december 2007 leadership conference of women religious newsletter

8/9/2019 December 2007 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter

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LCWR Update December 2007 page 1

Inside this issue:

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5

6

December 2007

LCWR Officers Move Conference Issues

Forward

LCWR History Project Update

Finance Committee Addresses Budget andDues Structure

LCWR Offers Workshop for New and Returning Leaders

The opportunity tomeet others in leader-ship, to network, tobe affirmed in whatwe are doing, and tobe challenged to gofurther is invaluable.

I would highly recom-mend this for newleaders. You receivegreat resources in a

short period of time.

March 13 - 16, 2008 -- Plymouth, Michigan

This was an excellentteam-building experi-ence for new leadersand repeats.

The presenters were exceptional inspirationaland practical. Ive been given much to reflect on as Ireturn to leadership ministry.

TESTIMONY FROM 2007 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

Even though I have been in leader-ship for six years, I am glad that all ofus on our team, those of us who havebeen in leadership and those who werenewer, came. The time together is sovaluable.

FACULTY

Simone Campbell, SSSLynn Jarrell, OSULynn M. Levo, CSJHertha Longo, CSAMira Mosle, BVM

Nancy Schreck, OSF

Relating with others in transitionaltimesDealing with difficult membersFinding meaning in leadershipCivil law issuesHow to talk with your attorneyHealthy uses of common lawUnderstanding financialreportsUsing resources formission and membersupport

InvestmentsSpirituality of leadershipCommunicatinginternally and withthe publicWorking with media

TOPICS INCLUDE:The registration form is available on the

LCWR website atwww.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/NLW-

Flyer08.pdf.Forms and payment are due by December 7.

Participation is limited.
http://www.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/NLWFlyer08.pdfhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/NLWFlyer08.pdfhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/NLWFlyer08.pdfhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/NLWFlyer08.pdf


2/12


Fr t LCWR Pridncy

by J. Lora Dambroski, OSF LCWR President-Elect

Journeying into the New Landscape

Advent, time of preparation forthe celebration of the mystery ofthe Incarnation. Emmanuel, Godwith us. We recall during this time

a woman and a man who made a com-mitment to their God, their people, andeach other. There was an invitation fromoutside of themselves, from Somethingbigger than themselves. They respondedwith yes and it changed their predict-able lifes journey.

Each time we, too, say yes to a new in-vitation, to ministry or service or relationship, we knowthat we are entering into a new place on our lifes jour-

ney. We move ahead knowing that we will be impactedby others and that we will impact them.

So, whats new about this? Whats new is the challengeof seeing, listening, and reflecting with focused atten-tion on what may seem to be the predictable parts ofour lifes journey.

During Advent Mary and Joseph are placed before us.We remember a woman and a man who made a com-mitment to God and each other. They did what it tookon a day-to-day basis to be faithful to that commitment.They also did what was out of the ordinary. Being be-trothed to one another was a public as well as personal

challenge. They were persons on the move to respondto the government demands for registration and taxes.They were immigrants away from home giving birth totheir first-born child. Being parents of this unusual childwas an ongoing call into the unknown; their only stabil-ity, their trust in God and one another.

A beautiful and mysterious story that is still today amodel for our own way of life. This time of religiouslife is a mystery of call, challenge, and commitment

Ts m iius f s ytry c, chlng, n cm uk

ny r th hs gn fr us.

unlike any other that has gone before us.We are challenged by the demands of ourculture, our governments impact on ourcongregations, service of those who areimmigrants in our midst, and, at the sametime, living into what religious life is nowand how what we do today impacts ourtomorrow. This, too, is a beautiful andmysterious story.

We have many tools at our disposalfor making this journey onto the new

landscape of religious life facilitators,studies, group reflections and planning, merging ourresources for life and mission/ministry. What we arechallenged to remember as we step onto and shape thisnew landscape is so simple that we may forget it. In ourpersonal and public challenge as women religious ofour time our stability, too, is our trust in God and oneanother. We are on this path together. Our yes is be-ing invited into new expression.

I think of the lives of our religious congregations and ofLCWR. As we take up the challenge of the New Optionsfor the shaping and future of LCWR, our core commit-ment is not changing. Together we are being called to

reflect, listen, and determine what is the next phase onour mysterious journey.

Maybe we, like Mary and Joseph, have before us per-sonal and public challenge to respond to the daily callinto the unknown, our only stability being our trust inGod and one another.

May , k Mry n J,hv fr us rn n u

chlng t pn t t dly c tt unw, ur ly tbty n

ur u Go n

n nr.


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(continued on page 4)

LCWR Officers Move Conference

Issues Forward

D

uring November the LCWR officers attendedvarious meetings in Maryland, where they repre-

sented the conference and attended to conferencebusiness.

Executive Committee Meeting

The LCWR executive com-mittee met from theevening of November 5

through November 8, 2007.The meetings were held at BonSecours Spirituality Center inMarriottsville, Maryland, and

on the third day LCWR gath-ered with the CMSM executivecommittee at the Cameron StreetBuilding in Silver Spring, Mary-land. The executive committee iscomprised of the three membersof the presidency (Mary Whited,CPPS; Mary Dacey, SSJ; and J.Lora Dambroski, OSF), LCWRssecretary (Jeanne Bessette, OSF);treasurer (Maryann Summa, OP);

two members of the nationalboard elected by the regionalchairs (Katie Clauss, IHM and Barbara Hagedorn, SC)and the executive director (Carole Shinnick, SSND).

The agenda included updates on the presidents activi-ties, a report from the finance committee and follow-upactions on issues brought forward from the nationalassembly and the post-assembly meeting of the nationalboard.

The executive committee meeting with CMSM focused

on issues of mutual concern: the jointly owned build-ing at Cameron Street, the InterAmerican Committeemeeting in March 2008 which will be hosted by CMSMand LCWR, the visits to the Vatican in 2008, and the2008 joint assembly. Most of the agenda will be broughtto the national boards of CMSM and LCWR for furtherdiscussion and input in February 2008.

Commission on Religious Life and Ministry

Each year, representatives from the Conference ofMajor Superiors of Men (CMSM), the Council ofMajor Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR),

the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB), and LCWR gather to look at issues related toreligious life. The Commission on Religious Life andMinistry evolved from the Tri-Conference Commissionwhich oversaw the National Religious Retirement Of-fice. In 1994, after the Vatican approval of the formationof CMSWR, the fourth group was invited to join thecommission and the name was changed to the Commis-sion on Religious Life and Ministry.

Since 1994 the CRLM has been meeting twice a year once in February and once in November. However,with the restructuring of the USCCB, the decision was

made to eliminate the February meeting.

The most recent meeting began with reflection andsharing on John Allens article, Ten MegatrendsShaping the Catholic Church. Other items included areport from Janice Bader, CPPS, newly-appointed direc-tor of the National Religious Retirement Office, and aconversation about the recently-approved fund-raisingnorms.

Since the February CRLM meeting will no longer beheld, a conference call involving the presidents/chairsand the executive directors/general secretaries of thefour member groups will take place in April 2008. Inaddition, the USCCBs Committee on ConsecratedLife, currently chaired by Bishop Terry Steib, SVD ofMemphis will be placed under a new structure in keep-ing with the USCCB reorganization plan. The currentcommittee which forms the group of bishops who meetwith the CRLM, will become one of the subcommittees

Katie Clauss, IHM

Barbara Hagedorn, SC

John Klassen, OSB of the CMSM executivecommittee and Mary Whited, CPPS


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(continued from page 3)

LCWR Officers Move ConferenceIssues Forward

accountable to Cardinal Sean OMalley of Boston. Othersub-committees involved in the same re-configura-tion include those on the diaconate, priestly vocations,priestly formation, priestly life and ministry, and voca-tions.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Representatives of LCWR attended the Novembermeeting of the USCCB as observers. Mary Whited,CPPS, Mary Dacey, SSJ, J. Lora Dambroski, OSF

and Carole Shinnick, SSND were present for most of thesessions open to observers. The meeting included the

election of Cardinal Francis George, OMI of Chicagoas the new president of the conference and of BishopGerald Kicanas, ordinary of the diocese of Tucson as thevice-president.

During the meeting, the bishops approved the votingguide for 2008, Faithful Citizenship. They also affirmedthe direction of the redesign of the USCCB organization.On the opening day of the meeting, outgoing PresidentWilliam Skylstad of Spokane, shared a presidentialstatement calling on the US government to work in abipartisan manner for a responsible transition in Iraq.The statement called for ending the war at the earliestopportunity and minimizing the loss of lives bothIraqi and American.

The statement noted that the United States faces impor-tant challenges and decisions about the terrible dilem-mas in Iraq. Our nation must focus more on the ethicsof exit than on the ethics of intervention. The morallyand politically demanding but carefully limited goal ofresponsible transition should aim to reduce further loss

of life and address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, therefugee crisis in the region, the need to help rebuild thecountry and human rights, especially religious free-dom.

As observers at the USCCB meeting, the LCWR repre-

sentatives have the opportunity to interact informallywith the bishops concerning items on the agenda andother matters, particularly at the coffee breaks and dur-ing the luncheon period.

Some of the members of the Commission on Religious Life onMinistry: Gabrielle Mary Braccio, RSM; Paul Lininger (backto camera), Bishop Terry Steib, J. Lora Dambroski, OSF

Plan to Order the 2008 LCWR Reflec-

tion Book,At the Edge of Tomorrow

LCWR will be publishing a new daily reflection bookentitled,At the Edge of Tomorrow. The reflections inthis years book will be focused on what it takes to

live courageously into an unknown future. The hope isthat the book will inspire people to move forward witha sense of deep hope, a desire to be creative, a willing-ness to dwell with unanswered questions, and a senseof excitement about what might be ahead as religouslife stands on the edge of tomorrow.

The reflections in the book are designed for use between

May 31 and July 22.

The book contains reflections by 53 LCWR members onthe words of various writers and thinkers on visioning,as well as on related passages of scripture. The objec-tives of this publication are:

Provide LCWR members with a spiritual tool thatcan aid their reflection on significant themes perti-nent to religious life.Provide LCWR members with a resource that canbe shared as well with their own members.Foster a bond of unity in prayer among LCWR

members, other women religious, and anyone elsewho wishes to utilize the reflections. More than20,000 copies of each of the last four LCWR reflec-tion books were sold, enabling many people to joinin prayer around a common theme.

LCWR members, associates, and subscribers will re-ceive a copy of the publication. Information on orderingaddtional copies will be sent from the LCWR nationaloffice in upcoming weeks.


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History Project Continues to Evolve

T

he LCWR history exhibit continues to evolve,promising to become something far more excitingthan anything the committee could ever have

envisioned. There has been a shift in the companyLCWR is using for the overall design and execution.Originally the conference contracted with Design Islandof Orlando. However, due to some significant changesin leadership of that company and staff changes, LCWRis now working with Nancy Seruto, CEO of Seruto andCompany of Pasadena, California. The great news isthat Nancy has been an advisor to the project ever sincethe very first charrette in 2005, and she has contractedto employ many of the same personnel who havebeen working on the project including Mellissa Berry,formerly of Design Island.

From October 30 through November 1, 2007 somemembers of the history committee met with several ofthe key persons in the design and creation of the exhibitat the offices of Seruto and Company. The primary workof that meeting was to lay out an overall timeline aswell as a strategy for engaging venues for the exhibit.Helen Maher Garvey, BVM; Mary Dacey, SSJ; KarenKennelly, CSJ; Constance Phelps, SCL; and CaroleShinnick, SSND represented the committee at thePasadena meeting.

On November 17, Karen Kennelly flew to Baltimore inorder to spend time with Constance FitzGerald, OCDat the Baltimore Carmelite Monastery. The BaltimoreCarmel is very significant in the history of womenreligious in the United States. The monastery wasfounded in 1790 and is the first foundation of womenreligious in the original 13 colonies. The monasteryhas an enormous number of precious documents andartifacts in their holdings. Karen, an eminent historianof religious life herself, spent three days with Constanceidentifying which of the artifacts might best be madeavailable for the exhibit.

Additonal updates will be provided in the LCWRUpdate and the History Exhibit newsletter as the projectcontinues to take shape.

Anna Schlobohm de Cruder, production manager with Serutoand Company with Mary Dacey, SSJ and Constance Phelps,SCL

Karen Kennelly, CSJ and Constance FitzGerald, OCDidentify artifacts from the Baltimore Carmelite Monastery forpossible inclusion in the history exhibit.

Karen Kennelly, CSJ; Helen Maher Garvey, BVM and Jen-nifer Bressler, a graphic artist working on the history exhibitmeet at the offices of Seruto and Company in Pasadena.


6/12


LCWR Finance Committee Works onBudget and Revised Dues Structure

T

he LCWR Finance Committee met in Silver Springon October 29 and 30. The committee welcomed

Pam Chiesa, PBVM (Region 14) as its newestmember and thanked Jean Keniry, OSF (Region 11),outgoing member of the committee, for her five yearsof service. The two major outcomes of the meeting werea recommendation to the executive committee for the2008 conference budget as well as for a revised duesstructure for 2009.

LCWR participates in several funds managed by Chris-tian Brothers Investment Services. The Finance Commit-tee raised some questions about results of socially re-sponsible investment policies as implemented by CBIS.The committee noted, for example, that CBIS funds ownstock in Wal-Mart in order to engage in dialogue withmanagement regarding their business practices. Thecommittee was pleased to hear a summary of progressmade through these dialogues. CBIS provides informa-tion about this on their website atwww.cbisonline.comunder Socially Responsible Investments and the sub-category Shareholder Advocacy Directory.

The committee is aware that many communities areactively boycotting some companies and that other

communities enter into shareholder resolutions ordialogues with management on issues of importance. Italso realizes that it is important to be aware of progressthat these various strategies bring about. LCWR mem-bers are encouraged to check with their own investmentadvisors or managers or with ICCR to get updatedinformation. The information that CBIS provides on itsown advocacy activities is available in the public sec-tion of their website and they welcome use of the site.

The committee will meet again in Silver Spring onApril 14-15, 2008. Other members of the committee are:

Maryann Summa, OP, LCWR treasurer; Rose Jochmann,OSF; Geraldine Hoyler, CSC; Mary Persico, IHM; AliceCot, RJM; and Pat Cormack, SCSC (staff).

LCWR is about to publish the Winter 2008 issue ofThe Occasional Papers, the focus of which comesfrom this years assembly theme, The Next Fron-

tier: Religious Life at the Edge of Tomorrow. Some ofthe articles in this issue include:

An interview with Ray Dlugos, OSA on shift-ing concepts of religious life leadership, workingthrough change, religious identity, and dealing withambivalence. Ray is the chief executive officer ofSouthdown Institute and has presented workshopsfor clergy and religious throughout North America.

An interview with Luisa M. Saffiotti, PhD on howorganizations can live on the edge of change,religious life in an in-between time, and leadershipduring a time of deep transformation. Luisa is apsychologist and spiritual director who providesconsultation, education, and clinical services toreligious communities both nationally and interna-tionally and formerly was on the staff of St. LukeInstitute.

Insights into living religious life at the edge oftomorrow. Thirteen LCWR members explore their

insights into ideas gleaned from the LCWR assem-bly, including what it means to live in the nowherebetween two somewheres, seeing this moment inreligious life as a time for possibility and creativity,and the new frontiers to which religious may becalled.

All LCWR members, associates and subscribers willreceive a copy of this publication. Additional copiesmay be ordered by completing the form on the LCWRwebsite at: www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/LCWRO-

Pordersw08.dot. Orders must be received by Decem-ber 3. Only the number of copies pre-ordered will beprinted.

Questions regarding orders may be directed to CarolGlidden at [email protected] or 301-588-4955.
http://www.cbisonline.com/http://www.cbisonline.com/http://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/LCWROPordersw08.dothttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/LCWROPordersw08.dothttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/LCWROPordersw08.dothttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/LCWROPordersw08.dothttp://www.cbisonline.com/http://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/LCWROPordersw08.dot


7/12


Water and Extractive IndustriesCommittee Hears from Honduras

Astaff member of the Washington Office on LatinAmerica (WOLA) spoke to the Water and Extrac-

tive Industries Committee about the recent visitof Bishop Luis Alfonso Santos to Washington to addressabuses of US mining companies (other countries arealso involved) in Honduras. One third of the countryis ceded to mining interests of multiple companiesmining gold, silver, lead, and zinc. Much of the miningis open pit, yet companies pay only 1% tax to munici-palities, supposedly for clean-up. The Civil Alliance forDemocracy, a coalition including the Catholic church,has written a document promoting a reform law, but itis impeded by the president of the national assembly.Bishop Santos himself has received death threats.

Points of entry for advocacy may be human rights; roadbuilding; environmental sustainability; health issues;governance issues, e.g. trade; and criminalization ofsocial protestors. The committee discussed the impor-tance of regional work, since Guatemala and Mexicoface like problems, and groups in El Salvador are work-ing to prevent mining companies from exploiting thecountry in similar ways. It was noted that mining hasnot been part of trade agreement negotiations.

Janice Bader, CPPS Heads NationalReligious Retirement Office

Janice Bader, CPPS hasbeen named director ofthe National Religious

Retirement Office (NRRO).She had been the offices

interim director since thedeath in July of AndreFries, CPPS, who had beendirector since 2000.

The NRRO is jointly spon-sored by LCWR, the USConference of Catholic Bish-ops, the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, and theCouncil of Major Superiors of Women Religious. Thegeneral secretary or executive director of each groupmakes up the management board of the Commission onConsecrated Life, which oversees the office and choosesthe director.Sister Janice has the business acumen to oversee a col-lection which draws in about $30 million annually, thesensitivity to the needs of the tens of thousands of menand women religious around the nation, and the faith toknow God will guide her work, said a statement by themanagement board that accompanied the announce-ment of her appointment.

Global Concerns Committee Plans for2008 Joint Assembly

During their October 29-31 meeting in Aston,Pennsylvania, the LCWR Global Concerns Com-mittee (GCC) reviewed the first draft of a joint

assembly resolution on climate change, and consideredways to incorporate the issue of climate change into theassembly theme, On This Holy Mountain. Ideas willbe discussed with a member of the assembly planningcommittee who is on-site in Denver. The resolutionwill also be reviewed by the CMSM Justice and PeaceCommittee before a final draft is sent to the regions forreview.

The GCC also identified topics for future Resolu-tions to Action, planned for the spring joint meetingwith CMSM, and discussed how LCWR might followthrough on the Crossroads Ministry Anti-Racism work-shop attended by LCWRs associate director for socialmission.

The GCC also considered implementation of the two2007 assembly resolutions. (Because the 2006 resolutionon torture was an endorsement of the CMSM resolu-tion, and the proposed resolution for 2005 was notapproved by the assembly, there has been no request forimplementation responses for the past two years.) The

GCC will send a simple implementation form to regionchairs for dissemination to members and compilationat the spring meetings as in past years Responses tothe 2007 Sabbath Year resolution will focus on the callfor participation in the fast and advocacy for the JubileeAct. In responding to the resolution on wetlands andcoastlands, members might share what is being donewith congregational properties (e.g., a committee mem-ber shared that her congregation recently signed a con-servation easement agreement so its land will remain aswetlands, farmland, and woods in perpetuity), shareawareness of educational materials, or other activities

related to wetlands in their respective local areas.


8/12


Presentation on Cluster MunitionsPrecedes Bi-Annual NRP Meeting

The October 22 bi-annual meeting of the NationalReligious Partnership (NRP) on nuclear weapons

danger was preceded by a presentation on ClusterMunitions: The Bomb That Keeps on Killing by twowomen from Laos and two men from Lebanon. Thespeakers were in Washington, DC to meet with mem-bers of Congress to share horrific stories of childrenwho have been killed in recent years by US clusterbombs dropped 40 years ago, and to urge congressionalaction. At least 75 countries stockpile cluster munitions,with the US stockpile alone totaling close to one billion.Legislation placing controls on the use and transfer ofcluster bombs is currently pending in both the Senate

and House: The Cluster Munitions Civilian ProtectionAct of 2007 (S. 594 and HR 1755).

During the NRP meeting, legislative updates were pro-vided on funding for the RRW (Reliable ReplacementWarhead) with the House deleting all funding and theSenate willing to accept minimal funding; and on theComplex 2030 bomb plant, for which all four commit-tees zeroed out funding. In anticipation of new hearingson Complex 2030 beginning in January or February,NRP will focus on building local activism in key states:CA, NM, SC, TX, and TN. Other reports included the

development of a Muslim-Christian Initiative in relationto Iran, and a Campaign to Protect the Most Vulnerableby setting radiation and multiple exposure environmen-tal health standards to protect pregnant women, nurs-ing mothers, fetuses, and children.

Cardinal McCarrick Convenes Meet-ing of Catholic Education and Social

Ministry Leaders

Under the auspices of the Catholic Bishops Com-mittees on Education, Domestic Policy, and In-ternational Policy, a Task Force on Catholic Social

Teaching was established 10 years ago to assess andstrengthen efforts to incorporate Catholic social thoughtinto educational programs. A summary report was is-sued by the bishops in 1998 urging Catholic educatorsto do more.

On November 5, 2007 Cardinal Theodore McCarrickconvened and chaired a meeting of selected leaders toreview and celebrate what has been accomplished andshare ideas about what more can be done. Representa-tives from elementary, secondary, higher education,parish adult education, youth ministry, and seminary

education participated. LCWR was represented byMarie Lucey, OSF, associate director for social mission.Catholic Relief Services (CRS) shared copies of a newresource, Engaging Faith in the World: Exploring CatholicSocial Teaching and Global Solidarity compiled by theNational Catholic Education Association and CRS.

NETWORK Board Makes SignificantDecisions

For the past year, the board of NETWORK has beenresearching and discussing the same pay policywhich has been in place since the inception of

NETWORK more than 35 years ago. A committee ofthe board undertook a study of the issue, including asurvey of current members of the staff, most of whomprefer to retain the policy that every staff memberreceive the same pay without differentiation of position.The board considered the pros and cons of changingthe policy in light of todays realities. The decisionsmade at the October 25-28 meeting were: no changesto the same pay policy will be made at this time, given

both NETWORKs current financial situation and thestaffs response to the survey; the staff will receivethe committee report and the board will continuediscussion and research; at the April 2008 meeting anew committee will be named to develop next steps.

The board also affirmed NETWORKs leadership of aConvention for the Common Good to be held July11-13, 2008 in Philadelphia with the sponsorship ofa number of Catholic organizations. This conventionprecedes those of both the Democrat and Republicanparties and is envisioned as a vehicle for developing analternative platform based on Catholic social teachingsto be submitted to both political parties. The board alsodeveloped several benchmarks against which progressin planning the convention will be measured.

The NEP (Network Education Program) invitedboard members (as well as LCWR regions and/orcongregations) to host an Election Year Workshop inpreparation for the 2008 elections by contacting SaraDwyer, ASC at [email protected].


9/12


Advents GiftsFr t LCWR Exuv Drer

Carole Shinnick, SSND

Sometimes it is really hard for me to getstarted on this column. Today is one

of those days. It is the Saturday afterThanksgiving and I am still in a semi-stupor brought on by stuffed mushrooms,sweet potatoes, pecan pie, and inordinate globsof whipped cream. And frankly I am taken bysurprise to find us once again at the edge ofAdvent in a year that is already moving all tooquickly.

Advent speaks of waiting and patience.But I find myself wanting to slow thingsdown to savor the present. Remember the old commercialfor Heinz ketchup the slow ketchup set to Carly

SimonsAnticipation? The suggestion was that anticipationof an upcoming event (in this case ketchup plopping on ahamburger) is even better than the real thing. And often thatis the case.

Each year, the ancient advent readings seem ever morecontemporary to me. No antique writings these, from someforgotten backwater in time. Rather Isaiah, Zachariah, and

Jeremiah hold forth like holy pundits commenting on theheadlines of our day. And what headlines they are. PakistaniConstitution Suspended. Two Million Iraqi Refugees Flood Syriaand Jordan. Thousands Homeless in Wake of Bangladesh Cyclones.Fifty Million Americans Uninsured. Polar Icecap Disappearing.The Advent scriptures beg to be read - Bible in one hand,daily newspaper in the other.

Advent is deep blue and mysterious. It is a lone cello playingin the night. It is the thinnest thread of light taut on theeastern horizon. It is a whispered word of solace in anxioustimes: Comfort, comfort my people. Advent plumbs ourdeepest yearnings for reassurance, for direction, for hope.It floods us with visions of miraculous events lions andlambs, abundant banquets, flowering deserts. Advent offersmessages so sacred that they can only be heard in silence andcan only be read by candlelight.

Av s d u n ytis.I s ln cl layng t ig.

I s t tn trea igt t etr hz.

Av ms r dp erngs frernc, fr rei,fr hp.

I flos s t is mracls vts

is n lms,n bnqus,flwn drts.

It is difficult to stay in Advents space whenthe pace of the season is so harried. It is hard tohear Advents promise over the loudspeakerstinny Silver Bells. It is a challenge to focuson Emmanuel when Rudolph and Frostycrowd the stage. But Advent is a gift givenonly for a brief winter moment, and we miss itat our own peril.

Advent observance may be particularly criticalfor leaders. The season reminds us that there

are more important ways to serve thansigning Christmas cards and serving the

Christmas party punch. Perhaps more than anyone, leadersneed to hear, and in turn to tell others the essential good

news of the season. It is simply this. Our God lives amongus. Our God wears our skin, dreams our dreams, knows ourhearts, and shares our disappointments. Our God is here,not in the straw-strewn stable of Bethlehem but in Idaho andIraq, in Pennsylvania and Palestine, in Nebraska and Nigeria.

Perhaps this is the only gift really worth giving thereassurance of God with us who does not judge us as we

judge ourselves, who loves our every effort (even the onesthat fizzle) and who sees our core goodness when we mostdoubt it. No wonder by the end of Advent if weve really

been paying attention, we need to sing with the astonishedangels, Gloria in excelsis Deo!

A blessed Advent to each of you.


10/12


LCWRSigns On

Upcoming LCWR Dates

LCWR Leading from Within RetreatRedemptorist Renewal Center

Tucson, ArizonaJanuary 20 25, 2008

Systemic Change Think TankFranciscan Renewal Center

Scottsdale, ArizonaFebruary 4 7, 2008

LCWR New Leader WorkshopThe Retreat Center at St. Johns

Plymouth, MichiganMarch 13 16, 2008

LCWR-CMSM Joint AssemblyDenver, Colorado

August 1 4, 2008

LCWR Leading from Within RetreatFranciscan Center

Tampa, FloridaJanuary 12 16, 2009

LCWR New Leader WorkshopThe Retreat Center at St. Johns

Plymouth, MichiganMarch 19 22, 2009

LCWR AssemblyNew Orleans, LouisianaAugust 11 15, 2009

Update is an official publication of the LeadershipConference of Women Religious published monthly anddistributed to members nationally.

Editor: Annmarie Sanders, IHM8808 Cameron Street Silver Spring, MD 20910Phone: 301-588-4955 Fax: [email protected] www.lcwr.org

Update

October 24: A letter to senators to support the NuclearPolicy and Posture Review Act of 2007 (S.1914) whichwould eliminate funding for the RRW (Reliable Re-placement Warhead).

November 7: A letter to congress to support the Clean

Water Restoration Act (S.1870; HR 2421).

November 9: A letter to House Judiciary CommitteeChair, John Conyers, in support of changes to the Re-authorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Actwhich would create a new federal crime of sex traffick-ing by using language of persuades, induces, or en-tices in lieu of force, fraud, or coercion. In addition,the language includes a strong provision against sextourism, and directs the Justice Department to revise itsmodel law in line with these changes.
http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.lcwr.org/


11/12


New Statistics Available About Menand Women Considering Religious

Vocations

The National Religious Vocation Conference(NRVC), in cooperation with TrueQuest Communi-cations, recently released a summary report of the

statistics of those men and women who filled out pro-files for VocationMatch.com from August 2006 throughJuly 2007. This new interactive feature to the Visionwebsite had a phenomenal record of 5,591 respondents.These statistics will be of particular interest to majorsuperiors as well as vocation and formation directors.This information may be accessed at: www.vocation-network.org/articles/read/105?advertiser=1

NRVC owes special gratitude to Patrice Tuohy andthe TrueQuest staff for their remarkable creativity asthey continue to reach out in innovative ways throughsophisticated, cutting-edge technology to thousands ofmen and women discerning their vocation.

Upcoming LRCR WorkshopSan Antonio, Texas

More details available atwww.lrcr.org

RECONFIGURATION BEST PRACTICES:Civilly, Canonically, Culturally

February 11-13, 2008Hilton San Antonio Airport

Faculty:Janet Fleischhacker, CSJ

Stephen Glodek, SMLynn Jarrell, OSU, JCD

Mark MacDougall, JDMary Reichert, JD

Daniel Ward, OSB, JD, JCL

Hilton San Antonio AirportRate $99 plus tax

Subscriber Registration Fee: $450Group Rate for

three or more from same institute/firm: $400

Gary Riebe-Estrella, SVD, vice president andacademic dean of Catholic Theological Union inChicago, was presented in absentia with the Mary

Emil Penet Award by the RFC at its 2007 congress.

The award is named after the first director of the SisterFormation Conference, which was the forerunner of theRFC. It is presented to honor an individual or groupwho has invested energy and insight to make a contri-bution to formation work for women and men religious.

Riebe-Estrella was unable to attend the congress dueto illness. He will receive it at CTU in June when RFCsForMission program is in residency there.

Religious Formation Conference:Follow-Up to 2007 Congress

V

ideotapes, audiotapes, and written transcripts ofthe keynote speakers and seminar presenters at

RFCs recent national congress in Pittsburgh areavailable for individuals and congregations that wouldlike to use them as resources for further reflection anddiscussion.

The theme of the congress, Compelled by the Spiritto be Fire, was enlivened by the keynote speakers asCarol Zinn, SSJ challenged religious to attend to theneeds of the world; Fintan Sheeran, SSCC reflected on achanging church; and David Blanchard, O Carm calledfor transformation in religious life.

Seminars included Forming for a Prophetic Way ofLife, with Luisa M. Saffiotti; Attending Psycho-SexualDevelopment in the Formative Process, with QuinnConnors, O Carm; The Future of Religious Life, withMary Charlotte Chandler, RSCJ; Formative Communi-ties: Challenging our Death Wish, with Don Bisson,FMS; Compelled by the Spirit of Church Law to Liber-ate, with Lynn Jarrell, OSU; and Integrating an Ecologi-cal Perspective within the Formative Process, with LynSzymkiewicz, CSJ.

More information is available on the RFC website, atwww.relforcon.org, or by contacting the RFC office [email protected]

Mary Emil Penet Award
http://www.vocationnetwork.org/articles/read/105?advertiser=1http://www.vocationnetwork.org/articles/read/105?advertiser=1http://www.vocationnetwork.org/articles/read/105?advertiser=1http://www.lrcr.org/http://www.lrcr.org/http://www.relforcon.org/http://www.relforcon.org/http://www.lrcr.org/http://www.vocationnetwork.org/articles/read/105?advertiser=1


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From theCenter for the Study of

Religious Life

Are Your Congregational Materials inthe Religious Life Collection?

The Center for the Study of Religious Life, located atCatholic Theological Union, facilitates the collec-tion of materials for the Religious Life Collection

of the Paul Bechtold Library at CTU. This collection is arepository for documents and studies on Roman Catho-lic religious institutes of men and women in the UnitedStates and is one of the strongest collections on religiouslife in North America.

Religious institutes are asked to send copies of theirconstitutions, directories, histories, formation plans,studies, and dissertations to CSRL in order to make thecollection more complete. A community can check tosee if its documents are represented in the CTU Reli-gious Life Collection, by going to www.religious-life.org/research/books.html.

Research Link-of-the-Month

Religious Orders Study of Rush University MedicalCenter Alzheimers Disease Center, www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1099611542043.html.

A long-term collaborative study with Rush and othermedical centers in the US begun in 1993, it includesmore than 1,000 older sisters, brothers, and priests withmedical and psychological evaluations each year andbrain donation after death. Current funding continuesthrough 2011. Participants represent four arch/dioceses,21 womens communities, and 12 mens communities.

A recent report from the study, Low Level of Conscien-tiousness May Be a Risk Factor for Alzheimers Disease,is available at www.rush.edu/webapps/MEDREL/

servlet/NewsRelease?id=942.
http://www.religious-life.org/research/books.htmlhttp://www.religious-life.org/research/books.htmlhttp://www.religious-life.org/research/books.htmlhttp://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1099611542043.htmlhttp://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1099611542043.htmlhttp://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1099611542043.htmlhttp://www.rush.edu/webapps/MEDREL/servlet/NewsRelease?id=942http://www.rush.edu/webapps/MEDREL/servlet/NewsRelease?id=942http://www.rush.edu/webapps/MEDREL/servlet/NewsRelease?id=942http://www.religious-life.org/research/books.htmlhttp://www.rush.edu/webapps/MEDREL/servlet/NewsRelease?id=942http://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1099611542043.html

december 2007 leadership conference of women religious newsletter

Documents