On August 4-8, 2025, the Conventual Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico celebrated the second part of its Ordinary Chapter. Friar José Luis SOLÍS ALCÁNTAR, who had been elected Minister Provincial during the first part of the Chapter, and his Definitory, presented the proposal for the Provincial Four-Year Plan.
The Vicar General, Friar Igor SALMIČ, a friar already known in our Province, was present at this second part of the Chapter. Friar Jesús Manuel RODRÍGUEZ MORALES, a friar from the Province of Mexico, served as Chapter Secretary.
During the group work, the friars engaged in fraternal dialogue and shared ideas in order to develop the Four-Year Plan that the Minister Provincial and his Definitory proposed. They openly, willingly and fraternally reflected on the status of the Province: its progress, its challenges, and what needs to be taken care of for the good of the communities.
Their dialogue gave rise to the Motions, which came from the working groups or were proposed by the Definitory. Most of the Motions were approved with some clarifications. Some Motions by the Definitory sparked discussion and it was decided they needed to be further discussed and studied in order to assess their feasibility in the future. In the end, the final version of the Provincial Four-Year Plan was presented and the friars voted to approve it.
On Thursday, August 7, the work in the Chapter hall for the second part of the Chapter was successfully concluded. On Friday, the Capitulars commemorated the recently deceased friars of the Province. They began by reading the obituary, mentioning Friar Erik Ignacio SORIANO FLORES who died almost a year earlier (October 14, 2024), as well as other friars who had passed away, namely, Friars Francisco MUÑOZ VILLEGAS; Arturo OSORIO NAVA; Salvador HERNÁNDEZ AYALA; and Francisco VARGAS ACEVES. The Capitulars recited Midday Prayer from the Common of the Dead and went to the crypts to offer prayer for each of them, entrusting their memory to the heart of God with deep gratitude.
We thank the entire Conventual Franciscan Order for its prayers and best wishes for the progress of the second part of the Ordinary Chapter, which, with God’s blessing, was concluded on Friday, August 8, the feast of St. Dominic de Guzmán.
May God bless our Order, and may our Father St. Francis continue to guide each friar of the Province of Mexico along the path of consecrated life, strengthening his faith, his fraternity, and his evangelical commitment. May the newly approved Provincial Four-Year Plan become a concrete tool for living the evangelical counsels, so that, following the example of our Seraphic Father, we may become other Christs.
Friar Julio RODRÍGUEZ PÉREZ, Provincial Secretary
