On September 26-30, 2022, the friars of the Provincial Custody of St. Bonaventure in France-Belgium gathered at the friary in Brussels, Belgium, for a fraternal and formational gathering.

The fraternal atmosphere was enhanced by the joy the friars felt at meeting each other again after the summer and by the beautiful day in Bruges. While there, the friars visited an ancient beguinage [a religious house for laywomen] and toured a church that preserves a relic, dating to the Crusades, which is said to contain the precious blood of Christ.
The friars at the gathering discussed the topic of fraternal correction and the way in which house Chapters are carried out. They also talked about life in the friaries, and what helps or hinders living together. They were assisted on this topic by the renewed Constitutions of the Order. The house Chapter is where the fraternity receives insight from the Holy Spirit and the discernment of the friars. It is where the art of fraternal correction is practiced and where fraternal life is harmonized with daily life. The friars took advantage of the gathering to work on the vocation blog, plan for World Youth Day, and take part in distributing the “Bread of the Poor,” a tradition carried out on Tuesdays in honor of St. Anthony of Padua.
The Custos, Friar Jean-François Marie AUCLAIR, talked about the joy he experienced preaching a retreat in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to our confreres of the Delegation.
Before departing, the friars scheduled another gathering, before Christmas, to conduct a fraternal evaluation of the Custody.

Friar Jean-François Marie AUCLAIR