I want to start our weblog with words of thanks to God for all the gifts we have received since the publication of the last issue, and once again our thanks to all those who have accompanied us in our journey as a Delegation. I especially remember such a great gift given us with the profession and ordination of some of our Korean brothers and the first profession of our novice from Mainland China, John Xueruijin.In the following articles you will find some of the recent events that have marked our journey as a Delegation in these past months. I would like to briefly recall three of these events that I had personally been part of, and are also very important for the whole Delegation.
First, let me refer to the canonical visitation I did in September 2007, which left me with the impression of the strong missionary zeal all our communities have. It is wonderful to see everyone’s wholehearted dedication in responsibly carrying out the apostolic work entrusted to us. May the Lord and our Mother always accompany us that we may bring to completion according to the spirit of Claret the mission entrusted to us as a missionary community.
The second extraordinary event I want to mention is the solemn opening celebration of the bicentennial of Claret’s birth in Sallent and Vic on October 20 and 21. I was there with Fr. Shinji Takenobu. It was a real blessing to be able to witness in the very place Claret was born 200 years ago the universality of our Congregation today. I hope that this Bicentennial Year will be a year of grace for all of us, and also a time of renewal for our Delegation.
The third event is the one we have just celebrated here in Brazil, where I am writing these words to you: the Major Superiors Meeting in preparation of the next General Chapter of the Congregation in 2009. Here, in Sao Paolo, we experience the beauty of the multicultural face of our Congregation. Such multiculturality in which we find ourselves in our present world, besides its human and spiritual richness, also brings with it great challenges for each of us as Claretian missionaries and for the whole Congregation if we want to bring to completion the universal mission entrusted to us. During these days when we gather as a Congregation, we realized that we need to deepen our understanding of and to live our Claretian identity in order to respond to these great challenges.
May our Father Founder, especially during this bicentennial year, help us in this process of renewal and revitalization as we prepare for the coming General Chapter.
“Born to Evangelize” – this is the motto of the bicentenary. May this become for every member of our Delegation a call for greater realization of our Claretian missionary vocation. Therefore, I wish all of you a year full of the spirit of St. Anthony M. Claret!
As our Delegation celebrates this year in every country where we are, may our celebration help us not only to know Father Claret better but also to live more intensely his missionary spirit today.
