The Asia/Oceania Meeting of Religious
Executive Committee member, Sr Edna Mary MacDonald FMA, in reporting to the Assembly about the work of AMOR, explained that in the 1970s there was a great awakening to the poverty of the people of the world.
AMOR (Asia/Oceania Meeting of Religious) is a specific response of the women religious of Asia/Oceania to this call.
AMOR expresses the continuous search to identify religious with "the materially poor of Asia, and who are rich in spiritual and human values" (FABC). The priority of AMOR is the promotion of justice and peace in the region.
This voluntary gathering of women religious meets every two to three years as a forum for exchange of experience and ideas, for mutual support and animation to involve women religious more directly with the people and to establish solidarity among Asia/Oceania religious and their collaborators.
The Oceania Conferences of Religious were invited into this movement around 1985.
The AMOR Executive is elected at each AMOR forum. This group of religious assists the preparatory committee of religious who will host the next AMOR. Its other task is to be of service to the Asia Service Centre in whatever capacity it can.
Since the National Conference of Major Superiors (Women) is under the Sacred Congregation for Religious, the activities of AMOR are reported to the Sacred Congregation and to the Union of International Superiors General (UISG). As of October 2006 there are about 20 countries in Asia/Oceania with a National Association or Conference of Religious which are connected with AMOR.
AMOR has a newsletter which is published several times a year by the Asia Service Centre (ASC) Office to provide information and formation. It is sent to the National Conferences of Religious and other interested persons and groups. The National Conferences are encouraged to contribute news items and to share it by further circulation.
SR EDNA MARY was nominated by the CRA (then ACLRI) Council to attend AMOR XIII in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2003, together with Christina MacLean SMSM.
At that meeting, Sr Edna Mary was elected to the AMOR Executive for the 2003-2006 term and was involved in the preparation of AMOR XIV which was held in Seoul, Korea, in 2006. At AMOR XIV she was re-elected to the 2006-2009 executive to assist in the preparation and organisation of AMOR XV which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in November 10-20, 2009. It will meet under the theme: Jesus encounters the Syro-Phoenician woman: Women Religious of Asia-Oceania called to move beyond (Mt. 15:21-28)
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