Br. Diogo Escudero, OFM Cap.

Hometown:  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Age: 34

Before Becoming a Friar:  "Before joining the Capuchins, I was pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Miami School of Medicine, where my doctoral dissertation and research focused on bladder cancer research."

Why I'm a Capuchin:  "While the figures of St. Francis and the many great Capuchin saints, like Padre Pio, are a great source of inspiration for me in striving to give my all of Jesus as a Capuchin, my choice and inspiration for Capuchin life is definitely the work of the Holy Spirit.  There are many points of our life which resonate with me, such as our strong emphasis on prayer, fraternity, and minority.  Nonetheless, it was and continues to be the Holy Spirit who instills in my heart the desire to live this life, in many ways beyond my understanding."