ROL 155 - September 2013
ROMA ONLINE Brothers of Charity In “Roma online” of June, we informed you that we left for Indonesia. Indeed, from the 18th of June until the 23rd of July, we were in Indonesia, giving the retreat to the Brothers, accepting the first associate members, visiting all the houses and taking also some holidays. We took a special time to visit our new project in Flores, where the brothers are
Philippines where we could accept 18 new novices. In the P hilippines, we visited also in Mindanao an initiative in the field of mental health care that will be offered to the Brothers of Charity. The 5th of September, we returned to Belgium where we had the meeting with the committee of the Friends of the Brothers of Charity, and after a few days in Rome, we started in Ghent with our general council meeting, together with the p rovincial s uperiors for a whole week. On the Sunday the 15th of September, we visited u NEWS FROM THE SUPERIOR GENERAL again Paris with the c ouncil as a pilgrimage to the constructing a new psychiatric hospital in Ruteng. We hope tomb of Vincent Depaul and to Rue du Bac where that the hospital will be finished at the end of the year. With the the miraculous medal is venerated. support of several donators, and the special support of Reinier van Arkel h ospital of ‘s Hertogenbosch (Netherlands), we could realize During the week of the 16th of September, we v isited this nice project. For the moment, 2 brothers, Brother Michael and with the whole group the Belgium region, and we Brother B artolomeus are already there to prepare the start of the can say it was a very intensive visit, very interested new apostolate. in order to know the way that the congregation continues to be involved in the apostolic activities Back in Rome, I had the opportunity to give a conference about the in Belgium and that with 12.000 lay co-workers. We future of religious brothers in the church and in the world to the really appreciated the way that the regional superior, Xaverian brothers who had their general chapter. A good occasion Brother Luc Lemmens, organized the visit and we to reflect deeply about our identity and mission today! From the thank all who were involved in it. We ended the visit 9th until the 11th of August, I participated in Paris a meeting of the in Eindhoven where we met all the brothers of the Vincentians about sustainability in the line of V incent De Paul. It Netherlands and where we visited also the several was a very intensive meeting with representatives of the Lazarists activities on Eikenburg. and the Daughters of Charity from all over the world with some We wish all the brothers, associate members and other members of the broader Vincentian family. friends who read every month with interest Roma And then came the period of the retreats: first in Moerzeke to online a blessed work year! Let us continue to serve our young brothers staying in Belgium for studies, and also our the poor with love and great respect. students from Rome participated. Then to Nairobi where we Brother René Stockman, Superior General finished the first year novitiate with 40 novices and finally in the FRATELLI DELLA CARItà • Curia Generalizia • Via Giambattista Pagano 35 • 00167 Roma • Italia t. (+39) 06 66 04 901 • F. (+39) 06 66 31466 • www.brothersofcharity.org Responsabile: Fratello Séraphin Tshijika Mbumba • seraphinfc@gmail.com