4. Development of the Congregation during the course of the 20th century.

4.1. The Superiors General.

	Superiors General		Reverend Mothers
		1899	Mother Ghislena Spillemaekers
1900			(°1845 - † 1920)
	Eugeen Van Rechem	1903
	(°1858 - † 1943)
1910
1920		1920	Mother Bernardette Van Reeth
			(°1853 - † 1939)
1930
		1932	Mother Césaire Volckaert
			(°1879 - † 1970)
1940
	Felix Blaton	1943
	(°1898 - † 1983)
1950
	Office suppressed	1958	Mother Maria van het Cenakel
			Volckaert (°1897 - † 1980)
1960
		1969	Mother André Avellin Steverlinck
			(°1908 - † 2003)
1970
		1975	Sister Ludo Vercammen
			(°1920)
1980
1990
		1993	Sister Marie-Ange De Paepe
			(°1934)
2000
2005		2005	Sister Valsala George
			Chennakadan (°1955)

4.2. The Spread of the Congregation in the first half of the 20th century

In 1903 the Bishop of Ghent appointed Eugène Van Rechem as Superior General of the Sisters of Charity J.M. in place of Victor Roelandts. The forty years of his superiorship marked him out as a great founder. Under him the Sisters of Charity J.M. founded 50 new houses, 24 of them in Belgium, 14 in the Congo, 4 each in England and Ceylon, 2 each in the Netherlands and India. As a result, the Congregation had to call more and more on the help of lay folk. Although the number of vocations went up during this period, the number of sisters was still inadequate to fill all the posts. Lay teachers and nurses came into the institutions for good. Eugène Van Rechem's activities were not confined to the Congregation. At the end of 1913 Pope Pius X appointed him auxiliary to the Bishop of Ghent, Mgr. Stillemans, a position he retained under Mgr. Stillemans' two successors. At the same time he was appointed titular bishop of Carpasie and was consecrated on 17 May 1914. His coat of arms bore the chalice and the host, together with the cross and the heart, symbols of charity and sacrifice. His motto was: "Respice Jesum" (Contemplate Jesus). He remained Superior General of the Sisters of Charity until his death on 21st August 1943, at the advanced age of 85. At his death the Congregation numbered about 2000 sisters in 79 houses scattered over three continents.

E. Van Rechem was to collaborate with three Reverend Mothers General. The first was Mother Ghislaine Spillemaekers, who had been superior for four years with V. Roelandts. She was Reverend Mother General for 21 years and co-operated in the consolidation of the overseas foundations in the Congo, in India, Ceylon, England, and the Netherlands. A further seven houses were founded in Belgium during her time as Superior. She died 17 November 1920 at the Mother House of Ghent. The General Chapter was at once convened and elected Mother Bernardette, Clémence Van Reeth. During the twelve years of her Superiorship the Sisters of Charity founded 22 houses, almost half of them abroad. The Rule laid down that the R. Mother General received a mandate for six years and had therefore to be re-elected every six years. In 1932 M. Bernardette had reached the respectable age of 79, so it was decided not to renew her mandate. She spent the last seven years of her life in the Mother house where she died on 22nd November 1939. Her successor was Mother Césaire, Augusta Volckaert, who governed the Congregation 1932 - 1958.

4.3. Achievements in the realm of Psychiatry and Nurses' Training.

At the beginning of the twentieth century St. Joseph's hospice in Ghent was out-of-date and unsuitable for the care of psychiatric patients. A year after his appointment as Superior General, E. Van Rechem bought a property in Melle in order to build a new asylum there. It was the first to be build in Belgium according to the "pavilion system", following the example of Germany and the Netherlands. The opening of this establishment, under the name Caritas, had enormous repercussions in the press. Admiration was expressed for the detached, airy pavilions, each designed for a specific purpose, and situated in the midst of extensive gardens. In May 1908 the gigantic task of moving the asylum from the centre of Ghent to Melle began and the last patients were transferred only in July of that year.

The foundation of Caritas at Melle was not the only one. At Venray in the Netherlandsthe search was on for a congregation which would undertake the care of female psychiatric patients. The Brothers of Charity already had a home there for men. The Sisters of Charity were asked in 1906, and in 1908 they took in the first patients. This was also the Congregation's first foundation in the Netherlands. Subsequently the Sisters of Charity opened a psychiatric institution at Saint-Servais (1914), Lovenjoel (1918), and Noordwijk in the Netherlands (1927). Joined to these institutes were usually schools for the training of psychiatric nurses.

To keep abreast of the developments in medicine and new techniques in the care of the sick, proper training of the nursing staff was essential. In 1908 a royal decree made a certificate obligatory for all nursing staff both male and female. The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity decided to prepare its own members for this examination. By 1909 fifteen sisters had already obtained their certificate in Ghent. From 1909 onwards nursing courses for the sisters were organised in Mons and Tournai too. In the twenties the Congregation set up nursing schools in Antwerp (1922), Ukkel (1922), and in Louvain (1928) and the doors of these schools were later opened to lay applicants.

4.4. Adaptation of the Constitutions to new Canon Law (1923-1928).

In 1917 a new Code of Canon Law appeared; this meant for many congregations a loss of identity. The Sisters of Charity convened an extraordinary Chapter in 1922 to modify the Constitutions and adapt them to the new Code. The following year the new Constitutions were sent to Rome. For various reasons approval was delayed. The trunk in which the documents had been despatched was left lying in Termini Station for three years. Once the documents had reached the Congregation for Religious a steady correspondence began. The debate centred on the way the Congregation was governed, in particular on the role of the Superior General. Finally it was decided to retain this office and Pope Pius XI granted his approval on 26 June 1928.

These Constitutions were more detailed than the previous ones and to a large extend reverted to the original Rule of 1816. Many practical and material details were again included. The number of articles practically doubled, rising from 65 in 1900 to 121 in 1928. The thematic treatment was also maintained. The major changes in the Constitutions concerned the organisation of the Congregation. The rules for the convocation and running of the General Chapter were given with greater precision. The power of the Superior General was increased, the importance of the General Council counter-balancing this. Its members no longer exercised a merely consultative function, they were now given a deliberative voice in various matters. The function and the sphere of action of the Bursar General were more clearly set out.

A significant addition to the Rule, consisted in the "Special Rules for Missionary Sisters". The latter were subject to the same rules as the other sisters but thirty years in the mission field had shown that adaptations and relaxations were necessary in certain domains. Most of the points were clear as, for example, the adaptation of the articles dealing with food, clothes, hygiene, and healthcare. The Missionaries were rather less cut off from the outside world than their sisters in Europe. It was easier for them to get permission to spend the night in other convents and they received more foreign visitors. They were allowed to write to their relatives and friends more often. Among other things it was stipulated that since enclosure exists in the Missions too, there must at least be a hedge round the property. This seems to indicate that this rule was in practice less strictly observed.

The authority of the major superiors of the Congregation was vested in and ensured by the Visiting Sister. She visited each house in her sector every year, spoke to each sister and inspected the convent. Within a fortnight she had to send an account of her visit to the General Government in Ghent. In a lot of cases she could make an independent decision but in important matters she had to consult the Superiors General. This system was in force until the internationalisation of the Congregation was such that decentralisation was needed.

4.5. Decentralisation of the Government of the Sisters of Charity J.M. (1958 - 1966).

The Bishop of Ghent appointed Felix Blaton as fifth Superior General. He was at the time professor of Moral Theology at the Seminary in Ghent and was to be Superior General of the Congregation for 15 years. Mother Césaire Volckaert 2 would be twice re-elected, first at the General Chapter of 1946 and again in 1952. During their leadership the Congregation founded nine new houses, two of them in Ireland. Felix Blaton did not retain his office for life. In October 1957 the Congregation asked Rome for permission to set up ten Districts with a view to better representation of the communities and apostolic sectors at the General Chapter scheduled for 1958. This was granted and at the same time Rome invited the Congregation to consider full-scale decentralisation by dividing the Congregation into Provinces.

Decentralisation was becoming essential because of the growth of integration. In Ceylon (1913 as well as in India (1922) and the Congo (1930) religious congregations for Oblate Sistesr were organised for native girls who wanted to become nuns. These oblates had their own noviciate and their way of life differed from country to country. The years of decolonisation sharpened their self-awareness. They were playing their part in the upsurge and growth of the young Churches but wanted too to be completely integrated into the Congregation. Finally in 1958 Rome gave permission for the integration of the Oblates into the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity. In Sri Lanka (at this time still called Ceylon) integration came about in 1958. In Zaire, then the Belgian Congo, integration happened at the end of 1959 - beginning of 1960, on the eve of its declaration of independence. India and Pakistan followed in 1962. It was a difficult time for Europeans and non-Europeans alike. As time went on the situation improved and a process of growth took off.

On 13 November 1958 at the end of the General Chapter mentioned above Sister Marie du Cénacle Volckaert was elected Reverend Mother General. A month later, on December 12, a letter from the Congregation of Religious brought an end to Mgr. Blaton's office. This provoked strong feelings, especially at the Mother house in Ghent. Monsignor found the decision difficult to accept but remained at Terhagen till his death, fulfilling the task of chaplain to the convent and clinic and taking a very great interest in all that happened in the Congregation.

4.6. General Chapters: far-reaching changes and New Constitutions (1966 - 1984).

The first Reverend Mother to find herself alone in the running of the Congregation was, therefore, Mother Marie du Cénacle. In her term of office the decentralisation of the Congregation was planned and partially implemented (1958-1969). Pope Paul VI promulgated the post-conciliar Motu Proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae” in Rome on 6 August 1966. In this the norms for the revision of the Rules were set out. The Congregation therefore set its revision in motion. Congregations were asked to get back to their origins but at the same time to adapt to the needs of the times, without abandoning their identity. The Chapters of 1964 and of 1968 -1969 were therefore chapters of renewal which each produced a provisional set of Constitutions and Statutes, but above all, the devotional text "Abide in my Love". In the course of the second of these Chapters Mother André Avelin - Antoinette Steverlinck was elected Superior General and the official division of the Congregation into Provinces decided upon. Eight Provinces were set up viz. three in Belgium, one in the Netherlands, one each in England-Ireland, in Zaire, in India, and in Sri Lanka. Pakistan at first was a Vice-Province for eight years, then a dependency of Sri Lanka for a further six years and finally became a full-blown Province in 1987.

The General Government had already been transferred from Ghent to Brussels in May 1968. With these changes in structure, the Congregation entered a new phase. The division into provinces allowed each to work out its own identity while remaining faithful to the spiritual heritage and charisma of the Congregation. In addition, the post-conciliar period opened up new horizons. The Congregation answered new calls in the shape of modest undertakings in Mali and Israel, later on in Venezuela and Argentina as well as Papua, New Guinea. The purpose was made clear to the members of the Chapter of 1969 and to the Congregation as a whole in a letter dated 29.08.1969. "The Church asks us to renew our missionary spirit and to be present in Mali. What is needed is to share the lives of the local people, respecting their culture and customs. The Missionaries are expected to give training on both the physical and spiritual level. The need is very great and one has really to start from scratch." The provincial governments have in their turn taken steps to respond to the needs of the times and to adapt their structures.

The aim of the General Chapter of 1975 was not so much the organisation of the Congregation but rather the expression of its charisma. This led to two publications for the sisters: "Chapter Documents 1975" and "Our Mission as Sisters of Charity of J.M. Today". Sister Ludo Vercammen was elected Superior General. With the election of counsellors belonging to three different Provinces - Belgium South, Sri Lanka, and the Anglo-Irish Province, the first step towards the internationalisation of the general government was made..

As the purpose of the next General Chapter would be legislative, the preparation of new texts of the Constitutions and Statutes occupied an important place on the agenda of the new government. Questionnaires were sent to the sisters, to the Communities, the Provincial Councils and Chapters, the Enlarged General Councils as well as to Commissions specifically set up for that purpose in order to ensure as wide consultation as possible. During the first session of the General Chapter of 1981 the members worked carefully and zealously for two months at the formulation of the new Rules. They re-elected Sister Ludo as Superior General. A provisional edition of the Constitutions and Statutes was given to the Sisters while awaiting the approval of the Congregation of Religious in Rome. This was granted on 24th March 1984. Meanwhile the second session of the Chapter had taken place in 1982. A programme was drawn up for the reviewing of the apostolic life, the options regarding lifestyle and formation, the creation of a government in which there would be maximum participation of the members and unity in diversity. The provincial and local chapters in each province adopted this plan of action.

The Chapter of 1987 drew up an evaluation of the years gone by and a new plan of action was drawn up. Sister Ludo received a third mandate as Superior General. Thanks to the presence of counsellors chosen from the Sri Lantern, Zairian, Anglo-Irish and Indian provinces the general government was truly international. Two objectives were now in the forefront: the restructuring of the apostolic services of the Congregation while remaining faithful to its charisma and unity in diversity.

The General Chapter of 1993 had as its theme "Evangelisation". A new Belgian Superior General was elected in the person of Sister Marie-Ange De Paepe, who is helped in her task by three counsellors from different Provinces. The next General Chapter will take place in the summer of 1999.

4.7. The Congregation now.

The Congregation numbers almost 1300 members in 2003, less than half of whom are Belgian. Most of the young people come from the Congo and Asia; presently there are about 100 novices. During the eighties and the beginning of the nineties the number of candidates remained more or less the same but the new members are almost exclusively non European.

At the moment there are nine provinces - Belgium North, Belgium Central and Belgium South, Congo, England-Ireland, India-Delhi, India-Ranchi, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. There are also Sisters in the Central African Republic, France, Israel, Italy, Mali, the Netherlands, Rwanda, South Africa and the Philippines.

In addition to the international dimension of the Congregation, another striking feature is the changing context in which services are provided. "Whereas in the past these services took place within the institutions run by the Congregation or the State, the apostolic service of the Sisters is now pluriform and is carried out more and more in collaboration with others as well as in different settings."(Chapter documents, 1981).

During the General Chapter held in the spring of 2005, it was decided to continue with resolve along the previously chosen path towards internationalization. This became clearly manifest in the election to Superior General of Sister Valsala George Chennakadan from India. She also receives the full assistance of the General Council consisting of 2 sisters from the Congo, one from India and another from Belgium.