FMAs' GC24 Concludes

FMAs’ GC24 Concludes

Rector Major Tells Sisters, “You are called to be life for many.”

(ANS – Rome- October 25, 2021) – On Sunday, October 24, the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians concluded its 24th General Chapter at its Generalate. The chapter began on September 11. In 44 days of listening, prayer, dialog, and discernment, the 172 FMA chapter members elected the new Mother General, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, and the other members of the general council. They reflected together on how to be “communities that generate life in the heart of contemporary life.”

The general chapter was lived an attitude of listening to the call of God, who prepares them to live the future with the young people of today. All of the work of GC 24 is now synthesized in the chapter document “With Mary, being a ‘presence’ that generates life.”

In the morning of the 24th, Mother General gave her concluding speech, in which she said among other things: “I feel the need to express my gratitude to the Lord for the abundance of grace to which we have been the recipients in this chapter time.... As a fruitful community enlightened by the presence of Mary, we have focused on three significant choices: to be in continuous formation, to walk in synodality, to network with a view to integral ecology. Three actions whose common thread is the quality of presence, that is, our ‘being there’ as a people and as a community in the heart of the contemporary world. Therefore, we are called to live life as a vocation and to rediscover the Salesian charism in all its apostolic, missionary dynamism.”

”GC 24,” she continued, “will be fruitful for the good of the whole Institute if we are effective mediations of communication and sharing of this profound experience that we have tasted and celebrated together. But now, it is time to go down from Cana to Capernaum, not alone, but with Jesus and Mary, to share life and mission together with the young people and the laity, to let God breathe in our existence, and courageously face the challenges that we will encounter. We entrust ourselves to Mary to help us to be women who know how to bring the new wine of hope to our history marked by so many sufferings and hardships, but blessed by the sweet Providence of the Father.”

At 11:00 a.m., Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime presided over GC24’s solemn concluding Eucharist. The introduction to Mass recalled, through symbols and choreography, the story of the wedding at Cana, an icon that had accompanied the chapter event since its preparation and which now continues to act as a guiding thread to the chapter document.

In his homily Don Bosco’s 10th Successor addressed the chapter members, saying: “You have lived an experience that is abundant in the Holy Spirit and grace, a personal enrichment of profound convictions which now becomes a commitment for all to share and witness. In fidelity to the Salesian charism, you are called to be life for many, a light in the mission among the poorest, a loving embrace of God for the most distant and those in need of humanity and closeness. The chapter begins now. We will continue to walk together collaborating with the creativity of the Holy Spirit in the Salesian educational mission.”

The Eucharist, Mother General’s concluding words, and the fulfilment of the tasks of the secretariat thus concluded the 24th General Chapter.