From July 12 to August 9, 2026, the Conventual Franciscan friary adjacent to the Shrine of the Sacro Tugurio [Sacred Hut] of Rivotorto in Assisi welcomed eight friars undertaking their second novitiate experience. Six were from the Federazione Intermediterranea Ministri Provinciali (FIMP), and two were from the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement.
The participants were Friar Anselme BOISSONNET, of the Provincial Custody of St. Bonaventure in France-Belgium; Friars Fabrizio SZYMANSKI and Yasser ZAMORA, from the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement; Friar Filip BUŚKO, of the Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar in Poland (Cracow); Friar Héctor Manuel CORBAL CRUZ, of the Provincial Delegation in Cuba of the Italian Province of St. Francis of Assisi (Central Italy); Friar Mattia MOLINA, of the Italian Province of St. Joseph of Cupertino (Abruzzo-Molise-Puglia); Friar Pietro Zhaoliang SONG, of the General Custody of the Sacred Convent of St. Francis in Italy (Assisi); and Friar Samuele DI MICCO, of the Province of the Seraphic Father St. Francis in Italy (Naples).
Two formation directors accompanied the candidates throughout the program: Friar Thomas Marie André BOURQUEROD, of the Italian Province of St. Anthony of Padua (Northern Italy), and Friar Virgil BLAJ, of the Province of St. Joseph, Spouse of the B.V.M. in Romania. The central objective of this month of formation was to offer participants a supportive environment in which to reflect on and summarize their vocational journey in preparation for their definitive commitment to the way of life of the Friars Minor Conventual and the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement.
The four-week program followed a balanced daily rhythm, alternating extended periods of silence, personal meditation, and communal prayer with formation sessions led by various speakers and personal interviews with the formation directors. There were also ample opportunities for discussion and fraternal life, which fostered mutual understanding and strengthened bonds among friars from different Jurisdictions.
The pilgrimage aspect of the experience was particularly meaningful, as the friars visited several sites linked to Franciscan heritage and the history of the Church. In Assisi and the surrounding area, they visited the Sacred Convent, the Hermitage of the Carceri, and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. In Foligno, Italy, they visited the Shrine of St. Angela of Foligno and the Church of San Francesco. Their journey also took them to the Marches region of Italy, where they visited the Hermitage of Santa Maria di Valdisasso in Fabriano; the Santissimo Salvatore Friary of the Capuchin Franciscans at Colpersito, a locality within the municipality of San Severino Marche; the Hermitage of San Leonardo al Volubrio in the Montefortino area; and the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Montedinove, entrusted to the Conventual Franciscan Friars.
The participants also enjoyed moments of fellowship with the Order’s leadership. They were glad to receive a visit from the Minister General, Friar Carlos Alberto TROVARELLI, and the Assistant General for the FIMP Federation, Friar Colin Charles SAMMUT, with whom they shared brief but important moments of discussion and prayer.
At the conclusion of the program, during the final evaluation, the participants expressed their gratitude for the journey they had undertaken and offered suggestions and useful ideas for shaping the program in the coming years.
Grateful to the Lord and to all who contributed to the success of this busy month of formation, let us continue to support these friars with fraternal affection and prayer. May the Lord grant them the grace to be faithful and joyful witnesses each day to the vocation they have received, for the glory of God and the service of His people.
Friar Virgil BLAJ
