(India). “A long journey begins with a single step”! The preparation of GCXXIV is the journey undertaken in small steps to awaken the vocational fruitfulness of the Provinces of the Interprovincial Conference of India – PCI.
With the clear indications of Pope Francis, the Mother General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the Vicar General and Moderator of GCXXIV Sr. Chiara Cazzuola, and Sr. Ozhukayil Lucy Rose, Visiting Councilor and Referent of the Conference, the FMA of India embarked on the journey to discern God’s dream of love and His plans for India.
On 27 October 2020, the first meeting for the Provincials, Delegates, and Substitutes to the XXIV General Chapter of the seven Indian Provinces took place online: INB, INC, ING, INK, INM, INS, and INT. The theme of the meeting “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). Communities that generate life in the heart of contemporaneity with the aim of awakening vocational fruitfulness in the heart of India.
Sr. Amalanathan Mary Margaret, President of the Conference, coordinated the meeting. The salient points of the discussion were: the deepened study of the Working Document, co-responsibility in the liturgy and moments of animation at GCXXIV.
Stimulated by the themes of “Fratelli Tutti” and by Pope Francis’ weekly catechesis “Healing the world“, the FMA of the seven Provinces re-read the Indian reality in the light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, of the New Education Policy (NEP), and of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to enculturate the Working Document into the contemporary socio-political scenario in India.
The delegate, Sr. Philomina D’Souza FMA, together with a work group, drew up the guidelines for all the Provinces to respond to the three nuclei of the Working Document. Each Province reflected and shared in the Educating Communities the significant elements to be “generators of life” today as vocational, synodal, missionary, and prophetic communities.
Planning, sharing, and working together helped the PCI Conference to make a united journey, aware of its own charismatic origin to give a prophetic response full of hope to people who live in a difficult environment.
