Br Massimo and Br César in Colombia

From 8 to 17 February, Br Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General, and Br César Külkamp, Definitor General for Latin America, visited the Provinces of Santa Fe and San Pablo Apóstol in Colombia.
Accompanied by their respective Minister Provincials, Br José Alirio Urbina and Br Nelson Tovar, the friars were able to meet, talk, listen and share experiences with the Colombian friars.

"This visit to the fraternities and evangelising presences in Colombia was very well received. I was impressed by the presence of the two Minister Provincials, and the friars of both provinces in all the places visited. Certainly, this is a historical event of great closeness, which will increasingly mark this presence of the Order on Colombian soil," said Brother César at the end of the meetings.

Chronicle of the visit

In Bogotá, Br Massimo and Br César, again accompanied by Br José and Br Nelson, met novices, temporarily professed, friars and definitors from the Province of Santa Fe, from the fraternities of the city itself and Ubaté, Tunja, Villavicencio and Bucaramanga.

In Ibagué (about 130km west of the capital), the friars visited the novices and friars of the Province of San Pablo Apóstol, where they witnessed a Franciscan life attentive to the poor, to the education of young people, to sharing, to pastoral work, to safeguarding minors and vulnerable adults.

Moving further west, to Santa Rosa de Cabal, it was the turn of the meeting with the fraternities of the city and Palmira, Cartago, Manizales and Pereira, and with a delegate from the fraternity of Santa Marta. It was also an opportunity to get to know the OFS and YouFra, the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary, and the lively Christian communities in the region.

On 13 February, the four friars went to Calarcá, where they met the Poor Clares of Montenegro. Br Massimo presided over the solemn Eucharistic celebration in which Sister Ximena of Merciful Love made her perpetual vows. Afterwards, after passing through the Porciúncula hermitage of the Province of San Pablo Apóstol, they left for the Juan Duns Scoto fraternity at the San Luis Rey College in Armenia, where they got to know the host fraternity and that of the Immaculate Conception.

The visit continued to the city of Cali to meet the fraternities of the city, the fraternity of Buenaventura, Tuluá and the fraternity of the Postulancy of the Province of San Pablo in the District of Agua Blanca, a moment preceded by a prayer space prepared by the host fraternity of San Joaquín de Cali. The following day, in the district of Agua Blanca in the Cauca Valley, the Minister General presided over the entrance of the postulants. He then went on to Medellín to meet the fraternities of the city together with the postulants of the Province of Santa Fe. Finally, in the same city, the friars visited the new house for the elderly friars of the Province of San Pablo Apóstol in the neighbourhood of Boston. They continued to "La Honda", a fraternity inserted in a social space of great complexity, where the friars work with migrants and people in poverty and vulnerability.

The visit to Colombia ended on 17 February with the Rector Brothers of the University of San Buenaventura.

Special thanks to the Communications Offices of the two Provinces

Melania Bruno