I. INTRODUCTION
-This is an ordinary Chapter, and so it must assure:_ the report on the "Status Congregationis";_ the election of a new general Administration;
_ The guidelines and decisions for the next term 2003-2009; (cf. Cst and DG 133)
- It is also a thematic Chapter, and thus it must cope with a central theme. During the major Superiors' meeting, on November 2001 at Rome, they chose the theme: "The specific apostolic nature of our Institute in the face of the challenges of the future confronting the Congregation, with special attention to the challenge of refounding" (cf. Letter from the general Superior, Prot. N. 215/2001 and Prot. N. 272/2001).
It is a charter in continuity to the precedent Chapter. In the XXth general Charter ("We, the Congregation in service to mission") we put accent on the first part of our motto ("We, the Congregation"). In this XXIst general Charter we will emphasize the second part, which regards "THE SERVICE TO MISSION: "Dehonians in Mission: "Dehonians in Mission: An Open Heart in Solidarity ".
II. Necessary Themes
1. Report of the "Status Congregationis"
a. The report of the outgoing General Superior.b. The financial report of the general Treasurer.
c. The report on the financial reality of the Congregation made by the "Committee of experts for the revision of balances of the provinces and of Curia", requested by the XXth general Chapter (cf. Letter from the general Superior Prot. N. 96/2002).
d. Reports of each Province, Region Nullius and District.
2. Election of a new general Administration
This must take place according to the norms of our Cst and DG 129-130; 132:- election of a new general superior;
- election of the counselors, after having decided the number of them;
- election of the general treasurer.
3. Thematic part of the Chapter
- This is the part where the preparatory Commission has the major responsibility. It has collected contributions from the provincial Chapters and from Assemblies of the Regions Nullius and Districts. With this material the Commission prepared a pre-chapter work tool, guiding the reflection towards the aims to be reached by the Charter; the elaboration of doctrine and operative guidelines so that the Congregation may define and make effective a renewed choice on "the specific apostolic nature of our Institute in the face of the challenges of the future confronting the Congregation, with special attention to the challenge of refounding".
4. Juridical part
This includes:- The review of NAB
- To study, evaluate, review and simplify the New Structures of Representation to the General Chapter.
III. OTHER SPECIFIC THEMES
- Vietnam project;- Dehonian Archives (information update by Maredsous);
- Presentation and discussion of projects for developing the Congregation;
- Centro Studi, ecc. ...;
- Dehonian Family
- Educative moments proposed by the Preparatory Commission ("Cry of Africa"; "Sexual Abuse"; "New Missions")
- ........ Possibility of other themes.
IV. OTHER PARTICULAR ASPECTS
- Opening Liturgy (morning) and a festive get together (May 12, after evening meal)- Spiritual retreat (May 13, guided by Fr. Paul McGuire)
- Visit to the Holy Father.
- Visit to Loreto (May 31)- special celebration, remembering the 125th of Foundation.
- Participation of members of the Dehonian Family (from 9.06.2003 to 13.06.2003; with their special program);
- May 22 &endash; journey to introduce the theme on "the specific apostolic nature" with a speech by Fr. Gabriele Ferrari SX, ex-Superior General of the Xaverian Missionaries;
- June 3 &endash; Introduction the theme "Sexual abuse", with speech of Fr. Séan Sammon fms, Superior General of the Marists Brothers.
- .....
V. SPECIFIC SERVICES
- Moderators: Fr. Luigi Stucchi (AU) (Italian-Spanish); Fr. Jerzy Deptula (EF) (French); Fr. John Van Den Hengel (CAN) (English);- Secretaries: Fr. André Perroux (EF); Mr. Stanislaw Swierkosz-Lénart
- Auxiliars of the secretary: Fr. José Carlos Briñón Domínguez (HI); Fr. Richard DiLeo (US);
- journalist: Miss Mary Gorski;
- Press office and journalist: Fr. Antonio Cuomo (IM).