Final Message to the Pauline Family
XXIX Meeting of the Governments of the Pauline Family
“The Pauline Family: a ‘Letter’ of St. Paul to People Today”
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
From Friday the 7th to Monday the 10th of January 2011, the General Governments of the five Congregations of the Pauline Family held their annual meeting, whose theme and particular color this year was that of preparation for the centenary of foundation of the Pauline Family.
In our 3-year itinerary of preparation for this event on the General Government level, we dedicated this first year to looking afresh at our history and roots, and to reflecting more deeply on the Pauline charism in its historical context.
In 2012 we will focus on today-the present time-as Fr. Alberione did when he listened attentively to the people of his time. In 2013, instead, we will seek to courageously and creatively embark on the project that will give direction to our apostolic future in the Church and world.
It is especially significant-not something of minor importance-that having communitarianly experienced the beatification of our Founder, we are now preparing to celebrate the centenary of foundation of the Society of St. Paul and thus the initiation of the Pauline Family.
After all the participants in the meeting were welcomed, everyone was informed of the journey that has been made as a consequence of almost 30 years of General Government meetings. It is consoling that everything accomplished has been meticulously recorded and stored on a DVD available to our Institutes’ Secretaries and anyone else who wants to consult this material.
Sr. Regina Cesarato, Superior General of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, then opened the encounter by guiding our lectio on the theme: “You are our letter” (2 Co. 3:2-3).
During the first three days, the assembly listened to speakers who helped everyone reflect on the three contexts that characterized Fr. Alberione’s period of charismatic activity:
Friday, 7 January: Fr. Giampaolo Laugero, Professor of Church History, enlightened us concerning “The Ecclesial and Pastoral Context of the Life of Fr. James Alberione up to the End of the Foundation Period (1960).”
Saturday, 8 January: Fr. Maurilio Guasco, Professor of Contemporary Political Thought, explained “The Socio-Cultural Context of Fr. James Alberione’s Foundation Period (1914-1960).”
Sunday, 9 January: Fr. Silvio Sassi, Superior General of the Society of St. Paul, spoke to us about “The Communications Context and Evangelization Project of the Pauline Family.”
On Saturday afternoon, first on the small group level and then in general assembly, we focused on the proposals that should constitute the initiatives of the Centenary. Alongside the various initiatives, what emerged almost everywhere was the need to take advantage of this occasion to get to know Fr. Alberione and the Pauline charism better and also help others get to know them. Another element that emerged was the urgent need to start afresh, with a renewed heart, in carrying out a concrete journey as a family, witnessing more visibly and effectively to collaboration and to our common apostolate of evangelization according to our respective charismatic orientations, “always attentive to the needs of our receivers,” as Fr. Silvio reminded us in his concluding homily, and, naturally to the spiritual formation of our evangelizers through creative listening to the Word.
In this regard, on Monday morning, the Centenary Commission presented the assembly with the results of its work, namely: a proposal that will now be developed and sent to all the circumscriptions and communities of the Institutes of the Pauline Family. The fundamental elements of this proposal, which covers a three-year period, are as follows:
2011-2012: narrative and historical reflection on the surroundings and contexts in which the Pauline charism and the person of the Founder matured so as to focus on the progressive birth of our various Congregations and the formation of the Pauline Family.
2012-2013: a recounting of the story of the Pauline Family from 1971-2011, after the Founder left his sons and daughters to continue his work.
2013-2014: “Onward!” The journey awaiting us, which must be guided by the phenomenon of communications. To imagine what the Pauline Family will be like, taking as our point of departure the receivers of our common mission and our convergent apostolates.
The Centenary initiatives will begin on 20 August 2011 and the dates which should be given special attention are: the birth of Primo Maestro (4 April); the foundation of the Society of St. Paul (20 August), and the death of Primo Maestro (26 November).
The result should be coherent initiatives, giving privilege to those that are the fruit of meetings and collaboration and that are future-oriented so that our Family will emerge from this Centenary renewed, open to the needs of the people of today and moving forward in a spirit of hope.
Affectionately in Christ the Master, Way, Truth and Life,
The Participants in the Meeting
