Visit of the Minister General to the Custody of St. Benedict in the Amazon

From the 7th to the 10th April, 2026, the Minister General, Br. Massimo Fusarelli and the Definitor General, Br. César Külkamp, visited the Custody of St. Benedict in the Amazon, accompanied by the General Delegate Br. Wanderley G. Figueiredo and the Custos, Br. Edilson Rocha da Silva. 

The visit began on the 7th April with his arrival in Manaus and reception in the São Boaventura fraternity. On the 8th April, the Minister General met with Cardinal Leonardo Steiner, OFM, Archbishop of Manaus, and Msgr. Samuel Ferreira, OFM, Auxiliary Bishop. In the afternoon, Br. Massimo and Br. César moved to Santarém, welcomed in the São Francisco fraternity, seat of the Custodial Curia, where they met the Archbishop of Santarém. 

On the evening of 8 April, in the Parish of the Blessed Sacrament, the Minister General presided over the Eucharistic celebration with the Franciscan Family, made up of friars, religious and members of the OFS. The liturgy was a true family celebration in the centenary year of St. Francis. In his homily, the Minister General recalled that "the places from which we try to escape, considering them places of darkness, are often precisely the places where the seeds of new life are found", inviting those present to allow themselves to be transformed by the presence of the Risen One. 

The entire day of the 9th April was dedicated to the assembly with all the friars. In the light of the journey of faith of Abraham, who believed against all hope and became "father of many peoples", the Minister General recalled the essential elements of the intervention of the General Definitory, highlighting the strengths and critical issues of the Custody and tracing the course of the future journey, with the accompaniment of the General Delegate and the Commission. At the heart of the message is the invitation to look at reality with new eyes, enlightened by the relationship with God and fraternity, to transform the "groans of death" into "groans of childbirth" and recognise the potential of the Custody in a crucial region for the Church, the Order and the whole world. The assembly showed a good quality of listening and discussion, laying a solid basis for continuing the journey. 

On the evening of the 9th April, in the Community of St. Anne, the Minister General presided over the Eucharist with young people, GIFRA, the Lodi and Kabi-kaxi Franciscan Theatre Group and the leaders of the network of Franciscan parishes, commemorating the Transit of St. Francis in this centenary year. In his homily, he stressed that "every time we share the faith, the Risen One makes himself present", and entrusted the community and the world, "marked by wars, divisions and uncertainties, to the peace of the Risen Lord". The celebration, which was participated in, was lively and was followed by a moment of dialogue and fraternal conviviality. 

On the last day, the 10th April, after Lauds and the Mass with the Fraternity, the Minister General met with the Custodial Council to reaffirm the course of the journey and look forward together. In the afternoon, a meeting was held with the six postulants, the three temporary professed and the formators, in which Br. Massimo took up the essential elements of the Franciscan vocation and the specific identity of each stage of formation. In particular, reflection was given on how to better know and prepare to welcome and accompany vocations that come from the indigenous people of the Munduruku, a challenge for the Custody and for the Order. 

The visit confirmed the General Definitory's desire to accompany the Custody of St. Benedict on a journey of renewal, in the conviction that, as St. Francis teaches, even from the cross and travail, an Easter newness capable of generating life, hope and joy can be born.