APIA Conference 2002, Fiji.  Second report

Day 3. 

Thanks to Dominic Gleeson.

We began today praying with the “Journey to Emmaus” story and we spent some time as a group co-discerning where Jesus is leading us throughout our experience as MSC.

We then continued with the ‘Instrumentum Laboris’ on MSC initial formation with the resulting outcomes from our reflections to be presented to the worldwide meeting of MSC formators in Rome in 2023. 

In the afternoon we looked at a document which was composed in 1991/92 from a worldwide, MSC formation conference which was held in Spain (Valladolid).   The document is named after the place of the early 1990’s conference.  

The day was spent reflecting on many things outlined in the document and our time was spent being present to our group process, our prayer and the sharing of those places of the heart.   As we become more familiar and at home with each other the deeper the prayer is becoming in the group . The intercultural experience, listening to others stories and life experience is very inspiring and has brought us closer together. 

Problems with power cuts during the day and the high humidity did not dampen the enthusiasm and energy of the group as each of us personally and as an international MSC community journeyed through to our own Emmaus. 

The Eucharist then provided the foundation point and our inspiration to go on with God - and all was explained to us more clearly at the breaking of the Bread. 

Day 4

We commenced our time together this morning with a ‘presencing’.  The group shared any experiences that were inspiring to them from yesterday and perhaps as a further reflection on previous topics from earlier days of the Conference .  There was some sharing from each us about our experiences and Humberto led us through the process. 

The gathering was presented with a new topic for this morning which we carefully read through as group.  We looked at – the possibility of international formation houses. This was as a follow up to the online MSC General Conference from 2021 where the Superiors began the discussions on possibilities and some of the procedural elements to chart the way forward. 

The document that we studied was entitled, ‘International houses of formation and common MSC novitiates’.  We entered into some group work and fortunately the gathering was able to contribute very wisely to some of the more important aspects that need to be considered at the International meeting of formators in Rome in May 2023 and then to the MSC general chapter in 2023.  

As an activity, the gathering was able to look at some advantages and disadvantages, some weaknesses and some threats all encapsulated in this very engaging idea. We were certainly able to come up with more positives and more strengths and possibilities - than anything negative.

We were able to then come together to pray as a group and to express our sense of communion with one another and to give a vote of thanks – to Humberto, who let the Conference so expertly, our gracious Fijian, and Pacific Island hosts as well as each other. We felt very much at home with each other during these days and the journey will continue over the next few days as we venture into some social time together to experience the wonderful MSC Province of the Pacific Islands - and all that this new Province has to offer to us and into the world at large.