Indications: The responses have been grouped into 12 general thematic categories. These categories were placed in decreasing order according to the number of times they had been mentioned. 6 stars means it was mentioned more than 50 times. 5 stars means it was mentioned between 40 and 50 times. 4 stars means it was mentioned between 30 and 40 times. 3 stars means it was mentioned between 20 and 30 times. 2 stars means it was mentioned between 10 and 20 times. 1 star means it was mentioned less than 10 times. The quotes only attempt to illustrate the orientation. They reflect the diversity of points of view but not necessarily dominant points of view. CHALLENGES 1. The lack of vocations and the aging of the Society ****** The Spirit of God is asking something of the elderly, above all not to vegetate fidelity sanctity visit the sick.. establish in other parts of the world.. an austere and happy life the holy rebellion of the elderly. (AR) The spirituality of aging. (CA) An alarming, ever-increasing aging implies attention to health, the human and the spiritual; maturity of the new vocations implies human and spiritual maturity, inculturation, Marianist identity, progressive responsibility. (CE) Internal recruitment, i.e. maintaining the brothers we already have. (EA) Challenges of re-foundation. (FR) In the countries of traditional presence, willingness to take the risk of strengthening our existence despite preoccupations of health. (IT) Why isn t our everyday life attractive? (MA) Put the elderly and retired Marianists in appropriate circumstances in a Marianist mission. Remember the contemplative aspect the spirituality of and ministry to the sick. (MA) The recruitment of younger people as our membership continues to age; the maintenance of our Marianist identity. (ME) Increase the number of members (MX) We continue decreasing in number and we need to take adequate means to reverse this trend (PE) We are failing in numbers. This has other implications. Brothers are overworked. Community life is spread thin. Understand what it is that has been and is going forward in the West the slow death of the Society in Western Europe and the United States. Care for the aged. Continue the vocation ministry without losing heart because of lack of results (ZA) 1
2. The decline of the Units in the North and the consolidation of those in the South. Restructuring. ***** We need to share our resources (personnel, finances) more effectively. (AG) The Units that are dying out how to live this, what to do action and passion (AR) A change in the physiognomy of S.M. from the first world to the third world (BR) The Society of Mary is becoming more and more international. How do we effect the integration of new regions in order to respond to the collective needs of the Society? (CA) S.M. in the traditional Units is on the way to extinction. Growth is taking place in the new implantations. What should be done in the face of this reality? (CU) The eclipse of the SM in all of Europe. France, Switzerland and Austria are already in an almost desperate situation. Italy and Spain have some strength, but with the falling birth rate and new official ideas regarding life and the family, it will be difficult, in the short term, to find religious vocations in these countries. (FR) The survival of the SM in those countries of traditional presence. (IT) Strengthen the new foundations. They give the impression of being very weak and their continuance in danger. (MA) The proliferation of smaller administrative units. We would like to understand how these units can survive during the next five or ten years. Do we have the personnel and leadership to sustain them? There may be a financial difficulty as support from America and Europe is less than in the past. Passing the Marianist Charism out of a Euro-American mode into the mode of emerging countries. Aging in the First World countries; inexperience in the Third World countries. The reality of becoming a developing country congregation. Before beginning new works in new regions, try not to leave those in which we have been for many years. (ZA) 3. Context: The world, culture, the Church. *** We were founded to respond to religious indifference (FR) The present makeup of Europe. (FR) Problems of the laity. (FR) The family in today s society. (FR) The Marianist charism as an answer to questions regarding the understanding of life in today s world. (IT) Validity of the lay state in the Church throughout the Marianist Lay Communities. (JA) The challenge of a secular culture; building a world without God (MA) How do we inspire and speak the language of lay people? We as Marianists understand our language, but do others understand it and does it have meaning today? (MX) Increasing clericalization of the institutional Church and its effect on the Society. How can the SM insert itself more effectively in the local church? Understand and interact with the trends and forces and people of cultures in which we minister and listen to the Spirit in order to be holy personally and effective ministerially. The unity of faith and reason needs to be restored. 2
The secularizing of society and the objectivizing of morality. 4. Our Religious Identity. The Vows. *** Bring explicitly the best of our charism, especially the Marian model of the Church and inclusiveness in a world which systematically excludes. (AR) A community should be composed of at least three members; keep this in mind when considering new foundations. (FR) Diversification of apostolic activities. (IT) Rediscover the Marianist Identity. (IT) Deepen the identity of each branch of the Marianist Family and our common identity (MA) The changing nature of the Society of Mary due to age and confused religious identity Following Vatican II many Institutes went into an identity quest which often turned out to be an identity confusion. (ME) The relation ship between community and mission. How will we address the abuse of the spirit of poverty and simplicity of lifestyle? The lack of formation in celibate sexuality is rocking the Western Church The problems are, however, not limited to the Western Church. We need to form healthy religious celibates. Renew how we can help Mary and her mission in our world. Deepen our way of being (ZA) 5. Prayer life, Spirituality and Community Life *** We need to promote spiritual renewal, especially in areas where the Churches (and we ourselves) are in situations of decline. (AG) Be together; communicate more intimately and with trust.pauses during prayer time (CH) Critical deficiency in the interior life: Interior life drowned out by activity and a growing individualism. (FR) Means of communication and their relationship with the interior life. (FR) Useless congresses: Decisions are made by the community. (OE) Our life says little because we re being diluted by the world (MA) Lack of identity, Marianist enthusiasm, a more fraternal and prayerful life (PE) Too many religious live alone (or in houses of two) and work alone. Can these be drawn back to community living? How do we define community at this time in our history? Living more simply. Mediocrity in the spiritual life, a progressive capitalism and consumer mentality, looking for the easy life, hedonism (ZA) 6. Work with the poor and marginalized (JPIC). *** Set up a global policy which answers the principal problem in our world: the exclusion of millions of persons and social fracturing. Solidarity with the excluded (AR) The poor, those at-risk, AIDS, etc. (CC) That in each sector there exist at least one community with a strong presence among the poor (CH) 3
Is it possible that since AIDS is so close to home, nature is trying harder to say something to all of us? (EA) Poverty in the world and in each one of our countries. (FR) The love of God the Father leads us, like Mary, to be active agents in the construction of a more just and fraternal world (MA) Mission in the world of non-believers and those alienated (especially the young), immigrants (MA) The Society has involved itself in almost every genre of social activism, from cooperatives, to going to stockholders meetings to protest baby formula, farm workers, prison ministry, housing concerns for the poor, death penalty, international debt reduction, black ministry, anti-racism, gay ministry, but never a word about abortion. (ME) The challenge of the underworld ; the reality of the extreme suffering present in our world that is growing continuously. That reality challenges us, and we cannot not give an answer. (PH) Service to the poor. Clarifying the meaning of option for the poor. Explaining how the whole Society can fulfill this option. Globalization and resources sharing. We claim to make education central to our mission. Should we not be more forceful and unified in educating ourselves and others for sustainable development? 7. Multiculturalism, Interculturality and Exchanges between Units. ** Actualize or reinforce intercultural communities (CH) There exists a great challenge: to lock oneself in, to remain set in one s own world. There is no need to be upset by external meetings. Recent implantations have necessitated the work of multicultural adaptation and collaboration between distant and diverse entities. (IT) The Marianist life must also become more increasingly African, Asian, Latin American (MA) Is there a role for larger provinces in the SM (e.g. USA, Spain) in helping smaller, aging units (France, Austria, etc.)? On both international level and within each province and region, there is an increasing diversity of the membership. This diversity will have to affect our prayer styles, thinking methods and decision making. Ministry in multi-denominational and multi-religious settings. Varying ecclesiologies among members, communities and thus varying views of SM religious life for future. Living with different theologies within the Catholic world. Encourage the collaboration and interchange among religious of the different Unites (ZA) 8. The Marianist Family. ** Continued development and youth of the Family of Mary. (CA) The importance of links between the religious and lay Marianists in order to foster religious vocations and lay commitment. (FR) 4
Advance toward an existence as a Family of Mary and not simply a Society of Mary. (FR) The Family of Mary and the local Church: open up our apostolic horizons. (IT) Collaboration between the Society of Mary and the other segments of the Family of Mary. 9. Formation, especially future leadership and resource persons. ** Quality formation for both lay and ordained members. (EA) An ever deeper grounding and personalization of the spirit of our Institute in each member. (IN) Preparing future leaders for the Units. In older units, few younger men have unit leadership experience, often because men in their 60 s continue to carry the leadership In newer units, younger members indigenous to the unit are just beginning to take leadership. The challenge to find native leadership in Africa, Asia and South America. Formation of leadership at all levels. Need for people within the units to become resources for Marianist spirituality and tradition. 10. Mixed Composition. ** New membership and encouragement to priestly ministry. (EA) Risk to loose the sense of mixed composition, quality, hospitality and fraternity. (IN) The vocation of the lay religious. (IT) Why is the Society becoming a clerical (ordained) community? (ME) Increasing number of young Marianists choosing the clerical meaning and role? We need to face squarely the clericalization of the SM. Instead of people asking for the priesthood, ask the brothers to ask brothers to go on to the priesthood. 11. Youth and their education. * The future of Marianist education. (IT) Mary, path for the evangelization of young people. (IT) We need to make sure that in our going out to the young, trying to attract candidates we creatively work with and go out to the older members of our Society. (MX) Marianist presence in schools. Strengthening Marianist schools and improving the spread of our charism. The recruitment of youth will move from school ministry to other youth ministries. 12. Violence in the world. * Be on the cutting edge of the system, the announcing and building of a Kingdom in a world which is violent, secularized and with dominant fundamentalisms (AR) Violence and insecurity in our world. (EA) Increasing violence in our world in homes, schools, local communities, nations. Provide a sufficient number of vocations for training in the needs of a world contaminated by violent crime of murder and lust. 5
The need to maintain institutional ministries in the units that existed for some time (Europe, U.S., Latin America) and to strengthen them. ACTIONS Some of the solutions might come from an analysis of the above. However, we most probably will turn into more commissions, reports, committees, meeting, and not concrete steps. We run away from the concrete. (ME) 1. Improve initial and ongoing formation. ***** Put forth religious life as a significant role for people of today, in union with the needs of the Church and the world. (CA) In each Province or Region, call together active religious and jubilarians (or those close to their jubilee) in order to form them with views toward works of charity. (CC) Train formators under the responsibility of the Zonal Conferences (CE) Explore possibility of a common house of studies open to all members of the Society of Mary. (EA) Evaluation of the instruments of ongoing formation including the collection of books Modern Theology and Marianist Spirituality and the foundation of the International Center for Marianist Formation. (FR) Formation of the brothers towards specifically Marianist apostolates. (IT) Work for integral formation, including the intellectual (MA) Exchanges of personnel, so that those forming and those being formed spend some time in another country to better understand other cultures and facilitate our missionary experience (MX) Fostering sabbaticals. (OE) Implement well the formation process in order to form Marianists capable of dialogue, socially aware band respectful of the cultural differences. (PH) Continue programs like Horizons for middle years and older to gain an international experience for the Brothers. Form people in Mariology. There should be more professional training for those in the Third World countries. Check if all Marianists still know Father Chaminade and Mary s mission for today. Form priests and laymen who can be masters of the spiritual life, formators (ZA) 2. Develop the Marianist Family, the councils of the Family, the common mission, lay formation. ***** Mutual assistance among the branches of the Marianist Family to work together in some works (BR) A joint work of the whole Marianist Family. Common works in the Marianist Family (CE) Strengthen working together with the Marianist Family (CH) Come to an Administration and Animation that might be common among the 4 branches of the Marianist Family, going beyond that which is in place today. (FR) 6
Allow themselves to be enriched by the contributions of the other members of the Marianist Family; that the religious might be open to these contributions. (FR) Develop the Family of Mary (not necessarily in four branches, but in one single branch). (FR) Publish more materials to help MLC groups. (IN) Promotion of the work of vacations in the entire Marianist Family. (JA) Integration and collaboration between the religious and committed lay persons (MA) Live focused on the Family, for and with the Marianist Lay Communities (MA) Work as a Marianist Family (PE) Inclusion of lay persons in community life of the professed. New and creative ways of doing this should be sought. Dialogue sessions with various groups of the Marianist Family to help clarify our Mission and its relationship to community. Continue or develop the family councils, the shared mission, a common vocation ministry (ZA) 3. To consolidate communal and fraternal life, the experiences of prayer. **** Evaluate the exercise of authority and obedience. The function of the local superior is unclear in the Rule (CH) Individual and communitarian commitment to a radical conversion leading to a true witness of Gospel and Marianist values, especially in the areas of prayer and simplicity of life. (IN) Fidelity to the times of personal prayer (MA) Revitalize being a man of prayer and really pray the things that are indicated to us in the Rule of Life (MA) Go from doing to being (MA) The religious image of the institution is paramount. Prayer life, Eucharist, Adoration must be emphasized. (ME) Only a believing community, faithful and persevering, has a future. (OE) Revitalize the weekly community meeting (PE) A second novitiate (PE) Concrete proposals for improving community life and deepening personal and community prayers. Encourage spiritual direction. Encourage fraternal dialogue among the brothers about the issues and the concrete steps so that there is involvement not just receiving administrative decisions. Put emphasis on community and on not accepting works that hinder or get in the way of building community life. Offer guidance to the society on how we are living (or not living) a truly spiritual life. Know how to work together as a community with a mission (ZA) 4. To organize and increase youth and vocational ministry. **** Open our communities to young men to share prayer, life and work, making the necessary changes that this implies (CH) Support for a renewed ministry with youth. (FR) 7
We need to expand Marianist Community in different countries and states and keep in contact with young through our ministries to get many vocations. (IN) We need to invite others more directly to join us as religious or as lay Marianists, to be bolder in inviting others to join us in our mission. (IN) Announcements to youth and their families: unite recruitment with ecclesial movements. (IT) Serious restructuring of the SM activities and actions regarding youth. (JA) Development of native vocation promoters and formers in each country (MX) Choose to work with the young (PE) Motivate greater concern and effort for making a personal invitation to persons who may be prospective Marianist vocations. Attempt different approaches on recruitment with minority groups. 5. Orientation in favor of the option for the poor (JPIC). *** A renewed option for the poor which involves all of the communities and religious (AR) Nowadays, educational institutions accept for free students from needy families. Is this sufficient? (CC) Continue and support the risky decisions of continuing an implantation in the 3 rd world. Within 10 years 70% of the religious able to work should be doing so with the poor (CE) Advocating for debt cancellation for poorer countries. (EA) Marianist can organize communities of lay and religious to be more environmentally sensitive. (EA) Evaluation of our option in favor of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation and, as a result, of our practice of poverty, orientated toward a true and renewed commitment. (FR) Spread out willingly and effectively toward the South (3 rd and 4 th world) (MA) Education to peace (also through caring for refugees). (OE) Can our communities be made legal to provide food and shelter for a migrant worker? Educate Marianists for nonviolence. As for the Society having a voice in the world, begin a NGO at the United Nations. 6. Revitalization and restructuring. *** That the SM may encourage, wherever it may seem opportune, experiences of refoundation. (CA) That the Units of Europe might begin to unite their forces in order to be credible to the emerging world. (FR) Regarding the need of re-foundation : to come to an understanding of what that means; to see how it can be done; to find out who has the will and energy for refoundation; to initiate and support various small re-foundation projects (FR) The first concrete step would be to document well what is going on in our own surroundings. (FR) 8
Re-think the geography of the Society of Mary and clearly define its general mission. (IT) Try to make a careful analysis of the developments in spirituality within our different contexts. (OE) Promote that our institutions and people work in collaboration with other church institutions, religious groups and lay movements. (PH) How can the General Council / General Administration speak a message of hope and inspire fresh enthusiasm? 7. Think about the third age. ** Incorporate the 3 rd world into our common mission (BR) Name a Counselor whose concern could be the elderly religious (BR) Deeper Marianist formation for our older and retired brothers, in view of continuing mission, especially for those whose life was only the school. (CA) Don t foster a mentality of getting ready to die in the diminishing Units, but cultivate and openness to giving life to other places (CU) Ministry of vocations and elderly religious. (IT) The contributions of the older Brothers, their witness and mission (MA) Financial structuring to insure medical coverage, especially for the elderly. Expand health care facilities and develop a sense of Community among the aging Marianists. A spirituality to help our older men. Set objectives for a religious and missionary life for the elderly religious (ZA) 8. Re-enforce collaboration and communication among Marianists. ** More reading materials in community, especially spiritual reading books and magazines. To know what is going on in the SM world. (EA) Come up with less formal ways to meet and share. (FR) Emphasize our international aspects; hold meetings in the Joades style. (FR) The new community should have mixer of brothers, coming from different countries. (IN) Hold a meeting of young Marianists from different zones. (IT) To organize international solidarity within the Society of Mary. (OE) Sharing personnel resources inter-provincially, inter-regionally. We need to keep looking at ways to foster networking; collaboration; bringing people together for conversation; crossing boundaries; GA can help to facilitate this more. Greater contact between our religious in various opposing cultures to promote harmony. 9. Be more clear about who we are and what we do. ** Ask ourselves about the lay religious life. Concretely show the answers to the questions that reside in our communities and within each member. (IT) Continue to translate Scripture, our Marianist tradition into how it is meaningful in our life today. (MX) 9
We need to come to a new sense of our distinctive contribution to the church and the world. More effective articulation of our Marianist spirit. The process that produced the Characteristics of Marianist Education, and the uses that have been of it, have exceeded at least my expectations. Why couldn t we try to do something like a program in Marianist spirituality? Guided reading lists on SM documents. Retreats with SM focus. Pay attention to identity and how we are to express it. Interest in and dedication to the promotion of our Marianist causes for canonization. 10. Form leaders and resource persons* Choose a good leader who really understands the notion of mixed composition, equality, hospitality and fraternity. (IN) What type of leadership for the future? (IT) We need to find ways to develop leaders in the Society of Mary. Restructuring leadership models for future inculturation of our newest units. The development of future Marianist theologians, especially from our newest units. 11. Define our apostolic works * What works to keep and what works to leave. Change the way of animating the works (AR) Renew in each work the characteristics that make it Marianist Work. (IT) The definition of a Marian-Marianist apostolate (IT) Christianity does not have an educative mission has been a slogan. What to we think of that?(oe) To live the Gospel without putting too much emphasis on temporal works. (JA) Support and encourage common life with a community apostolate so as to attract to new vocations to concrete communities. (ME) Not always possible, but I am more and more convinced that corporate apostolates are better for Marianists. The need to develop a sense of community in mission versus individual apostolates. 12. Support for new foundations and for the youth of the young units * Support and confirm the newer foundations. (AG) Efficient and reasonable financial planning. (IN) Accompanying and guiding Brothers in new and developing units. (IN) Experiences which promote the understanding and visibility of members from the south/less developed countries (e.g. over-weighting attendance at Chapter, holding meetings in these countries). 10