The Provincial Ministers and Custodes of the English Speaking Conference held their annual Fall meeting at Villa Saint-Martin, a Jesuit retreat house here, from October 10-14.
It was hosted by St. Joseph Province of Canada. Attending the week-long meeting were: Provincial Minister Richard Grech, OFM (St. Paul, Malta), Custos Patrick Lonsdale, OFM (Immaculate Conception Custody, Great Britain), Provincial Minister Marc Le Goanvec, OFM (Province of St. Joseph, Canada), Provincial Minister David Gaa, OFM (St. Barbara Province, USA), Provincial Minister Algirdas Malakauskas, OFM (Province of St. Casimir, Lithuania), Provincial Minister and Conference President Hugh McKenna, OFM (Province of Ireland), Provincial Minister and Conference Vice-President Kevin Mullen, OFM (Holy Name Province, USA), Provincial Minister Robert Campagna, OFM (Immaculate Conception Province, New York, USA), Provincial Minister James Gannon, OFM (Assumption BVM Province, USA), Provincial Minister Jack Clark Robinson, OFM (Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, USA), Provincial Minister Jeffrey Scheeler, OFM (St. John the Baptist Province, USA), Provincial Minister William Spencer, OFM (Sacred Heart Province, USA), Provincial Minister Robert Mokry, OFM (Province of Christ the King, Canada), Custos Jozo Grbes, OFM, of the Croatian Custody of the Holy Family (Chicago), General Definitor Caoimhin O’Laoide, OFM, and Executive Secretary Thomas Washburn, OFM. Conference members welcomed a new member to the group, Provincial Minister Robert Campagna, OFM, recently elected in the Immaculate Conception Province (New York).
During the meeting, the Provincial Ministers of the United States and Canada each met separately in sub-conference to discuss matters relevant to their regions. The Canadian members discussed their on-going process of reconfiguration currently underway there.
During the full-Conference sessions, members had a video conference update on the current financial situation of the Order from Economo General John Puodziunas, OFM. He highlighted the continuing work of the General Administration in dealing with the financial situation of the last few years. At each Fall meeting, the Conferences reviews annual accountability reports from all of the various Secretariats, Commissions and Committees of the Conference.
One of the great moments of last week’s Conference meeting was an opportunity to share a meal and fraternity with the Ministers of the Conventual Franciscan Conference who were holding their Fall meeting in Montreal as well. From the Conventual Conference, the four Provincial Ministers of the US Provinces were present: Friars Michael Zielke, John Heinz, James McCurry and Jim Kent. Also present was the Custos of Canada, Friar Józef Błaszak, and the Custos of Great Britain/Ireland, Friar Peter Damian Massengil. Friar Jude Winkler, the Assistant General for the Conventual Franciscan Federation (CFF), was also part of the group.
Also joining the group was Capuchin Provincial Minister Louis Cinq-Mars, OFM Cap., of the Capuchin Province of Eastern Canada. It was an enjoyable evening and one that everyone hoped would be repeated in the future.
All the members expressed particular gratitude to Provincial Minister Marc LeGoanvec, OFM (St. Joseph), the host of the meeting, for making everyone feel welcome and at home.
