IV Provincial Chapter – Day 4
Thursday, April 7
Our IV Provincial Chapter, which officially started today, began with a cold and rainy day. Gathered in the chapel we prayed the “Veni Creator Spiritus.” The morning was a time to remember and present to God in prayer our common experiences of these past six years, some were sad, others joyful but all filled with hope for the future in following God’s will. At breakfast we received the surprise visit from our brother Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas. The morning session began with an overall review of the rules and regulations of a Chapter.
At 3pm we gathered in the chapel from where, with the Word of God held high, we processed to the Chapter Room as we sang “The Spirit of the Lord filled the face of the Earth…” Once we arrived at the room, we enthroned the Word and the Chapter officially began. Father Domenico Di Raimondo officially welcomed Archbishop Gustavo who shared his joy of being able to share this first day with us, and be part of this IV Provincial Chapter. Father Daniel Rivera, Superior General also addressed us saying “today we are all writers of the history of this Province. Together we write its future and together we will work so that God’s promises become a reality through the motions of the Holy Spirit”. We spent the afternoon hard at work.
The Eucharistic celebration was presided by Archbishop Gustavo and concelebrated by Fr. Manuel Vazquez and Vicente Gutierrez. During his homily Archbishop told us that our Christian life is not about “yes” and “no”. We cannot believe in the Son without opening our hearts to the loving action of God, which comes to us through the Holy Spirit. “Let us be,” he invited us “open to the will of the Father and to the motions and the consolations of the Holy Spirit, because it is through Him that we are called to the life that our Trinitarian God gives us in His mercy. Without Him we have no heading, we don’t know who to follow, or where to go. Therefore, brothers, let us humbly say: ‘To whom shall we go, Jesus, since only you have the words of eternal life?’”
Our IV Provincial Chapter, which officially started today, began with a cold and rainy day. Gathered in the chapel we prayed the “Veni Creator Spiritus.” The morning was a time to remember and present to God in prayer our common experiences of these past six years, some were sad, others joyful but all filled with hope for the future in following God’s will. At breakfast we received the surprise visit from our brother Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas. The morning session began with an overall review of the rules and regulations of a Chapter.
At 3pm we gathered in the chapel from where, with the Word of God held high, we processed to the Chapter Room as we sang “The Spirit of the Lord filled the face of the Earth…” Once we arrived at the room, we enthroned the Word and the Chapter officially began. Father Domenico Di Raimondo officially welcomed Archbishop Gustavo who shared his joy of being able to share this first day with us, and be part of this IV Provincial Chapter. Father Daniel Rivera, Superior General also addressed us saying “today we are all writers of the history of this Province. Together we write its future and together we will work so that God’s promises become a reality through the motions of the Holy Spirit”. We spent the afternoon hard at work.
The Eucharistic celebration was presided by Archbishop Gustavo and concelebrated by Fr. Manuel Vazquez and Vicente Gutierrez. During his homily Archbishop told us that our Christian life is not about “yes” and “no”. We cannot believe in the Son without opening our hearts to the loving action of God, which comes to us through the Holy Spirit. “Let us be,” he invited us “open to the will of the Father and to the motions and the consolations of the Holy Spirit, because it is through Him that we are called to the life that our Trinitarian God gives us in His mercy. Without Him we have no heading, we don’t know who to follow, or where to go. Therefore, brothers, let us humbly say: ‘To whom shall we go, Jesus, since only you have the words of eternal life?’” 
