THE SACRED HEART COLLEGE IN MADRID. On Christmas day of 2007, two storeys of the central part of the West wing of the Sacred Heart College of Madrid collapsed. The municipal authorities ordered the demolition of that wing and forbade the occupation of the oldest wing running alongside Alfonso XIII street.

GOLDEN JUBILEE AT THE GENERAL HOUSE.  On Sunday, September 7 2008, the community of the general house paid homage to the 50-year honoree Bro. Paul Montero, General Councillor.

GUSTAV, HANNA AND IKE DEVASTATE HAÎTI. The cyclonic season didn't spare Haïti this year. Three hurricanes hit Haïti with devastating gusts of wind. Torrential rains that accompanied Gustav buffeted the Southern coast of Haïti, the South-East especially. Some of our Brothers who had attended the funeral of a confrère's mother were stuck in the mountains for four days.

NEW ORLEANS PROVINCE AFTER GUSTAV HURRICANE.  Hurricane Gustav entered south Louisiana on Monday, September 1, 2008 and caused severe disruption to normal life throughout Louisiana.  Fortunately for the New Orleans Province the major disruption was primarily a loss of electricity and not physical destruction to its schools and houses.

RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONS.  In July and August, eight Brothers made their perpetual profession: Bros. Samuel Bama from the Province of West Africa, Paul Nantinda from the Province of  Eastern and Southern Africa, Solofo Michel Andriatahina, Joseph Rakotomanga, William Tojo Ramanojosoa, Jean de Dieu Rasolofoniaina and Jean-Michel Tsimanavaka from the Province of Madagascar and finally Bro.Moïse Coly from the Province of Senegal. Congratulations to those Brothers who were courageous enough to risk their future, for they committed themselves to the Lord.

INTERNATIONAL SESSION FOR LOCAL SUPERIORS, ROME, JULY-AUGUST 2008.  Seventeen Brothers coming from the all over the world accepted the invitation that the General Chapter of 2006 sent to the Brothers of the Institute: "Brothers, do you love me enough…" and gathered at the General House in Rome during the summer of 2008 to take part in an international session for local superiors. That session was held from July 10th to August 6th within a rich international environment, thanks to French, English and Spanish-speaking confreres.

BROTHER JEAN-LOUIS DION.  At the end of June 2008, Brother Jean-Louis Dion was returning to Canada after serving the Institute as general archivist since September 1997.

TWENTY-THREE PARTICIPATE IN FIRST ROME INTERNATIONAL SYNTHESIS EXPERIENCE. Twenty-three participants of the Coindre Leadership Program (CLP) of the three American provinces gathered at the Brothers of the Sacred Heart general house in Rome from June 20 through July 5 for the first Rome International Synthesis Experience (RISE).

THE SERVICE OF AUTHORITY AND OBEDIENCE. Instruction of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated life and Societies of apostolic Life.

The general council has returned to Rome.  The members of the general council are currently in Rome after having made the canonical visits of three provinces. In each province the visits consisted primarily in meetings with the provincial council, two meetings with each local community, interviews with each Brother, and fraternal visits to different works of the province.

OPEN LETTER (N° 2)  to the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, their partners in mission and ministry  and to the friends of Father Coindre and of Venerable Brother Polycarp.

Province of France: At its meeting of February 27, 2008, the superior general in council approved two (2) candidates for the position of provincial superior of France and seven (7) candidates for the positions of provincial councilors.

Province of Canada.  During the working session of February 27 and of March 3, 2008, the Superior General in Council named Brother Serge Toupin as Provincial Superior of the Province of Canada, and

The Delegation of the Philippines.  During its working session on December 7, 2008, the Superior General in council, after having consulted with all the entities concerned, decided to place the delegation of the Philippines under the auspices of the Federation of the three provinces of the United States. 

Province of Senegal.  At its meeting of February 27 and 28, 2008, the superior general in council approved a list of three candidates for the position of provincial superior and another list of six candidates for the positions of provincial councilors.

Cyclone Ivan. In a recent letter Frère Joseph Pierre Rakotoarimanana brought news of cyclone Ivan which struck the Island of de Madagascar between February 17 and 19 2008.

Noviciate of Haiti. Brothers Gaston Lavoie and Denis Plourde visited the province of Haïti from January 4 to February 19 2008.

Inter-novitiate in Lima, Peru. The conference of Latin America and Spain, composed of the provinces of Austral-America, Brazil,

Christ the King School, Marilia, São Paulo, Brazil. In 2008 Christ the King School in Marilia, Brazil celebrates its 50th anniversary

Visitation to ESA. Brothers Charles Biagui and Paul Montero made the canonical visitation of the province of Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) from December 26, 2007, to February 15, 2008,

Feast day of Venerable Brother Polycarp, January 9, 2008.

Vocations. The Lord continues to place in some young hearts the seeds of the consecrated life. (Cf. R of L. Art 174) The entry into the noviciate of six new candidates, all desirous of making that all-important initial step in fulfilment of their desire to give themselves to Christ in the Institute...

Situation in Kenya. The situation in Kenya remains volatile. The scholasticate community has stocked up a bit of food hoping that the situation will improve. I spoke to both Nyasha and Tony. They are okay but everyone has to stay home.

A new provincial administration in the Province of Eastern and Southern Africa.

Mobile Teams of CIAC.  From December 10 to 21, 2007 the brothers appointed as members of the CIAC “flying squad” to pass on to the institute the “torch” of the institute’s pedagogy of trust and spirituality of compassion (Cf. A Pilgrimage of Hope, pp. 25) met at the André-Coindre International Center in Lyon.

Revision Commission for the Formation Guide of the Institute. The commision for the revision of the Institute’s Formation Guide met at the general house from December 10 till 14 2007. The members of the commission are Brothers Ángel David Agudelo, Luc Boudreault, Claude Dubreuil, Domingos Goulart, Raymond Hetu et Jean Toora.

Accident in Madrid. On Christmas morning at 7.20, two of the beams from the roof of the theatre at Sacred Heart Secondary School in Madrid suddenly gave way, and  two thirds of the total surface area of the theatre came crashing down. The under-floor supporting steel work resisted the impact of the falling superstructure and no other part of the wing was affected.  Happily no one was hurt since there were no injuries as the building was vacant at the time of the incident.