After each General Chapter, The Provinces and Districts are invited to Organize their own Chapter, in order to Appropriate the Orientations of the General Chapter to adapt them according to their Own Realities and thus define Lines of Action for the Next 6 Years.
The Assembly of the Chapter of the Province of St. John the Baptist, (December 26th -29th, 2024) was composed of 22 Brothers. There were No Lay People, because The Province has chosen to live another Assembly – Brothers and Laity – during the year 2025.
 Brother Vincent Ssekate (Assistant) and Brother Yannick Houssay, Provincial |
 From left to right: Bros. Olivier Migot, Vincent Ssekate, Rémy Harel and |
 Father Daniel Federspiel, Provincial of the Salesians of France |
As was fitting, Brother Vincent Ssekate, Assistant Brother, Presided over the Chapter. An External Witness also accompanied the Chapter during the 3 days: Father Daniel FEDERSPIEL (Provincial of the Salesians of France). He was An Attentive Witness to the Work of the Chapter and each day, he shared what touched him, took up the Challenges, and Encouraged to continue in Faith and Hope.
The First Evening, as in every Chapter, the Chapter “Officers” were Elected for the Smooth Running of the Discussions: Brother Rémy Harel, Facilitator, Brothers Olivier Migot and Régis Lefrère, Moderators, Brothers James Hayes and Claude Launay, Tellers, and Brother Hervé Asse, Chapter Secretary.
The 4 Committees of the Chapter had also to choose their Presidents and Secretaries.
At the end of that First Day, each Capitulant was invited to share what was in their minds following the Reading of the Feedback from the Communities – The Basic Document for that Chapter, with an Image or an Object which illustrated the View, animated by Hope, given to the Reality of the Province, the Church and/or the World.
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Images and Messages from Each Participant, shared during the First Evening.
Commission at Work
On the First Day, following the Reading of the Meeting Reports Intercommunity, each Capitulant identified Three Questions or Issues that the Chapter should Address. Then each of the 4 Commissions selected 5. Of these 20 Questions, the Central Commission Identified 8, which were the 8 Avenues of Reflection for the Chapter:
- Animate and Unite the Mennaisian Family
- A Community, Prophetic and Missionary Spiritual Life
- Training of the Brothers
- Community Places to Welcome, Listen, Pray, Accompany, Transmit
- Support for Lay People
- Open Communities
- How could we make Ourselves available in Concrete Terms to the Mennaisian Family?
- Being Factors of Fraternity in a Divided World and Church
Another Commission
Other Specific Points were also discussed, such as the Number of Provincial Councilors, and the question of an International Mennaisian Community at the Mother House (cf. request of the General Chapter 2024).
All IT Resources were deployed to support Exchanges
At the End of the Chapter, each Capitulant was invited to write A Message Addressed to the Brothers, the Laity, and the Mennaisian Family. These Messages were placed on the Tomb of the Father, then carried as An Offering during the Closing Eucharist. With the Orientations resulting from the Work of the Assembly, these 22 Messages would be collected and addressed to all.
Father Daniel Federspiel, during the last Eucharistic Celebration: the Messages of the Chapter were on the Altar.
A Beautiful Wink from God, that of ending the Chapter on the Day when the Church celebrated the Holy Family! Indeed, in all the exchanges of these 3 Days, the desire to make Mennaisian Family was strong!