Lord, where do you dwell?
The Chapter Fathers gathered at the Retreat and Holiday Center in Dębki for the 20th Provincial Chapter held from November 10 to 16, 2013, send warm greetings to all Brothers of the Polish Province of the Resurrectionists.
The Chapter took place in the final phase of the Year of Faith and its theme (Lord, where do you dwell?) invited a response to the question: “Is our presence in the Church and in the world truly where the Risen One wants us to be, and is our work truly what He calls us to do?”
Following this path and using the so-called synodal procedure, the Chapter Commission prepared and sent to all Brothers a preliminary document introducing the theme Lineamenta; then, based on the responses received (only about 20 percent of respondents reacted), it developed a working document Instrumentum laboris, intended as an aid for the Chapter Fathers. Our prayers, reflection, and decisions concerned three main areas of our life: relationship with God (mysterium), fraternal life in community (communio), and apostolic witness and service (missio).
During the subsequent chapter days, we became aware of how much light and shadow our presence in the Church casts; we also discovered the potential within our communities and spirituality. In our times, full of various forms of homelessness, building the house of God in people's hearts and building the house of people in the heart of the Risen Jesus is a beautiful and, at the same time, demanding vocation that flows from our charism.
We would like the message of this Chapter, which we attach to this letter, with its narrative, appeals, and resolutions, to become a strong inspiration for even closer adherence to Christ, as Father Piotr Semenenko fervently prayed: “That You in me, together with me, fulfill everything You have intended. And that Your Thought and glory, Your Thing and pleasure, Your Will and action, Your Work and Kingdom, Your Life in my person and my complete union with You may be fulfilled in me as perfectly as possible. Union, life, transformation, Kingdom, eternal wedding of love” (Wisdom of Asceticism, p. 49).
We wish all Brothers, young and old, unending enthusiasm and fervor, as well as unwavering courage in proclaiming the message of the Resurrection in their work environments.
We were delighted by the numerous congratulatory letters we received from various parts of the world and the country: from Pope Francis, bishops, nuns, fellow brothers, and friends. We are grateful to all who supported us during these days with kind remembrance and prayer.
We thank the Provincial Superior, the Chairman of the Chapter, for organizing, logistics, and overseeing this important event in the life of the Polish Province. We also thank the Chapter Commission and the Coordination Commission for competently and professionally assisting him in this work.
Our thanks also go to the Chapter Secretariat, which performed its tedious tasks and duties very efficiently, reliably, and kindly.
It was an honor for us to have the presence of the Father General throughout, whose prayers, advice, and teachings we received with due gratitude.
Special thanks go to the director of the Retreat and Holiday Center in Dębki and the kitchen-catering staff, who diligently and generously ensured the highest comfort of our stay here, creating a friendly atmosphere and offering a diverse menu.
Dear Brothers, may the Holy Spirit send His peace and strength, wisdom and piety, so that the care and protection of God's House in our own hearts and in the hearts of those to whom we are sent bring closer to our times the incredible truth of a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1). May Our Lady of Sorrows from Sulisławice, Patroness of our Province, accompany us on this path and remind us of our calling!
Dębki, November 16, 2013
