On 23 – 25 September 2020 the Guardians, Superiors and Bursars of the Franciscan Province were welcomed to stay for two days in the Gozo friary for a residential seminar, with the aim of studying together the “Handbook for Guardians” published by the Order’s Secretariat for Formation and Studies in 2019. The participants examined all the relevant topics of the document, including the Franciscan, spiritual, fraternal, adminitrative, financial and apostolic dimensions of the role of the Guardian or local superior. They also applied the document to the concrete situation of the fraternities in Malta.
The seminar was also addressed by the Minister Provincial, Br. Anthony Chircop. The Guardians met in the new annex to the Gozo friary, with the aim of making good use of this environment for formation meetings and for annual retreats for the friars. A special thanks to the Gozo fraternity, and to Br. Marcello Ghirlando, the Guardian and Vicar Provincial, for the generous hospitality. The director for ongoing formation of the Province, Br. Noel Muscat, said that this initiative is a positive response of the Province to the Order, and a sign of hope that the Order would take a more active role in helping out provinces like ours, who are facing great challenges for their future. This can only be done by listening to the grassroots, through the Guardians who are closest to the brothers.