Meet Friar Marvin!

Friar Marvin Paul Asuncion Fernandez, OFM Conv. was born in the Province of Ilocos Norte in the Philippines on the 10th of December 1993, where he grew up in the loving embrace of his family. He is the only child of the late + Francis Peter Paul Fernandez (1968-2023) and Milagros Agmata, who sponsored him to immigrate to Canada in September 2011. After graduating from High School, he studied for a BS in Nursing at Saint Louis University in Baguio City from 2009 to 2011. He continued a Personal Support Worker (PSW) Course at Algonquin College in Ottawa, ON, Canada, which he completed in June 2018. Before entering the Conventual Franciscan Order, he worked as a line cook in various catering establishments and retirement homes, where he also part-timed as a Resident Specialist (RS). In November 2020, he became the manager of the RS, and in April 2021, he worked as a clerk for the COVID-19 vaccine clinic for the City of Ottawa. He was also an active volunteer at the Franciscan Church of the Assumption of the BVM Parish in Ottawa, where he is the former Secretary of the Parish Pastoral Council (2013-2021) and the Chairperson of the Liturgy Committee (2018-2021), where he honed his skills and knowledge of the liturgy.

His calling to become a Franciscan Friar was inspired by the examples of the friars of Saint André Bessette Friary in Ottawa, where he joined the Our Lady of the Angels Province. His formation period began on July 2, 2021, in Chicago, IL, where he spent a year of discernment on religious life. He was invested in a Franciscan habit in Baltimore, MD, on July 12, 2022. He began his novitiate year in Arroyo Grande, CA, which culminated in his profession of first vows on July 21, 2023, at The Shrine of Saint Anthony in Ellicott City, MD. 

Dedicated to a life of faith and service, Friar Marvin continues his formation with unwavering devotion. Pursuing his Ecclesiastical Degree in Philosophy at The Catholic University of America, he remains steadfast in his journey toward priestly ordination. Inspired by the teachings of Saint Francis and strengthened by his experiences, he looks forward to serving the Church and the community with humility, compassion, and a heart guided by the Gospel.

Friar Marvin is joining our Assumption family on summer assignment. Marvin will be serving in our parish and our outreach ministries. Make sure you say “HI!” when you see him around this summer.