C I O F S LIST

SFO International Council - Weekly edition

Volume: 3 - N. 20 - 1997 - May - III

From: CIOFS Secretariat


INTERNATIONAL FRANCISCAN YOUTH MEETING
Essential information
Presentation
General information
Meeting of franciscan youth delegates
Francisan youth festival
Franciscan youth vigil and prayer

INTERNATIONAL FRANCISCAN YOUTH MEETING

Paris, August 19-22, 1997

Come and see!
Experience of Christian life in Fraternity
of youth all over the world
who deepen their own vocation as baptized persons
in the light of the gospel choices
of Francis and Clare of Assisi

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

Franciscan Youth delegates meeting:

Place : 34 avenue Reille, 75014 PARIS (Tel. +33-1- 45 89 15 51)
Can be reached by subway: METRO (Glacière) or RER (Cité Universitaire).
or by bus: line21: Parc Montsouris; line 62: Alésia Tolbiac; line 38 Porte d'Orleans.

Time : Wednesday, August 20, 1997: 10.00 - 13.00 hours.
Thursday, August 21, 1997: 10.00 - 18.00 hours.

Telephone: 01 45 89 15 51

Franciscan Youth Festival:

Place : Church of St. Sulpice: Place St Sulpice, 75006 PARIS.
Can be reached by subway: METRO (StSulpice; St Germain des Pres or Odeon).

Time : Tuesday, August 19, 1997: 10.00 - 16.00 and 20.30 - 22.00
Wednesday, August 20, 1997: 14.00 - 19.00

Franciscan Youth vigil and prayer:

Place : ND de Grace de Passy, Rue de l'Annonciation, 75016 PARIS.
Can be reached by subway: METRO (Passy).

Time: Thursday, August 21, 1997: 20.30 - 22.00
Friday, August 22, 1997: 14.00 - 16.00


SFO National Secretariat - Youth:

Jocelyne Collin - 15 rue Montbrun, 75014 PARIS
Telephone: 01 45 42 47 18 (afternoon)

SFO National Secretariat of France:

Address: 27 Rue Sarette, 75014 PARIS
Telephone: 01 45 42 47 18
Fax: 01 45 39 15 47


PRESENTATION

Now that societies are doubting their values, youth are searching for an indentity. What answer can we offer to their questions?

We should not be afraid to insist on the need for values, even if they are not always compatible among themselves. Our freedom is incarnated by the choices throuth which we construct ourselves, which build our societies and model the relations we foster with our neighbours.

Francis and Clare of Assisi propose to our times a revolution of values: a revolution which passes through love and respect of others in all their differences and which finds its source in interiority and contemplation of Creation.

Their radical choices echo in our own engagements: the important choices of our own life bring us inevitably back to our relation with God.

To make our own choices and even more to desire to prepare a place for God in our own life, is far from easy.

How can we welcome the immensity of God and not at the same time measuring our own limits?

How would it be possible to live those choices which are full of meaning for us, without experiencing the need to explain them, to give witness?

This revolution of values means restoring the world to its own rightful place every day, so that any human, finally free from all idols, can relate truly to the Creator.

Our desire to follow Christ in this way, as Clare and Francis did, will make us live the experience of being sons and daughters of our one Father. From this, we discover that it is possible to live as brothers and sisters, to share the gifts we have received from the same Father. And even more, it will be possible for us to love our neighbours with the love our Father has given us:

"As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ. A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ." ( Rule , 13).


GENERAL INFORMATION

The meeting of Franciscan Youth delegates can be attended only by persons officially delegated by the National Council of the Franciscan Youth or of the SFO. If you did not already do so, pleaseinform the CIOFS' Secretariat of your coming. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 20 from 10.00 - 13.00 and Thursday, August 21 from 10.00 - 18.00. Both sessions will be held at: 34 avenue Reille, 75014 PARIS (Tel. +33-1- 45 89 15 51). The place can be reached by subway: METRO (Glacière), RER (Cité Universitaire); or by bus (line21: Parc Montsouris; line 62: Alésia Tolbiac; line 38 Porte d'Orleans). We recommend you take the subway: METRO or RER.

The Franciscan Youth Festival is open to all Franciscan Youth members and friends of Saint Francis. It will be held on Tuesday, August 19 (10.00 - 16.00 and 20.30 - 22.00) and Wednesday, August20 (14.00 - 19.00) at the entrance to the Church of St. Sulpice: Place St Sulpice, 75006 PARIS. The place can be reached by METRO (StSulpice; St Germain des Pres or Odeon).

The Franciscan Youth vigil and prayer is likewise open for all. It wil be held on Thursday, August 21 (20.30 - 22.00) and Friday, August 22 (14.00-16.00) in the Church of our Lady of Grace of Passy: ND de Grace de Passy-Rue de l'Annonciation - 75016 PARIS. The place can be reached by METRO (Passy).

No registration or admittance fees will be charged. However, we will be glad to transmit any financial help you can give to the CIOFS' Presidency in order to cover the costs of the meetings. On the other hand, we are not able to give any financial help for travel and accomodation in Paris during those days. The only thing we can provide is a very light lunch for the delegates and the documentation they need during the meeting.

This information is also published on the Internet (http://www.ofs.it/youfra.html). Please look there for updated information and last-minute changes.


MEETING OF FRANCISCAN YOUTH DELEGATES

Paris, August 20-21, 1997

Place: 34 avenue Reille, 75014 PARIS (Tel. +33-1- 45 89 15 51)
Can be reached by subway: METRO (Glacière) or RER (Cité Universitaire).
or by bus: line21: Parc Montsouris; line 62: Alésia Tolbiac; line 38 Porte d'Orleans.

Program

Wednesday, August 20, 1997

10.00 - 11.00
What are you looking for?
Franciscan Youth: a franciscan vocation journey.
With Francis and Clare looking for Christ.
Panorama of the Franciscan Youth world-wide.
11.00 - 12.00
Discussion in language groups
8 groups: sharing of life experiences in different countries.
What are the youth of your country looking for?
What does the Church of your country present to the youth?
What does the Franciscan Family offer to the youth of your country?
What is the situation of the Franciscan Youth in your country?
12.00 - 13.00 Lunch

Thursday, August 21, 1997

10.00 - 11.00
Master, where do you stay?
Discovering the Franciscan vocation.
The possibilities offered by the Franciscan Family.
Relations with the Secular Franciscan Order and Franciscan religious.
11.00 - 12.30
Discussion in language groups
8 groups: sharing of life experiences in different countries.
What is being done in your country to make Franciscan life-choices known?
What efforts are being made in your country to propagate the experience of christian life in Fraternity?
What relations exist between youth and the Secular and Religious Franciscan Orders?
What is the place of Franciscan Youth in the Franciscan Family of your country?
12.30 - 13.30 Lunch
13.30 - 14.30
Come!
The invitation to the Franciscan life.
Sharing and spreading the enthusiasm kindled by Francis and Claire.
Spreading the Franciscan Youth.
14.45 - 15.45
See!
Experiencing life with the whole Franciscan Family.
A formation based on the experience of Christan life in Fraternity.
Formation in the Franciscan Youth.
16.00 - 18.00
Conclusion
Presentation of the results of the discussion groups.
Proposals and message of the meeting to Franciscan Youth.

FRANCISAN YOUTH FESTIVAL

Come and see!

Place: Church of St. Sulpice: Place St Sulpice, 75006 PARIS.
Can be reached by subway: METRO (StSulpice; St Germain des Pres or Odeon).

Tuesday, August 19, 1997

10.00 - 16.00
Come and see! - The Lord gave us brothers and sisters
Young Franciscans from all over the world present themselves
Franciscan Youth world-wide (CIOFS)
Franciscan Religious (OFM, OFMCap, OFMConv, TOR)
Poor Clares (contemplative life)
Franciscan Sisters (religious)
Secular Franciscan Order (French National Fraternity)
Franciscan Youth groups (Any country present)
The presentations will not necessarily be in this order.
Musical intermezzo's between presentations.
20.30 - 22.00
Dream of a new world - "What are you looking for?"
Songs and sketches from the six continents:
Searching for a new world
Francis: dream of Spoleto - master or servant?
Clare: palm Sunday - facing radical choices.
Ourselves: creation - exploitation or discovery?

Wednesday, August 20, 1997

14.00 - 16.00
Discovering one's vocation - "Master, where are you staying?"
Recital, sacred dances, music and sketches:
discovering new possibilities
Francis discovers his vocation - discovering the world of lepers.
Clare and her sisters - discovering the world inside us.
Discovering our brothers and sisters from all over the world.
16.00 - 17.30
Listening to our own heart
Personal witnesses about choices made:
Searching for the meaning of life
Prayer of Francis: "Lord, illuminate the darkness of my heart".
Prayer of Clare: "Thank you Lord for creating me".
Opportunity to reconcile ourselves with God and our brothers and sisters.
17.30 - 19.00
Choices to be made
Witnesses, sketches, chants and dances:
Facing life-choices
Francis in front of the Bishop: different generations.
Clare flies from her house: different interests.
Ourselves: our choices in life.

Festival of Fraternity: let us sing and dance together.




FRANCISCAN YOUTH VIGIL AND PRAYER

Come and see!

Place: ND de Grace de Passy, Rue de l'Annonciation, 75016 PARIS.
Can be reached by subway: METRO (Passy).

Thursday, August 21, 1997

20.30 - 22.00
The joy of service - "Come!"
A vigil of prayer and religious songs:
Francis, Clare and ourselves serving others
Francis in the service of his brothers
Clare washing the feet of her sisters
Ourselves in the service of others.

Friday, August 22, 1997

14.00 - 16.00
The joy of communion - "See!"
A service of sharing the broken bread:
Francis, Clare and ourselves facing suffering and death
Francis: "Be praised my Lord, through those who suffer!"
Clare: "Do you see the Lord of glory I am seeing?"
Ourselves sharing the broken bread.
The participants are invited to bring some plain bread
to be shared with others in the course of the celebration.