We, members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, participants in the Enlarged General Council, which took place at the Casa di Esercizia of the Passionists in Rome from 19th June-2nd July 2016, return to our missions with an enormous sense of gratitude.
We thank the merciful God for the gift of vocation and the strength of the Holy Spirit, which impels Spiritans to go forth throughout the world to announce the Good News of Justice, Peace and solidarity(Cf. Luke 4:18-19)
The purpose of the Enlarged General Council was to evaluate how the decisions of the General Chapter held in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, 2012, are being implemented. Therefore, through plenary sessions and commission meetings, we shared, reflected and made some suggestions on how to further our activities in areas such as the animation of the Congregation, mission appointments, finance, the safeguarding of minors, education, confreres in irregular situations, Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC), Lay Spiritan Associates, the Organization of the Congregation and Unions of Circumscriptions.
There was also time to listen to a number of significant experiences from confreres working throughout the world: Spiritan mission in Asia (Vietnam), Bolivia, Europe and North America. We also listened to a testimony on a Spiritan mission initiative in South Sudan and new initiatives in Education in Nigeria. We also marveled at the new frontiers opened up through the world of development.
The day-to-day work at the Enlarged General Council was offered to God in daily liturgical celebrations, accompanied by the melodious sound of the Senegalese Cora. In this regard, the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the General Administration in Clivo di Cinna and the participation at the Solemnity of SS Peter and Paul at the Vatican with Pope Francis deserve special mention. The Golden Jubilee of the Generalate offered the opportunity to bring together past Superiors general, general councilors and workers who served there.
Though Bagamoyo 2012 was our reference point, nevertheless, we spent some time discussing issues related to the next General Chapter in 2020.
We are very grateful to all the confreres of the Congregation for participating in the preparation of the Enlarged General Council and for accompanying us with their prayers.
We thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the road already travelled and for our renewed sense of hope and confidence in the future of Spiritan Mission.
We pray that the Holy Spirit, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Founders, Claude Poullart des Places and Francis Mary Paul Libermann, may keep us joyfully and boldly committed to the mission He has entrusted to us.
Rome -1st July 2016
