ROME, ITALY

At the beginning of the second week of its Enlarged General Council (EGC) meeting in Rome, the Spiritans celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Spiritan Generalate in Clivo di Cinna, Rome, with an outdoor, multi-cultural Mass – concelebrated by the delegates — and an international buffet reception in the Generalate garden attended by the EGC delegates and many guests.

Superior General John Fogarty, presided at the open-air Mass in the front garden at Clivo di Cinna. Also present were two former superiors general, Pierre Haas and Franz Timmermanns, as well as members of the current General Council and the following former general councilors: Msgr. Sergio Castriani, Msgr. Rogath Kimaryo and Msgr. Peter Marzinkowski, Bernardo Bongo, Jeronimo Kahinga, Bernard Kelly, François Nicolas, Godfrey Odigbo and Frans Wijne.

The Spiritans Generalate was moved from Paris to Rome in 1966. Fr. Fogarty has been the superior general for the Spiritans at the Generalate in Rome since 2012. The superior general and his council are the supreme governing body of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. They are all elected to office at the general chapter, which is called every eight years.

Representatives from across the Congregation have been meeting in Rome beginning on June 19, and ending on July 2, 2016, as part of the Enlarged General Council (EGC), which serves as a mid-point review four years after the 20th General Chapter in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, in 2012. The EGC has a three-fold purpose according to the Spiritans Rule of Life, #205.3: to evaluate and to assess the implementation of the decisions of the Bagamoyo General Chapter; to study new means of strengthening and bringing about the Congregation’s objectives; and to reinforce collaboration throughout the Congregation at the level of the circumscriptions, the Unions of Circumscriptions and the General Council.

In addition, EGC delegates were able to participate in a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Pope Francis, to celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29, 2016.