European Vocations Service

Annual Conference: Leuven 2006-29-06 - 2006-02-07

Europees Centrum La Foresta vzw, B-3054 Vaalbeek, Prosperdreef 9, www.laforesta.be

 

Conference: P. Amedeo Cencini

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European Vocations Service – Louvain / Leuven

June 29th to July 2nd 2006

NEWS RELEASE

WHEN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY BECOMES
A CALLING COMMUNITY

Annual Meeting of the European Vocations Service
Leuven, Belgium, 29 June - 2 July 2006


The representatives of the national vocations centres of 17 of Europe's bishops' conferences held their annual meeting at Vaalbeek near Leuven (Belgium) from 29th June to 2nd June 2006. The theme was "when Christian communities become calling communities".

On the first day, there was an opportunity for each centre to present its situation, its hopes and its concerns about vocations ministry. Although a broad variety of situations emerged, in many places one could see the same problem - proclaiming the Gospel at the heart of a culture that has become indifferent to Christianity - but also how dynamic and enthusiastic the people involved in this ministry are.

The second day began with four experiences:
· The House for Young People in Oporto (Portugal) offers visitors time to go deeper into their Christian faith and, in an explicit way, vocational discernment.
· Austria's seminarians share their first year of formation in a propaedeutic course. It helps today's young people, who are so different from their predecessors, to think deeply about their choice and to root it in the Church's experience.
· The vocations service in Flanders has established links of communion between those responsible for vocations in the Church. The World Youth Day in Cologne was a perfect occasion for getting young people involved.
· A French-speaking family from Brabant reflected on their own family's history - the surprise of seeing one of their sons entering seminary had helped them to see factors there that may have encouraged Christian vocations

Father Amedeo Cencini, a professor at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome, invited participants to move beyond an "impoverished" priest-centred idea of vocation and drew a global profile where every person contributes through his or her vocation, and everyone feels responsible for the welfare of the other members of the Christian community. Only when it lives through the abundance of charisms and different ministries will the Christian community, particularly the parish, help people recognise and respond to God's different calls. For that, Christians need to become adults in the faith, in other words responsible for everyone's well-being and ready to give account of the hope that is in them. Only a dynamic faith will allow them to make consistent choices. Vocations ministry must also show the various ways in which God calls. That will enable everyone to give his or her whole life, often far in excess of what he or she had imagined.

On Saturday afternoon, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, Archbishop of Malines-Brussels, suggested we should take the present vocations crisis as a "time of trial", like what the People of Israel endured in the Babylonian exile. This worrying situation should help us move from confidence in ourselves to confidence in God. It is also a question of keeping hope alive by coming back to the Gospel in all its simplicity.

The meeting ended on Sunday morning with a look at the statutes of the EVS and the election of a new co-ordinator, Father Jean-Pierre Leroy (diocese of Liège, Belgium) and 2 deputy co-ordinators, Sister Elvira Hervayová and Father Dominique Rimaz. Co-opted committee members are Father Jorge Madureira and Mr. Kurt Schmidl. Father Kevin Doran (archdiocese of Dublin), the outgoing co-ordinator, and his two deputies, sister Hélène Daccord and Father Marek Dziewiecki, were thanked for all they had done for EVS and for CCEE.

The next EVS congress will take place from 28th June to 1st July in Zadar (Croatia).

Leuven, July 2nd 2006

For further information:
Mgr Peter Fleetwood
CCEE Deputy General Secretary
Tel. ++41-71- 2276040;
E-mail: ccee@ccee.ch

______________________________
The Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) brings together all 34 Presidents of Europe's Bishops' Conferences. Its President is Mgr Amédée Grab, Bishop of Chur; the vice-presidents are Cardinal Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb, and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster. The CCEE General Secretary is Mgr Aldo Giordano. The Secretariat is based at St Gallen (Switzerland).

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francais

 

Thursday 29/06

 

Before 1500 Arrival of delegates. Possibility to celebrate Mass.
1500 Registration

1630 - 1730

Opening of Conference: Fr. Kevin Doran
Words of welcome

1800

Evening meal

1930

Vespers

2000

Short presentation of each national centre (hopes and concerns: 2 mins). Please have a brief summary prepared for each centre on an A3 page.

2130

Opportunity for informal socialising and refreshments

 

 

 

 

Friday 30/06

 

0800

Morning prayer (Swiss Centres)

0830

Breakfast

0930

Two short presentations of concrete experiences in vocations ministry.

a. House of Youth  – Porto  (Jorge Madureira)

b. Candidates for Priesthood «children of our age». Consequences for priestly
formation.
(Franz Schrittwieser, Canisiuswerk, Vienna)

1045

Coffee

1115

A short presentation of concrete experiences in vocations ministry

c. How to create a vocational climate in the Church (Bart Coenegrachts)

1200 Time of Quiet Prayer

1230

Lunch

1430

A short presentation of concrete experiences in vocations ministry

d. A family experience (Lambert familiy)

1500

Language groups:

-         Reaction of participants to what has been heard so fa

-         Sharing of personal experiences and reflections

1600 Coffee

1630

Address of Fr. Amadeo Cencini:
Towards a Vocational Parish: A vocational pedagogy appropriate to the needs of the parish community

Followed by questions from the floor

1745

Departure for Louvain-la-Neuve

1830-2200

Evening at Louvain-la-Neuve, with Eucharist, evening meal, and presentation of the university parish by the pastoral team and parish priest.

 

 

Saturday 01/07

 

0800

Morning Prayer  (Swiss Centres)

0830

Breakfast

0930

Follow-up presentation by Fr. Cencini, followed by questions and comments from the floor

1030

Coffee

1100

Reflection (individually or as national groups)

“What have I picked up (theology and action), which I can share with my national team?”

“What will I take away which will be of help to vocations ministry in my own country?”

Each country is asked to write on an A3 page one key point which has been helpful.

1130

Plenary session: follow up on the previous reflection

1230

Lunch

1430

Address by His Eminence Godfried Cardinal Daneels

1530

Coffee

1600 – 1645

Dialogue with the Cardinal in plenary session

1700 Eucharist with the Cardinal

1830 - 2200

Evening meal. Cultural evening in Leuven (Béguinage; Town Hall etc.)

 

 

Sunday 02/07

 

0730

Morning Prayer (Swiss Teams)

0800

Breakfast

0900

Business Session, elections, confirmation of statutes, financial report

0945

Some delegates share their impressions of the conference

1015

Reading (for approval) of the concluding press release

1030

Coffee

1045

EVS 2007 (Zadar Croatia) Mons. Ivan Prendja. Theme

1100

Conclusions: Fr. Kevin Doran and newly elected co-ordinator

1130

Eucharist celebrated by Mgr Patrick Hoogmartens (Hasselt)

1230

Lunch

1400

Departure