Spiritual exercises for the General Administrations of eight Missionary Institutes founded in Italy

The participants reserved the first five days (Monday morning 4 to Friday evening 8 September) for their Spiritual Exercises, centred on the theme ‘The Water of God’ and led by father Paolo Tovo, a Xaverian missionary.

Everyone recognised that it was a great gift from God to be able to enjoy this time dedicated exclusively to reflection and prayer – in silence – in a pleasant place, amidst mountains covered in dense vegetation of a thousand shades of green, where one could hear, both day and night, the soothing sound of the crystal-clear waters of the small Pesio stream. It was an exceptional experience of listening to the Word of God and reviewing one’s life.

It was a real privilege to be able to enjoy the natural environment offered by the Carthusian Monastery of Pesio – a 12tj Century building in the Maritime Alps, close to the French Provence border –, an extraordinary oasis of silence and recollection.

The final two days – 9^th and 10^th September – were for all a moment of ongoing formation and sharing of experiences on the global theme of sustainability. Very interesting and enriching were the reflections on the theme ‘Management in charismatic organisations’, offered by Luigino Bruni and Mariagrazia Ardissone, both professors and experts in economics and administration.