PART ONE

OVERVIEW OF THE USG'S HISTORY

I - THE PRINCIPAL STAGES IN THE COURSE OF OUR HISTORY

1. The tiny seed from which we grew

    Like everything in the Kingdom of God, the USG sprang from a tiny seed. This one was sown in the Holy Year 1950, when the Congregation for Religious organized an International Convention on the Institutes of Perfection. During the Convention it was suggested to the religious Institutes, both at provincial and generalate level, that they should meet to study and work together in order to bring about renewal in the religious life. Many National Conferences of Major Superiors owe their existence to that Convention.

    Fifteen months later, on 23 January 1952, the Superior General of the Assumptionists, Fr. Gervais Quénard took the initiative of organizing a small meeting with the Provost General of the Jesuits, Fr. Giovanni Janssens, and with the Minister General of the Franciscans, Fr. Agostino Sépinski. A month later, on 24 February 1952, as a result of the first meeting, they met with four other Superiors General and decided to invite all the other Superiors General resident in Rome (of whom there were 65 at that time) to a meeting at the Palazzo Salviati, 83 Piazza della Rovere. It took place on 23 April 1952. We do not know how many were present at the meeting. Their second meeting took place on 11 June the same year, in the Roman Seminary, 120 Via del Seminario. An "action group" was formed, called the Presidency Council. Fr. G. Janssens, Provost General of the Jesuits, was appointed as President, and Fr. Giovanni Bocella, Minister General of the Franciscan Third Order Regular, became the Secretary.

    After three years of somewhat uncertain existence, in March 1955 the organization was officially recognized by the Congregation for Religious, with the title Roman Union of Superiors General. Despite this official recognition, the organization continued to exist without any well defined role until Vatican Council II, when a number of meetings of Superiors General took place during the preparations and course of the Council, in order to study the various documents submitted and to assist with correction of the texts. In particular, the Superiors General contributed to formulating the documents Perfectae Caritatis and Ad Gentes.

    In June 1961, Fr. Agostino Sépinski was elected President of the Union, and Fr. Michael Browne, Master General of the Dominicans, Vice-President. Fr. Giovanni Bocella, Minister General of the T.O.R. continued as Secretary. Two years later, in 1963, Fr. Bocella was elected President and the Father General of the Eudists, Fr. Armando le Bourgeois, Secretary General.

     In 1962 the Constitution of the Roman Union of Superiors General was approved.