12th meeting of the International Coordination of the Lay of the Chevalier Family and the Executive Committee of the Association “Lay of the Chevalier Family in Europe”

 

 

Paris, (France), May 20-21, 2006

 

 

 

Present: Rita CLEUREN (Belgium), Marie-Blanche CORDONIER (Switzerland), Louis JOLY (France), Mimi VAN POPPEL (The Netherlands), Sue KIMBERLEY (Great Britain), Ana San Martin (Spain), Sister Stephani ORLOWSKI (Germany), Nora Gonzalez de Cardona (Spain), Father Mark MACDONALD (MSC), Sister Rosalia Kunmartyatin (FNDSC), Sister Katea Taneko (FNDSC).

 

Excused: Martin KOVAC (Slovakia) and Sister Kim BONAVENTURA (MSC Sister)

 

 

After saying a prayer and preparing the celebration of Our Lady of the Holy Heart, the meeting starts.

 

 

  1. PRESENTATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS

 

There have been a number of changes in the composition of the participants. A short presentation:

 

·        Sister Stéphani: MSC Sister, lives in a German presbytery

·        Sue lives in England

·        Rita, Member of the Belgian Lay Council

·        Mimi lives in Holland

·        Nora from Colombia, but living in Madrid

·        Ana from Spain

·        Marie-Blanche Cordonier from Switzerland

·        Louis, MSC Lay from France, head of the Coordination since 1999, the first Lay meeting in Issoudun

·        Father Mark Mc Donald: MSC General

·        Sister Rosalia: FNDSC

·        Sister Katea: returns from Kiribas, is responsible for “Justice and Peace and Media”.

 

 

  1. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 3 GENERALATS and COR NOVUM

 

Each congregation has 1 person to accompany and to guide the Lay:

 

·        Father Mark Mac Donald, MSC

·        Sister Rosalia Kunmartyatin, FNDSC

·        Sister Kim Bonaventura, MSC Sisters

 

According to the statutes, there is only one representative for the 3 Generalats. This time however, things are different.

 

We need Sister Gérardine to let us know the name of the COR NOVUM representative.

 

Louis informs us of the document he addressed to the 3 Generalats, and in which he pointed out what is expected from them. He then received the list of addresses of the persons that are responsible for the Religious and the Lay.

 

 

  1. APPROVAL OF THE REPORT OF THE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 19-20, 2005.

 

The report is approved.

As to the statutes, Mimi would like to have a copy of the official prefecture decree in order to show it to the different groups in Holland.

The European statutes are drawn up according to the laws of the country in which the association has its seat, namely in France.

The statutes offer us a legal basis which enables us to have a banc account and insurances.

 

 

  1. DATE OF THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ASSOCIATION

 

Spring: general Assembly

Autumn: executive committee

 

The general Assemblies are accessible to all those that want to participate.

 

-         Sister Katea wonders how the other continents can be informed of the things that happen in Europe (travel and internet difficulties)

-         Rita suggests to send the meeting reports to the different continents (to the persons that are responsible for the Lay)

-         Louis reminds us of the Issoudun ’99 proposition: first the installation of the continental coordinating teams and then the installation of an International Coordinating team. That’s the reason why the current coordinating team has been installed: to draw up the statutes and to prepare the Formation itinerary. The European Coordinating team was born! It is still responsible for updating the Internet Site and for organizing the international meetings.

 

 

  1. SHARING THE LIVES OF OUR GROUPS

 

 

a)      The Netherlands

 

Tilburg:           Open House Weekend (Power Point presentation of the congregation)

                        Commitment of two new members

Meeting with the MSC and FNDSC provincials two or three times a year, sharing spirituality

                        After the holidays, 2 members will take care of the old priests

                        One member received a royal medal (35 years of service in the Red Cross)

 

Sittard:                        welcomed some new members

 

Arnhem:          worked on the encyclical of Pope Benedictus XVI

 

 

b)      Belgium: continues its normal yearly activities:

 

                        Pilgrimage to Issoudun (40 people)

                        December: weekend and commitments

Problem: the number of youngsters is decreasing (the religious guides of those youngsters quit)

 

c)            England

 

February: reopening of the Retreat Centre after renovation

3 persons left (illness, death), 2 new members

June: meeting prepared by 1 MSC and 3 Lay. Theme: Importance of the Spirituality of the Holy Heart (participation of Sister Gérardine)

 

 

d)         Germany: three groups, no relationship between them, no person responsible for the Lay .

 

- Sister Stephani is in charge of the Duisbourg group (18 women, gather once a month)

- Meeting structure:

 

·        Each woman receives a “Gospel” which will be her “leitmotiv” for one year

·        During each meeting, one woman shares her “gospel”

·        Each meeting: sharing God’s Gospel – Life – food

·        Whitsun 2006: a 5 days meeting

·        In June, 8 women will go to Tilburg for a commitment

·        Formation on Father Chevalier, given by Kees Braun

 

e)         France-Switzerland: thanks to the Lay Council, there are relationships between the groups – decreasing number of effective members.

 

Alain de Boismenu Communion

 

·        Prayer group (once a week)

·        Fraternity (once a month)

·        Way of the Cross in the parish, organised by the members for Good Friday

·        Warm welcome by the Mas Rillier Parish

·        Spiritual way from Easter to Whitsun (once a week, formation together with the parish)

·        Spiritual retreat in the month of July (with Father Karl Elsener, msc)

·        Common weekend with the FMSC, “God is Love” (commitment of Louise and renewal of the commitment of Louis and Nadette)

·        For Easter, accompanying the baptism of an adult family member of Béthanie

 

MSC Fraternity: some problems with the letters.

 

f)          Spain

 

The Madrid Group:

 

·        14 members that renew their commitments every year in the month of December

·        Meeting every Monday (25 persons) on one theme or one text.

·        2 meetings a month to discuss the spirituality of Father Chevalier

·        Every Thursday, sharing prayer and gospel

·        Material: selling lottery tickets, money collection, market: the money goes to a school in Argentina

·        Problem: lack of young people in the groups

 

 

g)         Sister Rosalia

 

·        A lot of women, few men in the groups

·        How to inform and motivate young people into this spirituality? (In Indonesia, youngsters react in a positive way)

 

 

h)         Sister Katea

 

·        Presents a booklet on the lives of the Lay groups linked with FNDSC

 

 

i)          Father Mark Mac Donald

 

Tries to meet Lay people during each visit: each group is different; there are a lot of activities and there is a good atmosphere, in spite of the age of the members! Although all groups are different, they share a common interest: SPIRITUALITY;

Canada, Australia, USA

 

·        Brazil (Session Cor Novum + MSC + FNDSC + 3 Lay)

·        Cameroon: during the UAF Council meeting (one lay formed a discussion group round “The Annals” + FNDSC group

·        Dominican Republic: Lay meeting under the direction of Father Dario Taveiras (30.000 Members)

·        Austria + South Germany + Slovakia: meeting of lay and religious

·        Congo: formation is started up for the Brazzaville group

·        Africa: Meeting “Justice and Peace” for the Chevalier Family

·        Dominican Republic: Meeting “Justice and Peace” for the Chevalier Family for Peru, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador and Guatemala, but no Lay…one female Lay from Cuba.

 

 

  1. INTERNATIONAL MEETING

 

The dates proposed by Father Juan of the Republic are not convenient. Too little time left to prepare the meeting. There are also other important meetings this year!

 

Decision: The meeting will take place in 2008

 

·        1ste phase: send invitations to every one

·        2nd phase: prepare the meeting in detail

·        3rd phase: send the registration forms

 

 

1. Rita will contact Father Juan to ask him:

 

·        Other possible dates in 2008

·        Other locations (Monte de Oracion)

·        Whether there are local Lay people that can take up the local organisation.

·        To find a direct link with Santo Domingo (contact person). To contact the Provincial.

 

2. Before the end of June 2006

 

·        Announcement: date, place, organisation and programme of the meeting

·        Desiderata

 

 

  1. OBJECTIVES AND CONTENTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING

 

To be mentioned in the initial information map:

 

Mimi:

 

- Deepen spirituality, but at the same time find structures to have more contact and communication between us.

 

Ana:

 

- Communication is very important!

 

Katea:

 

-         Don’t limit the number of participants! If someone wants to pay for his trip, accept it!

-         Participating in an international meeting gives our members a feeling of belonging to one big family and motivates them to get to know the charisma and way of living throughout the world!

 

Marie-Blanche:

 

-         sharing spirituality and life

-         looking at the future of the International Coordinating team

 

 

Louis:

 

-         Time for Fraternity (to be mentioned in the initial information)

-         Participation open to every one

-         Sharing and communication (this is quite difficult however, due to the poor knowledge of the languages and translation problems)

-         Plan a meeting with the delegates of the different countries (during the week)

-         What is clear today is the European Association! As the people that are responsible for each country have changed since 1999, we have to make the International Coordinating team transparent again. The functioning of the International Coordinating team must go on!

 

 

Stéphani:

 

-         Communion between everyone!

-         Get to know one another

-         Not only celebrating in church, but sharing good moments together

-         Communion with people living there (history)

-         Sharing the lives of the groups; discussing the charter (update, evaluation)

-         The future of the Lay: formation and spirituality

-         The executive Committee would have to write to the Lay that do not have a person responsible. They should, however, transmit us the name of one lay that is responsible (transmit it through the MSC or FNDSC)

 

 

Sue:

 

-         It is important to learn how other countries live their spirituality.

-         History of the host country

-         Know what others do…to take an example…

 

 

Mark:

 

-         Most representatives will come from The Dominican Republic and South America (Language – Travel expenses)

-         There will only be few representatives from Africa, Asia and Australia. Although, these countries count the largest number of MSC groups! Maybe it is good to have a first meeting in one of these countries?

-         Take into account some differences, such as the autonomy of the Lay in relation to the Religious. Problems between Religious and Lay.

-         It would be advisable for Louis and Rita to go to the Dominican Republic to meet the Lay there and prepare the meeting.

 

 

Rosalia:

 

-         Every contact person should be informed of what happens in Europe!

-         Ask them to participate

-         Invite one or two persons from other continents to participate in our weekends!

 

 

Rita:

 

-         Regrets that most persons responsible for the Lay are still Religious

-         It is important that people know the Lay!

-         It is essential that we meet with other Lay to confirm each other and to make each other enthusiastic, to support one another…We have to realise that we are not alone to “live His Heart”!

 

 

 

At the end of the meeting, we like to express our warmest thanks to the Community of the Rue des Roses for its hospitality!

 

 

 

Next Meetings

 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: December 16-17, 2006 in Paris

GENERAL ASSEMBLY: April 21-22, 2007 in Issoudun.

 

 

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