- November 16, 2021 Association
By Mary Armbrust
Pausing to Grieve
The last few months have been laced with grief. A number of sisters and associates have gone home to God. We feel the sadness at the empty spaces now found in our small groups and our Community of St. Joseph. Reading through the memories of the CSJ experiences of these dear women and men gives us pause. We might consider how living out the charism impacted them and others. We might also wonder: how does our living out the charism affect us and others? Together, we pause to thank God for the lives of these sisters and associates. May we be inspired by their love of God and the dear neighbor without distinction and offer comfort to one another—the missing is so hard.
Pausing to Renew Hope
The last few months have been faced with renewed hope. We continue striving to stay positive and creatively address the many challenges related to staying connected. Nothing can replace meeting in person—don’t we all miss those hugs?! Nonetheless, my hope is buoyed by the ways that Spirit has inspired us to continue working toward loving unity:
- Offering “Journey to Association” online initial formation has enabled coordinators, presenters, mentors and candidates from throughout our province to come together for meaningful experiences.
- By improving proficiency using technology, we are poised to begin reaching out to the large number of associates who currently are not connected with a small monthly group.
- Community matters to all of us. While the size of some small groups has grown a bit large and others have dwindled, I am hearing more and more of an interest and openness to including new members, starting new online groups or combining with other small groups.
- The Advent Scripture Discussion, Lenten Sharing of the Heart, and the multitude of online opportunities offered by the province, congregation and federation are connecting sisters and associates from all over the country and world. We are loving these new relationships.
Pausing to Celebrate
The past few months we have been graced with much to celebrate:
- We currently have 393 associates and 38 small monthly groups that include 55 sisters.
- Sister Clare Spaeth, of Denver, Colorado, has agreed to serve on our Associate Leadership Board.
- Due to an expressed interest, plans are in the works to offer another opportunity for “Journey to Association” that will begin in April 2022, with an intention that association not only grows but also becomes more inclusive and diverse.
- The Federation Conference, “Radically Transforming Community,” will be held July 8-10 in St. Louis, with a very warm invitation for associates to attend.
Personally, in January I celebrated my one-year anniversary of becoming the director of Association, and I still love the work. I thoroughly enjoy working with my colleagues on staff, in ACOF and at the federation level. God is good—all the time!
Thank you to all who support association in any way—you are appreciated. As always, please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns or to be further involved with association.
Together ... we are more!