Our Chapter Reports, end of the second week
We have already shared the news of Abzalon’s re-election as Superior General. These are the reports of the sessions.
Ninth Day. 26th September by Javier Trapero
The ninth day of the 26th MSC General Chapter was the first of the two-day process for the Election of the Superior General of the Congregation. It was a day dedicated to discernment and began, as in previous days, with the Communal Wisdom Prayer (Acts 15,22-31). The day was hosted by Simione Volavola.
Joe and Frances, facilitators, led the discernment process, this time with a question for reflection in the morning inviting the capitulants to ask themselves, “What, God, are You asking of the Congregation today and into the future?“.
In the afternoon, in the first session, the question was “What kind of leader are You calling?“. This concluded the discernment phase. After the break, the voting took place to nominate candidates from whom the Superior General would be chosen the following day.
The day ended with a Mass. On this occasion, it was a special Mass of the Holy Spirit, asking the Holy Spirit to enlighten the capitulants in the final vote. Edwin Borlasa, Provincial of the Philippines, presided.
Tenth Day. 27th September by Javier Trapero
The 26th MSC General Chapter reached a very important moment. After the last day’s discernment sessions, the tenth day was the day of the election of the Superior General. From the beginning of the day, every detail was charged with symbolism. In the Communal Wisdom Prayer, the text by Fr. Jules Chevalier, “The Heart of Jesus is the Center upon which all things converge”, was used together with the readings from Luke 24:28-32, which recalled the end of the journey of the disciples at Emmaus, when they invited Jesus to sit at table, and the reading Philippians 2:1-8, which says, “he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.”
It was the turn of Humberto as host, who reminded that St. Vincent de Paul’s Feast Day was also celebrated in the Church that day.
In the first session in the morning, Frances, facilitator, invited all the capitulants to a final moment of reflection, asking the question: “God, who are You calling to the service of leadership?” At that moment, a dialogue between brothers was recommended, small moments to discuss who should be the person to lead the Congregation for the next six years.
These meetings of dialogue, calm and serene, lasted the whole morning.
After lunch, all the electors were called back to the main hall to proceed to the voting. On this occasion, before the vote, a final question was asked to make each voter aware of what he was going to participate in, “Who do you sense God is calling to ‘stay with us’ as our leader for the next six years?”
The election of the Superior General took place in the first round and Abzalón Alvarado, msc, was re-elected for a second term. An official communiqué was then sent out which contained the main ideas of his speech after the election.
The day ended with a Mass of Thanksgiving presided by the former Superior General, Michael Curran, in which Abzalón made the Profession of Faith.
11th Day – Excursion to Assisi
Twelfth Day. 29th September by Javier Trapero
After a restful excursion in Assisi, the capitulants went back to the matters for consideration raised in the first few days, i.e., on the Constitutions and other documents. The visit to Assisi was a short rest after the election of the Superior General, the capitulants visited the birthplace of St. Francis, and where St. Clare and Blessed Carlo Acutis are also buried.
The day began with the Communal Wisdom Prayer (1 Corinthians 12:12-31a). After it, John Mulrooney reminded the assembly of the Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Archangels and informed the capitulants that the Superior General’s consultation for General Assistants would take place over the next five days.
All the sessions, both morning and afternoon, were devoted to the final votes on the topics discussed in the previous days, i.e., Safeguarding, Formation, and Finance.
Once again, the day’s work ended with the Eucharist. It was presided by Ronnie Diniz, provincial of Rio de Janeiro, together with Mesías Neyra, provincial of Andean Union.
