“One hundred years after the heavenly birth of Saint Joseph Allamano, our two institutes have evolved and transformed. Over the years, new situations and challenges have emerged, but the canonization of our Founder helps us overcome them and respond appropriately to new contexts—provided we are capable of reconnecting with and identifying ourselves in the charism he passed on to us.”
By Ernesto Viscardi and Jaime C. Patias *
With these words, the Superior General, Father James Lengarin, IMC, encouraged the participants of the second meeting of the Central Charism Commission (CCC), which took place on February 27–28, 2025, at the IMC General House in Rome. The primary mandate of the CCC is essentially one of animation, ensuring that the Founder’s charism remains alive and embodied in the lives of the Consolata missionaries, fathers, brothers, sisters, and lay members.
The meeting included representatives of the “Consolata trio” (IMC-MC-LMC), and the agenda covered: the implications of the post-canonization of Saint Joseph Allamano for today’s mission, the mandate of the Commission, reviewing past proposals and commitments of previous Commissions, and developing operational proposals for the coming years.
Revitalizing the Spirit of the Charism
The General Counselor, Father Mathews Odhiambo Owuor, IMC, recalled the history and journey of the Commission, which emerged from reflections carried out during the last General Chapters (2017 and 2023). The Commission was entrusted with the mission to “inspire the entire Consolata family to revive and revitalize the spirit of the charism and the teachings of our Holy Founder, Joseph Allamano.” The most recent General Chapter “reaffirmed the need to continue this spirit of reflection and revitalization. Therefore, the Commission continues its work.”
At the conclusion of the two-day meeting, the Commission formulated a series of proposals that will be submitted to the two General Councils for approval. “I cannot reveal them yet, but they are wonderful proposals for the ‘Consolata trio’ to inspire the entire Consolata family across the continents to live out the spirit of the Founder.”
Father Mathews explained that the goal of this meeting was to “plan for the remaining four years” and reminded us that on February 16, 2025, by celebrating for the first time the Solemnity of Saint Giuseppe Allamano after his canonization, the Consolata family began a journey of spiritual animation leading up to the centenary of the Founder’s death on February 16, 2026.
At the continental and regional levels, there are also charism commissions that collaborate with the Central Commission.
“For now, I invite the entire Consolata family to prepare to revive and revitalize this Consolata way of life with the beautiful charism we have, in the spirit of holiness of Saint Joseph Allamano. He is calling us to live as saints because he told us, ‘first saints, then missionaries,’ and we cannot fail to place this at the center,” urged Father Mathews.
Living the Charism More Deeply
Sister Joan Agnes Njambi Matimu, MC, emphasized the importance of the journey taken together by IMC, MC, and LMC, united by the same charism. “This is a commission that has been active since the last six-year term, aiming to accompany our Consolata Family in living the charism more deeply and in rediscovering the values taught by our holy Father Allamano. For example, the unity of purpose—how we can live together according to the values he left us. In this meeting, we want to continue the journey already begun, particularly by revisiting the conclusions of the Murang’a Conference, which we experienced with great joy (May 2017 in Rome) and which left us with proposals to carry forward.”
According to Sister Joan Agnes, “The central intention is to recover the shared aspects of our charism that define us as Consolata members because these are the values that Allamano left us. They help us live our vocation better as Consolata missionaries, fathers, brothers, sisters, and lay members.”
Being People in Love with God
“One thing that we, as Commission, want to ask of our family: this March marks the beginning of a journey of reflection on the holiness of our Founder, Saint Joseph Allamano. Through his canonization, he has given us a great gift—the opportunity to rethink and appreciate our own path to holiness in everyday life.
As Christians, we are all called to live out our mission wherever we are. What we ask is that we commit ourselves to this journey. Every month, there will be messages about the holiness of our Founder, not only as a source of reflection but also as a guide to help us live in greater harmony with his teachings. This will encourage us to deepen our commitment and truly become what God calls us to be—people in love with Him, just as our Founder was,” concluded Sister Jean Agnes.
Living out the Charism in Today’s World
Mauro Brucalassi, a Lay Consolata Missionary (LMC) from Grugliasco, Italy, and one of the three lay representatives on the Commission, explained that their purpose is to “share the charism and spirituality of Saint Joseph Allamano. I am honored to be part of this Commission, and I hope to make a small contribution to the Consolata cause.”
Regarding the identity of the LMC, Brucalassi states that their primary goal is “to offer members a path of human and Christian formation through deepening the Word of God and the spirituality of Saint Joseph Allamano, in order to live out his charism in today’s world—especially during this period of preparation for the centenary of his death.”
The joint IMC-MC-LMC message from the meeting held on June 3–4, 2023, during the two General Chapters, emphasized the need to continue the work of the Central Charism Commission (CCC) and build on the progress made in the previous six-year term. “We are an intercultural and intergenerational family. The treasure of our charism calls us to be brothers and sisters in communion, united in diversity—missionaries, sisters, and lay members living a mission that reaches outward” (Joint IMC-MC-LMC Message).
With this mandate, the CCC remains committed to continuing its mission of animation in collaboration with the continental charism commissions.
* Father Ernesto Viscardi and Father Jaime C. Patias, Communications Office
