospel values have been gratifying, and I’m happy to return to Detroit and to work with a variety of parishes.”

Fr. Michael Sullivan, OFM Cap., provincial minister, said the newly professed brother has “exemplified a passion for the Gospel of Christ,” saying the province “rejoices” in his profession.