Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Assisi (Agenzia Fides) - Central Asia is, for various reasons, a territory yet to be explored, where word of the Good News has not yet arrived. That is why the Franciscan Family is strengthening its commitment to evangelization in the countries of central Asia, especially in the ex-Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
A few months ago, three young brothers of the Order of Friar Minor received the “missionary mandate” to begin their experience in Kazakhstan, contributing to the growth and progress of the local Church (see Fides 28/2/2008), in response to a request from the local Church. The commitment has also been taken up by another branch of the Franciscan Order, that has begun the “Saint Francis Foundation,” which will depend directly from the General Minister. In the Foundation, there are currently 18 brothers spread out among missions in Russia and central Asia. They have recently held a General Chapter meeting in Assisi, in order to discuss the missions in these areas.
The General Minister of the Franciscan Order, Fr. Jose Rodriguez Carballo, recalled the path that the Order is taking in celebrating its origins and presented the Project of the Foundation with its challenges. The participants in the Chapter spoke on the most important aspects of formation and economic logistics. They also discussed the commitments for the next three years and revised the specific statutes of the Foundation.
During the chapter, there was also an election of the Foundation’s President Fr. Guido Trezzani, member of the Seraphic Province of Assisi, together with Counsel Members Fr. David Gaa (United States), Fr. Dominic Kim (Korea), and Fr. Bobumil Bednarski (Poland), all of whom are missionaries in Asia.
There are a total of 5 fraternities in the Foundation, 3 of which are in Russia (St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Ussurisk) and 2 in Kazakhstan (Almaty and Taldikorgan). There are also four professed brothers with temporal vows, natives of the area, who have for the first time participated in the Chapter. With the arrival of the candidates, the implantatio Ordinis has been assumed as a priority for the coming three years. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 11/3/2008 righe 29, parole 349)
