Superior General. March 2014

Transcription

1 March 2014 Students and confreres, Alberoni College Superior General From 28 February to 2 March, Father Gregory took part in the International Assembly of the Vincentian Lay Missionaries that was held in San José de Costa Rica. From there, he went to Rio de Janeiro to take part in a meeting of the Daughters of Charity together with Father Eli Chaves. It treated the topic of the reconfiguration of the Brazilian Provinces. Later he was present at part of the meeting of the Finance Committee of the General Curia, listening to the report of its activities and offering some suggestions. From 9 to 14 March, TEMPO FORTE was held. It began with a spiritual retreat on 9 March, at which all the members of the Curia participated. We listened to a talk prepared by Father Zeracristos on the topic of community life, the third chapter of our Constitutions. During this week, all the members of the Preparatory Commission of the 2016 General Assembly were present. On Saturday, the 15 th, there was a workshop on practical issues for some computer programs. On the 16 th, the General Curia had the pleasant visit of the members of Western Europe s Internal Seminary. They were present for the Eucharist, a fraternal sharing to get to know what each of the confreres of the Curia does in his office, and, finally, a delicious lunch. During these days we had the visit of Janez Cerar, from the Province of Slovenia, a possible candidate for one of the International Missions. On 21 and 22 March, Father Gregory was in Piacenza, visiting the Alberoni College, together with Jorge Luis Rodríguez. There he had the opportunity to share with all the confreres, our seminarians, and the diocesan seminarians, who are being formed in this institution.

2 There was a fraternal moment, when, like an informal chat, he treated the topic of living the five virtues today. Then he paid a visit to the bishop of the Diocese of Piacenza, Monsignor Gianni Ambrosio, and, towards midday, presided the Eucharist with the entire Seminary community. The visit concluded with lunch and a meeting with the lay staff of the Alberoni Foundation. On 24 and 25 March, Father Gregory visited Paris for the renovation of vows of the Daughters of Charity. There he had the opportunity to share with the confreres Daniel Borlik and Patrick Griffin. During the celebration on the 25 th, he took the occasion to finalize the transition with Bernard Schoepfer taking up the role of Director General of the Daughters of Charity and Father Griffin s departure. The latter returns to the United States to continue his service to the Congregation in his province of origin. On the 26 th and 27 th, Father Gregory, together with Yosief Zeracristos and Joseph Geders, was in Belgium for a meeting with the Visitor of the Congo and other members of the community of that province. On 30 March, Father Gregory travelled to the United States to begin the Canonical Visitation of his province of origin. On 14 September 2013, feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Interprovincial Internal Seminary began in Naples. The Director of the Internal Seminary is Roberto D'Amico, with Lorenzo Manca and Faiver Mañosca, as collaborators. The members of the Internal Seminary are: Nue Cetaj and Ferdinand Kodra (Albania), Giuseppe Caruso (Province of Naples), Joao Michael Gives Forest Soares (Province of Portugal), Luca Deidda (Province of Rome), Francisco Javier López (Province of Salamanca), and José Luis Cañavate (Province of Saragossa). Salvatore Farì is the Superior of the community of San Nicola da Tolentino, the house of the Province of Naples that welcomed the Interprovincial Internal Seminary. 2

3 Alberoni College Cardinal Giuglio Alberoni wanted to found the College, which bears his name, to welcome the poor priests of the local Church. The Alberonian formation takes as aim a holy education and a virtuous direction. Admission to the College was done through competition and there were only 54 seats open to candidates for the priesthood in the Diocese of Piacenza. The formation process included nine years, the three years of philosophy, the three years of theology, and one year of morality. The College opened in 1751 and it was Cardinal Alberoni himself who entrusted the formation of the future priests to the missionaries of the Congregation of the Mission. Since 2012, the College is directed by a formative community with an interprovincial character: the Superior and Prefect of Studies are from the Province of Turin, the Academic Secretary is from the Province of Naples, and six teachers are from the Province of Rome. One of the interesting aspects is the great cultural and artistic wealth that one finds there. Beyond the architecture, or the laboratories or the observatory, is an art gallery with works by prominent artists of the Cardinal s time, many of whom were supported by him. One of the most outstanding pictures is the Ecce Homo or Christ at the Column by Antonello da Messina ( ). It is a precious masterpiece of someone who was considered to be one of the best artists of western painting The group of seminarians is composed of young men from the dioceses of: Piacenza- Bobbio (8); Fidenza (3); Sora- Acquino-Pontecorvo (2); Lanusei (1), all in Italy; as well as, Mukacevo, Ukraine (6); Hinche, Haiti (2); Vitebsk, Byelorussia (1). The students of the Congregation of the Mission are from the Provinces of Turin (2); Naples (2); Orient (4); and the Region of Albania (2). The Finance Committee of the General Curia Joseph C. GEDERS, C.M. The Finance Committee of the General Curia had its annual meeting on 7 March The Committee welcomed two new members: Rafael (Bong) Eloriaga Kabigting, Provincial Treasurer of the Province of the Philippines; and George Busieka, Treasurer of the Mission of Kenya of the Western Province USA. Other current members of the Committee are Mr. Tom Beck, Chief Financial Officer of the Daughters of Charity, Province of Saint Louise USA; Bernard Meade, Provincial Treasurer of the Province of Ireland; and Philippe Lamblin, Provincial Treasurer of the Province of Paris. We thank the other members, Santiago Azcárate Gorri, Provincial Treasurer of the Province of Saragossa; and Evaristo Rafael Oliveras Adorno, Provincial Treasurer of the Province of Puerto Rico, who completed their service on the Committee last year. The Committee checked the financial statements for the fiscal year that ended on 31 December 2013 and the budget of the Curia for It studied the results of the investments and received a report on the investments realized in the past year, on the part of Mr. Beck, who is also a member of the Investment Committee of the Curia. Other topics treated were the following: 1) a review of the fixed assets of the Curia and the investments in repairs to the Curia building; 2) an evaluation of the general meeting of Provincial Treasurers that was held last summer; 3) a review of an offer of formation for treasurers in Rome. 3

4 CESSAVIPA S VOICE IN DIFFICULT TIMES Père Séraphin ZOGA, C.M. 1) The events of 5 December 2013 At 5 a.m. we heard, not far from the parish of Saint Ann in Kassaï, explosions of heavy weapons, for the parish is located on the periphery of two military camps: the military camp and the camp guard located 100 meters away; these camps were attacked by so-called Anti-Balaka self-defense militias, taking revenge on the Séléka rebels. After 45 minutes of fighting, the Anti-Balaka occupied the two camps, putting the Séléka in disarray. The dead were transported in six vehicles of the International Red Cross, filled with Séléka corpses. On this day Bangui was under fire and blood. At dawn, the poor villagers heard the explosions of heavy weapons and thought only of taking refuge under beds, believing that the situation would calm down from one moment to the next, but unfortunately it did not. The villagers understood that a secure place was in the facilities of the Catholic missions or in the religious houses, such as CESSAVIPA: The Saint Vincent de Paul Spiritual Center. Wanting to move there, some were killed by stray bullets or arbitrarily killed in cold blood. There are families who were unable to meet again because, in uncontrolled flight, the children went to a place and the parents to another without knowing where one another were. This will only be known when the situation is regulated. What can be done, then, with these people who seek refuge? 2) Hosting the displaced Faced with this situation, it was necessary to open the doors to these persons. And it was what CESSAVIPA did: open its doors. Initially 4,000 were displaced by the war; three weeks later, the number increased to 8,015, people of all ages, according to the check list we developed. Truly we were invaded. These people came from Kassaï, from Ngaragba, from Yongoro, from Ouango, from the Rapides sector, from Gbangouma (all these are from Bangui s 7th district). Then we also welcomed those who came from the sectors that were subjected to massacres and assassinations aimed at exterminating the Christians. After spending some time in CESSAVIPA, other assaults against the Séléka civil community occurred, whose sole purpose was to exterminate people practicing religion and especially Catholicism. This reception made a target of CESSAVIPA, where there was a multitude of refugees. Under the blow (fire) of heavy weapons, CESSAVIPA was actually attacked and subjected to looting. Why? 3) The plunder in CESSAVIPA The Saint Vincent de Paul Spiritual Center has been subjected to looting because, in this time of hardship, we have not stopped accompanying the displaced and directing toward them comforting words: accompaniment, songs, praise and preaching have been scheduled for them. Cessavipa has extended its mission, giving a witness of presence among these people in difficulty, who have not managed to support the harshness of the events. We were full of people coming to feed on God's Word. Among them was a Muslim, who, fleeing the abuses, came to seek a place of welcome and listening among us. The last fruit produced by CESSAVIPA, before being subjected to looting, was the conversion of this man, OUSMANE, to Catholicism. He was baptized and this was a great witness to everyone. OUSMANE has given testimony affirming: the Catholic Church is a religion of a real and sincere love and I believe that the true religion is Christ. 4

5 This man now has the name, PAUL MARIE. This miracle wrought by Christ will provoke the wickedness of the enemies, who will come to plunder and submit to pillage everything in this center. But we are not frightened. This event gives us more encouragement to go further in proclaiming the Gospel. But faced with all these atrocities, how are we to protect the displaced? 4) Dramatic humanitarian consequences Seeing the continuous danger threatening the displaced, we have been forced to leave the site, i.e. CESSAVIPA, because armed Islamists had promised to come to attack again and they did so on a Thursday at 3 p.m., despite the intervention of religious authorities. We have moved to our community at two kilometers from CESSAVIPA. We know of thirty (30) deaths, the majority children; our orphans have also had the same fate; we lost five (5) because of hunger, malnutrition, malaria, contaminated water, and AIDS. Of the 35 women who have given birth, we have had five stillbirths and we lost ten women, for it is difficult to get out at night to go to the hospital, under the bullets from the guns. IV INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF MISEVI Ramón López García MISEVI Colombia. It is very interesting to have the opportunity to take part in the events of the Association and even more so when they are of an international character. It is also a responsibility, because we must publicize the work of both MISEVI and the Colombian Vincentian Family. Participating for Colombia are: Father Rodrigo Restrepo (National Advisor), Sister Zoraida Montañez (National Advisor), and Ramón López (National President). Unfortunately, Marta Marín (member) could not assist because her visa was not approved. We were able to share with the delegations of 13 other countries: Brazil, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Mexico, the United States, France, Slovakia, Lebanon, Spain, El Salvador and the missionaries present in Honduras, Mozambique, and Bolivia and the Superior General, Gregory Gay, who was with us the entire time. We had a workshop, guided by the missionaries of Honduras, Bolivia, and Mozambique, whose main theme was reflecting on the Apostolic Exhortation, EVANGELII GAUDIUM, to orient us to missionary work Ad Gentes. Following this, we evaluated our actions in every country. The second day was spent getting to know the Associations, their location in the country, the number of groups, the number of members, the activities carried out, and the projects for the coming years. The concelebrated Eucharistics and prayers in different languages, the recreational activities and shared meals after each session were the right environment to get to know one another and have an idea of who should join the new International Team for the next four years. Before the election a summary of the achievements of the outgoing coordinating team, as well as the outstanding issues that have not yet been completed or that this assembly proposes as tasks for the next four years, was reviewed. 5

6 With all these topics revised and the criteria of the candidates formed, we proceeded to the election of the new International Coordinating Team of the Vincentian Lay Missionaries, which is composed as follows: Director General: Gregory Gay, CM International Advisor: David Fernández, CM International Advisor: Sister Rosa María Miró, DC International President: Cesar Alonso Saldaña Mexico Member 1: Asunción Marchán Venezuela Member 2: María Jesús Cuena Spain Member 3: Mary Frances Jaster United States Member 4: Ramón López G Colombia 2016 GENERAL ASSEMBLY "Let us renew the missionary vitality of our Vincentian vocation José Agostino, C.M. The 42 nd General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission will be held at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, USA, from 27 June to 15 July The motto of the 2016 GA will be Let us renew the missionary vitality of our Vincentian vocation. The Superior General and his Council, in a letter of 23 December 2013, announced that the topic of the Assembly will be: The Congregation of the Mission: 400 years of loyalty to its charism and the New Evangelization. The Preparatory Commission held its first meeting during the tempo forte in Rome from March. The members of the Commission are: Joseph Agostino (USA, East), Coordinator; Adam Borowski (Poland), Secretary; Orlando Escobar (Visitor of Colombia); Joaquín González Hernando (Visitor of Madrid); Fernando Mucavele (Visitor of Mozambique); and Robertus Wijanarko (Visitor of Indonesia). 6

7 The first task of the Commission consisted of developing the materials that will be used by the Provincial Assemblies in preparation for the 2016 GA. To accomplish this task, the Commission reflected on the guidelines received from the Superior General and his Council, as well as taking into account the Lines of Action of the 2010 GA, the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis "The Joy of the Gospel," and the missionary vocation we have received from Saint Vincent. On 25 March, a reflection guideline was sent to the provinces in which we are invited to celebrate the wealth of our missionary vocation in the past 400 years, thus renewing our missionary vitality today and discovering the possibilities and challenges we face in preaching the Gospel to the poor. December 2015 to formulate the Instrumentum Laboris after receiving the minutes of the Provincial Assemblies. EXPERIENCE OF THE INTERNAL SEMINARY IN THE MISSION From 22 March to 6 April, we, the seminarians of the Internal Seminary that is held in Naples (Italy) this year, were immersed in a popular mission. It was carried out in the Parish of San Giuseppe Operaio [Saint Joseph the Worker] in the city of Piacenza, in northern of Italy. Initially, there were many nerves and concerns, for it was, for most of us, the first experience we had of a popular mission as Vincentian Missionaries. Gradually we entered into the dynamics of the mission and with it came the joy and satisfaction, characteristic of beginners who start seeing reality face to face, door to door, visiting, listening and speaking to people who belong to the parish in this lovely city. Led by Father Claudio Farroni, an expert in popular missions, we had meetings with kids of all ages, at which various topical issues and other fundamentals were treated, such as: Faith, Christ, and Church. The Commission has invited confreres to write articles that help us in our preparation for the coming Provincial Assemblies. A series of six articles will be published on FamVin.org, the web page of CM Global, and, finally, they will be collected in a single issue of Vincentiana. The Commission will meet again in December 2014 to work more on the details of the General Assembly itself and again in 7

8 The Vincentian priests, who accompanied us on this adventure, Claudio Farroni, Valerio Evangelisti, Lorenzo Manca, Giuseppe Carusso, and, for a few days, our Director of the Internal Seminary, Roberto D Amico, directed the meetings of the older people and couples of various ages. Also, dividing into groups, we visited all the homes belonging to the parish, in which we spoke with and shared the joys and sorrows of these neighbors, concluding the visit with the house blessing. After two weeks of mission, in which there were diverse meetings and talks, confessions, Stations of the Cross, penitential services, and Eucharists with homilies encouraging the people to follow the path Christ shows us, the mission came to its end with the Eucharist celebrated on the morning of Sunday, the 6 th, at which couples renewed their marriage vows. Once again, Providence has given us unforgettable experiences in this mission, for, as Saint Vincent says, we should not go ahead of it. There were also meetings with ever more prepared youth, magnificent moments. Christ has become present among us, pouring out again his grace, for we must not forget that, only by leaving this mission in his hands, it might have a good end. It was not in vain that Saint Vincent de Paul made Him the Rule of the Mission and the center of our life as Vincentian Missionaries. Francisco Javier López Monrobé, Province of Salamanca, Spain 8

9 Nominationes / Confirmationes KUNAY Viktor 19/03/2014 Visitor of Hungría (Reconfirmed) SCHOEPFER Bernard 25/03/2014 Director General DC CABALLERO ANTONIO Amado 28/03/2014 Director DC Japón (Reconfirmed) Ordinationes P. Ignacio Moneo Colmenar, C.M. P. Yofre José Moreno, C.M. MORENO MALLA Yofre José Sac Aeq 15/03/2014 BACULI Edilberto Jurado Sac Phi 22/03/2014 XIANG Gao Sac Sin 25/03/2014 MONEO COLMENAR Ignacio Sac Mat 29/03/2014 Necrologium Nomen Cond. Dies ob. Prov. Aet. Voc. TS'IEN I YEN Taddeo Sac 18/03/2014 Tau SMITH James E. Sac 31/03/2014 Orl 82 60