- August 2, 2019 Congregation
Deep sharing. Profound listening. Mutual respect.
These were the foundations of the 2019 Congregational Chapter, held from July 14-27 at Mercy Center in St. Louis. Through communal discernment and contemplative dialogue, chapter delegates and companions experienced unity amid a collaboration of diverse ideas, emerging with common threads that strengthen the congregation in fulfilling its mission of loving God and neighbor without distinction.
“One of the things that stood out for me in this chapter experience is the spirit in which we’ve come together,” says Sister Jean Wincek (SP). “It feels very respectful … differences are put on the table, acknowledged and honored. It’s clear that we are a unified congregation. The experience is showing me there are many ways we contain diversity.”
The chapter theme, “Called Together for the Life of the World,” reflects the urgency of this moment in time both in our world and our congregation. This urgency to respond to those needs was evident throughout the four movements of chapter, and it was through that lens in which processes, directions and leaders were affirmed.
Order of the House
This first movement offered information and perspectives about the state of the congregation that helped to inform the latter conversations about future. Reports included an accountability on living out the 2013 Acts of Chapter, financial and demographic viability data, and the Congregational Leadership Team’s overview on their term in office.
Big-Picture Conversations
For the second movement, the chapter body engaged in Big-Picture Conversations to determine how the congregation will respond to critical concerns. The conversation topics were generated from the 2018 Called Together gatherings that were held across the congregation. Topics on the table were “Church: Our Role as Women Religious in the Church Today,” “Contemporary Religious Life: Living Our Vowed Life in the Context of Today’s World,” and “Congregation: Who Do We Want to Become for the Life of the World?”
Feedback was synthesized by the writers who crafted a Statement of Future Direction that, after several rounds of input, was affirmed. The statement calls the CSJ community and partners to “go deeper, journey farther and respond boldly” in being prophetic witnesses around issues such as responding to the crisis of Earth, dismantling systems of oppression and claiming our voice as women for an inclusive church.
Sister Chris Pologa (A) says, “I am excited that we are discussing and doing the bold prophetic action for justice … The urgency of contemporary issues call us to respond with the boldness of the gospel and with the unifying love of our charism.”
Recommendation for Governance
The Innovation Committee’s proposed process for communal discernment regarding governance was overwhelmingly affirmed. It states:
After a formal communal discernment process, each province/vice province will choose either: to remain as a province/vice province, relating to current province/vice province governance OR to relate directly to congregational leadership for governance and no longer operate as a province/vice province. Whichever governance structure is chosen by a given province/vice province, the call to simplification is the same.
The discussion and decision making process on the recommendation was characterized by the same subsidiarity, mutuality and collaboration that is core to the recommendation itself.
“I felt that we came to this meeting with a real spirit of humility and a willingness to be vulnerable to each other in such a way that it brought us to listen, to receive one another and to be open to be influenced,” says Sister Lynn Levo (A). “I think that’s what brought us to our ability to come to a decision about a very important aspect of our life.”
Election of Leaders
A five-member Congregational Leadership Team was elected whose six-year term begins in January 2020. Team members are Sisters Sally Harper (first councilor), Patty Johnson, Mary McGlone, Sean Peters (director) and Therese Sherlock. The nominees were especially committed to contemplation and collaboration, a glimpse of their style of leadership in the future.
Sister Patty (SL) says, “The values of how we might work together have already been very evident. We’re anticipating that the easy give and take and openness that we have experienced so far will be a hallmark of how we will work together.”
Learn more about the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.