Between April 3-6, approximately 60 confreres gathered at the Seminário Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Alfragide, Portugal) to participate in the Sixth Provincial Assembly.
The meeting focused on “rethinking the mission” and the concrete actions that need to take place in several areas in response to present and future challenges.
“We feel that this Provincial Assembly happens at a crucial moment in our lives, with the need to look at the future with new opportunities and possibilities,” said Fr. José Agostinho, provincial superior, in his opening speech.
The art of listening
We had two strong moments of reflection. The first, led by Fr. José Domingos Ferreira, SCJ, emphasized the importance of the pastoral of presence; pastoral conversion for our time, which implies stopping, contemplating, changing rhythms, leaving routines and leaving areas of comfort. There is a need to exercise the art of listening as a means to further growth and to deepen spiritual life.
Big questions
The second presentation, led by Dr. Carlos Liz, looked at the fact that resistance to change is natural, but that there are moments in the lives of people and of organizations in which we have to change, to risk, to throw away old things and give birth to others. We live in a time of great questions and it is necessary to be with others and have the courage to ask new questions. This was the theme of the first day of the Provincial Assembly.
