On June 4-8, 2018, the annual meeting of the Major Superiors of the AFCOF Federation took place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
These meetings are usually organized to promote better collaboration between the various missionary presences in Africa. The participants came from the seven member countries of the African Federation of Conventual Franciscans (AFCOF): Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Uganda.
The Assembly in Burkina Faso focused primarily on the issue of cooperation at the level of common initial formation within the Federation.
The current AFCOF houses of common formation are: the postulancy houses of East Africa in Ruiri, Kenya, and Munyonyo, Uganda; the novitiates in Itimpi, Zambia; Saltpond, Ghana; and Arusha, Tanzania; the houses of philosophy studies in Lusaka, Zambia and Accra, Ghana; and the house of theology studies in Nairobi, Kenya.
The number of vocations is continuously growing, so the Superiors’ main concern is finding solutions to make sure our young men get just and complete formation in the African context, without neglecting Franciscanism. There are two main difficulties that everyone shares: an insufficient number of properly trained formators, and maintenance of formation programs (there is a constant struggle to find the financial resources needed to cover the cost of study and everyday expenses).
Participants at the meeting included the Assistant General for the AFCOF, Friar Tadeusz ŚWIĄTKOWSKI and a number of Ministers Provincial: from the Province of the Franciscan Protomartyrs in Zambia, Friar Richard CHIMFWEMBE; from the Province of the Immaculate Mother of God in Poland (Warsaw), Friar Wiesław PYZIO; and from the Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar in Poland (Cracow) Friar Marian GOŁĄB. Various Provincial Custodes attended: from the Custody of St. Anthony of Padua in Ghana, Friar Anthony BEZO; from the Custody of St. Francis of Assisi in Kenya, Friar Kazimierz SZULC; and from the Custody of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Tanzania, Friar Dariusz SZYMBORSKI. Some Provincial Delegates attended as well: from Uganda, Friar Wojciech ULMAN; and from Burkina Faso, Friar Marek HRYNIEWICKI.
Friar Tadeusz ŚWIĄTKOWSKI, Assistant General for the AFCOF
