Since Saturday, June 22, 2019, all the Visitors and Vice-Visitors of the Congregation of the Mission from the four corners of the world have gathered in Manila (Philippines). This meeting will last until July 8. At the head of this meeting is the Superior General, Fr. Tomaz Mavric, C. M.

This meeting is held every six years, half of the time until the next ordinary General Assembly. The last of these Encounters took place in 2013, in the city of New York. Now, the Province of the Philippines has received the 43 Visitors and Vice-Visitors, plus the members of the General Council and several other missionaries who will be in charge of logistical support, such as translations, communications and other tasks.

The Encounter is inspired by the experience of two years ago, on the occasion of the celebration of the 400 years of the Vincentian charism, and aims to launch us, with hope, towards the beginning of the next 500 years, as a time of renewal of the Congregation.

This Meeting, prepared and planned by a Commission made up of five Visitors, has five well-defined objectives: (1) to evaluate progress of the Congregation of the Mission’s journey since 2016 General Assembly: (2) to look forward to next three years: (3) to reflect, discuss and come to conclusions on some particularly urgent issues: (4) to update information on the Congregation of the Mission; and (5) to initiate preparations for the General Assembly in 2022. In addition to these five points, many aspects of the current reality, both ecclesial and world, which are addressed to the Congregation today, will also be analyzed.

The methodology is intended to be varied, dynamic, involving all, focusing our thought not so much on the specific Provinces, but on the Congregation of the Mission as a whole.

This important congregational event began with a time of prayer and retreat, led by Bishop Rolando Santos, C.M., Bishop of Alotau-Sideia, in Papua, New Guinea. Immediately afterwards, sessions of study, reflection, dialogue and decision making began.

Celestino Fernández, CM.
Source: http://misionerospaules.org/