International Community to meet for Provincial Assembly

Colorful and representing God’s variety, that’s how Pallottines describe themselves. Their spirituality crosses borders worldwide. Their work and prayers are meant to display God’s endless love.

This year’s Provincial Assembly is taking place from October 21st to October 25th in the Bavarian town of Friedberg. Delegates from Germany, Austria, Croatia, Spain, South Africa, Nigeria and Malawi will spend one week working and living together.

The Provincial Leadership is having a look at the status quo in the Province and the development of the apostolic work. They are planning for new goals and deciding on the most important issues of the Province.

One could really feel the transborder character of the Pallottine community in the missionary service on Tuesday. In his homily, Fr. John Ndidi Nwaocha SAC, Nigeria’s Delegate, explained that via the fellowship of Jesus, all humans become members of one world family. According to him, all baptized people were called to live and proclaim the gospel. Now, as the Pallottine family is meeting in Germany, it is all about asking “what God demands on our society and on every single one of us. As all members of the Pallottine community know that God called upon each of us”, he emphasized in his speech.

The song selection as well revealed that the community possesses of many resources. Whereas the opening song was sung in English, kyrie was sung in Chichewa (Malawi), followed by songs in Ewondo (Cameroon) and in Zulu (South Africa). As a conclusion, some confrères sang the “Ave Maria” in Igbo, the mother tongue of the Nigerian confrères.

The Pallottine Father, Richard Henkes, was beatified on September 15th at the Limburg Dome. Therefore, there is going to be a special highlight on Wednesday. The members of the Provincial Assembly are going to meet friends and allies at a thanksgiving service at the Friedberg Town Church, St. Jakob with suffragan bishop Anton Losinger. After that there is going to be a celebration at the Wittelsbach Castle. The beatification is a great joy to the whole Pallottine family, as the church has acknowledged the Pallottine father’s resistance to the Nazis’ ideology and his victim of life in the concentration camp of Dachau.

Translation: Stefanie Ettenberger
Images & Text: Josef Eberhard