Morning Session
The day dawned rainy in Fátima. Signs of fatigue are beginning to show. By 7.00 a.m., many Chapter members were already gathered in adoration, and half an hour later we began the praying of Lauds in several languages, entrusting the work of the day to the Lord.
At 9.00 a.m. we resumed the sessions in the chapter hall. At the outset, Fr Pedro Belderrain invited us not to lower our guard now that the election phase has come to an end. This is one of the temptations that can arise at this stage of the chapter journey.
The Chapter Commission then presented the draft of the first part of the final document, incorporating the contributions and suggestions received thus far. Time was given for personal reading, as well as for proposing further changes and improvements to the text.
At 12.00 noon we celebrated the Eucharist, presided over by the Claretian bishop, Bishop Manuel António Mendes dos Santos. In his homily, he emphasised two main ideas. The first, drawing on the first reading, invited us to “remain in the teaching that you have heard from the beginning” (cf. 1 Jn 2:22–28), reminding us that, in the midst of a world filled with ideas and relativism, Christ and the teaching we have received must continue to be our point of reference.
The second idea stemmed from the Gospel and the question addressed to John the Baptist: “Who are you?” He reminded us that this same question is posed to us today, and that our lives must clearly show that we are missionaries, with Christ at the centre, as He was for our Father Founder, Claret.
Afternoon Session
At 3.00 p.m. we began the session with the apostolic prayer. The moderator was Fr. Abilio Ramos. This was followed by group work aimed at developing concrete contributions to the chapter document, which would be included in its third section.
Before beginning, Fr. Pedro Belderrain offered several guidelines for discernment: to remember that the provincial government has a mandate of only three years, and therefore should not be burdened with disproportionate expectations; to bear in mind that in a year and a half the proposals of the next General Chapter (2027) will arrive; to place the emphasis on healthy communities without neglecting the mission, since looking inward helps us to look outward; not to formulate too many proposals; and to limit the number of suggestions to a maximum of four per area (five in the case of the apostolate).
The groups worked until 5.00 p.m., preparing concrete proposals for the various areas: governance, community life and spirituality, apostolate, youth and vocation ministry, economy, and initial formation. This was followed by a break until 5.30 p.m., when we celebrated Vespers.
At 6.00 p.m. we continued our work in the chapter hall. The minutes of the previous day were read and approved with some modifications. The second of the three sections of the chapter document was then presented, focusing on the dreams of the Province in the areas of community and mission. After some contributions and adjustments, the text was approved. Consequently, only the third section of the chapter document remains, devoted to practical and juridical matters.
The final exchanges in the hall addressed various juridical aspects in preparation for the upcoming chapter.
After dinner, we experienced a particularly warm and relaxed moment with the exchange of “secret friend” gifts among the capitulars, a Christmas sign of the fraternity that we continue to cultivate during these days.
Tomorrow will be the final day of the chapter. We entrust these final hours to our God. Our Province is in His hands. Good night.
