Summer School 2026
Can the story of St. Francis of Assisi help us change the world we live in into a good home for all its inhabitants?
Porta Coeli Abbey House (Předklášteří, near Brno)
20th - 23rd August 2026 | 20 - 35 years
Registration open until 30 June
The Summer School of Economy of Francis CZ will offer three days of inspiration and shared searching for ways to transform the world around us in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Summer School of Economy of Francis CZ will offer three days of inspiration and shared searching for ways to transform the world around us in the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Mike Lasky OFM Conv. will continue to guide us in examining ways to construct an economy grounded in the ethical principles endorsed by St. Francis of Assisi. We will follow up on the introduction to St. Francis's ethics based on frescos in the Assisi basilica, as presented by Mike in 2025 (for those who were not present we will provide a recording) and search for further ways in which the Franciscan inspiration can be projected onto our present economic, social ańd political situations.
We will look to Francis of Assisi for a model of a life that is lived justly, simply and with respect to oneself, to all people, and to nature.
We will newly focus on how we can contribute to cultivating peace.
The program will include listening to the Christian sacred scriptures (lectio divina) and sharing in circles and small groups. There will be space for mutual listening, sharing and inspiration, meeting interesting guests, shared dreaming, and also for active recreation by work on the renewal of the Porta Coeli Abbey House.
Michael Lasky is a Conventual Franciscan living in Rome. As General Delegate for Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, he collaborates on social justice initiatives and offers formation programs focused on the Church's social teaching.
In 2019, he founded Little Portion Farm in Maryland, which produces 13,600 kilograms of organic food annually for the poor in Baltimore. In response to the war in Ukraine, he organizes social theater workshops for children suffering from war trauma. Brother Michael has also taught at universities, served in parishes, and worked for Franciscans International at the United Nations.
The abbey of Porta Coeli is not only the home of a community of Cistercian sisters, but also the space where Tomáš Blaha is working to renew the local orchard. He organizes volunteers from all around the world to care for the apple orchard and produce Biochar. We will use their volunteer housing, called „In Heaven“, for accomodation. For more information on the venue, including photos of the guest rooms and surrounding nature, see link.
