Aprile 30, 2022 - General Chapter 46

It's been a great while since I've contributed to this blog, and it's probably has more to do with a lack of discipline than an intentional neglect. Like any interesting practice that becomes a habit, after some time it is simply a habit and the "interesting" part wanes. Whether or not one sticks to the habit is matter of relativity. Are other priorities becoming more important? Are you just becoming a bit more lazy - that's the guilty part of the equation. Whatever the cause, I've decided to see if I can't keep some sort of record of my experience during this General Chapter in Rome, as I did back in 2007 when I participated as the one who organized the liturgies and prayers. 

This time around, I'm here as a "Consultor" to the Chapter. As such, I'm one of ten Consultors, most of which are in charge of "Secretariats" here at the Casa Generalizia. There are also two women Consultors, which is a distinct blessing. In this position, we can participate in all aspects of the General Chapter except vote. Whether I will even say anything on the floor and not just in committee is yet to be determined. But my disposition is to be helpful but not to get too involved in areas where others are in a better position to do so.

Brothers have been arriving for GC46 for the last week of so. The nearer we got to today, the more people arrived. Until this morning, all of our meals were held in the community's dining room - a large room but finally too small for the 70+ guests who will be joining us. It was lunch today that was held in one of the larger public dining rooms, and that will be the case until May 22nd, when the Chapter ends.

For most of today, I worked on my 15-minute public report on my area, the Lasallian Research and Resources Service. The report is schedule for May 4th, after the report of the Superior General (the main event and much longer) and the 15-minute report of the Communications Office that follows it. Trying to squeeze as much information as possible into that 15 minutes is balanced by the realization that most people in the room will already be somewhat exhausted by facts and don't need to head a plethora of them from me. Therefore, we prepared a booklet with the information which will be handed out at the time, and I'll just provide some highlights. But still, there is a verbal script, with cues for Powerpoint changes, and I've worked on the Powerpoint to keep it interesting and engaged.

For lunch, I invited a younger Brother from Lebanon, Br. Louis, to lunch at one of the nearby restaurants. We had a great conversation about his circumstances in Lebanon where, for example, there is no reliable power - therefore you pay others to get plugged into their generators. The U.S. Dolllar was king 20 years ago, but today it is worth a mere fraction of what it used to be, and banks don't let you transfer dollars or withdraw them. Our schools are surving, mostly because the 900 teachers all of the country receive $100 every once in while from the Brothers to tide them over; paid for my generous charities overseas. It's just a very strange and difficult situation that becomes much more real when you're speaking with a 33-year-old Brother who faces that each day.

This evening, we sort of began the Chapter because today is De La Salle's birthday (April 30, 1951), and we had Mass in the small downstairs chapel instead of the large, echo-filled, main church. As a result, almost every seat was taken, and the singing was amazingly loud and vigorous. The Mass was in Spanish, English, French, and Italian, with the language hop-scotching across the prayers and readings. But it all seemed just fine, because 95% of the place was filled with Brothers from around the world. At the very end, with the singing of the Salve Regina, the volume and depth was really impressive and wonderful; filled with a sort of exuberance.

After that, most of the Brothers lingered outside, waiting for dinner to start at 7:30 pm (the usual time for dinner here). The English-speaking crowd drifted toward the "Den" - which is the English language group's hangout. By the time I got there, it was filled with people, noisily talking and helping to empty the sparse bar that we keep there. But it was a great atmosphere; very positive, enjoyable, and filled with life. Usually, there are 3-5 of us here during that time period, having had our evening prayer at 6:45 pm. Now it was a nice cauldron of energy and conversation.

At the dinner that followed, we sort of figured out to get some food and then drift around until you heard or saw a table with English-speaking folks, joining them if there was room. This is not a requirement, but it's the usual practice. I'm sure that over the next couple of weeks, we will sit at tables where other languages are generally spoken. But the Brothers are very good about noticing someone who isn't really participating and speaking with them in their native language. Certainly for me, it's a saving grace.

At one point during dinner, a last contingent of Brothers from Spain arrived, having taken a late flight to Italy. At once, the hubub increased, lots of greetings all around, many "What's  that guy's name. I recognize him but don't remember his name?" incidents at table. Tomorrow, when we officially start at 9:00 am, we will all be wearing our name tags, so eventually we should be able to recognize others when we see them. Even an old brain like me might be able get close to that goal.

Tonight's atmosphere is like a group of athletes before their primary event. Lots of happy energy, greetings, conversations, and laughter. But we know that the work starts soon, and that we will be very busy for the next three weeks. I'm looking forward to it with hope and a little trepidation. Real Providence tends to be like that.