Provincial Delegation in Paraguay 
Mother Province: Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar in Poland (Cracow) 

This mission officially began when the 1991 Chapter of the Province of Cracow in Poland decided to send some of its friars to establish a presence in Paraguay. Friar Rufin ORECKI, who arrived in Paraguay in 1986, became a trailblazer for the cult of Divine Mercy and for the Militia of the Immaculata.

The Jurisdiction currently has twelve solemnly professed friars, two simply professed friars and three friaries.

Areguá – Cócue Cuazú: Divina Misericordia y San José de Cupertino Friary (2005)
This friary serves as a spiritual retreat center. The Shrine of Divine Mercy and the friary were built in Areguá. Apparently, Friar Rufin’s intention was to create a Niepokalanów in Paraguay, but the dynamic growth of the cult of Divine Mercy led to the creation of this Shrine instead. The site was dedicated and work began in 2008. The term “Shrine” was used for a long time, but it was not until October 3, 2020, that the bishop, during the consecration of the church, officially proclaimed it as a shrine church. The church is the heart of the Shrine. Construction of the church is nearly complete, but some furnishing details and final construction projects remain. The friars have a second presence in Areguá, located half a kilometer (0.3 mi.) from the shrine. It was built to be a novitiate. However, in 2019, the Federación América Latina Conventuales (FALC) decided to transfer the common novitiate to Colombia. Thus, the friary was repurposed as a retreat center and is much in demand by the faithful. Many charitable works are carried out at the Centro Asistencial y Espiritual Jesús Misericordioso: soup kitchens for children, assistance for poor families, charity programs and more. The Shrine provides the only opportunity for some young people to study and attend high school. Nearby is the Cenáculo Center for drug addicts. For some years, a rest home has been open that serves neglected elderly people, mainly from the northern Chaco region of the country.

Asunción: La Inmaculada Virgen María Friary [Anunciación Tupasy Ne’e] (1992)
The friary in Asunción was the first friary constructed by the friars. It was built in stages, with two floors a dozen rooms, a chapel, a refectory and an administrative area where the publishing house is located. The friars publish the magazine Tupasy ne’e, assist at neighboring parishes and conduct various charitable works in the area. Since 2020, the friary has been a formation center for clerical students studying at the Faculty of Sacred Theology at the Catholic University of Asunción.

Guarambaré: Natividad de María Friary and Parish (2001)
The friars staff the parish, guide university students and run two charitable centers benefitting poor children in particular. The Marcelino Pan y Vino Soup Kitchen has been in continuous operation since 2017, where, with the help of volunteers, around one hundred meals are served to people in need every day. There is also a school attended by more than 1,200 children and young people, covering all grades: from kindergarten to university. There is another soup kitchen for children and various charitable works carried out at the parish church. A retreat house for sixty people is under construction. In 2022, the postulancy house was moved to Guarambaré, which also serves as a professional development center. In 2010, responding to the need for a university education for area youth, the friars, with the help of professors, founded and continue to support a branch of the Catholic University of Asunción. Currently, more than 720 university students attend the courses such as accounting, administration, law, computer systems analysis, and more.

Franciscan Missionary Center
General Secretariat for Mission Animation