C I O F S LIST

International Meeting of YOUFRA - I

Introduction

The Meeting of Delegates

Open Meetings

1. Introduction

On the occasion of the World Day of Youth 1997 (JMJ97), an international meeting of Franciscan Youth (YouFra) was held. The meeting took place in two distinct parts: a. A meeting of the National Delegates of YouFra; b. An open meeting for all Young Franciscans.

The meeting was integrated into the World Day of Youth as one of the various initiatives taken on that occasion. The theme of the meeting was the same as that of JMJ97, in a Franciscan style: "What are you looking for?" "Master, where do you live?" "Come and see." The meeting was listed in the "Guide for Pilgrims" with the times and places assigned by the central committee of JMJ97.

The meeting was the responsibility of the Presidency of CIOFS with help from the National Council of the SFO of France. The Presidency of CIOFS took on the meeting as its project, co-ordinated by Fr. Ben Brevoort, General Assistant, and Pedro Nuno Coelho, a Councillor of the Presidency representing YouFra. The SFO National Council of France entrusted the preparation of the meeting to a team of young members of the SFO, co-ordinated by Jocelyne Collin, Filippe Pelet and Pascal Correc. The team from "Rome" took care of the content of the meeting and contact with the various fraternities of YouFra and the SFO. The "Paris" team took care of material preparation for the meeting and contact with the central committee of JMJ97 in Paris. After one initial meeting in Paris on 9th June 1996, contact between the two teams was maintained by e-mail, fax and telephone. On 15th August 1997, Fr. Ben Brevoort and Fr. Zvonimir Brusac', SFO General Assistants, arrived in Paris for the final preparations with the Paris team. For this purpose two preparatory meetings were held, a restricted one on Friday 15th August, and a full meeting on Sunday 17th August 1997.

The Paris team had obtained a room at the home of the FMM Sisters at Avenue Reille 34 for the meeting of the delegates (20-21 August) and a big church, Notre Dame de Grace at Passy, for the meeting open to all the youth (19-22 August). Initially, a third place, the piazza of Saint Sulpice, was allotted for the first two days (19 and 20 August). At the end of April 1997 the programme with the three venues was sent to the national fraternities of YouFra and the SFO. But on 22nd May 1997 the central committee of JMJ97 cancelled the venue for the first two days, assigning them also to the Church of Notre Dame de Grace at Passy. As a consequence, some of the youth went to St. Sulpice instead of Passy on 19 and 20 August.

2. The Meeting of Delegates

A meeting of delegates on 20 August took place from 10.00 - 13.00 and on 21 August from 10.00 - 18.00 in a room freely placed at our disposal by the FMM Sisters. For work in groups we used the garden also. Sixty seven participants from 17 nations (8 European, 7 American, 2 Asian) were present. In nine of the nations present there exists a National Council of YouFra, but not yet in eight of them.

The meeting had as its aim the exchange of experience between the nations on the format of the JMJ97, based on four reports illustrating significant experiences. The experience and the vision of the Presidency of CIOFS was presented by Pedro Nuno Coelho. The experience and the expansion of YouFra in the Philippines was presented by Lucy Almiranez. The report on the reciprocal relations between the SFO and YouFra, prepared by the National Council of YouFra of Brazil, was presented by Marilene dos Santos. The report on formation for YouFra, prepared by the unitary council of Italian YouFra, was presented by Attilio and Rosa Galimberti.

There were five working groups: one English language group, two Spanish, one French and one German. They shared their life experiences, the joys, the difficulties and the development of YouFra and its relationship with the SFO. There was a great variety of situations, of ways of living YouFra and of relationships with the SFO in the various countries.

At the beginning of the meeting the SFO National Council of France gave a comprehensive survey of the situation of the French National Fraternity. At the end of the meeting, the delegates presented the situation of Young Franciscans or YouFra in their own countries, beginning with France.

The time available for the reports and group discussions was very limited. Some participants expressed the wish to have more time for group work, for discussion and for personal contacts. Also the time for the presentation by the YouFra fraternities in the hall was too short.

3. Open Meetings

The open meetings for all young people interested in Francis and Clare of Assisi were held in the church of Notre Dame de Grace at Passy on 19 August (10.00 - 1`6.00 and 20.30 - 22.00), 20 August (14.00 - 19.00), 21 August (20.30 - 22.30) and 22 August (14.00 - 19.00). The number of participants was quite variable: the morning of 19 August 1000 people, among them some 700 Italians, the evening of 19 August 300, 20 August 200, 21 August 150, 22 August 100 people. There were some international meetings that compelled us to use 3 or 4 languages together (English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese). At all the meetings a good number of young people from the various dioceses of France participated as well as visitors (from Italy, Portugal, Lebanon, United States, Canada, Philippines, Japan, Germany, Croatia, Spain etc.) More or less half the participants were members of YouFra, and half young people interested in Francis or Clare of Assisi.

The meeting on the morning of 19 August was designed to bring the youth from the various countries into contact through a presentation by various YouFra fraternities and by the different branches of the Franciscan family. It was the biggest and most festive of all the meetings, even if of necessity rather superficial in its content. It helped to make contact between the youth across the barriers of culture and language. It wasn't possible to follow the pre-arranged programme because of the fact that the group from Bitche who had been given the responsibility for the musical interludes were stranded all morning at the entrance to the Ile de France.

The meeting on the evening of 19 August, entitled "Dream of a new world" began with a slide presentation from a group of young Franciscans from Ghazir (Lebanon). The was followed by the Bitche group who presented the scene of Clare dreaming on Palm Sunday, all with choral singing. To conclude, a youth from the United States read a part of the dream of Martin Luther King ("I have a dream"). By the end the participants had reflected together on the theme "What are you looking for?"

On 20 August we reflected on the theme "Master, where do you live?", where can we encounter Christ. The Spanish YouFra had prepared a reflection on Francis meeting Christ in the Leper. People from different countries shared, of their own free choice, where they had met Christ. We also sang and danced together on the piazza in front of the church.

On 21 August we had a vigil of prayer on the theme of service, "come" and serve, as Christ served, washing the feet of the apostles. The participants had the opportunity of telling of their experience of service in small groups, spread out on the pavement of the presbytery and church.

On 22 August the theme "See" with new eyes, suffering and death was developed. The YouFra of Portugal presented a shadow theatre with slides, demonstrating how Francis and Clare saw and faced up to their sufferings and death. The participants had shared their experiences of sadness and death in small groups and expressed it in spontaneous prayer in the groups. We concluded it all with a chain of solidarity through the church and reciting a litany for those who suffer.

After a pause of half an hour to meet with youth from other countries, we followed the "via crucis" using more than one language, enhanced with gestures. We concluded the ceremony with the sign of the "broken bread", tearing a "stick" of bread which we divided and ate. It was an expression of Christ, torn, broken into pieces, for us. We left the church in silence.