On January 27-28, 2025, the annual meeting of the Guardians with the Definitory of the Province of St. Jerome in Croatia was held at the Holy Spirit Friary in Zagreb, Croatia.

The Guardians present included Friars Vitomir GLAVAŠ from Cres; Zdravko TUBA from Molve; Martin DRETVIĆ from Novi Marof; Nikola ROŽANKOVIĆ, the Delegate of the Guardian of the friary in Pula; Friar Ivan BRADARIĆ from Sisak; Martin JAKOVIĆ from Split; Josip IVANOVIĆ from Šibenik; Josip BLAŽEVIĆ from Vinkovci; Tomislav CVETKO from Copenhagen, and Josip PETONJIĆ from Zagreb who hosted all the other confreres. The Directors of the Croatian Catholic missions in Germany (Würzburg, Hanau and Neumünster) sent written reports. The meeting was also attended by members of the Provincial Definitory, along with the Assistant General for the Centralis Europae Foederatio (CEF), Friar Igor SALMIČ.
The event began with lunch in the friary’s refectory. The work of the meeting started with Mid Afternoon prayer in the Chapter Hall. After a few words of welcome, the Minister Provincial, Friar Miljenko HONTIĆ, presented the annual report for 2024. He stressed the importance of looking at the path the Province has already taken, its present status and its future challenges, in the light of the Holy Spirit, to sift through everything and recognize what is truly from the Lord. Next, the Provincial Exactor and the Provincial Econom made their reports. Afterwards, the acting Director of Veritas magazine in Zagreb and the Director of the Home for the Poor gave their reports. At the end of the session, the Director of the Center for Vocation Promotion, the National Assistant of the Militia of the Immaculata (M.I.) and the National Assistant for the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) presented their reports as well. The most important accomplishments of 2024 were presented, along with the projects and proposals the friars will implement in 2025.
Each individual friary was reported on. The reports were based on a questionnaire that asked about the prayer life and fraternal life in the community, the apostolate (parish or other activities) and the financial status of the community. Everyone contributed to presenting the life of each individual community, sharing its latest news, and the plans and proposals the Guardians intend to implement in the coming year and during this entire mandate.
The first day of the meeting ended with a solemn Mass in the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua in Zagreb, presided over by the Assistant General for the CEF Federation. After the Mass, the friars sat down to dinner and enjoyed some fraternal time together.
The second day of the meeting began with Morning Prayer followed by a short pilgrimage to the St. Clare Monastery of the Poor Clares. Mass there was presided over by the Minister Provincial. Others present included the friars of the Province, the Poor Clares and some faithful who live near the monastery. After the Mass the sisters provided a hearty breakfast. Next, everyone visited the site of the restoration work being done at the monastery. The Province provided financial aid to the Poor Clares for this restoration.
At the end of the meeting, the Guardians and the Minister Provincial, with his Definitory, updated the calendar of Provincial events for 2025

Friar Zlatko VLAHEK, Provincial Secretary