Second Intermediate Assembly of The Province of Hispania
The second Intermediate Assembly of Lay Fraternities of the Province of Hispania took place on the first weekend of December, in the House of the Handmaids of Christ the King in Madrid. The meeting was held approximately two years after the Elective Assembly, in which the Provincial Council was elected for a four-year term.
This intermediate assembly provides an opportunity for fraternities to meet with the members of the Provincial Council to express their concerns on various topics and share their plans for community life and formation. For their part, the Council, the president and each delegate presents their reports on the activities carried out during the previous two years.
The presidents and delegates of a good number of the different fraternities of the Province of Hispania were able to attend. On Sunday, they were joined by the Promoter General for the Laity, Brother Cristóbal Torres Iglesias, OP, the Promoter of the Laity of the Province of Hispania, Brother Juan Carlos Cordero, OP, and the Prior Provincial, Brother Jesús Díaz Sariego, OP.
The assembly began on Friday 1 December with the reception and welcoming of the presidents and delegates. Members arrived and settled into their rooms throughout the afternoon and then gathered after dinner in the assembly hall. At that time, each fraternity president or delegate had the opportunity to speak briefly about his fraternity: activities, life in common, number of brothers, etc.
Saturday began with the recitation of Lauds and the Eucharist, for which Br Juan Carlos was the main celebrant. After breakfast, the assembly opened with a presentation by Br Cristóbal, who spoke about the laity in the different regions of the world where the Order is present, using his paintings to further illustrate his ideas. At the end of his talk, those present were able to converse with him and raise questions and concerns. Throughout the assembly, Br Cristobal was very approachable and participated fully in the activities and presentations.
The assembly continued with the presentation of reports, first from the president and then from each of the delegates of the council. The delegate of economy and the delegate of Justice and Peace, were not attend in person due to health reasons, but were able to participate and present their reports via videoconference.
In the afternoon, the participants were divided into different groups to share, discuss and prepare the conclusions to be presented on Sunday morning.
After a short break, the new directory for the laity of the Province of Hispania was reviewed, revised, and updated, replacing the previous directory, which predated the creation of the province. The modifications made to adapt the document to the life of the fraternities and the new province were explained and those present had the opportunity to raise questions and concerns about these modifications. Copies were distributed to all the members of the fraternities. The evening ended with the recitation of Vespers and supper.
Sunday began with the recitation of Lauds. After breakfast, the conclusions of the different groups were presented, giving rise to dialogue, discussion and clarification. The Prior Provincial accompanied the participants throughout the morning. The assembly concluded with the Eucharist presided over by Br Cristóbal and concelebrated by Br Jesús and Br Juan Carlos. After lunch, the participants departed for home.
Originally published on “II ASAMBLEA INTERMEDIA PROVINCIAL 2023”, (2024) https://laicosop.dominicos.org/noticia?idNoticia=3468“
