Visit of the Minister General to the Franciscan Province of St. Anthony in Brazil

From the 27th-29th April, 2026, the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, OFM, together with the Definitor General for Latin America, Br. César Külkamp, OFM, made a fraternal visit to the Franciscan Province of St. Anthony of Brazil in the northeast of the country. The visit was aimed at strengthening the bonds of fraternity among the friars, promoting moments of listening, dialogue and reflection on the Franciscan mission today, and encouraging the vocational and pastoral journey of the Province. 

The visit began on the evening of the 27th April at the friary of Our Lady of the Snows, a formation house for the temporarily professed, in Olinda, the first Franciscan friary in Brazil. The welcome took place in an atmosphere of simple joy, with expressions of the local culture, and gave rise to a time of coexistence in which the friars shared experiences, challenges and gratitude for fraternal life. 

On the 28th April, at the friary of St. Anthony in Lagoa Seca (Paraíba), a Provincial meeting was held with the participation of novices, temporary professed and solemnly professed, together with friars from different fraternities. In his speech, the Minister General recalled some of Brazil's social challenges and emphasised that "Franciscan fraternity is not structured in pyramids, but in circles, where power is service, and one washes the feet of the other."

In the same context, he invited us to cultivate a true culture of encounter, capable of opening paths towards a more just society, and encouraged us to read reality with discernment, in the light of Pope Francis' reflections on the "globalisation of indifference". He also observed that the time of downsizing that many religious families are going through requires, first of all, a conversion of outlook and mission. 

Also participating were the Poor Clare Sisters of the monasteries of Campina Grande (Paraíba), Feira de Santana (Bahia), Mossoró (Rio Grande do Norte) and Canindé (Ceará), as well as representatives of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) of Lagoa Seca, a sign of communion and shared journey in the Franciscan Family. 

On the 29th  April, after Mass, Br. Massimo and Br. César met with the Provincial Definitory, visited the novitiate house and visited the community of the Poor Clare Sisters in Campina Grande. The day ended in the Convent of St. Anthony in Recife (Pernambuco), with a fraternal dinner that sealed these days of closeness and dialogue. 

Br. Massimo's words resounded as an invitation to conversion, closeness to the poor and the building of an increasingly evangelical fraternity, marked by service, mercy and the culture of encounter. The joy of all those present made the richness of the Franciscan charism lived in communion even more visible. 

Concluding the visit in an atmosphere of gratitude and hope, the friars renewed the certainty that fraternity continues to be a prophetic sign and living witness of the Gospel in today's world.