On October 10, 2026, the Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Poland (Gdańsk) celebrated forty years of history, fraternity, and Franciscan service. The jubilee celebrations took place in Gdynia, Poland, a place of particular significance in the history of the Province.
It was here, in 1986, that the Province held its first Provincial Chapter. The jubilee gave the friars an opportunity to give thanks together, look back on their journey, and reflect on the future.
Those participating included Friar Carlos TROVARELLI, Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual; guests from other Provinces; and friars from friaries in Poland, Ecuador, Germany, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Lithuania, and Hungary.
The jubilee celebrations began with a prayer service led by Friar Sławomir KLEIN, General Delegate for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue. During the service, the Light of Assisi was presented as a powerful symbol of the Franciscan message of peace and fraternity.
Next, Friar Arkadiusz BĄK, Assistant to the Militia of the Immaculata in the Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar in Poland (Cracow), delivered a lecture entitled “Giving One’s Life for a Brother: The Spirituality of St. Maximilian in the Service of the Church Today.”
The highlight of the anniversary celebrations was the Mass presided over by Friar Carlos TROVARELLI. In his homily, Friar Carlos thanked his confreres for their service, the witness of their lives, and their contribution to the growth of the Franciscan community.
“I thank this Province for the generosity it has always shown toward the Order, for the spirit of fraternity that distinguishes it, and for the witness of the lives of its members,” he said. He also expressed his gratitude to the faithful, benefactors, and all those who support Franciscan communities.
Reflecting on the anniversary, he emphasized the significance of forty years in biblical symbolism: “Forty years constitute a jubilee, a gift of grace. In the Bible, the number forty signifies a time of maturation, of testing, and of journeying through the desert, illuminated by divine Providence; a time in which a generation comes to recognize itself as a people.”
The Minister General also recalled the generations of Franciscans who, over the past four decades, had built up the Province through their daily work, prayer, and apostolic ministry. He focused particular attention on St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, whose life remains a testament to boundless love and total self-giving to God.
“Father Kolbe reminds us that our consecration is neither a legal structure nor a formal title, but a living fire: an obedient listening that leads to the total gift of oneself,” he stated.
Friar Carlos also noted that the anniversary should not simply commemorate the past but should also serve as an opportunity to renew fidelity to the Franciscan charism and address the challenges facing the community in the contemporary world.
“Brothers and sisters, today we are not simply celebrating a glorious past; we are opening the doors to the future,” he explained.
Referring to the words of the Gospel, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it,” he identified listening to God’s Word as the program that should guide the Province in the years to come. He concluded his homily by praying that the community would remain faithful to the charism it had received, entrusting this intention to the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and St. Maximilian M. Kolbe.
As is traditional, the jubilee celebrations also honored those who support the Conventual Franciscans through their work, personal commitment, prayer, and generosity.
The Province awarded its highest honor, Fraternitatis gratiarum, to Maria KOZIELECKA in recognition of her exceptional service and assistance to the Order and the Province. The award gratefully acknowledged her many years of commitment to the pastoral care of blind persons and children with special needs at the Conventual Franciscan parish church in Gdynia.
The Amore pro amore (“Love for Love”) honors were also presented in appreciation of the assistance and generosity shown to the Province of Gdańsk. This year’s recipients were Krzysztof DUDA, Piotr GOTOWAŁA, Wanda and Eugeniusz JANKOWSCY, Urszula and Ireneusz KONKOL, Piotr KWIATKOWSKI, Jan LIPKA, Maria ORZECHOWSKA, Rajmund ŻELEWSKI, the Symfonia Choir, and the parish Caritas group.
Another important part of the jubilee gathering was a roundtable discussion entitled “Where Do We Come From, and Where Are We Going? Forty Years of the Province of St. Maximilian,” featuring the Ministers Provincial. The discussion was moderated by Friar Mateusz STACHOWSKI, Guardian of the Friary of the Holy Trinity in Gdańsk.
The roundtable provided an opportunity to revisit the Province’s four decades of history, recall its beginnings, and reflect on the journey the Franciscan community has undertaken since 1986. The anniversary also provided an opportunity to look ahead, consider emerging challenges, and reflect on the responsibility to foster the Province’s continued growth.
The jubilee celebrations concluded with Evening Prayer, presided over by the Minister Provincial, Friar Wojciech KULIG.
The next celebration will take place in Gniezno in 2027, marking the 200th anniversary of the beatification of Blessed Yolanda of Poland.
Maja STUDZIŃSKA
