General Chapter 2027: CEME meets in Florence

On the 14th and 15th September 2026, the Executive Committee for Missions and Evangelisation (CEME) met at the friary of Monte alle Croci in Florence, in the context of preparations for the 2027 General Chapter. 

The meeting gave the members of the Committee the opportunity to continue their reflection on several matters central to the life and mission of the Order. Particular attention was given to the presentation of the Vademecum prepared for the implementation of the Ratio Evangelizationis, a resource intended to help each Entity draw up its own Ratio particularis. The participants also reviewed the specific Statutes of the Secretariat, worked on a new document dedicated to parishes and shrines, and prepared the response to be sent to the Secretary General of the General Chapter, which will be held in Vietnam from the 3rd  to 29th May 2027. 

During the meeting, Br. Matteo Brena, Secretary for Missions and Evangelisation of the Province of St Francis of the Stigmata, which hosted the gathering, was invited to share his experience and the challenges encountered in carrying out this service. His testimony enriched the Committee’s reflection and offered a concrete contribution to the work of missionary animation, both at provincial level and within the Southern European Conference (CEM). 

This meeting was also marked by a significant moment of reflection on the journey made during the Committee’s term of office. Each member was invited to look back on the experience shared; both in terms of the work accomplished and the fraternal life lived together. 

A common conviction emerged from the various contributions: CEME has carried out its mission in a spirit of collaboration, mutual trust and shared responsibility. This way of working has helped to build a solid fraternity among its members and to strengthen their commitment to the service of the evangelising mission of the Order. 

At the end of the meeting, the Minister General, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, addressed the participants by video link and expressed his gratitude to the members of the Committee. In his message, he thanked them for their availability, dedication and the quality of the work carried out during their term of office. 

The meeting therefore marked the conclusion of one phase and, at the same time, an important step in the preparation for the 2027 General Chapter, called to continue and deepen the missionary orientations of the Order for the years ahead.