Symposium on Spirituality
Rome October 9-14, 2023.
The recent canonization of St. John Baptist Scalabrini has awakened in the Church and society an awareness of the need for a co-responsible commitment to the promotion of integral human development and pastoral care of and with migrants, refugees and their families. As Scalabrinian Missionaries, faithful to the charism and mission received from our holy Founder, we feel the moral duty to do our part and to be a seed for a mentality of fraternity in society.
We wish to deepen our spirituality, to be worthy followers of the Founder through a mission that is true life in the Spirit, the Spirit who can be understood in all languages because he speaks the language of the heart. To help us in this endeavor, we will gather from October 9 to 14, 2023, in an International Symposium, which will take place at the St. Lawrence of Brindisi International College in Rome. The theme will be: “I will come to gather all the nations” (Is. 66:19). It is our desire to deepen in particular the intercultural dimension of our spirituality, which is nourished in the encounter with Christ present in migrants and refugees, and to understand how to express and share it in the church and society.
The participants will be mostly delegates of the Scalabrinian missionaries, with a representation of Scalabrinian missionary sisters, Scalabrinian secular missionaries, and lay people from around the world, for a total of about 70 participants.
Rome, October 9-14, 2023
International College “San Lorenzo da Brindisi”
Cinconvallazione Occidentale n°6850 – (GRA KM 65.050)
C.P. 18382 – 00163 Rome (Italy)
General administration
1. Fr Leonir Chiarello, cs, superior general
2. Fr Giovanni Borin, cs, vicar general
3. Fr Mariano Cisco, cs, general councilor
4. Fr Mario Geremia, cs, general councilor
5. Fr Graziano Battistella, cs, general secretary
General secretariat of religious life
6. Fr Tran Van Thiet, cs, St F. X. Cabrini Province
7. Fr Barley Kiweme, cs, St J. B. Scalabrini Region
8. Fr Maurizio Maifredi, cs, St Charles B. Province.
9. Fr Giovanni Bizzotto, cs, St J. the B. Province
10. Fr Alejandro Cifuentes, cs, O.L.M.M. Region
11. Fr Isaia Birollo, cs, invited speaker
Saint Frances Cabrini Province
12. Fr Ignacio Gutierrez, cs, provincial superior
13. Fr Luciano Toldo, cs, Australia
14. Fr Edwin Corros, cs, Japan
15. Fr Heribertus Mangkur, cs, Indonesia
16. Fr Tran Quoc Bao, cs, Philippines
17. Mr. John Nazareno Calabrese, Australia
18. Ms. Evelyn Samson Rosal, Philippines
Our Lady Mother of the Migrants Region
19. Fr Alexandre Biolchi, cs, regional superior
20. Fr Ildo Griz, cs, regional vicar
21. Fr Alfredo Gonçalves, cs, Brasil
22. Fr Genoir Pieta, cs, Brasil
23. Fr Agenor Sbaraini, cs, Brasil
24. Fr Nguyen Hoach, cs, Brasil
25. Fr Dominikus Ratu, cs, Brasil
26. Fr Carlos Alberto Villar, cs, Argentina
27. Fr Jean Gaby, cs, Chile
28. Fr Alcides Salinas, cs, Paraguay
29. Ms. Katya Johanna Valdés Guralnick, Chile
30. Ms. Lorena Teresa Elina Mirábile, Argentina
31. Ms. Viviane Aparecida da Silva, Brasil
32. Mr. Juliano Cupini, Brasil
Provincia San Giovanni Battista
33. Fr Miguel Alvarez, cs, provincial superior
34. Fr Leandro Fossa, cs, USA
35. Fr Marcos M. Lopez, cs, Canada
36. Fr José Juan Cervantes, cs, Mexico
37. Fr Joe Durante, cs, Mexico
38. Mr Matthew De Carolis, USA
39. Mr Wilson Lemus, Canada
Saint Charles Borromeo Province
40. Fr Horécio Carlos Anklan, cs, provincial superior
41. Fr Jefferson Orlando Bariviera, cs, USA
42. Fr Lino García Ayala, cs, USA
43. Fr Gustot Lucien, cs, Haiti
44. Fr Marcio Toniazzo, cs, USA
45. Ms. Vanessa Russo, USA
46. Ms. Adriana Camacho Sabogal, Colombia
Saint J. B. Scalabrini Region
47. Fr Mauro Lazzarato, cs, regional superior
48. Fr Carlos Caetano Dias, cs, regional vicar
49. Fr Marcos Donato F., cs, Luxembourg
50. Fr Ronan Jotoiot Ayag, cs, Italy
51. Fr John-Anderson Vibert, cs, Switzerland
52. Fr Mario Toffari, cs, Italy
53. Fr Jonas Donassollo, cs, Italy
54. Fr Truong Quang Phu, cs, France
55. Fr Jovannie Postrano, cs, United Kingdom
56. Fr Filippo Ferraro, cs, South Africa
57. Ms. Inês Simões, Portugal
58. Ms. Lucia Funicelli, Italy
59. Mr. Emanuele Selleri, Italy
60. Mr. Calogero Marturana, Switzerland
Missionary Sisters of St Charles Borromeo – Scalabrinians
61. Sr. Ana Paula Ferreira da Rocha, mscs, general councilor – General animator of formation
62. Sr. Giuliana Bosini, mscs, provincial superior, Province of Saint Joseph
63. Sr. Luiza Dal Moro, mscs, provincial superior, Province of Our Lady of Fatima
64. Sr. Analita Candaten, mscs, provincial councilor, Province of O. L. Mother of the Migrants
Scalabrinian Secural Missionaries
65. Regina Widmann, mss, general moderator
66. Agnese Varsalona, mss, Italy (part 1)
Anna Fumagalli, mss, Switzerland (part 2)
67. Mirella Martin, mss, Switzerland
68. Filomena Marro, mss, Italy.
Monday, Oct. 9
- Arrival, registration, settling in
- 6:30 p.m. Liturgy: by the Secretariat (theme: welcoming)
- 20.00 Dinner
- 21.00 Welcome evening
Tuesday, Oct. 10
- 7:30 a.m. Holy Mass
- 9.00 a.m. Greeting by the superior general
- Presentation: What is spirituality? Cristina Simonelli, professor of patristic theology in Verona and Milan
- 11 a.m. Presentation: Diversity, Gift of the Spirit. For an intercultural spirituality Sr. Anna Damas, SSpS, General Direction
- 13.15 Lunch
- 15.30 Encountering other spiritualities
– Ignatian spirituality: Paul Rolphy Pinto, SJ, Pontifical Gregorian University, Institute of Spirituality
– the Xaverian spirituality: Faustino Turco, SX, Postulator - 17.30 Workshop
- 19.00 Liturgy: Province of St. Frances Cabrini (theme: diversity)
- 20.00 Dinner
- 21.00 Presentation of the regions/provinces
Wednesday, Oct. 11
- 7:30 a.m. Holy Mass
- 9:00 How is Scalabrinian spirituality lived out? Lay testimonies
- Australia and Asia: John Calabrese – South America: Katya Johanna Valdés Guralnick – North America: Matthew De Carolis – Europe and Africa: Emanuele Selleri
- 11.00 How is Scalabrinian spirituality lived out?
Testimonies of secular missionary: Agnese Varsalona, mss – Scalabrinian nun: Sr. Ana Paula Ferreira da Rocha, mscs – Scalabrinian missionary: Fr. Isaia Birollo, cs - 1:15 p.m. Lunch
- 15.30 Workshop – sharing of personal testimonies
- 17.30 Plenary session – report on the workshop
- 19.00 Liturgy: Our Lady Mother of Migrants Region (theme: encounter)
- 20.00 Ethnic dinner: Churrasco
Thursday, Oct. 12
- 7:30 a.m. Holy Mass
- 9 a.m. Presentation: Scalabrini’s spiritual legacy – Graziano Battistella, cs.
- 11.00 a.m. Presentation: Development of Scalabrinian spirituality from 1996 to 2023
Australia and Asia: Fr. Edwin Corros, cs – South America: Fr Alfredo Gonçalves, cs – North America: Fr. Miguel Alvarez, cs – Europe and Africa: Fr Mario Toffari, cs - 13.15 Lunch
- 3:30 p.m. Workshop: how to grow and express Scalabrinian spirituality and post-convention initiatives
- 17.30 Plenary session: report on the workshop
- 19,00 Liturgy: Province St. Charles and St. John the Baptist (theme: itinerancy)
- 20.00 Dinner
- 21.00 Performance by ScalaMusic
Friday, Oct. 13
- 7:30 a.m. Holy Mass
- Spiritual retreat – Msgr. Daniele Salera, auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Rome
- 9.00 First meditation
- 11.00 Second meditation
- 12.15 Eucharistic adoration
- 13.15 Lunch
- 3:30 p.m. Workshop: Evaluation: What I expected, what impressed me, what I take away – Suggestions for after the conference
- 4:15 p.m. Plenary session: report on the workshop
- 5.30 p.m. Summary – Graziano Battistella, cs.
- 18.00 Liturgy: St. G. B. Scalabrini Region (theme: universality)
Reflection by Bishop Ambarus Benoni, auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Rome - 20.00 Dinner
Saturday, Oct. 14
- 7 a.m. Closing Mas – Leonir Chiarello, cs, superior general
Departure for audience with the pope, which will be at 10 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. Lunch