Go back to the list
1 June 2021

Resources of the 2021 General Assembly

Documentation and tools

PRE-ASSEMBLY

PLENARY 1PLENARY 2 | PLENARY 3 | PLENARY 4

MAY 27 | MAY 28 | MAY 29 | MAY 30

Presentation

Process

Dates

Facilitation Team

 

Documentation and tools

 

MAY 30 (business meeting)

May 30 Prayer

Songs and texts

MAY 29 (plenary 7)

Contributions plenary 6 (PDF)

May 29 Presentation (PDF)

 

May 29 Prayer

Songs and texts

 

MAY 28 (plenary 6)

Plenary 5 Contributions (PDF)

May 28 Presentation (PDF)

Review Exercise (PDF)

 

May 28 Prayer

Songs and texts

 

MAY 27 (plenary 5)

Summary (PDF)

Priorities (PDF)

Affirmations and confirmations (PDF)

May 27 Presentation (PDF)

Exercise to Confirm the Priorities (PDF)

 

May 27 Prayer

Songs and texts

PLENARY 4

Plenary #4 (April 9, 2021)

Fruits of step 3 Mindmap

CRC Presentation (PDF)

Session 4 Presentation (PDF)

Fruits of step 3 (PDF)

Just a few points… (PDF)

Reflection exercice for step 4 (PDF)

 

PLENARY 3

Plenary #3 (March 12, 2021)

Session 3 Presentation (PDF)

Fruits of step 2 (PDF)

Fruits of session 2 (PDF)

Going Deeper (PDF)

Reflection exercice for step 3 (PDF)

 

PLENARY 2

Plenary #2 (February 12, 2021)

Plenary session #2 presentation (PDF)

Fruits of step 1 (PDF)

Reading the Signs of the Times (PDF)

Reflection exercice for step 2 (PDF)

Conference of Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, entitled
“Fratelli Tutti: To See What Really Matters”
(the video starts at 20:57 for the needs of the process)

 

PLENARY 1

Plenary #1 (January 15, 2021)

Reflection on the historical dimension of the CRC
by Anne-Marie Savoie, RHSJ

Reflection on the prophetic dimension of the CRC
by Joyce Murray, CSJ, and Alain Rodrigue, CMM

Reflection on the spiritual dimension of the CRC
by Margo Ritchie, CSJ

Plenary session #1 presentation (PDF)

Spiritual roots of the CRC: A Grace and a Call (PDF)

Prayer sheet for the first step of the process (PDF)

 

PRE-ASSEMBLY

Online Spiritual Conversation (PDF)

Training session for the animation
of spiritual conversation in sub-groups

Online Spiritual Conversation (video below)

Presentation of the Process (PDF)

Presentation

In the context of COVID-19, the 2021 General Assembly of the Canadian Religious Conference took place for the first time in a virtual format on May 27-30, 2021. In order to do so, a process adapted to the exceptional health situation has been proposed to the CRC members and took place over several months from January to May 2021. Monthly meetings (plenary sessions and and subgroups discussion) took place from January to April 2021. The days in May have been the high points of this process.

The chosen theme is:

“A Present Hope: Reading the Signs of the Times”

Process

Context

  • Rapidly evolving situation of religious communities in Canada and in the world
  • New CRC leadership and staff
  • Regional consultations
  • COVID-19 pandemic

Approach

  • Reading the signs of the times —> Revisiting CRC’s spiritual roots —> Expectations expressed in regional consultations
  • Communal discernment process
  • Renewed understanding of identity, mission and priorities for CRC

Objectives

  • Engage membership:
    – in articulating a renewed and shared understanding of CRC’s purpose and mission,

    – in setting priorities for CRC leadership and staff;
  • Strengthen communion and mutual support among members;
  • Strengthen presence and voice of religious life in Canada.

Monthly Sequence (from January to April)

  • Plenary session: Input [Fruits of previous step] and Orientations for next step
  • Personal prayer
  • Spiritual conversation in small groups
  • Fruits of spiritual conversation
  • Compilation of small groups’ contributions by facilitation team

Dates

  • Plenary 1: Friday, January 15, 2021, “Spiritual foundations”
  • Plenary 2: Friday, February 12, 2021, “Reading the signs of the times”
  • Plenary 3: Friday, March 12, 2021, “Going deeper”
  • Plenary 4: Friday, April 9, 2021, “Outcomes of regional consultations”
  • General Assembly: May 27-30, 2021, “Renewed vision and priorities”

Schedule for each of the plenary sessions (after the time change in March)

  • Newfoundland Daylight Time (NDT): from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m.
  • Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT): from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
  • Eastern Daylight Time (EDT): from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  • Central Daylight Time (CDT): from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Mountain Daylight Time (MDT): from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.
  • Pacific Daylight Time (PDT): from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.

Assembly days program at the end of May 2021

 

Thursday, May 27 Friday,
May 28
Saturday, May 29 Sunday, May 30
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT • Prayer

• Restitution of the fruits of step 4

• Priorities identified by the groups

• Presentation of the work to be done in small groups

• Prayer

• Restitution of the groups’ work

• Presentation of the work to be done in small groups

• Prayer

• Restitution of the groups’ work

• Online exchange with all participants

• Prayer

• Business Meeting

• End of the 2021 GA

Between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. EDT • Time for personal prayer

• Conversation in small groups

• Time for personal prayer

• Conversation in small groups

Free afternoon
Before
6:00 p.m. EDT
Submission of the small groups contrbutions to the Facilitation team Submission of the small groups contrbutions to the Facilitation team

Facilitation Team

Sœur Laurence Loubières, XMCJ

Sister Laurence Loubières, XMCJ (lloubieres@jesuits.org)

  • Joined the Xaviere sisters in 1999
  • Background in business and management
  • General councillor since 2017
  • Since 2019, Director of the Service for Discernment in Common (Jesuits in Canada)

Père Gilles Mongeau, SJ

Father Gilles Mongeau, SJ (CANsocius@jesuits.org)

  • Joined the Jesuits in 1985
  • PhD in theology from Regis College (University of Toronto)
  • From 2003 to 2018 taught medieval theology and pastoral ministry at Regis College and at the Facultés Jésuites de Paris (Centre Sèvres)
  • Research on communal discernment
  • Facilitation of several processes including chapters of religious congregations.
  • Spiritual director since 1993
  • Assistant to the Superior of the Jesuits of Canada

About the General Assembly

The CRC’s General Assembly is held every two years. The participants are the members of the CRC. It is an opportunity for the leaders of Catholic religious congregations of women and men religious in Canada to meet and share their experience, to reflect on important issues and to celebrate together. At the end of the Assembly, the members will elect a new Administrative Council for the next two years.