The third day of the Community Life Symposium was another long day for the participants.  All four sessions were devoted to hearing from each unit concerning their “hopes and dreams” for community life into the future.  In their reports they were asked to identify characteristics, values, and practices of an authentic C.PP.S. community life.  Following each brief report the participants discussed issues that were raised in the report, common themes, and how other units understand the specific aspects of community life raised in the report.

Because the Missionaries of the Precious Blood are a multicultural, international congregation, meetings like the Community Life Symposium must take into account the need for simultaneous translation.  Most of our work takes place in English and Spanish.  However there is a need for translation in Italian as well.  We are lucky to have with us three translators who make the job of understanding one another much easier.  One of the translators, Marcelo Rodriguez, has worked with the Congregation for over a decade.  He is well versed in our mission, our spirituality, our community life, and our quirks.  The other two translators, Federico Maria Rossi and Luca Casadei, are students from the Italian Province who have freely given their time to helping make the Symposium a success.    

After three days of work in the plenary assembly, Thursday will be a day of small group work.