TO ALL THE SISTERS OF THE CONGREGATION

We, the sisters gathered in the General Chapter, conclude this phase of ¨LOOK¨ at our congregational reality emitting a realistic diagnosis, alive, not theoretical, recognizing the lights and shades and the rays of lights in the nights that it give to our life and mission as Capuchin Tertiary Sisters.

This is the vision of the Congregation stated from the synthesis of the first documents studied as follows:

1. “Evaluating from Life” A report by the General Superior and Council. Six Years Term 2004-2010.
2. “Synthesis of Communities” the work summary about the themes in preparation for the XXI General Chapter.
3. Report of the Superiors from different demarcations.

 

   1.CULTURAL CONTEXT:

Relevant aspects that mostly influence our style of life and mission.

   WE HAVE VERIFIED:

*  In more developed countries, still, we encounter an evident search for God. In Africa, America, and Asia, there is a profound sense of religious transcendence and inclination to contemplation; in the same manner, we value the testimony of hope, solidarity and courage of many people in front of pain and difficulties.

*  The feminine religious has a great credibility before the people, especially in America and Asia.

*  In some countries of Africa, America and Asia and in significant sectors of Europe, the family and the sense of belongingness to a group are valued; hospitality and the celebrating Feasts are lived intensely.

*  From a just valuing of the person, in its entire dimension, groups and movements exist, seriously committed to protect life, promote justice, peace and preservation of nature.

*  We live in a global forest of net, communicated and informed by the advance mediums of social communication and the new technologies that cover up all the continents.

* The openness to other cultures is increasing that creates new ways of relations, tolerance and social sensibility.

*  Ecumenism and interreligious dialogue are intensified particularly in Europe due to immigration and in some countries with significant Islamic presence.

      AT THE SAME TIME

 * Secular and Lay society prevail, where relativism and the “weak mentality” is the approach that define the truths and attitudes. The cult to the person is exaggerated and individualism, the auto realization, the claim for rights with less obligations, the superficiality, the easy life, the fast and temporal compromise are reinforced. These realities are detected particularly in Europe although it has a growing influence to other countries.

*  The ambitions for power and to possess are causing corruption generally in many countries.

*  The weakening of the prophetic testimony of the Church and of Religious Life is visibly weakened in the affective and effective compromise for the poor.

*  In Africa as well as in America and Asia, life is less valued and the space for responsible autonomy is not granted.

*  The disintegration of traditional family and the acceptance the other type of unions are perceived.

 2.THE CENTRALITY OF GOD IN OUR PERSONAL LIFE:

         WE HAVE VERIFIED:

 *  What significant steps were taken for the conscious personal and free response to the preferential love of God? Response:

1. A life centered in the following of the person of Jesus Christ,
2. in the attitude of conversion and openness to the Spirit,
3. through the living of the Eucharist, listening to the Word and sharing of faith,
4. that makes us live with evangelical criteria.

     AT THE SAME TIME

 *  We see ourselves lost in our charismatic identity ( minority, simplicity, poverty) 

*  Weakening of our radical following of Jesus Christ, lacking of passion for Him, and weak experience of faith and prayers that make us live superficially.

*  God is not always the first that convenes and sends off. We lack mysticism and prophecy.

*  Lack of coherence between faith and life due to insufficient prayer and profound spirituality.

*  Weak theological and charismatic foundation of obedience. We put reason above faith.

*  Lack of personal discernment.

*  Some aspects of postmodern culture are influencing us in a wrong way.

 3.MISTIC-PRHOPHETIC COMMUNITY OF CHARISMATIC AND TESTIMONIAL QUALITY:

WE HAVE VERIFIED:

*  Option for a community life lived in simplicity, with welcoming attitude and closeness with familiar relationship, in co-responsibility and all that is indicated in the Personal and Community Plan.

* Consciousness in the necessity of having a community life with human and humanizing quality which strengthen the joyful living of our consecration particularly in the living of chastity that becomes a vocational reference.

*  To take effort in order to maintain communion within differences and that, above those, promote reconciliation and love.

* Steps for the integration of intercommunity and interprovincial were taken.

     AT THE SAME TIME

*  There is no sufficient conviction that God is the one that convokes and that a sister is a gift for me.  

*  We experience that in our communities there isn´t always a space for mutual accompaniment, openness and testimony that can welcome and accompany the sisters in the initial formation.  

*  There are some cases of human and affective immaturity. 

*  In situations of conflicts, community discernment and open dialogue are difficult; above all, there´s a lack of warmth and quality in fraternal life, humility and minority.  

*  Oftentimes fraternal correction that can take us to open and personal relationships, transparent and profound, where we can learn to put our personal interest for common good and make us able to accept ourselves in diversity and personal limitation is not given nor received .  

*  The individualism, which sometimes makes our personal interest, prevails.

*  Lack of balance between prayer, mission and fraternal life.

*  Lack of criteria in the use of medium of social communication (TV, internet, cellular phones,..) that makes fraternal relationship difficult and in some cases, becomes a way of self compensation.

*  With certain regularity, it is observed that the Local Superiors fail to animate and to give personal or group accompaniment.

*  Sometimes the difficulty exists in relationship because of age gap, cultural differences, formation and criteria.

*  Excessive reference to biological family.

 4. PASSION FOR EVANGELIZATION:

        WE HAVE VERIFIED :

 * We are growing in consciousness that the life and testimony in community is already a mission.  

* The formulation and the animation of the evaluation of the Global Pastoral Plan have stirred the enthusiasm to evangelize and its application in the projects of the different Demarcations.  

*  The conviction of being sent and accompanied by the community to serve and to creatively offer for the evangelizing mission.

*  The realization of the mission with availability, familiarity, solidarity, and self offering, promoting values of gratitude and the service to the poor.

*  The significant presence committed to the new forms of poverty and insertion.

*  The concern and the compromise for social justice, to protect life and the promotion of human dignity.

*  The expansion of the mission and the animation of vocations in Africa and Asia.

       AT THE SAME TIME

 * The lack of prophecy and the capacity to risk and to offer oneself, to be sent out to open-up to the new cultures and new forms of poverty.

*  The difficulty to assume the compromise to live “in poverty among the poor”, to open ourselves for a change and give up our own criteria.

*  With exception of some Demarcations, in general, the deserved attention to Pastoral Work in Families is not given.

 5. CHARISM SHARED WITH LAITIES:

WE HAVE VERIFIED:

*  The organized Amigonian Lay Movement has increased in some Demarcations.

*  The realization of the Formation Encounters of Assessor Sisters.

*  The elaboration of materials for formation for the accompaniment of groups.

*  The programming and interprovincial activities with the Capuchin Tertiary Fathers.

*  The celebration of the Amigonian Jubilee Year.

      AT THE SAME TIME

*  There´s a need to reinforce the leadership and formation of the sisters that assess the groups.

*  The laities need more accompaniment in their process of formation.

*  The need to re-start the Lay Amigonian Movement.

 6. FORMATION:

      WE HAVE VERIFIED:

*  The importance given by the General Government and by Demarcations to the formation at all level as much at the initial as well as to the Permanent.

* The effort of the Congregation concerning the elaboration, follow-up of projects, programs and diverse opportunities for Ongoing Formation.

*  The acceptance and opening to the process of accompaniment with involvement of the person in her own growth and maturity.

*  Major sensibility to the permanent renewal and upgrading.

*  Good acceptance and appreciation of what is proposed by the General Government and Demarcations.

     AT THE SAME TIME

 *  Lack of follow up and evaluation in the implementation of the assistance for the formation to be sent by the General Government or Demarcations.

*  We are losing strength in our identity and charismatic expressions.

*  We experience the need of series and progressive human formation, theology, charismatic and the critical concience.

* The responsibility in auto formation is weakened.

*  In spite of the efforts, it´s visible that the Ongoing Formation is not practiced in life.

*  Lack of commitment and responsibility in the Youth Pastoral for Vocation which is urgent in the Congregation.

*  Few Sisters that practice human-spiritual leadership in the Congregation due to lack of formation of Superiors and Formators.

*  The numbers of sisters who have left the Congregation in recent years is elevated and this demands a serious reflective questions.

CONCLUSION OF THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE CONGREGATION

 We wish to share to all the sisters of the Congregation that from these diagnosis strong challenges will spring up that, taken seriously, with personal co- responsibility, will transform our life after the chapter.

The different cultures where we are at present, are challenging us to possess more knowledge of it with its values and counter values, to a continuous discernment at personal, congregational, ecclesial, social level in order to discover in it the seeds of the Word and to be able to announce the love of God incarnated in each reality. This brings with it the demand to study languages, proximity to the poor-the predilection of God-, to re think on how to inculturate the Gospel from our charisma.

In order to give a prophetic response to these challenges, it requires, from the part of each sister, a profound relationship with God, a serious itinerary of spiritual life so that, through the Word, The Eucharist, prayer, the living of the vows, we can reach a profound and progressive transformation of our life as followers of Jesus.

A community in permanent discernment encourages dialogue, unity and it becomes the privileged place for formation and encounter with God; that welcomes and helps each one to grow and sends us to a mission.

The concern and serious discernment on the use of mediums of social communication.

To re-structure the Congregation beginning from the strengthening of our charismatic identity in order to give a new impulse and quality in our mission in the Church in the world where live in.

All these require a formation of quality at all level and specific formation of Formators and Superiors that accompany the vocation of each sister, same as in the commitment of each sister in the Pastoral Youth for Vocation.

It is important to maintain two Centers of Spirituality: one in Spain and the other in one country in Latin America.

The Holy Spirit is pushing us to give response to these challenges now that, in the first approach to our reality , it struck us and claim to each sister a serious personal, communitarian, and institutional compromise that will be reflected in the new face of a Capuchin Tertiary Sister in the world of today.

Our Venerable Father Founder asks from us “that may the intimate union be among us, for in it lays the secret of strength” (OCLA 1833)