The Second Day of General Conference 2015.

We started the second day of the General Conference by morning prayer at 06.30 in the chapel of Sint Louis educational center. Br. Cosmas Kanmwa (Ghana), who prepare the prayer, lead us to unite with the prayer of the church who celebrate the feast of all the departed souls. So as we continue to ask for the blessings for the conference, we also pray for our fellow brothers, family, relatives, and friends who already passed away. May our good Lord grant their souls with the perfect eternal peace.

After breakfast, we met in the conference hall to have a day of deepening. The theme of this conference that is  “Living Consecrated Life through Mission” became the theme of our deepening. The whole process of deepening was divided into three sessions. The first session was “FIC Apostolic Mission in the Light of the FIC History and Present Day Challenges” facilitated by Bro. Theo, member of General Councilor. The second session was “FIC Apostolic Mission in the light of the teaching of the church” facilitated by Bro. Martin Dariyo, the Provincial Superior of Malawi Province.  The third session, which will be done in the third day of the conference, is “FIC Apostolic Mission in the light of the Gospel and FIC Constitutions”.

The two sessions done for today were very well appreciated by the participants. Both of the facilitators gave us well prepared power point presentations. In his presentation, Bro. Theo gave us a picture of the expansion of the concept  of the apostolate of teaching in The Netherland to others part of the world, that bring about improvement of the society at various level. It is because good education for the youth is a guarantte for a better future of the world. From the Project of Rutten we understand that teaching was the main aim of his Congregation, teaching of social classes, the poor as well as the rich. The education with the stress on religious education. Bro. Bernard said that the congregation is going to be happy as long as the poor take the first rank. Bro. Theo also stressed very much that apostolate is not what we do but what God does through us. He also mention what is very important today for us (challenges), such as: a) to have a deep personal of God and a great sense of community; b) to be concerned for the world and for the sake of the Gospel, sensitive to its problems, its need and its diversity of cultures and mentalities; c) to be present in the world, to show the value of the Gospel brotherhood by our activities and our abilities to relate to everyone on the human level; d) to strengthen our mission especially in education. Education as a means to propagate and maintain the Catholic faith (moral guidance, to train good Catholicc); e) to improve the quality of education in our schools, being different compared to other schools because of our charism, our purpose of doing our mission; and f) to gain expertise in “active contemplatif attitude”. 

That is why, in the second session, Bro. Martinus Dariyo also gave stress verymuch on the important of balance education for the youth as mentioned also in the document “Gravissimun Educationis”.  In connection with document “Laudato Si” from Pope Francis, Bro. Martinus Dariyo also said that the main aim of education is not only “to love God in his perfectness” but “to love God and His creatures in his perfectness”. 

Bros. Theo and Martin Dariyo also asked us to go for a small group discusion as a way of deepening. They gave us three questions to be reflected personally and shared in the group as a way of enriching and to draw inspiration from each other. In deed, to day is very enriching day...

Bro. Valentinus Daru S.