Rome, 13 June 2018
To the Visitors, Vice-Visitors, Regional Superiors, and Superiors of the International Missions
May you always experience the strength and the light of the Spirit, so that you might fulfill the mission that has been entrusted to you.
Dear confreres,
May the grace and peace of Jesus be always with us!
At the beginning of this month of June, I extend to you my heartfelt greetings and I take this opportunity to express to you my desire that God bless you in abundance.
During one of our Tempo Forte sessions, we dialogued about the Visitors’ Meeting, which is held traditionally at the midway point between Assemblies. This meeting will take place on 22 June 2019 (day of arrival) and will conclude on 8 July 2019 (day of departure). It will be held in the Philippines. We thank the members of this province for hosting this most important event of the Congregation.
In order to prepare for this meeting, we have decided to form three commissions: one being technical in character and composed of the Treasurer General, the Secretary General, and two or three persons chosen by the Philippine Province. Another commission will be responsible for the liturgy. Gregorio Bañaga, Visitor of the Philippine Province, will form this one to prepare the necessary liturgical material (which will be in the three official languages of the Congregation).
The third commission will prepare the theme of the meeting. This commission is composed of the following Visitors: Negasi Ghirmatsion (Saint Justin de Jacobis), Odair Miguel Gonsalves Dos Santos (Curitiba), Gregorio Bañanga Lapus (Philippines), Paschal Scallon (Ireland), and Stephen Grozio (Eastern USA), who also will serve as the commission’s coordinator. Francisco Javier Álvarez, Vicar-General, will be the liaison between the Commission and the General Council.
The Visitors, with their respective council members, are requested to recommend possible themes that then will be developed by the above-cited commission. Please send your suggestions and/or recommendations to the Secretary General by 15 September 2018.
I ask all Missionaries to remember this meeting in their prayers, because this gathering is important not only for the Congregation of the Mission, but also for all the members of the Vincentian Family.
Your brother in Saint Vincent,
Tomaž Mavrič, CM
Superior General
