The three-day meeting (26-28 April 2023) of the Order’s animation Offices – Secretary General for Formation and Studies, Secretariat for Missions and Evangelisation and Justice Peace and Integration of Creation – with their counterparts from the South Slavic Conference concluded with an educational trip to Krka National Park, Visovac Island in Croatia, in the presence of the President of the South Slavic Conference, Br Marko Mrše and the Definitor General, Br Konrad Cholewa.
In his speech, the President of the Conference noted how the Provinces of the Conference form a beautiful mosaic. He said that work must now be done to stimulate practical proposals for collaboration at the interprovincial level, with the need for the houses of formation to become more and more visible, also thinking of the possibility of organising different types of meetings in initial formation. Finally, Br Marko presented the problem of the Franciscan Institute for the Culture of Peace, which has existed for decades in this Conference, in collaboration with the Franciscan Family, suggesting that we reflect on the future of this Institute.
Konrad Cholewa thanked all who had participated in this meeting, stressing the need to exchange information. He reminded those in charge of the various offices of the role of animation in their respective Provinces, reiterating how the indications given by the General Offices for the animation of the Order start from the mandates and guidelines of the last General Chapter.
In addition to the interventions of the President and General Definitor, the participants continued the discussion in the plenary, preparing proposals for the Conference of Minister Provincials. Finally, they agreed on proposals to improve interprovincial collaboration at the Conference level with closer cooperation between individual offices and the General Curia.
The Southern Slavic Franciscan Conference comprises the Holy Cross and Assumption Provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Croatian Provinces of Saints Cyril and Methodius, St Jerome and the Redeemer, and the Holy Cross Province in Slovenia.