The General Council has given the GSM a mandate to carry out an assessment of the state of the specific pastorals of the Institute, according to the continental priorities. In the letter on the mission (1.5.2025), they write:
“we mandate the General Secretariat of the Mission to carry out a study to document what is the reality of the specific pastorals on the ground. We need to know, both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view, the situation of our commitments as an Institute on the front of these specific pastorals, and then go even further, through shared paths of research and reflection“.
There is a need to map these ministries, which are the priorities at the continental level (AC 2015, 45.3; AC 2009, 62-63; AC 2003, 43.50) taking into consideration specific human groups, to document the state of the ministry, identify strengths and weaknesses, and initiate requalification paths, as required by the mandate given by the Chapter (CA 2022, 31).
The role of the Continents
As these are continental priorities, the research is led at the level of the continental mission council. The mandate suggested by the GSM includes:
- Decide with which priority to begin the research: each continent will work one pastoral with a specific human group at a time. Once the research on a specific pastoral has been completed, we will move on to the next. We will conduct the research on one specific pastoral at a time until we conclude the research on the different specific pastorals following the list of continental priorities.
- Appoint a working group to do the research: here criteria such as involvement in specific pastoral care, representation of circumscriptions, experts in the field, etc., can be taken into consideration.
- To animate the superiors and secretaries of the mission of the circumscription so that they accompany the research in their respective provinces.
The continental research groups will take care of:
- Plan the research.
- Involve mission secretaries.
- Collect and analyse data and interpret them in the light of continental theological-pastoral perspectives.
- Organize the webinar to present the research results.
- After feedback following the presentation, identify with the communities possible paths to be developed with an action research approach. In collaboration with the GSM, these paths are initiated and accompanied.
Mission Secretaries are invited to:
- Identify which communities are engaged in these specific pastorals and who the referents are, send them the questionnaire for data collection.
- Involve and accompany communities in the research.
- Prepare a summary table, which shows: the communities involved at various levels in specific pastorals, their respective referents, and the contents of the community project that refer to a specific pastoral.
- Collect documentation on specific pastorals and send it to the research group: Charter or other provincial programmatic document in relation to these pastorals; what the six-year plan of the province provides for in relation to these pastorals.
The role of the GSM
- To propose the work scheme for the research, in the light of the Chapter guidelines, and of the recent magisterium of the Church.
- Develop the data collection tool (questionnaire).
- Collaborate with continental research groups in the analysis and return of data.
- Collaborate at the design and implementation of feedback webinars.
- Produce the summary booklets of the specific pastoral.
- Accompany the continents in any paths of action research to further develop specific pastoral care.
- Communicate and disseminate the work done.
Timeline of implementation
- The research (administration of questionnaires, collection of documents) is to begin at the beginning of January 2026.
- In order not to lose momentum and motivation, we want to complete the data collection within two months. It is appropriate to think of a roadmap, for example:
– A communication at the provincial level (mission secretary and circumscription superior) presenting the initiative and motivating the communities interested in participating.
– The secretary of the mission prepares the summary table of the communities and collects the reference documents and information at the provincial level on a specific pastoral.
– The secretary sends the questionnaire to the communities and explains how to do the exercise. The starting point could be to instruct the contact persons to make a first draft of the answers to the questionnaire (it takes 2-3 hours). Then, on a community day, the community reviews together and dialogues to complete the work.
– In case of need, the secretary of the mission/circumscription superior visits the communities that are unable to organize themselves and facilitates the exercise with the community.
– The Secretary of the Mission sends all the material to the research team.
– The research group organizes and performs the analysis and reflection on the data (within one month).
– Then prepares and delivers the feedback webinar (within a month of completing the data analysis).
– Considering the observations and comments of the webinar participants, the SGM produces the summary booklet of the specific pastoral care.
Fernando González Galarza
Rome, 3rd November 2025
