After a day of absence, the diary of the General Chapter, which is by now moving towards its close, returns. The days are full, with the examination of documents, motions and proposals. Amongst the various matters, the ballots to elect the members of the General Consulta as well.

On 15 May the birthday of Fr. Renato Salvatore, who was elected to the office of Superior General once again, was celebrated. A celebration of sobriety but warmth where the whole of the General Chapter gathered around the man who will guide the Order for the next six years.

At the moment when these notes go to press the General Consulta is by now complete with the election of Fr. Hubert Goudjinou as the member entrusted with formation; of Fr. Alberto Marques as the member entrusted with ministry; and of Br. Dieudonné Sorgho as the member entrusted with missions. This is a young and international General Consulta with a strong representation of the continent of Africa. For the Vice-Province of Burkina this is the third member of the General Consulta to date while for the Delegation (in a short while Vice-Province) of Benin this is the first! A sign of the international openness of the Order, looking to the future!

By now we are ready for the approval of the Document of the General Chapter, an instrument to guide approaches aiming at the growth of the Order in the near future, and of the Message to the Order. Both of these documents have already been presented to the assembly which will approve them on Friday 17 May.

Prof. Petrin, the Dean of the Camillianum, who had been unable to do this beforehand, visited the members of the General Chapter and gave a paper on his institute. An interesting debate followed which testified to the interest in the Camillianum which is now celebrating its twenty-five years of activity.

Lastly, the members of the General Chapter were given an interesting book by G. Cosmacini, the famous author of Storia della Medicina. Published by Laterza, this book describes St. Camillus as a man who renewed health-care assistance and lists him amongst the founders of nursing.