The first Regional Chapter of the Region of St. Paul was held in Aleppo (Syria) from 23rd to 25th November. It was a moment of grace and intense participation, with all the religious in the Region taking part in a serene reflection on their life and mission in the Region, where questions were asked on the social changes, expectations and hopes of the whole of the Custody for the lands of Lebanon. Syria and Jordan.
Before the Regional Chapter, the elections for the Regional Ministry were held for the members of the new government. With the Chapter, the governing body has been completed with two councillors. The Regional Council is thus made up of:
Fr. Halim NOUJAIM, Regional Minister
Fr. Rachid MISTRIH, Regional Vice-MinisterFr
Fr. Romualdo FERNANDEZ, Regional Bursar
Fr. Edoardo TAMER, Councillor
Fr. Aquilino CASTILLO, Councillor
We congratulate the newly-elected friars, in particular Friar Halim, and we wish them all profitable work for the whole of the Custody. Our brothers in the Region have written a message to all the friars of the Custody which is now made public.
Message from the Chapter of the Region of St. Paul, 23rd-25th November 2010
Dearest brothers, may the Lord give you peace!
We met in Aleppo, from 23rd to 25th November 2010, for our first fraternal meeting, also called the Regional Chapter, according to the indications of the Statutes of the Region of St. Paul, approved at the recent Custodial Chapter. First of all, we wish to thank the Lord for this beautiful experience of sharing, and we also wish to thank you, brothers, for your support with your prayers. We felt the need to turn to the Lord and let ourselves be guided by the Spirit, which moves all things.
We are aware that, in spite of everything, it is precisely through our fragile humanity that God can renew us and make us new creatures, filled with joy. The Christ arisen who appears to the disciples, gives them the Spirit and forgives sins is the image with which we wanted to start our reflection and discussion on our situation as Friars Minor of the Custody of the Holy Land in the Region of St. Paul.
Aware that the Lord asks us to bring ourselves into play, with all our limits, we strongly want to assert that it is our desire to walk according to his will. The Custos Father introduced us to reading the Regional Statutes, recently approved, helping us to understand the function of this Region, the role of the various offices and the expectations of the whole Custody. Father Halim, the newly elected Regional Minister, then greeted everyone, presenting his vision for the future. In particular the Minister invited us not to look to the past, but to start together, with a renewed spirit, on the path that the Order and the Church have asked us to take. Only in unity will we be able to build a future that is according to the will of the Lord. Afterwards, all the representatives of the different sectors presented the multiple activities that take place in the Region.
Starting with the outgoing Delegate, Father Rachid, we evaluated the path of these past two years, the activities in the schools, the pastoral service and the Sanctuaries. We discussed vocational animation at length, trying to outline together common perspectives of work, which can involve everyone. Because all of us have to feel that we are animators. We then tried to understand the indications of the Custody on the procedures for the economic activities, in particular for the definition of an annual budget, which has to be discussed by the board and then approved by the Discretorium of the Holy Land. We did not restrict ourselves to analysing the past and evaluating the existing situation.
We tried to understand once again, as in the past, the social changes in our Region and we asked ourselves what we can really do in the future, in particular in Syria and above all in Lebanon, where our presence, unfortunately, is still fragile. We also had with us our brother Giuseppe Nazzaro, Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo of the Latins, who greeted us and brought the presence of the Church into our evaluation. We realized even more that we still have a long way ahead of us, but we are also aware that by operating according to the will of God, we will arrive at the place where the Lord takes us.
Lastly, we want to strongly stress our sense of belonging to the Custody of the Holy Land, which we will always feel attached to and which remains our fraternity and our reference. We ask you, dearest brothers, to support us in the mission that you have assigned to us with your prayers and your closeness. The Path of the advent that is about to begin, unites us all in the welcome of He who comes, the Lord of life and peace! To all of you, our brotherly wishes of Peace and Good!
SCTS
Before the Regional Chapter, the elections for the Regional Ministry were held for the members of the new government. With the Chapter, the governing body has been completed with two councillors. The Regional Council is thus made up of:
Fr. Halim NOUJAIM, Regional Minister
Fr. Rachid MISTRIH, Regional Vice-MinisterFr
Fr. Romualdo FERNANDEZ, Regional Bursar
Fr. Edoardo TAMER, Councillor
Fr. Aquilino CASTILLO, Councillor
We congratulate the newly-elected friars, in particular Friar Halim, and we wish them all profitable work for the whole of the Custody. Our brothers in the Region have written a message to all the friars of the Custody which is now made public.
Message from the Chapter of the Region of St. Paul, 23rd-25th November 2010
Dearest brothers, may the Lord give you peace!
We met in Aleppo, from 23rd to 25th November 2010, for our first fraternal meeting, also called the Regional Chapter, according to the indications of the Statutes of the Region of St. Paul, approved at the recent Custodial Chapter. First of all, we wish to thank the Lord for this beautiful experience of sharing, and we also wish to thank you, brothers, for your support with your prayers. We felt the need to turn to the Lord and let ourselves be guided by the Spirit, which moves all things.
We are aware that, in spite of everything, it is precisely through our fragile humanity that God can renew us and make us new creatures, filled with joy. The Christ arisen who appears to the disciples, gives them the Spirit and forgives sins is the image with which we wanted to start our reflection and discussion on our situation as Friars Minor of the Custody of the Holy Land in the Region of St. Paul.
Aware that the Lord asks us to bring ourselves into play, with all our limits, we strongly want to assert that it is our desire to walk according to his will. The Custos Father introduced us to reading the Regional Statutes, recently approved, helping us to understand the function of this Region, the role of the various offices and the expectations of the whole Custody. Father Halim, the newly elected Regional Minister, then greeted everyone, presenting his vision for the future. In particular the Minister invited us not to look to the past, but to start together, with a renewed spirit, on the path that the Order and the Church have asked us to take. Only in unity will we be able to build a future that is according to the will of the Lord. Afterwards, all the representatives of the different sectors presented the multiple activities that take place in the Region.
Starting with the outgoing Delegate, Father Rachid, we evaluated the path of these past two years, the activities in the schools, the pastoral service and the Sanctuaries. We discussed vocational animation at length, trying to outline together common perspectives of work, which can involve everyone. Because all of us have to feel that we are animators. We then tried to understand the indications of the Custody on the procedures for the economic activities, in particular for the definition of an annual budget, which has to be discussed by the board and then approved by the Discretorium of the Holy Land. We did not restrict ourselves to analysing the past and evaluating the existing situation.
We tried to understand once again, as in the past, the social changes in our Region and we asked ourselves what we can really do in the future, in particular in Syria and above all in Lebanon, where our presence, unfortunately, is still fragile. We also had with us our brother Giuseppe Nazzaro, Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo of the Latins, who greeted us and brought the presence of the Church into our evaluation. We realized even more that we still have a long way ahead of us, but we are also aware that by operating according to the will of God, we will arrive at the place where the Lord takes us.
Lastly, we want to strongly stress our sense of belonging to the Custody of the Holy Land, which we will always feel attached to and which remains our fraternity and our reference. We ask you, dearest brothers, to support us in the mission that you have assigned to us with your prayers and your closeness. The Path of the advent that is about to begin, unites us all in the welcome of He who comes, the Lord of life and peace! To all of you, our brotherly wishes of Peace and Good!
SCTS