My experiences at the SFO General Chapter, Dobógokö, Hungary
by Fred Schaeffer, SFO

Everyone is asking me to tell them about my recent adventure to Hungary. Let me tell you about it. I flew into Budapest, and was picked up by one of our sisters of the Hungarian National Fraternity, who hosted this General Chapter, to bring me to the meeting venue. The village of Dobógokö is situated in the Pilis Mountains, about one hour by car, northwest of Budapest. That's on a good day without snow and ice (as it was on my return to Budapest).

The Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis (OFS, in most non-English speaking lands; SFO in English speaking countries) is headquartered in Rome, Italy, and for the most part, General Chapters are held every three years in Italy. Because of the ending of the special 2-year period of formation and other devotion toward our Patron, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, the meeting venue took place in Hungary. This was also an elective Chapter for CIOFS (International Council of the SFO) which takes place every 6 years.

In May 2008, CIOFS contacted me, and offered me a cost-free trip to the 2008 Chapter as a member of the Communications Staff, to update the website while at the Chapter. Of course I was delighted and agreed after reviewing some health considerations, because there are some. CIOFS was good to their word, the trip did not cost anything. NOTHING! Praise God! I couldn't have afforded it any other way, given the economic situation we're in.

I tacked on a few days before the Chapter and after the Chapter had ended, for the convenience of travel mostly, and some others had the same idea for the same reason. CIOFS even paid for the extra nights I spent.

I did not attend all the Chapter meetings. I was, after all, not a voting member, but instead, worked on a computer in a secretarial center, set up for this purpose. I met a very capable young man, Michele Cannone, OFS, Italian from Naples, who is going to help me modernize the CIOFS website, a matter long overdue. The website is huge with 5054 pages, and definitely not a one-person job.

Overall, my impression of the Chapter participants (111 of whom 68 were voting members), who were National Ministers of the 68 countries present, or their delegates, plus the CIOFS Officers, past and (re)-elected, was that they are a wonderful and close-knit working group. Here are people as multi-cultural as could be, with a common goal, to live the Rule of St. Francis and promote Franciscan holiness and I felt very "at home" with them and very comfortable. I tend to be on the shy side when I meet strangers, but there was none of that. Things get so one-sided in Florida, because we're mostly a "retired" population, but SFO world-wide have many younger people, and that's a definite plus. These are the future leaders of SFO on a world-wide basis. I've seen a great deal of humility and joy here.

How can we transfer some of that zeal to fraternities in USA, and Florida? We have to interest more young people. That's the answer, but how? I think I'll think about this for a long while.

During the Chapter, there were two major outings. First, there was a mini-van trip to Esztergom, the old Capital of Hungary, where we find the massive Castle-Basilica of St. Stephen, where St. Elisabeth worshipped during her early and teen years.

Although this picture came from the Internet, the picture of the inside is one of Bob Stronach's. He was "Official Photographer" for the Chapter, another "Communications Team" member. That picture, below, is the painting above the altar, and it is beautiful, and huge. I am interested in classical organ music, and the organ in this basilica is the third largest in Europe. There was a short recital going on as we entered the Basilica and the sound was as explosive as the size of the building.

 As Cardinal Paskai, OFM, prelate of Hungary, concelebrated Holy Mass on November 17, 2008, to close the 2-year St. Elizabeth of Hungary program, he was accompanied by our Spiritual Assistants and other Franciscan priest who help the SFO, as well as the Capuchin-Franciscan vicars of the Basilica. We were sitting in the choir stalls facing the center of the Sanctuary.

The other outing was in two buses to Budapest, to attend Holy Mass at St. Elizabeth Church there. For all pictures, please refer to:

CIOFS General Chapter 2008 Images
When loading the Picasso pages, please be patient as they tend to load slowly.

The trip to Budapest was interesting from several perspectives, here was an old-world city, with rich architecture, huge buildings, that seemed to have mostly escaped the damage of World War II. We had dinner at a building owned by a Franciscan Church. Food was plentiful and it was a generous meal. Sometimes I wasn't sure what I ate but it was delicious!

Overall, this trip was a grand success for me, as it was the first real vacation I had in the past 8 years. When one is retired everyday tends to be a vacation, except I am busier now, in retirement with all these websites, than I was when I worked. I don't think I would want to have it any other way. The websites is God's work - Franciscan Evangelization, and bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the rest of the world!

As many of you know, after I left my 4-1/2 year time with the Monks of Adoration, mostly for reasons of bad health, I really desired to make Vows of Obedience, Poverty and Chastity. That was, because at the Monks, they did not have Canonical standing at the time, for me to make public Vows. So in 2002, a few months after I returned to Vero Beach, I made private Vows of Obedience and Chastity.

Please keep the General Ministers and CIOFS in your prayers every day. They have very demanding positions, with much traveling. Just as Regional Ministers travel to all Fraternities here in Florida and in other regions, the International Ministers need to travel to all corners of the globe. And, just as the major religious orders have a Minister General and a Curia (Councillors or Difinitors as they are commonly called), the SFO is similarly constructed.

I have been the CIOFS webmaster for four years running, and all this work is gratis on my part, but CIOFS has been sending me annual stipends and now this wonderful trip. Praise God! And, everyone wanted to meet the webmaster! - that mysterious person whom they did not know. Now I know them, and I shall be with them in prayer from now till we meet again, maybe in Heaven. One realizes when one is retired that the years are slowly dwindling but I have my sights set on a higher Order! I hope you do too!

Fred Schaeffer, SFO
12/2/2008