The Provincial Chapter of Vienna-Munich met in Gars am Inn, Germany, on April 28-29. Eleven members of the Chapter attended the meeting.
It is customary for the Provincial Chapter of the Vienna–Munich Province to gather for its annual session during the second week after Easter. This year, the session was originally scheduled to take place from Monday to Wednesday (April 28–30). However, due to intensive work, the Chapter was able to conclude by Tuesday evening. The session was held in the community of Gars, offering ample opportunity to meet with the confreres of the Province’s largest community.
This year’s Chapter could also be seen as a “Jubilee Chapter,” marking exactly ten years since the Provinces of Vienna and Munich—already united in a federation at the time—formally became a single Province. In his report to the Chapter members, the Provincial highlighted this milestone and affirmed that it had been a wise decision. At the same time, he noted that experience has shown it takes about ten years for a province to evolve from a shared structure into a genuine community.
The path to the future must always be taken anew. It allows no stopping, and certainly no turning back. As our Congregation undergoes a global restructuring process, one of the key issues addressed during the Chapter was once again the potential merger with other provinces. The Chapter members reviewed and unanimously approved the final version of the Federation Agreement between the Provinces of Dublin, London, St. Clement, and Vienna–Munich. Additionally, Father Anton Wölfl was elected to the Federation Council. Alongside the Provincial, he will represent the Province at this level.
The Chapter’s other deliberations were likewise future-oriented, including discussions on economic matters. Members also addressed aspects of community life as well as pastoral and missionary activities. Father Provincial recalled Pope Francis and his courageous call for renewal. He emphasized four principles the Pope outlined in his first major publication, Evangelii Gaudium (November 2013): time is greater than space, unity prevails over conflict, reality is more important than ideas, and the whole is greater than the part. These principles, the Provincial concluded, must also be implemented within the Province.
Fr. Martin Leitgöb, CSsR.
