On the Congregation Level:

Formation Commission

Jacek Pawłowski, MS

Jojohn Chettiyakunnel, MS

Celestino Muhatili, MS (Angola)

Diego Armando Diaz, MS (Argentina)

Tiago Costa da Silva, MS (Brasil)

Leonard Tovondrainy, MS (France)

Jojo Kachappilly, MS (India) 

Heliodoro Santiago Bernardos, MS (Italia)

Gérard Ramaroson, MS (Madagascar)

Patrick Kyaw Lin, MS (Myanmar)

Edward Brown, MS (North America)

Eugene Andaya, MS (Philippines)

Marcin Ciunel, MS (Polska)

 

Finance Commission

Andrzej Zontek, MS

Jacek Pawłowski, MS

Jojohn Chettiyakunnel, MS

Francisco Muca, MS (Angola)

Dominique Mabboux, MS (France)

Bernard Baris, MS (North America)

Elmer Galiza, MS (Philippines)

 

Commission Justitia et Pax

Manuel dos Reis Bonfim, MS

Venâncio Nunda, MS

Edegard Silva Junior, MS (Brasile/Mozambique)

Stanisław Rogala, MS (Italia)

Robert F. Ippolito, MS (North America)

 

Theological Commission

Jacek Pawłowski, MS

Jojohn Chettiyakunnel, MS

Eusébio Kangupe, MS (Angola)

Biju Abraham, MS (India)

Flavio Gilio, MS (North America)

Karol Porczak, MS (Polska)

1-  1858-1865 R.P. Pierre Archier            
 2 - 1865-1876 R.P. Sylvain-Marie Giraud
 3  - 1876-1891 R.P. Pierre Archier
4 - 1891-1897 R.P. Auguste Chapuy
5 - 1897-1913 R.P. Joseph Perrin
6 - 1913-1926 R.P. Pierre Pajot
7 - 1926-1932 R.P. Célestin Crozet
8 - 1932-1945 R.P. Etienne-Xavier Cruveiller
9 - 1946-1958 R.P. Joseph Imhof
10 - 1958-1964 R.P. Joseph Alphonse Dutil
11  1964-1970 R.P. Conrad Blanchet
12  1970-1976 R.P. Emil Truffer
13  1976-1982 R.P. Lionel R. LeMay
14  1982-1988 R.P. Eugene G. Barrette
15  1988-1994 R.P. Ernest J. Corriveau
16  1994-2006 R.P. Isidro Augusto Perin
17  2006-2012 R.P. Dennis J. Loomis

S.N.D.S.
Founding date: 1965-12-06 
Spiritual family: MARIALE
Priority commitment: At the request of the diocese
Number of communities in France: 20
Total staff: 250 sisters
Mission: Apostolic Congregation

Coordinates of the Generalate:
Sisters of Our Lady of La Salette
House Notre Dame Le Bourg
15600 Quezac
FRANCE 
04 71 62 28 15


Marie appears to two children Maximin and Mélanie, on September 19th, 1846 in the Mountains of Salette.

A few years later, in 1861, Miss Deluy Fabry, comes on pilgrimage to Notre-Dame of Salette. She leaves Salette with the intuition to have to establish a religious Congregation being inspired by the apparition. She confides then in Mgr. Ginoulhiac, Bishop of Grenoble. September 17th, 1871, the Congregation of the Nuns of Notre-Dame of Salette is born. Very fast, it will more be known under the name of the "religieuses réparatrices" of Our Lady of la Salette.
On February 2nd, 1930, in the diocese of Soissons, on the initiative of P. Crozet, Superior General of Missionaries of la Salette, is born the congregation of the Sisters Missionaries of Our Lady of la Salette.

The spirituality and the Constitutions of these two congregations leaned on the Message of Our Lady of la Salette.
A will of union of the salettine "family" begins to germinate. Discussions and notices are shared from 1955. A first spark had shone from 1944 but it was maybe little early. It is only after 1955 that the correspondences become regular and that the project of union becomes concret.

In 1959, the general councils of both congregations meet to think about the union. The Missionaries of Our Lady of la Salette are going to play an important role in this progress. A workgroup consisted of two sisters of each of the congregations is set up to prepare temporary statutes. In 1961, the file of request of the union is sent to Rome. On January 20th, 1962, the Sacred Congregation of Religious authorized both Congregations to unite in only one under the title of: "Sisters of Our Lady of la Salette ". During February 1962, every Congregation gathered in chapter. This chapter aims at electing the temporary General Council of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of la Salette.

March 25th, 1962: the union of both Congregations is officially realized. Every house receives, from his Eminence Bishop Fougerat, a circular indicating the Sisters elected for the Provisional Government.
The union becomes effective following a new decree of the Holy See, on December 6th, 1965.

The first chapter of the Congregation takes place in 1968. Four special chapters will allow the elaboration of Constitutions in 1968, 1969 and in 1980 and on 1981. Constitutions are approved by Bishop Matagrin, Bishop of Grenoble, one May 17th, 1986.
In 1997, in Angola, a community of the Sisters Messengers of Our Lady of la Salette is recognized by Bishop of Benguela. They merge with the La Salette Sisters in 2004.
A fusion with religious Jésus Rédempteur and Marie Médiatrice finalized in April, 2013.

According to our Constitutions :
Sisters of Our Lady of la Salette:
A life given "The spirit of Reconciliation, as the Sisters discern it in the gesture and words of Mary in Her apparition is expressed by a life of prayer, sacrifice and apostolate".
A Life of prayer
A life in fraternal community
A life of service
A life with international dimension "As the Father sent me, I too, send you" (Jn 20, 2). "I am the servant of the Lord, may I am made according to your word" (Lc 1, 38).
"The grace of La Salette sensitizes the Sisters to the call of Christ, who case to announce the Good News to the poor. They want to pass on the call to conversion launched by Mary for the sake of "Her people": "If they are converted" and to respond to Her request: "Well, my children, make it known to ail My people." (Constitutions 36)

"Meditation on the gestures and words of Mary in Her apparition guides the Sisters in the choice of their apostolic activities and enables them to grasp more fully the spirit in which they are to be carried out". (Constitutions 38)

"In the spirit of Reconciliation, which is the grace of La Salette, the Sisters engage in every form of the apostolate that is apt to promote the development of the human person through respect for his dignity and liberty. In the milieus where they are sent, they strive to build peace and unity through justice and charity". (Constitutions 40)

"The spirit of Reconciliation, as the Sisters discern it in the gesture and words of Mary in Her apparition is expressed by a life of prayer, sacrifice and apostolate. Their prayer is joined with that of Mary who, in heaven, through Her constant intercession, never ceases to obtain for "Her People" the graves of salvation.
Their sacrifice is realized in their self-offering to God, renewed each moment through their acceptance of the Father's will, which leads them, along with Mary, to share in the redemptive life of Christ and His sacrifice on the Cross.
Their apostolate is marked by the very love that makes the Blessed Virgin Mary attentive to the needs of Her children. This love fills their hearts with an active concern for the poor, the underprivileged and all who are in distress. By their whole life, the Sisters want to be witnesses to Christ's call to Reconciliation and conversion". (Constitutions 7)

A community life rooted in prayer, a spirit of reconciliation, an effort of apostolate - such are the characteristics of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of la Salette.

Presence in the world:
Today, La Salette Sisters are more or less 250 in 11 countries: France, Brazil, Madagascar, Philippines, USA, Poland, Angola, Myanmar, Italy, Canada, Algeria.
They answer to the call of Christ in a life of community, prayer, gift, active presence with those who are needy. By all their life, they aim to be witnesses of the call of Christ to the reconciliation and the conversion.

Mission as Action in Hope: A Theological Reflection on our Commitment to the Promotion of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) in our World Today

P. Michael McCabe, SMA  

P. Michael McCabe served as a member of the General Council of the Society of African Missions, SMA, from 1989 – 1995 and from 2001 – 2006. He was President of the Executive Committee of the Africa/Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN) from 2002-2004. He is the author of several articles in the areas of Mission Theology, Interreligious-Dialogue and JPIC commitment. He is currently teaching courses in Mission Theology at Tangaza College, Nairobi, and resides at SMA House of Studies, Nairobi.

Rencontre Européenne de Jeunes Salettines, La Salette,  21 - 28 Juillet 2013
Incontro europeo dei giovani delle parrocchie salettine,  La Salette, 21-28 luglio 2013
Europejskie Spotkanie Młodzieży Saletyńskiej, La Salette,  21 do 28 lipca 2013
European Youth Meeting from La Salette parishes,   21 to 28 July 2013

On Saturday, July 13th, in the shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Dębowiec ended 26 International La Salette Youth Meeting.
The meeting gathered more than 2650 participants from Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. For six days under the slogan "Credible and hungry of faith" youth looked for answers to questions concerning with faith and Christian life in the modern world.
Each day young people participated in the Eucharist, they prayed together, listened to invited christian speakers and played with the christian rock bands.
Last but the most important accent of the meeting was the Eucharist, presided by the Fr. Roman Grądalski, M.S. who is custodian of the shrine in Dębowiec. In homily he urged the youth to wipe the tears of Our Lady of La Salette by good life and conversion. He also talked about the miracles who taking place in the sanctuary of Dębowiec.
The responsable for the meeting were Fr. Maciej Kucharzyk, M.S., Fr. Piotr Szweda, M.S. and Fr. Wieslaw Węgrzyn M.S.
Meetings in Dębowiec are very important elements of the pastoral work of La Salette Fathers with young people. Many young people started a new life with God after these meetings. Some of them discovered his vocation to married life, priesthood or religious life just in Dębowiec.
(gz)

(from RECONCILIATION AND PENANCE for reflection)

2. These divisions are seen in the relationships between individuals and groups, and also at the level of larger groups: nations against nations and blocs of opposing countries in a headlong quest for domination. At the root of this alienation it is not hard to discern conflicts which, instead of being resolved through dialogue, grow more acute in confrontation and opposition.
Careful observers, studying the elements that cause division, discover reasons of the most widely differing kinds: from the growing disproportion between groups, social classes and-countries, to ideological rivalries that are far from dead; from the opposition between economic interests to political polarization; from tribal differences to discrimination for social and religious reasons. Moreover, certain facts that are obvious to all constitute as it were the pitiful face of the division of which they are the fruit and demonstrate its seriousness in an inescapably concrete way. Among the many other painful social phenomena of our times one can noted.
• The trampling upon the basic rights of the human person, the first of these being the right to life and to a worthy quality of life, which is all the more scandalous in that it coexists with a rhetoric never before known on these same rights.
• Hidden attacks and pressures against the freedom of individuals and groups, not excluding the freedom which is most offended against and threatened: the freedom to have, profess and practice one's own faith.
• The various forms of discrimination: racial, cultural, religious, etc.
• Violence and terrorism.
• The use of torture and unjust and unlawful methods of repression.
• The stockpiling of conventional or atomic weapons, the arms race with the spending on military purposes of sums which could be used to alleviate the undeserved misery of peoples that are socially and economically depressed.
• An unfair distribution of the world's resources and of the assets of civilization, which reaches its highest point in a type of social organization whereby the distance between the human conditions of the rich and the poor becomes ever greater.(2) The overwhelming power of this division makes the world in which we live a world shattered(3) to its very foundations.
Moreover, the church-without identifying herself with the world or being of the world-is in the world and is engaged in dialogue with the world.(4) It is therefore not surprising if one notices in the structure of the church herself repercussions and signs of the division affecting human society. Over and above the divisions between the Christian communions that have afflicted her for centuries, the church today is experiencing within herself sporadic divisions among her own members, divisions caused by differing views or options in the doctrinal and pastoral field.(5) These divisions too can at times seem incurable.
However disturbing these divisions may seem at first sight, it is only by a careful examination that one can detect their root: It is to be found in a wound in man's inmost self. In the light of faith we call it sin: beginning with original sin, which all of us bear from birth as an inheritance from our first parents, to the sin which each one of us commits when we abuse our own freedom.