(Rome Italy). The Mother General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (IFMA), M. Yvonne Reungoat, on 24 February 2019, published the Circular of Convocation of General Chapter XXIV, according to article 138 of the Constitutions. The XXIV Chapter will begin in Rome, at the FMA Generalate, on September 18, 2020.
The General Chapter “is a key moment for evaluation, reflection, and guidance in a common search for God’s will”. All the FMA and educating communities collaborate in this event “through their prayer, study, and proposals” (C.135).
The theme of GCXXIV is
“Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2: 5).
Communities that generate life in the heart of Contemporaneity.
The goal of GCXXIV is To awaken the original freshness of the vocational fruitfulness of the Institute.
The Vicar General, Sr. Chiara Cazzuola, was appointed as the Moderator and assumed the responsibility of accompanying the preparation and development of General Chapter XXIV.
In the document of the official convocation of General Chapter XXIV, some reflections on the Chapter theme and guidelines for the celebration of the Provincial Chapters are given.
At the conclusion of the Circular, Mother writes:
“Dear sisters, in this time of preparation for the GC XXIV, a time of grace for the whole Institute, we are invited to enter into the depth of the content that the theme offers us to rediscover and live our being together as educating communities with greater generative awareness.
Faithful to the Salesian charism, we feel the need to grow in the capacity to ‘take care’ of reciprocal relations between the various members of the educating community, with and for the young people whom the Lord entrusts to us so that they may grow and flourish. In our homes, we also welcome migrants, poor and fragile people, women and girls in need, where everyone can find attention, care, affection, and the chance to look to the future with hope.
In preparing for the Chapter, let us involve the educating community and other groups of the Salesian Family. In dialogue and sharing, let us make sure that young people can express themselves and tell us what they feel and think.
We entrust ourselves to Mary so that, as at Cana, she will help us to listen to what Jesus tells us, to transform the water of our daily life into the wine of new vocational fruitfulness. I invite you to meet every day in the prayer of entrustment according to the proposal I offer you”.
The entire Convocation Circular of GCXXIV is available on the FMA WEB Site.
