On May 18, the Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean concluded the 3rd phase of the XXVI General Chapter. The assembly of confreres and associates for the mission occurred at the Marianella Retreat House in Atyrá, Paraguay. Fr. Rogério Gomes, Superior General, and Fr. Jairo Díaz, General Consultor, represented the General Government. Fr. Vicente Soria, General Treasurer and Fr. José Carlos Linhares, General Procurator, were also present. The other confreres came from all the Latin America and the Caribbean units, so there were 58 participants, including three mission associates.
Phase III of General Chapter XXVI aims to:
1) Communicate to the entire Congregation, through the Conferences, the spirit of the canonical phase of the General Chapter.
2) To discern ways to implement the decisions of the General Chapter to revitalize the apostolic life of the Conference and continue the process of restructuring and reconfiguring the mission.
3) Provide a structure for the General Government to present the plan for the next sexennium.
4) To make a strategic plan for the Conference viable for the next six years.
To achieve these objectives, the Superior general, the conference consultor and the conference coordinator updated through their reports on the process and development of the XXVI General Chapter, from what happened since Phase I, the Canonical Phase and the projection for Phase III.
Fr. Rogério Gómes presented the plan for the six-year term of the General Government. The themes of Redemptorist Identity, Redemptorist Mission, Redemptorist Life, Formation of the Redemptorist Mission and Leadership for the Redemptorist Mission were worked on in groups.
While working in groups, suggestions were made for the strategic plan of the Conference, related to its areas of intervention and the plan of the General Government for the six years.
Amid the work and reflection, there was an atmosphere of fraternity and joy, a day of relaxation and a visit to the Iguazu Falls in Brazil.
The second week was marked by intense work. Throughout those days, the strategic plan of the Conference was approved, which included an emphasis on community life, the continuity of the work of restructuring and reconfiguration, a commitment to strengthen ongoing formation, a dedicated option for vocation promotion, the constant review and evaluation of initial formation, as well as a positive evaluation of the experience of the three novitiates of the Conference.
The assembly proposed three candidates to the General Government from which the new conference coordinator will be named. There were presented a detailed report of the missions of Cuba, Surinam and Uruguay, and information was given on the processes and advances that each future unit is making in the process of reconfiguration.
The evaluation of the meeting was positive since it helped all the participants to strengthen the bonds of fraternity and missionary life.
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