Canonical Visitation of the Province of Zaragoza
During the days of March 15 – April 27 Father Eli Chaves dos Santos made a canonical visitation of the Province of Zaragoza (Spain). This was a well-organized visitation that was the result of collaboration among many individuals and groups. This was also a long and intense visitation that included meeting with the local communities in Spain, the Canary Islands and Honduras … there were many meetings, individual dialogues, celebrations, visits to the various works and projects, as well as meetings with the Vincentian Family and different parish groups.
The Province of Zaragoza is composed of 15 canonical houses, 98 incorporated Missionaries (96 priests and 2 Brothers) and 5 students who are admitted members of the Congregation. The province has a strong institutional presence and various plans and commissions guide and create a dynamism in the missionary activity. The document, Operational Lines of Action, developed during the 2015 Assembly is filled with significant proposals of intra-provincial reconfiguration. The province seeks to encourage and create a good Vincentian environment, seeks to renew missionary life and nourish the missionary ideals that are very alive in the province. Nevertheless, the proving is aging … the median age of the members is 71.05. This situation of aging, combined with a lack of vocations, has conditioned the life and the ministry of the province, and at the same time has made it difficult to develop new missionary initiatives and instill a greater dynamism in the present works.
The apostolic life of the Province is developed within a community environment of faith, fraternity, collaboration, joy and missionary idealism. The apostolic life of the province includes 19 parishes, 2 schools, more than 30 chaplaincies, collaboration with the Vincentian Family (formation, advisors, directors), prison ministry, caring for immigrants and a mission in Honduras. In this broad and varied pastoral ministry, there are many initiatives and works that have a wonderful Vincentian and missionary outreach to the poor. In a special way the mission in Honduras is like “the great missionary lung” of the province. There, in that mission, the confreres are ministering in 2 parishes which involves serving people in more than 120 communities. Through the many social programs, the confreres have been able to combine the service of the word with the service of charity. All of these programs have been developed within the framework of formation and animation of the communities and has involved collaboration with the Vincentian Family and ministering in accord with the diocesan pastoral plan. Here the confreres are also involved in the ministry of vocational promotion. The confreres and local communities of the province are very interested in and collaborate with this mission through their prayers and financial assistance. There is also much expectation among the confreres with regard to a renewed approach to popular missions (the province has had a long tradition in this area of ministry and at the present time is in the process of developing a new, updated approach to this ministry).
Formation is a concern in the province and the confreres have taken this ministry seriously. There is a vocational promotion team that is composed of confreres from various houses and regions. The efforts of this team is very notable. Formation takes place in different places and at the present time there are 5 students who have been admitted into the Congregation and 4 are in the process of being admitted. Much is being done to promote on-going formation of the members.
During the visitation there was much discussion about reconfiguration. The province is aware of its decision to reject the proposal of forming one Spanish province. There are various opinions on this matter. For the good of the mission of the Congregation in Spain it is felt that this process must be seen as a long and demanding journey of personal, community and provincial conversion, a process that needs on-going work. At this time the province is giving priority to intra-provincial reconfiguration and is willing to participate in specific activities of collaboration with the new province and is also willing to maintain an openness to future reconfiguration with the new province.
Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM
