From 17 to 20 November 2025, at the Sanctuary of St Anne in the territory of the Province of St Hedwig, in Poland, a formation meeting was held for Franciscan Superiors – Guardians and Presidents. Around 130 friars from Poland and other countries came to the Pilgrim House at Góra św. Anny [Mount of St. Ann], to take part in workshops aimed at helping them exercise more effectively and responsibly their service as Superiors of local Franciscan communities.
Provincial ministers also took part in the meeting, underlining the importance of the formation of Superiors for the whole Order. The presence of friars from various Provinces and countries created a space for the exchange of experiences, the sharing of good practices and a common search for answers to the challenges faced today by Franciscan communities. The formation programme included conferences, group work and time for personal reflection. The invited speakers were:
Br Konrad Cholewa OFM, General Definitor from Rome, who gave a conference entitled “The Order at a Crossroads”. In his talk he drew attention to the current challenges faced by the Friars Minor in a world of rapidly changing social and ecclesial structures, and to the need for a renewal of fraternal and missionary life.
Br Kordian Szwarc OFM, who spoke on “Brothers for the World: the mission of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation in the life of the parish and the friary”. He reminded the participants that concern for social justice, peace and creation lies at the very heart of the Franciscan vocation and should be expressed in the daily life of communities and their pastoral activities.
Dr Agnieszka Janiak, who led two thematic blocks: “The (Laborious) Building of Community” and “Intergenerational Communication”. Her presentations focused on building mature relationships within the community, overcoming tensions and seeking ways to foster dialogue between friars of different generations, who are sensitive to different lifestyles, forms of communication and ways of seeing the Church.
In addition to the conferences, an important element of the meeting were the many opportunities for conversation and fraternal dialogue. Guardians and Presidents shared their experience of accompanying communities, making decisions and searching for new ways of presence in parishes and in the works conducted by the Order of Friars Minor.
The Eucharist and common prayer were the central point of each day. This rhythm of prayer and listening to the Word of God formed the foundation of the whole meeting, reminding everyone that the service of a Superior is rooted above all in a personal relationship with Christ.
The days of formation at Góra św. Anny were a time of strengthening fraternal bonds, reflecting on the style of exercising authority within the community and renewing Franciscan identity grounded in the Gospel, simplicity and closeness to people. The participants concluded the meeting convinced of the need for ongoing formation and mutual support in the demanding yet beautiful service of Guardians and Superiors.
