Meeting of the Definitors of the Provinces of Germany and the Netherlands
's-Hertogenbosch (The Netherlands), 25th and 26th June 2026
04 July 2026On the 25th and 26th June 2026, the Governing Boards of the Provinces of St. Elizabeth (Germany) and the Holy Martyrs of Gorcum (Netherlands and Flanders) met in 's-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) to discuss and confront the challenges related to the Franciscan presence in northwestern Europe and the future structure of cooperation between the Netherlands-Flanders and Germany.
On the 26th June, the Ministers and Definitors of the two Provinces were joined by the Minister General, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, accompanied by Br. Albert Schmucki, Definitor General for the Transalpine Conference (COTAF), who participated in the talks.
In his speech, the Minister General clarified the importance of distinguishing the Franciscan charism from its historically developed forms of expression, recalling how the era of large convents and large structures is now coming to an end, thus making it necessary to carry out a process of spiritual discernment in order to explore together which forms are appropriate today, and in the near future, to live the charism.
In a trusting and constructive dialogue, the members of the two provincial governments, together with representatives of the General Government, examined the challenges and prospects of their respective provinces, agreeing on concrete steps towards a shared future.
With this in mind, the Ministers and Definitors of the two Entities have traced a path composed of various stages of discernment and rapprochement between the two Provinces until 2028, the year of the Provincial Chapters of both Entities.
