Saturday and Sunday were enjoyable days. The Dutch and Belgian participants went home and the other chapter members were also looking forward to two days of rest. They had time for each other, time for mutual consultations, time to visit the sisters in Tilburg and time to for a quick stroll around Den Bosch.

On Sunday evening everyone had returned for dinner. Well rested we started our second week.

On Monday morning the sisters from the Philippines started the meeting with a short celebration, alternating prayers and music. Consequently we looked back at the past week and then we completed the discussion about structure. The congregation is shrinking and the need to adjust the structure accordingly is getting ever more pressing. For the time being no changes will be made and the new general council will consider if there are any possibilities to address that need.

The chapter concludes that working visits will need to take place again in the next term of office just like this was the case in the previous term of office. Together with the local councils the purpose of the working visits and the topics for discussion will be decided. The working visits provide valuable moments to be in touch with sisters in all parts of the congregation.

During the past term of office the formation programme provided an opportunity to sisters to come to the Netherlands in order to follow in the footsteps of Vincent de Paul in France as part of the preparation for their final vows. Not all professed sisters have had the opportunity to undertake the Vincentian pilgrimage. The chapter believes that the Vincentian pilgrimage should also take place in the future as part of the preparation of the final vows. There is a group of professed sisters who would also like to be given this opportunity. Because the purpose of this pilgrimage is the deepening of the Vincentian spirituality, it might be possible to also include associates and companions.

Listening to the Sermon on the Mount at the end of the day, we are called upon to open our spirit and to clear our minds in order to truly discern what is valuable, to understand our fellow sisters and most of all to open our minds to the Holy Spirit.