The Brothers of Saint John of the Province of Europe gathered for their second Provincial Chapter.

From January 13 to 20, the brother capitulants met in the Priory in Vilnius for their Chapter. One of the central tasks of this gathering was the election of a Provincial Prior. On the second day, Br Ignaz Maria was re-elected. The Chapter expresses its sincere gratitude to him for accepting and continuing to fulfil this responsibility and assures him of its prayerful support.

This election was followed by the deliberations concerning the appointment of a Provincial Director of Formation. Br Philip Thomas (Rome) was appointed to this office. The other councillors are Br Jurek (Vilnius) and Br John Mary Jesus (London).

During the Chapter, the brothers were honoured to receive two evening visits. One was from Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, President of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, who emphasised the importance of a “missionary-oriented evangelisation” in Europe today. The other was from Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Papal Nuncio to the Baltic States and former personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI, who shared many encouraging and inspiring insights drawn from his life and service alongside the Pope.

The Chapter then entered a longer phase of reflection and work on current topics, particularly concerning the mission of the Brothers. Special attention was given to encouraging the full involvement of lay people through the development of genuine collaboration. Matters of Safeguarding were also addressed, including decisions on the implementation of a code of conduct, ongoing formation in accompaniment, its regular updating, and the obligation of supervision.

Entrusting all these concerns to the Lord, the brothers place their trust in the intercession of Our Lady, St John, and their patron saint of the Province, St John Paul II.