The Permanent Commission for the Promotion of Study met in Rome from Wednesday, 06 December until Friday, 08 December, 2013. As part of its broad mandate, the Commission assists and advises the Master of the Order on matters that touch the intellectual life and the preaching mission of the Order.
Among these are the tasks that the Chapters of Rome and Trogir have given to it. These include the revision of the Ratio Studiorum Generalis and the preparation of joint meetings of Provincials and Regents in each region of the Order before 2016 to promote regional collaboration among our centers of study.
Significant work was done on the Ratio and a text should be available for further study by Provincials and Regents within the next six months. Planning has also started on the regional meetings of Provincials and Regents, which will begin to take place in 2015. In addition, the Commission is developing a database of professors in the Order who are currently teaching.
Members of the Commission include the five regional Coordinators of Regents;
fr. Emmanuel Durand Province of France (Europe),
fr. Bryan Kromholtz – Province of the Most Holy Name, USA (North America),
fr. Romulo “Roy” Rodriguez Province of the Philippines (Asia-Pacific),
fr. Luis Javier Rubio Guerrero Province of Mexico (Latin America and the Caribbean), and
fr. Gilles Soglo Vice Province of West Africa (Africa).
In addition, there are three brothers who have been appointed directly by the Master of the Order;
fr. Michal Paluch (Poland),
fr. Jorge Scampini (Argentina) and
fr. Benot-Dominique de La Soujeole (Toulouse), who also represents the institutions under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master.
fr. Michael Mascari, the Socius for Studies, serves as the President of the Commission.
fr Michael Mascari, OP
(17 December 2013)