With the presence of 57 delegates from the communities and offices of the former Units of Central America, San Juan-Puerto Rico and Haiti, they met in solemn session to celebrate the Elective Chapter, which has as its purpose the election of the Provincial Government of the new reconfigured Province. The new Province will comprise the countries of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. Approximately 120 perpetually professed members speak Spanish, English, Creole, French and other native languages.
The meeting is being held from 30 July to 6 August at the Archdiocesan House of Our Lady of Altagracia in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.
This historic event has the presence and accompaniment of the general consultors Fr. Jairo Díaz, Br. Larry Luján; the executive secretary for formation, Fr. Gerardo Hernández; and the presence of the coordinator of the Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean, P. Marcelo Araujo.
The Chapter, as stipulated in the General Electoral Directory, began with a day of retreat, where, in the light of the Word, the General Constitutions, and the documents of the Congregation, Monsignor Faustino Burgos, CM, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Santo Dominencouragedrted us to allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, under the principles of restructuring and taking into account the profile of the leader and animator in the current context of the Church.
At the end of the first day, we had the solemn Eucharist presided by Monsignor Faustino. We invoked the Holy Spirit, to begin with the solemn session in which the credentials of the capitulars were verified, some canonical issues were clarified, and the questioning of the major superiors for the opening of the Chapter took place.
Fr. Jairo Díaz, on behalf of Father General and his Council, expressed the joy of accompanying the first reconfigured Unit in electing its new Government, thanked for all the work that has been done over the last few years and which has led to the approval of essential documents for the New Unit. He encouraged all participants to move forward in the restructuring process with courage and hope.
Similarly, Fr. Marcelo Araujo expressed the importance of the event we are living in. He urged us to see the context of the restructuring process, which is more than that of reconfiguration because it contains the attitudes necessary to live our being and doing as Redemptorists in the Church and in the world.
We commend ourselves to the prayers of the whole Redemptorist family that we may be docile to the inspirations of the Spirit and the signs of the times.
Fr. Manuel Cruz, C.Ss.R
