Provincial Chapter

NEP PROVINCIAL CHAPTER 26-31 OCTOBER 2006
PARAGON HOTEL BIRMINGHAM

‘Companions on the journey –receiving and giving life’

97 members of the Province Community, from four continents, gathered to reflect on Key aspects of our Province life and journey since the last Chapter six years ago and, in the light of these, discern priorities for the way forward.

The Chapter was facilitated by Sr Patricia Orr RSM and Sr Mary Harrington LSU and the services of our translator Sr Moira McDowell and a team of RSHM facilitated the use of French and English in both plenary sessions and table groups. Mrs Frances Thomas assisted with the secretarial work.

 

Our Finance Manager, Mrs Sharon Daly and members of the Extended Family Core Group:

Sue and Patrick Black, Ruth Long and Collette Kearney joined us for part of the time. We were also enriched by a talk given by Sr Sheila Cronin on “Health and Wellbeing”.

 

Various options were available during the chapter in designated rooms: a Prayer Room for personal prayer; a Holistic Room for gentle exercise and massage and dancing and a Resource Room with displays by the JPIC group and Extended Family and a programme of videos and PowerPoint presentations.

 

Opportunities to socialise and times to celebrate and pray together were two memorable strands woven throughout these days .Fr Richard Sloan joined us for part of the Chapter and celebrated a truly communitarian Sunday Eucharist with us and the coordination from the Formation team ensured a rich weaving of gifts and different forms of prayer...

 

This was also a time to prepare for the General Chapter 2007 with the theme “Ablaze with Gailhac’s vision of transcending boundaries that all may have life”. We welcomed Sr Veronica Brand, from the General Council, who led us in a process of selecting those boundaries we feel need to be explored by the whole Institute.

1. Social, Cultural and Religious Differences

2. Intolerance due to ignorance or fear of difference

3. Limitations of Ageing/Infirmity, Human Resources

4. Institute Structures

 

 

The following delegates to the General Chapter were elected: Srs Marie France Correau, Mary Jo Martin, Ursula Canavan, Mary Jo Martin and, as substitutes :

Srs Philippa O’Sullivan Patricia Butler, Teresina O’Byrne, Anne Murphy.

 

Some comments made about the Provincial Chapter afterwards seem to capture the experience of us all : “being together was both life-giving and receiving”. “It was a privilege... to have walked with the others sharing our common mission. It was as if we were holy ground”.