Eucharist in Language Groups

Breakfast

Plenary session.

1)) Prayer

2) Approval of the proposed schedule

3) Minutes 3 – 8

4) Clarification, discussion and approval of the 4th Phase.

Break

Listening and Writing Committee reports their work:

Classifying first priorities (Annex 2) and
Priority Groupings (Annex 3).

Clarification.
Personal reading.

Clarification, new ideas and discussion.

Personal preferences according to the Priority Themes

Lunch

Central commission presents a suggestion to work for the Thematic Groups.

In Regional Groups:
Selection of two preferences for the work on the Thematic Groups.

Drop off your choices at the Library.
Break

Personal time – Organization of the Thematic Groups.

Work by Thematic Groups.

Elections of the Group Officials.

Prayer in Thematic Groups.

THAN THREE WEEKS …

According to what has been foreseen, this 4th phase will have a duration of a bit more than three weeks. It will be the time for the Chapter to fulfill three tasks:

- Determine and develop the themes chosen when identifying the challenges, horizons and action lines to be proposed to the Institute; - Reflect on, and specify, the mission for those who will assume the leadership of the Institute. The forms of animation and government for the coming years and the election of those who are going to lend the service of Superior, Vicar and Councilors. - Taking the other decisions which the Chapter deems opportune for the coming years.

The thematic groups will begin to function in this phase. The work is intensified. There will be an opportunity for the Young Brother Capitulants to intervene. The Central Commission suggests that in the next weeks, concrete lines of action not be arrived at without having previously marked the respective horizons.

The Chapter ought to indicate the challenges for the Brother Superior and his Council for the next seven years. The beginnings of the voting are planned for the 21st of May. Previously, of course, the Chapter should determine the forms of animation and government that it wishes.

With regard to the AIMEL (International Assembly of Association for the Lasallian Educational Mission), the Chapter must respond to its rich content.

CENTRAL COMMISSION OF THE CHAPTER

The work of the Central Commission of the Chapter is very important for the good progress of the Chapter.  Meetings are held each evening to analyze the development of the work of the Chapter, responding to the questions and difficulties that are received from the floor and setting up the plan for each day.  It is made up of the following Brothers:

- Carlos Gomez (Coordinator) (Colombia)
- Lorenzo Gonzalez Kipper (Secretary) (Mexico)
- Jon Lezamis (Moderator) (Spain)
- Georges Absi (Moderator) (Near East)
- Francis Carr (Moderator) (USA)
- Alberto Gomez (Spanish speakers) (Spain)
- Ambrose Payne (English speakers) (Australia)
- Roger Masamba (French speakers) (Congo-Kinshasa).

Usually the coordinator of the Liturgy Committee and representatives of the Facilitators and of the Listening and Writing Committee will also attend these meetings.

According to the way that the thematic groups will be organized it is expected that their spokespersons will attend as well.

Ismael BELTRÁN MILLÁN. Espagne

The 44th General Chapter has organizational elements different from previous Chapters. Phases 1 and 2 which have concluded (Building Community- looking at reality) and the 3rd Phase which is almost over (Discernment- seeing with the eyes of faith) are leading us “gently and with wisdom” to be able to know how to identify THE CHALLENGES WHICH THE INSTITUTE WILL BE FACING IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS. This identification is more the fruit of intense personal and community prayer and of deep dialogue between the Capitulants than of the abundant preparatory baggage with which we all arrived. Our prior critical prejudices against the time-table of the 3rd Phase are disappearing.

The groups (A,B,or C…) are suitable spaces for listening, speaking, sharing, ….and for sensing from where the wind of the SPIRIT is coming and where it is going.
The atmosphere is GOOD and many are the seeds which the granary is producing. I include among them the minute organization of attention to groups and persons on our arrival on the part of the Brothers and Collaborators of the Mother House,…..and also the Regional evenings of the first week.

The presumed nervous feeling due to the fact that we do not yet have any line of action or concrete proposal voted, nor any map drawn of the best possible form of government, nor……is subsiding. At present the feeling is of peace. Will it be the fruit of the hour and a half of night-time Adoration with which we end each of the days of this phase? Surely; but the peace is also the fruit of the contagious and shared hope and of the strength to persevere in the search for possible consensus and better solutions.

Some words from our Lasallian vocabulary keep coming up with emphasis in all the groups. Another thing is the fact that we are giving to these words with one voice, a similar meaning. We hope to achieve this with the strength of the Spirit. “The hope that what we are and what we do will be always new, makes God’s plan a reality, even in failure and on the cross”.(Br.Miguel Campos)

Gerardo Alfonso CASTILLO - Venezuela

I see as something very positive the effort which is being made to give to our major assembly a more suitable shade of our identity as religious. Even if the beginning of the Chapter had a tight agenda and some dense contents, I think that it was an excellent time for sensitizing the heart. We have always seen ourselves as men who were very ‘stingy’ with our thoughts and this does not always help in detecting the steps of the Spirit.

The Assembly of Capitulants has subtly given its opinion: we want a fraternal Chapter and not leadership by small factions; a Chapter of consensus and not of policy processes. I am happy to see the importance that has been given to the liturgy, prayer and fraternal sharing.

Up to now one feels an environment of fraternity.