SFO International Council - Weekly edition
Volume: 8 - N. 9 - 2002 - March - I
From: Koinonia, 2001, N. 4
Lithuania. On the 29-30 September 2001, in Kaunas, Lithuania, the national elective Chapter of the SFO was held. The Chapter was presided over by the Minister General of the SFO, Emanuela De Nunzio; Br. Ivan Matic, OFM, Assistant general was present. Nerijus Capas was elected as the national Minister. We saw that there was a great desire and an new impulse on the part of the secular Franciscans to witness to the Franciscan message. The need for formation was spoken about for this reason, especially among young families and Franciscan Youth.
Croatia. Emanuela De Nunzio and Valentín Redondo participated in the national Chapter of Croatia, held in the meeting house of "Tabor", in the Franciscan friary of Samobor on 12-14 October 2001. Renato Matiæ (for a second mandate), two Vice-Ministers and ten Councillors were elected. The presence of Ministers and Delegates from all the regions of Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Jugoslavia was important for the constitution of a multi-national Fraternity. On Saturday evening, before the election, Valentin had a meeting with all the Assistants to study and discuss collegial assistance on the national and regional levels. The most important moment as a formative and informative meeting took place on Sunday morning. The national Stautes will have to be brought up to date with the renewed Constitutions.
France. Br. Ben and Emanuela returned content with the national elective Chapter of France, held on the 20-21 October. It was an important moment of Fraternity for all the delegates. An ample space of time was given to the secular Fraternity in the world, present in so many different countries and cultures. The presentation of the formation programme of the secular Franciscans for the spiritual accompaniment of Fraternities was of particular interest. There is a need, in fact, to prepare for a future when it will be less possible to entrust assistance to Franciscans of the First Order and TOR.
Mozambique. On the 20th September, Br. Ben Brevoort was in Mozambique, where he was joined by Rosalvo Mota OFS on the 1st October: They together visited the national Fraternity until the 13th October. Fr. Ben also had two formation courses for the secular Franciscans in Zambesia, in the north of the country. Together with Rosalvo he animated a triduum of preparation for the feast of St. Francis for the whole Franciscan Family in the capital Maputo. All three evening, for two hours or so, a hundred secular and religious Franciscans were present. Later, the fraternities in the region of Manica and the city of Beira in central Mozambique were visited. The secular Franciscans number 3.500, assisted by the Friars Minor and Capuchins. Still lacking a national structure, the Fraternities of the SFO are organised according to the Church structures in local, parish and diocesan groups. The Presidency of the CIOFS has appointed a temporary national Council to coordinate, within three years, the local and regional Fraternities and to prepare for the first national elective Chapter.
The Czech Republic. The fraternal and pastoral visitations in the Czech Republic were carried out by the Presidency of the CIOFS from the 25th to the 28th October 2001 with the presence of the Councillor Wilhelmina Visser and the Assistant General Br. Ivan Matic, OFM. On the first day there was a meeting with the local Fraternity of Prague and another with Br. Lukas Sebak, OFMCap. Minister provincial. The following day there was a meeting with Mons. Jaroslav Skarvada, Auxiliary Bishop of Prague. A very nice meeting was held with the national Assistants Br. Antonìn Klaret Dabrowski, OFM and Br. Augustin Svacek, OFMCap. Also present at the meeting was Br. Ceslav Krizala, OFM, who assists more than 20 local Fraternities. On Saturday 27th October there was a meeting with the national Council. The national Minister, Petr Alexa, and the Council prepared the visit very well. They work in a very fraternal athmosphere, seeking new ways to give testimony of the Franciscan life in the country, especially to the young. In the Czech Republic there are almost 60 local Fraternities and about 950 secular Franciscans. The topic of spiritual assistance was spoken about with the Minister provincial, Fr. Stanislav Gryù OFMConv. On Sunday evening, 28th October, Br. Ivan met a good number of the families of secular franciscans, gathered for a spiritual retreat in the convent of the Friars Minor (P. Maria Snezna) in Prague.
The II English-speaking African Congress was held in Lusaka, at the "St. Bonaventure" Study Centre from the 18th till the 25th August 2001. About thirty secular Franciscans, from South Africa (2), Kenya (2), Tanzania (3), Malawi (7) and Zambia (18) participated. There were 5 spiritual Assistants among the participants. Talks were given by some secular Franciscans, Friars Minor Conventual and two Franciscan Missionaries of Assisi. The topics dealt with, interesting and hinged on gospel and Franciscan reflection, were centred on witness and the relevance of the secular Franciscan in Africa.
After the Congress, Br. Valentín had the possibility to speak to more than 300 Fra.Youth gathered in Ndola for the week-end of 24-26 August. On Sunday, 26th August, the number of young participants in the Eucharist, organised and animated by the Fra.Youth, was so great that the Church could not fit all that came. It is the same every Sunday. The Assistants and the pastors appreciate the vivacity, witness and collaboration of the SFO in the catechesis and social works for the poor.
A course for Formators of the Order of Friars Minor was held in the Pontifical Atenaeum "Antonianum" from the 7th to 31st October 2001. Among the different interventions and reports there was one by Br. Ivan Matic, Assistant general to the SFO on the reality of the SFO/Fra.Youth. A special interest was shown by the many formators present, who, in their majority, have a great experience of service and assistance to the SFO and Fra.Youth.
A meeting of the SFO Fraternities of the diocese of Pordenone and Udine was held in Gemona del Friuli, Italy, on the 7th of October 2001. The the aim of meeting was to start out again with the initiatives for a new social year and an exchange of information on the present situation of the SFO in Italy. Some fifty secular Franciscans, those responsible for the local Fraternities, were present. The regional Minister, Vincenzo Rose, the regional Assistant Fr. Giampiero Falcinelli, the local Assistant Fr. Graziano Muraro and Br. Ivan Matic, Assistant general, also attended.
The regional meeting of the SFO was held on the 14th October 2001 at Commenda di Rende in Calabria. Br. Ivan Matic, OFM, as represententative of the Conference of Assistants general was present. More than 600 secular Franciscan and their Assistants participated in the meeting. The topic of the Congress, Sanctity in Franciscan seculars, was enriched also by the contribution of Br. Ivan. The meeting also constituted a strong moment of fraternity and prayer for peace and unity. The presence of the Fra.Youth allowed the participants to live truly beautiful and joyful moments.