Franciscan Youth: Bets on meeting
Xavier Ramos
Young Franciscans from all over the world have
made, almost without noticing, a clear bet for “meeting with the brother”. This
is the only way to understand the success of meetings organized during the last
years, overstepping frontiers, cultures and even languages.
Nine years ago representatives from the Franciscan Youth made a point to meet at
Paris, during the World Youth Day; and ever since, different continental
meetings in Europe and Latin America, have taken place, getting up to a dreamed
International Encounter with almost 200 young Franciscans from more than 20
different countries.
This achievement in the Summer of 2005, coinciding with GMG in Colone (Germany),
has not diminished the energy of the Franciscan Youth, to the contrary, it has
launched the illusion and increased opportunities for meeting.
I SOUTH CONE MEETING
The Franciscan Youth from Brazil took up some years ago the challenge of
initiating this gathering, covering all Latin America
countries. It will take place finally between July 27/30 in Mogi-Mirim (Sao
Paolo).
As always, the first edition is supposing a big effort and probably will not get
every country to participate. Even though, the most important is to have
initiated this opportunity of getting together Latin American Franciscan Youth,
as the meeting in the South Cone is specially intended to be maintained and
celebrated in future years.
IV CONGRESS IN EUROPE
Franciscan Youth in Europe is called this year to participate in a new Congress,
which it is already celebrating its fourth edition. This gathering is already
consolidated after its three editions, in Santiago de Compostela (1999), Oporto
(2001) and Zagreb and Ljbujana (2003).
The baton is assumed now by Assisi, the cradle of the Franciscan charisma, and
it is precisely the Italian National Fraternity the one in charge of organizing
this IV European Congress of the Franciscan Youth on August 25 – 29, which will
be called “From dream to signal”
SFO- FRANCISCAN YOUTH CONGRESS
We cannot leave aside an opportunity of meeting at continental congresses of the
SFO, as the Latin American or the one in Asia and Oceania. In these cases, the
SFO and the Franciscan Youth make a big effort to maintain these spaces for
mutual encounters.
Though it is still far from now, it is important to mention the celebration of
the next SFO-Franciscan Youth Congress in Asia and Oceania to be celebrated in
Malasia in March, 2007.
From the Presidency, we believe in meeting with the brother as source for
personal growing, mainly considering that the “fraternity” is a calling card
before the Church and the world itself. We must point out the special
sensitivity that the Franciscan Youth is getting in this aspect since a few
years, due to their great concern for growing and authenticity, as important
characteristics of the youth stage.
Definitely, we have before us many opportunities to feel the joy of meeting and
getting to know new brothers and sister, who, although leave in different
realities to ours, have the same anxieties and an equal ideal: follow the Gospel
of Jesus at St. Francis’ style. For this reason, we hope that we will have a
high participation of national fraternities, even from those nations which do
not have Franciscan Youth groups, since this meeting would serve as a starting
point for them.
We also expect, though we are certain about it, that the Congress be an
enrichment. As always, the first edition is supposing a big effort and probably
will not get every country to participate. Even though, the most important is to
have initiated this opportunity of getting together Latin American Franciscan
Youth, as the meeting in the South Cone is specially intended to be maintained
and celebrated in future years. experience for all participants, from the
formative stand point of view up to the human |
