As scheduled in the programme for the Sexennium, the Order’s Assembly of Major Superiors convened in Rome, at the General Curia, on 23-27 October, 2017.

The Assembly was attended by all the Provincial Superiors, the Vice-Provincial and the General Delegate and was inaugurated by a celebration of the Eucharist.

In his opening address, the Superior General touched on various important matters of relevance to the Order’s future, mainly focusing on the Sexennium theme, “Living hospitality hopefully and boldly”, and recalled that the Assembly was being asked to address the sub-theme “The Hospitaller Family of St John of God”. He emphasised the valuable experiences of the Canonical Visitations conducted this year to the Order’s Provinces, as “a very special moment for the General Government to get a first-hand understanding “in the field”, and a very special opportunity for the Provinces to share, evaluate and plan their livesfe, with the help of the General Government… I do not know whether we succeeded in transmitting hope and boldness, and whether we have all been  capable of growing in hope and fostering boldness in the lives of the Provinces. I believe we have. But we must we must continually to live our consecration hopefully and continue to show boldness and courage in the mission and never allow anything to paralyse us”

On the subject of the Hospitaller Family, he emphasised the fact that “in recent years, the issue of charismatic families has become one of the most important topics even in the theology of consecrated life. Practically all the Institutes of Consecrated Life are working on it and some Congregations have even gathered together to jointly set up reflection groups to address the whole issue of charismatic families”.

The first three days concentrated reflections on charismatic families, led by three external facilitators, and shared the experiences of Provinces of Korea and Andalusia.

The last two days were spent in regional groups and exchanging information on the work carried out by the general commissions, the 2019 General Chapter Preparatory Commission, and the work at the General Curia during the year.