For many years, there has been good cooperation between Franciscan men’s communities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Together, they have formed the Union of German-Speaking Franciscan Friars or DEUFRA (Deutschsprachige Franziskaner). Once a year, the Major Superiors of DEUFRA conduct a joint meeting. The last such meeting was on November 24-25, 2022, at the Capuchin Franciscan friary in Lucerne, Switzerland.
The purpose of the meeting is to network with each other. Detailed reports are provided from the different Provinces, Custodies and Delegations. The most important change this time concerned the Capuchins in Austria. Their Province was divided into three Delegations.
DEUFRA’s largest joint work is the “Fachstelle Franziskanische Forschung” (FFF), an institute that regularly publishes a journal and scholarly articles pertaining to Franciscan studies. It is also used to network with universities. The Province of St. Elizabeth in Germany is anxiously awaiting the publication of the sources on St. Elizabeth of Thuringia (Hungary), scheduled for 2023. With this new tool, many sources about our patron saint will finally be available in German.
In addition to the meeting sessions, the program also included a guided tour of the host friary. The friars were able to admire its precious library, as well as the new apartments under construction, which will guarantee financial resources for the future.
Friar Andreas MURK
