10^th International Coordination of the Lay of the Chevalier Family

Miribel (France), June 10-12, 2005

Present: Sister BEIGNON (Generalats), Rita CLEUREN (Belgium), Marie-Blanche CORDONIER (Switzerland), Angeles FONDEVILLA (Spain), Louis JOLY (France), Father Mark MACDONALD (Cor Novum), Mimi VAN POPPEL (The Netherlands), Martin KOVAC(Slovakia), Odile THOLLIN (translation).

Excused: Sue KIMBERLEY (Great Britain) and Sister Stéphanie (Germany)

With our special thanks to Odile THOLLIN and Father MACDONALD for the translations and to Nadette JOLY and Béatrice FERRERA for the perfect accommodation.

Friday June 10:

The first item on the agenda was the Constitution of the Association “Lay of the Chevalier Family in Europe”. The discussion took place in the presence of M LEPINE, our legal adviser.

The International Coordination needs an official legal status so that it can operate independently: especially for the organisation and administration of the website http://www.laymsc.org. , for the preparation of future meetings of the lay of the Chevalier Family, and the financial and material management of the Coordination.

At 4 p.m. the constitutional Assembly gathered to discuss the following:

1. approval of the articles/by laws

2. composition of the Executive Committee

3. appointment of the Bureau

4. defining the various “powers” for the formalities and for the opening of bank accounts.

The General Assembly which will meet once a year will consist of one representative from each European country, a representative of the COR NOVUM Formation Center and one representative of the three Congregations of the Chevalier Family.

The Executive Committee (consisting of 3 to 7 members) has been elected for 3 years and will meet only when necessary. The members elected are: Rita CLEUREN (Belgium), Mimi VAN POPPEL (the Netherlands), Martin KOVAC (Slovakia), Marie-Blanche CORDONNIER (Switzerland), Louis JOLY (France), Sue KIMBERLEY (England), Stéphani ORLOWSKI (Germany).

The Bureau will be appointed by the Executive Committee every year by secret ballot. The Bureau consists of:

1 Chairman: Louis JOLY
1 Secretary: Rita CLEUREN
1 Treasurer: Marie-Blanche CORDONNIER

The Lépine Cabinet will prepare all necessary official documents for the Administration, within the official delays.

Saturday June 11:

- SHARING THE LIVES OF THE GROUPS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

a) BELGIUM:

- General survey of the activities that were organised in 2004-2005. (those activities have already been taken up in the former report);

- Presentation of future activities:

a. July 1, 2, 3: contemplation days “Church as the people of God, Fire places today”

b. July 11 – 22: Trip to Norway (Lay MSC and friends) with Father Germaan Van MUYLDER

c. August 28: Family Day for Lay and MSC Religious

d. September 25: Meeting for the Chevalier Family in Belgium in Asse. Theme: “God, He lights our fire!”

e. December 2-4: Engagement weekend in Opwijk.

b) THE NETHERLANDS

- Celebration closing the 150^th anniversary of MSC together with the Religious and the Lay.

- All Religious of the different congregations of Tilburg are invited to share a prayer for the town every Monday (not very successful)

- Weekend together with the Belgian MSC in March

- Gathering of all the groups in Sittard (as the number of active participants decreases, it is important to support one another)

- Working on the Lay MSC Charter and on the theme “How to live by our own means?”

- Two lay are invited to participate in the MSC Provincial Chapter

- Twice a year, the provincial Council invites the Lay to reflect on things together.

- The group associated to the Tilburg Sisters has organised “an Open House” for the new members.

c) SLOVAKIA

- One monthly meeting: 6 persons in Bratislava and 2 in Nitra

- 3 activities a year of which two meetings with children

- 2 retreats: one with Father HEGGLIN and one with a Redemptorist Father

- First mass of a new MSC Priest

- In March, they had a meeting with the Rome MSC: Father SEVEAU talked about Father Chevalier

- Every year, a calendar is published.

d) SPAIN

Madrid

- 2 Meetings every week: Monday: prayer – Thursday: formation

- Formation activity based upon the book on Father Chevalier written by Father MAYOR

- Monthly meeting on the spirituality for those who are more engaged in MSC

- Fund raising to start up a NGO

- Mass at the FNDSC House with the Sisters, MSC Lay and Religious to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Heart.

Pontevedra

- once a week: prayer hour or formation hour

- Formation themes are taken from the Lay MSC website

- Three new members; one blind person

- Activity: selling plants to raise money

e) FRANCE/SWITZERLAND

- Meeting for both countries in December

- FMSC:

· Weekend of June 3-4 on the Eucharist theme: good meeting with few participants

· Common letters with the Alain de Boismenu Communion: “Christian life is a humane life!”

- Alain de Boismenu Communion

· participation in the Lay Council + FMSC

· Monthly letter together with FMSC

· Yearly meeting with FMSC

· There is only one Fraternity left; after the closure of the Chanal, many members have stopped

· One monthly meeting; no more formation meetings

· Worshipping and office every Friday; Mass every first Friday of the month

· Meeting June 3-4 with Father Bour, msc: confirmation of the Peace Mission of the Communion

· Mission: supporting the engagement of Louise who takes care of people in need

· Annual retreat in July: “Listening to the Heart of Jesus” with Father Karl ELSNER, msc.

f) OTHER COUNTRIES

Sister Suzanne received a number of reports for the preparation of the Chapter. Numerous groups are ready to be installed.

· Senegal: Dakkar

· Brazil: numerous groups

· Papua Asia: difficult collaboration between the different branches: Fathers, Sisters, Lay

· Australia: numerous Lay MSC and NDSC Associates. Louis received their letters

· Italy: no specific engagement, but there are already some groups that come together.

· Congo: Formation manual of the fraternity members. National committee that is eager to meet with other African groups

· Germany: It is Sister Stéphanie’s wish to participate in the next International Coordination

· Canada: good working group; successful activities

· USA: Sister Theresa sent us some news:

* A formation course is starting up in California

* Constitution of Lay associations from South California

· Asia, India, Korea, Japan, Pacifics: there’s no coordination group so far, but there are a lot of activities in each group.

MESSAGE FROM FATHER MICHAEL CURRAN

- It is his wish to see the Lay branch grow

- This growth will take some time

- Rita will represent the Lay during the Chapter

2. INTERNATIONAL MEETING IN 2006

Rita has already contacted:

· Norma in Brazil: the organisation turns out to be too difficult

· The provincial of the Dominican Republic: no answer

Louis suggests to organise a international meeting only for the representatives of each country and for the representatives of the three generalats.
Place: Issoudun (too expensive, problems with visa)
Date: 2006 (too soon)/2007 or 2008: proposal: St Domingo (Rita will send an e-mail and will contact the Provincial in Rome in september
The goal is to discuss:

· the orientation of the continental coordination

· the contents of the Charter

· the renewal of the International coordination

· the formation programme on the internet

During the MSC and FNDSC Chapters, the provinces will be asked to send us the addresses of their Provincial members (heads) as well as their ideas on the meeting of the Lay, their delegates and on the place and date of the meeting.

INTERNET SITE

- the part linked to the Alain de Boismenu Center should be adapted

- creating some pages on the European Coordination (each country should present itself; some explanation on each group)

- creating links with other websites

- updating by a professional: expensive!!!

- Sharing the costs between the groups: how???

- Formation course by Cor Novum and the Lay Council: Should we think about organising a advanced course; since the sessions of Cor Novum are not accessible to the Lay (price and duration)?

- If so, should we form a team that will work 3 years (financing???)

- Establishing links with the other countries so that they can share their formation?

- Spain, Belgium, The USA, Japan and Brazil already have a page dedicated to the Lay which can be found on the MSC website.

CONCLUSION

- As far as the formation is concerned, it is better to make the existing things accessible to others, rather than to create new things.

a. Cuskelly Symposium

b. Father Seveau Conference

- All Internet information on the formation should be controlled by Cor Novum

- All groups are responsible for distributing useful information.

SUNDAY JUNE 12

1/ FINANCIAL SITUATION

-cfr. Paper

- 200 euros donation for this meeting

- rough estimate of the costs for a meeting: 2000 to 3000 euros

2/ CONTRIBUTION FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE COORDINATION

- 10 euros per person: 80 euros are handed over to Louis

3/ REFLECTION ON THE FINANCIAL SITUATION

- With a donation of 5 euros per member, not all the costs will be covered.

- Each country should consider paying the travelling expenses of its representative

- The General Assembly and the Executive Committee should meet only once a year.

- Each country should find some people donating on a regular basis. Money can be handed over during our meetings.

- Each country has to make an effort to make a financial contribution (travelling expenses…)

4/ DISCUSSIONS ON THIS ISSUE

- Spain: asking a fair distribution of the travelling expenses (per country)

· Committee: responsible for all technical issues

· General Assembly: formation

· Sister Suzanne/Louis: keep the focus on the Lay Meeting rather than on the administrative side

· Belgium: it is not easy to find money – it is good to have a General Assembly in other countries, but the high costs will always be a problem

· The Netherlands: there must be a solution to this financial problem

· Father Mac Donald: ask a fixed contribution of 2 euros per person

· Switzerland: finances: part of the cost of the Letters is paid back

Meeting place in Switzerland: hard to find a place near center

5/ CONCLUSION ON THE MEETINGS

Executive Committee:

- will meet in Paris in November

- further reflection on the General Assembly in May: in November

- Louis will already make two reservations in Paris for the next meetings

6/ CONTACTS WITH THE OTHER COUNTRIES

- Louis has a list of all responsible Lay which goes back to Issoudun 99. Not sure whether these people are still active…

- Rita would like to send a personal message to each responsible lay announcing the official creation of the European Council. At the same time she will ask to check the addresses.

At the end of the meeting, Louis addresses a “thank you” to:

- Odile THOLLIN for her presence and her help as a translator. Louis will certainly ask her again to help!

- Sister Suzanne BEIGNON for a help and support. She will no longer be a representative of the Generalats

- Angeles FONDEVILLA for her cordiality and open-heartedness. Angeles will be replaced by Anna SANMARTIN

NEXT MEETING: PARIS November 19-20 2005

(place: to be confirmed)