Introduction to the Council of Congregation 2026 💬 0 👁 36

From April 13 to 26, the Oblates of the Assumption are holding their annual Congregational Council, online, bringing together the General Curia, the (Vice-) Provincials and assistants from the major Provinces (Europe and Congo). Sr. Zoé, Superior General, opened the meeting with an introductory speech. Read below.

Dear Sisters members of the Council of the Congregation, 

Welcome to our 2026 Council of Congregation! 

In this Easter Season, on this day after Divine Mercy Sunday, Jesus comes and he is there in our midst... He says to us: "Peace be with you!" He breathes on us, saying: "Receive the Holy Spirit" (cf. Jn 20:19-31). 

In the General Council, we have chosen as the theme for this Council of the Congregation "New wine, new wineskins "... As you have already noticed, this theme resonates with that of our last General Chapter, which was based on the Gospel of the wedding at Cana. We said to ourselves, in fact, that for almost three years, we have been harvesting and tasting the good wine of Cana poured at the Chapter... We drank it little by little, because let's not forget that there were 6 full jars, that is to say about 600 liters... (The general bursar has already calculated that this is 100 liters per year for a 6-year term!) As every year, we will take the time to appreciate this good wine that continues to flow for our Congregation: what gives taste to our religious life as Oblate of the Assumption? To our mission? At the same time, we will no doubt identify things to change, to renew, to invent... Have some wineskins become rigid, porous or punctured? Are we still locked in "old habits that have been sacralized and ossified," according to the expression of the text of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, also entitled

“New wine, new wineskins” and published in 2017 (and which I invite you to reread!)

We are therefore going to share together the good wine of the Congregation, with thanksgiving, listening to the different reports: that of the Superior General; then that of the general bursar and then those of the (vice-)Provinces. At the same time, we will identify the old wineskins to throw away and the new wineskins to find. This will be the work of our first week. The second week, we will continue our journey by focusing on specific themes: formation, the laity, the JPIC dimension, finances, the revision of the Rule of Life, the updating of the protocol for the protection of minors and vulnerable people. We will finish with the questions that have emerged over the course of the two weeks and for which we will seek answers. As you have seen on the program, we will alternate between plenum times, group work and spiritual conversations. 

Thank you for being there 4 hours of connection a day is a tiring exercise! We will try to hold on! We also thank you for dedicating time each day to preparing the sessions through readings, analyses, prayer sheets... It is important to prioritize the work of the Council of the Congregation over any other work, even if I know that you will surely have some business to settle in between... This is an opportunity for me to thank you once again for carrying out the difficult task of (Vice-) Provincial or Assistant, Councillor or Bursar.

I welcome the presence of Marie-Clara SHIN DE LACROIX, who will be translating for Korean. We warmly congratulate her for her lifelong commitment as a lay associate in our Congregation! 

During this Council, we will have at heart to pray for the Pope who flew this morning to Algeria, before leaving for Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. Tomorrow, he will be in Annaba (Hippo in Antiquity), in the footsteps of Saint Augustine. 

We will also pray to the two sisters who have just left us: Sr. Marie-Jeannine (104 years old) who died last Thursday and Sr. Edmonde (100 years old), who left us last night. We give thanks for their witness of life and we pray for the repose of their souls. 

Dear sisters, I wish each of you a beautiful synodal experience as a Council of Congregation in the joy of being together (even at a distance!), in fraternity, lucidity and hope. It is Christ who brings us together. We hand over to him in advance all the work of our Council. He is risen! He is truly risen! 

April 13th 2026

Sr. Zoé VANDERMERSCH.