From July 16 to 26, 2025, the Commission for the revision and updating of the Constitutions of the Institute gathered in Rome at the General House.
* Michelangelo Piovano *
The commission is composed of Fathers Paolo Fedrigoni, José Cirer Grisales Gonzalez, Hipoliti Mmekumta Marandu, John Ogutu Okello, Michelangelo Piovano, and Pietro Trabucco.
It was the 14th General Chapter that requested the General Council to form “an interdisciplinary and multicultural commission to proceed with the revision and updating of our Constitutions, taking into account the decisions made by the recent General Chapters and the Canon Law changes” (XIV GC 108)
Once the commission was formed, work began with a few online meetings, leading up to this in-person gathering to work together directly on the text of the Constitutions.
That is exactly what we did during these ten days, also with the help, from time to time, of Father Aitor Jimenez Echave, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; the Superior General, Father James Bhola Lengarin; and the Secretary General, Father Pedro Louro.
More than just a work project, it was a time of contemplation, reflection, and sharing about our Institute – its members, life, charism, and activities—as expressed in our Constitutions, which are rooted in the life of Saint Joseph Allamano, in the charism he received and passed on to us. It was a gaze enlightened by the journey undertaken over more than a hundred years in mission, in communion with the Church, in our way of organizing ourselves, in our attention to peoples and cultures, and to the new challenges and mission frontiers.
The fruit of this “contemplative” work is a first draft that will now be translated into various languages and presented to the General Direction and the Consulta in 2026.
This will be followed immediately by the involvement of each Circumscription and community of the Institute. It will be during the Year of Community Life, from March 2026 to March 2027, that, with the aid of some materials and the distribution of the Draft, each missionary will be invited to reflect and offer his contributions.
Once all contributions are collected, the Commission will prepare the final Draft to be presented at the General Chapter in 2029.
This is just a small preview of the journey ahead of us—a journey that aims to be, first and foremost, a spiritual path and a synodal work. With this spirit, we also want to celebrate the centenary year of the death of Saint Joseph Allamano and continue to be enlightened and guided by his holy life.
A special thanks goes to the members of the commission who left their pastoral ministry, teaching, and administration to come to Rome and dedicate themselves to this work during one of the hottest months in Italy. The fraternal welcome of the community of the General House and its members made the meeting pleasant and familial. The work began on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and concluded on the memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne: Mary, our “Foundress,” together with her parents, remind us of our elders and all those who have made the history of our family, and whose memory we wish to keep alive.
* Father Michelangelo Piovano, IMC, Vice-Superior General.
