Carpina (Brazil). On October 18-20, 2019, the 14th Provincial Chapter of Mary Help of Christians Brazilian Province (BRE) took place at Carpina/PE. Participating at the Chapter were 32 sisters, and 6 guests between Salesians, formandees, and lay people. The Provincial Chapter is a preparation for the General Chapter (GC) of the FMA Institute that is ordinarily held every six years. In this one, we will study the theme “Do whatever He tells you”- Communities that generate life in the heart of Contemporaneity.
The Provincial, Sr. Maria Adriana Gomes in her opening talk emphasized the importance of sharing experiences and of healthy living together. She said, “During this year we have experienced the presence of God in all that has happened as the fruit of reflection, of sharing experiences, of conviviality, of overcoming difficulties, of reciprocal learning, of attentive listening, of the signs of hope that have emerged in the proposal of God’s calls, through our ‘yes’ to life, to the Institute, to the Church, to the young, and to the times.” During her discourse, the Provincial continually encouraged the Sisters and the laity present to be the ‘Good Wine’ and to be transformed with courage, daring, and creativity starting from the experience of the Holy Spirit,.
The work of the Chapter coordinated by Sr. Dourivalda Bezerra, was based on three thematic nuclei: Challenges, choices, paths, problems tied to the life of the Congregation and proposals for the Institute’s journey and for the realization of the shared mission, through collaboration in sending replies with the involvement of communities, lay people, young people, and other groups of the Salesian Family. In three ‘work groups’, the Chapter members reflected on the texts summarized by the Pre-Chapter Commission, which in addition to serving for the study religious life and the educational and pastoral development of the communities of the Province, will be sent to the Motherhouse of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Rome as contributions to the XXIV General Chapter.
On Saturday, the last afternoon of the Provincial Chapter, elections were held for the Delegate and the Substitute for GC. Dourivalda Bezerra da Silva was elected delegate and Sr Antoniele Silva Holland as substitute.
On Sunday morning, the Economer, Sr. Maria da Paz Milanez, gathered the sisters for the presentation of the proposal of the Institute on the immovable goods of Mary Help of Christians Province, for the approval of the Chapter members. At the conclusion of the Chapter, the Eucharistic celebration was presided by the Salesian Fr. José Cezar Teixeira and concelebrated by the Salesian Fr. James de Lucena.
At the feast of gratitude, Sr. Maria Adriana Gomes thanked the Chapter participants, especially the communities and every sister for the support and affection she received at the start of her mission. She then gave the communities the Chapter symbol: a small bottle of wine with the inscription, “Do whatever He tells you”.
