In accordance with the programming of the Provincial Council at the beginning of the quadrennium 2022-2026, from November 6 to 8, 2023, was held in Honiton, Devon (England), the assembly of the Delegation of England, in which a low number of religious, their age and, in some cases, illness condition their future plans.
Taking into account that the Delegation of England is a demarcation of the Province which depends directly on the provincial government in Madrid, on November 3, the prior provincial Carlos González and Benjamín Miguélez, provincial secretary, set out for the Anglo-Saxon country to attend the Assembly and help the previous weekend in the work carried out in the Latin American and Spanish chaplaincies of London.
Punctual to the appointment, on November 6, the Assembly began with the presence of 9 of the 10 religious who exercise their ministry in England; one of them, for reasons of health, could not attend. Three religious from Cheniston, London participated; three others, St Anne’s, London; and three, from Honiton, Devon. The attendees decided, on a proposal of the delegate, adapt to the community schedule regarding prayers and meals. The way to carry it out, also at the proposal of the delegate, consisted of two working groups that met separately, for half an hour, to discuss the different agenda items before presenting them together at the plenary meeting with all the religious.
The topics discussed were four:
– Our plans for the sick and the elderly
– Programs for continuous ongoing training; Vocations and the youth
-The properties; Communities
– Our ministries and Living the (in) community.
The prior provincial Carlos González spoke at the beginning of the Assembly and he stated that he had hope that the Holy Spirit would enlighten all those present to continue walking in their being religious in the country, even if it was with small steps, but always progressing a little forward. He insisted that for him it was very important to dialogue and, for this reason, he was as much in favor of meetings and assemblies as important element of growth, because through them the opportunity can be given to all religious people to express their concerns and hopes.
He explained two aspects of the dialogue that he hoped would come true at the assembly: brevity and clarity at the same time as serenity and vitality. He did not fail to also allude to the honesty, courage, awareness, empathy, fascination, receptivity, commitment,…
He ended his intervention by remembering that it was about finding a way to face our reality and seek the best ways to live our religious consecration.
Next, the delegate of England, Gerald Wilson, took the floor and reported how he had prepared the agenda. He was aware of the pessimism prevailing in many ways of life, including religious life, but he expressed his belief that “We must get excited again and seek the best for the experience of our religious reality.”
He briefly recalled the reality of the Delegation during recent years, with a special mention to the religious who had left them, and encouraged them to never lose hope above all.
