Rome, June 27, 2006
To: Superiors General, Members of the UISG
From: Sr. Victoria Gz. de Castejón, RSCJ, General Secretary
Subject: 2007 UISG Plenary2007 UISG Assembly of Delegates
Dear Sisters,
Along with Sister Therezinha Rasera’s letter, in which she communicated the theme of our next Plenary, I am sending you some information and a few practical details to help you make your plans and facilitate your preparation time.
As you already know, the Plenary will take place in Rome from May 6th to 10th, 2007 followed by the Assembly from the 11th to the 13th of May. It is my wish and that of the UISG personnel to do everything possible to help you to make this event an authentic celebration of religious life.
Practical Information
It is important to read the following information attentively: in fact, a few new decisions have been made because of standards set by Hotel Ergife, and also to respond to the evaluations of the last Plenary and to the progress made in our means of communication.
I. PLENARY
1. Registration for the Plenary
Every superior general who wishes to participate in the UISG Plenary must fill out and send in the registration form and the accompanying contribution to the UISG, between September 1st 2006 and January 31st 2007.
As the registration form must be processed along with the contribution, registration forms sent in by fax cannot be accepted.
Registrations will be handled on a “first come, first served” basis. I therefore encourage you to register as soon as possible in order to reserve your place.
Once your registration is complete, we will send you an Admission Card. If a certain length of time has passed and you still have not received your admission card, please do not hesitate to contact the UISG Secretariat. It is absolutely necessary to have this card on hand before arriving in Rome; otherwise you will not be able to participate in the Plenary.
2. Opening of the Plenary
The official opening will take place on May 6 in the afternoon. In December 2006 we will send you by e-mail the program, the schedule and other information. Today, I shall limit myself to the essentials.
For the superiors general who are participating in the Plenary for the first time, there will be a meeting with the Executive Committee on the morning of May 6 in order to share on the life of the Union, its mission and its functioning.
The Plenary will end on the evening of May 10.
3. Themes and symbols
In her letter, Sr. Therezinha Rasera, SDS, our President, communicated to you both the theme of the Plenary: “Challenged to weave a new spirituality which generates hope and life for all”, and the five threads (the challenges) that we wish to interweave. We would like each Constellation to bring a piece of cloth that has a symbolic link with one or another of the five challenges. For example, a canvas bearing an Islamic design, or a piece of fabric representing a woman in dire straits and with whom we are working, etc. Nothing artificial, but something very real and which has a connection with the challenges.
We are also asking each participant to bring a small ball of yarn, or a ribbon of about a meter long… that symbolizes one or several of the mentioned challenges. Choose a colour that is meaningful to you. This material will be used on the first day.
4. General Organization
a. Lodging and transportation: It is important to know that each participant must see to finding her own lodging and a means of transportation. If anyone wants information regarding boarding houses (pensione) or rooms for visitors, please send us your request by e-mail.
Sisters who wish to stay at the Ergife Hotel should apply directly to the Hotel to make their own reservation [Tel: (39) 06.66.440; Fax: (39) 06.66.32.689].
Unfortunately, it is impossible for anyone at the UISG to meet you at the airport. There is a good service of white taxis, and a train service from the Airport to the Terminal Station (Stazione Termini). From the train station there are various services possible to reach your lodging place.
b. Meals: In the past, a good number of participants brought a picnic lunch for their meal.
At the last Plenary they had difficulty in finding a place to take their meal and this time it would be even more difficult, because neither the Ergife Hotel nor the Claretianum have available space for this.
In their evaluations, several superiors general had suggested that we study the possibility of having the noonday meal together at the hotel. We thought about it seriously and took the decision to ask the hotel to serve this meal for ALL. In order to meet our expenses, it was necessary to modify certain aspects: The afternoon coffee (at a cost of 20,000 Euros) will be omitted, but not the break itself. Moreover, the Assembly of the Union will take place at the UISG Headquarters and not at the Hotel Ergife.
5. Contribution for Registration to the Plenary
Since the last Plenary, prices have gone up considerably: the cost of things, the translation equipment; and especially the rent for the rooms/halls/premises that have been renovated at Hotel Ergife. This hotel is the only place in Rome that has the available space that we need. Given the rise in costs, we also feel obliged to increase the registration contribution. We count on your comprehension in this regard.
6. Visas
Those who need a letter of invitation to ask for a VISA must send in their registration to the UISG and the request for this letter. The following information is absolutely indispensable: your name and surname (exactly as written in your passport) the place and date of your birth - nationality – your passport number – place of residence in Rome – length of stay.
7. Financial Aid to participate in the Plenary
The participation of superiors general at the Plenary is very important for the life of the Union. Unfortunately, the UISG cannot offer any financial help for travel or for lodging to attend the Plenary. Therefore we are asking the superiors general who cannot participate in the Plenary for financial reasons to please solicit the necessary help from their bishop, from the Episcopal Conference or other appropriate organizations.
8. Financial help for the participation of Delegates to the Assembly:
The Assembly of Delegates of the Union will be held from the 11th to the 13th of May 2007. If your congregation can contribute to the cost of travel for the Delegates of the UISG Constellations, we would be grateful if you could send a check payable to the UISG Administration. Do not forget to specify that the gift is to cover the costs of the Delegates.
9. Web Page
Two new windows have been opened up in our Web page: Plenary 2007 and Assembly 2007. You will find there everything concerning the Plenary and the Assembly, beginning with Sr. Therezinha Rasera’s letter of convocation. We suggest that you open it up occasionally to see if there is news or information regarding the meetings. We also recommend that you communicate the information to the communities that would be interested to follow the preparation process. Following is the web site: www.uisg.org
10. Electronic mail (e-mail)
As far as possible, we shall use e-mail to communicate. If there is anyone who has not already sent us the e-mail address to which she would like to have communications sent to her, or if you have recently changed your email address, please do not forget to send a message to uisgboll@tuttopmi.it
II: ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES: For Delegates only
· Form No. 1 Confirmation of Attendance at the UISG Assembly
Each Delegate must send in to the UISG the Confirmation of Attendance Form by December 1st, 2006. “In the event that the Delegate is unable to attend the Assembly, one of the Substitutes replaces her and has the right to vote,” (UISG Directives VII. Article 10, election of delegates and substitutes, p. 4)
· Form No. 2 Request for Financial Assistance
Please read this form carefully and return it with the above.
· Form No. 3 Questionnaire on the Life of the Constellation
Please complete and return this form by the 1st of December 2006.
Place where the Assembly of Delegates will be held
As it has already been mentioned, the Assembly will not take place at Hotel Ergife, but at the Headquarters of the UISG, 00186 Roma - Piazza di Ponte S. Angelo, 28. It is important for the Delegates to know this so that they can plan for their lodging accordingly.
A word of thanks
Before ending, I would like to thank you in advance for your collaboration during these months of preparation. Thank you also for your constant support of the UISG and for all that you do on behalf of consecrated life and its mission, through service to your own congregations.
Cordially yours,
Sr. Victoria Gz de Castejón, RSCJ
General Secretary
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