Decree and Statute

DECREE OF ERECTION OF THE PUBLIC ASSOCIATION OF THE FAITHFUL "THE ASSOCIATION LUISA PICCARRETA LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE DIVINE WILL WHEREAS

• our beloved predecessor, His Excellency Monsignor Giuseppe Carata, after having given His blessing in 1982 to the first group of individuals united in the desire of living the spirituality of the Divine Will, erected the "Pius Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will" (headquarters in Corato), with the decree issued March 4, 1987;
• with act n. 12223 (reg. n. 33077) of July 7, 1987 by Dr. Giuseppe Murolo, notarized in Corato (Bari), the "Pious Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will" was established as a civil entity, with its headquarters in Corato;
• he different constitutive acts notwithstanding, the associative entity bas always been, and is, singular. There is one substantive basis for its unity insofar as there has never been any division between the canonical and civil acts, the activity of the Association being always centered on the spirituality of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, little daughter of the Divine Will, and that through the years has spread to the point of establishing groups of "The Little Children of the Divine Will" in several parts of the world;
• the cause for the beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, already concluded in its diocesan phase, with the collaboration of the Secretariat of the cause for the beatification initiated by said Association, has provided momentum for the diffusion of " living in the Divine Will";
• it has come to pass that it be necessary for said civil Association named the "Pious Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will" to be incorporated in canon law, as it is already established in the civil regime;
• the passage of said civil Association to the Pious Association canonically erected, with the whole of its patrimony of spiritual and human resources and its own goods and items, acknowledges the preexistent canonical nature immanent in the civil Association from the moment of its constitution;
• with the resolution of February 19, 2010 the directive council of the Pious canonical Association has decided to give a further and more specific juridical configuration to said Association, changing the name to "Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will";

granted all this, said Association named the "Pious Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will," from its inception a civil entity, fully conforms and is identical to the Pious Association of this same name canonically erected, having carefully assessed the new Statues of the Association and maintaining that both the nature and activity that have always distinguished it are today better structured, qualifying it as a Public Association of the Faithful and that such structure might be well worthwhile to the reality that it wants to order.
In virtue of the capacity the diocesan bishop is endowed with in the Code of Canon Law.

WE DECREE
The Public Association of faithful named the "Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will" with headquarters in Corato (Bari), Via Luisa Piccarreta 27, is approved and established as a juridical person according to the sense of canon 312 of the Code of Canon Law;
the Statute of the Public Association of the Faithful the "Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will" is approved ad experimentum for the next five-year period according to the sense of canon 301 § 3 of the Code of Canon Law and, attached to the present decree, forms an integral part of it.

Trani, June 13, 2010

Archiepiscopal Chancellor
(Mons. Giuseppe ASCIANO)

Archbishop
(Mons. Giovan Battista PICHIERRI)

STATUTE OF THE "ASSOCIATION LUISA PICCARRETA- LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE DIVINE WILL" Preamble
On March 4, 1987 Archbishop Giuseppe Carata canonically erected the ''Pious Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will." This same entity operated civilly and was established in the Italian regime by way of the act of Dr. Giuseppe Murolo, and notarized in Corato on July 7, 1987 (Reg. 33077, Act n. 12223). Notwithstanding the two distinct constitutive acts the substantive basis of this entity was, and is, singular

Article 1 - Composition, Title, and Headquarters

1. It is hereby established the Public Association of the Faithful with juridical personality according to the sense of canon 312 and those subsequent in the Code of Canon Law, named the "Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will," with headquarters in Corato (Bari), via Luisa Piccarreta 27.
2. The Association may establish secondary centers in other dioceses both in Italy and abroad with the careful consideration of the Directive Council and with the consent of the competent Local Ordinary, who are charged with the task of overseeing operations of the members of said Association in their dioceses as the Archbishop of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie oversees operations of the members of said Association in his diocese, according to the present statutes.
3. The Association, with the careful consideration of the Directive Council and the consent of the Local Ordinary where there are established centers, may recognize Associations of faithful that aspire to the spirituality of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, regulations of which are to conform to those of the present statutes.

Article 2 - Nature
The "Public Association of the Faithful Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will" aspiring to the example and spirituality of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, with the whole Church, seeks to work for the realization of the Kingdom of God here on earth. Hence, it uses means of prayer and spiritual formation to lead all in progress in realizing a greater stability of life in the Divine Will according to the prayer of Our Lord, "Fiat Voluntas Tua sicut in Caelo et in terra" (Mt 6:10).

Article 3 - Objectives

1. General Objective. The Pius Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will has as its general objective the perfection of charity as life in the Divine Will. Therefore, its members, in the strength of Grace, seek to carry out every act of his or her life in the Divine Will to conform the individual human will to the Will of the Father, to urge a deeper unity of spirit among themselves and to enrich their supernatural relationships with all of creation.
2. Specific Objectives. The Association has the following specific ends:
   1. the permanent conversion of the life of its individual members in conforming themselves evermore to the Divine Will in one's state of life, in the example of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, who had adhered to as the principle of her own life the Our Father, her point of reference being on earth as it is heaven as the secret for the realization of and accomplishments for the Kingdom of God on earth;
   2. the witness of charity before ali and for all, demonstrated through works of mercy that unite hearts and lead them to live in the Divine Will;
   3. the awareness and spreading of the life and spirituality of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta;
   4. the promotion of the Cause for the beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta.
3. In the undertaking of the institutional activities proper to said Association, it is not to be considered as seeking profit-making ends in the Italian civil regime (cf. art. 148 TUIR).

Article 4 - Activities of the Association
The Association undertakes those activities fitting to the scope of reaching those ends expressed in art. 3, and is concerned in particular with the mission of evangelization in the Church. To such an end it promotes an awareness of the life, writings, and spirituality of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta by way of activities, conferences, studies, spiritual gatherings, and appropriate publications.

Article 5 - Structure of Service

1. The Association may establish structures of service so as to reach its objectives.
2. For the progress and realization of the cause for the beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, in accordance with the archiepiscopal provision prot. 1106/06 of April 2, 2006, there was established an operative Secretariat of liaison, support and information at the service of those who with differing capacities promote this cause. Both the structure and function of the Secretariat are defined by the provisions of the Archbishop, as noted above.

Article 6 - Members of the Association

1. Members of the Association are those faithful who possess the conditions required by common law, who accept in full the present statutes, who have with appropriate request voluntarily petitioned to be a part of said Association and accept its objectives, and who have hence been welcomed following the deliberation of the Directive Council after a period of preparation that is of no less than two years.
2. According to the same conditions in the first paragraph, members of the Association can be priests, deacons, and religious with the consent of their respective superiors.
3. According to the same conditions of the first paragraph, the youth of the name Little Flames of the Divine Will and young persons who, attentive to the spirit of the Divine Will, begin formation at an early age may become members of the association . They may exercise the right to vote (both active and passive) only after having reached 18 years of age.
4. Members of this shared responsibility must primarily:
   1. Devote themselves to a thorough knowledge of the spirituality of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta.
   2. Be disposed to live it fully, progressively, and in the unceasing invocation of the coming of the Kingdom of God in its fullness on earth.
   3. Be attentive to the Will of God as the gift which in its light permeates all individual existence in the many endeavors that the state of each person' s life entails.
   4. Above all, spread the spirituality of living in the Divine Will through personal witness.
5. Every member of the Association must cultivate the interior disposition of "littleness," in the example of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta and, in nurturing this disposition of poverty of spirit, must reject in firm obedience to the Magisterium all that which is an impediment to this spiritual way, finding instead strength in the recourse to the Mercy of God.
6. The cornerstone of the statutes that regulate the Association is the communion of its members. As the unity of the cells of the body is its life, so also must members take care to always seek after alignment in the will of God and nurture the unity among themselves. Hence, the relationships among the members of the Association will be given to joyous and reciprocal service, according to the model and command the Lord has given us all: "the Son of Man has not come to be served, but to serve" (Mt 20:28) and "He who among you is the greatest will become the smallest" (Lk 22:26).
7. The members of the Association, having as model the Holy Family of Nazareth, carry out their activities in such a way as to harmonize the duties of their individual state of life. Furthermore, they are desirous that their works have as foundation the prayer and unity expressed in the prayer of Jesus (cf. Jn 17:1-26).
8. The members of the Association knowing themselves to be a true family, contribute to the economic sustenance of the associative activities in the fullness of freedom and possibility, according to the modalities set forth by the Directive Council.
9. The spirituality of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta sheds light on a multitude of hearts. It is the task of the Association to take care that the diffusion of this spirit is always accompanied by the emphasis of spiritual unity. The Association, furthermore, must see to it that the interpretation of such a spirit comes from within the deposit of faith, so as to avoid all cause for division and conflict. In fact, only as united can those who have welcomed this gift, as little flames, be able to shine in the darkness of the world and with the witness of their lives show the way to the Father.

Trani, June 13, 2010

Archiepiscopal Chancellor
(Mons. Giuseppe ASCIANO)

Archbishop
(Mons. Giovan Battista PICHIERRI)