General Chapter Diary: Prayerful Discernment

Having listened to the General Council’s Reports the participants of 19th General Chapter of the Mill Hill Missionaries have entered into a new phase of the Chapter process today, Saturday.

As a matter of priority ample time is given for personal reflection – infused with prayer – to attune to the whisperings of the Spirit in traditional major areas of interest: Mission and Identity, Formation, Governance & Leadership, Care of Members & Associates, and Finance & Stewardship. This will be followed by sharing.

Instructions issuing from the facilitator:

As disciples with a radical commitment to mission (c.f. Prologue to the Constitutions) you are invited to contemplate the clusters of material through the eyes of God, desiring the best for the Society and its mission in the coming 5 years. (Remember the Chapter theme “So that they may have life in abundance”.) Try to stand back from the concrete suggestions and discussions that will have to take place and see what is coming through to you in an overall way. The image of an iceberg may be helpful here: some of the recommendations may be the ‘tips’ of the iceberg but it can help to try and describe the underwater mass as well. Trying to identify the underwater material will help in giving an overall direction to the subsequent work on the specific topics which will follow in Chapter week 2.

Gallery of Delegates: