Assembly 2007 - Bangalore

Day 7 - 20 November

Day seven began with prayer led by the Sisters from New Zealand.

The task of the Assembly was to continue to work on forming the directions to come from the Assembly. This work was done in the whole group as well as in the smaller groups of Leaders, Justice Contacts and Members.
                       
By the end of the day, significant agreement was reached on the Directions for Mission, the IPA global issue, and the call to commitment to IPA Members, Justice Contacts and IPA Leaders.

In the afternoon we prayed with and for the Sisters from Pakistan who were unable to obtain visas to come to India for the Assembly.

At the end of the day Miriam Martin (Newfoundland) was formally thanked for writing the theme song for the Assembly, a song which she added to as the Assembly progressed. Miriam was also part of the Liturgy group for Assembly rituals.

Sister Aurea Dias (Zambia) was formally thanked for designing and printing the Assembly logo and the Sisters from Ballygriffin were thanked for composing the Assembly prayer.

Sharon Altendorf (Fargo) who completes two terms as the IPA NGO Representative at the United Nations was formally thanked for her committed, capable, and ground breaking work as IPA’s first NGO Representative.

Marlette Black (Queensland) was thanked for the work she has done in her role as IPA Networker.

A cultural program was presented to the participants before dinner. The program was presented by differently abled children.

Reflections by Participants:

Maris Stella Korb, Fargo, USA: “This was the day for decision-making and bringing closure to the business at hand! Thanks to excellent facilitators, the agenda moved far more rapidly than anticipated. This was especially true in the work of the Justice Contacts. The most difficult but necessary task of the Assembly was to identify a specific, concrete, workable goal on which IPA would focus for the next four years. The goal would have to be an issue around which IPA could both rally support and achieve results. Within a maximum of one short hour, approximately twenty Justice Contacts, facilitated by Marlette Black, spelled out a goal that not only won unanimous acceptance by all the participants, but also held promise of total Assembly acceptance! It was truly an amazing moment! From my perspective it was yet another testimony to the attentive listening, careful discerning and concentrated energy that has permeated this Assembly throughout the past week.”

Peta Anne Molloy, Queensland, Australia: “The day began with prayer led by the New Zealand Sisters. Their theme, Women in Full Flight, led us to reflect on the responses women, including Mary, have made to God’s call to reach out to the poor. In the discussion session, I was impressed by the depth of passion and commitment as Sisters expressed a range of opinions. Throughout the day, there was a respectful listening to the different viewpoints. Renee’s gentle facilitation kept us focused, as did her sense of humor. The small writing groups drew together what we had been saying. I was amazed and delighted at how the various statements showed a continuity; the Spirit is here! Our prayer in solidarity with the Pakistan Sisters had an added significance; they are so close in the adjacent country but they were unable to join us.”

Mary Rossiter, Northern Province, Ireland: “Long day. Many words but less than expected. Facilitation gentle yet firm, respecting the flow – the heart of the matter. White cards raised – instruments of communication, respectful of difference. The power of the spirit as her presence is felt in the shifting (changing) so as to make secure the statements put forward setting the way forward together. As a first timer at such an event, I am continuously stretched by the hard work, dedication and commitment of all here. It has been a long day, serious but lots of laughter too. Although tired, physically and mentally, it is a state of Happy Tired as we progress together into Presentation Day.”

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