On March 6-16, 2023, the Minister General, Friar Carlos TROVARELLI, and the Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in India, Friar Bonaventure KALLUVETTUKUZHIYIL, carried out a canonical visitation to the mission in Sri Lanka.
On Monday, March 6, the Minister General and the Minister Provincial of India arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka. With them were the Assistant General for the Federation of Asian Minor Conventuals (FAMC), Friar Benedetto BAEK; the General Exactor, Friar Leszek ŁUCZKANIN; and the Provincial Secretary of the Province of India, Friar Williams PENGIPARAMBAN.
They were met by the Director of the St. Francis of Assisi Mission in Sri Lanka, Friar Martin PALLIKKARA. The following day, the Visitators began their canonical visitation to various parts of Sri Lanka. They first visited the Ave Maria Franciscan Friary in Jaffna, at the northern tip of the island. The Ave Maria Friary serves as a vocational discernment house for Tamil speaking candidates. From there, the friars traveled to the St. Joseph Vaz Franciscan Friary in Kandy, located in the center of the island. The St. Joseph Vaz Franciscan Friary serves as the mission’s post novitiate formation house. The visitation with the friars there was productive. On Saturday, March 11, the Visitators traveled to the St. Francis of Assisi Franciscan Friary, the administrative headquarters of the mission, located in Dalupotha, on the western side of the island. The Visitators conducted formal meetings and fraternal discussions with the friars and students of the community. The next day, they visited the St. Anthony Franciscan Friary in Katana, which serves as a vocational discernment house for Sinhalese-speaking candidates. On Tuesday, March 14, the Visitators and the friars of the mission met in Colombo, the nation’s capital, where they joyfully watched the Minister General bless and inaugurate the St. Padre Pio Friary in Colombo’s Pitakotte neighborhood.
While in Colombo, the Visitators stopped by the National Shrine of St. Anthony, the site of the Easter day bombing, which occurred on April 19, 2019.
On Wednesday, March 15, the Visitators attended a yearly fraternal gathering entitled “Grey Friars Lanka Day 2023.” The event took place at the St. Anthony Friary in Katana. It was the first such gathering since the foundation of the mission. The festive day included Mass, sessions, games and cultural activities. During the gathering, the Minister General and the Assistant General for the FAMC Federation talked to all of the solemnly professed friars present. During Mass on the last day of the visitation, the mission congratulated Friar Ferdinand MELAPPILLY on the occasion of the silver jubilee of his priestly ordination. After lunch on Thursday, March 16, the Minister General and the Assistant General for the FAMC Federation said adieu to all. The members of the mission in Sri Lanka extend their fraternal thanks to all of the Visitators for their canonical visitation and fraternal blessings.
Provincial Secretariat
