- December 8, 2021 Association
Earlier this year, the Association Leadership Board (ALB) announced the opening of an online formation coordinator. The online formation coordinator plans and facilitates online sessions for initial formation in collaboration with the director of Association, Mary Armbrust. The primary responsibilities are to provide resources and facilitation for a series of approximately six monthly online sessions.
The ALB is proud to announce Associates James and Susan Whalen as the new online formation coordinators. Get to know a bit about them as they share about their life and work experiences and what they bring to their new roles.
Tell us about your life in Wisconsin.
Both of us are Wisconsin natives—Sue grew up near Green Bay, Jamie in Milwaukee. We met at Marquette University in Milwaukee and married in 1992. We then lived in southeast Wisconsin while Sue began her teaching career, and Jamie a career in ministry. We eventually settled in the Green Bay area and formed our family through transracial adoption. We’ve been blessed with three sons (ages 26, 23 and 21), a daughter-in-law, and three grandsons who live nearby. We’ve been catechists in each parish we’ve belonged to, and we currently teach a combined fourth and fifth grade religion education class. We love living in Wisconsin, and enjoy hiking, snowshoeing, car trips, and trying new recipes together.
What initially drew you to CSJ Association?
We responded to a Come and See invitation from friends who are associates. The warmth and open sharing we experienced made us feel welcomed. The format appealed to our desire to pursue something that would help us grow in our faith together, rather than separately as we often had to do when our children were younger.
Why is CSJ Association important to you?
Association has become an important way of living out our faith. We found that learning about the charism, the maxims, the history of the CSJs, not to mention being inspired by sisters and associates living lives of service, has helped us see the world in a distinctive way that helps us witness our faith and the ideals of the community to all those we meet. We look forward to joining together each month with our small group for Sharing of the Heart, and we appreciate the connection to the larger Community of St. Joseph, which is doing such good work in the world.
What gifts do you bring to the position?
Forming associates involves blending many different elements such as providing basic information, learning about the CSJ charism, praying together, and building relationships through shared conversation. Sue’s full-time job is designing training, so adult learning and development is close to her heart. Jamie is the lay leader formation director for the Diocese of Green Bay. It is a great gift for him to be able to help men and women discern their vocational call and find opportunities to serve.
What are you looking forward to in your new roles?
As difficult as the pandemic has been, it has forced us to look at new ways to gather in community. We want to honor the way formation has happened in the past and all the ways in which it formed associates seeking to love the dear neighbor without distinction. At the same time, virtual formation can provide potential associates the opportunity to learn more and be part of a genuine faith-sharing community without being limited by physical location or schedule. We are excited to be able to help develop this new option for formation and hope that it forms committed associates who live the charism with faithfulness and integrity.
Written by Mary Armbrust, Director of Association
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