2nd meeting of the International Coordination
of Lay MSC of the Chevalier family
Further to the decisions made during the international meeting of the Chevalier family “Issoudun 99” which took place in July, the second meeting of the International coordination of the Lay MSC took place in the Alain de Boismenu Centre in Miribel (France) on the 24th and 25th of June 2000.
Were present delegates representing
the different European countries:
Marie-Blanche CORDONNIER from
Switzerland, Rita CLEUREN from Belgium, Sue KIMBERLEY from England, Angeles
FONDEVILA from Spain and Mimi VAN POPPEL from the Netherlands.
Claire PERSONETTE from the
USA joined us. She is a full member of the meeting.
Stephany ORLOWSKI does not
take part in this meeting, as there are for the time being no Lay MSC in Germany.
Sister Barbara DANIELS msc,
represented the COR NOVUM team from Issoudun.
Sister Suzanne BEIGNON findsc,
represented the three generalates of Rome (MSC, FNDSC, MSC Sisters).
For the Spanish translation,
Isabelle, a friend of the Alain de Boismenu Centre, will translate on Saturday
and Odile THOLLIN, member of the Alain de Boismenu Communion, will be there
on Sunday (a big thank you for this essential help).
The Father General MSC Michaël CURRAN
sent us a message in which he says: “We have started international collaboration.
Patience and courage are needed to go on, because the desire for this collaboration
of the Lay MSC is growing in the entire world. Its growing will need to take
the time of maturing and the growing can’t come from the top but rather from
the base, but with the coordination team welcoming it”.
This message invites us to remember
that the objective of the international coordination isn’t to organise or decide,
but to nurture union and sharing between the different groups of Lay MSC of
the Chevalier family in the world. Each group remains entirely autonomous, responsible
and free, with respect for its culture and its country’s daily realities.
1) Composition and renewal of the international coordination team
The international coordination team is composed of the European representatives for practical and financial reasons meeting physically once or twice a year. It is open to delegates of other countries who would like to participate. In that respect, we are very happy to welcome today Claire PERSONETTE from the USA.
The length of the mandates of the
members of the coordination was reflected upon. Several propositions were made
(Netherlands, 3 years with an additional 3 years - The members shouldn’t all
change at the same time - Spain 2 or 3 years length - How will the appointments
be made? etc)
The questions stay open for
the present while it was decided to ask the different countries their opinions
in a future letter.
2) Representation of the three generalates (MSC, FNDSC, MSC Sisters)
The international coordination team
is happy to welcome sister Suzanne BEIGNON fndsc, as delegate of the three Generalates
of the Chevalier family.
She passes on the questions
asked by the three responsible persons of Lay MSC of the Generalates: Sister
Mechtild (MSC Sister), Father Fernando (MSC) and Sister Suzanne (Sister FNDSC):
- What are you expecting from
the three generalates? What does the representation of the three generalates
consist of? What is the delegate’s role?
In answer to that, was underlined the fact that what was important today was:
1. Spiritual guidance to help us to remain faithful to the spirituality and the charisma of Father Jules Chevalier.
2. The help and information of the 3 congregations about all that concerns a greater communion in the Chevalier family, and the development of the vocation of the Lay group, respecting the independence of each branch.
3. Sharing the experience and the universal vision of the Generalates worldwide.
4. Support of the international dimension of training with COR NOVUM’s help.
It is to answer that need that the responsible team of COR NOVUM, in answer to the petition made by the international coordination team and the training team of the Committee of Lay of the province France/Switzerland, has named :
· Sister Barbara DANIELS (MSC Sister) for the International Coordination
· Father Mark MacDonald (MSC) for the training team of the Committee of Lay of France/Switzerland.
3) Website assessment
Firstly, let us remember that the Internet site is to be a training and sharing tool. Those that have access to the website in the different countries must take care to consult the texts and to communicate them to those that don’t have access to that mean of information.
The website must have two functions:
1. To propose training texts approved by the coordination and COR NOVUM
2. To offer a place where the experiences and reflections of the different groups of the Chevalier family in the world can be shared.
It is important to find in our groups
people who can translate the texts and the personal experiences made accessible
on the website.
To stay faithful to Father
Jules Chevalier’s spirit, the texts used in training will always be checked
by the COR NOVUM team before they are made available on the website.
First of all, there’s the “Booklet on the spirituality of the heart” which is a support, a basic training, to engage with people who are questing. It exists in French and some texts are translated into English (thank you in advance to those that are able to send in more translations).
The Committee of Lay of the France/Switzerland
Province is currently working on a training scheme (composed of sheets) on the
basis of the book by Father E.J. CUSKELLY msc “Jules Chevalier, the man and
his mission”.
We have shared what the different
countries do (Belgium, Netherlands, USA, Spain). Spain has a very interesting
book by Sister Clara, msc, for the Lay’s training.
Even though it is necessary
to prepare an initiation process based on Father Cuskelly’s book, it is also
necessary that the countries tell us what they expect, what they need, what
they already have where training is concerned.
We suggest that the training scheme should be available on website. It should be available in several languages, but time is needed to design and translate it. There are 7 training sheets per year and the scheme lasts for 2 years.
To help communication, the Generalates are asked to communicate to Louis JOLY, at the Alain de Boismenu Centre, the names and addresses of the people responsible for the groups and the lay coordinators they know of.
A sharing group “Egroups” was opened
by USA Lay after “Issoudun 99”. It is called “laymsc”, and it is possible to
register on the website. We invite you to join, to share your personal experiences,
your prayer intentions, your news, etc.
We remind you not to forget
those who don’t have access to the website. It is important that in one given
country, those who have access to the website, communicate and share the information
with everyone. Also, conversely, it would be good if the delegate could be told
what exists already and put it on the website for all to read.
For the international coordination, the most important point where training is concerned is that in the continents and in the countries, coordinations are created to ensure union, sharing and transmission of information.
4) Financing the international coordination
The expenses since the last meeting in November 1999 have been: setting up the website, contributing to buy a computer and the expenses of the 2 meetings and of coordination members’ trips. We still have approximately 43 000 FF left.
The budget forecast to maintain the coordination is 5 000 FF for the website’s development, and the remaining cash will allow to finance 2 or 3 other meetings of the international coordination.
We thank all those who help the international coordination’s work:
· Belgium who has donated 8 000 FF.
· Great Britain who finances Sue KIMBERLEY’s trip to this meeting.
· Spain who financed Angeles and Father José Maria’s trips to both meetings.
· The members of the Alain de Boismenu Communion who help with the translations and secretarial work voluntarily.
· For all who have helped voluntarily in doing the great work of translating the texts accessible on the website.
5) Planning the next meetings of Lay MSC
We ask all the Lay MSC: what are your wishes for the next international meetings?
Wouldn’t it be important to plan, first, meetings by countries or by continents around 2003, and to plan a new international meeting for 2005 or 2006? What suggestions do you have (dates, places, subject matters, etc...)?
The date of the next international coordination
meeting is set on the 24th and 25th of March 2001 in MIRIBEL.
Thank you for your reactions and suggestions, which will be welcome.
The coordination team will always be happy to welcome
a delegate from another continent and to contribute to the cost of the trip.
We are very happy that Claire PERSONETTE was present at this meeting. Her presence
has been very fruitful.
We give thanks to God for this meeting which
has made us grow in fraternal love and in knowing each other beyond the differences
of languages.
May Our Lady of the Sacred Heart accompany us on this
road to union and may she allow us to proclaim to the world, in all languages:
That the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere!