OPENING SPEECH



Sr. Felisita, superior general



Dear sisters and brothers,

Together with Srs. Dionysia, Beatrix, and Theodora, I warmly welcome you all to this general chapter 2010: the members of the general chapter, the facilitators, the discussion leader, the secretariat staff, the interpreters, and the observers of the Dutch province.

We are happy and very grateful for your presence here in Denekamp, a bit far from Amersfoort. Yesterday afternoon, we opened the chapter with a Eucharistic Celebration asking God’s blessing for smoothness and success of our Chapter.

This chapter is coloured by well-known faces with new spirits. Most of us know each other well, due to many former meetings. And we have introduced ourselves in respective personal ways. I hope that those who attend the general chapter for the first time, will feel at home soon and will be able to participate actively. In the Eucharistic Celebration at the opening of the chapter, every representative has given her interpretation of the theme ‘Moving on in one spirit’.

We will make this spirit the process basis of our chapter, hoping that we all can weave and practise in accomplishing tasks and taking responsibilities, as members of the general chapter, as intended in our Constitutions nr. 10.1 – 10.11 and our Statutes nr. 2.1 – 2.3.

We – members of the general chapter – now represent all the sisters of the congregation and as long as we are in session, we are the highest entity who are authorised to make decisions and to coordinate (Cf. Constitutions no 8.1).

I, specially thank Mrs. Renny Zwaagstra, our secretary, who in good cooperation with her staff, has coordinated and prepared this chapter well. Our facilitators in this chapter are Fr. Henk Bloem, Mrs. Lia Vergouwen, Mr. Guus van Loenen, and Mrs. Retno Priyani. Fr. Norbert Halsema will be our discussion leader.

Last year this chapter has been prepared intensively. In the GCO meeting in August 2009 in Lawang – Indonesia we, the council members, tried to find a focus of attention and direction in which this chapter will go, that is to reflect and decide the policies for the next period in the light of our spirituality.

Based on the decisions of the general chapter 2006, the evaluation report of the general council 2006 – 2010, and the recommendations, we will critically review the way of our congregation in the last four years and with an open attitude grasp the signs of this time while looking towards the future. Starting from the same SOURCE ‘Responding the call of God, we dedicate ourselves to God in the congregation of the sisters of Our Lady’.

And from the same ROOTS starting at Amersfoort, now our congregation is active in the Netherlands, Indonesia, Malawi and the Philippines.

The growth and the presence of our congregation in these continents are based on the same spirituality ‘recognizing and acknowledging the human dignity as the image of God’.

In responding and giving form to God’s call, we as congregation, occasionally – this time after four years, in the past after 6 years - have to stop for a while, to review what we did based on the policy which we made, and with new spectacles look at the real, current situation and direct ourselves towards a better future. During these chapter days we let ourselves be guided by Gods’ Spirit and with the conviction of the support of prayer of our sisters from wherever they are, we will take our responsibility.

In the general chapter of 2006, period 2006-2010 was depicted by a bridge as symbol for a transition period which connected this council period with the period after 2010.

To build a bridge we need:

· Cooperation and commitment of quality

· Readiness to acknowledge personal richness

· Readiness to accept and to be willing to complement each other

· Unity of vision for the sake of the whole congregation.

Now we have accomplished a part of our tasks and responsibilities in this transition period. Region Malawi has succeeded to choose a regional council, in which the autonomy of governing the region is exercised.

The quality of our cooperation and commitment is put to a test every time we hold meetings, especially during the GCO meetings as one of the ways to unite vision for the sake of the whole congregation.  Now we are also to proof the quality of our cooperation by acknowledging and accepting the enriching differences of each other, by the courage to listen to each other respectfully and by the courage to take risks on the policy that we will arrange.

These basic attitudes will affect the quality of our involvement and the active participation in the process of the chapter.

Dear sisters,

While trusting ourselves to the leading of God’s Spirit, the intercession of Mary, the patron saint of our congregation, I invite all of you, to go into the process of the chapter with the basic openness to face all possibilities. Finally, allow me to quote the message from Mother Julie Billiart, the spiritual mother of our congregation: ‘Be simple in all things, and the Spirit of the good God will dwell in you’.

Herewith I declare our general chapter 2010 opened!

Amersfoort, 9th August, 2010

Chairwoman of the General Chapter

Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Amersfoort

Sr. Felisita Budiarti