DEHONIANS TOGETHER FOR VOCATIONS
LAVRAS &endash; MG &endash; BRAZIL AUGUST 1 &endash; 20, 1999

Dear Father:

As you will recall during our meeting in Rome the on-going formation program/meeting of congregational vocation personnel will take place from August 1-20, 1999, in our South Brazilian Province (BM). Through this letter on behalf of the general administration and the BM Province I would like to invite you to send your scj vocational personnel to this meeting. A copy of the proposed schedule is enclosed. We would ask that you forward this to the proper persons and that they in turn use the form provided to officially inform Fr. Claudio Weber, scj, of their intentions. From time to time additionla material will be posted to our web site (www.scj.org) which will be of interest to those attending the conference.

Several key points to remind you of from our November Meeting in Rome.

All participants must be in São Paulo no later than noon on Sunday, August, 1, 1999.

1. The first two weeks will take place at a new retreat center in Lavras. It can comfortably accommodate 53 people. We would love to have the problem of "not enough space" rather then too much! A prompt reply to this initial form will help those planning our program immensely. Therefore please respond as quickly as possible, and certainly no later then February 1, 1999.
2. Simultaneous translation will be provided in French, English and Portuguese.
3. The goals of the conference are twofold:
   • to provide an opportunity for our vocation ministers to interact with one another. To share their stories, their dreams, their successes, and yes, their failures;
   • to explain in both theory and practice the vocation program of the Latin American Church using the model develop by the Church in Brazil.

We are very grateful to the South Brazil SCJs for willingness to host this important meeting. It will make their work all the much easier if we all cooperate with them by filling out this form as soon as possible. This will mark the second international meeting of scj vocation personnel. Building on that experience we hope the 1999 gathering in Lavras will be a moment of grace, fraternity and growth for all.

On behalf of the general administration, we look forward to the participation of your province/region/territorial community.

Enclosures:

• Program schedule August 1-20, 1999
• Enrollment form
• Copy of # 4 Vocations from We, the Congregation in Service to the Mission

08/01 Sunday Arrival S. Paulo &endash; Departure for Lavras at 2:00pm

08/02 Monday Opening session at 3:00pm

• Message of General Counselor and BM Provincial Superior
• Information on the meeting, the house and the participants Eucharist

08/03 Tuesday The Church in Latin America and Brazil: challenges and Mission

08/04 Wednesday Vocations and Ministries in Brazil, in the Congregation and in BM (during the week there will be opportunity for other provinces to speak on their vocation ministry)

08/05 Thursday Vocation and Mission:

• Theological & Biblical aspects
• Visit to the seminary in Lavras

08/06 Friday Profile of our candidates: anthropology of vocations

08/07-08

Sat. & Sun. Week-end in our parishes with special program in each one

08/09 Monday Day-off in Itutinga: leisure

08/10 Tuesday Evaluation of the week-end and how to propose the dehonian vocation

08/11 Wednesday Dehonian vocation today (to be continueed) and visit to the Exhibition on Vocations, in Lavras

08/12 Thursday Mass-media and vocations

• Fr. José F. de Oliveira (Fr. Zezinho)
• Resources to promote vocations (idem)

08/13 Friday Conclusions, propositions, messages, closing session

• Eucharist in the parish church

08/14 Saturday Departure for Rio, visit to our parishes

• In the evening: a show with dehonian singers

08/15 Sunday Rio de Janeiro

08/16 Monday Visit to Aparecida (Our Lady National Shrine) and Taubaté

08/17 Tuesday Travel to Curitiba

08/18 Wednesday Visit to Rio Negrinho, Corupá, Jaraguá (noviciate), Brusque

08/19 Thursday Brusque &endash; Return to S. Paulo

08/20 Friday Departures

Please fill out this form and return no later than February 1, 1999 to:

V. Rev. Claudio Weber, scj
Padres do S. Coração de Jesus
Provincialado
Rua B. Cotegipe 180 &endash; S. Amaro
Caixa postal 793
970 São Paulo &endash; SP
Brasil
FAX: (011) 522-7331
E-MAIL: dehonianos@cidadenet.org.br

Province &endash; Region &endash; Community:

Person Responsible for Vocation Ministry:

Our Province &endash; Region &endash; Community will attend the Dehonians together for Vocations meeting in 1999.

We would like to send the following person(s):

1.

2.

3

4.

N.B. &endash; Please keep in mind space is limited. We will do our best to accomodate all that wish to attend the conference.

Future information on the conference should be sent to:

• Name
• Address
• City
• State
• Country
• FAX
• E-Mail

Curia Home Page: www.scj.org

South Brazil SCJ Web Site: http://www.cidadanet.org.br/dehonianos/

22.1. Vocational ministry should be closely connected with youth ministry for the sake of the assistance we owe the young people to guide them in faith and in discernment of the service to which they are called in the church.

Acceptance of adult vocations and the integration within one's entity of persons who are already well defined by the lives they have led is evidence of the maturity of the religious institute which knows how to make them welcome (cf. Documenta VII, 424).

• Responsibility for vocational ministry affects each religious as individual and each community (cf. Cst 90b).
• In carrying out vocational ministry concerning religious life, the vocation of religious brother must be fostered. Brothers, too, should be given the task of working in this ministry.
• The plurality of methods used in the church to accomplish vocation ministry constitutes a great source of riches for us.

23.2. Chapter Orientations

The congregation in each of its individual parts, should commit itself to fulfill a "policy for living" and not merely retrenchment; to accomplish this, vocational ministry should be looked upon as a real priority which requires personnel and means (cf. Report to the General Chapter, 61).

24.3. Operational Choices

• Promote an international meeting in Brazil for those responsible for vocational ministry as a program of on-going formation for them, thus sharing the programs and experiences of the congregation.
• Give complete support to vocational meetings between promoters and young candidates by geographic zones as is already traditional in Europe.
• In those provinces found in secularized countries, receive any candidates who may apply into interprovincial or international formation centers. In these countries as well, vocational ministry should be promoted with the help of religious SCJs from other countries.
• Celebrate March 14th, birthdate of Fr. Dehon, as a day for vocations, with prayer and with concrete initiatives.
• Prepare workers for youth ministry and vocations by providing them with systematic studies for these areas as their specialization.
• Encourage everyone, particularly our ill or aging religious, to pray and to offer up their sufferings to the Lord that He might raise up new vocations in the congregation and for all ministries and charism in the church.