Nine Divine Word Missionaries working in the Thailand District of the SVD AUS Province gathered together recently for their Local Chapter meeting.
The meeting was part of their preparations for the Provincial Chapter meeting, to be held in Sydney in February, and the 18th General Chapter, to be held in Rome later next year.
District Superior, Br Damien Lunders SVD says the confreres reflected on the theme for the General Chapter: ‘The Love of Christ Impels Us: Rooted in the Word, Committed to His Mission’.
They were also guided by the Generalate’s direction statement for the General Chapter: ‘To foster a process of a spiritual rekindling, bring us back to the Word of God as the source of our life, vocation and mission and our religious missionary commitment’.
Br Damien says the recent retreat given by Fr Gregory Pinto SVD also played a big part in their deliberations and discernment.
“The Thai District felt that the retreat was most influential to our chapter discussions and reflections,” he says. “We felt it was the most systematic and focused and organised retreat in all our years in Thailand. It was really important for a spiritual renewal for our confreres and for the morale of the District.It left us all coming away from the retreat feeling at peace.
“The retreat was helpful to recharge our personal spirituality, a challenge to ourselves and a help in reviewing our personal spiritual life.”
Among the points for reflection at the Chapter meeting, the confreres asked ‘What has been the most transformative experience of living in an intercultural community?’
Their discussion touched on responses such as, to have effective communication skills, to discern and choose the most qualified leader to be an animator, a visionary and to be reflective on healthy spiritual exercises.
In considering ways in which the confreres can deepen their commitment to Christ’s Mission, the group suggested: To continue activities in parishes for Mission Sunday and to actively ask the question of ‘how engaged we are in doing our Mission?’.
“We also asked ‘what are we doing to promote SVD Apostolates?’, Br Damien says. “Divine Word Missionaries are known to promote the Word. Are we ourselves interested in promoting the Bible through Bible sharing?”
The meeting agreed on two resolutions to propose to the Provincial Chapter and a recommendation to be open to new opportunities for ministry within the Thai District.
Fr Anthony Le Duc and Fr Rajesekhar Reddy Bobba were elected as delegates to the Provincial Chapter meeting.