Italy St Thomas Comments - En

ACTS OF THE 7th EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY OF LAY DOMINICAN FRATERNITIES

ANNEX IIk COMPLEMENT TO THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON THE ST THOMAS AQUINAS PROVINCE IN ITALY Before presenting the situation of the lay fraternities, I would like to recall that Italy w as divided into six provinces until 1997: two in the north (St. Peter Martyr and Utriusque Lombardia); two in the centre (St. Mark and Sardinia and Roman) and two in the south (St. Thomas Aquinas and Trinacriae). At present there are three provinces: St. Dominic in the north, St. Catherine in the centre and St. Thomas Aquinas in the south. The unification of the friars’ provinces was followed by that of the lay Dominican fraternities in1999. As a lay Dominican, fully aware of being called by God, avoiding any vaunting that would overshadow the real situation and any pessimism that would wither any hope and block any action, I am convinced that the future of the lay fraternities will be flourishing and bright on condition that the lays improve their Christian and Dominican identity, by feeling the need and urgency of an ongoing formation in order to face the challenges of a more and more secular, ever-changing world. Structure and Organization of the Province The Province comprises six regions: Molise, Campania, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily. There are forty-four fraternities located as follows:  eleven in Campania (one is dying, eight are active and two are not active);  nine in South Apulia (eight are active and one is dying);  one in Basilicata, which is active;  five in North Apulia (four are active and one is rising);  ten in Western Sicily (seven are active and three are not active);  five in Eastern Sicily (four are active and one is not active);  three in Calabria, which are all active. After a time of inactivity for various reasons, a new Provincial Council and President were elected on 14 December 1997. As a first task we had to reorganize the province, in other words:  to get in touch with the fraternities in order to know them;  to foster contacts between the fraternities and with the provincial and national bodies. We consider knowledge and continuous contact to be essential for the rebirth and growth of the fraternities. As the Province is very large, we have worked out solutions more suitable to a continuous contact, because the provincial President and Promoter’s visits are not sufficient. We have adopted the following means:  sending reports of the provincial Council to the fraternities in order to make decisions and initiatives known;  letting regional delegates and religious assistants become operative (cf. National Directory Art.41);

 drawing up a provincial directory in order to better govern the life of the local fraternities, together with the Rule and the National Directory. The work we have done in these last few years can be considered as mostly positive, in spite of the numerous difficulties in finding regional delegates and assistants. They take part in the provincial Council at least once a year. Thanks to their reports and to t he provincial President and Promoter’s visits, we know more deeply the real situation of the various fraternities, which have come into a more direct contact with the provincial Council. It is easier now to intervene with more efficiency and insight while respecting truth in love. Formation and communication The sense of belonging not only to a fraternity but to a Province and, broadly speaking, to the whole Dominican Family and a common formation are the basis for a real, deep growth in our faith, in our testimony and in our common Dominican ideal, at the service of the Church and the Order. In order to foster unity, we have adopted the following strategies:  a common ongoing formation topic, proposed by the provincial promoter, after consulting the provincial Council, to be exploited by the fraternities during the year, together with any other topic they would choose;  area meetings on a topic proposed by the provincial Council, in preparation for the National Congress, to be held twice a year;  spiritual retreats for the fraternities until 2003 and from then on for the whole Dominican Family once a year;  area meetings for fraternity presidents and formation masters;  the Dominican Family Assembly. Meeting to pray, talk and exchange experiences of life and faith gives us the strength face problems as a community, going on together towards a common ideal, trying appreciate any reality that, however different it may be from ours, is always a source enrichment. Meetings foster knowledge and communion, awareness of a mission salvation to share with the Order and the Church.

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Difficulties and limits The fraternities are a big potential, a source of richness if they are trained and appreciated. They have difficulties and limits, we have to highlight and consider this because only the courage of the truth in love is a source of real growth. I would like to point out some of them, which have been proposed as topics for discussion at the area meetings:  advanced age of lay Dominicans;  difficulties in moving and consequent isolation of the fraternities;  devotional aspect of the meetings;  almost total absence of a missionary dimension;  lack of awareness of a vocational identity;  role of the religious assistant incorrectly conceived;  lack of autonomy for the presidents of fraternities;  decreasing vocations to the fraternities;

 little communication between fraternities;  inadequate formation;  little knowledge of the Rule. Focusing on problems and difficulties does not mean that we have a pessimistic vision of the fraternities’ situation ; pointing out the dark side of reality means to discern better and appreciate the light we should let shine on these realities to fulfil the project God has for us. In any situation, either advantageous or limiting, God reaches us, saves us and saves the others through us if we allow Him to do it. Suggestions and Wishes for the Future The future of the fraternities is specially linked to the sense of responsibility of each lay Dominican, aware of his/her vocation within the Church and the Order. It is an inalienable task for a lay person to do his/her best so that:  the fraternity may be an occasion to cultivate a vocation and not a refuge, a quest for personal realization, a devotion or a habit;  the fraternity may really be a place where the listened and lived Word becomes testimony, so that fraternal communion makes us strong and willing to proclaim Christ: Way, Truth , Life;  the fraternity may be a missionary cell and rediscover its vocation for apostolic work if it really wants to grow and let others grow in the faith. In order to turn all that into an operative reality, it is necessary:  to carry on an ongoing personal conversion, being aware that we need mercy and salvation before proclaiming them to our brothers and sisters;  to listen to and study the Word and the teaching documents of the Church, to know the Order we belong to and the Statutes of the DLF;  to foster a sense of identity and belonging, taking part in the meetings of the fraternities and the Dominican Family and in common projects with the other branches of the Dominican Family;  to foster fraternal communion in the fraternity and between the fraternities;  to know and discern the reality in which we live so that our work can be incisive. Christ is the origin and aim of our apostolic work; therefore we must give priority to Him in our lives and in our choices, being aware of belonging first to Him and to the Church, then to the Order and the fraternity. In order to fulfil our duty we have to fight against:  a lack of fidelity to personal and fraternity commitments;  the desire to be the centre of attention;  self-centredness;  selfishness;  individualism;  factions within the fraternity. Joining a fraternity is a vocational call to live with responsibility and spirit of service. Community is the focus of our Christian, Dominican vocation: a close, continuous relationship with God and in Him, with our brothers and sisters, is the foundation of our Dominican life and our apostolate.