On June 21-25, 2021, the friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico gathered at the María Inmaculada Friary in Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico, to celebrate the second part of their Ordinary Provincial Chapter.

Mindful of the sign of the times, the Capitulars sought the will of the Father of Mercy for the friars and communities in the Province of Mexico. The Capitulars undertook a period of profound discernment, guided by the different priorities that emerged from the work they did during the first part of the Chapter, namely, making ongoing formation more meaningful in order to concretize, and more authentically embody, our charismatic identity.
The Capitulars prayed, listened, analyzed, discussed, and were open to the experiences of others. They took charge of current realities in the Province and made plans for them with generosity and trust founded upon the goodness of the One who called them. Working in small groups, the Capitulars considered the situation in Mexico from a historical, social and pastoral perspective. They worked to strengthen the foundations of the Conventual presence in this country and at the same time, they pruned some branches in order to make the Province more productive and fruitful. In the end, they put forward certain proposals so that the Chapter could discern and concretize the Motions the friars will be implementing to further their search for God’s will over the next four-year term.
Once the Capitulars outlined the schedule for various works, they configured the communities, organizing various services at the Provincial and local level. They emphasized that the Guardians and the formators in charge of initial formation must creatively animate their various communities together with the resident friars, who are to help craft ongoing formation, led by the guidelines chosen by the appropriate Commission.
The Chapter was notable for its dreams, commitments, and the friars’ concrete desire to be ever more a fraternity, in keeping with God’s will and being faithful to the charism, the same charism that was given to the Poverello eight centuries ago and has been present for forty-four years in this land of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
May God grant the friars creativity and generosity in achieving their fraternal goals

Friar Guillermo AGUILAR ALAMILLA, Chapter Secretary