On October 6-12, 2019, the Provincial Custody of St. Francis of Assisi in Colombia held a meeting for its confreres in initial formation. The meeting took place at the Friary of San Antonio de Padua in Bogotá, Colombia.

The meeting, entitled “Fraternity: The Principle and Privileged Place for Franciscan Formation” (cf. Const. Art. 129, 4), created space for discussion, prayer and the study of Chapter V of the renewed Constitutions. The various activities that took place inside and outside the friary helped those in formation and their formators to rekindle the desire to make formation a meaningful experience, one which offers the elements necessary for discernment, and encourages everyone to face the challenges of our time.
The meeting was attended by five postulants and eleven novices from the San Maximilian Kolbe common novitiate of the Federación América Latina Conventuales (FALC) in Medellín, Colombia. Others present included Friars Pedro Pablo BERMÚDEZ (Novice Master), Pablo ROSARIO DOMÍNGUEZ (Assistant Novice Master) and Sidifredo de la Cruz CHAPARRO GUALDRÓN (President of the Colombia Education Commission).
During Mass on Monday, October 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the ministries of Reader and Acolyte were conferred upon three simply professed theology students. They are Friars Leonardo José RÍOS MADERA, Camilo CALLE RAMÍREZ and Cristian Jesús PEREIRA BLANCO. The Provincial Custos of Colombia, Friar José Andrés CASTRO FARAH, presided over the Mass.

Friar Sidifredo de la Cruz CHAPARRO GUALDRÓN