The IMC members of the region, together with the members of the institute’s general government initiated the second day of the conference with Holy Mass presided over by Fr. Rinaldo Cogliati, the General Administrator. He urged the missionaries to allow themselves to be imbued with the Holy Spirit and the gospel values so that they may not tire in living their religious vows, and so can faithfully respond to God’s calling.
The serene environment of the hosting retreat house which is located halfway a mountainous range is accentuated by the cool weather of this spring season. This, together with a remarkably cordial and fraternal environment, have facilitated a ne plus ultra atmosphere for this ongoing extraordinary event. In addition, there has been prayer, cautious optimism and hope in the face of the ongoing fragile peace process in the Korean peninsula.
Today, the conference has dedicated itself to the key issue of Formation for missionary life; particularly regarding basic, and on-going formation. There was an enriching exchange of ideas, deliberation and eventually various concrete decisions for the next six years regarding this aspect. On the other hand, in the afternoon the conference members discussed the extensive issue of juridical organization of the Asia Region. This is a crucial issue given that this period marks the transition to becoming a Region with jurisdiction of three countries in different geographical locations of East Asia. Therefore, the functionality and challenges of this new status demanded a due consideration of various factors.
On another note, the missionaries present were given an informational update of the IMC missions in Europe and Africa by Fr. Antonio Rovelli and Fr. Godfrey Msumange, the respective General Councillors in charge of the two continents. Besides getting to hear news about fellow missions and missionaries in far-flung continents, it was an opportunity of being comprehensively informed about how other regions are progressing in regard to various issues of great interest such as revitalization and reorganization. This far, the progress of the conference has been undeniably positive and constructive.
