Antoni Bochm OMI, Vicar General
The Joint Session with the Latin America and Caribe Region will be held from August 21 to August 28 in Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico. Members of the Central Government and the leadership of the Region will attend this meeting.
The Superior General and his entire council are in Latin America, visiting the Oblates engaged in various Oblate missions. After all the visits are concluded, a joint session will be held between the Interprovincial Conference of Latin America (CIAL) and the General Administration of the congregation.
The theme of the Joint session is PILGRIMS OF HOPE IN COMMUNION. The Central government will convene with the brothers of the Region to discuss the implementation of the mandates enacted by the XXXVII General Chapter held last year in Rome. And in a spirit of community discernment, the Joint Session will engage in a dialogue to discuss how the region responds to the world’s current challenges.
To this meeting are also invited representatives of the formators of the region, bursars of the units, presidents of different committees of the region, and representatives of scholastics. This meeting is long expected since the last Joint Session in this region was held online because of Covid 19. The place and the meeting program were proposed by the region’s executive committee with some corrections, approved by Father General with his council.
Members of the Central Government
The General Administration Handbook says: “Joint Sessions with a Region is an opportunity for the Central Government to meet with the leadership of the Region.” Indeed that is the opportunity to know each other better, to understand the reality of the region and its respective Units, and to see together the blessings and the challenges of Oblate’s mission in the Region.
To know the reality of the countries, the reality of the Church, and the reality of Oblates in different countries, the members of the Central Government are currently visiting all the Units of the Region. All will gather in Mexico a few days before the meeting (August 17) to exchange impressions from the visit and prepare some feedback for the respective Units and the Region.
May the Holy Spirit accompany all meeting participants in Mexico and grant many graces to all Oblates working in this Region!
