First Day: 4 July 2016

About 30 participants have gathered at Villa Maria in Rome for our XIV General Synod. These include members of the Generalate, superiors of our administrative units from around the world, invited periti, staff and translators. The day began with a beautiful prayer service invoking the light of the Holy Spirit. After taking care of the juridical matters to help the Synod operate smoothly, Fr. Milton Zonta, Superior General, presided at the opening Eucharist in the chapel of the Salvatorian Sisters Motherhouse.

The afternoon was spent considering the synthesis of responses to questions sent to the superiors of the various administrative units earlier this year.

Overall it was a very good beginning.

This day has been a day to consider the challenges presented by the unit responses to questions sent earlier in the year regarding Salvatorian Vocation, Mission, Formation and Reorganization. Working in small groups the Synod participants identified the main challenges that have emerged. In addition, the participants received the report of the Generalate on its efforts to implement the decisions of the XVIII General Chapter (2012) by means of its Strategic Plan 2012-2018. The day was marked by respectful listening, animated discussion and lively interactions. 

Today we addressed the important but difficult topic of finances. After presenting the financial state of the Society, Fr. Scott Wallenfelsz, General Treasurer, presented the two-year budget plan that was unanimously approved.

In addition, Fr. Agustin Van Baelen, General Mission Secretary, and Dr. Arnout Mertens of SOFIA, raised the questions of how to sustain our Salvatorian mission throughout the world.  This is a great challenge as we face diminishing funds from the units that have traditionally provided them and newer units struggling to be self-sufficient.

The afternoon was spent with our special guest, S. Catherine Brabander RNDM, who gave an enlightening presentation on how her congregation responded to this same issue. All in all it was an intense but significant day giving the Synod participants much to consider. 

Fr. Milton Zonta, Superior General, presented his report to the Synod participants outlining areas that need to be reconsidered in order for us to fulfill our vocation-mission as Salvatorians. This includes the rewriting of the Ratio Instituionis Generalis, the basic document underlying our formation program. Fr. Milton also included the need to rethink our administrative structures in order to respond better to the needs of today. The participants spent time at the end of the morning in prayerful silence considering the reports and input received since Monday.

In the afternoon they worked in their small groups with the aim of offering some initial ideas that would move us forward in our road to the XIX General Chapter taking into account all that they had heard earlier in the day and during the week. 

On this day the Synod participants enthusiastically affirmed the proposal of the Generalate to hold the Society’s XIX General Chapter between 08 August and 08 September 2018 at St. Ottilien Monastery outside of Munich. The reason for the date and location is that the Salvatorian Family will be commemorating the centenary of death of our Founder, Fr. Francis Jordan and we wish to end the Chapter with a celebration of the Founder at Gurtweil, Germany about three hours from Munich. It will also provide access to Tafers, Switzerland where the Founder died on 08 September 1918. In addition the participants established the Chapter Preparations Committee consisting of Frs. Raúl Gómez Ruiz, Agustín (Stijn) Van Baelen, Charles Mushitu, Vinoy Thottakkara, Mirosław Stanek and Hubert Veeser along with facilitators Sr. Dulcelene Ceccato and Fr. Dennis Thiessen. The Committee will follow the schedule of preparation presented and approved by the Synod beginning with this Synod and continuing through the start of the General Chapter.  We are very grateful to the German Province for agreeing to host and help prepare the General Chapter. Also, the Synod received extensive information on the process of beatification of our Founder from Fr. Adam Teneta, Postulator General, along with some suggestions for the celebration for the Centenary of Fr. Jordan’s death. The day was completed by an evaluation of this very full week of work. We invite intercession though Fr. Jordan for the success of our plans. 

It was another important day for discussing matters related to the future of the Society. The Synod participants spent the morning discussing a proposal from the Generalate regarding strengthening the Salvatorian presence in Europe. An idea discussed was reorganization of the Western European units but that has implications for the entire Society. Another was the possibility of establishing a formation house in Rome, which would receive members in initial formation at the theology or post philosophy level to prepare them for work in European units. The basis of the formation would be evangelization needs in light of the fact that Europe has itself become mission territory.  The participants affirmed the Generalate and gave it the green light to continue developing the proposal. The afternoon on the other hand was spent on talking about Ord. 25 of the XVIII General Chapter requiring the Generalate to develop a plan for remodeling the Motherhouse. Architects hired by the Generalate presented their concept for this work along with a preliminary budget. The Synod participants will continue the discussion of this matter on Monday afternoon. In the meantime they have earned a good break to recover their energy and to enjoy Rome. They will be free from meetings all day Sunday. It has been an engaging and productive week.