On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, the Provinces of Croatia and Slovenia conducted their annual joint Provincial Assembly. The assembly was held at the Bl. Anton Martin SLOMŠEK Friary in Olimje, Slovenia.
About forty friars participated. Those from the Province of St. Jerome in Croatia were led by their Minister Provincial, Friar Miljenko HONTIĆ, while those from the Province of St. Joseph in Slovenia were led by their Minister Provincial, Friar Milan KOS.
The assembly program began in the refectory of the friary with opening remarks from this year’s organizer, Friar Milan KOS. Afterwards, the friars were given a tour of the friary, its church, and its pharmacy, which is the third oldest in Europe, after the pharmacies in Paris and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The friars then celebrated a Mass to give thanks to the Lord for the year thus far. Friar Milan KOS presided. After the Mass, the friars visited the nearby museum of Šmarje pri Jelšah, which is rich in Baroque art and expresses the national identity of Slovenia. The Assembly concluded with a fraternal lunch, which gave everyone an opportunity to get to know each other better.
Friar Miljenko HONTIĆ thanked the friars of Slovenia and announced the next joint assembly, which will be held in Croatia in 2025.
Friar Zlatko VLAHEK
