On July 2-6, 2018, a “Meeting of the Guardians” was celebrated in the Franciscan Center for Evangelization and Culture (CFEC – ISB) in Brasilia, part of the Province of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Brazil.
The central theme of the Meeting was “The Guardian and Ongoing Formation: Guiding Fraternal Life.” The Meeting’s participants included all of the Province’s Guardians, Conventual and Mission Delegates, Formators, and Directors of Provincial Works. The Meeting’s preacher was Friar Éderson QUEIROZ, OFM Cap., President of the Conference of the Franciscan Family of Brazil (CFFB).
On the first day (July 2), the Minister Provincial, Friar Marcelo VERONEZ, summarized the works carried out from the beginning of the four-year term until today (2015-2018). In the course of the five-day Meeting, Friar Éderson gave several lectures on the topic of formation and religious life. Also on the first day, after a speech made by the Minister Provincial, Friar Éderson presented a reflection on the characteristics of Franciscanism in a world that is constantly changing, based on five main points: Community, Faith, Fraternity, Minority and Structures.
On the second day (July 3), Friar Éderson spoke about the “Community of Jesus: Harmony in Our Life”, saying that Jesus, in leading the twelve Apostles, made fraternity and humility the basis of their union. Therefore, this should be the foundation of the Franciscan life as well. Every friar must live like Jesus. He must love and respect his brother with all of his characteristics and particularities included.
On the third day (July 4), Friar Éderson spoke on “Authority in Consecrated Religious Life,” reflecting on the example of Jesus’ humility towards the Twelve. After this reflection, the friars worked in groups in order to give their own reflections on the topics that had been covered so far at the Meeting.
On the fourth day (July 5), Sister Maria Vanderlane ARAÚJO, was invited to speak. She was from the Congregation of the Daughters of São Paulo (Paoline) and is a specialist in Catholic Communication. She spoke on “Communication and the Magisterium of the Church in Our Digital Age.” At 11.30 a.m. on the same day, the friars of the Province and those from the formation houses celebrated the birthday of the Minister Provincial Friar Marcelo VERONEZ. They gathered in the chapel at the St. Francis of Assisi Theology Seminary in Brasilia. After Mass, the festivities continued with lunch for all the participants at the Seminary of Theology.
On the fifth and last day (July 6), the participants in the meeting worked on the main points of the reflection they developed in the groups, and afterwards, along with Friar Éderson, they summarized all the reflections that each group had made.
At the end of the meeting, Friar Carlos Alberto TROVARELLI, the Assistant General for the Federación América Latina Conventuales (FALC) gave a summary of all the topics that were dealt with, and encouraged the friars to follow Christ in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi.
Lastly, the Minister Provincial, Friar Marcelo VERONEZ, thanked the friars for working so hard on the topics discussed—topics which are very important for the Franciscan consecrated life.
Everyone thanked God for this event. Fraternal greetings to all from Brazil.
Fra Rafael NORMANDO Segretario provinciale
