Tuesday, 3 October 2006, Salesianum, Rome

“Let us look to the future with hope. Let us thank God for all that we have accomplished.”

(Brother Pascual Piles)

Today the General Chapter completed the first phase of its work: by the end of the day it had received reports from the members of the General Government of the Order who were responsible for the following areas of the life of the Order for the last six years: Charismatic Management (Bro. General), Pastoral Care of the Sick (Bro. General), Bioethics (Bro. General), Co-Workers (Bro. Donatus Forkan), Missions (Bro. Donatus Forkan), The Postulation General (Bro. Félix Lizaso), the General Secretariat (Bro. José Luis Muñoz), the Bursar General (Bro. Emerich Steigerwald) and the Tiber Island Hospital (Bro. Pietro Cicinelli). The reports were highly informative and detailed. Brother Victor Martín Martínez presented the capitulars with a copy of a new illustrated publication “The Art and Culture of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God.

At midday the capitulars assembled in the chapel to celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy with Cardinal Franc Rode, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of the Consecrated Life and Societies of the Apostolic Life. In his homily on the gospel reading of the parable of the Good Samaritan the Cardinal pointed out that the charitable and compassionate love that the Good Samaritan had shown the wounded wayfarer was a type of sacrament that each one of us can bestow on his or her suffering neighbour when we come to their aid in need.

October 9th, 2006 – Salesianum - Rome

“A specific formation of the heart is necessary for the charismatic management of our Centers and Apostolic Works”(Instrumentum Laboris)

There were no General Chapter working sessions on Sunday, October 8th. The Brothers either rested, went on an excursion or visited Rome, after the Eucharist celebrated by the Father General of the Salesians, Pascual Chávez. In his homily he spoke to us of the symbiosis between consecrated life and the Eucharist and the importance of the Good Samaritan’s mission.

In plenary, in the presence of the 21 Co-workers from different Provinces, who joined the General Chapter today, we began studying the theme of charismatic management in language groups, with a view to the future. It is an exciting theme that Brothers and Co-workers alike consider of capital importance.

At the end of the afternoon, the Provinces of Aragon and Central America presented several videos about their mission and evangelization in Spain, Mexico and Cuba, as well as the new Psychiatric Center of San Pedro de Sula in Honduras.

Tuesday, 10 October 2006, Salesianum, Rome

“The Order being present in many countries … the incorporation and inculturation of our charism into other cultures and religious traditions is both a challenge and an opportunity for the Order.”

(Instrumentum Laboris 2.19)

The morning and afternoon sessions of the Chapter begin with a prayer that is arranged in turn by the respective Provinces. The prayer is usually accompanied by an audio-visual presentation to aid reflection on the theme. This prayer in the morning was in the hands of the Irish Province and in the afternoon it was the responsibility of the Canadian General Delegation. 

The Chapter today continued working on the Mission section of the working document (or Instrumentum Laboris) of the Chapter. Each group was asked to make approximately proposals to be taken into account in planning the greater integration of Brothers and Co-workers in the mission of the Order and the transmission of the values of the Order.

The 21 Co-workers members of the Chapter withdrew from the language groups for a period of time in order to be able to meet as a distinct group and agree on a declaration that would be made by the Co-workers to the Chapter.

At the afternoon session the President of the Chapter, Brother Pascual Piles Ferrando, informed the Chapter that the Order’s internet website had received more than 23 thousand hits in the last month – greatly increasing since the commencement of the Chapter.

Wednesday, October 11^th, 2006 – Salesianum, Rome

“For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.”

(Deus Caritas Est, 25)

The day began with a votive Mass to Saint Richard Pampuri, celebrated by Bro. Angelico Bellino, Provincial of the Roman Province. At 9.30 Bro. Jairo Enrique Urueta Blanco of the Colombian Province opened the morning session with spiritual input.  The first part of the plenary was a discussion of the conclusions of the language groups from the preceding day. At 10.30 the Capitulars met once again in their language groups to discuss the following themes: Pastoral Health Care, Bioethics and Networking.

At 14.45 to 15.30, the Co-workers present at the Chapter met. The spiritual input for the afternoon session was animated by Bro. Robert Moore of the English Province. After the reading and approval of the Minutes of October 10^th, 2006, Bro. Marco Fabello gave a presentation of a book dedicated to Bro. Pierluigi Marchesi. A copy of the book (580 pages)  has been given to each  capitular . The title: Umanizzazione – storia e utopia.

The reports of the language groups followed with the possibility of discussin in plenary.

At 17.30, the Chapter received the pleasant visit of the General Government of the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of St. Benedict Menni. The Father General Pascual Piles warmly welcomed the Superior General and her six Councillors. The Sisters then gave a presentation of their Congregation to the Chapter. There was then a lively discussion between the Sisters and the Capitulars. The Mother Superior then presented the Prior General with a precious chalice and the Prior General offered them a copy of the book on the artistic heritage of the Order and a bust of St. John of God. The visit concluded with Vespers and dinner together.

At 20.30, there was a videopresentation of the Provinces of : Colombia, Portugal and Poland. The Polish Province also reported on their activities in Ucraine.

14 – 16 october 2006 – Salesianum, Rome

 The General Chapter elected

as Superior General

Brother Donatus Forkan

Born at Kinaffe, Swinford, Ireland, 5th April 1942. Temporary profession 8th September 1960 and solemn profession 28th August 1966. Elected General Councillor at the General Chapter 1994; re-elected on 18th November 2000 at the General Chapter held in Granada, Spain.

As General Councillors were elected:

1° Bro. Rudolf KNOPP, Germany, Bavarian Province

2° Bro. Jesús ETAYO ARRONDO, sac., Spain, Aragon Province

3° Bro. Vincent KOCHAMKUNNEL, India, Province of India

4° Bro. Elia TRIPALDI, sac., Italy, Roman Province

5° Bro. Robert CHAKANA, Zambia, Province of Africa OLM

6° Bro.Daniel Alberto MÁRQUEZ BOCANEGRA, Colombia, Province of Mexico

Tuesday, 17 October 2006, Salesianum, Rome

“ It was for this very reason  that within the Religious Order that has made hospitality its specific charism, the dimension of service becomes absolutely essential and expresses the very raison d'être of the works of the Order and the interior attitude of its most committed Co-workers.” (Charter of Hospitality,7.3.1.)

Today the Chapter turned its attention to some proposals that were placed before it that would have changed certain aspects of the Order’s own law. The proposals had been included in the Working Document of the Chapter. They were further explained by the Secretary General, Brother José Luis Muñoz. The capitulars then went into their respective language groups to discuss the merits – or otherwise – of the proposals. They then returned to the Chapter Room and voted on them.

At noon the capitulars remained in the Chapter room where the Superior General of the Camillians, Rev. Frank Monks, celebrated Mass. In his remarks Father Monks spoke to the capitulars of the close connection between the Order and the Camillians. He paid a tribute to the pioneering work done by the Order in involving lay persons in the healing mission of the Church. He also spoke of the need of the contemporary world for the charism of hospitality which is a response to the prevailing hostility to be found between peoples, faiths and nations. 

After the luncheon break the Chapter received Brother Fiorenzo Priuli of the Lombardy-Venice Province. Brother Fiorenzo is a surgeon who works in Africa at the Order’s hospital in Togo and Benin. He had come to Italy to address a congress of surgeons on  the topic of surgery in developing countries. He presented a report on his work in Africa to the Chapter.  

The Chapter then continued dealing with proposals that had been submitted to it In the evening Brother Marco Fabello presented a video on the research being carried out by the Order in Italy and a tribute to the former Prior General, the late Brother Pierluigi Marchesi. Brother Brian O'Donnell presented a pictorial record of the Chapter.

October 18th and 19th 2006-10-21

“Lord, you have always shown us the path to follow for the days to come; and even if it hidden, today I believe”

Plenary session begins at 9:30 with spiritual meditation animated by Bro. Thadu KANG.

The President of the Chapter, Bro. Donatus FORKAN, gives information regarding yesterday’s high points:

-         participation of the brothers at the Papal audience, that he, Bro. Rudolf KNOPP and Bro. Vincent KOCHAMKUNNEL, met the Holy Father, and that he received the Papal blessing as new Prior General of the Order.

-         the warm welcome given to the Chapter by the Community of the Nocetta, where we shared a meal.

-         the visit to the Community of San Egidio for a better understanding of their activities.

The president thanks the English Province for the book celebrating the 125^th anniversary of the Brother’s presence in England, and the Roman Province for the CD with the photos of the evening with the Community of the Villa San Pietro.

Bro. José Maria Bermejo de Frutos, Provincial of Castilla, presented the book on « Process of Beatification of Saiint John of God ». This book is the fruit of lengthy research and a great deal of patience of the author, Bro. José Luis Martínez Gil. It contains the witness of persons who were close to Saint John of God. Thanks are expressed to Bro. José Luis Martínez Gil. The Moderator then moves to an examination of proposals.

At 15:30, after a prayer animated by the Indian Province, Bro. Victor Martin Martinez reads the guidelines drafted by the Drafting Committee whose members are: Bros. Bian o’Donnel, Giuseppe Magliozzi, Alain-Samuel Jeancler, Benedikt Hau, Augusto Vieira et Victor Martín.  The moderator invites the language groups to express their opinions.

In the evening, Bro. Benedikt NADAYIL, Provincial of India, presents the communities and centers of his Province.

20 October 2006 - Salesian Fathers' Hospitality House, Rome

"Consecrated men and women of today have the duty to be witnesses of the transfiguring presence of God in a world that is evermore disoriented and confused, a world where toning down has substituted sharp and distinctive colours."

("Benedict XVI, 22 May 2006)

Each of the Language Groups Celebrated Mass before reconvening in plenary  at 9.30 a.m. to examine the provisional formulation of the objectives that the Order intends to attain during the coming Sexennium. They were drawn up by the Drafting Committee, based on both the Instrumentum Laboris and comments and proposals presented over the previous days by the Language Groups and the Regional Groups.

The Group work finished at 11 a.m. and the plenary began at 11.30 with an introductory  prayer by Brother Yanka Sharma, the Vocal from the Indian Province, emphasising the need to focus our Community Life around Christ. This was followed by the reading and adoption of the minutes of the previous sessions. The plenary session continued until lunch, when the final proposals drafted by the four Language Groups were read out and debated in the Hall.

At 3.30 p.m., after prayers led by Bro. Léopold Gnami, the final proposals drawn up by the other three Language Groups were read out and discussed. By show of hands, the Vocals moved that the Drafting Committee should meet later in the day, and drawing on the outputs of the seven Language Groups and the other input from the debate in Plenary, it should draft the final text of the Guidelines to steer the work of Order over the coming Sexennium, which would be read out and appraised at the final Plenary session on 21 October.

21 October 2006 - Salesian Fathers' Hospitality House, Rome

Closure of Chapter

"We must keep one hand on the Bible and the other on the daily newspaper if we want to carry the good news out to the world in a language it can understand"

(cf Bro. Donatus Forkan, Superior General, closing address)

October 21st was a day of particular significance to the Capitulars because it was the last day of Chapter.

Chapter convened at 8:45 in the Chapter Hall, where the Brother General took the floor and recalled that it was Saturday, the day traditionally devoted to our Lady, and said that his Generalate would be placed under her protection.

The minutes of the meetings held on the 19th and 20th were then read and approved, and two Brothers were asked to control the minutes of that day's meeting on behalf of everyone, because it was obviously not possible to adopt it in Plenary.

Brother victor Martín, speaking on behalf of the Drafting Commission, then read out (in Spanish, with simultaneous translation) the corrected version of the proposals that had been drafted and completed over the past few days: there were 57 proposals in all, covering various areas of the Order: the Life of the Brothers, the Mission of the Order, Co-working (Networking), and Legal Matters.

A number of short interventions followed regarding the document submitted, and compliments were paid to the Drafting Commission on its fine work. The President put the proposals as a whole to the vote, and they were carried to general applause.

After a short break work resumed and the Moderator announced the results of the Chapter evaluation that had been requested the day before, followed by the closing address given by the Superior General, Brother Donatus Forkan.

In his address, among other things, the Prior General said that we had lived through a Pentecostal experience, and affectionately greeted the outgoing Superior General, Brother Pascual Piles, for his invaluable, insightful and passionate contribution to the Order; he thanked the outgoing Councillors and said that he had experienced his election with surprising interior peace, while recognising that the Order was faced with an arduous task in this difficult age. Brother Donatus said that he would devote himself totally to his ministry, with great hope and with some dreams, with the certainty that Our Lord would help him; he would work collegially with his Councillors and with the Provincials, acknowledging the need for all of us to be more committed to providing formation for the Co-workers, in the knowledge that the Laity have also received the call to do good and to practise Hospitality in the manner of St John of God. In conclusion, he thanked all the people and groups who had worked to ensure a successful Chapter, placing himself at the disposal of the Brothers and the sick.

At 11:30 the Capitulars left in two coaches for the General Curia to celebrate Mass and to have a festive meal to celebrate the name day of the Superior General (one day early). Brother Pascual Piles presided at the Eucharist, celebrating the Solemnity of the Patronage of Our Lady. After lunch, some of the Capitulars left to return home.