On May 25-28, 2022, the Missionary Center of the Federazione Inter-mediterranea Ministri Provinciali (FIMP) conducted its annual assembly at the Seraphicum College in Rome. The theme of the assembly was: “From Missions to Mission, for a Synodal and Missionary Church.”
Those attending included eighteen Mission Animators from the various FIMP Jurisdictions, eight lay collaborators, two animators from Cracow and Gdańsk, Poland, one animator from Croatia, and the Assistant General for the FIMP Federation, Friar Giovanni VOLTAN.
During the assembly, several topics were presented to promote a deeper understanding of the concept of “mission,” a concept that should permeate every pastoral action in the Church and overcome the previous pattern of a Church that was turned in on itself and took a shallow view of missionary work as some far off ministry.
The reflections during the assembly were led by Friar Tadeusz ŚWIĄTKOWSKI, the former General Delegate for Mission Animation, and Doctor Sandra ZEMIGNAN, the Director of Mission Animation for the Diocese of Padua. Friar Dariusz MAZUREK, the current General Delegate of the General Secretariat for Mission Animation (SGAM) gave a lecture as did Friar Valerio FOLLI, the Director of the Projects Office.
The participants made an interesting visit to the Pontifical Dicastery, Propaganda Fide, [Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples] and were welcomed by our confrere, Friar Đình Anh Nhuệ NGUYỄN, OFM Conv., the current Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union. While there, the friars visited the International Center for Missionary Animation and the Director of Agenzia Fides [the missionary news agency of the Vatican.] Friar Đình Anh Nhuệ presided over Mass at the Basilica of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, where St. Maximilian Kolbe celebrated his first Mass in 1918. Afterwards, he took the participants on a tour of the dicastery and explained the life and worldwide activities of this mission animation department of the Apostolic See. At the end, he gave a lecture on the general theme of the assembly.
During the assembly, the participants were visited by the Most Reverend Giovanni Pietro DAL TOSO, Titular Archbishop of Foratiana and President of the Pontifical Mission Societies. The archbishop greeted the friars with a brief speech, and welcomed them to the place where the “universal mission of the Church” is propagated. During the Assembly, a new book was presented, entitled: “Go and Proclaim: The Presence of Friars Minor Conventual in the World – 2022.” It was published by the Missionary Center in collaboration with the SGAM.
Friar Paolo FIASCONARO, Director of the FIMP Missionary Center
