Every six years the Community of the Schoenstatt Family Institute holds a General Chapter. The IX General Chapter will be held in Schoenstatt from July the 13th to the 27th, 2024, under the motto: Cor Unum, come and build.
A General Assembly is an important moment in the life of a community, it opens a period of revision, vision, projection and also of legislation. It is a time for sharing, listening and renewal, a time to renew the Covenant of Love.
Who participates in the Assembly?
The General Chapter is made up of couples representing the different Regions/Delegations coming from different countries, the Family Leaders of the different Partial Communities and the current General Council. A Cenacle environment is created, where the Holy Spirit is present. The charismatic light of the Founder shines in this emerging community. This group will be the living symbol of the Institute at this time.
This year 25 couples are participating, representing Germany, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Czech Republic, Chile, Spain, Paraguay and Puerto Rico.
Why is there a General Chapter?
This is also a time to elect the Superior General Family and its Council.
As an Institute, we understand that it is time to renew ourselves according to the purpose for which we were founded. We must recover the creative force of our foundation, its radical novelty. It is time to rediscover the figure of Father Kentenich, our founder. Faced with the complexity of the currrent situation and the ambiguity of change, we are aware that the solutions offered by our General Chapter will be few and weak, that we will have many more questions than answers, but the important thing is that we learn to focus adequately on the vital questions with the light of faith, in the shadow of the Shrine, and with Mary walk with confidence and full of hope. “There is no fixed way, the way is made as you walk” (A. Machado).
Translation: Maribel Acaron
