Mount Saint Joseph Retreat House – Mosta
24-27 February 2026
As a follow up of the meetings between the Provincial Definitories of the Province of Santissimo Nome di Gesù, Sicily, and the Province of St. Paul the Apostle, Malta, and as part of the Ongoing Formation programme of mutual collaboration between the two Provinces, mandated during the last Provincial Chapter of 2023, a group of 20 Guardians from the Province of Sicily and 6 Guardians from the Province of Malta met for 3 days, together with the respective Ministers Provincial Br. Antonino Catalfamo and Br. Anthony Chircop, for an experience of fraternity and study of the Manual for Guardians.
The highlight of the study days was a Zoom Meeting with the Minister General Br. Massimo Fusarelli on Wednesday 25 February at 10.30 am. The Minister joined us from Singapore, where he was visiting various entities in Oceania and East Asia. He encouraged us to continue in our endeavour to collaborate in the fields of ongoing formation, vocations animation and evangelization.
On Thursday 26 February the Guardians had the opportunity to meet Br. Cesare Vaiani, Definitor General, who presented a thorough explanation of the Manual for Guardians, published by the Order in 2019, and which is the document that lays down the fundamental objectives and norms for the ministry of the friars entrusted especially to the Guardians. Br. Cesare underlined the importance not only of accepting the role of Guardian as a ministry to the brothers, but also of talking up the responsibility with enthusiasm and determination. The discussions which followed were very fruitful in underlining the common problems but also the common ideals of the two Provinces in their desire to make a journey together in the various aspects outlined above.
Among the conclusions of the meeting one can underline the following:
• The process of collaboration between the Province of Sicily and the Province of Malta has nothing to do with a kind of fusion or unification of the entities, but is simply a journey of growth in knowing better one another and working together towards a common goal.
• The Province of Sicily can be enriched with the multicultural aspect of Malta and of the Maltese OFM Province with its experience of 2 international fraternities. The Province of Malta can be enriched with the experience of the Sicilian friars in the fields of vocations animation, pastoral activity among young people, and initiatives of evangelization.
• The Province of Sicily is embarking upon a renewal on 3 fronts, namely the experiment/laboratory of fraternal relations in each fraternity, the calling to be itinerant friars not statically established only in friaries and churches/parishes, and the striving to reach out to young people and offer them a vocational option which is credible in our culture.
• The Province of Malta is embarking upon an effort to reach out to immigrant workers with the presence of foreign brothers in two of our fraternities, and with the challenge to learn how to live in international fraternities. At the same time it is aware of the problems of its dwindling numbers and of the need to revamp pastoral action in favour of youth ministry and vocations animation not only among adolescent but especially among young adults.
• The two Provinces have agreed on the need for further collaboration between the respective Secretariat for Formation and Studies and the Secretariat for Evangelization and Missions. For this reason the Secretariats of the Maltese Province have been invited to participate in the meetings of the two Secretariats organised by the Conferenza Europa Meridionale (CEM) comprising Italy, Spain, Portugal and Albania. The meeting for the Secretariat for Formation and Studies of the CEM will be held on 23-26 November 2026.
The Province of Sicily is currently made up of 99 brothers living in 19 fraternities.
The Province of Malta is currently made up of 46 brothers living in 6 fraternities. Of these 9 are currently living abroad, offering their services to the Order or to other entities.