Circ. 16/08-14

Prot. N. 2201/10

Rome, June 6, 2010

Solemnity of Corpus Christi

“ My Flesh is true food and my Blood is true drink.

Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me, and I in him»

(Gv 6, 56-57)

To the SFO and YouFra National Councils

To the SFO and YouFra International Councillors

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

May the Lord give you peace!

Today, the day we celebrate the gift of Jesus at the Last Supper, the day of the Eucharist, an occasion to believe, love and adore but also to better understand the richness of this mystery of Jesus (Christ) who becomes real bread for each of us and pardons our sins, seemed to me a good day to announce the celebration of the “XIII General Chapter of the Secular Franciscan Order”.

The Chapter will be held in São Paulo, Brazil, from October 22 to 29, 2011, at the “Santa Fe” Pastoral Center. The CIOFS Presidency chose this venue from the many proposals received because it will be the first time that a General Chapter is celebrated in South America where the SFO represent more than a third of our Order and where the YouFra is considerably numerous as well. I hope that all of you appreciate the idea of sharing life with our brothers and sisters from this beautiful and afflicted Continent.

I inform you, as a way of orientation, that the central theme of the Chapter will be: “Evangelized to Evangelize”, with a general introduction on the theme and the following sub themes:

o Specific vocation for a particular mission.

o Builders of a fraternal and evangelical world (Instruments of peace and reconciliation).

We will be able to provide you with more information later on since the theme of Chapter will be dealt with in greater detail at the next Presidency meeting.

I would like to communicate that, in the coming year, the ongoing formation provided through the website will be dedicated to the subject of the Chapter. This will give the entire Order the opportunity to prepare itself and gain the adequate awareness on this theme and to receive the orientations it will provide with a sense of responsibility and resolve to implement them.

I invite you, from this moment onwards, to take the initiatives that are necessary to participate in the Chapter, to which the SFO and Youfra International Councilors will be formally convoked. We will evaluate the presence of some emerging national Fraternities that have never attended a General Chapter. It is important to remind you, however, that, in conformance with art. 4.2 of the FIOFS Statutes, the emerging national Fraternities may constitute a group of neighbouring countries – with similar social, cultural and religious characteristics – that will enable them to participate with one International Councilor representing the group, with full voting rights.

Please carefully follow all the communications and concrete information that will be sent to you for the optimal organization of the Chapter. I kindly ask all of you to be “creative” to immediately start organizing events and activities that will permit you to raise funds for the participation of each national Fraternity to this event of shared fraternal life and responsibility for our Order. I ask you to be charitable and to provide, like the boy in the Gospel, for the bread and fish which, by the miracle of love, may satisfy the hunger of the Fraternities with lesser economical means to attend the Chapter.

Let Jesus-Eucharist be the reason of our life and arouse the wish to be evangelized in order to render our mission of evangelization possible.

Your sister,

Encarnación del Pozo

SFO Minister General