Anne
van Nuffel (Belgium) |
Group
outside Luxembourg Cathedral |
Anne-Marie
Verstraeten and Rozemarijn Vanwijnsberghe (Belgium) |
Beatrice
Chevelle (France) and Catherine Chevalier (Belgium) |
Eric van Nuffel (Belgium) and Carmel Micallef (England) |
Marco Hoffman (Caritas Luxembourg) |
Discussion group |
LUXEMBOURG (March 15th, 2010).- Solidarity was the theme that brought together
T.A. members and many others from the T.A. Movement from France, Belgium,
Luxembourg, England, Ireland and Germany the weekend of 5th to 7th March for
their yearly European meeting, which this year, for the first time, took
place in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
On Saturday, Monsieur Alain Mondésir and Monsieur Marco Hoffman
guided them in a reflection.
The former spoke about “God’s Dream for His Creation”.
Using the model of the Incarnation, he emphasised that “belief in
the Incarnation commits us to purify the way we look at the world and
to discern the presence of the Spirit in creation. In each woman, in each
man, in all cultures”. He said that in the name of this universal
presence of the Spirit “we are duty bound to protect the environment,
to respect human beings and to appreciate the richness of each culture.”
Marco Hoffman gave the group an overview of poverty in Europe and the
different criteria used to measure it, and described some of the projects
initiated by Caritas Luxembourg to promote greater justice.
On Sunday, Catherine Chevalier spoke about Pedro Poveda and how he envisaged
his action. She explained how the “social regeneration” or
“renewal of the world ” he was aiming at had as a priority
a religious and moral content: the transformation of society anchored
in the values of the Gospel, but also with a material content.
Juani Romera followed this topic by giving a summary of how the Church
and the Teresian Association has defined and lived solidarity since the
second Vatican Council.
Looking at the Latin American Episcopal conferences of Medellin and Puebla,
Church synods and T.A. general assemblies and congresses, she traced the
development of this concept in statements of intent and in concrete gestures
like the establishment of a social fund and the formalisation of Solidarity
Days.
As well as receiving valuable input and reflecting on the challenges that
the theme of solidarity presents, the participant also had time to inform
each other about what has been done since the previous meeting. They also
shared times of prayer, visited the city of Luxembourg, and relaxed together
in a convivial atmosphere.
Clodagh Kinsella attended the meeting with a group from Ireland and was
very impressed by the “bond which has formed between the members
of the different countries. People were constantly seeking out old acquaintances”,
she said.
“It was like Babel, listening to all the languages which were expertly
translated when necessary”, she added.
For her, this T.A. European meeting “has become a very important
annual event” and makes her go home eager to “to start another
group in Dublin”.
All left at the end with a very full weekend, with the promise to meet
again next year in Paris.
Text: JENIFER CUMMINGS
Photos: Carmel Micallef and Jenifer Cummings
