general council 2010

GENERAL COUNCIL

OF THE CONGREGATION

FEBRUARY 2010

Echoes from the Council of the Congregation February 2010

The Council of the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph is a consultative assembly, convened and prepared by the Superior General and her Council. It is held every six years in between the two General Chapters.

The main protagonists during this international assembly are, the Superior General and her Council as well as the Provincial Superiors and the Provincial Bursars coming from the five continents and representing 28 countries.

The event is taking place at St Emilie de Vialar, Via Paolo III, Roma

between the 8^th and 23^rd February.

The assembly will be working around the theme:

SEEK THE FACE OF GOD IN TODAY’S WORLD

Aim:

to explore together as General Government, Provincials and Bursars, how we are committed in this search for God:

v in our world especially in the local context

v in our Congregation

v in our personal life

Objectives:

Reflect together on what it means for us:

v To be searchers of the face of God in and with our world today.
v To follow Christ who was poor, in our world today.

Monday 8^th February

The participants met in the Chapter Hall at 9.00am and after an opening prayer, well prepared for the occasion, Sr. Dorothy Vella Zarb, Superior General welcomed all present. In her introduction Sr. Dorothy quoted the Constitutions saying that the Council of the Congregation permits the giving and receiving of information, common reflection and the study of subjects of interest to the life of the Institute. It is also a help for the General Government and a factor of unity and dynamism for the Congregation. (Art 110)

Sr. Dorothy then linked the theme chosen, to the homily by Our Holy Father which he gave on New Year’s Day. Pope Benedict XVI centered his homily on the theme Face: the face of God and the face of men. He underlined that “the psalms indicate this “desire” to see the face of God, and all the biblical passages can be considered as a progressive unveiling of the face of God up to the full manifestation of Christ”.

Sr. Dorothy added: “As we commence this Council of the Congregation, may we allow the Spirit who dwells within us, to continually quench our thirst with water from the Fountain that is always replenished. Let us ask the Lord the grace to look at our reality, questioning ourselves with uprightness and simplicity. May He draw us always more to Himself and grant us the necessary zeal, courage and audacity to revitalize our mystical and prophetic strength.

“The future of the Religious life lies in the strength of its mysticism and its Prophecy”

In the afternoon the participants met again in the Chapter Hall and the Webmaster Mr. Benoit Jeangille gave a detailed presentation, thus introducing to all present, the new website regarding the Archives of the Congregation.

During the rest of the evening each Provincial gave a resume of any new work undertaken in the different Province.

Tuesday 9^th February

Fr Cecil Azzopardi, a Maltese Jesuit residing in Rome, animated the day of recollection on the same theme: “Seeking the face of God in the world of today”, stressing the importance for us of feeling one with the Lord.

To conclude this day of recollection, the Sisters met in chapel for an hour of adoration and prayer around the Blessed Sacrament.

Wednesday 10^th February

The next three days the Sisters will be concentrating on the Third Orientation of the General Chapter with the help of Sr. Esther Abbattista.

Sr Esther holds a PHD in Biblical Theology. She is the Sister Responsible for the Sisters of the Cenacle Missionaries of Comboni. Sister Esther has been a great help to the Congregation through the preparation and implementation of the Orientation of the General Chapter.

Prayer time

Work group time

Sr Christine Anderson, a Sister of the Faithful Companions of Jesus, animated the next three days of the Council of the Congregation. Sister helped us to reflect on the life of the Congregation and its perspectives as well as on the realities of the different Provinces.

Referring to the theme of this assembly, Sr Christine helped us in our search for the Face of God in the context of our Missionary Congregation today.

For the session on Poverty it was the turn of Sr Rachel to introduce Fr Jacques Trublet SJ. Father gave us two reflections: one from the Old Testament and another from the New Testament.
“In itself wealth is good. God is infinitely rich and He calls us to participate in his richness.
The poor, the Anawim discover this happiness, “Even so, I stayed in your presence, you grasped me by the right hand”. (Ps 73:23) “My happiness is to be near God. I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge, to tell of all your works,” (Ps 73:28)

According to the New Testament, poverty was proposed from two different angles:
The poverty of Christ and the practice of poverty among the members of the first Christian community – the misappropriation of goods, the putting in common and almsgiving.

After, work was carried out in groups made up of Provincials and Provincial Bursars...

... and at a later stage, groups made up of Provincials and Provincial Bursars separately.

Sr. Dorothy and Sr. Helendina (General Bursar) conducted the discussion on the work arising from the groups regarding poverty in the life of St Emilie.

during different assemblies …..