PCO
OPEN FORUM - MESSAGES |
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Date |
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Name |
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E-mail Address |
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Date |
05/04/04 |
Name |
Martin Ben Peter |
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E-mail Address |
martinben03@rediffmail.com |
| Message |
Dear Brothers,
At the outset,let me express my sincere gratitude
and appreciation to all the brother participants
of the CPO VII for your hardwork and for the splendid
display of the website. I have been closely following
the outcome of each day's input-sessions,disscussions,and
the like.Words cannot adequately express the kind
of joy and contentment that I cherish now when I
think of the "modus operrandi" of the
CPO VII. Well done so far...!
As Bro.Robin Danial, our provincial, is directly
putting his heart and soul into the CPO VII in Assisi,we
the brothers of St.Francis Province,Kerala,India,
pray that the ensuing CPO may cull out the very
essence of our Capuchin Life and Identity in simple
and concrete PROPOSALS...!
Fraternally in St.Francis,
Bro.Martin Bernard, Definitor incharge of Formation,
St.Francis Province,Kerala,India.
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Date |
25/03/04 |
Name |
Troy de los Santos |
E-mail Address |
pilkap@skyinet.net |
| Message |
Dear Brothers,
When can we expect the translations of the "Presentations"
?
Thank you very much.
Troy de los Santos |
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Date |
25/03/04 |
Name |
Donna McGartland, OSF |
E-mail Address |
hermanas@centennialpr.net |
| Message |
Just to let you know that you have the support
of others in the Franciscan Family! I, too, have
been reading the very challenging talks and want
to say THANKS!! They have truly challenged me (and
others in my community) to first reflect and then
to hopefully live our call to Franciscan Minority.
On a more global level, I hope and pray that your
message goes far beyond the written word -- but
is truly lived "on the margins" and will
consequently challenge the systems which have been
structures of oppression for so many!!
Donna McGartland, OSF |
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Date |
25/03/04 |
Name |
Gerard Mulvey |
E-mail Address |
germul61@aol.com |
| Message |
I have been reading the papers fromthe various
presenters since CPO VII began. They provide much
food for thought and reflection for individuals
and for local fraternities.
One of them mentioned a quote from Lazaro Iriarte
about how the Order had abandoned the charism of
minority very early in our history. Perhaps this
is true and now is the time for us to reclaim that
charism to help us be more evanglical and prophetic
in today's church and world.
Also, will the other presentations be available
on the website. I am hoping to find a copy of the
presentation by Ed Foley. Let us pray that CPO VII
may truly enrich the life and spirit of the Order.
Peace,
Gerard Mulvey (New York/New England) |
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Date |
25/03/04 |
Name |
Troy |
E-mail Address |
pilkap@skyinet.net |
| Message |
Dear Brothers,
Peace. We appreciate all the info we are getting.
May we request for the translations of the all the
PRESENTATIONS into English. I browsed the different
language sites and it is only the Italian site that
have all the translations of all the presentations
into their language.
We are aware of the voluminouos work you have and
may God give you strength. We in the English speaking
conferences would appreciate it very much if you
could facilitate and send us the English translations.
Troy |
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Date |
19/03/04 |
Name |
Kapucijnen Breda Nederland (The Netherlands) |
E-mail Address |
info@kapucijnenbreda.nl |
| Message |
We, the capuchins in Breda The Netherlands, are
very grateful for your briefings concerning the
meeting about Our Fraternal life in Minority. Though
living in a distance we feel present and amidst
of you. God bless you all. Our prayers are your
companions.
Kapucijnen Breda Nederland (The Netherlands)
Schorsmolenstraat 13
4811 VN Breda
tel. 076 5217082
fax.076 5147193
giro: Schorsmolenstraat - Kapucijnen 108.21.31
e-mail: info@kapucijnenbreda.nl
website: www.kapucijnenbreda.nl
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Date |
19/03/04 |
Name |
Br. Thomas Sebastian |
E-mail Address |
vjwcopuchia@sancharnet.in |
| Message |
To
The Participants of PCO 7
Dear Brothers,
Fraternal Greetings of Peace and Joy!
The members of Marymatha Vice Province is closely
following the great event of the celebration of
the VII PCO. All the brothers of our Vice Province
gathered in the Vice Provincialate for annual gathering
join me in accompanying you with best wishes and
prayers. We are confident that this celebration
will help us recognizing our identity as lesser
brothers at the service of our brothers and sisters.
Fraternally,
Br. Thomas Sebastian
Vice Provincial Minister |
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Date |
19/03/04 |
Name |
Fr. Michael B. Fernandes |
E-mail Address |
mikelatur@hotmail.com |
| Message |
Dear Brothers,
First of all i would like to say a big hello to
u wonderful brothers. I am following the happenings
at Assisi everyday. I am getting so much of material
in this lenten season for my personal releflections.
All the presentations are very challenging and eye
opners. The presentation of David is simply awesome
and wonderful which made me to reflect and think
of our oiginal idea of poverty.The introduction
was very painful to read as it depicted the sad
and pathetic situation of the world. it makes one
to believe and accept the social challenges to face.
the whole presentation is so well spelled out that
it could be taken as conferences for our formees
and formators. The 5 trends of global poverty are
very much in place and wll stipulated.I hope we
as capuchins hear the cry of the poor in our cozy
and well provided enviornment? I feel at this moment
that I am standing already at the challenging crossroad
of Capuchin Life.
Thanks and all the best. You all will be in our
prayers.
Fr. Michael B. Fernandes, Mumbai
Hai Blaine and Team,You guys out there doing a wonderful
work by sending the reports and happenings at Assisi.
I am so thrilled to read the reports because it
makes me feel that i am a part of a great order
and community. The summaries on each day's presentation
is simply wonderful and thought provoking. All the
presentations were well prepared especially "Our
Fraternal Life in Minority". Hats off to you
guys. Our wishes and prayers are with you. Long
live PCO spirit amidst the Capuchins.with Best wishes
Fr. Michael B. Fernandes, Mumbai |
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Date |
19/03/04 |
Name |
Br. John Frampton OFM Cap. |
E-mail Address |
bjofmcap@bell.net.ca |
| Message |
Dear Brothers of CPO 7,
Many thanks for your dedication and ministry during
these days of CPO 7. Please be assured that your
tasks are important and appreciated! It is a great
gift to keep up with the proceedings and I wish
many thanks to alkl who make this possible!
Sincerely,
Br. John Frampton OFM Cap.
Capuchins of Central Canada |
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Date |
19/03/04 |
| Name |
Provincial Minister |
E-mail Address |
pilkap@skyinet.net |
| Message |
Dear Bro.Julian,
Peace and all blessings.
We in the English speaking conferences are left
in the dark. Let me explain. All the presentations
were translated into Italian. What about the English
translations of the presentations? When can we download
them. Thank you. |
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Date |
19/03/04 |
Name |
Fr. Michael Fernandes |
E-mail Address |
mikelatur@hotmail.com |
| Message |
Dear Brothers,
It was amazing to read all the presentation and
i was obsessed with the direct and straight messages
they carried. the articles helped to know who am
I and what is my identity as a Capuchin Franciscan
in today's world. We need visionaries and dedicated
brothers to carry forward the rich Franciscan Capuchin
charism which is so well highlighted in the presentations
all these days of the PCO.
Thanks for providing me wonderful web site that
takes me to assisi to experience the spirit of Father
Francis.
Fr. Michael Fernandes, Mumbai |
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Date |
19/03/04 |
Name |
Tom Forde |
E-mail Address |
tomforde@gofree.indigo.ie |
| Message |
Dear Brothers, Its late, i'm tired but i just
noticed that most of the entries here are Irish:
Donal, Berno and myself. Where are the Americans?
the British? the Australians? all the other english
speaking friars? Come on guys its not evey day we
get an opportunity to contribute in someway to the
future of the order. Have faith!
Tom |
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| Date |
19/03/04 |
Name |
Provincial Minister |
E-mail Address |
pilkap@skyinet.net |
Message |
dear brothers,
We belong to the English speaking conference. We
are interested in having the different PRESENTATIONS
given. So far we have only the ones of Aizpurua,
Regis and partial of Kuster. When can we have the
rest of the translations? It's only the Italian
website that have all the presentations translated.
It's a big job, we know. Please bear with us. We
just want to have the translations. God bless! |
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Date |
1303/04 |
Name |
Tom Forde OFM Cap, |
E-mail Address |
tomforde@indigo.ie |
Message |
Hey where is everybody? Overawed by Technology?
Here are a few thoughts from the Irish Province:
I found Br Regis Armstrong's work personally challenging-
its sent me back to pray the admonitions and see
where the Lord is challenging me but the work of
Br Donanzar i thought the more challenging for us
as a brotherhood. I believe we have a prophet of
sorts in our midst not afraid to challenge our assumptions.
i will be revisiting both articles soon but more
than likely it will be Donanzar's. In my personal
reading i have found echoes of the mind of Francis
among the desert fathers - seeking to be truly humble
to face one's real state before God to acknowledge
one's sin and seek mercy and minority as part of
that process. Yet now i see that it is also a re-establishment
of original innocence where God is the centre of
everything not man (not Me!). Have we the courage
to abandon the securities of the past to face the
invitation of the Lord to dance with Him, to let
Him lead, to let Him care for us? Or will we rely
solely on our own power and merely mouth words of
faith?
Tom Forde OFM Cap,
Ireland
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Date |
13/03/04 |
Name |
Brother Bernardine ofm cap |
E-mail Address |
bernaren@hotmail.com |
Message |
Dear Brothers
While following daily your discussions at the
7th plenary council of the Order in Assisi and
praying for the successful outcome of the same
or at least the outcome the Spirit of the Lord
wants even if it is failure, since we are followers
of a "failed" Saviour of the lost sheep
of the house of Israel and a failed mediaeval
knight, missionary and martyr and failure keeps
us humble, let me say that I find a lot of the
presentations very head-centered and theoretical
and therein lies a danger of coming up with a
compromise which will have as little impact on
the order as PCO VI. I would have found it hard
to stay awake through most of the later learned
presentations with all their technical language.
Do I have to check the dictionary for the meaning
of hermeneutics or phenomenology to find out what
minority means or should we turn to the Gospels
like Francis and his early brothers. One wonders
what men like Felix of Cantalice or Solanus Casey
would have made of the linguistic acrobatics of
these lectures! The other observation I wish to
make is that these lectures or presentations often
end up as a smoke-screen to avoid making painful
choices and discuss but not change the status
quo. Brother Ambongo's experiential style would
seem to have more to offer in the way of real-life
challenges. Anyhow since my previous contribution
on formal learning sounding the death knell for
minority and itinerancy in the order even in Francis'
own lifetime and later to the institutionalized
clericalism that Brother Oscar from chile in the
Spanish open forum so clearly indicts maybe we
should at last begin to reevaluate the pursuit
of specialized studies as part of our formation
system. Even the Capuchin reform, the greatest
reform of all was unsuccessful on this account.
For soon the introduction of seminaries spelt
the end of the small dwelling and hermetical life
the first reformers and many modern Capuchin prophets
envision for us.
So my advise is not to spend to much time digesting
the content of the lectures and be concrete and
practical and local fraternity-centered in the
proposals you come up with. More experience sharing
from non-first world friars might help in this
respect.
Pax et Bonum
Brother Bernardine ofm cap
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Date |
13/03/04 |
Name |
Fr. Jorge Macias, OFMCap. |
E-mail Address |
pochi0926@hotmail.com |
Message |
Dear Julian,
What a JOY to see you again, eventhough it is through
this means. I am glad to see the wonderful work
that you guys are doing in favor of the CPO. Give
my best to all the friars,specially our CONCAM delegate.
We in the Viceprovince of Puerto Rico are praying
everyday for the success of the CPO. May God bless
you. Hope to see you soon... somewhere around the
world.
Peace,
Fr. Jorge Macias, OFMCap. |
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Date |
13/03/04 |
Name |
Lawrence Thomas Paruthapara |
E-mail Address |
lawrencecap@sify.com |
Message |
Dear Bro. Julian!
I am happy that I can follow the presentations
of the various papers at the PCO VII, sitting
here in my room in Kerala, India, thanks to the
fraternal service that you and your American Capuchin
brothers are rendering.
I am glad to note that Bro. General made some
referrence to the teachings of the Lumen Gentium
and that of the Pope in Nouvo Millenio .... General
tendency today is to parade the findings of social
sciences and "my views".
Minority is primarily a virtue of the heart that
should find expression in the external and social
forums. But the external and social expressions
need not guarantee the internal. The minority
that we are called upon to live is not the one
experienced by a numerical minority. A minority
community seems to be always aggressive, because
the majority community tends to be oppressive.
In reference to "Request that no more Capuchin
bishops be appointed." To the suggestion
that “General Chapter could renounce the episcopate
for the friars. This would indicate that we wish
our contribution to the Church to be prophetic,
on the margins”. Let me respond:
It is achieved not by regulation or prohibition.
Let the friar when consulted, spontaneously renounce
it. Let us hope that there will be more and more
Oscar Remero and Helder Camara among the Capuchin
bishops to stand with the marginalized, instead
of looking for Cardinalate!
Lawrence Thomas Paruthapara
St. Joseph Province, Kerala, India.
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Date |
13/03/04 |
| Name |
Br. Varghese Alphonse |
E-mail Address |
fratres@vsnl.net |
Message |
Dear Brothers,
Virtual world is becoming real
and we are happy that the virtual world keeps
us updating what is going on the other end – CPO
VII. The friars of St. Francis Province accessing
the www feel being present at Assisi with all
our elders brothers gathered there. The input
sessions, photos, discussion etc. keep us united
with you all. It is a happy event that our elder
brothers are gathered at the feet of St. Francis
to find a way-to-live the Minority and Itinerancy
in the Order. The input sessions of the brothers
- Bro. Niklaus Kuster’s challenge to find new
energies to genuinely update minority and itinerancy
in our fraternal life in diverse cultural settings
- Bro. Ambongo Besungu’s concrete proposals based
on his Congo situations - Br. Paolo Martinelli’s
call to the ministers to listen to the promptings
of the Holy Spirit, who is THE minister of Order
- are all concrete signs of the new vistas. Brothers
though we are away from you, yet near to you with
the heart and united with you in prayer, and we
are awaiting that this CPO will bring forth the
ways and means to live our life of minority and
Itinerancy more concretely. I end this note with
a pat of congrats to the brothers who make the
strenuous effort to keep the virtual world of
the Capuchins worth surfing.
Br. Varghese Alphonse
Provincial Secretary
St.Francis Province – Kerala, India.
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Date |
13/03/04 |
Name |
fra Bob Barbato |
E-mail Address |
brbarbato@yahoo.com |
Message |
Peace and Good! My prayers
for all the brothers at the PCO. Pray for all
of us too.
I am enjoying being able to follow the procedings,
though it is hard to have time to read all the
excellent material.
One reflection: itinerancy is not a goal. It is
a means for our brotherhood and its place in the
life of an invidividual friar is up to the Holy
Spirit. I know there are immovable brothers, and
there may be something that needs to be challenged
in that. But think of our saints: Felix of Cantalice
and others who did not change friaries for many,
many years. Think more recently of our brother,
Pio of Pietrelcina: how itinerant was he?
This is only to help us avoid being to caught
up in the means. God bless you all.
fra Bob Barbato, Western America
Deus meus et Omnia! The Lord bless and keep you!
Reply to bobby@bosonline.com
"There are only two ways
to live your life. One is as though nothing is
a miracle. The other is as though everything is
a miracle." Albert Einstein
The penalty that good men pay for not being interested
in politics is
to be governed by men worse than themselves. -Plato.
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Date |
08/03/04 |
Name |
Ron MacIntyre |
E-mail Address |
happycap@sympatico.ca |
Message |
I MUST SAY IT IS A FEELING OF BEING INCLUDED WITH
THE GREAT WORK YOU ARE DOING BY KEEPING US INFORMED.
FRATERNAL THANKS TO ALL.PEACE AND ALL GOOD.
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Date |
08/03/04 |
Name |
Brother Bernardine ofm cap |
E-mail Address |
bernaren@hotmail.com |
Message |
Dear Brothers,
Prayerful good wishes from Korea for your meeting
of PCO7 in Assisi. We follow with interest and
hope and prayer your deliveration. Minority like
fraternity is the defining characteristic of our
way of life and while we have made some headway
in renewing our sense of being brothers ous sense
of being minors is the dynamic lacuna I believe
in our present day Capuchin living. I read with
interest especially Brother Fidel's presentation
and conclusions. To those conclusions i would
possibly like to add one other minority in learning.
In fact formation and education are among the
main costs encrued especially by newer circumscriptions
of the Order. One wonders whether Francis prohibition
of books and subsequent authorization of learning
marks a historical turning point which so far
has prevented every Franciscan reform from returning
to the original minoritic and intinerant lifestyle
of Saint Francis. From books we need pemanent
structures to house them (labtop computers however
reduce this need somewhat). To have permanent
structures means to have to secure them. And to
secure them we must use force either directly
(through armed security guards) or indirectly
(by recourse to the police). Further the learning
of Friars is attested to by cerificates, degrees
etc... which lends them status both in the Church
and in society. while soem of Francis followers
had such status already on entering at first the
order did not facilitate this status-climbing.
nevertheless we soon found ourselves keeping up
with the Joneses or the Dominicans in the Universities
of Europe. Such higher studies were more or less
and are still more or less reserved to clerics
or potential clerics. And so clericalism undermining
our brotherhood and institutionalized learning
undermining our minority and itinerancy were hand
in glove to each other.
These questions remain relevant today: is minority
and itinerancy possible in a society of brothers
where learning still remains highly honoured (perhaps
even necessary) in the Order, in the Church and
in society around us? And is a truly equal brotherhood
possible where clericalism that such learning
dacilitates? By the way book-learning and computers
has facilitated me being able to ask these questions
of you.
Pax et Bonum
Brother Bernardine ofm cap
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Date |
04/03/04 |
| Name |
Bro. Donal O'Mahony, ofm Cap, |
E-mail address |
donalfrancis@mweb.co.za |
Message |
A reflection to affirm the thrust of the opening
presentation at PCO V11 by our Capuchin confrere:
Unless we live our lives with at least some cosmological
awarness, we will risk collapsing into small tiny
worlds. We will be fooled into thinking that life
(ours and others) is limited to politics, economics
and church realities.
Once we become internally aware that we live in
the midst of extraordinary immensities and that
we are intrinsically woven into a great cosmic drama
- our vision as franciscans will have a new perspective.
A truly franciscan 'cosmic fraternity". A spaciousness
in tune spiritually and psychically with the post-modern
world. A congruence with galactic spaciousness.
A 'belief in a God beyond the God we believe in'.
Bro. Donal O'Mahony, ofm Cap, Formation Fraternity,
Pretoria, South Africa.
A reflection by Bro. Donal O'Mahony in support of
the first presentation at CPO V11
COSMIC FRATERNITY
The time is right for the order to encourage every
friar to live with at least some cosmological awareness.
We can be fooled into thinking that our lives are
passed in political, economic and local church realities.
In truth we live in the midst of immensities and
together we are woven into an extraordinary cosmic
drama.
When a friar tries to live 'cosmic fraternity' on
a daily basis, at least four things may happen:
1) A greater awareness of the global dimensions
of life will occur.
2) This wider perspective will give birth to a new
vision.
3) A creative franciscan inner world in tune with
the times will open out as the Light of the Great
God and the implications of the Cosmic Christ enters
in.
4) A psychic and spiritual congruence will occur
with galactic spaciousness leading us into 'believing
in a God beyond the God we believe in'.
Greetings. Donal O'Mahony, ofmCap Pretoria |
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Date |
04/03/04 |
| Name |
Tom Forde |
E-mail address |
tomforde@indigo.ie |
Message |
Well, Brothers, a blessing on this initiative
and all gathered in Assisi, especially to Richard
Hendrick, i hope they're taking good care of our
brother! I'm about to go to bed because some of
us have to get up and go out to work in the morning
but i will pray that this site takes off. It's not
every day we get to communicate with one another
about issues that affect us all. May this work lead
to a renewal of the whole order and the Francsican
movement - we need it in Ireland badly.
Tom Forde
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Date |
02/03/04 |
Name |
Gerard |
| E-mail address |
germul61@aol.com |
Message |
Greetings from New York. WE hope that the CPO
VII will a grace-filled moment for those involved
as well as for the entire order. Will the various
presentations be avaliable on the website for reading
by the brothers? I hope so. Will stay in touch in
this forum on a regular basis. Our JPE commission
will be monitoring the site so that we can weekly
briefs to the brothers in our province. Ciao for
now. Peace
Gerard |
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Date |
02/03/04 |
Name |
Père Boni Van Looveren |
E-mail address |
bonivanlooveren@pandora.be |
Message |
Dear Reverend
Thanks for your mail concerning the site of the
frairs and CPO 7. Hereby we gave you our website
address so you can put it in the general site
with a link to our site (Vlaamse kapucijnen, Belgium)
www.kapucijnen-vlaanderen.be
Thanks in advance
Sincerely
Père Boni Van Looveren
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Date |
02/03/04 |
Name |
Br. Bona Marcel Rodrigues |
E-mail address |
bonamarcel@yahoo.com |
Message |
Dear Brother!
Thank you very much for your kind and considerate
letter about the forthcoming CPO-7. It is really
kind
of you to have informed me about it and also about
the
web-site in the making which will soon beavailable
to
us. I assure you I shall make the best of it and
profit from your hard work. Right now I take a
course to our theology students ..it is on Psalms.
Then for our 85 philosophers I take a course on
introduction to the OT. For the rest we are keeping
fit and fine. We close the
smester on 31 March.
I wish you a fruitful lenten season which we
begin
today.
With love and prayers for you,
Fraternally Yours
Br. Bona Marcel Rodrigues
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Date |
02/03/04 |
Name |
Lawrence Thomas Paruthapara |
E-mail address |
lawrencecap@sify.com |
Message |
Dear Bro. Julian. I welcome the facility offered
through the "PCO VII Open Forum". Wish
you all the best.
In order to register the impressions and reflections,
we must have the opportunity to be familiar with
the talks, discussions and interventions that take
place on the floor. Today, on the 2nd of March,
I expected to have the content of the introductory
talk of Bro. Minister General. But I did not find
anything. May be that I have to wait further.
- Lawrence Thomas Paruthapara, St. Joseph Province,
Kerala, India. |
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Date |
24/02/04 |
Name |
Blaine Burkey |
E-mail address |
blaineb@slu.edu |
Message |
I thought I'd come here to the PCO Open Forum
just to see what my brothers are thinking, and
get the strange impression that I am the only
one here, or rather the only one who has ever
been here. That makes me both a minor and a major
or maybe just a nothing.
I also get the impression that what I am saying
will probably stay here when I leave, so I will
need to come back to see if anyone knew that I
was here and had anything that they wanted to
say to me.
Finally I am wondering why another letter which
I sent to this very address (julian@ofmcap.org)
last night is not already here. That could have
been a little embarassing -- had I said something
naughty to Jules.
I guess I may have to wait till later, maybe
till March 1 to understand what is going on. Maybe
someone will leave some instructions here telling
anyone else who comes what they might expect to
see here.
"Peace" to anybody to happens to come
this way, and also "All Good"!
Brother Blaine Burkey from CapsOnLineInternational
in St. Louis MO USA
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