GREETINGS!

Belated yet still warm greetings to all of you who celebrated Birthdays and Anniversaries of Professions and Ordinations. Issues with my mobile and email accounts prevented me from sending you my personal wishes. Rest assured though of my prayers for you all during each of our inspiring Eucharistic celebrations and creative adorations.

 

AMPLIFIED GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING (April 17-29, Rome)

 INTRODUCTION:

The Amplified General Council (AGC) meeting starts with the reading of the Letter of Convocation and the Letter of Confirmation of the date
and place of the AGC.  Fr. General, Eugenio Barbosa Martins, then gives some introductory remarks in which he underlines the following:

1. the meeting is taking place during the celebration of the 150^th anniversary of the vow of the Gift of Personality made by Saint Peter Julian Eymard in the City of Rome on March 21, 1868;
2. the theme of passion for Eucharistic Mission will be at the center of reflections and decisions; and
3. the importance of expressing the internationality of the Congregation is needed in the process of assessment of the present and for the projection of the future.

PRESENTATION OF REPORTS:

1. Activities of the General Council (by the Vicar General) – – – The General Council has much to look forward to in the years ahead even after the difficulties in the past three and a half years that were made bearable because of the tremendous cooperation of all of our religious, and especially of those in governance and leadership. Our common love of the Eucharist which is greater and larger than our differences in culture, age, resources and formation keeps the fire burning in our hearts as the less active parts of the Congregation draw inspiration and encouragement from the enthusiastic and energetic approach of our younger Provinces.

2. State of the Congregation (by the Superior General) – – – The Call for Personal, Communitarian and Regional/Provincial Witnessing; Eucharistic Passion lived with the Laity; Forming passionate religious; Internationality; Economy of Communion; Future steps – towards the 35^th General Chapter are the thoughts surrounding the very reality of the Congregation.
3. State of the Congregation (by the Provincial/Regional Superiors) – The 14 Provincial Superiors and 1 Regional Superior reported on the following areas: (1) General situation of Province/Region in terms of the number and median age of religious and the number of houses and apostolic communities; (2) How the message of the 34^th General Chapter has been received and appreciated in the government and animation of the Province; (3) Initiative that the Province set up to apply the proposal of an Economy of Communion; (4) and Proposals in order to carry into the future the Eymardian charism and the Renewed Eucharistic Spirituality.

4. Financial Administration (by the Treasurer General) – The General Treasurer gave a very detailed presentation and very valid analysis of the financial situation of the Congregation. In addition, the General Superior came up with five proposals on the ‘Economy of Communion’ for deeper reflection and prayerful discernment.

5. Works of the International Commissions (by each Consultor in-charge)

• Formation – The new formation document (with Dossier II and SSS Rituals) produced by the Commission will be the basis of the Formation Programs in the different Provinces/Regions.
• Mission – The ministries and apostolates by the SSS religious have to be evaluated on the basis of Ecclesiological, Liturgical and Historico-Charismatic aspects.
• “Writings” of the Founder – The commission is very aggressive because the experts on Eymard are already old. They have accomplished a number of projects especially materials for those in the Initial and On-going formation and also for the laity.
• La Mure and Eymardian Places – The need for personnel for La Mure is urgent. Thus, the incessant call for Provinces/Regions to contribute.

6. Judicial Questions (by the Secretary General) – They include the following: Modifications to the Rule of Life, General Statutes and Vademecum; Convention regarding the transfer of a Religious in a community of another Province/Region; Geographical Conferences – Structure and Suggestions for the Statutes; PROTOCOL OFFICE OF THE C.I.V.C.S.V.A. – Procedure for Presenting a Request to the Holy See; Suggestions for the Archives. 

7. Communications of the General Secretariat (by the Secretary General) – The aim is to improve the collaboration between the Secretariat of the General Curia and the SSS Provinces/Regions.

8. Commission on Memory and Discernment of the AGC (by Frs. Gagnon, Gijsbrecht, Diémé and J. H. Joseph) – The Commission, whose role is to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit in the proceedings of the AGC, came up with the following themes: One Family, Religious, Universality, Eymardian Spirituality, Passion for the Eucharist shared with the Laity, and Life in the Eucharist as Mission. The members came up with this synthesis, “We propose that you belong to a ‘small’ universal religious family where each member, filled with the passion for the Eucharist, Sacrament of the Love of God, is led as was Saint Peter Julian Eymard, to the gift of self, and to share this passion with lay brothers and sisters, with the aim of proposing to the world with audacity and creativity, life in the Eucharist.”

MEETING OF GEOGRAPHIC CONFERENCES:

The various Conferences convene meetings at different times because some religious are attending more than one. For instance, I myself have to attend both Asian and African Conferences.

• Asian Conference – Fr. Jegaraj Hari Joseph, who is from India, is the new Conference President.

1. The project of expansion: The body has decided to try Malaysia. The Vietnamese confreres see the potential especially of the growing number of migrants. In addition, Fr. Dilan has a friend who became bishop in Malaysia. Fr. Jegaraj also has a friend who may be able to help. The two will establish contact with their friends. The Conference is open still to other possibilities in other Asian countries like Indonesia.
2. Initial Formation:

• Real Situation of Vocations: There are vocations in the Asian countries where we are from; in fact, they are growing. But also noticeable is the increasing number of Congregations being established and looking to attract as many candidates as possible.
• Adoption of the Provincial Formation Program: The Provincial Formation Program of each Province must be adopted to the Congregation’s “An Itinerary of SSS Formation” which was prepared by the International Commission on Formation and previously approved by the Amplified General Council. To illustrate, the program before was only from Postulancy to Scholasticate, but with the new program, it is now from Vocation Promotion to On-going Formation of 5 years.
• Study other languages, particularly French: The need for collaboration requires learning new languages like French. Each Province must establish a program which may include identifying potential seminarians to be offered such possibility. An initial study of another language may be done in the country of origin and then continue in an overseas SSS community where it is being spoken (for example, if it is French, in France or in Canada). Financial help from other Provinces may be sought through the General Council with the possibility of the candidate becoming part of the community where he will be studying the language.

1. Common Project: A common project could be a center for Eymardian Eucharistic Spirituality especially for our own religious – present formators and would be formators, those undergoing updating or taking a sabbatical, etc. Fr. Dilan Fernando was tasked to come up with a three-month Program to be presented at the next meeting, after which it will be evaluated.
2. Religious available for Congregation Projects: The Provinces expressed the possibility of providing religious for congregational projects.

• African Conference – Fr. Edgar Diémé, who is from Senegal, is the current President of the African Conference.

1. The need for formators and religious who can be part of the formation team in both Inter-African Novitiate in Senegal and Inter-African Scholasticate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinsasha).
2. The finance for the IP4 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)
3. The need for personnel in Cameroon
4. The need for personnel in Mozambique
5. Renewal of Contract (between the Generalate and POLA) and Finances in Uganda
6. GENERAL, MEETING THE ENGLISH SPEAKING PROVINCIALS:

The Superior General, Fr. Eugenio Barbosa Martins, met with the English speaking Provincials in order to ask them to have 3 books about Saint Peter Julian Eymard printed in English.  The titles of the books are San Pier Giuliano Eymard – Consigli per la vita Spirituale; San Pier Giuliano Eymard, Apostolo dell’Eucaristia – Un pensiero per ogni giorno; and Prier 15 Jours Avec Pierre-Julien Eymard, Apôtre de l’Eucharistie. These books are not only meant for SSS religious but also for the bigger Eymardian family, thus the admonition to print a large number of copies.

VOW OF PERSONALITY

To commemorate and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the “Gift of Personality” of St. Peter Julian Eymard (1865 – March 21 – 2015), a book entitled “Absque sui proprio – Eymard and the Gift of Personality” was published in French-English.

The book, which forms part of a series called “Studies on the origins of the Congregations of the Blessed Sacrament”, Volume XI, contains the following contributions: (1) Presentation (Superior General); (2) Towards the summits of divine union and On the summits of divine union (Georges Troussier with an introduction by André Guitton); (3) A Return to the Cenacle (Manuel Barbiero); It is Christ who lives in me – Ga 2,20 (Manuel Barbiero); (4) Saint Peter Julian Eymard and the gift of self – A life that is given (Harrie Verhoeven); (5) To see God in the thought of Fr. Eymard (André Guitton); and (6) A way of holiness for all from the “Vow of personality” (Fiorenzo Salvi).

MEETINGS OUTSIDE THE SESSION HALL:

1. Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament and the Canadian Martyrs – The delegates celebrated mass in Italian in this beautiful parish church built by the SSS.
2. General Audience with His Holiness Pope Francis – The attendees went to the Vatican to listen to the message of the Pope which centers on the family.
3. Visit to the Abbey of Monte Cassino – The members had a tour of the Abbey and concelebrated at the 12 noon mass in the chapel presided by a Benedictine priest.

OVERALL IMPRESSION AND UNAVOIDABLE IMPLICATION:

The theme of Internationality was further developed into the theme of Family. The Congregation is just one family where the joys and pains are shared by the members. This family will continue to rekindle its passion for Eucharistic mission. And following the footsteps of Fr. Eymard, this family, disciples and apostles of the Eucharist, will continue to be imbued by the Eymardian Eucharistic Spirituality.

The immediate implication of this theme of family is to be of help to one another, especially by the sharing of each other’s resources.  In so doing, it is hoped to address the lack of formators and missionaries in Africa, La Mure, etc.  It is also an attempt to instill more financial responsibility with the aim of becoming self-reliant

For our own Province, we must always be open and ready to be sent for mission. The phrase ‘Handog-Buhay’ must be reclaimed to strongly remind us of the Gift of Self of Fr. Eymard which is at the very heart of his Spirituality.

THANKS – SALAMAT – MERCI – GRAZIE – CHOW:

Many thanks to the General Team and their staff at the Generalate for all their efforts in making these days of meetings truly an encounter with the Divine and with the brothers in one SSS Family. Thanks to Frs. Bong and Justin, whose kind assistance made my stay pleasant and memorable.

PRAYERS FOR:

1. The Victims of the earthquake in Nepal
2. The Christians being persecuted and killed for their faith
3. Our jailed OFWs
4. The concretization of the hopes and aspirations of the recent 2015 Amplified General Council

Fr. Joseph Matitu, SSS

[APRIL 30, 2015]