June 30 - Fourth Day - morning

General Council Report

The morning session began with the song, “Living Fire.”

The General Council Report has three parts. The first part had been given at our provincial and regional Chapters. The second, the written, part had been sent to each community.

This third part of the report was based on General Council’s reflections on what they had seen, heard, and learned over the past six years and on what they see as the challenges for the future.
Catherine, Margaret, Maria Teresa, Olga, and Veronica shared the presentation.

Catherine Dolan, Maria Teresa Morgadinha, Margaret Fielding, Veronica Brand, Olga Georgina

After pointing out that the context of their report was the growing complexity of our world, they spoke about:

  • The JPIC Network and our NGO status
  • The SHM Extended Family
  • International and Interprovincial Communities
  • The International Novitiate
  • Collaboration with lay people
  • Charism as key to our mission
  • Newer members.

Catherine Dolan then mentioned some “threads” from the report that are expected to be woven into the work of the Chapter:

  • Priorities for mission
  • Collaboration
  • Consciousness of our place in the universe
  • Deepening of our intercultural openness and appreciation of difference
  • Communication.

“Ablaze with Gailhac’s Vision,” the declaration made by newer members of the Institute at Puimisson in July 2006, was read to the chapter.

newer members of the Institute at Puimisson

Eucharist, at the end of the morning, has been prepared by the Brazilian Province. It was celebrated by John Kilcrann, CSSp. Father Kilcrann is the JPIC animator for the Spiritan Fathers.

June 30 - Fourth Day - afternoon

General Council Report continued

Before the morning session ended, we had been given two questions to help us prepare for the afternoon session.

  • Is there anything here I’d like to understand better?
  • And, from all of the morning’s report, what “fans into flame’/stirs the fire within me?

Much of the afternoon session was devoted to personal reflection, table conversation, and asking questions in the large group – in order to get a better understanding of all that we had been hearing and how it might become part of the Chapter agenda.

Joan Treacy (WAP)

One of the topics we will be considering before the end of the Chapter is the structure of the General Council. In order to prepare for this discussion, we were given information about the evaluation that was done of the present structure by the General Council in light of the responses from other in the Institute, other congregations, and the Council’s own experience.

When we arrived at the Chapter, we received a list of the “groups” we would be working in. For the past few days we have been in our “Working” or “Table” Groups. There are three English language groups, two Portuguese language groups, and one French language group.

Terezinha Cecchin (B), Olga Georgina (GC), Teresa da Conceição Cepa Capitão(P)

Toward the end of the afternoon we met in our “Hearth Groups” for the first time. These groups are a place to share what we have been experiencing during the day. The sharing can take the form of a time of praying, support, pondering, questioning; whatever will be helpful. The groups are a mixture of provinces/regions and language (but either there is someone in the group who can translate or we invite a translator to join us.)

Before supper, we met in the Chapel for evening prayer, prepared by the Brazilian Province.

 

© 2007 RSCM / RSHM