On February 23, 2007, an international congress was celebrated in Rome to deepen the understanding of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, patroness of the Secular Franciscan Order and the Third Order Regular.

Organized by the Third Order Regular, the Congress was held in the St. Anthony Hall of the "Pontificia Universitá Antonianum". All of the members of the CIOFS Presidency attended this important event, as well as other Franciscans, seculars and religious from different parts of the World. The congress began with a greeting from the Rector of the University, Johannes Freyer, OFM. A series of presentations followed during the rest of the day. Congress speakers included Professor Lori Pieper, SFO (USA)*, Professor Matthias Werner (Germany)*, Fr. Salvador Cabot, TOR (Spain), Fr. Pasquale Magro, OFM Conv. (Italy), Fr. Lino Temperini, TOR (Italy), Leonhard Lehmann, OFM Cap (Italy), and Chiara Mercuri (Italy).

During the congress, speakers presented the most important historical events in the life of St. Elizabeth, a contemporary of St. Francis. In their presentations, they emphasized various aspects of her life, ranging from her role as wife and mother to the significance of her religious life and her close relationship with the Franciscan friars. Throughout the day, participants were reminded of the innovative character of St. Elizabeth, a character that sometimes presented challenges to the Church of her time in terms of the placement of her way of life, both while she was married and after becoming widowed.

St. Elizabeth was very much aware of the social injustices of her time and addressed these through her life of faith and service to others. Upon withdrawing from her wealthy and noble life in Eisenach, Elizabeth was encouraged and supported by the first Franciscan friars who came to Germany. At the hospital that she founded in Marburg, she was viewed as a "soror in saeculo", adhering strictly to the Franciscan ideals and to Saint Francis himself. Although she was never officially received within the Franciscan Order, she always let herself be carried by the Franciscan spirit and entrusted the hospital to the Franciscans so as to be closer to those with whom she wished to live a fraternal life. It was in this same spirit that she was motivated to establish a prayer community within the Court, as well as a community at the hospital in Marburg with some of her followers.

* A summary of their intervention in Italian can be found at Lori Pieper,
   and, Matthias Werner.

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