On May 31, 2025, the Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Poland (Gdańsk) celebrated the 30th anniversary of the founding of its Conventual Franciscan missions in Ecuador. The celebration took place at the Provincial Curia in Gdańsk. This unique event brought together friars from Poland, Germany, Sweden, and Ecuador, as well as their families and friends. The celebration was an opportunity to give thanks for three decades of Conventual Franciscan presence in Ecuador, a time marked by dedication, simplicity, and preaching the Gospel to the poorest.
The anniversary event was organized by Friar Robert KOZIELSKI, the Provincial Secretary for Mission Animation, who has been supporting and coordinating the missionary activities of the Province for years.
The event began with a spiritual reflection on “The Franciscan Missionary Spirit,” by Friar Rafał ZARZYCKI, Delegate of the Provincial Minister in Sweden. Friar Rafał said that missionary work is not an addition to religious life, but its essence, an expression of a living relationship with Christ and a response to the Church’s call to be for others. He emphasized that the missionary spirit does not simply mean leaving one’s geographical country. Rather, it means being willing to go out to others with humility, empathy, and a spirit of fraternity. He pointed to St. Francis as a model missionary who did not impose the Gospel by force but offered it through the example of his life, simplicity, and love. Friar Rafał also mentioned that the Conventual Franciscan missions in Ecuador are more than places of pastoral ministry, they are presences among the poorest. They offer education, social assistance, and aid in building a community founded on the Gospel.
The most important moment of the event was the Mass presided over by the Minister Provincial, Friar Wojciech KULIG. In his homily, he pointed to the missions as being born from our gratitude for the gift of faith. He referred to the Gospel passage about Jesus sending forth the disciples. He mentioned that a missionary is not someone who “has everything.” Rather, he is one who gives what he has received by grace, not by merit. Friar Wojciech then spoke of real-life images from the Conventuals’ work in Ecuador: daily life among simple people, prayer with the poor, baptizing children, accompanying the dying—as well as moments of crisis, misunderstanding, and loneliness. “The missions teach us humility because they show that we are not the main actors; it is Christ who works through our weaknesses. We must simply remain faithful and present.”
After the Mass, everyone gathered around a common table. In a family atmosphere filled with cordiality and unity, the participants exchanged memories, anecdotes of life in the missions, laughter, and tears of emotion. They spoke about how kindly they were welcomed. They mentioned the poverty they saw and how it is interwoven with great faith. They talked about the extraordinary spiritual strength emanating from the friars working in the missions there.
The anniversary event was more than a joyful celebration, it was a time to reflect on what it means to be a missionary today. Several times during the event, the idea was stressed that being a missionary is not about going someplace far away—it is about being close to the people right where we live. It is about living the Gospel with courage and love.
Thirty years of Franciscan missions in Ecuador tell a story of thousands of encounters, dozens of vocations, shared suffering and hope. It is also a constant call for us as a Church community not to close ourselves off, but to go forth with courage and love to the spiritual, social, and human peripheries.
May this anniversary celebration strengthen us—the missionaries, their loved ones, and those who support them—to continue to bear witness to Christ in Ecuador, Europe and everywhere!
Maja STUDZIŃSKA
