Guide to the 23rd General Chapter Preparatory Process

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The Preparatory Commission for the 23^rd General Chapter has launched the Guide that will accompany the Marists of Champagnat to the next General Chapter in the Philippines, from September 8 to October 8, 2025. It is now available and can be downloaded and used for the three phases planned for the pre-Chapter process (English | Español | Français | Português).

We reproduce below the introduction to the guide prepared by the Preparatory Commission.

Dear Marists of Champagnat

Greetings from the Preparatory Commission of the 23rd General Chapter. The prepa­ration for a General Chapter is an important time for the Institute, providing us with an opportunity to journey together in a spirit of hope as we discern the future of our Institute.

Our Constitutions and Statutes underscore the importance of the General Chapter as a forum for collective decision-making, governance, and the advancement of the Institute’s mission and identity. They highlight the inclusive and participatory nature of the General Chapter process, as well as its authority in shaping the direction and future of the Institute.

Just as the early Marists were open and ready to embrace the challenges and needs of their time, we too are called to be open and courageous, to risk following the prompt­ings of the Holy Spirit and to respond creatively to the needs of our world today. Gathered at the Hermitage, Saint Marcellin Champagnat and the early brothers em­barked on a journey of prayer, reflection, and discernment, igniting the genesis of our Institute’s growth. Similarly, our Chapter calls us to gather as a family, delving into prayerful introspection and collective discernment for the future of our Marist life and mission. We are called to heed the Spirit’s whispers, exchange our stories openly, and embrace innovative visions and possibilities as we “look beyond” to the future.

Our Chapter theme, “Home for all, river of Life”, reminds us of the Hermitage and our celebration of the bicentenary of its foundation. It speaks to us of our beginnings, and it reminds us that we Marists of Champagnat are an Institute on an adventurous journey. All Marists of Champagnat are invited to participate in this adventure. As we embark on this journey towards the 23rd General Chapter we have faith in God’s promise “I will be with you”.

This guide explains the pre-chapter process which invites us to participate in three moments. Each moment encourages us to participate in a community-based discern­ment. To help us we will use the synodal methodology of Conversations in the Spirit. We are called to speak with openness, honesty, and courage, to listen to each other and try to understand the other’s point of view and to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

The first phase calls on local communities to reflect on our current reality. These conversations ask us to listen to each other with an open mind and heart, without prej­udice. All of us are invited to speak with courage and honesty, promoting a free and authentic style of communication within the community. Discernment is a communal process, in which we seek to understand the movement of the Holy Spirit and how God is inviting us to respond to the challenges of our world.

The second phase invites us to imagine and dream together about the future. In this moment, we allow ourselves to be open to new possibilities, trusting in the providence of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us.

The third and final phase is inviting us to identify what is most important in our previous dialogues while listening to each other and discerning God’s calls for us. We are asked to imagine what the future of our Institute could look like and how we can work towards making that dream a reality. At the end of this pre-chapter process we are called to synthesise our experience and dreams of the future, and to entrust them to the delegates of each Province/District to the General Chapter.

Through these three moments, the pre-chapter process allows us to deepen our un­derstanding of our current reality, discern the Holy Spirit’s movement, and envision a future that is in alignment with our charism and mission. It is a time for us to come together as a community, to listen and speak with openness and honesty, and to trust in God’s guidance and providence.

It is hoped that the delegates of each Province/District will write a brief document after the third phase and send it to the Preparatory Commission. We ask you to send this document before 15 April 2025, so that a synthesis of the contents can be pre­pared for the Chapter.

Suggested timeline

This synthesis, along with the priorities of MIMA III, the recommendations of the International Forum on the Lay Vocation and the report of the Superior General and his Council, will all help to inform the Chapter’s discernment, as it seeks to discover the Spirit’s calls for the Institute for the coming years.

This guide to the General Chapter Preparatory Process includes:

1. The logo and a brief explanation of its development and meaning.
2. The Pre-Chapter process.
3. A series of prayers for the General Chapter to be used in various community settings.
4. Some reflections on the Bicentenary of the Hermitage to provoke our own reflec­tion.

May this preparation for our General Chapter be a time of grace for us all, a time of renewal, and a time of new beginnings as we continue to journey together in faith, hope, and love as Marists of Champagnat. May our time of preparation, and the Gen­eral Chapter itself, be a source of inspiration and renewal for us all, and may it guide us as we reimagine the future together.

As always, we place ourselves in the arms of Mary, our Good Mother, and ask her to walk with us during this significant time for our Institute.