Report of Wednesday, 16 October 2019

Leadership Workshop and Congregational Conference 2019

All too soon, the two-week journey has reached its end. The weather looks quite bright but still cloudy with intermittent appearance of the sun. In our morning prayer, Bro. Theodorus Suwariyanto led the group in a reflective prayer with the theme “Protecting their heritage”. Many were in the departure mood, but not until the conference was officially declared closed. With this in mind, we gathered for the wrapping up and evaluation.  

In general, all expressed satisfaction for the services provided at the Carolus Borromeus Sisters facility “Onder de Bogen”, the meals provided, the content of the workshop, reflections, personal encounters, etc. Except for the internet connection, the progression of the workshop was given a positive appraisal. The meeting offered us the opportunity to learn from each other and understand better the situation and condition of each province and the Religious House Netherlands (RHN). It was clear that to stay together as a team, we need the support, contributions and expertise of all team members. To be able to provide the needed service to our fellow brothers and others, we need to listen to the individual brother's needs, adhere to our Constitutions, the community needs, be open to the spirit, the signs of the times and the spirit of our founders. As  persons in authority, we should be the first to obey, set a good example and be aware that our authority is first all a spiritual authority.

The General Council was commended for the well-organized international gathering. Members appreciated very much the idea of asking the provincial teams to provide some input. This shows that we are truly united in our search for the will of God for the congregation and the willingness to improve our spirit of internationality.

Bro. Augustine on behalf of the General Council expressed our gratitude to our secretaries and Bro. Lo Koeleman who helped us a lot not only in the preparation but also throughout the meeting. The three brothers from the RHN, Bro. Wim Luiten, Gerard Langelaan and Frans School, need our commendation for their help in various ways to make this international gathering a reality.

After the written and oral evaluation, there were exchange of gifts from provinces and the RHN. Through this we felt the spirit of brotherhood among us. At 11:00 we concluded the conference with Eucharistic celebration led by Fr. Koos Jansen SMA, in the small chapel during which the closing address was delivered. In his closing address, the General Superior, Bro. Augustine Kubdaar acknowledged that the objectives of the workshop were met. He reminded the brothers that as religious leaders, we are called and chosen by God to be signs of unity and guide to the quest for God and our common search for his will. After expressing his appreciation to all participants and supporting staff, he declared the 2019 Leadership Workshop and Congregational Conference formally closed.

Theodorus Suwariyanto