Wednesday, July 31st, 2024

1. UNITED TO THE VINEYARD

On this day when the Church celebrates the memory of a great Saint, Ignatius of Loyola, we, the Chapter members, invoke the light of the Holy Spirit so that we may welcome God’s will with the election of the Mother General. At the beginning of Lauds, seven candles were introduced, symbolizing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, asking that He show us God’s will. We also thanked God for the gift of life of our Sisters Narcisa Maria Pasetto, Luciane Francisco and Elizabeth Noemi Cuenca Giménez, asking for the graces of the Divine Spirit for each of their missions.

We then celebrated Holy Mass, presided over by Father Mateus Réus, who began the reflection by saying that the best time of the day is the Eucharist. May the joy of the Holy Spirit infect us on this important day for our Congregation. It was from the sending of the Holy Spirit that the Church never stopped. He emphasized that today; the announcement is not made only through the Word, but also through expressions, gestures, and smiles… Pope Benedict XVI once said that “words convert, but example draws people in.” Where there is a consecrated person, there must be a presence that points to heaven. Today, let us ask the Lord that the Mother who was chosen may be able to maintain the founding Charism, joy, and unity. Everything will be maintained if the earth of our hearts is transformed; in this way, we will be a force of attraction. May we be a force of attraction for Christ. If we love Christ above all else, we will know how to love one another.

In an atmosphere of great solemnity, we gathered again in the Chapel after breakfast, this time to prepare ourselves, with the Holy Hour, for the election of the Mother General scheduled for today. After this time of adoration, we went to the Chapter Hall intoning the Veni Creator.

Later, we returned to the Chapel, this time to the sound of the bell of the Sacred Family Institute, which announced that we now have new General Mother! With joy, we sang the Te Deum, praising and thanking God for the election of Mother Narcisa Maria Pasetto.

2. STEPPING ON THE GRAPE

In the afternoon, we resumed the work of the committees, where Committee 3 had the opportunity to present its conclusions. Sister Maria José Barbosa dos Santos made the presentation on behalf of her group. Then there was a time for debate, in which all the capitulars had the opportunity to express themselves. Continuing with the schedule, Sisters Gleicy Kelly Rocha and Maria José Barbosa dos Santos presented the Policy for the Protection of Children and Elderly Adults that is being developed for our Congregation, in line with Pope Francis’ request in the document “You are the light of the world”. Then, through a video prepared by Lucas Dellamare Lopes Cardoso, the concept of Visual Identity was presented. The objective was to analyse the possibility of creating an identity that represents the entire Congregation and not just a particular Province, as has been the case until now. Visual identity helps in three aspects: impact, differentiation and alignment with the charism. It is the Congregation’s brand, a form of communication that does not require words.

The last topic discussed was the presentation of the research carried out on the Congregational Novitiate, located in Curitiba – Brazil. The research demonstrated the importance of the Novitiate in the interprovincial modality, concluding with a positive evaluation of the Congregational Novitiate.

Nova Veneza / Brazil, July 31^st, 2024

Communications Team