(This Article originally appeared in the Spring Issue of TAU-USA #105)

General Chapter Elections

Mary Stronach & Tibor KauserTibor Kauser, OFS, of Hungary has been re-elected minister general of the Secular Franciscan Order. This is his second six-year term.

Mary T. Stronach, OFS, of the United States of America is the new vice minister general.

Tibor and Mary lead the “little fraternity” of the Presidency of the International Council of the OFS (CIOFS). They were elected during the Order’s General Chapter in Rome, Italy, held Nov. 13-20, 2021.

Mary is the first American to hold an elected position on the Presidency. She is a former USA international councilor who has been serving with the Order’s Presidency as an interpreter and as a member of the International Formation Commission. A member of St. Joseph Fraternity, Utica, NY (St. Kateri Tekawitha Region), Mary also has been serving on the National Formation Commission.

Also elected were seven Presidency councilors serving different areas of the world, plus a Presidency councilor representing Franciscan youth (YouFra).

They are:

  • Francis Park, OFS (South Korea): Asia-Oceania
  • Adolph Assagba, OFS (Togo): Francophone Africa and islands.
  • Eremenciana Chinyama, OFS (Zimbabwe): English and Portuguese Speaking Africa.
  • Dina Shabalina, OFS (Ukraine): North Europe.
  • Noemi Riccardi, OFS (Italy): Southern Europe and the Mediterranean.
  • Ana María Raffo, OFS (Peru): Central and North America (reelected).
  • Silvia Noemí Diana, OFS (Argentina): South America (reelected).
  • Luis Félix Chocojay, OFS (Guatemala), YouFra.

The new CIOFS Presidency was confirmed by the president of the elective session, Fr. Massimo Fussarelli, OFM minister general, during a mass of thanksgiving at the Basilica of Saint Sebastian in Rome.