Rome, February 20, 2025
Anniversary of the birth of Mother Thecla
Dear Sisters,
On the day we celebrate the 131st anniversary of the birth of Mother Thecla, I want to reach out to you regarding a very important appointment about which we all feel deeply involved: the Convocation of the 12th General Chapter.
We have already covered a good part of this journey together. Since my first circular letters (January 6 and February 28, 2024) in which I announced the theme and set down several concrete guidelines concerning the preparation process, several important stages have been accomplished:
- the synodal involvement of all the communities of the Congregation by means of the In Preparation for the 12th General Chapter Study Aids (12CG Study Aid 01 and 12CG Study Aid 02), which fostered an initial deepening of the theme and proposed several questions on which to share using the conversations in the Spirit method, in order to invite all of us to reflect on our current situation and to offer useful contributions to draft the first part of the Working Document;
- the official convocation of the Provincial Chapters, and the Delegation Meetings and Meetings of the Communities dependent on the General Government, in preparation for the 12th General Chapter (June 2024);
- the completion of the Provincial Chapters, Delegation Meetings and Meetings of the Communities dependent on the General Government, in which the theme of the Chapter was more profoundly explored, the Congregation’s journey over the six-year period 2019-2025 was evaluated; the syntheses containing the contributions to be sent to the Pre-Chapter Commission were approved; amendments to articles of the Constitutions and Directory were proposed, and the Delegates to the General Chapter were elected (October 2024 – February 2025).
The Sisters on the Pre-Chapter Commission, accompanied by the facilitator, Sr Tiziana Merletti, are already collecting the input received from the local Chapters, which will be available in the Reserved Area of the paoline.org website as of the end of the month of February, and they are processing them in view of composing the first part of the Chapter’s Working Document.
In addition, they have initiated the second phase of preparation for the 12th General Chapter, sending the Form by which to present proposals, which will be used to draft the second part of the Working Document; and they have recently sent a third Study Aid for reflection and prayer (12CG Study Aid 03), dedicated to the icon that will illuminate us during the work of the Chapter – the meeting of Saint Paul with Lydia in the city of Philippi during his second missionary journey.
We now open the stage of proximate preparation for the General Chapter by means of this
Official Convocation
of the 12th Ordinary General Chapter
of our Congregation
The General Chapter is the supreme authority of the Congregation, exercised in a collegial and temporary way, in accord with the Constitutions, which lists its purposes as follows (cf. Const. 165):
- to study more profoundly the charism of the Institute and to actualize it in the light of the teachings of the Church, the socio-cultural situations of the world, and the evolution of the means of communication;
- to examine the progress of the Congregation, reflect on its situation, deal with general problems, and indicate guidelines for the next six-year period;
- to issue deliberations and norms;
- to elect the Superior General and her Councilors.
Date The General Chapter will begin on September 7 and will conclude on October 7, 2025.
Location Divine Master Retreat House (Casa “Divin Maestro”), Strada Regionale 218, Km. 11 – 00072 Ariccia (RM) tel. 06.934.86.1; e-mail: casadivinmaestro@paulus.net
Participants 57 sisters: 20 by right (among whom are the members of the General Government and the ex-Superior General of the preceding mandate), and 35 by election.
Regarding the sisters participating by election: 20 were elected by their Provinces, 14 by their Delegations, 1 by the Communities dependent on the General Government (see Attachment).
Language The official language of the Chapter, in which every document will be drafted, will be Italian. Simultaneous translation services will be provided for the sisters who need it.
Atmosphere of Prayer
The Constitutions invite the entire Congregation to into enter into a prayerful atmosphere in this period of proximate preparation for the Chapter (cf. Dir. 166.2).
I would like to highlight several moments and expressions to live together:
- To continue to deepen the Chapter’s theme: Impelled by the fire of the Spirit, listening to contemporary humanity we communicate the Gospel of hope.
- To live the dimension of hope with particular intensity in this year Jubilee Year, according to the intentions expressed by Pope Francis in the Bull of Indiction, interceding for humanity living today.
- To invoke the Holy Trinity with the prayer for the 12th General Chapter, that the abundance of the Spirit’s gifts might be bestowed on us, and that He might enlighten us regarding the news ways He is opening for the Word.
- To ask the people close to us, the Pauline Family, other religious Congregations and cloistered monasteries, to pray for us so that their communion might sustain our fidelity and creativity.
A period of greater reflection and listening begins for all of us, a time to grasp the Lord’s will and to have the courage to “transform today’s dreams into tomorrow’s reality” (Pope Francis). May the Spirit, the fire of love, daily renew in us the joy of communicating the Gospel of hope in the most appropriate languages and formats of communication so as to speak to the wounded heart of contemporary humanity.
With deep affection, and united in prayer and hope,
Sr. Anna Caiazza
Superior General
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Attachment: List of the participants in the 12th General Chapter
