Franciscans of Saint Bonaventure Province

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Letter from the Provincial: Thoughts on the 203rd Ordinary General Chapter

Greetings and peace to you all!

Having recently participated in the 203rd Ordinary General Chapter of our Order, it was certainly a privileged moment in the history of our community to be gathered with so many of the brothers from around the world and to experience the charism of our Franciscan fraternity being rediscovered and renewed. While addressing the many proposed motions often elicited spirited dialogue and passionate rhetoric, nonetheless, this was further evidence that the Holy Spirit was enlivening the direction we should move into the future.

“Hope: Writing the Future in the Present” was the report given by our newly re-elected Minister General, Carlos Trovarelli, OFM Conv. In it he warned against allowing the situations we must face in the present, like the COVID pandemic, ongoing wars, and the worrying situation of migration, climate change, and scandals in the Church, to become a denial of a hopeful future. He noted, “Authentic hope takes shape between the lived present and the imagined future, without forgetting the uncertainties that exist, and the patience required to move forward.”

He emphasized that hope cannot exist apart from relationships; it is embodied in the faces we meet and the situations in which we find ourselves along the journey of our life in Christ. It is the virtue that challenges false hopes of a world tainted by individualism and guides the heart toward a trusting openness to others and a sense of personal responsibility.

Fr. Paul Joseph Langevin, OFM Conv. and Pope Leo XIV.

This message was re-emphasized during our audience with Pope Leo XIV during which he reminded us, “It is not our personal interest that should move us, but that of Christ; it is his Spirit that we must listen to, first and foremost, in order to write the future in the present.” He encouraged us all to listen to the Spirit in the voice of each other, in the discernment of our community, in attentiveness to the signs of the times, and in the appeals of the Magisterium.

As we continue our journey through this Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope may each of us find greater hope in Jesus Christ and then share that hope with the world. Peace and all good!

-Fr. Paul Joseph Langevin, OFM Conv. (Provincial of St. Bonaventure Province)

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Safeguarding Statement

The Franciscan Friars Conventual of St. Bonaventure Province are committed to creating safe environments for children and vulnerable adults.

Every friar in active ministry must complete training in Virtus (the National Catholic Risk Retention Group) and any other safe environment compliances required by the dioceses in which they serve.

In addition, St. Bonaventure Province has its own Safe Environment Commission that oversees the implementation and monitoring of the Province’s Policies, Procedures, and Protocols for Ethical Ministry with Minors and Vulnerable Adults. 

Any allegation regarding the Franciscan Friars Conventual of this Province receives an immediate response. This includes the Province’s full cooperation with local law enforcement authorities and Ordinaries who have ecclesial jurisdiction over these matters, as well as a duly diligent investigation by a qualified third party in order to substantiate credibility.