The Projects Office was established at the request of the General Chapter. It has now become a practical and fraternal resource for the whole Order. Its work is about more than numbers or procedures: behind every project there are faces, communities, and stories of hope and service. The positive reception the Projects Office has received shows how necessary it was to have a tool that could help our Jurisdictions transform their ideas and needs into real initiatives that bring support and renewed vitality to our missions.
During the 2019 General Chapter, Motion No. 2, concerning Missionary Projects, was approved: “The General Chapter asks the Minister General with his Definitory to consider and evaluate the creation of an office to promote missionary projects in the Order, as part of the reorganization of the General Secretariat for Mission Animation.”
In the first year of the last six-year term, the Projects Office and its Coordinator were established and formally presented to the Order.[1] Starting in 2020, the Projects Office began receiving project proposals from the Order’s Jurisdictions and coordinating these with charitable organizations. Below is a brief overview of the number of projects submitted, the Federations they came from,[2] the number that were approved, and the amount of funding the Coordinator raised for their implementation:[3]
- 2020
- 6 projects: 2 from FALC, 2 from FAMC, 2 from FIMP
- All submitted to the Minister General and his Definitory and approved by them
- Funds sent for the projects: €716,143.67
- 2021
- 15 projects: 7 from FALC, 6 from AFCOF, 1 from FAMC, 1 from FIMP
- 13 projects approved; 2 not submitted
- Funds sent for the projects: €801,060.00
- 2022
- 34 projects: 15 from AFCOF, 10 from FALC, 6 from FIMP (one of these for a FAMC Jurisdiction), 1 from CEF, 2 from FEMO (one FEMO initiative included 6 projects for the people of Ukraine)
- 23 projects approved; 5 submitted but suspended; 6 not submitted due to missing documentation
- Funds sent for the projects: €1,640,394.38
- 2023
- 45 projects: 16 from AFCOF, 12 from FIMP (one for FAMC and four for Ukraine), 9 from FALC, 3 from FEMO (one for Ukraine), 3 from FAMC, 1 from CEF, 1 from SGAM
- 34 projects approved; 3 submitted but suspended; 8 not submitted due to missing documentation
- Funds sent for the projects: €3,473,705.76
- 2024
- 38 projects: 13 from AFCOF, 5 from FIMP, 14 from FALC, 1 from FEMO (for Ukraine), 4 from FAMC, 1 from SGAM
- 21 projects approved; 3 submitted but suspended; 14 not submitted due to missing documentation
- Funds sent for the projects: €320,832.00
The projects covered a wide range of areas: charitable work, social initiatives, education, healthcare, economic self-sufficiency (both for the friars and the local population), pastoral work, and new evangelization. Most of the proposals that were submitted were approved because they met the conditions required by the project form that was adopted by the Projects Office. Thanks to the Coordinator’s efforts, communication with local project leaders has improved and a new mindset was adopted that was needed to meet the demands of project planning and the requests of charitable organizations.
During the 2025 General Chapter, the following motion was adopted to further strengthen the work of the Projects Office: “The Government of the Order shall reorganize and strengthen the Order’s Projects Office, making it independent from SGAM. This Office, serving the Government of the Order, the Provinces, and the Custodies, should work in collaboration with other secretariats to provide the necessary support for researching, developing, and reporting on projects.”[4] For this reason, and in agreement with the Order’s Office of Communications, approved projects will now be presented regularly, both to keep the entire Order informed of what is being achieved in the various Jurisdictions and to help the Projects Office raise the funds needed to support and implement them.
The journey of the Projects Office does not end here: what has been achieved in recent years is only the beginning of a service that will continue to grow and support our Jurisdictions with new initiatives. Each approved project is a sign of renewed and tangible fraternity. It encourages us to look ahead with confidence. We sincerely thank all those who have collaborated thus far, in making this common effort possible. Everyone’s support and participation remain essential in carrying out the Order’s mission together. Thank you all for your collaboration!
Friar Valerio FOLLI, Coordinator of the Projects Office
[1] Cf. Letter of the Minister General: Presentation of the Projects Office of the General Secretariat for Missionary Animation, Prot. N. 480/2020, dated June 13, 2020
[2] AFCOF (African Federation of Conventual Franciscans), CEF (Centralis Europae Foederatio), CFF (Conventual Franciscan Federation), FALC (Federación América Latina Conventuales), FAMC (Federation of Asian Minor Conventuals), FEMO (Foederatio Europae Mediae et Orientalis), FIMP (Federazione Intermediterranea Ministri Provinciali).
[3] Cf. Report of the Coordinator of the Projects Office for the 2025 General Chapter.
[4] Motion No 6 of the 2025 General Chapter.
