Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Together with Srs. Mariani, Theodora and Christa, I warmly welcome you all in this GCO meeting 2011. From different places and countries, we gather in this place with the same spirit as sisters and brothers. This is the 25th GCO meeting in our congregation.
For us, as Sisters of Our Lady – Amersfoort, this meeting is an inspiring event to enhance our bond and togetherness, which is moved by the same spirit.
We feel grateful and thankful to the councils of The Netherlands, Indonesia and Malawi, the facilitators, the discussion leader, the secretariat staff and the interpreters who wholeheartedly have responded to our invitation for this meeting. Especially to you Sr. Fransita, Sr. Rosalia, Sr. Catherine, Fr. Sudarminta and Fr. Philbert, this is the first time for you to participate in the GCO meeting. We wish you will feel comfortable and able to participate actively in this meeting.
Mrs. Lia Vergouwen, Mr. Guus van Loenen, Fr. Justinus Sudarminta, Fr. Philbert, and Fr. Henk Bloem, our facilitators, will guide us for this meeting. And Fr. Norbert Halsema will be our discussion leader.
We also express our special thanks to Mrs. Renny Zwaagstra, our secretary, who has organised this GCO meeting well together with the secretariat staff members
Although in the last general chapter it was strongly advised to hold the international meetings of the congregation in the English language, in reality, at this GCO meeting we still need the interpreters to help us in expressing our thoughts properly.
They are: Erna Ammerlaan and Sr. Lucidia for the whole period, Marianne Jacobs during the second and third week, and Inge Kapitan will join in the third week. We invite you to help us to be our discussion conveyor in the plenary and in the small groups.
Dear sisters and brothers,
On basis of the assignment of the General Chapter 2010, we now perform this 25th GCO meeting, with the purpose that is written in our Statutes 20.1 and 21.1:
‘The General Consultative Organ guards and promotes the unity of the congregation. In the General Consultative Organ, experience and vision are exchanged and collaboration on the international level finds concrete form’.
“The general consultative organ discusses how the policy that is decided upon by the general chapter is to be carried out on the general, provincial and regional level.”
As councils now together, we collegially want to take steps to realize a part of our tasks and responsibilities, especially to form a concrete way and make a follow up of the decisions of the general chapter 2010.
Starting from the same source and the same roots, starting from Amersfoort, now our congregation lives actively in the Netherlands, Indonesia, Malawi and the Philippines. The growth and the presence of the congregation in those countries are based on the same spirituality ‘recognizing and acknowledging the human dignity as the image of God’.
The theme of the last general chapter in 2010 became so a powerful echo, binding unity in our congregation. At this GCO meeting, we want to continue the flow of spirit of the general chapter with focus on the theme of “Unity in diversity”
In the opening prayer service, Sr. Christa already explained to us the meaning of the theme and symbol that we use it for our meeting.
We have chosen this theme because:
- we are one congregation, living from the same source and spirituality. We have different nationalities, cultures, languages, characteristics, talents etc. We live in the same spirituality, likewise our sisters in various places.
- “The unity in diversity” is experienced on various levels: provinces/region, communities, ministries, and societies where our sisters dedicate themselves to serve.
- we are living in a global world/universal and the modern tools of communication unite us, so that people can contact one another quickly wherever they are.
- as a whole congregation, we want to continue and strengthen the spirit of togetherness and moving on in one spirit, especially in facing/dealing with the real situations of each province/region:
· The Dutch province will be smaller in number.
· The Region Malawi is growing and still making efforts to stand on their own feet.
· The Indonesian province will expand the province
In accordance with the recommendation of the General Chapter, “that before holding the GCO meeting, to hold the formation days for the councils”, we try to involve you as far as possible, to discuss the theme and other things we need for this meeting.
Beforehand, in each province/region, you already received and prepared the main topics for this GCO meeting. We thank the councils together with the facilitators who have worked hard and responded well to our working papers and other preparations for this GCO meeting.
Furthermore, we will arrange our discussions based on the topics mentioned in the daily agenda. We truly ask the agenda commission to follow accurately the discussion process.
Finally, we hope our active involvement in this meeting will be fruitful and that, in the light of God’s Spirit, we will get new inspiration to reach the goals of this meeting.
We wish all of you much success! Herewith I declare the General Consultative Organ meeting 2011 to be opened.
Denekamp, 7th September, 2011
Chairperson of the GCO meeting
of the congregation of Sisters of Our Lady
Sr. Felisita Budiarti
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