OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Transcription

1 OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE PROVINCIAL CHAPTER MARCH 2014 INTRODUCTION We may be sure that none of our acts of love will be lost, nor any of our acts of sincere concern for others. No single act of love for God will be lost, no generous effort is meaningless, no painful endurance is wasted. All of these encircle our world like a vital force. (Evangelii Gaudium no, 279) It is our hope that the ministry of the Office of Religious Life through its animation of our Marianist life contributes generously to this vital force. The focus of the Office of Religious Life is clearly outlined in the Rule of Life. The responsibilities and goals of the Office are structured in areas of Spiritual Animation; Initial Formation; Continuing Formation; Province Retreats; Marianist Parishes; the Marianist Family; Marianist LIFE; Province Celebrations; Marianist Causes; and Vocation Ministry. The content of this annual report focuses on the work of the Office of Religious Life and it s attentiveness to specific goals as outlined by Vision SPIRITUAL ANIMATION Province Spiritual Renewal o The three year period of province renewal mandated by Vision 2020 Reflect! Renew! Respond! continues in its second year -- Renew. Final statistics of the first year Reflect reported over 240 Brothers attending six province workshops ( Deepening Our Relationship with God: Prayer & the Human Condition ) presented by Susan Komas of Contemplative Outreach. o The second Renew year began in August 2013 with various readings and a movie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) focused on the theme of the Spirituality of Change and Transition which were distributed to communities for reflection and discussion. Three regional workshops on the Spirituality of Change and Transition

2 to be facilitated by Brother Paul Mickelenko, S.T. have been planned and scheduled for the 2014 spring semester. o The third Respond year is presently being planned by the Province Spiritual Renewal Committee Year of Consecrated Life o Pope Francis announcement that the Year 2015 will be dedicated to Consecrated Life will be an extraordinary grace for the church and for all Marianists. This will give us an opportunity as a province community to celebrate the great gift of our Marianist Religious Life with the Marianist Family, our lay associates and colleagues in ministry, and to evangelize the good news of being Marianist religious. An eleven member ad hoc committee has been appointed to coordinate and focus our province observance of this graced moment. This ad hoc committee will report to the Office of Religious Life. PRAYER AND LITURGICAL LIFE The Liturgical Commission of the Province oversees annual liturgical planning for province retreats, jubilees and vow liturgies as well as assisting area coordinators and health care directors in planning funerals. Also, the Commission reviews the Brothers evaluations of province liturgical events at the annual retreats. A major accomplishment of the Liturgy Commission since reporting to last year s Chapter has been the publishing of the Collection of Masses Proper to the Society of Mary in two volumes: Volume I Missal and Volume II: Lectionary. The new missal and lectionary are available on the Marianist Portal. Hard copies of these liturgical texts will be distributed to the communities this summer. The Office of Religious Life also recommends that for other celebrations of Marian feasts, each community should obtain the two volume November 2012 edition of BVM Missal and Lectionary reflecting the texts of the third edition of the Roman Missal as authorized by the USCCB. The Liturgical Commission has been helpful in continuing to assist the province Spiritual Renewal Committee in providing prayer and liturgical resources Annual Report Office of Religious Life Page 2

3 A workshop on the Order of Christian Funerals will be presented to the Directors of Marianist Health Care and their associates at their annual meeting in Cupertino this April The goal of this workshop is to review local pastoral plans for celebrating funerals. Attention will be given to the various stations within the Order of Christian Funerals, with the hope of encouraging greater active participation by those Brothers who attend these liturgies. INITIAL FORMATION Highlights o The report from the Office of Vocations is attached as an addendum. o Province Formation Plan Approved and Commended by General Administration The XXXVI General Chapter instituted the policy that Unit formation plans are to be submitted to the General Council for approval (Enliven the Fire #38c). On January 15, 2015 we received word that our formation plan/policies received the unanimous approval and commendation of the General Council. The province Formation Team (Bro. Tom Wendorf - Vocation Director, Bro. Dennis Bautista Director of Aspirants, Fr. Chris Wittmann Director of Novices, Bro. Charles Johnson Assistant Director of Novices and Fr. Oscar Vasquez Director of Temporary Professed are to be commended for their on-going faithful dedication and skilled ministry to our Brothers in Initial Formation. This coming July 2014 the Province Formation Team (including the Assistant for Religious Life and the Assistant for Education) will travel to Rome for a ten day seminar on the Marianist Guide to Formation and formation relative to mixed composition. o This past year s Formation Weekend held in Philadelphia November 8-9 at Mother Boniface Center, was presented by Bro. Stephan Glodek, S.M., Bro. Jack Ventura and Lay Members of the Family of Mary on the History and Development of the Family of Mary. Participants also had an opportunity to visit the Province Office of Formation for Mission and celebrate the Sunday Eucharist with staff and members of the Family of Mary Annual Report Office of Religious Life Page 3

4 o During the summer of 2013, the Temporary Professed Brothers had an opportunity to participate in a workshop presented by Fr. Richard Wosmon, S.M., on Teaching Pedagogy in the Marianist Tradition. Fr. Timothy Eden, S.M., also offered a theology course in Sacred Scripture and Church History. Both programs were very well received. o The Stella Maris Program for Temporary Professed is to be held this coming June 20-30, 2014 as a bi-lingual experience in conjunction with the Temporary Professed Brothers from the Mexican Sector; its location will be at the Communidad Marianista in Querétaro, Mexico. The program will consist of five days of lecture given by Bro. Douglas Roper, S.M. (Peru); a day of pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, and five days of retreat directed by Fr. Quentin Hakenewerth, S.M. o As a final point of reference, it is important to recognize the on-going success of our initial formation efforts is due to the strength and talented formative skills of the members of the province formation team in conjunction with excellent formative accompaniment and ministerial placement and mentoring. o We are grateful for those who serve the province in this vital internal ministry. Seminary o This 2014 spring Bro. Robert Jones, S.M. will complete his second year of seminary studies and Bro. Sean Downing his first. Also, Bro. Armando Añeses will complete his pre-requisite philosophy and travel to Rome in June for language studies and begin theology classes in the fall. o The Assistant for Religious Life made his visitation to the seminary in October 2013 to interview seminarians from the U.S., India and Mexico. There was also an excellent opportunity to spend time with Rector Fr. Francisco Canseco and Vice Rector Bro. Lester Kaehler discussing the new Directory for Sacerdotal Formation in the Society of Mary Annual Report Office of Religious Life Page 4

5 CONTINUING FORMATION Sabbatical Renewal o A total of nine (9) Brothers have participated in a sabbatical/ renewal this year. We continue collaboration with the Marist Renewal Third Age Program at Manziana (Rome); and Ministry to Ministers Sabbatical Program at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. There continues to be high satisfaction among participants of these programs. o This past year, we have continued to be able to assist the Marist Brothers in their request of a priest for chaplaincy ministry in the Third Age Program. While not technically on sabbatical, as such, Fr. Pat Tonry was able to provide priestly service and still enjoy the lectures and activities of the Manziana program. PROVINCE RETREATS The 2013 Province Retreats were well received. Preachers of the 2013 Annual Retreats we instructed to preach on the theme of The Interior Life and Prayer in keeping with the Reflect theme of the first year of the Province Renewal. o Bergamo / May (Bros. Timothy Driscoll, S.M., Tom Redmond, S.M. and Jim Vorndran, S.M.) attended. o Tecaboca / May 26-June 1 (Silent Retreat) 23 attended. o Marianist Retreat and Conference Center / June 30-July 6 (Fr. Noel Mueller, O.S.B.) 27 attended. o Vallombrosa / July 7-13 (Fr. Thomas Cardone, S.M.) attended. o Oblate / July (Bro. Steve Glodek, S.M.) attended o Private Retreats 46 Total Attendance o Annual Retreats were also preached at the Cupertino Community (Fr. Allen DeLong, S.M.); the Mercy Siena Community (Carol Ramey and Fr. Joseph Kozar, S.M.); and the Marianist Residence in San Antonio (Fr. Pat Tonry, S.M.) Annual Report Office of Religious Life Page 5

6 2014 Province Retreats o All directors of the 2014 annual retreats have been asked to preach on the theme of the Spirituality of Change and Transition reflecting the Renew theme of the second year. The 2014 dates, locations, and presenters are: May Tecaboca / Silent Retreat June Bergamo / Sr. Maureen McCarthy, O.S.U. June 29 July 5 Oblate / Fr. Michael Crosby, O.F.M. Cap. July MR&CC / Fr. Bill Sheehan, O.M.I. PROVINCE CELEBRATIONS First Profession: Bro. Mark Motz, S.M. May 18, 2013 in Dayton, Ohio 2013 Jubilees were celebrated in: St. Louis, San Antonio, Honolulu, Cupertino, Baltimore and Dayton Jubilees will be celebrated in: St. Louis on April 26; San Antonio on May 3; Honolulu on May 18; Cupertino on June 7; New York on August 2; and Dayton on August 9. Biographies of the Jubilarians will be published on the province portal and featured in Family on Line. Funerals of Province Brothers - March 2013 March 2014: Eight MARIANIST PARISHES Parish Ministry leadership met in Eureka April 17 and 18 of Presentations included Marianist Sponsorship and homiletics. This year s meeting to be held in March 2014 will focus on leadership and pastoral assessments of the parishes grounded in the Characteristics of Marianist Parishes. It will include a process of beginning to draft a five year plan for each parish. The process will address the themes of affirmation for Marianist presence in parish ministry during a time of challenge and change, transition, renewal, and lay formation. Using Vision 2020 as a guiding principle, the pastoral plan will address parishes as apostolic organizations supporting the vision and mission of the Province Annual Report Office of Religious Life Page 6

7 While members of the province continue to serve tirelessly with distinction in seven parishes, there continues to be significant challenges in aging personnel, members who possess the facility of speaking and ministering in Spanish, and members who possess the desire and skill to minister to ethnically diverse cultures. THE MARIANIST FAMILY Marianist Affiliation o A two day colloquium on April 23 and 24, 2013 was hosted by the Office of Religious Life at the Marianist Retreat and Conference Center in Eureka to study, clarify and define the nature and meaning of Marianist Affiliation as it exists today. In attendance were nine affiliates, S.M spiritual advisors and scholars. Beside clarifying and defining the meaning of Marianist Affiliation, the colloquium addressed the standardization of the formation process and made recommendations for further action. The Office of Religious Life is in the process of creating an Affiliation Steering Committee which would be an advisory body to the Office of Religious Life. Marianist Affiliation is a spiritual, communal and apostolic relationship with the Society of Mary and the Daughters of Mary Immaculate. It is a personal, lifelong commitment to the vision of the founders and works of the Marianist Family. Affiliation is a specific vocation in the Church and Marianist Family, journeying with Mary as a guide and companion to bring Jesus to the waiting world. MARIANIST LIFE Summer of 2013 saw the participation of 178 students and 90 adults from: o 16 Marianist sponsored high schools and 8 non-marianist sponsored high schools o 3 Marianist parishes and 3 non-marianist parishes Mid-LIFE Weekends were planned for Moderators during January and February Participation included: o From Dayton and St. Louis (15 participants) at MR&CC o From California and Hawaii (8 participants) at Ewa Beach o And from Texas and St. Louis (12 participants) at Tecaboca Annual Report Office of Religious Life Page 7

8 o Members of the province continue to serve in various capacities as well as providing clerical services. Successes and Opportunities o Central & Pacific enrollment have been consistent Central LIFE has been at maximum capacity Pacific LIFE has been steady, but still has space o South enrollment has been low for the last 3 years Recruitment efforts are being focused in San Antonio. Canonization of the Founder + Marianist Causes Nothing new to report with regard to the canonization of the founder and the Marianist causes. We are still prayerfully, patiently waiting. Province membership was encouraged to observe a Triduum Novena remembering all those commended to the intersession of Blessed Father Chaminade during this past year. Fr. Paul Landolfi continues to be active as Province Promoter of Marianist Causes through his regular submissions to Family Online. He has recently translated two devotional/popular pamphlets written by Fr. Jose Maria Salaverri, S.M. on Venerable Faustino and Heloise, a French student inspired by Faustino. Father Paul plans on publishing these two offerings as well as holy cards with prayers for canonization of our Marianist Blesseds in time for the bi-centennial of both the Daughters of Mary Immaculate and the Society of Mary in 2016 and 2017 William J. Meyer, S.M. Assistant for Religious Life 2014 Annual Report Office of Religious Life Page 8