On May 26-27, 2020, the Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Poland (Gdańsk) held the sixth session of its tenth Ordinary Provincial Chapter. However, one cannot say the Chapter was confined to Gdańsk alone; the sessions actually took place simultaneously in over ten locations and in four different countries.
This was because the pandemic kept the friars from holding the second part of the Chapter on the previously established date. The Province was not given permission to have all forty Capitulars meet in one place. The Province then decided to conduct the work of the Chapter over the Internet. After receiving the appropriate authorization from the Minister General, the Province chose the “Zoom” platform for its meetings. Even voting took place via the Internet.
The Minister Provincial, Friar Wojciech KULIG, the Vicar Provincial, the Provincial Secretary and the friars responsible for the technical part of the Chapter, met at the Provincial Curia in Gdańsk. The meeting began with Mass celebrated in the Chapel of St. Anne.
Despite some small technical problems, the friars were able to conduct the meetings efficiently. They were able to ask questions, express their opinions and even write comments in the chat section that was available to everyone.
The Minister General’s permission was only needed for the sixth session, that is, the election of the new Guardians, formators and directors of Provincial works.
At the end of the sixth session, Friar Wojciech stressed that although this Chapter will go down in history due to the unusual way in which it was celebrated, everyone hopes the next sessions, and any future Chapters, will take place normally, in the fraternal atmosphere of friars who are able to meet together in the same place.
Friar Mateusz STACHOWSKI
