Feast
of Our Lady of Sorrows
Circular
Letter 7
Dear
Fellow Religious,
Today
is the first celebration of our Holy Cross feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
following the 2004 General Chapter. This
feast offers us an occasion to reflect on the way we in Holy Cross are
strengthening our religious commitment by standing supportively at one
another’s side just as Mary stood at the side of Jesus throughout His life and
most especially at the end of His life. Mary
was faithful. We learn from her and
honor her by our fidelity to one another and to all God’s people.
Many
of us believe that this General Chapter, convening under the challenging theme, “CROSSING
BORDERS OF EVERY SORT,” proved to be a very important moment for our
Congregation. Its influence will
reverberate into the foreseeable future of this new millennium with widespread
beneficial and substantial effects for the growth of Holy Cross.
The
Chapter reiterated our mission imperative and renewed our self-understanding as
an interdependent, international Congregation. In a world of many and diverse
peoples and cultures we are ever mindful that “the
farther we go in giving the more we stand to receive.”
(C 2,17)
This Constitutional expression stresses
the richness and joy to be experienced when we cross borders with open and
generous hearts. The earth’s physical scope is far reaching; yet compact.
The languages, cultures and faith traditions of the global human
population certify to the complexity of our human differences; yet we are one.
As
we explore the far reaches of outer space and contemplate the minuscule size of
the earth in this vast universe, we realize just how small and compact our world
really is. Truly we are a global
village; we are neighbors to one another. Our
international and interdependent brotherhood in the consecrated life is a
witness to the solidarity of the human race.
“It is essential to our mission that we
stride to abide so attentively together that people will observe: ‘See how
they love one another.’ We will
then be a sign in an alienated world: men who have, for love of their Lord,
become closest neighbors, trustworthy friends, neighbors.” (C 4,42)
I
would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the legislative
highlights of the Chapter and their implication for our consecrated lives.
The entire set of Chapter Documents will be published this fall and sent
to all of the religious of the Congregation so that you might enter more fully
into the spirit and legislation of the Chapter.
We continue to renew and reform our life
and mission in the midst of powerful currents of change sweeping through the
Church, our Congregation and the world in this new millennium.
The Chapter affirmed the Congregation’s
desire to move toward change through incremental steps.
In one such incremental step the Chapter
decreed the establishment of a Regional Planning Process. The purpose of this
process is to streamline and adapt the Congregation to our emerging demographic
realities, increase our mission effectiveness and enhance our ability to use our
human and financial resources equitably. Regional Planning Commissions will be
established in Africa, Asia,
The
Chapter affirmed and placed at the center of the planning process four major
assumptions:
First,
the concept of provinces composed of brothers and priests as representing
the ideal model that we will strive to achieve.
Second,
the future organization structures will promote our religious life and
support our mission effectiveness.
Third,
the planning process will work within the context of four principles:
parity, proportionality, subsidiarity and interdependence.
Fourth,
a strong and effective general administration to promote unity, provide
spiritual and pastoral leadership, oversee planning, and facilitate
responsible stewardship and Congregational formation.
The
Regional Planning Commissions will involve the broader membership of their areas
in the planning process. This
planning process will move forward purposefully with identified benchmarks for
assessing progress. Provincial and
district chapters will be part of this process.
A final plan will be presented to the 2010 General Chapter.
The
Structures Committee also decreed a new structure for the General Council.
The council may be comprised of four or six general assistants.
Two elected general assistants are full time members of the general
administration. The other two or
four assistants are chosen by the superior general and need not be full time.
As
you know, Brother John Paige from the
As
part of our incremental change, the Chapter established a new, important
structure for the Congregation, the Holy Cross Solidarity Commission.
Three years ago the general administration commissioned a formal study of
the Congregation’s demographics and financial resources undertaken through the
Their
findings confirmed for the Chapter that 93% of our financial resources are in
North America and Europe while Africa, Asia and
As
a result of these confirmed trends, the Chapter decreed the establishment of a
permanent Solidarity Commission to help the Congregation share financial
resources while promoting our interdependence and common purpose in life and
mission. The Commission will
also assume responsibility for a solidarity fund made up from a special
assessment to be levied on each province and district.
The Chapter has indicated very concretely the scope and means of the
Commission’s responsibilities. It
is hoped that this fund will enable growing sectors of the Congregation to reach
their potential and eventually become self-sustaining.
The
Solidarity Commission is a vital sign to the Congregation, to the Church and to
the world of our common life as religious, who have committed themselves to an
international identity and mission. We
hope to be an international model of interdependence to encourage all who work
for human solidarity, justice, peace and mercy among peoples of various
spiritual and material circumstances of life.
As you will note in the Chapter documents, in addition to the establishment of Regional Planning Commissions and the Solidarity Commission, the Chapter established commissions on Vocations and Formation, and Finance. The Chapter recommended an Office of Justice and Peace as well as the formation of an inter-Societal committee on the Consecrated Life and a committee on Education.
FROM
THE RELIGIOUS LIFE COMMITTEE
The
Chapter framed its decrees and recommendations on our religious life within an
ever-deepening appreciation of our international interdependence.
We want to experience borders not as barriers but as bridges: as
opportunities.
In
our consecrated life, through our vowed commitment, we hope to conform ourselves
to Jesus. Community life characterizes our way of being. In our daily lives we
hold everything in common: our brotherhood, our mission, our prayer, our
ministries, and our material and spiritual resources.
As
consecrated religious we strive with all people in our search for meaning
concerning God, His word, and His intention for humanity. As men who stand in
the footsteps of Jesus we strive to be peacemakers and reconcilers in a world
growing more and more violent in pursuit of self-interest.
In
the exercise of our mission as brothers and priests our roles differ yet
compliment each other. Within our
common religious life we share a sense of co-responsibility for our mission and
ministries. In following the exhortation Vita Consecrata, we
religious in mixed institutes share a “parity of rights and obligations.”
In
the union of our two societies of brothers and priests we will do all that we
can to bring together the various units of the Congregation for our planning,
communication and activities. We
trust that our new structures, commissions, offices and committees, formed
through this Chapter, will facilitate our communication and the sharing of our
resources.
Our
Holy Cross interdependence and internationality must be a lived reality in all
our mission endeavors. At the same
time we will strive to maintain a healthy autonomy for our provinces and
districts in their various places and cultures.
In our autonomy we are responsible for ourselves; in our interdependence
we are responsible for each other.
The
Chapter reaffirmed the Congregation’s desire to see a change in our
Constitution so that all Holy Cross religious who have been in perpetual vows
for at least ten years might be eligible for election to the office of superior
general. The Chapter thus decreed
that the superior general continue to dialogue with the Congregation for
Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on this concern.
The
Chapter also issued recommendations. These
recommendations call for provincial and district superiors to provide materials
and direction for local communities to reflect on and discuss topics such as the
proceedings of the 2004 General Chapter, our identity as Holy Cross religious,
the quality of our lived daily lives and the Constitutions.
The
recommendations call for the establishment of a committee to continue formal
discussions of our religious identity, particularly in regard to the
clarification of our relationship as brother religious and priest religious in
Holy Cross. We are also asked to
continue collaboration with our Sisters in Holy Cross and with the laity with
whom we work. The superior general
has been asked to initiate a study on the various lay associate programs
identified with Holy Cross.
The
Chapter encourages us to promote the heritage of Holy Cross, particularly
through conferences on our history and through the dissemination of
Congregational information using communication vehicles such as the internet,
websites, videos and study documents.
In
order to strengthen our identity as consecrated religious we are encouraged to
wear the cross and anchors pendant or lapel pins as the official insignia of the
Congregation. The traditional
symbols of the Congregation – the
The Chapter called our attention to the 100th Anniversary of Saint Joseph Oratory. A yearlong celebration will commence this October 17th. The Chapter encourages all religious of Holy Cross to join prayerfully in this great occasion and recommends that the general administration keep all members of the Congregation informed about this celebration.
The
Chapter situated our mission in the context of today’s world culture of
increased globalization and the growing international chasm that separates the
privileged few from the vast masses of the poor.
The
global context is enormously complex. Violence and terrorism, on-going wars,
tensions among religious traditions, a resurgence of ideological and religious
fundamentalism, a disregard for the sacredness of life, sexual exploitation,
devastating diseases, environmental pollution, displaced peoples and refugees,
famine and homelessness, and sinfulness within our own Church and among all of
us are but a small expression of the enormous challenges facing our mission.
Nonetheless,
we live and minister in hope. Zeal for the mission is our primary apostolic
quality. Mutual inspiration renews our commitment to ministry; we experience the
faith and generosity and zeal of our lay colleagues; we take pride in the
Church’s prophetic voice on behalf of the poor and marginalized; we are
encouraged by new commitments to ministry among those to and for whom we have
ministered over the years. All these
blessings and many more in the Church and Congregation, strengthen us in our
mission.
Our
fraternal communion with each other as brothers and priests in Holy Cross and
our structural interdependence among our provinces and districts is the basis
for our international solidarity in fulfilling our mission.
Our diversity, shared in a spirit of mutuality, solidarity and
interdependence is one of the most valuable gifts we can offer in our mission.
The
Chapter recommended that the Solidarity Commission help us to express our Holy
Cross interdependence by developing relationships of solidarity with like
ministries in other cultures, such as parish to parish or school to school.
This
kind of project offers us a concrete way in which to strengthen our option for
the poor. When we are close to the
plight of the poor, our every effort in faith increases our sensitivity to the
injustices of the world and the need for us to strengthen our efforts to
overcome them.
The
Chapter recommends that the Congregation establish a permanent Office of Justice
and Peace which could, among other tasks: inform and educate us to current
issues that need our attention; engage in research and pedagogical approaches to
these complex issues; liaison with other organizations; and arrange
Congregational gatherings to reflect on, improve and implement justice and peace
projects and ministries.
In
order to help facilitate the ministry of justice and peace, the Chapter
recommends that each province and district appoint a coordinator for these
ministerial activities and that the superior general, in consultation with all
sectors of the Congregation, exhort our membership to serious reflection and
action on issues of justice and peace.
The
Chapter calls on us to maintain and strengthen our Holy Cross September 13th
Solidarity Day as a time when we all pray and fast together to serve a
particular Congregational project for justice.
Along
with concerns for our Justice and Peace Mission, the Chapter also gave emphasis
to our Educational Mission and Pastoral Ministry.
The
educational legacy of Venerable Father Moreau is sound and also inspiring.
Intrinsic to our Holy Cross charism, Father Moreau’s holistic pedagogy
of cultivating minds and hearts is a commanding vehicle for directing and
guiding our participation in the Church’s “New Evangelization.” We are “educators
in the faith.”
The
Chapter recommends that the provincials and district superiors continue to
encourage research, reflection and study with regard to our educational charism,
mission and heritage.
Our
Pastoral Ministry is characterized by challenging ideals:
to know well the people we serve; to minister in a spirit of generous
availability; to collaborate closely with the laity empowering them as ministers
of evangelization; to communicate special sensitivity to women and to the poor,
to minorities and to the vulnerable. We
have a special preoccupation to help strengthen family values.
In
light of our ministerial efforts in education and in parishes, the Chapter
recommends that province and district authorities promote the benefits of
regional and Congregational networking, both formal and informal, within these
ministries.
The Chapter gave emphasis to strengthening our relationship with sponsored ministries. Province and district authorities are encouraged to continue their dialogue with the governing bodies, institution leadership and the local Holy Cross communities of these ministries. Our dialogue is to focus on the role of Holy Cross, our educational charism and assessments of mission effectiveness.
FROM
THE VOCATIONS AND FORMATION COMMITTEE
The
Chapter recognized the pressing need for vocation promotion and formation
calling them Congregational priorities. The
Chapter urges all the new Regions of the Congregation to cooperate as much as
possible to strengthen our recruitment efforts.
Our life and mission depend upon our capacity to invite new members into
the Congregation.
The
Chapter decreed that a Formation Commission be established in order to
coordinate and intensify our Congregational approach to these essential aspects
of our life and mission. Among its many tasks the Commission will be charged to
study cultural factors, internal and external to the Congregation, which
contribute to the success of our vocation recruitment.
The
Chapter decreed that every province and district have a vocation director in
place with sufficient resources to fulfill his ministry.
The
Chapter also recommends that vocation directors in a particular Region meet
every two years and also that all the Congregation’s vocation directors meet
together every three years so as to exchange information and explore
collaborative efforts for recruitment.
Formation
is to be placed within the context of Father Moreau’s vision for the union of
the societies of priests and brothers, and interdependence among the provinces
and districts of Holy Cross. The
Chapter calls for a spirit of excellence in our formation programs providing the
best theological and pastoral training possible.
The
Chapter went on to express a number of recommendations for initial formation:
First, that emphasis be given to psychosexual formation in relation to our religious commitment to consecrated chastity.
Second, that the social teachings of the Church should be given prominence.
Third, that every house of formation requires adequate peer group interaction. Provincial and district superiors in each Region are to explore joint formation programs while strengthening viable existing programs.
Fourth, that formation staffs be composed of religious from both societies.
Fifth, that the superior general and the Formation Commission monitor the need for formation personnel in the various regions of the Congregation.
Sixth, that the superior general and provincial and district authorities encourage individual religious to serve in formation ministry and that they also exchange formation personnel among the provinces and districts.
Seventh, that the Formation Commission explores both short-term and long-term opportunities for international formation programs. Such programs could strengthen our sense of belonging to one Congregation united across borders while forming enduring bonds of brotherhood.
The
Chapter was also concerned that our Congregation accept its responsibility to
nurture and guide our confreres through continuing formation.
The Chapter thus recommended that appropriate authorities provide:
opportunities for advanced education, particularly for educational ministries;
programs of supervised ministry; adequate theological formation for members of
the Brothers’ Society; adequate training for formation personnel; renewal
courses for spiritual, personal and theological integration.
The
Chapter also encouraged special programs that would give specific attention to
the aging members of the Congregation and programs that provide all of us with a
deeper appreciation of our Holy Cross heritage.
Finally, the Chapter recommends exploring the feasibility of establishing an international house of continuing formation and graduate studies for the members of the Congregation.
FROM THE GOVERNMENT
AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
Through the
initiative of this committee the Chapter issued a number of decrees to be
carried out by the superior general and his council before the 2010 General
Chapter.
First,
in light of concerns for restructuring the Congregation, the Government and
Administrative Committee decreed that Statute 60 be amended.
Statute
60 lists the criteria needed for the establishment of a province.
The criteria include: an adequate number of religious; a realistic
probability of vocations; the ability to provide religious formation; the
potential for leadership; the capacity to assume financial responsibility.
These criteria are needed for assuring effective service of the mission.
The
new amendment calls for the superior general and his council to enter a process
of assessment on the viability of a particular province with the provincial and
council of that province and to bring those findings to the next general
chapter.
Second,
the Chapter decreed that Constitution 7,90 be amended. The amendment refers to
the erection or suppression of districts either inside or outside the
geographical boundaries of the province that has juridical responsibility for
it. Provincial chapters work in concert with the superior general in erecting or
suppressing districts.
Third,
the Chapter decreed that the superior general and his council, and the
appropriate provincial authorities, continue to work with the District of India
and the District of East Africa in securing their status as provinces.
Fourth,
the Chapter decreed that the superior general continue to work with the
provincials of the
The
2006 provincial chapters of these two provinces will determine if all the
canonical and civil conditions for a merger are in place. The status of the
districts in Acadia and
The
General Chapter issued a commendation to the provincials, their councils, the
joint planning commission and all the religious of the
Fifth,
the Chapter decreed a change in the composition of the general council.
Sixth,
the Chapter decreed that the description of the responsibilities of the Council
of the Congregation in the Statutes be simplified.
The Council of the Congregation serves the superior general in an
advisory capacity.
Seventh,
the Chapter decreed a number of provisions for the 2010 General Chapter
including the number of capitulants who will attend and the breakdown of
ex-officio and elected delegates from mixed provinces and homogeneous provinces.
The 2010 General Chapter representation must take into account the evolving
character of the Congregation, such as younger religious, geographical areas and
growing sectors.
In
order to facilitate our common understanding of fair and equitable
representation for Congregational governance, the General Chapter emphasized
common understandings for the principles of parity and proportionality, which
guide our deliberations.
“Parity” refers to an equal number of priests and brothers on the general council and an equal number of brothers and priests as delegates to the general chapter, exclusive of the superior general. “Proportionality” refers to a method for establishing fair representation within a given society. The number of religious in the various provinces within the distinct societies varies substantially and thus “proportionality” gives the provinces a more equitable representation. It normally applies to the election of delegates to a general chapter.
Finally, the Chapter recommends that two studies be undertaken before the next general chapter. The first study is meant to help the Congregation find a new model for balancing the principles of parity and proportionality. These models are meant to help the Congregation’s sense of equity in a time of rapidly changing patterns of membership in the societies and provinces. The second study would be undertaken with the expressed purpose of improving the process by which the Congregation nominates and elects our superior general and general assistants.
The
Chapter decreed $1,126,185.00 as the total amount of province allocations to the
Generalate for each of the next three years through 2006-2007.
The apportionment among provinces and the District of India is calculated
on a pro-rata basis.
The
Chapter decreed the establishment of a Congregational Finance Commission to
review, among other things, investment policy, the annual reports, the
Congregational assessment formula, the implementation of a common financial
reporting format, the advisability and feasibility of establishing a
Congregational joint investment management program and financial aspects of
requests from districts seeking to move to province status.
The general steward serves as chair of the Finance Commission.
The
Chapter decreed a policy for the alienation of temporal goods, the contracts of
debts, and the ceiling of capital expenditures that are reserved to provinces
and those that are reserved to the superior general with the consent of his
council.
The
Chapter decreed expenditures of US$180,000.00 per year until 2010 from the
generalate budget to finance repairs to our
The
Chapter decreed the use of a uniform format for provinces making annual
financial reports to the general administration.
Each province will also have its financial statements reviewed or audited
by a certified public accountant. The Chapter also decreed that all sectors of
the Congregation develop a process for financial planning which will include
personnel and financial projections.
The
Chapter also recommended that development efforts in the provinces and districts
of Asia, Africa and
The official
promulgation of the entire Chapter 2004 documents will be issued once the
desired changes in our Constitutions have been reviewed and approved by the
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
I
would like to take this opportunity to thank the Chapter delegates who served so
well. A very positive spirit of fraternity and good will permeated the Chapter
deliberations. The delegates
demonstrated extraordinary zeal and commitment in helping the Congregation face
the challenges of our time. Truly,
as our Constitutions implore, they had “the
competence to see and the courage to act.” (C. 2,14)
In
special message addressed to the Chapter, Pope John Paul II wrote: “I
pray that the Blessed Virgin Mary, model of consecrated life, will continue to
inspire and sustain you with her example and her powerful intercession. May she
help you to live your religious vocation with increasing gratitude and joy in
the knowledge that the consecrated life is a precious and necessary gift for the
Church, an intimate part of her life, her holiness and her mission.”
Mary,
Our Lady of Sorrows, was open to God’s word and faithful to it.
The appeal of God’s word is not always clear and self-evident. Our
response requires great faith and it almost always involves risk. Fidelity to
God’s love can be costly. Swords
of sorrow pierced Mary’s heart and will pierce our hearts as well.
Mary
is our patroness. Her hope is our
hope; her fidelity is the model of our fidelity; her standing at the side of the
crucified is our commitment to stand at one another’s side and to stand before
the world, at times hoping against all hope, for a new heaven and a new earth.
When
Mary uttered her fiat to submit to God’s love for humanity, she became a
radiant model for all those who dare to renew their hope in God’s promises.
Love will endure. Despite
everything, love will endure.
In
closing I wish to express my deep and prayerful gratitude to John Gleason, James
Mulligan, Joseph Kofi Tsiquaye and Arul Raj Gali for their excellent service to
the Congregation as members of the last general council.
Please
be assured of my daily prayers for all the religious of the Congregation.
May Our Lady of Sorrows, our patroness, be the model of our life
together.
Sincerely
in Holy Cross,
Hugh
W. Cleary, C.S.C.
Superior
General