Official News Release Nº 1
Rome, Saturday June 18, 2016
This afternoon at 5:00, the IV Ordinary General Chapter of the Servants of the Lord opened with the celebration of the Holy Mass at the altar of the Cathedra in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the Mass. Many priests also concelebrated, including the members of the General Council, other priests of the IVE, and some diocesan priests close to our Institute.
Many religious sisters of our Institute were able to participate in the Holy Mass as well as Third Order members. Also other religious sisters of other Institutes close to our own, family members, friends, and benefactors were present to pray with us.
The “Totus Tuus” choir, which is made up of Servants of the Lord and seminarians of the IVE, helped to make the liturgy more solemn. The readings were proclaimed in Spanish and English, the Gospel in Italian, while the intercessions were read in some of the different languages spoken by our missionaries.
After the final blessing, the Mothers swore an oath of fidelity before God to the duties they have as members of the General Chapter, as it is prescribed in Canon Law. These duties include: to protect the patrimony of the Institute by observing faithfully the intention and purpose of the founder in what regards the spirit and character of the Institute, to handle the most important questions, and to and legislate with the other Chapter Mothers for the common good of the Institute.
After the celebration of the Mass and a moment of silent prayer in the imposing basilica, the members of the IVE and Servants of the Lord who were present at the Mass joyfully shared a dinner together at the Procura House of the SSVM.
Tomorrow morning the Chapter Mothers will leave for the retreat house “Oasis of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” in Conversano (Bari). The house is next to a shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the 15th century that is cared for by a community of Servants of the Lord under the patronage of “Blessed Virgin Mary of the Island.” There the Chapter Mothers will do the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises; the preacher will be Fr. Alberto Barattero, the spiritual father of the SSVM.
We ask everyone to pray for the fruits of these days of Spiritual Exercises.