PREPARATION FOR THE GENERAL CHAPTER 2019

1. Verification of our charismatic identity, the “task” which was entrusted

to us by the Holy Spirit, and the challenges that we encounter in its
fulfillment at the individual, communitarian and institute level.

a. How is the loftiness or the sovereignty of God in the life of the community?

- In our life as community we really acknowledge the sovereignty of God in our daily journey as
Ursuline sisters. We can show or concretize this through our unique experiences. Like having a
discernment in every decision making and we can make it through our personal and
communitarian prayers. In prayers, we can entrust everything to God, that us community we can
sustain our daily endeavors in life and always believing in His Divine Providence and
unconditional love to us. Indeed we place God in everything we do.

b. How do we make use God’s Word in our apostolate?

- We make use God’s Word in our apostolate through giving recollections, retreats, telling stories
from the Bible, quoting verses and relate it into human experience. Preaching and explaining the
Word of God to them. Indeed the Word of God is important because it strengthened us in
everything we undertake in life.

c. Is our apostolate a call to faith, conversion and communion? Is it the source of

fidelity and does it nourish our faith? How?

- Yes, our apostolate is a call to faith in the sense that in carrying our mission it is difficult to
continue our ministry without faith, because along the way we encountered lot of problems,
trials, difficulties, frustrations and even failures that make us dull in our apostolate. Apostolate
also is a call of conversion and communion, while engaging with the people we encountered
people who have no faith but later on through our apostolate there is conversion happened it
means they go back to their faith, and eventually they have communion in the Church.

d. In what way do we live the value of forgiveness in our community?

- We live out the value of forgiveness in our community through reaching out the member who
are difficult in behavior. Though community is a difficult…but still we are trying to unite
ourselves through constant communication and forgiving each other’s fault. Forgiveness is not
easy because it needs time to heal. Forgiveness is a process and gradual.
 e. Does the approach of our formation prevent or hinder the deepest desire of the
young ladies?

- Our formation did not prevent or hinder the deepest desire of the young ladies but it encourages
and motivates them to pursue their desires. In fact, our delegation designed a program in order to
help them in their discernment. Such as, we send them to school those who did have yet the
degree. Therefore, we give good avenue for their better future. But there are some limitations
that hinder their desire like personal o communitarian reasons. They cannot adjust their
companions and they discourage the character of the sisters. Formator’s impact the way she deals
with her formandees. The formator should know her responsibilities in carrying her mission in
molding young girls to follow Christ. Sisters should be a good example and model to follow
them. It’s a call and a challenge to live and be a witness to others. Diversity of language can
hinder also for the formandee to continue their desire to follow our Lord.

f. In formation, how much importance do we give to our “being missionaries”?

- We give great importance to our being missionaries in building self-esteem and how to become
a missionary. Enculturation is to adapt what is the culture of that particular place. Sacrifice of
the Italian sisters, their simplicity and openness of heart to be formed. Adapt all the
circumstances in every situation. Ongoing Formation helps us to renew our call. Relationship
with God. Starting afresh with Christ. Being missionary begins in our self.

G. How do we actualize the on-going formation in the community and in the

Delegation?

- Continue live out our personal responsibility and doing our specific task given by the superior.
In Delegation, sending the sisters to school and updating seminars to enhance each sister
spiritually, psychologically and etc. Strong foundation of formation so that you may not find
difficult in carrying a certain task in the future. Delegation, clear understanding because every
year each sister will meet for a particular growth. For individual, the problem is how we put it
into action in our daily lives. It depends upon the person or a sister how she carry out this on-
going formation.It begin first within, it means to live out the on-going formation, to cooperate
with them…Congregation invests a lot of money, time, and resources for the betterment of each
sister. In our community we continue our on-going formation like recollection… as individual…
faithfulness…re align ang growth as consecrated person. Retreat, seminars…reminds me and
deepened our relationship to God as well as each other. Grateful and appreciate and desires the
continuous on-going formation. Being loved and cared through this congregation.
 H. Do I recognize the importance of the person in front of me? Are listening and
dialogue important in the life of the community?

- Quality time, presence, talking given value to each person as unique person with dignity.
Listening and talking…I give importance to the person whom trusts me. I give time and
appreciate that person. Yes without listening and dialogue very difficult for the community to
move on no peace, unity and solidarity.I find it difficult to understand and give importance to the
person. I give time myself to process my feelings so that things will not go wrong. We are
created in the image of God therefore we deserve to be loved…cared….For me I recognize the
person in front of me by giving my time, self and love. Dialogue and listening …role sa
community…continue don’t stop…friendship…not perfect but we try to build our community…
we start all over again… charity…

I. Do we respond to the problem of an “International formation house”? Do we consider

it as a challenge? What do we do in this regard?

-We need to let the sister learn first the Italian language before sending the sister to Italy.
Financial problem in going there so expensive… Mistresses… well grounded…presence of
young sister assign…

J. Do we work together to face the problems of intercultural and intergenerational

integration? In what way?
Problem: language, adjustment way of life, religious practices, financial, manual
labor, difficult in detaching the family, weather/climate, values & attitude. Political,
economic, social…immoral

- Language- stake the universal language which is English…but we are encourage to learn some
few vocabularies in order to relate them…the Italian…Vietnamese… Chinese…. Before they
will go to other countries they should prepare themselves for the language to learn and study.
Practices and Beliefs- respect each practices and beliefs, adjustment and adaptation of the culture
and belief. Political – inform and update about our laws and regulations or wherever countries
we will go. Climate/ Weather- ready to adjust in our community.
 b. INTERGENERATIONAL INTEGRATION

- -adapt sa new generation and pagpabilin sa old, make difference, according to our charism and
spirituality, for the greater glory of God.

K. How do we consider the situation of those young sisters who are not yet expert of
having the main responsibility in the apostolic work? What do we do?

- Guide the young sisters to their new apostolate, studies or exposure to their new responsibility.

1. Among the list of “strengths” that we underlined, there is the centrality of the Word, faith
and union with Christ. How do we transmit the experience of faith which makes us united
with Christ and to bear witness to it:
 First of all in our community then the whole Congregation?

- Sharing of our struggles can strengthened our faith, in our inadequacy, limitations, strengths,
intelligence, gifts, financial, resources but still continue even though is not sufficient through the
help of many people. The Word of God like Anawim can also help us understand and deepened
our faith so that we can relate that in ourselves, community and make us better person.

2. Which “strengths” of the Institute which describe well the situation of our community?

- These are the strengths of the Institute which describe well the situation of our community.
The centrality of the Word, Enthusiasm in prayer, Prayer and offering of one’s suffering for the
needs of the world, faithfulness to one’s vocation and charism, strong faith and union with
Christ, openness and availability to discuss the problems, harmony, generosity and availability of
the community, enthusiasm, liveliness and creativity of young sisters and novices, richness of
having a Jesuit spiritual fathers with whom we can collaborate and we can find strong support,
mutual acceptance among sisters and lay in the apostolate; the involvement of the lay in different
tasks and their collaboration in the apostolic life even in the diocese.

3. Which particular “weaknesses” limit us?

- Decrease of local vocations, lack in dealing with the problems of generation gap, difficulty in
language and lack of knowledge of the local culture.
4. A challenge which can be considered a limitation: an apostolate in schools. How do we
evaluate the tasks of these sisters who have administrative responsibilities at present, who are not
teaching and not having a direct contact with the youth in schools? Why do we evaluate it in this
way?

- The tasks of sisters who have administrative responsibilities at present who are not in teaching
and not having a direct contact with the youth in schools. Sisters have the offices of being an
administrator, principal and teachers in schools. Sisters who are teaching in school still have a
direct contact with the youth. They preferred to talk and share their problems, difficulties even
achievements to the sisters.

5. Some challenges that we affirm at presents are:

a. the work in proportion to the strength of the person- Many sisters are overloaded especially
those who assigned in school. There are sisters working in school and they are studying every
weekend studying theology and master’s degree.

b. the decrease of the number of the consecrated persons

c. the fact the sisters concentrated only In the administrative work- they are multi-tasking, they
are in school teaching but they are generous enough to give time in the service of the school.

d. the need for the economic stability- strength, time, lack of man power

6. Which challenge are we and our community called? How we balance our life as religious
sisters and the demands of our work.

2. Verifications of the proposals of the General Chapter 2013, using the deliberation
written in the booklet entitled: “Starting Afresh from Christ” 2013-2019

- Deliberation n.1-put God’s Word and the Eucharist at the centre…

-Deliberation n.2- Cura personalis
- Deliberation n. 3 – Lay’s participation in the mission
- Deliberation n. 4 – Formator’s formation is remain priority of the Congregation
- Deliberation n. 5 - The Contributions to the General House are to be maintained
- Deliberation n. 7 (n.1,2001-a)- identity as UMSH “personification of the love of Christ”
- Deliberation n. 7 (n.3,2001)- Guidelines for the involvement of the lay people
- Deliberation n.7 (n.3, 2007-A)- studies of Italian and English language
 3. Given today’s context which we described, what issues/topics do we wish to propose
for the General Chapter? How are we arrive to this proposal?

- To revise the history of the Congregation and to finish the recent mission country like Vietnam.

-To translate the Document of the Congregation into our universal language- English

- Universal design of the logo of Congregation

- The junior sister must have a 1 year exposure as a vocation promoter before she profess her last
vows.

- First profession must be held in Vietnam