Rome, Italy, Aug 26, 2009 / 22:13 pm
At the conclusion of their General Chapter in Rome this week, the Claretian Missionaries re-elected Father Jose Maria Abella as their superior general. He will serve another term until 2015.
Father Abella has spent the last 18 years serving the congregation at its international headquarters and has been Superior General since September 1, 2003.
Before their General Chapter, the Claretians went on retreat with Cardinal Franc Rode, prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, who celebrated Mass for them.
In his homily, the cardinal recognized “the esteemed and precious apostolic work that the Claretian missionaries offer to the Church,” including their work in the “formation of future workers of the Gospel, whether in parishes or in the missions.”
He also called on the Claretians to seek a deeper personal experience of God, united with the Church and her pastors. This experience is necessary for anyone in evangelization and is need to confront the challenges of the evangelization of the culture, which is characterized by a relativism that “denies the heart the capability of recognizing the truth,” he said.