3rd Assembly of the Provincials of Northern and Eastern Europe

From April 22 to 26, 2025, CENEC representatives gathered in Altötting, Germany, for the third meeting of the new Capuchin Conference of Northern and Eastern Europe. After getting to know each other in the spirit of fraternity, the superiors of the provinces of Krakow, Germany, Ireland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, Warsaw, as well as the delegations of Bulgaria, England, the “Low Countries,” Sweden, Tyrol, Hungary, Vienna, and the presence in Lithuania are step by step advancing the Order's journey together in this region.

Due to the ongoing war, the custodes of Ukraine and Belarus and the superior of the presence in Russia were unable to attend the assembly. 

Br. Marek Miszczyński was welcomed as the new General Councilor after his election at last year's General Chapter, and Br. Pawel Szymala, provincial minister of Warsaw, was elected as vice president of the conference.

Besides the superiors and delegates of the conference, for the first time, a representative of CEMCap was also present: Br. Jesus Romero i Lagatto, provincial minister of Catalonia. The interaction of the two European conferences hopes to become a solid tradition that contributes to the common growth of all European Capuchin friars.

The first item on the agenda was the reports of the circumscriptions, the president, the General Councilor and the representative of CEMCap; this was followed by preparations for the meeting of lay brothers, common initiatives for upcoming anniversaries, international collaboration in its different facets and expressions. Regarding this last point, Br. Tomasz Protasiewicz, former member of the International Council for Formation, reported on the European meeting of formators held in Foligno in February and presented the online events currently underway regarding Franciscan jubilees. Br. Harald Weber, CENEC representative for formation, submitted for discussion future areas and forms of collaboration within CENEC. In addition, the current status of the common plan for English-language formation in Europe was discussed, which is now entering the decision-making phase.

A highlight at the meeting was the visit of Austrian Jesuit Fr. Andreas Battlogg, who gave a lecture on the theme of synodality according to Pope Francis and the synod process in Germany, then invited discussion on the meaning of this theme in our context.

Friday afternoon’s program was “on the move”: a visit to Parzham, the birthplace of St. Conrad, the Eucharistic celebration in Marktl, the birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI, vespers at the tomb of St. Conrad in Altötting along with a meeting with the friars of the local fraternity.

“We are traveling and growing together as Capuchins in Europe, slowly but steadily becoming more and more united.” This was the final summing up with which the brothers made their way back to their respective communities.