The first week of our participation in the second gathering of the Vocation Directors of the Congregation has come to an end. It has been a week full of exciting moments. It is my privilege to share some of these events with you.
From the beginning our schudule has been very strenuous. Four conferences a day, with the presentations of the vocation ministry in our provinces were the major challange in terms of time and our ability to be personnally involved in everything that was happening.
During the weekend, divided according to the language groups, we visited the neighboring parishes where our SCJ brothers from the BM province are working.
Let me tell you about some of these events in a chronological order. Our conference began on Monday, August 02 at the beautifully located, and newly built conference centre, in Lavras. There are 35 official participants from almost all provinces of our Congregation.The first guest speaker was the former head of the Latin American Bishops Conference - cardinal Lorschaider. He presented a mission of the Church in connection with the vocation ministry in the reality of South American countries. Two more visitors followed, namely Fr. Andre Vital scj from the BM province and Fr. Angelo Mezzari, a Rogacionist. They introduced the religious vocation from the biblical and teological point of view in the perspective of the typical profile of those who are called to live the religious life today. All three presentations were appreciated and the response was overwhelming. They led us to the deeper reflaction and the spiritual dimention of our own vocation.
During the first week of our discussion we spent some time deliberating on the actuality of our SCJs presence in this world. First spokeperson, who visualized our present situation within the Congregation was Fr. Tom Cassidy scj - the general councilor. The presentations of the different provinces opened the heated discussion with questions and comments. It became obvious that the present situation in the vocation field in some of the provinces does not look too bright. Moreover, in some of the provinces it is really dramatic. Despite these problems nobody gives up. The optimism and the atmosphere of hope and trust in God's providence is seen and experienced everywhere.
The mutual support is a very important feature of our being here. The common liturgy gathers us together in prayer, in the mission of building the future of the Congregation in various parts of the world.
Visiting the SCJs parishes was the most unique experience for most us. It took place on the weekend. I have been part of the English speaking group. We visited the parish of Formiga (about two hous drive from Lavras). I was very impressed with the hospitality and openness of the inhabitants. Their joyous spirit and the example of the Christian approach to the events of one's life were so visible and really authentic. The churches are full of people, the liturgy very well prepared and many lay people involved in the Church's activities are only a few of the features that struck me during the visit.
Our conference is still in progess. I am looking forward to the events of the second week, but there is no doubt in my mind thea our assembly here will enrich us in many aspects of our own vocation and help us to be more effective in the ministry of vocation in our respective provinces.
Pierwszy tydzien naszego pobytu i uczestnictwa w drugiej ogolnozgromadzeniowej konferencji referentow powolan dobiegl konca. Obfitowal on w wiele ciekawych momentow, ktorymi chcialbym sie pokrotce podzielic.
Nasz program od samego poczatku byl wyjatkowo napiety. Cztery konferencje dziennie polaczone z prezentacjami poszczegolnych prowincji byly jedna z przyczyn, ze wszyscy z utesknieniem oczekiwalismy weekendu, kiedy to przewidziano odwiedziny w pobliskich parafiach prowadzonych przez naszych wspolbraci z prowincji Brazylii poludniowej.
Ale moze po kolei. Konferencja rozpoczela sie w poniedzialek 02 sierpnia w pieknie polozonym i nowo wybudowanym osrodku rekolekcyjnym w Lavras (ok. 500 km na polnoc od Sao Paulo). Uczestniczy w niej 35 reprezentantow z prawie wszystkich prowincji Zgromadzenia. Pierwszym z zaproszonych gosci byl wieloletni przewodniczacy konferencji biskupow Ameryki Lacinskiej - kardynal Lorschaider. Zaprezentowal w sposob bardzo ciekawy misje Kosciola w odniesieniu do pracy powolaniowej na gruncie doswiadczen z zycia Kosciola w Ameryce poludniowej. Dwaj dalsi prelegenci - Ks. Andre Vital scj z prowincji BM i Ks. Angelo Mezzari rogacjonista - przedstawili od strony biblijnej i teologicznej obraz pracy nad wzbudzaniem powolan w Kosciele starajac sie nakreslic motywacje tych, ktorzy decyduja sie odpowiedziec na powolanie do zycia zakonnego i kaplanstwa w dzisiejszym swiecie. Wszystkie prezentacje spotkaly sie z zyczliwym przyjeciem ze strony uczestnikow i sklonily do reflekcji i ozywionej dyskusji.
W pierwszym tygodniu naszych obrad nie zabraklo takze miejsca na odniesienie sie do naszej sercanskiej rzeczywistosci. Pierwszym, ktory w ujeciu statystycznym przedstawil sytuacje personalna w poszczegolnych prowincjach byl Ks. Tom Cassidy - radny generalny z Rzymu. Nastepnie przyszla kolej na zaprezentowanie juz w sposob bardziej szczegolowy sytuacji w poszczegolnych prowincjach. Juz po pierwszych kilku prezentacjach mozna sie bylo zorientowac, ze sytuacja w niektorych regionach, gdzie Zgromadzenie jest obecne wyglada dosyc dramatycznie. Nikt jednak z tutaj obecnych nie ulega pesymizmowi. Wrecz przeciwnie, atmosfera optymizmu i wiary w pomyslna przyszlosc daje sie odczuc na kazdym kroku. Wspolna liturgia gromadzi nas i laczy w tym wspolnym dziele budowania przyszlosci Zgromadzenia w roznych czesciach swiata.
Szczegolnym przezyciem byly odwiedziny trzech parafii, w ktorych pracuja nasi wspolbracia z prowincji BM. Mnie wraz z grupa angielskojezycznych uczestnikow dane bylo odwiedzic parafie w 75-tysiecznym miescie Formiga. Uderzyla mnie wyjatkowa goscinnosc i otwarcie mieszkancow tego regionu. Ich radosc i swiadectwo chrzescijanskiego patrzenia na otaczajaca rzeczywistosc byla widoczna. Pelne koscioly, doskonale zorganizowana liturgia i ogromne zaangazowanie ludzi swieckich w budowanie lokalnej wspolnoty to tylko niektore pozytywne aspekty, ktore zdolalem uchwycic w czasie tego krotkiego pobytu.
Choc konferencja ciagle trwa nie ulega watpliwosci, ze pobyt tutaj dla wielu z nas bedzie ubogacajacym doswiadczeniem wspolnoty i sercanskiego ducha oraz nowej kultury. Poprzez uczestnictwo w sercanskiej rodzinie, jaka stanowi Zgromadzenie uczymy sie budowania jednosci i pracy wspolnotowej nad przyszlym ksztaltem, tego co otrzymalismy od naszych poprzednikow.
The first week of our participation in the second gathering of the Vocation Directors of the Congregation came to an end. It has been the week full of exciting moments. It is my privilege to share some of these events with you.
From the beginning our schudule has been very strenuous. Four conferences a day, with the presentations of the vocation ministry in our provinces were the major challange in terms of time and our ability to be personnally involved in everything what was happening.
During the weekend, divided according to the language groups we visited the neighboring parishes were our SCJ brothers from the BM province have been served.
Let me tell you about some of these events in the chronological order. Our conference began on Manday, August 02 at the beautifully located and newly built conference centre in Lavras. There are 35 official participants from almost all provinces of our Congregation.The first guest speaker was the former head of the Latin American Bishops Conference - cardinal Lorschaider. He presented a mission of the Church in connection with the vocation ministry in the reality of South American countries. Two more visitors followed, namely Fr. Andre Vital scj from the BM province and Fr. Angelo Mezzari rogacionist. They introduced the religious vocation from the biblical and teological point of view in the perspective of the typical profile of those who are called to live the religious life nowadays. All three presentations were appreciated and the response was overwhelming. They led us to the deeper reflaction and the spiritual dimention of our own vocation.
During the first week of our discussion we spent some time deliberating on the actuality of our SCJs presence in this world. First spokeperson, who visualized our present situation within the Congregation was Fr. Tom Cassidy scj - the general councilor. The presentations of the different provinces opened the heated discussion with questions and comments. It became obvious that the present situation in the vocation field in some of the provinces does not look too bright. Moreover, in some of the provinces it is really dramatic. Despite these problems nobody gives up. The optimism and the atmosphere of hope and trust in God's providence have been seen and experienced everywhere.
The mutual support has been a very important feature of our being here. The common liturgy gathered us together in prayer, in the mission of building the future of the Congregation in various parts of the world.
Visiting the SCJs parishes was the unique experience for most us. It took place on weekend. I have been part of the English speaking group. We have been visiting the parish of Formiga (about two hous drive from Lavras). I was very impressed with the hospitality and openness of the inhabitants. Their joyous spirit and the example of the Christian approach to the events of one's life were so visible and really authentic. The churches full of people, the liturgy very well prepared and many lay people involved in the Church's activities are only a few features that struck me during the visit.
Our conference is still in progess. I am looking forward to the events of the second week, but there is no doubt in my mind thea our assembly here will enrich us in many aspects of our own vocation and help us to be more effective in the ministry of vocation in our respective provinces.
Fr. Ziggy Chwaja scj
South African Province