Prot. N. 2271 Rome, December 12, 2010
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: Rejoice! ...
To the SFO and You.Fra International Councilors
Dearest, The Lord give you peace! In this season of Advent, that prepares us to receive Our Lord who is born and reborn in our hearts, we send our warmest greetings and wish to provide some information on our “XIII General Chapter of the Secular Franciscan Order” As we announced in our Circular 16/08-14 of June 6th, 2010, the General Chapter will be held from October 22 to 29 in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The venue of the Chapter will be at the Pastoral Center Santa Fé, in Rodovia Anhaguera, Km 25, 60 km from Guarulhos International Airport. It is very important that the National Councils immediately start doing all that is necessary to find the necessary financial resources and begin arrangements to obtain the visa for Brazil (if necessary) to ensure the presence of their International Councilors in this General Chapter, which is undoubtedly, the most important international commitment of the national fraternities. For this reason, you will find here below the data on the cost of participation of your International Councilors, which is established on the basis of the number of professed brothers and sisters in each National Fraternity.
The participation fee includes airfare, accommodation and meals for the 6 days of the Chapter, working material, and transportation to and from the airport. As in previous Chapters, the airfare will be deducted from each participation fee, as shown in the example below:
Attached is a list of the airfares with the maximum cost that will be accepted for each participant (Encl. 1). To ensure the participation of the International Councilors, we kindly ask you to complete the registration form and pay 50% of the participation fee within August 15, 2011. The registration form and other necessary documentation will be sent to you along with the official letter of convocation to the General Chapter. We are nevertheless at your disposal if you require any further clarification. I wish, and must, make a fraternal appeal to the brothers and the sisters and all fraternities (local, regional, and national) who are in a financial position to assist those International Councilors from national Fraternities in serious economical difficulty. In the spirit of common sharing, I strongly ask you to consider the possibility of making a concrete offering in order to enable all the realities of our Order to participate in the General Chapter. With your generosity and support we will be able to count on the presence of the most varied social, religious and Franciscan representatives from the Secular Franciscan Order in the world. I am sure that, as on other occasions, fraternal solidarity will again bring about the miracle of the multiplication of our few breads and fishes so that no national Fraternity will be excluded from the Chapter because of the lack of funds, and that the Order will be benefit from the broadest possible majority of legitimate representatives. Do not forget what John the Baptist says to us today: Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none, On behalf of the Presidency and of the CIOFS Secretariat, I wish you a profitable Advent, where, like the Virgin, we may dream paths of hope. Just like Her, let us wait and open the doors of our hearts to the Holy Infant who is coming. Merry Christmas, brothers and sisters! With fraternal love, your sister
Enclosure 1
|
