On October 8-11, 2023, the Province of St. Elizabeth in Germany celebrated its Ordinary Provincial Chapter. The event took place at the friary in Schwarzenberg. The reports regarding the last four-year term had already been discussed during the Pre-Chapter Assembly in September of 2023.
The first part of the Chapter was attended by the Minister General, Friar Carlos A. TROVARELLI, and the Assistant General for the Centralis Europae Foederatio (CEF), Friar Igor SALMIČ. A total of twenty voting friars participated in the Chapter.
After the Chapter was officially opened, the friars participated in a half-day spiritual retreat with Sister M. Scholastika JURT (Dominican). During her talk, she encouraged the friars to face the future reconciled and in peace. Afterwards, the friars worked on the preparatory document from the Pre-Chapter Assembly and on other topics proposed by the friars, in order to produce a first draft of possible motions.
On Tuesday morning, October 10, Friar Carlos celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit. He asked the friars to elect a Minister Provincial whom they felt was the right friar for this historic moment in the Province. In the end, Friar Andreas MURK was elected to his second term as Minister Provincial on the first ballot.
The next day, the members of the Provincial Definitory were elected, namely, Friar Josef BODENSTEINER (Provincial Econom, first term), Friar Richard Francis CHIMFWEMBE (Definitor, first term), Friar Mateusz KOTYŁO (Vicar and Provincial Secretary, second term) and Friar Markus SCHOLZ (Definitor, first term).
In addition to the sessions conducted in the Chapter Hall, there were moments of prayer and some significant activities as well. Friar Carlos, together with the Mayor of Scheinfeld, planted an apple tree in the friary garden. On Tuesday, during the lunch break, the Guardian invited the friars to pick apples. The apples they harvested produced 400 liters (105 gallons) of juice. Finally, on the day the Minister Provincial was elected, the friars spent some fraternal time together making pizzas in the kitchen. The pizzas were accompanied by beer produced by the friary in Schönau. In fact, one of the friars runs a small brewery.
The second part of the Provincial Chapter will begin on November 5, 2023.
Friar Andreas MURK
