From Feb. 3-7, 2025, the 3rd European Conference of Capuchin Formators was held in Foligno at the Capuchin friary Oasis of St. Francis. The event – entitled Keep watch over your soul and those of your brothers (RnB V). Franciscan Formation for the Care of Self and the Care of the Others – was attended by about forty formators from numerous European formation houses.
The conference focused particularly on the theme of teamwork, a fundamental aspect in the formation of candidates to Capuchin life. The formators were accompanied by the provincial ministers of Lombardy and Germany, Br. Angelo Borghino and Br. Helmut Rakowski. There was a warm welcome over the visit of the General Minister, who presided at the opening Eucharist and sparked rapt attention in the participants, inviting them to continue in their commitment to formation and collaboration.
The presenters were Br. Emiliano Strino, a Capuchin friar from the province of Sicily with solid training in Franciscan spirituality and counseling, and Dr. Maria Laura Rago, a psychologist and psychotherapist. Their interventions alternated between theoretical exposition and experiential workshops, actively involving the participants and offering them concrete tools for improving the dynamics of teamwork.
The formational side of things was invigorated by communal liturgical prayer. There were some more intense moments of prayer and pilgrimage: compline at the tomb of Seraphic Father St. Francis and the day spent at the shrine of La Verna.
The meeting was an important opportunity for discussion and growth among the formators, allowing them to explore strategies and methodologies useful for their own ministry. The synergy between the spiritual dimension and the practical human aspects of formation allowed them to reflect and learn some dimensions of a formational mentality that, while aiming at goals, is attentive above all to activate processes of growth and maturation within the Capuchin charism. This is definitively useful for young candidates for fraternal life and for those preparing for ordained ministry.
The conference concluded with a moment of sharing and synthesis of the accomplished work, leaving the participants with an awareness of the importance of formational work characterized by the spirit of collaboration and with constant attention to the human and spiritual growth of each friar in formation.