This year, the Order once again conducted its Assisi Experience Course, as it has for the last several years. Also known as the Rivotorto Course, it is an important continuing formation event for young friars of the African Federation of Conventual Franciscans (AFCOF).
Held on May 1-31, 2024, the course was conducted in the three most important places in the history of the Order and Christianity. The eight participating friars spent two weeks at the Sacred Convent in Assisi, a week at the Friary of the Saint and the Friary of Sant’Antonio Dottore in Padua, and a final week at the Seraphicum College in Rome. The participants came from the Province of the Franciscan Protomartyrs in Zambia; the Provincial Custody of St. Anthony of Padua in Ghana, the Province of St. Francis of Assisi in Kenya and the Provincial Custody of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Tanzania. Normally the participants are friars who have been solemnly professed or ordained to the priesthood for one to five years.
The main purpose of the course is to introduce new generations of the Order to our Franciscan charism, spirit and history. The friars were able to experience first-hand the beginnings of the Franciscan Order and the origin of the Christian faith in Italy.
The course is organized under the guidance of the Assistant General for the AFCOF Federation, Friar Anthony Bezo KUTIERO, with help from several Conventual Franciscans and Friars Minor, who present the origin of the Franciscan experience and the current challenges facing the Order through their valuable contributions in the areas of spirituality, history and apostolate. Friar Anthony delegated Friar Tadeusz ŚWIĄTKOWSKI, the former Assistant General for the AFCOF Federation, to personally supervise all of the activities of the course. Friar Tadeusz lives in Assisi.
Today, the Friars Minor Conventual are present in seven countries in Africa: Zambia (since 1930); Ghana (since 1979); Kenya (since 1984); Tanzania (since 1988); Uganda (since 2001); Burkina Faso (since 2001); and finally Malawi, which began as a mission of the Province of Zambia in 2008.
Conventual Franciscan vocations are growing rapidly in Africa. Initial formation usually takes place in common. There are three novitiates in Africa, in Itimpi, Zambia; Saltpond, Ghana; and Arusha, Tanzania. Philosophy studies are offered jointly by the Inter-Franciscan Centers in Lusaka, Zambia and Accra, Ghana. Theology studies are offered at the interreligious college in Nairobi, Kenya.
Currently, all of the formators in Africa are native. It is certainly important that they be given solid, Franciscan continuing formation and specific training for formators in order to properly guide the new generations of friars.
The participating friars warmly thank the Minister General; the General Custos and friars of the Custody of the Sacred Convent of St. Francis in As it has for the last several years; the Minister Provincial of the Italian Province of St. Anthony of Padua (Northern Italy); the Rector of the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua; the Seraphicum community in Rome and the entire Order, for sponsoring this course and for their kind and fraternal hospitality, and their witness of Franciscan life and charism.
Friar Tadeusz ŚWIĄTKOWSKI, Delegate in charge
