From June 30 to July 1, 2018, the 50th anniversary of the Bildungshaus Schwarzenberg formation house was celebrated at the Mother Help of Christians friary in Schwarzenberg, Germany.
The meeting began with what is commonly known as “Schwarzenberg Day.” Established twenty-five years ago by Friar Anselm KRAUS, Schwarzenberg Day occurs annually at the close of the formation year and brings together supporters, friends and benefactors of the formation house.
At the beginning of the program, there was a greeting from Friar Mateusz KOTYŁO (the Assistant Director of the formation house). A concert and testimony was delivered by the evangelical pastor (charismatic) Mr. Johannes Matthias ROTH and his daughter Christina Angela. In the afternoon there was group-work on the theme: “Saint Francis in Relationship,” along with some current topics in today’s world presented by friars of the Province. Mass was presided over by the current director of the formation house, Friar Andreas MURK. The day ended with a concert by the Blaskapelle Wachenroth Orchestra.
The second day began with Mass presided over by the Most Reverend Ludwig SCHICK, Archbishop of Bamberg, Germany. Before lunch, there was time for socializing with Germany’s Minister of Culture, Mr. Bernd SIBLER and the Assistant General of the Centralis Europae Foederatio (CEF) Friar Miljenko HONTIĆ. In the afternoon, there was a presentation on a charitable project supported by the Schwarzenberg formation house and its benefactors called “Mary’s Meals – A Simple Solution for World Hunger”. This is a project that supplies meals to schools in some of the poorer countries of the world. In fact, the Schwarzenberg formation house, in addition to its educational aspects, has developed a charitable dimension to help meet the various needs of the Order.
The anniversary celebrations concluded with a solemn moment of thanksgiving to express gratitude to the closest friends and supporters of the formation house, which is located in the friary’s cloister. Those present included Friar Bernhardin SEITHER, the Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Elizabeth in Germany; and Dr. Siegfried GRILLMEYER, the Director of the Caritas Pirckheimer Academy in the Archdiocese of Bemberg. In the end, Friar Andreas MURK, the Director of the Bildungshaus Formation House, gave a lecture on the meaning of formation in the context of the Franciscan charism and thanked everyone for coming.
Besides the friars of the Schwarzenberg friary, other participants included friars from the Province together with some friars from the Province of St. Joseph Spouse of Mary in Romania, and many friends and lay supporters of “Bildungshaus” and the Schwarzenberg friary.
Friar Miljenko HONTIĆ, Assistant General for the CEF
