A DREAM COMES TRUE

Emanuela De Nunzio, ofs

On February 20, 2007, during a meeting of the CIOFS Presidency in Rome, the new CIOFS headquarters was officially inaugurated.

The occasion was filled with joy and served as an opportunity to reflect on the variety of circumstances that had been lived by those responsible for the international fraternity, beginning with the unforgettable Manuela Mattioli. Over the years, much effort was expended in searching for a site that would provide some stability and support to the operation of the CIOFS Secretariat. For over twenty years, we had lived as pilgrims, going from one place to another, all of them offered through the fraternal generosity of the First Order Friars. However, this situation was always precarious and inadequate, and falling short of securing the necessary autonomy required of an Order.

Over time, inconveniences grew, together with the growing number of tasks required of the Secretariat as a result of the consolidation and development of the International Fraternity and because of the strengthened relations between the Presidency and the National Fraternities. By the time of the 1996 General Chapter, the Presidency launched the "Headquarters Project" to provide the International Fraternity with a working instrument to pursue the acquisition of a headquarters, a need which was already indispensable. At the beginning, this Project did not resonate well but, after the 2002 General Chapter, the project was vigorously and courageously pursued by the new Presidency. A number of favorable circumstances - which can be interpreted as "providential" – aligned themselves in support of the project, including the recognition by the Italian Government of the juridical personality of CIOFS, the offer by a local SFO Italian Fraternity to sell its apartment in Rome at a very reasonable price with advantageous conditions, the support of national fraternities and of many individual brothers and sisters for the project, as well as the generous financial contributions offered by the First Order and TOR General Curia.

All of these details were presented by the General Minister during her presentation at the inauguration of the headquarters. Together with all the members of the Presidency, the General Minister of the Capuchins and TOR, the OFM and OFM Conv. Vicar Generals, the CIOFS General Secretaries and Treasurer, and a limited number of collaborators and guests, the headquarters was officially opened. As part of the inauguration, His Excellence Monseignor Agostino Gardin, Secretary to the Congregation IVCSVA and former General Minister OFMConv, blessed the apartment and expressed his pleasure and warm congratulations.

From the photos of the inauguration available on the CIOFS website, one can get a sense of the cordial atmosphere that permeated the gathering, confirming how satisfied everyone felt that the International Fraternity could finally rely on its own "house" to support its work. Certainly not luxurious, the headquarters is well designed and will serve to effectively support the work of the Secretariat and respond to the needs of the brothers and sisters from across the world.

We wish to remind everyone, however, that the International Fraternity must continue to make payments towards the purchase of its new headquarters. You are therefore encouraged to continue your support of this project with the same sense of co-responsibility demonstrated up until now, so that the project may be fully completed in due course.

Mons. Agostino Gardin blessing the headquarters with Fr. Mauro Johri, OFMCap General Minister, Fr. Francesco Bravi, OFM General Vicar, Encarnación del Pozo, SFO General Minister.	Encarnación del Pozo giving her message while Fr. Irudhaya Sami, OFMCap is listening.
A small banquet with goodies on the inauguration.	Doug Clorey, Lucy Almirañez at the photocopy room.
General Secretaries, couple Anna Maria and Francesco at their office, together with the couple of young collaborators Enrico y Elizabetta.	Xavier Campos and Rosalvo Mota in one of the offices, while being observed by Fr. Martin Blitzer, ofm conv and the General Treasurer, Carlo Ceru.
Anna Maria Crescenti at the entrance hall by the Holy Pope’s picture dedicated to the CIOFS	General Treasurer, Carlo Ceru with Mr. Rossi, who was responsible for remodeling the apartment.
Elizabetta, Fr. Martin, Maria Aparecida and Fr. Ivan.	Fr. Ivan, Xavier, Fr. Michael, Fr. Samy, Chelito with Fr. Mauro Jordi and Emanuela De Nuncio.
Congratulations brothers and sisters: it’s everyone’s achievement!!	Fr Michael, Chelito, M. Aparecida and Fr. Samy.
Fr. Ben Brevoort with Emanuela De Nunzio and Wilhelmina Visser