Blessed Antonio Rosmini

Rosminian Family

At St. Michael’s, Omeath

Fr Anthony Meredith’s Diary day four.

 

Morning Prayer, breakfast, the the first session of the last day. We began with Lectio Divina with the letter from Father Founder writing from Stresa on 29^th March 1844 to Don Luigi Gentili at Loughborough. .

After some preliminary remarks from the brethren, about why this Gentili Province, why it has been delayed, and a question are we asked for blind obedience?; about the decision having been made, lets all buy into it passionately, and move on, even if we were doubtful or opposed to it;...and some remarks about a directory for the new Province to help better communications.   David Myers spoke to us about the present Uk Council being responsible to him and the Order in all matters including finance whereas  the responsibility of the Trustees of the Province, including finance, is to the State,  the funds must be used strictly in accord with the Charitable laws of the country.  He then said that the decision to delay the setting up of the Province was because Father Joe O’Reilly who had responsibility to see to it, was under pressure dealing with weighty issues in Ireland at that time.  If the decision to delay seemed a mistake, let us remember the letter of the Founder at  Lectio yesterday....’Because God who allows us to make mistakes, does not do so himself, and he will draw from our errors a greater good for his glory’.

Michael our facilitator asked us if we were ready to move on. He asked us to pick up again in our groups the desires of yesterday and to class them into areas to help us towards what needs to be done to move us towards the Provincial Congregation (chapter) next year.  After working on this,  each group paired up with another to come  up with a common list which, the results of which were noted in the Aula. All this work took us up to our celebration of the Mass at 12.15.

After lunch in the afternoon session we were handeda list of the Gentili Province “Desired Fruits” which the facilitator had put together from our work and sharings:

A. Community Life and mutual support.   B.Establishing the new Province as soon as possible. C.  Rebalancing – well run apostolates, three central hotspots: communities one to include the novitiate, space for personal renewal.  D.Formation to openness   E.Universal not Provincial.   F.Commitment to care of the elderly     G.Novitiate – where, novice master and support community.  H.Communication and transparency (openness)  I.Trusteeship  J.Unity    K.Love tenderly    L.Evangelisation of culture (mission) M. Praying communities N. Passionate in living our vocation  O.Mutuality of respect and trust.

The facilitator then reminded us of the main areas that had surfaced in the morning’s work: ( repetition in many cases but to give you an idea of how things developed).

1. Novitiate 2.Gathering information.3 Universal thinking  4.Care of the sick and elderly. 5. Province community building.6 Formation for openness 7. Norms for change. 8.Institute communication 9.Governance.

We then chose which of the above nine areas we had energy to work on and spent the rest of the time  in the respective category group, as the facilitator called it,  ‘just walking the ground’ and not doing the drilling.   Each group put the work on a fllip chart sheet. Tea break.

After tea for the final session.

Certain points were brought for a straw-pole to give us an idea of the wishes of the members.

1. Date for the erection of the Province.  (June 25^th – anniversary of Fr. Gentili’s arrival in England.)

2. First Provincial Congregation in October 2010.

3. Venue: here at Emmaus Swords Dublin.

4. A Preparatory group to be announced by David Myers soon to take us forward in all this.

5. Most seemed to favour an open Congregation (chapter) after getting the necessary permission for voting rights for all.

6. David Myers after consulting Father General to announce his Vicars by January 2010 to help him get things moving.

Don’t let us forget to involve those who are not able to be with us in this Gathering. (Management of inclusion.)

After a five minute break, we sang a hymn of thanksgiving as we processed for the last time into the Aula. Father General said the collect prayer. We listened to a reading from St. Paul to the Ephesians 4:1-6.  After a moment or two of quiet reflection we offered spontaneous prayers in thanksgiving for the graces of the past and for a Spirit-led future of hope and trust.

After blessings the gifts, David Myers presented a gift to eachl of us of a  Prayer Card of Father Gentili mounted in a Perspex frame.  We offered each other a sign of peace and then we were led us in the singing again of the Litany of the Saints.

Father General thanked the facilitator for his professional and sensitive work with us. The facilitator will type up the findings of the afternoon’s work ready to be sent to us all.