From January 11 to February 19, 2021, Friar Jude WINKLER, the Assistant General for the Conventual Franciscan Federation (CFF), having been delegated by the Minister General, conducted a General Canonical Visitation in the Province of St. Joseph of Cupertino in California, USA (not including the Delegation in Vietnam).

There are six friaries in the main part of the Province with forty-one friars in solemn vows and three in simple profession. There are also four friars living outside of the U.S.: one in Rome, one in the Philippines and two in Vietnam.
Given the restrictions due to the Covid-19 virus, much of the visitation was conducted by Skype, Zoom, phone or email. Friar Jude met with the Provincial Definitory on February 2, to share some preliminary information with them.
Two of the most important questions asked of the friars were their opinion about a possible merger of the U.S. Provinces, possibly making one Province out of the current four Provinces, and their opinion about the possibility of the Delegation of Vietnam becoming a Custody later this year. The great majority of friars responded favorably to both of these possibilities.
The Province is scheduled to hold an Extraordinary Chapter later this year, hopefully in July during the Province’s Community Week (but with a backup date during the Province Retreat in September, if Covid issues prevent the earlier date).

Friar Jude WINKLER, Assistant General for the CFF