From February 27 to March 4, 2023, the friars of the Province of St. Agatha and St. Lucy in Italy (Sicily) and the Provincial Custody of St. Daniel and Companion Martyrs in Italy (Calabria) conducted a Spiritual Chapter at the Kolbe Center in Carini, (Sicily). The theme of the Chapter was: “Human Frailty as a Sacred Space of Truth for Living Fraternity.”

The friars from all of the friaries in Sicily and Calabria were able to attend the Chapter choosing one of two shifts and thus fulfill their attendance at this annual event. The Chapter helps the friars discern, in the light of the Holy Spirit, the appropriate methods for safeguarding and presenting the Franciscan charism and the spiritual patrimony of the Order.
This year, we celebrate the eighth centenary of the Christmas at Greccio. The Spiritual Chapter wanted to explore this theme further and take it to heart, through encounter and dialogue, examining the rationale inherent in the incarnation of the Son of God, namely, the dimension of poverty. Through this rationale, our Seraphic Father St. Francis teaches us that in our smallness and fragility, we open a path towards the authentic encounter with the heart of the other.
The Chapter was led by Dr. Olga VICARI, a child neuropsychiatrist and member of our Commission for Formation, Evangelization and the Promotion of Franciscan Spirituality and Culture. Under her competent and wise guidance, and using experiential dynamics, she set the friars upon the sometimes difficult path of sharing their own fragility. The friars came to realize that this was the starting point and solid foundation upon which to build fraternity.
The Spiritual Chapter was a time of authentic fraternity, openness of heart, personal reflection and prayer. We entrust the fruits of this Chapter to the Lord, to the Immaculate Virgin and to our Seraphic Father. May they guide the journey of the Province of Sicily and the Custody of Calabria, as they prepare for unification.

Friar Rosario TERRANOVA, Provincial Secretary