There’s a lot to be thankful to the Catholic Church for— hospitals, art, universities, the big bang theory, sacramental grace, true doctrine—the list goes on. But one of our lesser-known gifts to the world is the cappuccino. And we have St Francis, whose feast day we celebrate on 4 October, to thank for it.
Mixing a shot of espresso with frothed milk resulted in a colour resembling a Capuchin friar’s hooded robe, which in Italian is called a Cappuccio (little cap). This prompted the Italians to name the coffee after the friars in the 19th century.
Anthony, a volunteer at the Capuchin friars’ coffee van and the Mustard Seed bookshop employee, discovered this fact after helping with his local Capuchin friars.
“It was kind of a subtle flex that the Capuchins were able to tell me at some point that the cappuccino is named after the Capuchins,” he said.
The “Friars’ van” goes out to the city of Sydney each Monday and Friday evening to serve coffee, desserts and be present with the homeless.
“Those nights of helping the homeless people, there’s a good atmosphere, a really good atmosphere, there’s a lot of warmth,” said Anthony.
“I think the friars are really offering people a warm space, a listening ear. And it’s through that that they might encounter a bit more about how our Lord would have spent time with people on earth, just kind of wanting to get to know them in a gentle way over a cup of coffee, perhaps.
“Not as common in Nazareth at that time! But I can see that it would have been harmonious with how he [Jesus] would have done his style of things.
“Presence does more than you think. Just being there for someone, like in a simple way, you can do a lot more than you realise.”
Beyond St Francis of Assisi’s caffeinated legacy, the sainted friar is much-loved for his hymns to creation, affection for animals, and stigmata. But most of all, for the radical way he followed Jesus.
All Franciscan movements, including the Capuchins, strive to emulate and inspire these traits in others, like Anthony.
“What attracted me mostly to helping the friars was it seemed very simple and it seemed that they were there to be a good presence for the homeless people. The brothers and the friars themselves, they were always very approachable, very kind,” he said.
“On a personal note, I was always drawn to St Francis, like early on in my own faith journey. It was that kind of radical simplicity I’d say which drew me to him.
“Saint Francis heard that call to live the gospel life, to go sell all that he had and follow Jesus. That kind of following our Lord at all costs struck me pretty poignantly.
“I thought if that’s what our Lord’s calling us to, there must be something worth it, about following Jesus.
“Not only that, but I know our God to be generous and never outdone in generosity. So anything that we think we’re giving up for him, he returns to us in full and beyond.”
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (Capuchin Friars), live in fraternity, praying as a community, seeking to be a “source of nourishment and strength” as they go out to share God’s love and the Gospel with others.
St Francis, pray for us!