On June 19-23, 2023, the second round of the Order’s fraternal “Midway Meeting” took place at the Seraphicum College in Rome. The meeting brought together Ministers Provincial, Custodes and Delegates from each Federation of the Order.

The first round was held at the Seraphicum in January of 2023. At the second round, there were a total of fifty-two friars in attendance, including the Minister General, Friar Carlos A. TROVARELLI, the General Definitory, and three invaluable translators. The meeting took place just after the midway point of the 2019-25 six-year term, two years before the next General Chapter. It gave the friars an opportunity to think ahead to the 2025 Ordinary General Chapter, which will be held at the Seraphicum in June of 2025. The friars identified and prioritized some central themes, first asking themselves: How is theOrder doing? Where is the Order showing signs of vitality or signs of operating in “survival mode”? Where are we regarding the transmission and creative incarnation of the Conventual Franciscan charism?
The Minister General and some of the General Definitors gave some presentations to introduce these important themes affecting the Order across the board. Other contributions were presented in the lecture hall and disseminated using the four languages of the Order. They enlivened discussion and enriched dialogue about the friars’ experiences of life and ministry. As in the first round, Friar Rogério PEREIRA XAVIER, the Assistant General for the Federación América Latina Conventuales (FALC), began to wrap up the intensive week by collecting and suggesting some key words that could be useful in preparing for the General Chapter. We hope to celebrate this Chapter with less analysis (or rather, leaner and more essential analysis) in order to listen more to ourselves, to the world and its problems, and to allow ourselves to be motivated by the voices of today’s youth, the laity and others. Regarding the atmosphere during the Meeting, a number of significant expressions were heard. One came from Friar Carlos who said, “You are beautiful! We are beautiful as an Order.” Another confrere stated, “This meeting is a great gift from God.”
During the meeting, the friars took time to participate in the funeral of Friar Franciszek TARGOŃSKI, a long-time professor at the Seraphicum and a member of that community for many years. The friars also celebrated the delivery of the relics of the Blessed Martyrs of Pariacoto, Peru, to the Seraphicum. Another touching moment took place at the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome, when many authorities from Poland, coordinated by Mr. Adam KWIATKOWSKI, the Ambassador of Poland to the Holy See, conferred Poland’s highest state honor, the Grand Cross of the Medal of Merit upon the families of the Blessed Martyrs. The Friar Martyrs were given this highest honor because they had been killed “in hatred of the faith.” They were friars who wanted to share in the lives of the people who were entrusted to them, to the very end. After the medals were awarded, a solemn and joyful Mass was celebrated, presided over by our confrere Cardinal Mauro GAMBETTI.
Finally, on June 23, the conclusion of the fraternal “Midway Meeting” coincided with participation in the Seraphicum’s end-of-academic-year Mass. The Mass was celebrated outdoors and was presided over by Cardinal Augusto Paolo LOJUDICE, Archbishop of Siena, Italy. This Mass, like all the liturgies at the Seraphicum, was another opportunity to be in solidarity with our international students who originate from twenty-seven different countries. Together, they are a fine representation of the face of our Order, and its hope, together with its “sprouts” of new life and goodness that are plentiful in every Province, Custody and Delegation of our fraternity around the world.

Friar Giovanni VOLTAN