The Birth of a new Canadian Franciscan Province

On October 22, 2018 in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, Holy Spirit Province (Province Saint-Esprit), the new Canadian Franciscan Province, has been created. The union of the two Canadian Provinces (St. Joseph and Christ the King) has been formalized by a decree pronounced by the General Minister, Br. Michael Anthony Perry, OFM. The new Provincial Minister is Br. Pierre Charland, OFM.
“The creation of the new Holy Spirit Province of Canada takes us back to the roots of our Franciscan charism. It reflects a desire to be led by the Spirit, even to unknown paths. It takes us back to the experience of Pentecost, and to the core of the Gospel. This is what I hope will characterize the new Canadian province,” says the new Provincial Minister.

The new Province will include 87 friars from the ages of 32 to 97 present in Quebec (Montreal, Lachute, Trois-Rivières), British Columbia (Vancouver and Victoria) and Alberta (Edmonton and Cochrane). The Provincial Curia will be in Montreal at La Resurrection friary.

Reflection by the Minister General
​Brothers and sisters, in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we are drawn into the great drama of Christian conversion, of what transpires in our lives when we welcome Christ’s invitation to “follow me!” “You are not foreigners or strangers any longer, you are now fellow citizens with God’s people and members of the family of God” (Eph. 2:18-19), St. Paul writes to the Christians communities not only of Ephesus but to all seven Churches of Asia Minor. Paul’s message goes against all common sense and wisdom of his time, and even of ours. Political leaders in the Roman empire used ethnic, religious, and regional differences as a means to divide, as a means to conquer, and as a means to promote their own positions of power and wealth. I am sure none of this has anything to with what might or might not be going on in the world today! HA!          Read More

Special blessings to all of the Franciscan brothers of the new Province! May God bring to completion the work that has begun.