Meeting of Regional Superiors and Vice-Superiors of Europe

Synthesis of subjects discussed

Madrid, September 3-6, 2001

1 – Moment of Reflection (Fr. Piero Trabucco)

            The Superior General began with “Lo que es nuevo pide novedad” (the conclusions of the CEVRE Study Groups - Barcelona 1997-2000 – on the changes that need to be made in Consecrated Life so that it may continue to be a radical way to live the Gospel).  He highlighted three aspects.

The Experience of God

            Above all one must possess and live passion for Christ whom we follow as disciples;  He has conquered and acquired us;  it is worth living and dying for Him.  We must focus and center ourselves in Him.

            We are called to work on ourselves, to live an incarnate spirituality that does not seek to escape reality.  Some seek this spirituality outside the community – but this does not always work,  does not reach the roots, the every-day demands of our consecration.  For us the Eucharist, the Sacraments, the Word of God are where we encounter Christ;  at the same time our daily work, apparently insignificant events, personal encounters – especially with those society excludes – become sources of our spirituality.  Spirituality creates a passion for Christ and for our charism.

            Discernment becomes an attitude for us – not just for big decisions, but for small personal and community choices.  If we think back on the causes which prompted many missionaries to leave our Institute we will see the need for discernment.

The Significance of Consecrated Life

            In a complex and pluralist society such as ours, consecrated life has receded from center stage and lost visibility.  We must live and give bold witness  to those things that are essential in everyone’s life.  It is a question of quality and style of life.

            There are four paths we can follow.

-  daily experience reveals that many question themselves when confronted with a normal, consecrated person who feels no need to do or achieve grandiose things in order to be meaningful (extraordinary in the ordinary);

-  more than thinking of ourselves in a state of perfection we are men enthralled by the Lord’s message, who follow him with integrity and humility and live in a way that raises questions about why we make these choices;

-  a frenetic life-style can lead to a superficiality, disjointedness and internal discomfort;  we need to re-interpret our charism for today’s world – we must discover our roots, what is essential;

-  the consecrated person must be a  sign of communion – above all to youth;  he must practice genuine fraternity, harmony and cooperation in his community and ecclesial life.

Itinerancy and Mobility

            Fundamentally consecrated life is following Christ – it is an itinerary.  It is a life of service that is dynamic, changing, provisory and open to the new.  We realize that the world around us makes constant demands on our ability to listen and respond with genuine consolation.  We can be tempted to create a world that fits us and find comfort in what is familiar.  A place where we know exactly what to do – what we have always done.  This world becomes a nest in which we gradually lose the need to be committed or radical.  As IMC missionaries we must review our work;  our attitudes and activities may have become stagnant, irrelevant to the world around us.

            Creative fidelity to our charism prompts us to respond to a society in evident transition.  We should be more concerned with expressing who we are than keeping structures and projects alive.  The fact that our presence in Europe has not changed in fifty years gives us reasons to reflect.

            Throughout the history of the Church and still today poverty and exclusion are the criteria that determine the relevance of our charism.  Poverty and exclusion should prompt us to “move”, to be faithful to our charismatic origins.  Where are the “frontiers” of our continent today?

            Given the situation of our communities in Europe (age, different interests and mentalities) the discussions of the Regional Superiors and Vice-Superiors focused on the difficulty of creating and making local  communities workable – communities that be united in purpose, involved in youth mission and vocation promotion, and could provide the necessary assistance to confrères in difficulty.  

2 – IMC Vocation Promotion in Europe

            Regional Superiors and Vice-Superiors described what is being done in their respective Regions to promote IMC vocations.

            We are witnessing new possibilities for vocation promotion: e.g. the Certosa experience and the quest for interior life and an experience of God on the part of young people … Mission and Vocation promotion in the context of working with immigrants … the need felt by many involved in this work to do something more in order to propose a missionary vocation to young people.

            We are aware of the limitations of our vocation work:

-  little preparation for guidance or spiritual direction;

-  few specific projects on a regional or local level;

-  not much visibility of our charism in our European communities;

-  lack of a genuine plan for a youth vocation program;

-  lack of specific courses to prepare people for the vocation apostolate;

-  our individual – and above all – community style of life sometimes undermines our efforts to give witness;

-  not all missionaries are qualified for this sort of work;

-  there persists a certain mentality in our Regions to ignore this work and leave it entirely to those responsible;

-  sometimes those responsible lack balance in organizing their work;

            Regional Superiors should make a commitment to:

            -  remind everyone of the need to support and collaborate with vocation promotion;

            -  make people aware of already existing local training programs for guidance and spiritual direction;

            -  designate, choose and prepare missionaries who can work as vocation directors;

            -  promote ongoing formation for youth work and vocation promotion …

Formation course for IMC vocation promoters in Europe:

            A decision should be made to organize a course for our European vocation directors next year.  The course should cover the following points:

IMC mission and vocation promotion;  how to initiate a mission/vocation project;  the mission/vocation promotion community and its life-style;  the subject of vocation guidance;  the world of today’s youth;  the methodology of our mission and vocation promotion;

Who should take part:  all the vocation promoters who arrived to Europe since 1997 (we could also include the Consolata Sisters);

Date:  end of May – beginning of June 2002

Length:  fifteen days

Place:  Italy

Coordinator:  Fr. Antonio Rovelli

Experts to be invited:  those of our confrères who have the training and experience to assist vocation promoters as well as outside experts.

3 – Permanent Study Group on Mission/Vocation Promotion in Europe

            The Tenth General Chapter made an explicit request that was renewed at the Meeting of Superiors and Directors of Mission/Vocation Promotion of the European Regions (Rome, September 2000).  In the spirit of the Chapter Acts on the composition and function of this Study Group, it was observed that, since continent-wide meetings are already held, it would be sufficient to set aside time for meetings between superiors and the regional directors.  These meetings would be responsible for providing our confrères with methods, study material, readings and bibliographies that would help renew Mission/Vocation Promotion in Europe.

4 – Ad Gentes  in Europe

            Portugal

            In response to an indication given by the Cardinal, three missionaries from this Region have formed an ad hoc group to study the possibility of a community on the northern outskirts of Lisbon (a poor, immigrant area).   At present we are studying the form, degree and possible development of such a community. We will report on this project to the Region at the end of the year and make a decision during the canonical visitation.

            Italy

            In accord with Bishop Brigantini, the Ordinary of Locri diocese in Calabria, the Regional Council has decided to assume responsibility for the parish in Plati (to which there are attached two other communities: Natila Superiore and Natila Inferiore).  We intend to send three missionaries to this parish.  Father Luigi Manco will move there on  October 4^th.  This is an area dominated by Mafia culture with all the negative consequences that implies.  Our goal will be to educate young people and act as a consoling presence among the people;  we will also set up mission/vocation promotion projects, since there are no Missionary Institutes working in the area.

            Spain

            The Regional Conference’s option for immigrants was confirmed and advanced during the recent canonical visitation (April 2001).  This work is concentrated in Elche where we are becoming ever more involved in assisting immigrants (primarily from Northern Africa);  the work is closely connected to our mission/vocation promotion projects among young people and in parishes.

            Belarus

            During the current study of our ad gentes work in Europe we noted that the IMC presence was limited to three countries.  At the explicit invitation of the Bishop of Vitebsk we considered the possibility of opening a foundation in Belarus.  Father Witold Malej is already engaged in pastoral work in that country.  Father Benedetti made a brief report on the visit he made with Father A. Fiorentini, to the young diocese of Vitebsk at the beginning of last July.  Monsignor Wladislaus Blin invited us to come and work in a city parish in his diocese – he mentioned Polatsk.  We could recruit IMC vocations.  This is a land of initial evangelization;  Catholics are a minority, and although the majority is nominally Orthodox, it is in fact a people who have forgotten or do not know the Gospel.  The Bishop has frequently invited us to come and recruit missionary vocations among his young people.

            When the time is ripe, the European Superiors will report on this matter and sound out the general feelings of our confrères.  If the idea meets with grass-roots approval it will be taken up at the next Consulta.

5 – Basic Formation in Europe

            Given the reduced number of candidates we discussed the possibility of having a common, European  “philosophy course or postulancy.”  During their last meeting (Rome, January 2001) European formation directors made the same proposal.  While it is clear that vocation guidance and the introductory course should take place on a national level, the idea of a common European postulancy met with no objections.  There remains the problem – and the pain – of having so few candidates in formation in Europe.

6 – Lay Missionaries

            Each superior reported on the situation of Consolata Lay Missionaries in his Region; there were questions and problems concerning identity, development and work. 

            It will be necessary to do a serious study of the draft statutes to be sent by the Mission Secretariat.  They are the result of more than a year of analysis and discussion of IMC objections and expectations.

7 – Involving non-European Missionaries in Mission/Vocation Promotion

            Given our personnel shortage the involvement of non-European missionaries in our mission/vocation promotion projects is already occurring.  Everyone agreed that it is essential that they fit into the Region.  We exchanged information and discussed current and past experiences in this regard and would make the following recommendations:

            -  we desire and are open to involving non-European missionaries in our mission/vocation promotion projects in Europe;

            -  it is important that those non-Europeans who take part in this work be capable and willing to know and understand our society, culture and Church;

            -  especially in the beginning, these missionaries must be helped to fit into the life of the Region and be given the opportunity to study our language seriously;

            -  as in all our other mission work, a missionary must commit himself to work in the Region for an appropriate period.

During the discussions we exchanged  ideas on whether all young people should be given a chance to do missionary work outside their own country before they become involved in mission/vocation promotion projects.

8 – Communications from the General Council

            We took advantage of this meeting of Regional Superiors and Vice-Superiors to report on the recent visit of Fathers Bellagamba, Cazzolato and Sister Alfia to Cambodia and Mongolia to examine the possibility of a new foundation in Asia.

            The Superiors were reminded to make provisions for all eligible missionaries (ordained – or in the case of brothers perpetually professed – for 10 years, missionaries who have been ordained or professed for 25 years, and missionaries over the age of 65)  who were interested to take advantage of the renewal and ongoing formation courses promoted by the General Council.

The General Council has recently issued two communiqués: one on higher studies (licentiates and doctorates) and another on responsibility for traveling and study expenses for missionaries and IMC students.

            We would recommend that Regional Council plan and carry out formation meetings for the young missionaries working in their Regions.  Besides being occasions for renewal, these meetings provide excellent opportunities for our confrères to share their experiences and get to know each other;  they help maintain a common purpose in the Region and throughout the whole IMC.  These meetings can break down the isolation and loneliness of those confrères with particular difficulties.  The Superior General noted with concern and sadness the many defections of young missionaries in recent times.  It appears that  there is little or no reflection about abandoning the missionary and consecrated life.

            Superiors were reminded of the scheduled Consulta (October 2002) and were invited to send in suggestions about what should be discussed.

            In those Regions where voting usually takes place by mail and by area we hope to begin elections to Regional Councils in May 2002.  We hope to complete the elections by June 2002 when the General Council will meet.

Fr. Jean André Benedetti