Split-Trstenik: Meeting of Provincials of Northern and Southern Slavic OFM Conferences

There was a gathering of the Provincial Ministers of South and North Slavic Conference on Tuesday, October 18, 2016, in the Friary of Br. Ante Antić in Split, Trstenik. It was chaired by Br Ivan Sesar, OFM, the General Definitor. The meeting was attended by the following provincial Ministers from Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia from: Joško (Split), Andrija Kodzoman Bilokapić (Zara), Br. Ilija Vrdoljak (Zagreb), Br. Miljenko Šteko (Mostar), Br. Petar Jeleč (Sarajevo, provincial Vicar) and Br. Ambrož Mušič (Ljubljana, provincial Definitor); From Poland: Br Zbigniew Rufin Maryjka (President of the North Slavic Conference), Br Alan Brzyski (Wroclaw), Br Antonin Brzakalik (Katowice), Br Bernard Marciniak (Poznan), Br Jaroslaw Kanai (Krakow), Br Albert Krzywansky (provincial Vicar), Br Dimitrij Zeglin; from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Ukraine: Br. František Ksaver (Bratislava), Br Jeronim Jurka (Prague), Br. Daniel Botvina (Ukraine) and Br. Dominik Banas (North Slavic Conference Secretary). The General Definitor, Br Ivan Sesar, began the meeting with a moment of prayer; then he greeted all the members of both conferences. At which point, he presented briefly the topics for discussion. The first topic concerned the preparation for the plenary Council of the order, which will be held in two years in Nairobi and to which each Conference will send two representatives. The second topic referred to the meeting of the General Minister and his Definitorium with the members of each of the two Conferences. It was agreed that the meeting of the general Minister with the brothers of the South Slavic Conference will take place from June 15 to 20, 2017, while that with the brothers of North Slavic Conference from June 23 to 28, 2017. In the third and final part of the meeting, the Inter-Conferential Conference was discussed asking that it address social issues, for example the issue of the integrity of creation, the importance of solidarity etc. The organizer of this project is the Institute for a Culture of Peace in Split. Two coordinators for the Conference were elected, one from of the two Conferences. They will have to agree on all the details and inform the Provincial Ministers and the General Definitor of the content and the location of the Conference. At the end of the meeting the General Definitor, Br Ivan Sesar, thanked Provincial of Split and all the members of the two Conferences that were present for their gracious hospitality. The meeting ended with a brief tour of the city of Split and with lunch.