OFM News

XXI Assembly of UCLAF The twenty-first Assembly of UCLAF was held between the 8 and 14 August 2010 in Ypacaraí, Paraguay, organized by the Conference of Cono Sur under the slogan “Bearers of the gift of the Gospel in Latin America and the Caribbean”, in continuity with the General Chapter of 2009. It began on the [...]

Saint Beatriz de Silva 2010 Letter of the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor for the feast of Saint Beatriz de Silva (in spanish – pdf)

Saint Clare of Assisi 2010 – letter by Minister General (pdf) …As usual, each year I send you this letter on the occasion of the Feast of the Little Plant of St. Fran- cis. With it, I wish also to offer you some pointers of reflection on contemplation, solitude, and silence, so that you may, as [...]

Minister General’s visit to Paraguay During the 6th and 7th August, 2010, Minister General Br José Rodríguez Carballo, accompanied by Definitor General Br Julio C. Bunader, visited the brothers of the Custody of Paraguay (Br Luis Bolanos). They were welcomed by the Custodian Br Iñaki Galarraga at the Assumption Convent were a meeting with the [...]

YouFra International Meeting (2011) …As it has become a tradition for YouFra from all over the world to get together in the days before WYD, so it will also be next year when we celebrate the 26th WYD in Madrid. We are organising a YouFra International Meeting to bring together young people in order to share [...]

The feast of the Pardon of Assisi at the Portiuncola On the 1st and 2nd August, the Minister General, Br José Rodríguez Carballo, accompanied by Br Vincenzo Brocanelli, Br Roger Marcal, Br Francisco Arellano and Br Fabio L’Amour, participated in the celebration of the Pardon of Assisi. On the 1st he presided the celebration of the [...]

To the Source af Life  - XXX Franciscan March (Porziuncola – August 2, 2010) Br. José Rodriguez Carballo, ofm – Minister General OFM Dearest Friends, Brothers, and Sisters, After days journeying, you have finally arrived in Assisi to St. Mary of the Angels, to the Porziuncola.  With great joy, I welcome you to this holy place.  I welcome you on [...]

Homily Feast of Forgiveness – St. Mary of the Angels (Porziuncula – August 2, 2010) Br. José Rodriguez Carballo, ofm – Minister General Celebrating the Grace of Forgiveness Sir, 24, 1-4.22-31; Sal 33;  Gal 4, 3-7; Lk 1, 26-33 Dear Brothers and Sisters, May the Lord give you peace! It is with great joy that we arrive to the Porziuncula in order [...]

pdf No 168 (08/09. 2010) – English – Italiano – Français – Deutsch – Português – Español – Hrvatska – Po polsku doc No 168 (08/09. 2010) – English – Italiano – Français – Deutsch – Português – Español – Hrvatska – Po polsku

World Youth Day – Letter …To prepare, coordinate and animate this program, the Conference of the Franciscan Family has established two commissions, an International Commission of the Franciscan Family, composed of General Spiritual Assistants of the SFO and Youfra, and of members of the CIOFS Presidency’s Youfra Commission, and a second commission formed by the Franciscan [...]

Meeting of the SAAOC in Puncak, Indonesia On July 19-25, 2010, the secretaries of the FS (Formation and Studies), ME (Missions and Evangelization), and JPIC (Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation) met at Puncak, Indonesia (near Jakarta). They represented the Provinces, Custodies, and Foundations of SAAOC. Present from the General Curia were: Paskalis Syukur, [...]

The Minister General participates in the Chapter of the Custody of the Holy Land From 13 to 20 July, Br. José Rodríguez Carballo, Minister General OFM, has been in the Holy Land primarily to participate in the closing of the Chapter of the Custody of the Holy Land. During all morning of the 14th he addressed [...]

OFM Delegation visited the Fraternity in Sudan From June 28 to July 4 Br. Michael Perry ofm (Vicar of the Order), Br. Vincent Zungu ofm (General Definitor for Africa) and Br. Massimo Tedoldi ofm (General Secretary for the Missions and Evangelization) – went to Khartoum in Sudan to visit the local fraternity. It has been a [...]

Communiqué of the July Tempo Forte of the General Definitory The General Definitory held its July Tempo Forte from Friday 2nd to Tuesday 13th. During this session the Definitory spent two days on retreat in the Monastery of the Poor Clares at Camerino (Le Marche). The choice of location was motivated by the forthcoming canonization on [...]

Appointed Military Ordinary for Korea The Holy Father has appointed Br. Francis Xavier Yu Soo-il OFM, as Military Ordinary for Korea. Br Francis Xavier Yu Soo-il OFM, was born in Nonsan, Diocese of Daejon, on March 23, 1945. He attended the civil University of Seoul, earning a degree in Education and a Master in Spiritual Theology [...]

Appointment of Auxiliary Bishop of Banja Luka (Bosnia & Herzegovina) The Pope has named Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Banja Luka (Bosnia & Herzegovina) Br. Marko Semren OFM, now Guardian of the Franciscan friary of Livno Gorica and Professor at the Franciscan Theological Institute of Sarajevo, assigning him the titular bishopric seat of Abaradira. Br Marko [...]

Commissions on the Structures and interdisciplinary study of the Situation of the Order From July 5-7, all the brothers who are part of the important commissions organized by the General Chapter of 2009 came together at the General Curia in Rome. One commission dealt with the structures of the government of the Order and its [...]

Spiritual Retreat of the General Definitory The weekend of July 3 and 4 of this year, the General Definitory made a spiritual retreat at the Poor Clare’s Monastery of St. Clare of Camerino, Italy. It was founded by Blessed Camilla Battista da Varano, a Poor Clare herself who will be canonized by Pope Benedict XVI [...]

European Vocations Service (EVS) Esztergom, Hungary, 1-4.07.2010 The annual meeting of European Vocation Service (EVS) organized by the Commission of the Council of the European Episcopal Conference (CCEE) for the care of priestly vocations and consecrated life in the Church unfolded under the title, “Come and See. The Priest: Witness and Servant of Vocations”. Among the 53 [...]

North Slavic Conference (27.06-11.07.2010) Under the guidance of the Secretary for Formation and Studies of the North Slavic Conference, Br. Witoslaw Sztyk, OFM, the Franciscan youth gathered together for the annual course of preparation for solemn profession at the Shrine of Mount St. Anna in Poland. The first part of the meeting lasted a couple of [...]