The experience of the General Conference

The brothers of the General Council present in Rome in December shared their experience of the General Conference with all the personnel of the General Administration. Brother Luis García Sobrado, Vicar General, started his talk by emphasising that the Conference was realised thanks to the great work effected by the members of the General Administration who had contributed to its preparation by their technical support and the translation of numerous documents. As a result, the experience of the Conference is a common one.

Brother Luis especially emphasised the following experiences:
The Conference was an experience of strong and joyous fraternity. Problems were dealt with in a fraternal manner. Seán had a personal talk with each Provincial, on average for one hour and sometimes more, which helped a great deal. Joy and tears were present at this meeting where brothers could have an experience of profound brotherhood. One could also develop a great sense of family during this month in our relationships with the hotel personnel.
We also had the experience of the hospitality of our Sri Lankan brothers who are very well known at Negombo because of their school, Maris Stella. They worked for a year to prepare everything to the finest detail. The Sri Lankan people are very hospitable. The meeting room was prepared according to local custom; the bedrooms had a personal touch and the atmosphere of the hotel was favourable to fraternisation. From the very beginning, all the brothers were prepared to participate fully in the Conference.