The “Chapter” of Our Chapter!
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February 1, 2023Every new adventure comes with a new story to tell. The stories that shape our individual lives, community and mission serve as reminders of both the stories that have been written, and those yet to be told.
As our new Provincial Superior, Fr. Michael Smolinski C.Ss.R., said in his closing remarks at the January 2023 sitting of Chapter, the pages of a chapter found in a book, with all its richness and content, denote the part of the story that might come to end, but also a new chapter brings the blessings of opportunities of the continuation of that which is yet to unfold.
The Chapter of the Province of Canada took place January 16-20, 2023 at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre in Mississauga, ON. Gathering Redemptorists and Lay Missionaries of the Most Holy Redeemer from across Canada, we reflected upon the accomplishments of the last four years since the creation of the new Province of Canada, despite the challenges of planning and moving forward in many areas of our amalgamation due to COVID-19.
We then looked ahead with the view towards the beginning of a new “chapter” towards unity and renewed vision to live our Redemptorist charism through community and mission, writing and editing the pages that will shape the story of our future.
During this Chapter, our facilitator, Fr. Jack Kingsbury C.Ss.R., led us through a process of reviewing the draft versions of our foundational documents, such as our Province’s electoral law, apostolic plan and statutes.
New EPC - (Front row L to R ) Fr. Santo Arrigo, Fr. Michael Smolinski (Provincial), Fr. Jaques Fortin (Provincial Vicar), Fr. Larry Kondra; (Back row L to R) Fr. Mario Doyle, Fr. John Sianchuk and Fr. Tony Bidgood. Ordinary Provincial Council members are Fr. Arrigo, Fr. Fortin, Fr. Kondra. Extraordinary Provincial Council members are Fr. Bidgood, Fr. Sianchuk, and Fr. Doyle.
Through table discussions and feedback, the members of the Chapter provided tremendous feedback that will not only support the next edition of these texts, but provided a sense of unity of spirit that was fostered among the members. This was very evident as the Chapter expressed the need for the new Provincial Administration to lead us forward towards unity as one Province in a clear and well-planned way, and not aim to make the transition from three independent regions at the end of this quadrennium.
It was clear that this new “chapter” of our story as a Province must be written together through an expression of mutual trust, planning, prayerful inspiration and creativity, all to support the mission to which we are called as Redemptorists in Canada, following Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, in serving in both French and English communities, as well as Roman and Byzantine-Ukrainian rites.
The Chapter not only scripted our work of review and reflection, the chapter was marked by the celebration of prayer and liturgy, with the Oath of Office of our new Provincial Superior, Fr. Michael Smolinski C.Ss.R. as well taking time to give thanks to God for life and service of many confreres celebrating their jubilees of profession or ordination this year.
Our Lay Missionaries, Anne Walsh and Margie Jansen renewed their commitments to serve in the proclamation of the Good News of Plentiful Redemption in unison with the mission of the Redemptorists.
As the week drew to a close, it was clear for us that this was not simply a story that we had read before, with a predictable ending. This “Chapter”, marked by hope, has served to remind us that we walk this path of mission together, founded on the inspiration and life of St. Alphonsus, but that we write the next chapter of this journey with convergent and dynamic scripts, borrowing each from our three founding units of Ste. Anne de Beaupré, Yorkton, and Edmonton-Toronto into a new Chapter inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by all the members of our Canadian Province, both Redemptorists and Lay Missionaries.
