Rome, Italy. The meeting of the General Government with the members of the five Provincial Governments in Europe (Deutschland, Fátima, Polska, Sanctus Paulus, and Santiago) started on Monday, October 19, 2020, with a total of 34 participants. It is expected to end on Wednesday, October 21, 2020.
The meeting was initially scheduled in Vic, Spain, to conclude the canonical visitations to all the Provinces in the continent as was done in all the other continents in this sexennium. It was also intended to coincide with the solemnity of St. Anthony Mary Claret and the celebration of the 150th anniversary of his death. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this could not occur, and the meeting was rescheduled as a series of online conferences.
The focus of the meeting, inspired by the Gospel text of Mark 6:30-42 and in the light of the times we are living, is to discern together the challenges to our missionary life and our responses in Europe.
In the first session, after the message of the Superior General, Fr. Mathew Vattamattam CMF, and looking at a Claretian “photograph” on the aspects and data of our presence in Europe, the Major Superiors shared the present reality of their respective Organisms around three concrete situations, namely Covid-19, the process of reorganization and other current realities concerning their life and mission.
In these presentations and the dialogue during the second part of the session, it was clear how the Covid-19 pandemic has restricted our pastoral care. Various visits and projects in the different areas of our ministries were either previously planned or already in action; none could be carried out due to the changed situation.
However, in response to this situation, new initiatives and a new way of facing the challenge of evangelization on the European continent with solidarity and hope also emerged. This first day concluded with a Cordimarian moment of recapitulation and prayer, directed by the Major Superior of the Province of Santiago, Fr. Pedro Belderrain CMF.
