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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).
deutsch
francais
 
Thursday 29/06
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| Before
1500 |
Arrival of delegates. Possibility to celebrate Mass.
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| 1500 |
Registration
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1630 - 1730
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Opening of Conference: Fr. Kevin Doran
Words of welcome
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1800
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Evening meal
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1930
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Vespers
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2000
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Short presentation of each national centre (hopes and concerns: 2 mins).
Please have a brief summary prepared for each centre on an A3 page.
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2130
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Opportunity for informal socialising and refreshments
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Friday
30/06
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0800
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Morning prayer (Swiss Centres)
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0830
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Breakfast
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0930
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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)
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1045
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Coffee
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1115
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A short presentation of concrete experiences in vocations ministry
c. How to
create a vocational climate in the Church (Bart Coenegrachts)
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| 1200 |
Time of Quiet Prayer |
1230
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Lunch
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1430
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A short presentation of concrete experiences in vocations ministry
d.
A family experience (Lambert familiy)
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1500
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Language groups:
- Reaction of participants to what has been heard so fa
- Sharing of personal experiences and reflections
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| 1600
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Coffee
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1630
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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
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1745
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Departure
for Louvain-la-Neuve
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1830-2200
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Evening at Louvain-la-Neuve, with Eucharist, evening meal, and presentation
of the university parish by the pastoral team and parish priest.
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Saturday
01/07
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0800
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Morning Prayer (Swiss Centres)
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0830
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Breakfast
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0930
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Follow-up presentation by Fr. Cencini, followed
by questions and comments from the floor
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1030
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Coffee
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1100
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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.
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1130
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Plenary session: follow up on the previous reflection
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1230
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Lunch
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1430
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Address by His Eminence Godfried Cardinal Daneels
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1530
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Coffee
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1600 – 1645
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Dialogue with the Cardinal in plenary session
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| 1700 |
Eucharist with the Cardinal |
1830 - 2200
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Evening meal. Cultural evening in Leuven (Béguinage; Town Hall etc.)
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Sunday
02/07
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0730
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Morning Prayer (Swiss Teams)
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0800
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Breakfast
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0900
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Business Session, elections, confirmation of statutes, financial report
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0945
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Some delegates share their impressions of the conference
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1015
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Reading (for approval) of the concluding press release
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1030
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Coffee
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1045
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EVS 2007 (Zadar Croatia) Mons. Ivan Prendja. Theme
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1100
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Conclusions: Fr. Kevin Doran and newly elected co-ordinator
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1130
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Eucharist celebrated by Mgr Patrick Hoogmartens (Hasselt)
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1230
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Lunch
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1400
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Departure
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