Rome (Agenzia Fides) -, The opening of the XII General Chapter of the Consolata Missionaries was held yesterday, May 9 in Rome . The General Superior, Father Aquileo Fiorentini, welcomed participants and explained the main features of this special moment of review and programming that is repeated every six years. According to information sent to Fides, Father Fiorentini traced the journey of two years in preparation of the Chapter and the efforts made to involve as much as possible all the missionaries in this event that will have to rethink about the mission of the Institute in the light of these current and future challenges and to elect the new leadership capable of guiding it in the next six years.

Born in Turin 110 years ago (January 29, 1901), the Institute founded by St. Joseph Allamano now has about a thousand missionaries working in four different continents. How can one offer effective and qualified missionary work, spiritually rich, in such a vast landscape and culturally diverse? This is the great challenge facing the fifty missionaries gathered in Rome for the Chapter.

"We choose to work with the method of discernment - father Fiorentini said in his inaugural speech- to try to figure out where God wants the Institute to reach today. We need to discover a new missionary zeal in our lives, leaving us to be evangelized by the mission". Each participant has been invited to become instruments of re-enculturation in this Institute in which we are called to live and serve, adding to our reflection and discussion a piece of Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

In the afternoon, at the church of Santa Maria Maddalena in Rome, there was the opening Mass, which was attended by the nuns of the Consolata Missionaries, also gathered at their General House in Nepi (VT) for the General Chapter, a sign of communion between the two Institutes linked with the same roots and sharing the same charisma. It was the church where the Blessed Allamano came to pray during his trips to Rome, attracted by an effigy of Our Lady Consolata preserved here. The closure of the Chapter is scheduled for June 20 in Turin, for the Feast of the Consolata at the Shrine dedicated to her. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 05/10/2011)