On November 17-21, 2025, the annual meeting for the young friars in the Foederatio Europae Mediae et Orientalis (FEMO) was held at the mission house of the Society of the Divine Word in Krynica Morska, Poland. Thirty-eight friars participated in the formation event. Thirty-six were from the three Provinces in Poland, one was from the Custody of Slovakia, and one was from the Delegation in Belarus. All of the young friars were in their first five years of perpetual profession or priestly ordination.
The meeting began with a day of retreat led by Friar Mateusz STACHOWSKI, the Rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Gdańsk, Poland. In the days that followed, the friars heard lectures on important and timely topics related to ministry and religious life. There were several invited speakers: Father Michał TURKOWSKI, a specialist at the Child Protection Center in Cracow, spoke about protecting children and youth, abuse, and assisting victims. Dorota DŹWIG, a theologian and promoter of numerous apostolic works, addressed male spirituality; Monika PRZYBYSZ, from the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, lectured on “The Smartphone Behind the Cloister – Opportunities and Risks Related to the Use of Electronic Media by Consecrated Persons.” Friar Robert LEŻOHUPSKI, a judge in the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Vatican City State, discussed two topics: “The Internal Forum – Confession and Spiritual Direction in the Life and Ministry of the Friars” and “Departing the Order – Difficulties in Realizing the Essential Elements of a Life Dedicated to God.”
The formation event concluded with the celebration of Mass presided over by Friar Wojciech KULIG, the Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Poland (Gdańsk) and President of the FEMO Federation. He entrusted the formation and ministry of the young friars to God.
Friar Piotr MATUSZAK, FEMO Secretary
