One of the joys of the Assembly of Provincials in Korea was witnessing the strong union between the European provincials – the fruit of a common journey begun more than ten years ago. Over these years the European members of the European provinces have sought and found a variety of ways to go beyond the differences of language and mentality, to continue to allay the fears and heal the wounds of their political histories, to weave and strengthen relationships. Here is a sampling of initiatives that have been undertaken:

• three European Forums (on Education, Migrants and Youth);
• a variety of formation meetings (novices, young professed, recently professed, directors of novices, of young professed;
• three sessions on Reconciliation;
• joint vacations;
• joint apostolic projects;
• attendance at Assemblies of other provinces;
• shared communications;
• regular meetings of provicial councils (ESS and ESN, IRS and ENW, BNL, FRA and ITA, OSU and DES);
• meetings of those responsible for communities of the elderly:
• and, since 2002, twice yearly meetings of provincials.

At a time when most international congregations with provinces in Europe are talking about “restructuring” due to the aging of their provinces and fewness of new vocations, what has been striking about our own “European process” is that the focus has been more “outward” than “inward”, a search for how to respond to the current and evolving reality of Europe of which we are a part, and which bears the seeds of new life: e.g. the thirst for God in a secularized society; the reality of immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers; the commitment to further just relationships between North and South…

Within this overall “European process” which involves eleven provinces and fifteen countries, the provinces of Germany-Sweden and Austria-Hungary have been moving explicitly toward the formation of a new structure: the creation of a new province. It is significant that they do not speak of a simple merger of provinces. Rather, in the spirit of the theme of their second joint Assembly in June 2003, “Building Life Together”, they are looking at something new. It will be called the “Central European Province” (CEU) and the present plan is for it to begin in October 2004. A planning committee of members representing all four countries is currently working on the structures. (One interesting phenomenon has been the presence of Hanni Woitsch (OSU) on the DES provincial council during Ilsemarie Weiffen’s second mandate – another “organic” interim way of weaving the two provinces together.)

Given the “moment” of the two provinces, it seemed a good idea to visit them both “back to back” and so, in November 2003, I visited Germany-Sweden with its “link” Jane Maltby, and Austria-Hungary with its “link”, Son In Sook. Between the two visits the two provincial councils met together as they have been doing since January 2003, and we all had a session together with a lay consultant, Dr. Franz Frese, who has been accompanying the process. After the visit the three of us wrote a joint letter to both provinces, another small gesture symbolizing the reality that is coming into being.

Since the visits came just after the Assembly of Provincials in Korea, one of the most frequently asked questions in our conversations with communities was “What did you mean in Korea by “flexible, feminine structures”? We “tossed” the question back to them, and, quite easily and naturally the following characteristics were suggested: more horizontal than vertical, based on relationships, life-giving (each one able to grow at her own pace in her own space), creative, sensitive, inclusive, persevering, enabling a balance between feeling and intellect, fostering harmony, intuitive, sharing, able to wait, able to deal with pain, discerning, convinced that the way of communicating is more important than the content, desiring to persuade rather than to dictate, ecologically sensitive, patient with process, allowing space for story telling.

We returned to Rome, impressed by the long, careful process of these two provinces, soon to come to fruition. There is a willingness to risk something new, to pay the price of letting go of the familiar to embrace an unknown future – together. “Trusting in the fidelity of God and the love of their sisters” – all of us – they count on our prayer!

Clare Pratt, rscj