Annual PEC meeting

The annual meeting of PEC (The European Provincials’ Conference) took place in a beautiful retreat house of the Presentation Sisters in central Ireland from 24 to 26 March 2025. It was the beginning of spring, and all around us, the daffodils and spring flowers were in bloom—a hopeful and encouraging sign for this meeting of the older Provinces of the Congregation as we discern together the future that the Lord has in mind for us and our Congregation in Europe. Many of the Provinces are deeply engaged in processes of completion and dying, but even in that reality, there is a strong spirit of hope, trust, mission, and brotherhood.

Although Italy and the Netherlands are no longer provinces but are now communities under the Generalate, their superiors were invited to participate, which was greatly appreciated by everyone and was very important for the work of the meeting. Also in attendance were the Superior General, Fr Absalon Alvarado, the First Councillor, Fr. Chris Chaplin, and the Delegate of the General Administration for Europe, Fr Carl Tranter. We were greatly aided by the presence of two very capable translators: Jaime Rosique MSC and Roland Douchin.

In preparation for the meeting, each Provincial/Superior submitted a brief report on the life, activities, and planning in place in their Province/Community. This was translated and circulated to all participants prior to the meeting, allowing for substantial time for more personal sharing from each member during the opening sessions.

Much of the meeting was spent reviewing the project’s development to create an MSC Union for Europe. Carl Tranter reported on his visits and discussions with the leadership and members of each of the eight European provinces over the previous six months. Initially, four former Provinces will be the first to enter the Union when it is erected next year: Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Other Provinces in Europe will be able to join the Union later, at a time that is right for each one, if they so choose. There was discussion about the way the Union will be structured, and Carl explained plans to work over the coming months on developing a vision for the Union and drafting a first set of Union Statutes. These plans will be presented to the General Conference in September.

During the rest of the meeting, time was devoted to reviewing the various mission projects of other entities of the Congregation in Europe, as well as the highly valued presence of many MSC from the entire Congregation who are on mission or studying in Europe. Chris Chaplin led a time of reflection on how PEC will eventually become the Territorial Body of Europe, as envisaged in our revised Constitutions. And the meeting reviewed preparations for a gathering of the younger MSCs living and working in Europe, which will take place in Issoudun in June.

At the end of the meeting, Carl Tranter was elected as the Chair of PEC for the next two years, and André Claessens was elected as Secretary. Next year’s meeting will take place in Salzburg, Austria, in March 2026.

In his words of encouragement to the meeting, Fr Absalon invited an alternative reading of the acronym PEC:
“The P of Potentiality, of life potential. In our Congregation in Europe, I see a lot of life potential. Even in a moment where, for many, this is the end of a way of MSC life, you remain a source of life. And I don’t say this to please you nor because you are an economic power, but because, amid the processes we are living through in Europe, we will be called to live with freedom, and that will happen because there is LIFE.
The E of Enthusiasm. I deeply admire you, the leaders of Europe, because, coming from other parts of the world with equally urgent challenges, you have to be very enthusiastic to lead groups of older brothers and small spaces of mission, as we used to understand it. But just the fact of coming and continuing to be friends, of continuing to search together, is enthusiasm for me.
The C of Creativity. This historic moment for PEC definitely requires a transformation in our creative capacity. Without creativity, we can achieve very little.

And I see these three meanings of Life Potential, Enthusiasm, and Creativity in very concrete actions.

I thank you sincerely for being who you are, for continuing to be signs of MSC life.”

On the final day of the meeting, Fr. Joe McGee (Irish Provincial) arranged for the participants to visit a Celtic spirituality centre run by the Sisters of St. Brigid in St Brigid’s native town of Kildare. This centre serves as a crossroads for inter-religious dialogue, offering an awareness of the cosmic and ecological dimensions inspired by St. Brigid of Ireland. It was an inspiring, refreshing and encouraging way to end our days together.

Carl Tranter, MSC (England)