SIT DOWN « AND » JOURNEYING TOGETHER part 2

The first preparatory session of the general Assembly went on at the central House from 12 to 15 of September. Here are two testimonies about that, beginning with Benard Mukeku Mutisya. « The call « to sit down » to reflect, issued by the Superior general  during the opening of the assembly, did not only characterized the meetings of the second week, but much more the synthesis, the deepening and the development of the informations received in the reports and even the emerging ideas. Mposo Makwanda made the work easier: a « brainstorming » aiming at having us express our vision, a search for orientations to identify the fundamental questions to be studied and also to discover the dreams that we have for the future.

« The work in plenary session was characterized by moments of clarification, questioning and searching , moments of difficulties and of tensions, laughs and jokes, moments also when we had the impression of going round in circles. All of that was part of the process aiming at finding good points of departure so as to dream together, to walk together.  At the end, we already had foreseen a good part of the path to be followed. 
« At the closing of the session, we shared the moments that we had lived and the progress accomplished during that first preparatory phase of the assembly. Committees were formed that will work on proposed themes. Thanks to all those who allowed that that session ends in a fruitful way. It is not the end but rather the beginning of a new phase. The preparation goes on. » (Benard Mukeku).
 
The it was the turn of Jean Greffard who wrote the following: « Thursdy September 15, the last day of that first preparatory session of the general Assembly, was devoted to agree together on what will be the themes to be put forward to our attention. Finally, we can regroup them under three chapter titles: radiance, cohesion, governance. The first is about the mission that we wish to live out in the coming years. What shall we radiate around us? The second is in line with « Journeying together », the cohesion between us  in that Society characterized by the vast diversity of its members. The third one touches questions of service of governance, the shared leadership and the general services.

« Each theme will first contain a description of the situation. That look will be followed by an analysis of the situation in the light of the Word of God and of the multiple sources to be found in our documents and of those of the Church. That phase of « making a judgement » will have to result in concrete propositions for action. We have formed three committees that twill work on those three themes from now on until the second preparatory session of the general Assembly 2023 that will take place from February 7 to 16, 2023.

« The assembly has well begun thanks to the contribution of each one present. All of us, we hope, will keep on being invited to participate in the assembly in the coming weeks and months to come. » (Jean Greffard)