The CMM Mission

On Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 November, the General Chapter focussed on the mission of CMM. Under the guidance of Mr. Alfred Maussen, advisor on strategic management, and study secretary Mr. Charles van Leeuwen, the chapter members discussed about their ‘reason to exist’ and the specific charism of CMM  in a number of sessions.

Mission statement

In the Congregation there is a need for a clear mission statement that all brothers can identify with, and at the same time it should offer sufficient freedom to the provinces, regions and communities to use it in local circumstances to come to concrete policies. Starting point for these discussions was the input that was already given by chapter members to the preparatory committee, in the period leading up to the Chapter. And of course, also the CMM Constitutions play a major role in finding the right words. At the end of these sessions, a small team of brothers was formed, who will formulate a mission-statement in which the key words of the sharing and discussions recur. Their findings will be brought to the general chapter in the coming week. The mission-statement will function as a reference point in the discussions about other subjects on the agenda.

Presentations

On Thursday 11 and Friday 12 November, representants of provinces and regions and also the general board gave presentations about the state of affairs in their area. They were asked to make an analysis of opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses for their province or region. This provided a clear picture of the situation as it is now, and it offers opportunities to make realistic and constructive policies towards the future. The Chapter members came with critical questions and constructive comments, and the discussions were fruitful. This also indicates that the atmosphere is open and that the participants feel free to express their questions or their point of view.

On the agenda for Saturday 13 November was the presentation of the financial report of the General Board, for the period 2014-2020. In this session, members of the Financial Economic Committee and the financial administrator were also present, to answer questions and give some input.

The chapter members can look back on a fruitful first week of this general chapter of 2021.