On the VIII Centenary of the Transitus of St. Francis, from the 7th to 9th August 2026, in Rome, at the General Curia of the Order of Friars Minor, under the presidency of the Minister General Br. Massimo Fusarelli, OFM, and assisted by Br. Konrad Cholewa, OFM, Definitor General, we friars of the St. Francis Foundation, engaged in the service of the Church and the Order in the Russian Federation, we met in the Assembly, five in person and two online.
We gathered under the icon of the disciples of Emmaus and asked that their journey, from disappointment to hope, would illuminate and sustain ours: the passage from the weight of the present to a new beginning.
The Gospel passage of the "calming storm" also helped us: let us not hide our fatigue; we are few and far away, in a demanding land, and often the wind is against us. The Gospel, for its part, does not promise us a journey without shocks, but guarantees us something greater: that the Lord walks with us and can make our hearts burn. Our presence is not based on large numbers or favourable conditions, but on the presence of the One who, when strength is lacking, becomes a companion on the road.
On the whole, the Gospel has given us only one thing: to keep our gaze on Jesus, who walks with us and opens the meaning of our life and our mission. He alone is the foundation that does not yield. Starting from this, we have reaffirmed the meaning and choice of our presence in Russia.
We have chosen to focus on strengthening the quality of our fraternal life and relationships with those who, religious or laity, share our same Franciscan charism; we confirmed our commitment at the "Nativity of the Lord" School in Novosibirsk and in the pastoral services entrusted to us: in St. Petersburg at the parish of the "Most Sacred Heart of Jesus" and at the Seminary "Mary Queen of the Apostles", in Novosibirsk at the parish "Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; we have decided to invest more energy and skills to help young Catholics discover, follow and make their vocation flourish; we wish to ask the Lord to show us new ways of serving the poor.
Now, like the two disciples of Emmaus, we get up and set out again, in the hope that the desire to come and serve the Church and the Order in the land of Russia will also arise in other friars... Think about it, brothers: we need you too!
May the Lord keep us in His peace.
The Friars of the San Francesco Foundation
