October 30, 2024

Dear Fellow Ministers,

Good afternoon to you…I hope things are going well for you and your fraternity members.

I wanted to take this opportunity to share a number of informational items with you:

• As you all know, we recently held our Leadership Development Workshop in Cacouna, with 50 people participating.  (FYI,  there were 56 people originally registered but some had to cancel due to health issues).  By all accounts participants thoroughly enjoyed the workshop with Paul Donovan as our facilitator.  As well, over the week-end, there was a strong sense of our regional fraternity celebrating being together once again.  The challenge and  the promise of applying what was learned towards the strengthening of our fraternities is a responsibility that we all share. The Regional Council wishes to thank all those who made the effort to travel to Cacouna and contribute to the success of the workshop!
• Once again, this year Regional Council wishes to encourage fraternities to contribute to the support of Franciscans International specifically in their advocacy for the protection of the human right to water.  Please send your donations to the attention of our Regional Treasurer, Ms. Luba Legault by December 1, 2024, if at all possible.  Our Treasurer will then collate all of the donations and forwarded a collective amount to Franciscans International on our behalf.  We thank you for your generosity!
• As is our practice, we will shortly be preparing the next issue of the Regional Update, to be issued at the early part of Advent.  Regional Council would like to invite members of each fraternity to share short anecdotes regarding family Christmas celebrations..  As we know, our Regional fraternity is blessed to have a rich cultural diversity.  This next issue of the Regional Update will hopefully highlight this diversity through these Christmas celebration stories.  We invite you to share a favourite Christmas tradition and/or celebration and forward it to Martha Gabriel (martha.rfec@gmail.com) by the 20th of November, 2024.  Note Advent begins on Sunday, December 1, 2024 and we would like to get the Update out just prior to the commencement of Advent.
• Also, Regional Council wants to share with you that the week-end of July 18, 19, and 20, 2025 has been reserved at Cacouna for our Regional Elective Chapter.  Please put a circle around those dates for next year.  As planning for the Elective Chapter unfolds we will be keeping you updated.
• Finally, the National Centenary Task Group wants to remind us all that 2025 is the 800th anniversary of and the year of celebration of the Canticle of the Creatures.  .The Task Group asks that you share with them plans of how your fraternity might celebrate the Canticle in 2025.  Please forward these plans that you might have to the attention of Ms. Catherine Payne, (catherinepayne279@gmail.com)  the National Director of Formation.  Once you have had these celebrations the Task Group would also like to receive photos of your celebration.  On their behalf, I say thank you!

That is all I have to share at this time.  If you have any questions or need for clarification  regarding the above items please let me know.  Keeping the lines of communication open is important, so I ask that you confirm receipt of this email.  Thank you!

Fraternal regards,

Gerry Gabriel

Minister, Regional Fraternity of Eastern Canada (RFEC)