On January 22-28, 2018, Friar Jarosław WYSOCZAŃSKI, the Secretary General for Missionary Animation (SGAM) participated in the Assembly of the Federación Conventuales America Latina (FALC) in El Salvador. He also visited Panama to study and to present ways the five Franciscan Orders can participate in World Youth Day 2019 (WYD) to be held in Panama.
In El Salvador, Friar Jarosław presented a plan to the Major Superiors to involve the Franciscan family in WYD in Panama. He proposed that the Superiors choose young friars who have the enthusiasm and the desire to participate in this event.
The general objective of the Franciscan family’s participation in WYD is:
– to form a traveling fraternity of members of the five Orders, from different countries or Jurisdictions, who would then participate in World Youth Day in Panama.
– to be examples of our charism among the people and the teachings of Pope Francis, to be a Church with open doors, to guide young people so that they can become a Church of communion and participation in their own various home environments.
– to help others rediscover the vocation to service, to which every young person is called.
After arriving in Panama, Friar Jarosław was hosted by the OFM community in the parish of San Antonio de Padua in Panama City. With him was the National Minister of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS), Mr. Ramón LLORACH. Together they visited the offices of WYD International and other places that are part of the plan to be implemented. He then visited the community of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate and their “Colegio Internacional”, a place that will probably provide accommodations and serve as the home base for the new temporary traveling community made up of the five Franciscan Orders.
In addition to the official visits to the various entities, a tour was made to the places where WYD will be held in Panama, in an attempt to find out where it will be possible to carry out the mission.
Friar Jarosław WYSOCZAŃSKI, SGAM General Secretar
