MSC General Leadership Team’s letter: Convocation to the 2027 MSC General Conference

Madrid, 12-26 September 2027

DUC IN ALTUM
Can you not see, I am doing something new?

With joy and hope, I write to you with this first communication about our 2027 MSC General Conference, which will bring us together in Madrid from 12 to 26 September 2027.

There is still more than a year before we meet, but in some way the Conference has already begun. It begins as we prepare our hearts, as we listen to what is happening in our world and in our Congregation, and as we allow ourselves to ask what the Spirit may be inviting us to see, to leave behind, and to embrace.

Our theme expresses this journey strongly:

DUC IN ALTUM

Can you not see, I am doing something new?

These words DUC IN ALTUM (Put out into the deep) invite us not simply to organise another General Conference, but to go deeper: deeper into the challenging realities of our world, deeper into our relationship with Jesus and with one another, deeper into how to live our charism and mission today, and deeper into the realities of our Congregation.

At the same time, the words of lsaiah, “Can you not see, I am doing something new?” invite us to recognise that God is already at work. Something new is already emerging among us, perhaps quietly, perhaps in places or ways we have not yet fully recognised.

In this spirit I invite you to begin preparing for our gathering.

The Conference will bring together the MSC Provincial and Union Superiors, the members of the General Leadership Team, the Secretary General, the General Bursar, and invited guests.

We will gather at Casa S. Rafaela Maria, Paseo del General Martinez Campos 12, 28010 Madrid, Spain.

The Conference will take place from Sunday, 12 September until Sunday, 26 September 2027.

We ask all participants to arrive no later than Sunday, 12 September, and depart after Sunday, 26 September. Those who wish to arrive earlier or stay in Madrid for a few additional days are asked to contact the Host team in Spain in advance so that accommodation can be arranged.

Preparing our Journey

For some confreres, traveling to Spain will require a visa. If this applies to you, please contact the Host Team in Spain well in advance so that they can assist with the necessary documentation.

We recommend that every participant have an invitation letter, including those who do not require a visa. We therefore ask everyone to send a scanned copy of their passport to both the General Secretary in Rome and the Host Team in Spain. Once your travel arrangements have been confirmed, please send a copy of your ticket to both teams. This will help us to accompany the practical preparations smoothly and to welcome everyone.

September is normally a very pleasant time in Madrid, with warm and mostly sunny days and cooler mornings and evenings. Daytime temperatures are generally around 24 °C to 29°C (75°F-84°F), while mornings and evenings may be around 12°C to 17°C (54°F-63°F). Some rain is possible, particularly later in the month. Light clothing will be suitable during the day, but please bring a light jacket or sweater for the mornings and evenings, as well as a small umbrella or light rain jacket.

I am grateful to Carl Tranter MSC and Gene Pejo MSC, members of the General Leadership Team, who will accompany the overall preparation of the Conference.

In Spain, our Host Team will include William Mendez MSC, Javier Trapero, Antonio Delgado, Jaime Rosique MSC, Gianluca Pitzolu MSC and Joelin Rodriguez MSC. I thank them for their willingness.

For practical matters in Spain, the key contact will be:

William Mendez MSC
WhatsApp: +34 622 12 87 30
Email: wymsc@hotmail.com

At the General House, contact Carl Tranter.

More information will come as our preparation develops. For now, however, I invite each of you not only to put these dates in your calendars, but also to begin carrying this Conference in our hearts.

A General Conference is more than an event in the life of the Congregation. It is an opportunity to listen together: to one another, to the life of our brothers and our entities, to the cries and hopes of the people whom we serve, and ultimately to the Spirit who continues to lead us.

Duc in Altum

Let us have the courage to move away from the familiar shore, to go into deeper waters together, and to trust that the Lord is already doing something new among us. Can we see it?

With my fraternal affection and gratitude to each of you, in the Heart of Jesus,

Fr. Mario Abzalon Alvarado Tovar MSC
Superior General