On September 16, 2022, as part of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of our presence in Würzburg, the friars of the Province of St. Elizabeth in Germany accepted an invitation from the Franciscan Sisters of Oberzell to celebrate a moment of fraternity together.
Twelve friars accepted the invitation and were welcomed with joy by the sisters. After common prayer at noon in the church, the Superior General, Sister Katharina GANZ, invited everyone to share lunch together in the refectory of the convent.
There are numerous connections between the Friars Minor Conventual and the Franciscan Sisters of Oberzell in Würzburg. For example, Friar Franz EHRENBURG (1823-1889) was involved in the founding of the congregation. After lunch, the friars had a choice of two activities; one was a walk through the vast park of the convent, which included a school, a house of spirituality, refugee shelters and an herb garden. The other activity was a guided tour of the baroque church of the convent, originally founded by the Premonstratensians. Later, the sisters talked about their work, which focuses on the needs of women with various problems. For example, the sisters run a shelter for homeless women, are very involved in assisting refugees and are responsible for a training center for young women in need.
As the encounter concluded with coffee and cake, Sister Katharina spoke about her participation in the Church’s “Synodal Path” conferences in Germany. Being a doctor of theology, she was there as one of the many representatives of the religious life. The last conference caused quite a stir because a small group of bishops decided not to support many of the motions, despite the fact that they had been formulated after years of discussions. Nevertheless, Sister Katharina is convinced that something has been set in motion, or that something has been expressed that has already been in motion for a long time.
The Minister Provincial, Friar Andreas MURK, thanked the sisters for their hospitality, their courageous witness on behalf of women in need, and the friars for their interest and their participation in this Franciscan day.
Friar Andreas MURK