Visit of the Minister General and the Vicar General to the Custody of the Martyrs in Morocco

In Rabat, Morocco, on September 22 and 23, a joyful and serene meeting took place, which saw the friars of the Custody of the Blessed Martyrs welcome the Minister General, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, and the Vicar General, Br. Ignacio Ceja. Taking advantage of the visit, the Minister also visited the Poor Clares of Casablanca, who received him with songs and joy; the religious sisters also had the opportunity to dialogue and pray with him.

The meeting with the friars of the Custody had the main purpose of evaluating the state of the mission in this area of North Africa and of encouraging the friars to continue to live the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ in these Muslim lands.

The Guardians of each of the six fraternities – Tetouan, Tangier, Larache, Rabat, Meknes and Marrakech – described the work carried out in their respective communities and shared the daily challenges they face. One of these challenges is the shortage of friars for missionary activity; due to the limited number of members, the workload has increased significantly, highlighting the urgent need for new missionaries for the Custody.

In a climate of dialogue, reflection, and prayer, Br. Massimo urged the brothers never to neglect the Franciscan charism, in order to preserve the Order's oldest mission, located right in Morocco. Br. Massimo concluded by inviting the brothers to "entrust the Custody into the hands of the Father, especially because we experience fragility," and acknowledged the difficulty in finding candidates for the mission: "It is increasingly difficult to find brothers for the mission." Currently, the Custody has 19 members of different nationalities: Brazil, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica, Philippines, France, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, and Hungary.

At the end of the meeting, the Holy Eucharist was celebrated within the fraternity; the General Minister presided over the celebration and blessed the brothers with affection and gratitude. The event concluded with a convivial moment, during which the brothers shared the hope of living the Franciscan charism in this land of mission.