The annual joint meeting of the Definitors of the Province of St. Jerome in Croatia and the Province of St. Joseph in Slovenia, took place on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at the Holy Spirit Friary in Zagreb, Croatia.
After Midday Prayer and some words of welcome, the Ministers Provincial Friar Milan KOS and Friar Miljenko HONTIĆ each gave a brief report on the current status of his own Province during the past year. Friar Milan KOS, who is also president of the Centralis Europae Foederatio (CEF), informed the Definitors about the projects that were implemented in the Federation, as well as recent events and the friars’ plans for the near future.
The Definitors then discussed the Interprovincial Friary of St. Francis of Assisi in Copenhagen, Denmark, which opened last year. The friary is legally a presence of the Province of Croatia. The Definitors analyzed the activities of the friars in Denmark and talked about the challenges of life in an international community.
They then discussed a topic still in its infancy, namely, the 2026 commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the death of Friar Antonio DE PETRIS. Friar Antonio was born in Cres, Croatia, and was the first Conventual Franciscan Minister General elected after the Franciscan Order was divided in 1517.
After a break, the Definitors met again to plan the regular annual meeting of the two Provinces called Srečanje. It is a traditional meeting of all the members of both Provinces. The Provinces alternate in hosting the meeting each year. On April 24, 2024, this year’s meeting will be hosted by the Province of Slovenia at its friary in Olimje, Slovenia.
Finally, the Definitors stressed the importance of having these working meetings because they are productive and mutually enriching. The meeting concluded with lunch in the refectory.
Friar Zlatko VLAHEK, Provincial Secretary
