Visit of the Minister General to the Province of St. Paul the Apostle, Colombia

The general Minister, Friar Michael Anthony Perry, together with the general Definitor Friar Valmir Ramos, visited the Province of San Pablo in Colombia on January 9 to 14, 2016. During this period, the Province celebrated its intermediate Chapter. On the 9th, in Santa Rosa de Cabal, Friar Michael, together with the Provincial Minister, Friar Francisco Gómez Vargas, received the solemn vows of three brothers and the first vows of 5 others. Afterwards Friar Michael heard reports on the state of our brothers of the Province which has 70 religious, including 11 simply professed and three novices. At the time of the Chapter, the Province of San Pablo was organized in 13 friaries all in the outskirts of cities or in poor villages. This corresponds to the project of the Province which aims to follow Jesus Christ according to the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare in the form of life and service as minors among the poor. The Minister then gave a speech on the situation of the Order with the changes that have occurred in recent years. The general Definitor, Friar Valmir Ramos, gave a speech on being Franciscan today, at the requested of the Chapter Committee. Friar Michael accompanied the evaluation of the provincial project and celebrating the vitality of the brotherhood, welcomed the renewal of vows by 5 brothers in simple vows and then of all the members of the Province. While in Colombia, Friar Michael visited the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Cartago and which is assisted by the friars. On the same day he made a fraternal visit to the Poor Clares of the Monastery of St. Clare in Monte Negro and which is assisted spiritually by the brothers of the Province of Santa Fe and is close to the brothers of San Pablo. Once the visit to the Province of St. Paul, on January 14, Friar Michael traveled to Bogotá with Friar Valmir, where he met with Friar Hector Eduardo Lugo García, Provincial Minister of the Province of Santa Fe, and the brothers of the Provincial Curia. [gallery link="file" ids="10255,10256,10237,10238,10239,10240,10241,10242,10243,10244,10245,10246,10247,10248,10249,10250,10251,10252,10253,10254,10257,10258,10259,10260,10261,10262,10263"]