Opening report, 22nd General Chapter, May 18, 2009


The 22nd General Chapter for the Priests of the Sacred Heart opened Monday, May 18, in Rome, and will continue through June 11. These reports, in English, will be sent to you during the days of the chapter. Translations of the reports into other languages will be posted on the congregational web site as they are available.

Please visit the website (http://www.dehon.it) regularly to view photos from the days (already, photos have been posted from Sunday evening's opening social), read blog entries and view brief video clips.

If you know of someone who would like to have his or her name added to this mailing list, please send an e-mail to marygorski@sbcglobal.net. If you would like to be removed from the list, or have questions about the reports, again, please contact Mary Gorski.

"Chapters are never purely administrative, i.e., intended to satisfy institutional norms, but they require, among other things, a faithful attentiveness to God's design for us and to our traditions, and also to the signs of the times in which we live so that we are able to respond to the challenges before us," said Fr. José Ornelas Carvalho, SCJ, in his opening remarks to delegates at the 22nd General Chapter.

Continuing the the theme in his homily at the opening Mass Fr. Ornelas called delegates to be "open and attentive... In the congregation and in our various entities, we have venerable traditions, structures, organizations and ways of thinking that we learned from and gathered fruit."

He continued, saying that while the congregation needs to be respectful of these traditions, it also must look at situations in a new light and adapt to the changing needs of the world, the Church and the congregation so that one doesn't continue to "hold on to the bird cage after the bird has flown away."

The full text of Fr. Ornelas' opening remarks and homily, in English, are attached to this e-mail as Word documents. Other languages will be available at the website: http://www.dehon.it.


Initial Tasks

Before getting to the meat of the chapter, delegates had to first take care of a few basics. The rules of the chapter (RGC) were introduced, and the delegates were seated. There are 77 members, 31 of whom are de jure delegates. As is tradition, the youngest members were affirmed by the chapter as tellers: Fr. Richard Nsimba Ntontelo of Congo and Fr. Mathews Lalan Vadassery of India.

Guests of the chapter include Fr. Zeferino Policarpo Ferreira, newly elected provincial superior of Portugal; Fr. Marek Stoklosa, juridical advisor; and two members of the General Finance Commission: Fr. Javier Larrea Pascal of and Fr. Heinz Westendorf. The chapter delegates voted to approve the presence of these guests. They also welcomed the presence of members of the local SCJ community to occasionally sit in on chapter sessions.

Staff of the chapter include the three moderators: Fr. Alessandro Capoferri, Br. Raymond Kozuch and Fr. Eduardo Agüero. It was noted that Fr. Eduardo is also delegate, substituting for a member of his province who was not able to attend. The chapter voted to approve the slate of moderators.

Fr. Ornelas then noted the appointment of Fr. Anísio José Schwirkowski as chapter secretary and Frs. Enrico Jemma and Aimone Gelardi as secretaries for the minutes. Members of the Liturgical and Financial Committees were noted, as well as the many members of the chapter support staff.


New procedure for the minutes

In previous chapters, each day began with a reading of the minutes from the previous day. This allowed delegates to hear the minutes with the assistance of translation. However, many felt that the daily reading consumed a large amount of time that might be better utilized. After a brief discussion, the delegates agreed to amend the process for the current chapter. The minutes, in Italian, will be posted and e-mailed to delegates. They will then have a day to review the minutes (it is hoped that those who do not speak Italian can get translation assistance from fellow delegates) and submit corrections to a four-person committee. Any concerns of a substantive nature will be brought to the full chapter for discussion. The minutes will then be approved in plenary session. The minutes of the final plenary session will be approved by the superior general with the consent of his council.

Chapter delegates voted to approve the new process for use at the current chapter.


General Superior's Report

The rest of the day was spent in review of the General Superior's Report. Fr. Ornelas noted that it was not simply his report, but one that was done in collaboration with the general administration. Divided into four sections, it began with a review of the previous General Chapter and directives from it. The chapter motions and recommendations included: 1) a revision of the NAB, 2) work toward the canonical suppression of dependent regions, 3) editorial revisions to the Rule of Life, 4) a movement toward financial solidarity in the congregation (each SCJ entity makes an annual contribution to the needs of the overall congregation), 5) a possible revision in how the general treasurer is selected (noting that the position requires special skills and knowledge), 6) work on the Dehonian Archives (for a variety of reasons, including cost and concern about ownership rights, the original plan for use of Maredsous was discontinued in favor a more economical means to digitize Fr. Dehon's writings), 7) implementation of three-year plans in every province, region and district, and 8) the establishment of a day to remember SCJs who have died, especially those who gave their lives in service to the congregation (November 26th is now the annual date for remembrance).

The directives of the previous General Chapter gave the foundation for the second section of the General Superior's Report, which focused on the activities of the General Administration during the past six years. Fr. Ornelas noted the operational style of the council. Previously, there was a six-member council. The last chapter decided to name a five-member council which soon became a four-member council when one of the members had to resign for health reasons. Fr. Ornelas noted that the council adapted well (including more integration of the general treasurer with the council) but that the presence of a councilor from an English-speaking entity was missed.

The third section of the report featured analysis of the life and activities of the congregation. Fr. Ornelas spoke about the beatification of Fr. Dehon which, according to communication from the Vatican, has been put on a "long delay." He said that it is important that the congregation continue to make Fr. Dehon's writings available for review and that eventually "whenever Fr. Dehon is finally beatified, it will be by God's will, and for the person he was and will continue to be before God."

Fr. Ornelas also spoke about some of the statistics of the congregation, noting the growth of the congregation in the Southern Hemisphere. There is a need for a greater presence among young people, especially on the university level, and for continued dialogue with laity who find inspiration in SCJ spirituality.

Regarding mission efforts, he said that international collaboration is the key to new SCJ ventures.

On Tuesday, Fr. Ornelas will conclude his report, which includes hopes and challenges for the future.