The Association of Franciscan Family in India (AFFI), comprising Franciscan congregations ministering in India, gathered in Velankanni, the “Lourdes of the East,” for its Annual General Assembly on 6–7 December 2024.
The 60 participants included Major Superiors and Delegates from various Franciscan congregations, including Franciscan Bon Secours Sisters (FBS), Clarist Franciscan Missionaries of the Most Blessed Sacrament (CFMSS), Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI), Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen (DM), Congregation of the Sisters of St. Ann (CSSA), Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC), Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (FIHM), Franciscan Sisters of the Presentation of Mary (FSPM), Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph (FSJ), Medical Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi (MSSFA), Congregation of the Missionary Brothers of St. Francis of Assisi (CMSF), the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap), and the Third Order Regular (TOR).
Held under the banner “Canticle of Creatures,” the assembly set in motion the celebration of its 800th Anniversary in 2025.Inputs from Br. John Sekar, OFM, on the Canticle’s history and Mr. David Amalanathan, an eco-activist, inspired region-wise groups to propose action plans for communities and society. Br. Aloysius, CMSF, presented AFFI’s efforts in rebuilding lives in Manipur.
Leadership transitioned as Br. Xavier Durairaj, OFM, succeeded Br. Lawrence Soosainathan, OFM Cap, as AFFI President. Br. Xavier envisions uniting all Franciscan congregations in India under AFFI while spearheading actionable plans to commemorate the Franciscan Centenaries and the Jubilee Year 2025.
The Eucharist, celebrated by Rt. Rev. Dr. Sahayaraj, DD, Bishop of Tanjore, inspired participants to embody St. Francis’s spirit in facing today’s challenges. A candlelit rosary procession to the Apparition Chapel added a sacred dimension to the event. The gathering fostered a sense of Franciscan brotherhood and sisterhood, with participants committed to celebrating the Canticle’s anniversary through liturgy and concrete actions in their ministries.
