Report day eight on Congregational Conference 2017 in Buin-Chile. (Monday 9, October 2017)

After a restful enjoyable weekend, putting our minds and something different than the Con-Con matters, we started on the last issues to be discussed this new week. Bro. Frans Dwiyatno lead our morning prayer with the theme, “Forming a community-forming a brotherhood.” He asked us to have personal reading and reflection on Vita Consecrata art. 42 “Fraternal life in love”, and art. 43, “The task of authority”, and on Novo Millenio Ineunte art. 43, “A Spirituality of Communion”.

Today the whole morning was devoted to the financial reporting and situation of the Congregation and the individual Provinces and the Religious House of the Netherlands. Bro. Remy Nyukorong gave us the information of the situation of our finance per 1 June 2017 and also about the trend of the interest the past 5 years. Bro. Martin Handoko lead our discussion on the allocation and our financial situation. Bro. Theodorus Suwariyanto presented the General Council reaction to the budged 2017 and financial statement of individual provinces. The main aim is how we can continue to be in solidarity with one another, to take care of the apostolic projects and our brothers who are sick and aging.

To all of us it becomes once more clear that the General income of the Congregation has been decreasing over the past years. We still have to budget carefully and make choices what is most important to continue in the future. Hopefully we can keep on supporting the apostolate in the growing provinces. In this way we hope to help them to become more and more financially self-reliant.

In the afternoon the General Council met with the Provincial Council of Chile Province. We are continuing to enjoy the great hospitality of the brothers in Chile and our stay in Buin-Santiago. The weather is turning slowly in a more agreeable condition for springtime. Everything is coming to life again, we as well with a bit more comfortable temperature. We closed our day with the Euchartistic celebration lead by Fr. David Raju SVD.

By. Bro. Wim Luiten