1. In accordance with the Statutes of the General Chapter, "at the beginning of the Chapter and in plenary Assembly the Superior General who is completing his term of office will give the Chapter a complete summary of his administration since the last ordinary Chapter. This summary account will deal with the situation of the people and the discipline in the Congregation..." (Chapter Statute, 52; SRCJ 24).

Such a report should give the overall vision which the Chapter Fathers need in order to "treat problems that concern the Congregation as a whole" (Cst 133). In fact, the General Chapter is called to feel the pulse of the Congregation with an eye to its future.

The following report, which goes from June 1991 to May 1997, presents, in a discursive manner, the road which has been traveled. It includes the successes and failures, the joys and difficulties, the challenges and problems, and the hopes for the future.

In order to insure a complete vision, this will be integrated with the Reports of the Provincial and Regional Superiors, and with the summaries of the Presidents of the General Commissions.

2. This General Report is clarified in three parts:

- the description of the facts which have had the general administration as their "principal" protagonist;

- the life of the Congregation in its Provinces, Regions and territorial communities;

- certain emerging challenges and prospects for the future, according to the interpretation of the general administration.

3. The methodology proposed by the Preparatory Commission for this first phase of the Chapter will consider the General Report in sections. Fortunately these sections have been enriched by the Reports and by the timely interventions of the Provinces, Regions and territorial Communities; above all in the second section where reference is made to their life and apostolate.

A. THE GENERAL PICTURE

Our First Understanding

4. At the ending of the XIX General Chapter, the following people were nominated at the first meeting of the Directive, June 11, 1991: Fr. Claudio Siebenaler as Secretary General, Fr. João Chaves as Vice Secretary, and Fr. Oliviero G. Girardi as Procurator and General Postulator. All three had held these posts in the preceding general administration.

Having resolved the first acts of ordinary administration, we agreed on a general understanding of how to direct our service for the six year period that followed:

1. construct a governing team in fraternal communion and with work done in groups;

2. dedicate the first 6 months to re-studying the Chapter in order to extract from it a politics of animation, communion and government;

3. to stabilize the line of animation and government, community-wide and with clarity, so that each one of us would be able to act with authority in the Provinces and Regions of the Congregation.

The Provocations Coming From the General Chapter

5. The study of the XIX General Chapter led us to identify two types of challenge which we are facing in these years within the Congregation and in its Mission in the world.

Within the Congregation we have met with three great callings. They are defined as the challenges in direction, in aging and in government. Expressed as questions, they are:

- How can we be significant today?

- How can we understand and deal with, in a positive manner, the phenomena of our diminishing numbers and of the aging of our members?

- How can we guarantee unity and congregational co-responsibility in an Institution that is decentralized and diversified, as ours is?

All the same, the most impelling challenges are those which come from the world and are in close connection with the Mission of the Congregation. We have identified them in the invading phenomenon of secularism and in the many instances of injustice which are to be found everywhere. These call for our action and witnessing as Dehonian religious.

The Unifying Idea

6. We have centered the answer to these diverse questions on the work of EVANGELIZATION, understood as a unifying value, in the way that it was proposed in Evangelii Nuntiandi, nn. 31-32.

It follows from this precept that the service of the general administration should consist fundamentally in assisting the Congregation to place itself on the road of today's world, while, at the same time, remaining dedicated to the mission which is in common with that of the People of God. The Congregation must be aware that the Kingdom is a discovered reality which is to be welcomed and lived; it is a mission to fulfill according to the specificity of our charism.

Inspiring and Operative Principles

7. We have therefore determined our inspiration and our operative line in three objectives:

- the centrality of the S.C.J. Mission as an inspiring element of all our being and action;

- "to accent in a special way a politics of stimulation, of encouragement, of attention and of response to the multiple challenges of our mission today" (Lett. Progr. 6). That is, to handle the congregational reality in an evangelical manner and with creativity, in a "politics of life" and growth and not simply of consolidation;

- to involve the brethren through a methodology of communion. In fact, to have, after the Council, an immediate process of strong decentralization and autonomy of the Provinces within the Congregation. In this our way of governing would be by communion and animation, rather than by the power of decision.

Lines and Areas of Animation

8. We have redirected our perspective so that it consists of 5 lines of animation, communion and government which, in our understanding, gather together the great urgings of the XIX General Chapter:

1. To actualize the Dehonian religious identity;

2. To strengthen social commitment;

3. To encourage enthusiasm for the missions;

4. To favor formation;

5. To promote the "communion of vocations" in the Dehonian Plan.

Basically, these are the 5 great coordinates which have framed our years of service, our style of government, our concrete choices, and the connections among us and our brethren.

Our Organization

9. We have proposed to be "a governing team" that works in groups - one in which everyone would see the Congregation both as a whole and in the originality of the individual reality -to study problems and arrive at decisions as a Council, to maintain a special relationship with the Treasurer, the Secretary and the General Procura, and to intensify relationships with all the other members of the Curia: with the Coordinator of Services of the Curia, with the Presidents of the General Commissions, with the members of the Studies Center and with the other collaborators who have duties in varied, specific areas.

We have chosen to be a part of the Community of Roma I and to participate in its life as much as we possibly can.

10. Because of our work, we now divide our time between being established in Rome and visiting and helping in the Provinces, Regions, and territorial Communities. We have spent almost 2/3 of the year outside of Rome while the rest of the time has been spent at our center, immersed in office work: meetings, gatherings of brethren, reading of documentations coming from the base, answering letters or answering questions, participating in ecclesial organisms and studying. It is possible that, because we have been too taken with office work, we have given little time and space to study.

It has been thought that it would be useful for the Fr. General to visit all the brethren and communities of the Congregation. The Councilors, however, were given the duty of more closely accompanying a specific geographic area and of presiding over a particular sector, according to the 5 lines of animation listed above.

It has been guaranteed that there will be at least one Councillor in Rome, in order to communicate with the others in case of urgent situations.

11. This approach has had its highs and its lows, most of all because there are times when priority is given to the work concerning aspects of the brotherhood.

During everyone's stay in Rome we have been adequately faithful to the celebration of the weekly Eucharist and to the meetings with the staff. We have not respected, as a directive, the suggestion of more informal meetings, of moments of recreation and of taking periodic outings together as a group. Work and urgent matters have taken precedence over rest and more casual relationships.

Nevertheless, we have achieved a respectable harmony within the general administration. The agreement among us, the reciprocal acceptance and esteem, and the sharing and collaboration in the service of governing have all been good; we hold them to be a true grace of God.

The Insertion of the Curia in the Community of Roma I

12. We have decided to become a part of the Community of Roma I and to participate, as much as possible, in its community life.

Roma I offers a unique experience in the Congregation; it constitutes a small piece of the Congregation: by the age, culture and sensibility of members, and by its personal and community prayers. We can relate that in Roma I a good spirit exists, along with joy, hospitality, maturity and a commitment

to study. There is a strong sense of being in harmony with the events of the Congregation; it is a point of passage and of meeting for the S.C.J. brethren of the entire world.

During the XIX General Chapter there was talk of the "possibility of improving the climate of community life" (cf. Doc XV, p. 137b). In view of this, the community has given itself the project of a life which consists of almost monthly periods of sharing, of planning and of revision. But as an "international" reality, where there is a convergence of many cultures, as well as sensibilities which are diverse and difficult to reconcile, and where there is an annual change of its composition, Roma I continually requires its members to have flexibility and a capacity to adapt.

The restructuring of the house, with its related expenditure of energy and with its worries and other discomforts, has had a great impact on daily life during these last two years.

13. Even if the advantages are superior to the limits and disadvantages, we think that, since both parties are affected by it, the full insertion of the CU into the Community of Roma I should be reviewed.

We should add that even though there is a close communication between the CU and the College, they have their own autonomy: their purposes, style, rhythm and composition are divergent. An agreement on their connections and on their mutual needs could guarantee a communion between these two diverse communities, without reverting to an absolute separation.

B. A DESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION OF OUR SERVICE IN THE CONGREGATION

The General Administration

14. Our governing team has been able to have its very own experience because, except for Fr. Adriano Borst, we were all new in the office and therefore not conditioned by previous experiences. A certain experience in governing on the provincial and regional level has helped us a lot, as well as the following of certain lines which were set into motion by the previous general administrations and which proved to be necessary and efficacious. We have been inspired to a certain sense of liberty and creativity, so as to maximize the value of the path which has been taken by the Congregation.

15. The general team had to confront two very significant internal changes: the death of Fr. Silvino Kunz, January 17, 1995, and the Episcopal nomination of Fr. Antonio de Sousa Braga, April 9, 1996. These events obliged us to reorganize and this, in turn, required, above all from the two new members - Fr. Carlos Alberto da Costa Silva and Fr. Umberto Chiarello - , an extraordinary availability and capacity to adapt.

The General Curia

16. One of the first problems confronted was the recomposition of the members of the Curia and of Roma I, which from necessity had to be done by substitution. The reorganization of the Curia (brought to the awareness of the Provincial and Regional Superiors at the meeting of November 1992) was necessary in order to meet new needs.

We first studied the concrete necessities, rethought the organization and established certain criteria concerning the roles of the persons involved (cf. Attachment n. 1 for further information).

The General Secretary and the Coordination of the Services of the Curia

17. The work of the General Secretary has increased a great deal. The mobility of the general administration, often occupied outside of Rome, the relationships with the Provinces and Regions, and communications in general which, having become easier and more frequent, now require quicker answers; all of these things have increased the amount of his work.

It was important for us that the Secretary develop his specific duties for the functioning of the General Administration, giving all the required attention to the necessities of the Congregation, guaranteeing the legality of the acts according to the prescriptions of the universal and proper Law, and putting the decisions of the General Administration into effect.

The confidence that Fr. Claudio Siebenaler enjoys in the Congregation, his constant relationship with the Provincial and Regional Governors and Secretaries, his competence... are all elements of incalculable value that were not put in peril by an overload of duties and responsibilities.

18. This observation, together with the need to rebuild and modernize the Curia, has induced us to create the so-called "Coordination of the Services of the Curia".

Such services have been grouped together and defined by communal agreement among Frs. Claudio Siebenaler and Bernard Rosinski. Then, taking on the task as his duty, Fr. Rosinski became the first "Coordinator of the Services of the Curia"; we have all been able to appreciate his usefulness and efficacy.

As a new figure there is the need to evaluate the theoretic foundation with experience, to see the successes and the limits, and to better define the abilities of the two offices.

In accordance with the PO Province, Fr. Marek Stoklosa is being prepared as the eventual successor of the present Secretary General.

The Economy and the Restructuring of the Roma I House

19. Even if the ultimate financial responsibility belongs to the general administration, the weight of this service has once again fallen to Fr. Emilio Ciarrocchi.

It is his duty to present the financial account during this first phase of the Chapter (cf. Statute of the General Chapter, n. 53a).

20. It was the duty of the general administration to establish the general policy of the financial administration, a policy which we summarize in these lines:

- Let it be known that what we are dealing with here are ecclesiastical goods that are being administered by religious, in conformity of our norms (NAB) and in accordance with community, social and ministerial ends. We have visited the banks where our money is deposited and have made them aware of the criteria of Justice and Peace according to which we want our investments to be made.

- Obtain all information with a maximum of transparency in both the Council and in the Congregation.

- Resolve certain problematic situations which have existed over time.

- Maintain the system of international collaboration and communion of the existing goods of the Congregation.

- Help the Missions and the work of formation above all.

- Begin the restructuring of Roma I, as decided by the XIX General Chapter (cf. Doc. XV, pp. 38, 134).

- Insist on self-sufficiency in our daily life as a goal for all the Provinces, Regions and Communities.

21. Under the urging and the care of the General Treasurer we have begun a Fund Raising Office, with the help of the IM Province, in the hope of arriving to the point that the International College is self-sustaining. In this way its members will not weigh too heavily on their Provinces and Regions of origin, who may have few resources.

22. The restructuring has been an arduous undertaking with some difficulties foreseen and some unexpected, all of which have consumed a great deal of time and energy. The General Treasurer has borne most of the weight and pressure in the search for a satisfactory plan, in the bureaucratic practicalities, in the search for necessary funds, and in the supervision of the works.

The established presence of the religious in the House during the reconstruction has somewhat compromised the life of the Community of Roma I and they have dealt with the discomforts with good grace.

23. In accordance with that which is required by NAB 19, the General Treasurer, in the name of the general administration, has effectuated special financial visits to certain Provinces and Regions (GA, PO, LU, CAM, IND, ZA). In the other Provinces and Regions the financial theme was touched upon in the fraternal and pastoral visits of the Fr. General. He sometimes applied a questionnaire which was especially prepared by the General Financial Commission.

We also feel that the General Treasurer, because of his office and his volume of work, needs a religious collaborator. It is not expedient for him to be required to carry the weight of so much responsibility alone.

The General Commissions

24. To quote the XIX General Chapter, the General Commissions "have the function of study and animation on a general level, and of sustaining the respective Provincial Commissions which can find a substantial period of collaboration on the level of their zone (or similar area)" (Doc. XV, p. 135; cf. p. 52).

25. The "Financial Commission" and that of "Spirituality and Apostolate" have existed for quite a while now and, in accordance with the wishes of the General Chapter of 1985, that of "Justice and Peace" has come up again in the preceding Administration.

Without wanting our actions to revive the old SAM, we have recently created the "Commission for the Missions". Our intention was to welcome the suggestion of the 1991 General Chapter: "One individual should be appointed full-time for this animation, with the scope of following the reflections, keeping contact with the Provincial Mission Secretaries, and favoring the exchange of information and experience" (DOC XV p. 139; cf. pp. 52-53).

26. The components of the Commissions have been chosen based on the list of names presented by the Provincial and Regional Superiors in the meeting of 1992. The criteria for the composition were as follows:

- commissions must have 6 members, one for every geographic region (ES, EM, AS, AL, AF), except for the Financial Commission which, as fixed by statute (cf. NAB 26a), cannot have more than 5 members;

- integrate new people with experimental people;

- include the participation of religious brothers;

- represent the maximum number of Provinces and Regions;

- for "Justice and Peace" we have left the choice of a regional representative to the Commissions already existing in those areas, who will start making their choice based on the list elaborated by the Regional and Provincial Superiors.

The Presidents of the Commissions have had the duty of being consultants to the General Administration on specific themes and of setting up the Editorial Committee of our publications.

During this six year period we have also strongly felt the need for expert consultation. This is an idea which came up during the XIX General Chapter.

27. At the conclusion of this six year period, in order to better evaluate the duty of the Commissions in view of their future, we have utilized the help of an external expert (Fr. Bill Jenkinson, a member of the Spiritans). The fact that the Governor General and the Presidents of the Commissions have verified that there has been a certain reciprocal discomfort requires that we review the role of the Presidents, the space that they fill in regard to the General Administrating and the governing of the Provinces, and the criteria of the composition of the Commissions - based either on "geographic representation" or on "specific competency in the subject".

28. In an attempt to discern possible solutions for the future with accuracy, one could provide for the following eventualities:

- the "presidency" of the Commissions returning to the General Council;

- the transformation of "Justice and Peace" into a secretariat, composed of a group of religious residents in their Province, with periodic meetings and autonomy of initiative;

- the re-defining of the relationships between the General Curia and the Provinces concerning the respective Commissions, namely the life lived at their base, where the religious live and act;

- the coordination of the relationships between the Commissions of the Provinces of the same geographic zone and the duty of the General Council that is responsible for that zone;

- since the establishing of an effective service in the diverse geographical areas requires a certain financial expenditure that the General Curia is not disposed to support, we need an allocation of funds which would be the responsibility of the entire Congregation.

As we strive for the best we should not forget the positive service which has been provided by the Commissions over these past years, nor the generous dedication of their Presidents. We recognize them for the many initiatives, small and large, which they have promoted throughout the entire Congregation.

Studies Center

29. The Studies Center has had three great losses: Fathers Vassena, Bourgeois and Manzoni. All three are difficult to substitute in that we cannot improvise researchers and scholars.

30. The new people have been:

- Fr. Andrea Tessarolo - In spite of his age and health he, at our insistence, accepted the duty of presiding over the "Spirituality and Apostolate" Commission as well as directing, with the assistance of an editorial committee, the publications of the "Studies Center".

- Fr. André Perroux - Notwithstanding their need, he was given generously by his Province. He is dedicated to deepening, to expressing and to actualizing certain specific contents of our spirituality.

- Fr. Egidio Driedonkx - Thanks to his knowledge of the Archive and his interest in research he is involved in re-systemizing the letters of the Fr. Founder, thereby facilitating the work of others and bringing to light documents, data and arguments of historic value.

- Fr. Alfonso Robl - Even though he is currently living in Brazil, he has taken on the responsibilities of compiling the analytic index of the social works of the Founder.

31. A healthy policy for the good of the Institute should prepare suitable persons for this purpose. We cannot wait until the forces exhaust themselves from old age or poor health, nor that the people die, before providing for their substitution.

The weakness of our system of central government does not give us the possibility of taking people from the Provinces in order to prepare them to study the sources of the Congregation and of the Founder. Since this is the current situation, we must provide for a congregational policy which is truly a "World Wide Strategy".

32. There is a need for people to be scholars of our spirituality in additional directions:

- to continue the discovery and publication of the sources;

- to recuperate the historic memory of the Congregation, of its people and of its works;

- to actualize the spirituality and the comprehension of our charism. We need a new language, new signs and new contents, all based on theology and updated and inculturated ministries.

We believe that the discovery and the publication of the sources, at least for now, should come from Rome, because it is here that the original material is available. For this end, we solicit the Provinces and ask them to release those religious who are available and competent.

The other two directions of study can be fulfilled in the Provinces and Regions, as long as there are competent people with an adequate availability of time and means.

The General Archive

33. The setting up of the General Archive was a theme on which we reflected many times, without however reaching a solution. In practice it is limited to the conservation of documents, according to the order inherited from those who had this responsibility in the past. The works of restructuring the house have created an emergency situation which has prevented a new re-ordering of the Archive.

34. The duty for the next administration will be the following:

- transfer the Archive of the Founder to microfilm, or another system, so that it can be used anywhere and so that the originals will thus be saved;

- computerize the Opera Omnia of Fr. Dehon;

- continue the publication of the Opera Omnia with a minimum of critical apparatus;

- gather in a systematic manner, for the Archive of the Congregation, the personal, community and institutional dates which are necessary for our history and for a better service to the Curia and to the Congregation (for example, statistical data for vocations, for formation, etc.).

35. A work such as this is important and expensive. It could be an financial responsibility of the Congregation during the next six year period. It would be useful to know how far you agree and how much you are capable of collaborating economically.

We also feel the need of highly qualified persons (religious and/or laity) to be involved both in this new setting-up of the Archive and in ensuring its usefulness in the Congregation. Fr. Otto Seidel, who has worked with great commitment during these past years and for this we thank him fraternally, has now asked to be substituted.

The General Postulation

36. With the Decree of Declaration of the "sanctity of life and heroicness of the virtues of Fr. Dehon" we have reached a happy moment in our history; thanks to the unstinting labors of Fr. Oliviero Girardi and thanks to his undoubtable competence and wisdom.

The "Positio" regarding the servants of God, Fr. André Prévot and Fr. Juan Mariano García Méndez, has also been submitted and Fr. Girardi will give an accurate account of this.

It is up to the entire Congregation to become involved in this so that our venerable Founder may become more well known, that he may stimulate the sanctity of his children and of all the People of God, and that he may become an intercessor of the believing People so that one day soon, God willing, he may be beatified by the Church.

Because of his age and his health we think that Fr. Girardi urgently needs to be substituted or, at the very least, have someone assist him in his work as Procurator and General Postulate.

37. In this same area, even though it is not completely relative, we are reminded of the decision of the general administration, at the end of January 1997, to acquire the house where Fr. Dehon was born. This decision was based on the significance which this house has for the entire Dehonian Family, a significance which can be noted by the fact that this acquisition has also been solicited by many of the brethren. In the letter of February 17, 1997 we wrote that we wanted to delay this decision until after the General Chapter. However, the expiration of the legal limits did not allow Mr. Robert Maleziux-Dehon to extend the lease: the house had to be put up for sale by the end of March 1997.

Not having the available money and thinking to involve the entire Congregation, we have asked the French Province to make a provisory advance of the amount needed.

Now, with the celebrating of the Chapter, we think that the Chapter Fathers, within the scope of the "World Wide Strategy", should give some indication as to what finality we are working towards and what work would be the best for us to do in order to open La Capelle.

Our Presence in India and the Failed Project in Lithuania

38. These two projects of the S.C.J. foundation, which were considered small in the beginning because they involved only a few people, were set in motion by the General Administration after obtaining the support of the Provincial and Regional Superiors in the meeting of 1992.

The intention of the first project was to strengthen our presence in Asia; with the second project we hoped to increase our presence in the Baltic and create a source of support for Finland.

We have already given a series of written and oral reports on these two projects. The oral reports were mostly given in our visits to the Provinces and Regions.

39. The project in India is going very well and is in close communion with the local Church and in obedience to the pastoral lines of the diocesan Bishop. In fact, it was the Bishop himself who programmed the path which our pastoral vocation has taken and this had an unexpected development. The support given to us in personnel and in financial help, on the part of various Provinces, has permitted us to respond to the needs of this project. This rather atypical form of proceeding with our presence in India is common in other Religious Institutes.

The information regarding the project in India - the establishment of our presence and the current situation - will be given by the Brother who has been invited from India and by Fr. A. Ryder, coordinator of the project.

40. The project in Lithuania, very interesting as a possible specific work of the Congregation, was planned much farther in advance, in dialogue with the Archbishop of Vilnius and with Frs. José A. Minder and Valerio Pilati. It answered an urgent need of the local Church and a request instigated by the Holy See (cf. n. 7 of the Directive of the Congregation for Catholic Education of November 4, 1993).

Unfortunately, the community has become smaller and the ensuing support of the bishop has diminished; these are the reasons for our withdrawal. We have already given a detailed report regarding this situation in a letter of December 31, 1996. If there are any requests for clarification that you believe to be appropriate, we are available to respond to them. We are very sorry about this interruption and feel that this project could have had a great future in the Congregation.

Visitations of the Superior General and Councillors

41. Very special attention was paid to our visitations. We asked our confrères to prepare for them through prayer, examination of their local situations and work on their community strategies. We readied ourselves, thanks to pre-prepared documentation, by reviewing the history and current situation of the countries, local Churches and Provinces or Regions to be visited. We also made it a point never to disclose any information or comments we may have heard about individual confrères so as not to jeopardize our visitations in any way and so that they could be carried out in the fraternal and pastoral spirit to which we aspire.

In keeping with a request that came out of the Provincial and Regional Superiors' meeting of November 4, 1992, we always tried to meet personally with all of our confrères, communities, particular groups and ministries, Provincial and Regional administrators, and at times with all of them together, united in assemblies, chapters or other meetings. We met personally with all but 150 of our confrères, and although this was demanding, it was very enlightening. Our conversations pivoted, for the most part, around those issues which concern all of us. We approached our visitations in the spirit of nos 26-34 of our Constitutions, calling for "participation in the Church's mission".

Our visitations ended with meetings with the Provincial or Regional Administrations, which we found most productive, and were followed up, once back in Rome, by written evaluations in the form of letters, which were sent to them. These letters were written after deliberation, prayer and discernment with the Councillor in charge of the area and were considered one of our most important tasks.

42. We generally received a very warm welcome and total cooperation in our visitations, and we feel that our suggestions were always taken seriously, although it is difficult to assess whether they brought about the kind of change we were hoping for.

We decided to give priority to Africa in our visitations: we first went to Zaire, Madagascar and Cameroon. We did this in an attempt to show solidarity with a continent that is suffering extreme social, economic and political strife. Notwithstanding this martyrdom, our SCJ are beginning to take responsibility for their own futures. We feel it is important that they grow organizationally, in autonomy, in their cultural identities and as active members of the Congregation.

I would like to point out how often our Councillors visited the areas under their jurisdiction, especially for the appointment or election of new provincial administrators, for provincial chapters or for meetings of those in charge of the various ministries. They also stayed in regular contact by way of correspondence and/or telephone. There was a constant flow of information at this level.

International Meetings

43. In formulating our activities and animation, it was decided to hold various international meetings. All of these took place except the one concerning the Dehonian Family, which was postponed until after the General Chapter -- partially for logistic reasons (the Generalate is being renovated) and because we feel we need further work on this issue (cf. Letter, May 28, 1995).

In order of importance (following no. 137 of our Constitutions) we celebrated the fifth General Conference at Hales Corners from May 10-20, 1994 on the theme "Religious Brothers in the Dehonian Community: A Common Vocation for a Common Mission". This was an experience rich in Dehonian fraternity and led to greater awareness of, and esteem for, the figure of the "religious brother"! Let's hope this is a sign that this vocation is finding a reawakening in the Congregation.

We also had the opportunity of exchanging ideas and experiences on this subject at two very productive meetings with the Provincial and Regional Superiors. Together we searched for common aims and approaches to this ministry.

The same holds true for the meetings we had with those responsible for our various ministries: formators, vocational animators, teachers of Theology, the Gospel, spirituality and the apostolate, our missionaries and our Provincial and Regional Treasurers.

Four seminars on permanent formation were held at the international level: one in each continent and in four different languages: Southern Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar and Rome (the Rome seminar lasted four months, the others were one-month seminars).

44. All of these meetings had the additional value of being international. It is like a breath of fresh air to be able to exchange ideas and concerns with people from all over the world. It broadens ones horizons and leads to renewal in, and greater awareness of, the Congregation as one being.

There has been criticism on the expense involved in these meetings, but I feel this cannot be the deciding factor in determining the advisability and validity of holding a meeting.

Other international events were organized directly by individual Provinces or a combination of them: i.e. the meeting in Taubaté on the Church's Social Doctrine in January of this year, the Permanent Formation workshop at Clairefontaine, and the workshops in Brussels and Hales Corners for individuals or small groups.

Correspondence and Contacts

45. We considered our letters to the whole Congregation to be one of our main means of communication. They fall into three distinct categories:

- messages - 3 times a year: Christmas, March 14th, the Feast of the Sacred Heart;

- informative letters - after visitations by the Superior General and under special circumstances;

- letters offering reflection and guidelines on an event or issue: 5 of these were sent out on the following themes: the 150th commemoration of Fr. Dehon's birth; the General Conference on Lay Brothers; Vocations and the Vocational Ministry; Formation and Social Commitment.

We also corresponded with:

- Provinces, Regions and Foundations on special occasions (Jubilees or other celebrations);

- particular groups: i.e. on the occasion of specific regional meetings, meetings of formators, lay Dehonians, etc.;

- Communities: especially after a visitation to their Province, Region or Foundation;

- individual confrères: on special occasions and always in response to letters addressed to the general government; to each confrère on the occasion of his Jubilee.

Although personal correspondence is time-consuming, we felt it was important to cultivate this practice as an effective instrument for dialogue and friendship which promotes the value of SCJ cordiality and helps develop a sense of the Congregational communion.

Activities

46. Because of the decentralized, autonomous character of our Provinces and Regions, much of our ministry is indirect: it's often a question of granting permission, approving a decision, sending along an official request to the Holy See, etc.

The times in which the General Administration is really leading and serving the Congregation are:

- during visitations, carried out so as to obtain the best possible results;

- when appointing or endorsing the election of provincial administrators;

- when asked to participate in making decisions that the Provinces either cannot or do not wish to take by themselves.

In these cases we always made a contribution -- respectfully but insistently. In fact, in some cases we feel we should have been more insistent, not so much to impose our point of view on others but in order to stimulate further discernment on an issue.

C. MOTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE XIX GENERAL CHAPTER

47. The XIX General Chapter expressed its decisions and guidelines in 6 motions and several recommendations, entrusting the General administration with the task of implementing them. I would like to review them here and see to what extent, and how, they were carried out.

Motions

Assembly Chapters

48. The first motion called for "renewed study on the question of organizing Provincial Chapters according to no. 124 of the Constitutions, with an eventual request for permission from the proper authority, keeping in mind the situations of the individual Provinces" (Doc. XV, p. 145).

Experts in and outside of the Congregation were asked to study this and other legal matters, as Fr. Claudio Siebenaler will explain in his report. After hearing the opinions of the Provincial and Regional Superiors at the Foligno meeting in September, 1995, the General Administration requested that the Holy See authorize us to grant permission to those who ask for it, to hold Assembly Chapters. This permission was granted to smaller Provinces, on several conditions which were established by the General Government at its April 6, 1996 meeting:

- members with temporary votes only have active voice;

- all members must attend the Chapter from beginning to end unless legitimately unable to do so; The Superior Provincial will evaluate whether motives are valid or not;

- to be valid, a Chapter must be able to count on the presence of an established number of province members: 2/3 (cf. Meeting 214, pp. 589-590).

The BH, BS, CA and CG Provinces have asked for permission to hold assembly chapters. A final decision will need to be taken at this Chapter.

Educational Center for the Spread of the Church's Social Doctrine

49. The second motion of the XIX General Chapter "... entrusts the General Superior and his Council with the task of studying the possibility of, and taking the necessary steps in order to put into practice, education for the spread of the Church's Social Doctrine as a Congregational work" (Doc. XV, p. 45).

A great deal of time was spent on this issue, involving the Provincial and Regional Superiors at the 1992 meeting, the Justice and Peace Commission, several Provinces, Regions and individual confrères. In the end a decision was taken to:

- discard the idea of setting up a university in Rome, as other congregations have in the areas of theology, spirituality and ministry;

- to think in terms of a periodic, mobile service (not linked to a time period or place, more along the lines of Fr. Dehon's Social Conferences than a university course);

- to be held outside of Rome or other large urban centers which are traditional places for study, in favor of peripheral areas, Third World countries and Eastern Europe;

- to rethink this issue in terms of our Global Strategy, keeping in mind that if it is to be a "Congregational work", the Congregation must be involved in choices, preparation of personnel and in setting up the budget of such a project.

The PO Province has sent in more than one plan along these lines, and the BM Province has already begun a project that could be exactly what is needed.

Religious Brothers

50. Motion 3: "The XIX General Chapter requests that the General Council do further study on the identity and role of our Religious Brothers, in any way it deems fit.... In any case this matter should be examined in the larger context of religious life as such" (Doc. XV, pp. 45;146).

In accord with the Provincial and Regional Superiors (1992) the decision was made to take this matter up at the 1994 General Conference, as already mentioned (n. 43). Before the conference we had the opportunity of consulting directly with a good number of our communities and with our religious brothers (cf. Dehoniana, nos 83, 84). The outcome of this discernment was published in Documenta XVI, Dehoniana 85, and in the General Administration's letter of December 8, 1994 (Prot. no. 270/94). The reactions of other congregations on this matter was quite favorable.

51. The question of juridical equality between priest religious and brother religious, in terms of holding administrative positions, has yet to be solved (cf. Consecrated Life 60-61). We, and all the other congregations that find themselves in our position, are following this matter very closely. We are in direct contact with the heads of the CIVCSVA (the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life). Fr. Umberto Chiarello, with his sound historical and theological background, has been asked to represent us.

52. We have to ask ourselves, however, what the consequences would be for the life of our Congregation if we were to be classified as a "mixed institution" -- a possibility taken into consideration in no. 61 of Consecrated Life. It would signify that our superiors would no longer be considered "ordinaries", according to Law (CIC 134, §1; 596, § 2). The experience of the Franciscans and other religious orders who have not been able to gain legal equality for their members without losing the qualification of "ordinary" for their major superiors, lead us to be cautious. We need to discern just what is at stake here. The question is under examination by a Vatican committee at the moment, and it will indicate under what conditions it will be possible to make this kind of request.

Province Apostolic Plan

53. Motion 4 : "The XIX General Chapter refers to the General Administration the task of requiring each Province to work out a strategy for, experiment with and evaluate its ministries, intended as the concrete manifestations of our common Dehonian identity. This option must be an integral part of each individual context, taking care to reach an even balance between inspiration and action (pastoral, cultural, social, etc.) according to each situation" (Doc. XV, p. 146).

This has been a constant consideration in our visitations and letters to the Provinces and Regions. Planning, implementing and periodically assessing apostolic strategy is what characterizes a Province. It is this which allows a it to express, through life choices, our particular charism and spirituality.

Several Provinces and Regions have made great strides in this direction, with the aid of valid methods. Others continue to have difficulty in expressing their personal choices in an integral and hierarchical way. There are a number of reasons for this.

54. As far as the General Administration is concerned, an apostolic strategy is a prerequisite for setting up a new SCJ jurisdiction (province or region). We insisted on this to the point of asking all those who had not already done so to send in written accounts of their activities. We also emphasized the importance of working out a personal strategy, especially for young religious. This diversification of ministries (provincial/regional, local and personal), existing together in harmony, is contemplated in the Constitutions (cf. nos 70-74; 34) and by the General Administration (cf. nos 59; 34).

The Dehonian Family

55. Motion 5 regards the Dehonian Family: "The XIX General Chapter encourages the participation of lay people in Dehonian spirituality and mission and promotion of the communion of vocations in the Dehonian Family. It therefore asks that the Superior General and his Council encourage and favor this kind of experience in the Provinces, providing guidelines and taking whatever steps necessary to assist in the organization of this effort" (Doc. XV, p. 146).

We have continually encouraged this event of the Spirit that carries Fr. Dehon's charism and spirituality beyond the confines of the Congregation, and have kept in close contact, through correspondence and personal encounters, with groups (consecrated religious and lay people) who base themselves on Fr. Dehon and his spirituality.

Fr. Perroux, as general coordinator of the Dehonian Family, has taken part in meetings in Italy and in Latin America and has organized study workshops and retreats. We have addressed several letters to the Dehonian Family as a whole on common aspects of our mission.

56. As already mentioned under no. 43, we were not able to hold the international meeting we had planned on this subject for reasons explained in my letter of May 28, 1995. We have tried to respect the autonomy of individual members of the Dehonian Family and to avoid interference that could diminish or take the focus away from their particular identities, especially with regard to laypeople, who have often been overwhelmed by the clergy.

Although there is continual discernment on our common aspects, we have yet to establish criteria for belonging to the Dehonian Family or how to organize its various members. We feel this should come out of common discernment on the part of the SCJ, the Consecrated and the laity. Fr. André Perroux will address this subject in his report.

An Option for Culture

57. Motion 6 "encourages the General Council to:

- formulate an option for culture

- sensitize our confrères to the problems of contemporary culture;

- take steps to include the Humanities and the Social Sciences in our formation curricula;

- support and give qualification to centers for reflection, study and social communications;

- encourage the Provinces to prepare qualified, specialized personnel for this purpose" (Doc. XV, pp. 146-147).

In the exercise of our duties we encouraged the Provinces and Regions, communities and individuals to move in this direction -- more on the level of animation than decision-making. We are well aware of the importance of maintaining a high cultural level in the Congregation if we are to serve the Church and be a meaningful witness in today's world. We never ceased to insist on the importance of individual study and specialization, the need for the Provinces and Regions to express themselves in terms of specific works and ministries, in an effort to struggle against an over-generalized, pragmatic approach to our ministries.

This is a challenge that should be taken up in the framework of our Global Strategy. Our future and apostolic effectiveness depends to a large extent on a determined and balanced policy in this area.

Suggestions or recommendations from the XIX General Chapter

58. As well as the motions which came out of the XIX General chapter, which are more binding, there were also many recommendations or suggestions. Without going into great detail we will discuss those we consider most important.

Vocational Ministry (cf. Doc. XV, pp. 44-45; 132-133)

59. We supported and encouraged the vocational ministry in all of our Provinces and Regions, urging those in charge to search for our vocational future in their local situations and to consider it a task which regards all of us, to one extent or another. We insisted on the ministry of youth in countries where this is more feasible, and on collaboration between Provinces and Regions in the same geographical area.

60. Following the guidelines of the General Chapter we decided to set aside March 14th each year as a day of devoted prayer and discernment on Dehonian Vocations. A message on vocations was usually sent out on that day.

An international meeting of SCJ Vocational Animators was held, and we have begun preparations for a meeting in order to study this subject further, possibly in 1999, with the special support of the BM Province.

61. Sensitivity to and commitment in this area has grown in the Congregation. What is often lacking, however, is an adequate youth ministry. There is a tendency to avoid thinking of this ministry as a concrete priorities and to allocate the necessary personnel and means to carry it out. The prevailing policy is to delegate this task to others and to assume that vocations mature on their own, without any intervention on the part of individuals and the Church. We need our governing bodies to make choices in this area and to stop sacrificing this priority to other necessities or emergencies, important as they may be.

Ratio Formationis Generalis (cf. Doc. XV, p. 44)

62. Following the guidelines of the last Chapter, the RF was revised by an ad hoc Committee made up of Fr. Albert Vander Elst (FL), Sérgio Valle (BM) and Lorenzo Brena (IS), with Fr. Silvino Kunz presiding. This work was then taken up and completed by the General Administration. All of their suggestions were taken into consideration -- usually regarding form more than content, as is the case with the Church's documents on the subject. We tried to relate SCJ spirituality to a commitment to social justice, as called for by the 4th General Conference in Brusque.

Permanent Formation (cf. Doc. XV, pp. 52;138)

63. We took up the call of the General Chapter as our own, and there is a growing conviction in the Congregation that Permanent Formation is necessary for all of us at all ages.

The proposal, which came out of the 1992 Superiors' meeting, that our confrères take a Sabbatical or a long period of renewal every 10 or 15 years, has not yet become a reality, but we see that some of our Provinces are determined to move in this direction and are working out their own systems.

We have insisted that community libraries be installed in our missions, and that they be up-to-date and easy to consult, in order to favor this process of on-going formation.

Rome I has continued to accommodate confrères for periods of Permanent Formation. An annual four-month course was set up, which was interrupted because of the renovation work on the Generalate. A wing of the Generalate has been organized for this purpose, as stipulated by the last General Chapter (cf. Doc. XV, p. 138).

International Collaboration (cf. Doc. XV, pp. 52; 137)

64. This is an accomplishment of the last General Administration and we have made it our task to maintain and promote it. We are convinced that it will grow within our Global Strategy. Credit must be given to those Provinces and Regions who, out of generosity, have put their gifts, personnel and goods at the disposal of the common good.

Adopting the new perspective of the XIX General Chapter, which spoke in terms of "regionalization", we have encouraged and supported contact and collaboration between Provinces and Regions within the same geographical area, with a view to the concrete inculturation of our charism; encouraging innovative juridical ties and restructuring of Provinces in a given geographical area when necessary (cf. Planning Letter, 51)

Congregational Strategy (cf. Doc. pp. 52-53;137;138-139)

65. The XIX General Chapter often intimated or suggested the need for a "congregational strategy" on "the exchange of goods; information; and formation, mission and service personnel within the Congregation" (p. 52); "forms of inter provincial and international collaboration; exchange of formators and people already formed; and most importantly, collaboration between the different levels of formation (initial and permanent), committees, etc." (p. 137). In terms of the missions we must "take account of the teachings of Vatican II and the new challenges facing us (North-South, Eastern Europe, new Evangelization, etc.). We need to develop our missionary strategy in the light of this new reality (pp. 138-139).

In order to respond to this request, we began, with the approbation of the Provincial and Regional Superiors at Hales Corners, to discuss and plan a "Global Congregational Strategy at the service of the missions", which is the theme of this XX General Chapter.

A Common Language (cf. Doc. XV, pp. 52;137-138)

66. After much reflection and debate over the years at Superiors' meetings, the General Conference in Brusque and at the last General Chapter, the General Administration has decided to make English the Congregation's official language (cf. Planning Letter, 58). The deciding factor is that it is becoming the international language. We want it as an instrument of communication and exchange, and therefore of communion.

We recognize and appreciate the service rendered to the Congregation by the US Province, Hales Corners and the BH Province in Dublin through the ESL courses they are giving. Many of our confrères, especially new missionaries, young people in formation and those working on specializations in Rome have taken advantage of these services.

All of us should be able to speak a second language in order to communicate with diverse cultures, to broaden our horizons and to move toward universality.