France Province - En

ACTS OF THE 7th EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY OF LAY DOMINICAN FRATERNITIES

ANNEX IIe PRESENTATION OF THE PROVINCE OF FRANCE The Province of France covers: - two thirds of metropolitan France (divided into 15 administrative regions), - the Vicariate of Dacia (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden): 4 fraternities, - the Vicariate of West Africa (Benin): 1 fraternity - the Vicariate of Equatorial Africa (Cameroon): 1 fraternity - the Vicariate of the Arab World (Irak): 1 fraternity. In metropolitan France, 30 fraternities and 5 fraternal groups (in the process of becoming fraternities) have been organized into five regions: 390 members in total, including 270 finally professed. The President of each of the five regions, the provincial President and the provincial promoter make up the Provincial Council, which meets four times a year. Once a year, the Council is extended to regional promoters and to the Prior Provincial of the Province of France. Three Chapters of lay Dominican fraternities have already taken place (in 1998, 2001 and 2005). The Chapter elects the provincial President for four years. The President is invited to take part in the Chapter of friars of the Province of France as an observer. * * * * The 2005 Lay Dominican Chapter gathered over 50 fraternity delegates and took a number of decisions which are currently being implemented: − An in-depth reflection on our profession (promise): a working group has already submitted a large file to all the fraternities to give them food for thought on this issue. We shall continue to enrich it with a view to drafting a text to be submitted to the next Chapter. − Reviewing and redrafting our Directory, which will help us clarify a few points and settle unresolved issues while bringing the structures of the Province up to date. This work is being carried out at the Provincial Council before sending results to the fraternities. Apart from working on the text itself, this review has given us the opportunity to reflect in depth on the reasons for such a text and the driving spirit behind it. − Sharing experiences and developing a document to assist fraternities in the field of formation. This working group will make specific use of our lay Dominican website which we are in the process of updating.

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Finally, the Chapter asked the Council to pay special attention to efficiently circulate information to all the fraternities of our province in order for everyone to be fully aware of their belonging to the Order and, more specifically, to an international Order. Feedback from the international lay Dominican Congress in Buenos Aires was a good opportunity in this respect. Exchanges were fostered on two specific occasions: − an intermediary meeting between Chapters for all the fraternities and fraternal groups of our province (2005/2010), which brought together:
regional Presidents and religious assistants,
fraternity Presidents and religious assistants,
the Prior Provincial (Bruno Cadoré). This event was mostly devoted to working more in depth on the issue of our Dominican promise and to the Buenos Aires Congress. − A three-day meeting in Lourdes bringing together all the lay people associated with a Congregation or a religious Order in France. 1,500 lay people altogether took part in that meeting. As a complement to these reflections initiated by the provincial Council, each fraternity has its own work programme. Fraternities meet at regional level at least once or twice a year to work together and attend a joint retreat. Reflections are important in each fraternity and everyone pays special attention to praying the Office and being committed to the mission in a wide range of fields such as services to the Church and, more frequently, outside it (associations, political or trade union involvement, etc.). * * * * There are very regular relations with the Province of Toulouse on the occasion of the Rosary Pilgrimage to Lourdes every October. Many lay Dominicans from both French provinces volunteer to be of assistance to the sick. Several times a year, those at the head of all the components of the Dominican Family in the two French Provinces get together to reflect on opportunities to work together. We have to acknowledge that this work has not really been organized yet, apart from the Pilgrimage to Lourdes and the celebrations scheduled for the 800th anniversary of the Order.

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