On Thursday, the 20th June 2024, in the chapel of our friary in the Villa Santa Clara del Atuel, 52 people including Sisters and Brothers, young people and adults - several lay men and women and about 35 friars - at the level of family equality, began our Provincial Mats Chapter, with a celebration at the beginning with the motto "In the hand of Francis, wheresoever love takes us."
In the opening assembly, Br. Daniel Fleitas, our Minister Provincial, dedicated this Chapter as our contribution to the 2025 General Chapter of Mats, which must be a privileged moment of synodal participation, listening and courage.
In the months leading up to the Chapter, more than 300 people participated from every presence of the Province, listening, diagnostic sharing, and participation with lay people and friars; Everything that has been reflected on has been systematized and has been the working tool for these days.
During the days of the Chapter there was intense work organized in 6 fraternities with a variety of people, where the coordination and secretarial services were also taken over by lay men and women and friars who gave their best to encourage reflection, dialogue and exchange starting from the working tool organized in three nuclei: "Renewing Our Vision," "Walking a Pattern," and "Embracing Our Future."
After each moment of work in the fraternity, there were moments of assembly where the synthesis of what was reflected in each fraternity was presented and then space was given to fraternal debate.
Some points resounded such as: the appeal for greater attention to the complex and somewhat “dizzying” reality that we must learn to listen to and read in the light of faith; we agree on the need to take steps in "Integral Ecology" as a central and current aspect of our Franciscan charism, to unite listening with the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. The need to renew liturgies and ways of celebrating the faith. Considerations followed on the risk of self-referentiality in projects and the need to create mechanisms and strategies so that there is fraternity between lay people and friars; the need for training on issues such as addiction and social inclusion, greater systematisation of existing projects and communication between areas; also on the validity of the charism that transcends any institutional historical form.
Each day waxed and waned with spaces for prayer and celebration that nourished spirituality and invited us to grow with a believing outlook on life.
The intense work was characterized by a joyful, relaxed and enthusiastic fraternal atmosphere, there was no lack of recreational and leisure spaces, as well as large Argentine cantering facilities where there was no lack of family sharing.
Br. Fernando Ferrario ofm
