Chapter of the Custody of Christ the King in Switzerland

From 21st to 24th September 2026, the Chapter of the Custody of Christ the King in Switzerland was held in Näfels. The Provincial Minister of the Province of St Leopold (Austria-Italy), Br.Friedrich Wenigwieser, presided over the meeting ex officio. 

In a spirit of fraternity, the Chapter reviewed the current situation with gratitude and considered the new challenges facing the Custody. The meeting focused on formation within the Custody, strengthening international ties, and responding positively to new challenges. The Chapter therefore decided to establish a working group to explore the possibility of opening new houses and to promote the involvement of friars from Asia in the Custody. 

Christian Welti, a Reformed minister at the Grossmünster in Zurich, shared his personal reflections on Francis of Assisi as a living model of discipleship. 

The Custos, Br.Christoph-Maria Hörtner, was re-elected by an almost unanimous vote for a further term. During the closing Mass, he emphasised that we friars, both individually and as a fraternity, are built on a common foundation. At the same time, each of us brings our own life experience, and ultimately, God shapes us all.

The Custos will be supported in his role by a newly elected Custodial Council, comprising Br. Mauro Zannin, Br. Raphael Fässler, Br. Mathias Müller and Br. Maximilian Blum.  

Almost all the friars took part in the Chapter, from the eldest, aged 90, to those still in initial formation. The friars concluded the meeting with gratitude for its deeply fraternal atmosphere and with hope and confidence in what God will bring about among them in the coming years. 

Br. Maximilian Blum

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