On 30 October, 2017, the Order’s Europe Commission held an afternoon session for its last meeting in the present format. As decided that the meeting of European Provincials during the Assembly of Major Superiors (23-27 October 2017), in future, the Europe Commission will comprise all the European Provincials as well as the General Councillors with specific posts of responsibility in Europe, and by one Brother representing Tiber Island Hospital to be appointed by the Prior General.

The meeting was attended by Brother Rudolf Knopp, General Councillor, chairing it, Brother Giampietro Luzzato, General Councillor, Brother Benigno Ramos, General Councillor, Brother Joachim Mačejovský, Provincial of the Austrian Province and Dr. Carlo Galasso, Director of the Brussels European Office. Apologies were received from Brother Alain Samuel Jeancler, Provincial della French Province and Brother Miguel Ángel Varona, Provincial of the Castile Province.

The main agenda items were: a report on the meeting of the Order’s Professional Nursing Schools in Europe and the approval of the formation model that emerged from it; the meeting of European scholastics; the European working group on homelessness; the second formation module for European senior executives; the new structure of the Order’s European organs; the organisation of the meeting with the European Provinces’ communications officers, and a wide-ranging report on the international Cooperation Office. The meeting also discussed the ideas that had emerged from the European Provinces’ meeting on the common European novitiate.

The next meeting of the Europe Commission will take place in its new format, that is to say, attended by all the European Provincials, following the conclusion of all the Provincial Chapters in late spring 2018.