On October 9-13, 2023, the Provincial Custody of St. Anthony of Padua in Ghana conducted its annual formation week.
The event took place at the St. Francis of Assisi Friary and Novitiate in Saltpond, Ghana. All of the solemnly professed friars present in Ghana participated—with the exception of two friars who could not attend due to health issues and other matters of overriding importance. Throughout the week, the friars reflected on the Later Rule in line with the multifaceted Centenary of the Franciscan Family. The facilitator for the week was Friar Henry JACOB, OFM Cap. The formation week was a grace-filled event: it gave the friars an opportunity to return to their roots, reconnect with their lives as friars, and see if their way of carrying out their various apostolates was in line with what our founder St. Francis of Assisi stipulated in his rule.
The participants arrived on October 9 and the week began with Evening Prayer taken from the Solemnity of St. Francis of Assisi. Morning Mass was celebrated each day along with the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer. In addition, the friars recited Midday Prayer and ended the day with Evening Prayer. There were two lectures each day, one in the morning and one in the evening. The formation week concluded with Mass presided over by the Provincial Custos, Friar Vitus Edem Yao MENSAH. In his homily, he encouraged his confreres to take their prophetic role as friars seriously and to respond to the cry of the world today, taking inspiration from our founder, St. Francis of Assisi. We pray for the Custody and ask for the intercession of our founder St. Francis in all of our endeavors as a growing Custody.
Friar Francis Pascal AFFUM, Custodial Secretary
