Christmas 2010
The year 2010 was affected by devastating natural disasters, global economic turmoil, increasing poverty, but also conflicts within the Church structure.
Christmas – a Feast of Hope
God came into his world to bring hope and to avert misery. He hears the cry of his people and the groaning of his creation.
Christmas – a Feast of Love
So this means giving instead of receiving, reconciliation instead of conflict, joy instead of despair, peace instead of war.
Christmas – a Feast of God’s love for humanity
He, who was God, became like one of us, a born as a child in a stable, sharing the homelessness and vulnerability of human beings, familiar with all the needs of human life, sent to us with the liberating message of a world that is more just and more peaceful.
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“That is why Francis celebrated the presence of God in this world. For him, God was the humble one, the one who met him in the smallest things: in a child that was born in a stable, in the midst of homelessness and vulnerability of human beings, in their poverty and misery, in their plight caused by an economy and a policy that had come to accept as by-products the existence of refugees and asylum seekers, poor people and lepers (…)
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Christmas means a daily conversion from the usual order of values and a radical change in the behaviour of human beings. What is considered as small and insignificant is to be thought of as great; and what appears as great and valuable will be ranked as small and unimportant. God’s thoughts are different from those of human beings. The lepers belong in the centre, the powerful have to move out of it. The Franciscan family is to carry into the world the divinely revolutionary change that Mary praises in her Magnificat.
In this way God unites himself irrevocably with this world. And only those who, like God, involve themselves in this world and change its destiny for the better stand on God’s side. The passion and the resurrection are consequences of this basic concept; they are its climax. All who believe in this religion of the Incarnation and witness to it, experience God as powerfully active in history.” (LB 1,C 2.4)
At the turn of the year
Yet another year has passed, filled with manifold activities, programs and developments of the CCFMC. These pre-Christmas days bring to mind that this global project could not exist without the effort and the personal commitment of so many, who are directly involved or who are working behind the scenes.
We are a small team with limited financial resources for a global movement with such different languages and cultures. It is remarkable what can be done, if people take up such a challenge and offer their assistance.
We would like to use this issue of the News to once mention as far as possible the names of all those that have stood by our side in 2010:
For the work of the CCFMC translations are absolutely essential
- of the News are translated by Mrs. Renate von Gilsa (Cologne); Mrs. Andrea Rogers (Würzburg), Fr. Joaquin Garay OFM (Mannheim), and Fr. Jean Francis Isia Amundala, (Bukavu/DR Congo);
- of the Lesson Units are translated into French by Mr. Pascal Curin (Strasbourg/France); into Tamil by Sr. Venantia and Fr. Divakar (Tamil Nadu/India); into Romanian by Sr. Lydia Fecheta together with the inter-Franciscan Team in Romania;
- of the theological contributions for our library are translated by Sr. Margarethe Mehren (Bad Saulgau) and Mrs. Maria Schwabe (
All important impulses are provided by the Continental Coordinators:
· Sr. Jeanne Luyun SFIC (Quezon City/Philippines) for Asia;
- Fr. Hermann Borg OFM (Nairobi/Kenya) for Anglophone Africa;
- Fr. Pascal Fomonyuy OFMCap (Shisong/Cameroon) for francophone Africa;
- Mrs. Ana Hidalgo OFS (Santiago/Chile) for the Region of Cono Sur;
- Sr. Maria Fachini FC (Joinville/Brazil) for the same-titled region;
- Br. Guido Zegarra OFM (Lima/Peru) for the Region of Andina;
- Br. Luis Patino OFM (Cali/Columbia) for the Caribbean Region.
They are assisted by numerous national coordinators, animators and contributors, whose names cannot be listed here for space reasons.
Professor Dr. Elmar Klinger (Herzogenaurach); Sr. Irmlind Rehberger, Sr. Reginarda Holzer, Sr. Marianne Jungbluth, Fr. Dr. Klaus Beuerle and Mr. Claudio Ettl (all from Würzburg); Sr. Paulin Link (Bad Waldsee) and Professor Francis D’Sa (Puna/India).
IT-support is rendered by Mr. Gregor Sandler (Würzburg), who is an important advisor and the CCFMC Layout, is in good hands with Jakina Wesselmann (
In the St. Raphaelsheim in Würzburg, the Convent of the Franciscan Sisters of Oberzell has taken us in very well. The Sister Superior Alexandra and her Community of Sisters as well as other staff take care of us through various services such as gate, house, and kitchen service. They are very open-minded and always offer to lend a helping hand.
At our center, Mrs. Christa Sauruck takes care of the cleaning services; Mrs. Hedwig Maurer is responsible for the redaction of the News, Mrs. Andrea Rogers and Mr. Wolfgang Schömig are employed for secretarial work. Till the end of August, Mrs. Veronica Irungu SFO from Kenya spent a one-year internship with us and enriched us with her African culture and her lively manner.
We are glad that also Sr. Judith Dinkel from Erlangen and Fr. Hadrian Koch OFM from the Franciscan Convent in Großkrotzenburg, the Convent of Fr. Andreas, are at hand with help and advice backing and supervising our work.
We would also like to mention all those, who are supporting this project in non-material ways, who hold accountable for it and who help us to move ahead. Of course, we are also thinking of the Mission Centre of the Franciscans in Bonn and the various donors, whom we owe our financial basis.
We would like to thank for any kind of assistance and time that has been devoted to the CCFMC.
We are also thinking of those working with the course, those who get involved and who have integrated the course into their personal lives. This is the way for others to become infected with the liberating message of the Gospel. This is of great value to us and we appreciate it immensely.
All in all, it is a gift uniting us as a world-spanning Franciscan Family. Its spirituality is ever more important for today’s many issues and hardships.
The mystery of God’s incarnation, which Francis admired and was able to convey throughout his lifetime, is our hope as well.
With that in mind,
we wish you all joyful and gracious Christmas Holidays and a Blessed Year 2011
Pace e bene,
Patricia Hoffmann, Andreas Müller OFM, Anton Rotzetter OFMCap
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
For almost thirty years now, the unique Franciscan project of the CCFMC has been in existence. I had the pleasure to be involved in it for just as long and was able to take care and work for its worldwide well-being. I am grateful for this rewarding and enriching experience for so many years. In all those years in which the CCFMC has become a matter close to my heart, I was able to learn all about the universal vastness of Francis and Clare, their independent self-assurance and certainty in following their completely unknown path, the cultural diversity in the realization of the Franciscan idea, and also the relative limited lifestyles in which this border crossing does not happen. I was able to do so by using the substantial assets provided by the Mission Centre of the Franciscans of the Conference of the Central European Franciscan Provinces (MEFRA. This set the way for this remarkable success story.
But now is the time to pass the baton for the global coordination to younger people. The necessary decisions were made during the last meeting of the International Board in Frascati /Rome. You have been informed accordingly (See news June 2010).
I will of course stay closely attached to the CCFMC in future. Whenever required, I will assist the CCFMC Center in Würzburg or also take on assignments where I can pass on my experience. I was already able to do so in the past few months. In early September I went to Romania where the Franciscan Family is on its way to achieve closer cooperation with the help of the CCFMC. In mid-September I visited Kenya and was able to witness the development of courageous visions by Brothers and Sisters, when their problems are moved into a Franciscan perspective. In Kenya it is mostly the “YouFra“ (the Franciscan Youth) where the Franciscan idea is to become alive across the borders. Finally in October, during a continental seminar in India, we were able to regionalize the very different and huge continent of Asia as to divide responsibilities. It became obvious that it is always helpful if someone reminds of the original idea of the CCFMC. Even if the local problems in everyday life take priority, the global dimension of the Franciscan Family may never pass from view. Having the chance to remind of it, was helpful and also target-aimed.
During all these meetings there was always the question on how to continue with the CCFMC. In this context, the question was asked how the functions and the required structures could be financially secured. In Africa as well as in Asia the Brothers and Sisters are aware that times have changed and the missionary assignment can financially no longer be covered by Europe alone. Some even said that this would no longer be desirable in light of the growing economic importance of the countries of the south. So more autonomy here as well. For this reason the regional offices should increase their efforts in obtaining sufficient financial means in their own countries.
Not that the CCFMC Center in Wuerzburg wants to abdicate from this responsibility. But there should be more and more self-sustaining help. But this will of course still take some time. For this reason, please allow me, dear Sisters and Brothers of the better situated countries, to ask you once more for a generous donation. This could mean the beginning of a gradual independence for the regions of the south. It would be a beneficial and helpful Christmas gift as well as a farewell present, dedicated to the CCFMC Centre. This would help the Centre to look into a more carefree future. I would very much appreciate your assistance in this matter.
All my best wishes for a grace-filled Christmas and God’s Blessings for the New Year
Yours
Fr. Andreas Mueller OFM
Spendenkonto Nr. 3017974 bei der Liga Bank in Würzburg (BLZ 75090300)
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