Vocati una simul ut fratres – Called together as brothers.
Rome, ITALY — This catchphrase for the Meeting of Lay Brothers, held in Rome at the International College of St. Lawrence of Brindisi from November 3 to 10, 2025, summed up well the content of the meeting and the atmosphere among the participants. The meeting was convoked by the General Minister as far back as January 27, 2025 (cf. prot. no. 0055/25).
The participants arrived over a span of several days before the meeting, which began on the evening of November 3rdwith a celebration of vespers, led by Br. Kilian Ngitir, rector at the Collegio. The assembly was composed of delegates from all the conferences (80 lay brothers). Also present were the International Council for Formation (10 friars), the team from the General Secretariat for Formation (4 friars), the General Minister and his Council (11 friars); Finally, about ten brothers were present to provide specified services: interpreters, actuaries, secretaries, IT systems management, communications, liturgy, drivers, etc.
On November 4th, after Eucharist (the General Minister presiding), there were four main topics presented with great clarity and depth of content. The vocation of the lay brother in the documents of the Church was presented by Br. Regis Armstrong; The vocation of the lay brother in the documents of the Order, was presented by Dr. Patrizia Morelli (head of the Order’s Central Archives and Library); Capuchin holiness in its lay expressions was presented by Br. Carlo Calloni and Br. Antoine Haddad, heads of the Office of General Postulation); and finally, The vocation of the lay brother from the recent past to the present day was presented by Br. Giacomo Franchini.
November 5th was given to testimonies from lay brothers from each conference, with presentations on their lives and ministries, and summaries of the results from the questionnaire that had been sent to the entire Order on April 15, 2025 (cf. prot. no. 00242/25). Each conference presented an interesting insight into the life of lay brothers in their area today, provoking questions and, at the same time, pointing out real manifestations of our unique Capuchin charism as expressed in its lay forms. The exchange in the hall was particularly rich and fruitful.
On November 6th, the theme was the vocation of the lay brother in the future: reflections on the promotion of the vocation of the lay brother, on its formation, on integration into the life of the Order, and on the Church’s education in the lay vocation. The working methodology was different: in the morning there was group work (9 language groups, each including lay brother delegates and a member of the International Formation Council); in the afternoon there was sharing in the hall and a very lively discussion, which led to the final part of the program in the evening: a meeting between the members of each conference of the Order.
On November 7th, there was a jubilee pilgrimage to the Tomb of St. Peter, passing through the Holy Door of the Vatican Basilica. This moment was then sealed with the testimonium that the friars received at the end of the meeting. By various means of transportation, the friars made their way to the General Curia where they enjoyed a buffet lunch with the Curia fraternity, taking up every available place, including the steps in the courtyard and garden under the rays of the autumn sun, bringing eloquent testimony to our brand of fraternity. This was followed by a walk down our presence on Via Vittorio Veneto, with a visit to the Museum and Crypt of the Capuchins and then a stop at the Church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, where the remains of St. Felix of Cantalice rest. Afterwards, Vespers and the Eucharist were celebrated in the church.
During the following days, the group visited Franciscan and Capuchin sites. On November 8th, there was a visit to Assisi, with a guided tour of Santa Maria degli Angeli – Porziuncola, followed by a guided tour of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, where the Vicar General presided over the Eucharist. The afternoon was free for either individuals or small language groups to stroll around the city, culminating with vespers at the Basilica of St. Clare with the cloistered sisters. After a long day, the friars stayed the night at our Domus Laetitiae.
On November 9th, the participants visited our friary at Camerino, the cradle of the Order. There was a guided tour led by one of the friars of the community, which included a very thorough presentation on the origins of the Capuchin reform. The small church and choir seemed to expand to accommodate everyone for the celebration of the Eucharist. Lunch was prepared by volunteers from our Missionary Center in Recanati, after which the friars departed for Rome and returned to their circumscriptions the following morning.
The meeting overall addressed a wealth of content and yielded a special atmosphere of fraternity, leaving everyone with a clear sense of pace e bene, along with gratitude to the Lord for the call to belong to the Capuchin Order. Heartfelt thanks were extended to all who prepared the meeting and all who worked diligently in the various services.
