Rome (Italy). At the end of the winter plenum session, the General Council of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) sends a choral message to the FMA, lay people, young people, and the Salesian Family.
The Plenum was a time rich in charismatic vitality, lived in deep communion, accompanied by the maternal gaze of Mary. Prayer, reflection, study, research together in dialogue-comparison, and discernment characterized the days of work in preparation for General Chapter XXIV, which takes place from 4 September to 8 November 2020 at the Generalate of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Rome – Letter of Convocation in Preparation of GCXXIV – Circular 985.
The choral message reads: “We thank everyone for their acceptance of the theme of General Chapter XXIV and for the progress made in each Province, in the preparation of the Provincial Chapters and in their implementation. The contents received are a sign of the vitality of the charism in every part of the world in which we are present. The study of the Letter of convocation (Circ. 985), listening to reality in availability to the Holy Spirit, discernment to face the challenges of contemporaneity according to the Salesian charism, offered a valid contribution to the preparation of the Working Instrument, elaborated by the pre-Chapter Commission constituted by FMA from different contexts.”
Attention to following the path of the 28th General Chapter of the Salesians of Don Bosco, which takes place in Turin-Valdocco (Italy) from 16 February to 4 April 2020 on the theme: Which Salesians for today’s young people, expressing a prayer of gratitude to the Rector Major Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime and to the General Council of the Salesian Congregation for the service of animation and government and for collaboration in the common educational mission and for fraternal closeness.
In line with the Message of Pope Francis for the 54th World Communications Day 2020 “So that you can tell and fix in memory” (Ex 10.2). Life becomes history, is the appeal of Mother and the Councilors to live with enthusiasm, gratitude, and joy the preparation for the Celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Foundation of the FMA Institute in 2022, to remember the love that created us, “Being inspired by Mary Domenica who, with the first communities, traced out the feminine face of Don Bosco’s educational charism, living it in Mornese and Nizza Monferrato in a creative and daring way” (Circ. N 994).
In the heart of the Church and immersed in contemporaneity, it is an invitation to “deepen the latest ecclesial Documents. Human brotherhood for world peace and common coexistence and the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia” (Circ. N 994), also valuing the new Institutional InFormazione WEBSITE of the FMA Institute, thus enriching the universe of the Educommunicative, evangelizing, socio-political and ecological mission of the FMA Institute.
The final greeting in the words of Mother Mazzarello: “I leave you in the heart of Jesus and pray that He will bless you, make you all His and keep you always united and happy” (Letters 17,5).
Rome, 24 February 2020 Mother and the Sisters of the Council
