Dearest Sisters,
On this feast on which the Magi invite us to “set out” to discover the loving and merciful face of the Master, I am writing to inform you officially that our upcoming Interchapter Meeting will be held in the St. Paul House in Rome, Italy from 5-20 September 2016.
As I am sure you all remember, the Interchapter Assembly is held about three years after the General Chapter (cf. Const. 176). Its purpose is:
- to evaluate how the directives that emerged in the last General Chapter were implemented;
- to discuss the more important and urgent problems of the Congregation;
- to focus on the programming of the next three-year period, identifying the priorities on which to concentrate.
Besides the members of the General Government, the participants in the Interchapter Meeting will be the Congregation’s provincial superiors, delegation superiors and superiors of the communities dependent on the General Government.
The sisters on the Preparatory Commission[1] met at the Generalate from 12-19 December 2015 to finalize the theme of the meeting, determine ways to involve the Congregation concerning the evaluation of the Chapter Project, prepare a draft of the Interchapter’s program, and offer suggestions as to what methodology to use in carrying out the work of the Interchapter.
In addition, the Commission will draw up a study aid to help involve all the sisters in praying for the Interchapter and reflecting on its theme. This aid will be sent to the circumscriptions after Easter.
Theme of the Interchapter Meeting
In harmony and continuity with the theme of our 10th General Chapter, “We believe and so we speak,” and aware of the need to be “souls on fire with faith” (PP p. 680) so as to communicate to everyone “the sublime treasure of the divine Word” (EG 175), we chose to focus on a theme that we hope will cast fresh light on our Institute’s journey:
WE BELIEVE AND SO WE PROCLAIM:
THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL AND THE BEAUTY OF OUR CHARISM
This theme will be interpreted from the Alberionian perspective:
“When one’s heart is on fire…” [2]
What we proclaim will bear fruit only if it springs from the fire of love. For Blessed James Alberione, the proclamation of the Gospel is, in fact “the most sublime” and essential charity that one can offer the people of every time and culture: “We can give no greater wealth to this poor, proud world than Jesus Christ” (AD 182).
This fire in our hearts is our unifying force, the secret of our prophecy, the foundation of the teaching dimension of our apostolate, which Fr. Alberione urged us to embrace from the very beginning.
Celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany, the Feast of the manifestation of Light, let us throw wide the doors of our hearts to all peoples, yearning to offer everyone the charity of the truth.
And let us entrust to Mary, the living tabernacle of God, the journey we begin today, asking that it be inspired by joy, by thanksgiving for the charism that shines in us and whose beauty fills us with awe at the amazing things the Lord continues to realize through our poverty.
Affectionately,
Sr. Anna Maria Parenzan
[1] The Commission is made up of Sr. Anna Caiazza and Sr. M. Lucia Kim (General Councilors), Sr. Annunciata Bestetti (Province of Italy-Switzerland), Sr. Angela Grant (British Delegation) and Sr. Teresa Marcazzan (Delegation of East Africa-Nigeria-Zambia-South Sudan).
[2] FSP46-49, p. 580.
