On December 19-30, 2017, Friar Franklin DURÁN ZAMBRANO, the Formation Assistant for the Federación Conventuales America Latina (FALC) met with the novices of Mexico at the San Guillermo novitiate friary in Totolapan, Morelos State, Mexico. They spent time in formation and celebrated Christmas together.

During this formation period, the friars met together several times to discuss various themes. One was “The New Paradigms of Franciscan Formation”. Another was “The Path of Holiness as a Challenge and Proposal for New Generations of Youth in Formation”. There was a presentation on the Order’s vision regarding formation and the Order’s mission in Latin America. Finally, there was some time for personal reflection and group work. Fraternal joy was evident throughout the meeting and was appreciated by all.
The meeting also gave the friars an opportunity to share some fraternal time together, especially in light of the strong earthquake they experienced on September 19, 2017, which registered 7.1 on the Richter scale. The friars are doing well, thank God, and are continuing the activities of the Conventual and novitiate life as best they can. Currently, they reside in a building located a few meters from the old friary which was destroyed by the earthquake. A new, more modest building is currently under construction, so that the stable community can live together with the novices. It is worth noting how happy and hopeful the novices are as they carry out their activities.
At the end of this formation week, the friars thanked God for the time they spent together and the fraternity they shared.

Friar Franklin DURÁN ZAMBRANO, FALC Formation Assistant