The day was centered on the Eucharist, to be celebrated at five p. m., as the closing act of the meeting. Up to that moment it was time to collect things, formulate conclusions and pack up the luggage not only with one’s personal belongings but also with the pills and the cordials that the Visitors were to take with themselves to invigorate the life of their provinces.
The plenary session opened with the ways of proceeding about the approval of the final redaction of the synthesis prepared by those to whom drawing up the synthesis had been entrusted, Fathers Ginete and Turati. The latter read the document in Spanish.. And the truth is that the whole sounded so good that very soon all those present realized that the corrections would be few. We got the impression that we had not wasted our time. We were hearing what we had said, but now very well redacted and in due order. We went out then to read and meditate the document, with the intention of making known to the authors of the synthesis our eventual remarks.
We went back to the hall at 12,30, and Fr.Daniel P.Borlik, who was the moderator, said that we had some time at our disposal so as to present some of the points that had been raised in the meeting.
The question of solidarity was raised once more, but this time centered on sharing also the resources of personnel. Because if the Provinces with greater economic means share them with those provinces with fewer resources, then the Provinces which do not feel as yet scarcitiy of vocations could share them with those that are short of personnel. It was pointed out that it was necessary to recover the missionary spirit to the service of the universal Church in a missionary Congregation spread all over the world, avoiding thereby limiting the vision to the narrow limits of one Province.
The Superior General asked about the convenience of these international meetings midway between General Assemblies, particularly if we keep in mind the growing importance of the Visitors’ Conferences and other inter-provincial meetings on different topics. But immediately arose a powerful choral song of praise to the glorious nature of these meetings, to their formative value as regards the selfconsciousness of being a member of an International Community, remarking in addition that the fact of meeting confreres from the whole world the Congregation acquires a concrete human face.
There was still time left for other spontaneous remarks to jump into the arena. Once more it was question of the Proiect for the election of the Superior General, the availability for this job and for others in the service of the Congregation, and even the convenience on having or not having a common logo for the whole Congregation that could be easily shown on the lapel. Naturally none of these themes received a definite answer. But really it was not a question of getting a definite solution for them but only of making them heard and known in public.
And so the clock struck the fifth hour when we met for the Eucharist. Being the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Superior General spoke to us about God’s love which shows itself in the figure of the Good Shepherd described in the liturgical readings. He reminded the Visitors and the counsellors that in our Constitutions it is written that all those with authority in our communities should incarnate the figure of the good shepherd by having entrails of mercy towards all. He added an emphasis over the need to work for the problems of justice and peace, making thereby effective merciful love towards the poor.
Such was our thanksgiving to God in our communion in Christ, signified and realized in the Eucharist. It was now the moment to extend our thanksgiving to those who through their service had made this Visitors’ Meeting possible. We have already mentioned several times the Province of Mexico, which has received and tendered us with fraternal solicitude. We should also mention all those who have taken part in the different commissions, represented by the three men shown in the picture at the beginning of this chronicle: the Superior General, the Secretary General and Fr. Daniel P. Borlik, President of the Preparatory Commission.
The author of these chronicles feels particularly grateful to those who have translated them: Fr. Pascal Bremaud, translator into French, and Fathers John E.Rybolt, Joseph V.Cummins and Jaime Corera, who have done the translation into English. .
Julio Suescun c.m.
