On 22 June 2026, a meeting of the Provincial Ministers of the five Polish Provinces of the Order of Friars Minor and the formators involved in initial formation took place at the Interprovincial House of Temporary Professed Friars in Kraków-Bronowice.
The meeting was attended by Br. Leonard Bielecki, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Province of St. Francis of Assisi in Poznań; Br. Egidiusz Włodarczyk, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Province of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Br. Krzysztof Bobak, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Province of Our Lady of the Angels in Kraków; Br. Witosław Sztyk, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Province of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Katowice and President of the North Slavic Conference (SLAN); and Br. Alard Maliszewski, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Province of St. Hedwig in Wrocław.
The gathering began with the celebration of the Eucharist. Afterwards, participants reflected on the current challenges of initial formation, cooperation among formation houses, and the further development of interprovincial structures dedicated to preparing young friars for Franciscan life.
During the meeting, Br. Sergiusz Bałdyga, OFM, Secretary for Formation and Studies of the SLAN, presented a report on his activities and outlined the progress made in drafting the statutes for the various stages of initial formation as well as the new Franciscan Formation Guidelines (RFF) currently being developed. He also proposed new formation initiatives for the future, including evangelization projects through the participation of friars in pilgrimages and on the Camino de Santiago in preparation for the Holy Year of St. James in 2027. The upcoming probation period for friars preparing for Solemn Profession was also discussed.
In his capacity as Secretary of the Order’s General Chapter, Br. Sergiusz also presented the process and methodology used in preparing the Instrumentum laboris for the General Chapter, which will be held in 2027 at the Nui Cui Shrine in Vietnam.
An important part of the programme consisted of meetings between the Provincial Ministers, the formation teams, and the temporarily professed friars. Discussions focused on the experiences gained during the first year of operation of the Interprovincial House of Temporary Professed Friars in Kraków-Bronowice, as well as on prospects for the further development of this form of cooperation among the Provinces.
