On October 17-19, 2019, Friar Dominique Joseph MATHIEU, the Assistant General for the Centralis Europae Foederatio (CEF), visited the friars of Denmark.
The Assistant General arrived in Copenhagen on the evening of October 16. It was raining heavily. Friar Tomislav CVETKO (from Croatia) led him to our friars’ home, located next to the bishop’s residence. Friar Tomaž MAJCEN (from Slovenia) joined them for dinner on the first floor of the parish rectory. Friar Stephen BEJO (from the Philippines) was absent because he was attending the course for missionaries in Brussels, Belgium.
The next morning, Friar Dominique met with the two friars to evaluate the progress of the Mission. In the afternoon, he went with Friar Tomislav to the bustling city center. Returning to the friars’ residence, he concelebrated at a Danish language Mass at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The parish was entrusted to Friar Tomislav last September. The friars prepared a dinner, which was attended by the Most Reverend Czeslaw KOZON, Bishop of Denmark. The bishop gave a friendly summation of the status of the Catholic Church in Denmark, a country where Lutheranism still holds power as the state church. Whereas, in the rest of the Scandinavian countries, the Catholic Church is seeking autonomy. The bishop also expressed his appreciation for the presence of the friars and the work they do.
On Friday, October 18, Friar Tomaž boarded an early morning plane for Greenland. He will be substituting for a priest in the city of Nuuk for three weeks, assisting resident Catholics who hail from Denmark and the Philippines. After completing some community commitments in the early morning, the Assistant General made a visit to the Catholic Cathedral. Then he returned to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, where Friar Tomaž regularly ministers. At 4:00 p.m., Friar Tomislav presided over Eucharistic Adoration. A well-attended Mass followed, which concluded with a dozen Hail Mary’s recited before the altar of the Madonna. After the prayer, the Filipino community met in the parish hall for some formation and fraternity.
On Saturday, October 19, Friar Dominique went to the “Chant d’Oiseau” Community in Brussels to complete his fraternal visit to the mission in Denmark by meeting with Friar Stephen, the third member of the Copenhagen fraternity. Friar Stephen is currently attending the inter-obediential course for missionaries.
Friar Dominique MATHIEU, Assistant General for the CEF
