(ANS – Rome) – The Moderator of the 27th General Chapter, Fr Francesco Cereda has sent a short note to the Moderators of the Provincial Chapters to set in motion the work of preparation.

As the timetables are being settled and the Moderators appointed Fr Cereda has sent the first working material. The Provincial Chapters are invited to make their contributions to the GC27 on the theme “Witnesses to the radical approach of the Gospel” and on the life of the Congregation, on the Constitutions and Regulations. These should reach the General Moderator by 15 July 2013.

“The Provincial Chapter,” article 170 of the Salesian Constitutions says, “ is the fraternal gathering in which the local communities strengthen their sense of belonging to the Provincial community, through their common concern for its general problems. It is also the representative assembly of all the confreres and local communities. It deliberates about matters which regard the province, with the exception of whatever is entrusted by the Constitutions and Regulations to other organs of government. The deliberations of the Provincial Chapter have binding force after the approval of the Rector Major with the consent of his Council, with the exception of what is prescribed by article 171,5 of the Constitutions.”

In agreement with the Provincial, the Moderator of the Provincial Chapter is called to organise and guide the work of the Chapter meetings. There will be 90 Chapters held throughout the Salesian world in the course of the coming year.

The text of the message of the General Moderator and the models of the forms to be used can be found on sdb.org in the section dedicated to the GC27.

Published 10/07/2012