On Monday, December 9, 2019, the members of the Assembly of the Centralis Europae Foederatio (CEF) met at the convent of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit in the village of Steyl (Province of Limburg, Holland). The Sisters are one of three religious institutes founded by St. Arnolf JANSSEN, a German priest at the end of the 1800s.

The Assembly was presided over by the outgoing CEF President, Friar Bernhardin SEITHER. Tuesday was devoted to sharing about how the friars live and work in this area. The Assistant General for the CEF, Friar Dominique MATHIEU, also presented some communications from the Government of the Order.
On Wednesday, December 11, the fourteen participating friars went in two vehicles to the village of Wahlwiller, where they were cordially welcomed with a hot drink and a piece of cake in the sacristy of the parish church. Next, there was a guided tour, with particular attention paid to a series of paintings by artist Aad DE HAAS, namely, the sixteen stations of his controversial and rehabilitated Stations of the Cross. The spiritual visit ended with the recitation of Midday Prayer. After a lunch by lantern light, the friars visited the Zonneberg Caves in Slavante-Maastricht. The Caves consist of 200 kilometers of tunnels, which were carved out, starting in the 1500s, to a depth of thirty meters, in order to obtain limestone building blocks.
On December 12, the election of new CEF officers took place. The new officers are: President – Friar Igor SALMIČ, Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Joseph in Slovenia; Vice President – Friar Josip Blažević, Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Jerome in Croatia; Secretary: Friar Milan KOS from the Province of Slovenia; and Delegate for Formation: Friar Stjepan BRČINA from the Province of Croatia. In the afternoon, Friar Hieronim JOPEK from the Provincial Delegation in Germany (Cracow) presented a proposal about St. Maximilian M. KOLBE.
On Friday, December 1, morning Mass was presided over by the Assembly organizer, Friar Thijs MOONS, the Provincial Delegate in Holland. After the Mass, the confreres warmly said goodbye to each other and prepared to make the long return trip home.

Friar Dominique MATHIEU, Assistant General for the CEF
Friar Igor SALMIČ, CEF President