Year of Fr. Kentenich
Next year we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of our Founder’s death. In this context Fr. Juan Pablo Catoggio writes:
St. John Paul II reminded us of our responsibility when he said, “You are called to participate in that grace which your Founder has received, and subsequently to offer the same grace to the entire Church. Then, the charism of the founder proves to be an experience inspired by the Spirit which has been passed on to their own followers, so that they may live, guard, deepen and develop it further in communion with the Church and for the good of the Church.” (September 20, 1985)
Pope Francis also pointed out: “You are concerned about maintaining the founding charism and of the capacity you have of transmitting it to the younger ones. I’m also concerned about being able to maintain and transmit the charism in such a way as to be able to inspire and sustain your lives and your mission”. More important is the statement the Pope makes concerning the living energy of a charism that is produced when it comes in contact with reality and transforms it: “You’re aware that a charism is not a museum artifact that remains preserved in a glass case to be looked at and nothing more. Faithfulness or keeping it pure does not at all mean that we seal it in a bottle like distilled water so that it cannot be contaminated by the outside air. A charism will not be preserved this way. It must go out and come in contact with reality, with people and their problems and concerns. Thus in this fruitful encounter with reality the charism has a chance to grow and renew itself. Reality is also transformed or changed through the spiritual power that this charism brings with it”. (September 3, 2015)
I’m talking about our deeper calling: “Identifying with his charism gives us our identity. This grace is given to us with our calling to Sion. It demands of us that we consciously and continually make his charism our own in an affective, intellectual and effective way within the context of our respective cultures of origin”. (General Chapter 2015 II.3)
Fr Juan Pablo Catoggio
General Superior
