(ANS – Rome) – This morning 23 November at the Salesianum in Rome, the 78th Half-yearly  Assembly of the USG opened, entitled “Transmitting the Faith.” The 130 Religious Superiors of Orders and Congregations in the Union of Superiors General (USG), intend to continue reflection on the Theological Seminar held in February 2011 and already begun at their Assembly in May.

The day began with an opening prayer and welcome by the Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chávez, as President of the USG. Starting from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans “I am not ashamed of the Good News: it is the power of God saving all who have faith” (Rm, 1, 16), Fr Chávez indicated the characteristics of the “new evangelisation” to which the Church, including religious, are called. He spoke about the need to gather the “semina verbi”, that is to say, whatever is beautiful and true in the world of today which opens the way to God; and the need for new evangelisers, able to make a proclamation that is  “more explicit and more disinterested”. “In the end what matters is not that mankind today listens to us and accepts our teaching or our institutions, but listens to the Son of God and his Gospel,” he said.

The first talk was given by Fr Salvatore Currò, from the Congregation of St Joseph (CSJ), who summarised the reflections of the USG at the previous Assembly: from the recognised need for a theology of consecrated life, to the  various  sensitivities  which are maturing among religious, from the spiritual point of view, and that of fraternal communion and of the apostolic mission.

After a period of shared reflection, and exchange of ideas, Fr Mario Aldegani CSJ then spoke about some parables in the gospel of Matthew  drawing from them some useful teaching concerning the service of authority and of animation by Superiors and Councils. Then he made some suggestions about giving daily attention to the Word of God, to people and to events, the Church and the charism. He concluded with three proposals: being committed “guiding the process of change,” animating local communities often focusing only on the present; undertaking administration and government as forms of group work; having confidence in God and in ones’ confreres.

The programming of the activities and the arrangement of dividing the participants into table-groups facilitated the sharing of reflections and ideas.

Published 23/11/2011