The Regional Chapter of the friars living in Judaea was celebrated on 19 May 2011 at Emmaus. A total of 90 friars participated for this annual event. The Regional Chapter has the aim of making an evaluation of the life of the Custodial fraternity at the end of the first year of activity and meetings, coordinated by fr. Marcelo Cichinelli, Moderator for Ongoing Formation, according to the three-year programme for ongoing formation in the Custody.
The meeting started at 9.30 a.m. with a short prayer celebration in the Emmaus church, during which fr. Matteo Munari ofm delivered the homily. The moment of prayer was centred on the theme of “The Pedagogy of the Baptist”, chosen for the programme of ongoing formation 2010-2013.
The friars then gathered in the hall of the ex-seraphic college of Emmaus for a plenary assembly, presided by the Father Custos. Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa illustrated the two principal themes that were on the agenda for discussion and proposals, namely initial and ongoing formation, and the financial administration of the Custody of the Holy Land.
Regarding formation the Custos explained that, during this triennium, the friars are called to arrive at a common strategy aimed at a unified itinerary of initial formation, as far as possible, for all the candidates to the Franciscan life in the Custody. Even if we have worked hard to achieve this aim, we still lack the ability to implement a unified programme that can present clear goals and continuity in the various levels of initial formation. Regarding ongoing formation the Custos asked the friars to reflect on the programme that has been proposed, to make their suggestions regarding the number and quality of formative meetings, and regarding the problem of lack of participation to the annual retreats.
Regarding the financial administration of the Custody, fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa illustrated in detail the current economic situation and the efforts to reorganise the administrative system, even with the help of experts. This effort is urgent and necessary, and calls for a new mentality in which the friars understand better the relationship of the Custody with the Church, with the Order, and with the Holy Land Commissariats, rearding transparency and financial controls in our administrative system. This need is important when one understands that the Custody is responsible for a financial administration which is more complicated from that of other provinces in the Order, since the Custody is a vast entity, with multiple activities in the religious, social and cultural fields.
After the presentation of the Custos the friars went into four workshops, following a scheme and questionnaire prepared on the basis of the Custos’ presentation.
The lunch hour was, as usual, an occasion of fraternity, particularly for those brothers who live in small fraternities far away from the centre of activity of the Custody. The Custos thanked especially fr. Franciszek Wiater, superior at Emmaus, and fr. Francisco Fernandez, for the fraternal welcome and for their Franciscan witness in a friary which lies off the beaten track of pilgrims, because of the difficulty of crossing the security barrier in this area of the West Bank.
After lunch the brothers gathered once again in the hall in order to listen to the reports of the respective secretaries of the groups, and then to make an evaluation and discussion on the topics dealt with in the morning. The Custos answered questions both on the contents of the material discussed, as well as on other themes, including the theme of the redimensioning of our presence and the collaboration with other religious institutes present in the Holy Land.
At 4 p.m. the friars concluded the day with the Eucharistic celebration in the Emmaus church. The Mass was presided by the Father Custos. During the Mass the singing was done by the students of the Franciscan seminary, and the friars prayed for vocations for consecrated life.
The same programme for the friars of Galilee took place on the following day, 20 May 2011, in the friary of Mount Tabor. For the meeting were present about 20 friars who live in the region of Galilee.
Homily by the Father Custos, Emmaus, 19th May 2011
Homily by the Father Custos, Mount Tabor, 20th May 2011
The meeting started at 9.30 a.m. with a short prayer celebration in the Emmaus church, during which fr. Matteo Munari ofm delivered the homily. The moment of prayer was centred on the theme of “The Pedagogy of the Baptist”, chosen for the programme of ongoing formation 2010-2013.
The friars then gathered in the hall of the ex-seraphic college of Emmaus for a plenary assembly, presided by the Father Custos. Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa illustrated the two principal themes that were on the agenda for discussion and proposals, namely initial and ongoing formation, and the financial administration of the Custody of the Holy Land.
Regarding formation the Custos explained that, during this triennium, the friars are called to arrive at a common strategy aimed at a unified itinerary of initial formation, as far as possible, for all the candidates to the Franciscan life in the Custody. Even if we have worked hard to achieve this aim, we still lack the ability to implement a unified programme that can present clear goals and continuity in the various levels of initial formation. Regarding ongoing formation the Custos asked the friars to reflect on the programme that has been proposed, to make their suggestions regarding the number and quality of formative meetings, and regarding the problem of lack of participation to the annual retreats.
Regarding the financial administration of the Custody, fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa illustrated in detail the current economic situation and the efforts to reorganise the administrative system, even with the help of experts. This effort is urgent and necessary, and calls for a new mentality in which the friars understand better the relationship of the Custody with the Church, with the Order, and with the Holy Land Commissariats, rearding transparency and financial controls in our administrative system. This need is important when one understands that the Custody is responsible for a financial administration which is more complicated from that of other provinces in the Order, since the Custody is a vast entity, with multiple activities in the religious, social and cultural fields.
After the presentation of the Custos the friars went into four workshops, following a scheme and questionnaire prepared on the basis of the Custos’ presentation.
The lunch hour was, as usual, an occasion of fraternity, particularly for those brothers who live in small fraternities far away from the centre of activity of the Custody. The Custos thanked especially fr. Franciszek Wiater, superior at Emmaus, and fr. Francisco Fernandez, for the fraternal welcome and for their Franciscan witness in a friary which lies off the beaten track of pilgrims, because of the difficulty of crossing the security barrier in this area of the West Bank.
After lunch the brothers gathered once again in the hall in order to listen to the reports of the respective secretaries of the groups, and then to make an evaluation and discussion on the topics dealt with in the morning. The Custos answered questions both on the contents of the material discussed, as well as on other themes, including the theme of the redimensioning of our presence and the collaboration with other religious institutes present in the Holy Land.
At 4 p.m. the friars concluded the day with the Eucharistic celebration in the Emmaus church. The Mass was presided by the Father Custos. During the Mass the singing was done by the students of the Franciscan seminary, and the friars prayed for vocations for consecrated life.
The same programme for the friars of Galilee took place on the following day, 20 May 2011, in the friary of Mount Tabor. For the meeting were present about 20 friars who live in the region of Galilee.
Homily by the Father Custos, Emmaus, 19th May 2011
Homily by the Father Custos, Mount Tabor, 20th May 2011