XXV Encounter of Major Superiors

The Meeting began in Reus with the Major Superiors of the Entities of the Congregation convened by the General Team to celebrate the XXV Encounter under the motto: “The service of authority for a synodal Congregation”.

We are moved by the desire to continue to seek paths of animation that facilitate the missionary and synodal transformation with which our Congregation contributes, as desired by its Founders, to the path of Renewal of the whole Church, which in these days accompanies Francis at his Easter with deep gratitude.

In the first session of the day, Priscilla welcomes us with a beautiful account of the special events in this house in Reus from its beginnings on July 12, 1869, through the Union Chapter, to the event we celebrate today. She invites us to live these days in depth and that together we can receive these fruits of the Spirit as a gift:

Grow in a leadership that lights and guards the fire of brotherly love

Strengthen the processes of common discernment generated from trust

To make a synodality lived as a symphony of the charism a reality

Be specialists in repairing networks and rebuilding ties

With the dynamics of knowledge: The Network we get to know each other better while reflecting on the reason for being here.

We are accompanied by the icon of Jesus the Cook, an innovative image for many of us. In it we see Jesus by the sea, on the morning of the resurrection, cooking fish to take care of and feed his disciples. With this sentence, we enter into the meanings of leadership.

In the afternoon session we entered into the dynamics of the “Treasure Map”, a map of the reality of each province symbolically presenting the treasures and challenges that each one faces. The “hostesses” accompanied the teams to listen to the results. It was a very fraternal moment to learn about the reality of sister Entities.

Finally, Sr. Liliana Franco CBV, President of CLAR challenged us with her reflection on the implications of the Synod in the service of authority.

During the Eucharist and community prayers we join in the pain and at the same time hope of the Church for the death of Pope Francis, we have all the communities in mind.

The second day began with the lights of Maria Antonia Paris and St. Anthony Mary Claret to live authority as service, complementing with the story of “The Great Family of the White Stars” a parable created from the treaty of the union of communities of the primitive Constitutions. The statistical tables reminded us of the data presented at the XVIII General Chapter, and helped to have a clearer vision of the real needs of the Congregation.

With a video on “The Cries of the World” we are called by the challenges of the world at the social, environmental, technical, and peace levels. With all this we move on to “explore objectives”, and become aware of how clear we are about the objective of the evangelizing mission. In the hall we work in provincial teams and in other configurations, realizing how much we had in common, and how much we are differed. Thank you for joining us in prayer.