Rome, January 26, 2020
To the Superiors of the Circumscriptions
and
Brothers and Sisters of the Pauline Family
_____________________________________
Topic: Indiction of the Biblical Year of the Pauline Family
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Today, January 26, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, at the conclusion of the Vocational Year of the Pauline Family, together with the entire Church we celebrate Word of God Sunday, instituted by Pope Francis with his apostolic letter Aperuit Illis. As Pauline Family, we welcome this invitation for renewing the centrality of the Word of God in our life and in our mission, according to the inheritance received from our Founder, Blessed James Alberione. We announce to you that,
from November 26, 2020 until November 26, 2021,
we will celebrate together as Pauline Family,
the Year of the Word of God
with the theme: «That the Lord’s Message May Spread Quickly» (2Thes 3:1).
The common objective of the Biblical Year is: “Walking with the Church, we renew ourselves through familiarity, study and prayerful reading of the Sacred Scriptures, in order to live the Word of God so that it reaches everyone, especially those on the existential and thought peripheries”.
The choice of November 26, anniversary of the eternal Pasch of our Founder, Blessed James Alberione, emphasizes his special bond to the Word. He, too, may be defined as a Man of the Word of God: a listener and untiring and prophetic apostle. This renewed centrality of the Word of God, incarnated in Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life, and Good Shepherd, will serve as a preparation for the 50th anniversary of his death in 2021.
For the celebration of the Pauline Biblical Year, we have established a Central Biblical Commission consisting of representatives from the five congregations of the Pauline Family: Fr. Giacomo Perego (SSP), Sr. Anna Matikova (FSP), Sr. Myriam Manca (PDDM), Sr. Sandra Pascoalato (SJBP), Sr. Letizia Molesti (AP).
At this time we invite all the Superiors of the Circumscriptions, especially in those nations with a larger representation of the Pauline Congregations, Aggregated Institutes and Cooperators, to establish a Biblical Commission consisting of brothers and sisters of the Pauline Family. For the purpose of apostolic animation, they are asked to propose biblical, pastoral and ecumenical initiatives on a national level. We ask that, by March 1, 2020, the names of the members and the contact person be communicated to the Central Biblical Commission in order to create an interactive communications network among the central and national Commissions to foster creative animation in response to the ecclesial, ecumenical and cultural questions that we encounter over time. Each member of the Central Biblical Commission will be the contact person for the National Biblical Commissions of the Pauline Family:
Ø for Latin America: Sr. Sandra Pascoalato (spascoalato@yahoo.com.br);
Ø For Central and Eastern Europe and Asia: Sr. Anna Matikova (anna@paulinky.cz);
Ø For Africa: Fr. Giacomo Perego (giacomo.perego@stpauls.it);
Ø For America-Australia: Sr. Myriam Manca (miriam.manca@piediscepole.it);
Ø For Europe: Sr. Letizia Molesti (molesti.l@apostoline.it).
It is our hope that this initiative will be welcomed and assumed joyfully by all. May this time of preparation for the celebration of the Pauline Biblical Year be intensely lived everywhere that “the Lord’s message may spread quickly and be received with honor” now and forever (cf 2Thes 3:1).
Don Valdir José De Castro, ssp
Superior General
Suor Anna Caiazza, fsp
Superior General
Suor Micaela Monetti, pddm
Superior General
Suor Aminta Sarmiento Puentes, sjbp
Superior General
Suor Marina Beretti, ap
Superior General
