Visit of the Minister General to the St Francis Province of Quito, Ecuador

From 7^th to 11^th April 2019, Br. Michael Anthony Perry visited the Province of St Francis of Quito accompanied by Br Valmir Ramos, Area Definitor. The visit began in Quito, where the Minister General was received by the brothers of the Province and met with them in the St Francis Friary. On Sunday, the 7^th Minister General presided at Mass in the Basilica of St Francis where the local community filled the Church with great devotion. In the morning, Br. Michael met the Archbishop of Guayaquil, Bishop Luis Cabrera Herrera. Monday was a day of celebration for the Provincial Fraternity with the solemn profession of 4 brothers. Br Michael presided over the ceremony and received their vows. In the morning he met with the Provincial Definitory listening and discussing the Order’s outlook with its challenges for the future. The Minister then met the brothers of the North, of the Centre and the Ecuadorian Coast. In the afternoon, still in Quito, he met with the Franciscan Family in the Church of St Francis. Br. Michael also discussed and listened to the concerns of the brothers and sisters who want to grow in the Franciscan spirit. The same day, the Archbishop of Quito, Fausto Gabriel Trávez Trávez, OFM, attended the luncheon. On the 9^th Br. Michael met the brothers of the South-East zone and Coast in Azogues, in the friary of Our Lady of the Cloud. Arriving very early, he was received by the students of the Franciscan College and by the faithful of the local Church. In the afternoon he met the Poor Clares Sisters and Conceptionist Sisters from the area, in the Monastery of St Clare, and he shared the joys and challenges of the Order in the world with them. The last stage of the visit was to the Vicariate of Galápagos, in Santa Cruz Island, in the house of the missionaries of the Province. The Bishop, Patricio Bonilla, OFM, also participated and celebrated with representatives of the various parish groups. On the evening of the 11^th, in Quito, there was an opportunity for a brief meeting with the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso, who spoke about his esteem for the Franciscan Order and its concerns. [gallery type="rectangular" link="file" ids="22336,22329,22330,22331,22332,22328,22333,22334,22335"]