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07.30.2020
"ll the believers were ONE in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had, distributing it to anyone in need. With great strength, they continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus". (Acts 4:32-35)
Dear Sisters,
We hold in our hearts all those who are suffering from the many consequences of living in this “unchartered territory” of a global pandemic. Yet, trusting in the God who goes before us, as women religious, who are daily reflecting on how we will offer our presence in this rapidly changing and new reality, we must continue to adapt and move forward in our service to all of God’s people.
Even in this time of Covid-19, it is with great joy and deep gratitude for the blessings that God has generously given to us as a congregation, that I, in fidelity to our Constitution and with the deliberative vote of the General Councillors, hereby convoke the 30th General Chapter of the Congregation. This General Chapter will be held October 4 through October 29, 2021 at the Provincial House in Curitiba, Brazil.
“The General Chapter, the representative assembly of all the congregation’s members, is a time to renew the congregation in the light of the Gospel and the founder’s spirit in view of serving the church and the world more effectively.” (Constitution pg. 40) Chapters are an experience of faith and sharing, a special time of prayer and of attentiveness to the Holy Spirit for the entire Congregation. It is a time for renewal, a sacred time when with great openness and candor, we evaluate how we are living our charism in light of the context of today’s diverse and global reality, and we freely choose the changes we need to make to faithfully serve the community of God. This Spirit of “being in General Chapter” starts now, as we all begin this journey of preparation and reflection, using discernment as our process.
The scripture readings of this Feast set the tone for all of us as we begin this path to our General Chapter. St. Paul in 1Corinthians Chapter 12, reminds us “there are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;…different forms of service but the same Lord;…and different workings but the same God,…and that to each of us personally the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” During these months of Chapter preparation we will have the chance to share how we have been living these varied gifts of the Spirit. While listening to the Spirit in one another and in other lay collaborators, we will come to know how we can more deeply be connected with and in service to the people of God.
This journey began long ago and more recently in how we have tried to live the dynamism of reconciliation in the various fractures of our lives, (GC 2015); have dared to enter more deeply in the mystery of encounters with others, (Ext Cncl 2017); and are trying to incarnate Love with joy through our presence to others, (Ext. Cncl 2020). Through these years of reflection and grace, we have come closer to one another, and are more willing to think and ‘be’ international, as we embrace and value the community of diversity that is our very identity.
I invite each of you throughout the congregation to be open to the graces of these sacred months and to participate fully, in whatever manner is possible for you, in the process of discernment and reflection. In Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter To All Consecrated People During The 2014 Year Of Consecrated Life, he called us to live the present with passion by becoming “experts in communion”. I encourage you, through your personal prayer to deepen your awareness of how you nurture your ability to make connections with new people and with diverse realities, listening to them and building communion.
We read in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 4, about being one in heart and mind, open to sharing all we are and have with those in need. As we receive the Spirit afresh, this Pentecost, in the midst of a global pandemic and its accompanying calls to change our lifestyles, may we have the grace to let go of anything that is holding us back from being a Community Immersed in the Spirit Connected with the World.
As we join in daily prayer for our 2021 General Chapter, may the Spirit of the Resurrection and the Spirit of Pentecost light our journey!
Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth!
With love,
Sister Sally M. Hodgdon
General Superior
