On Saturday, April 2, the General Commission for Partnership in Mission gathered, for the first time ever, the members of all the Conference-level Commissions or Working Groups for Partnership in Mission on Zoom. Present were Fr Michael Brehl, CSsR, our Superior General, who addressed the gathering with inspiring introductory comments that set the tone for the rest of the gathering. Also present were Fr Pedro Lopez, CSsR, Chair of the General Secretariat for Evangelization, Fr Nicholas Ayouba, CSsR and Fr Sebastian Ani Dato, CSsR, both of the General Government, Conference Coordinators Fr Jack Kingsbury, CSsR (North America), Fr Jovencio Ma, CSsR (Asia-Oceania), Fr Johannes Romelt, CSsR (Europe), the members of the General Commission for Partnership in Mission, and members of the five Conference-level Commissions or Working Groups for Partnership in Mission. Translators were Fr Cristian Bueno, CSsR and Fr Manny Rodriguez, CSsR.
There were two purposes for the gathering.
The first purpose was simply to meet one another. Each of the five groups was asked to prepare a short presentation introducing the members of their commission and the focus of their work within each Conference. This sharing was rich, and gave everyone a sense of the similarities and differences of the work of the commissions in the five Conferences. Our hope was that, in encountering one another and listening, participants would be able to identify ideas that they might like to try or adapt, and begin to share resources across the Redemptorist family.
The second purpose of the gathering was for the General Commission to ask the Conference-level PIM coordinating groups “How might we serve you better?” As this question was posed, many ideas were raised and shared. This conversation gave the General Commission for Partnership in Mission lots of ideas to pursue!
At the end of the two-hour gathering, Fr Pedro Lopez, CSsR offered closing comments. Thirty participants had come to their computer screens having never met. They parted with a new sense of solidarity and gospel friendship. We look forward to future gatherings, and re-igniting the sparks kindled on April 2.
Anne Walsh
Office for Shared Mission
