March 2004 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter

8/9/2019 March 2004 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter

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Update -- March 2004 -- page 1

March 2004

A Publication of the

Leadership Conference of Women ReligiousUpdate

Inside this issue:

LCWR Board Meetsin Arizona

The 20 members of the LCWR national board, as well as fourmembers of the LCWR national office staff were recently inScottsdale, Arizona for an LCWR board meeting as well as for ajoint meeting with the board members and staff of the Confer-ence of Major Superiors of Men.

Mary Ann Zollmann, BVM,LCWR past president;

Constance Phelps, SCL,president; and Christine

Vladimiroff, OSB, vice-presi-dent; chaired the meetings.

Among thetopics discussedby the LCWRboard were:

2004 LCWR/CMSMAssembly

LCWRjubileecelebration

LCWR goals

InteramericanConference --2005

Collaborationwith otherreligiousconferences

Marie Lucey, OSF, LCWR associatedirector for social mission; and board

members: Maria Elena Martinez, OSF;Rita Ann Teichman, SSJ; Irma Gonzalez,

IWBS; and Sara Dwyer, ASC

More on theboard meet-

ings on pages4 & 5 3

6

8

Leading from Within Retreat

Election 2004 Resources

Cultural Audit


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From the LCWR Presidency

by Constance Phelps, SCL -- LCWR President

Breathing Out Peace Together

As the month of March comesthis year, I am mindful of March2003 when President Bush

issued his ultimatum to Iraq. As Ireview these past months enmeshed inconflict, I question where we are a yearlater, personally, nationally, and interna-tionally. Prior to the declaration of war,LCWR, nationally and locally, usedevery means we could to advocate for noarmed conflict. And, sadly, much ofwhat we anticipated last year is a reality:the spiral of violence, the loss of life, thedestruction, the devastation, the deterio-rating economy, the deepening poverty, and the variedand myriad costs of war.

This March we watch events in the Middle East as theycontinue to unfold. We observe what is occurring in theUnited States as we prepare for elections in the fall.

FYI

is the current number of LCWRmember congregations ororganizations associated withLCWR members that havejoined the ink cartridge recy-cling project.

18,627

16

Lent is a time when we have the opportunity to bring to light

the roots of our relationship with God, a time to stir, once again,our relationships with one another, a time to reflect togetherand to encourage one another ...

is the number of ordersreceived for LCWRs Tending

the Holy: Daily Reflections onCaring for the Earth.

And we can well ask: where do we find hope? We whowork for, dream of, and pray for a world of peace andjustice, where is our hope? How do we continue toproclaim a vision of peace and justice for all people?

March, also, finds us in the midst of Lent. Some timeago, I read that the root of the English word to namethis liturgical season is lente or springtime.* Knowingthat springtime is natures season of new beginningsgives me hope. For it is the season of reawakening; theseason when hidden roots begin to stir from deepwinter sleep and stretch toward the sun, eventuallyspringing forth in new life. In new beginnings, in newlife, I find hope.

Lent is a time when we have the opportunity to bring tolight the roots of our relationship with God, a time tostir, once again, our relationships with one another, a

time to reflect together and to encourageone another as we journey toward thecelebration of new life at Easter. Viewedin this way, it is a season of hope.

Perhaps, during this Lenten 2004 periodof reflection, the roots of peace will stirever more strongly in our world. Per-haps this March, by our continued andcommunal prayer and fasting, by ourcontinued public witness for peace, byour seeking paths to dialog and reflec-tion, by our advocacy we will knowhope. For such an effort to bring peace

into the light is an act of hope.

William Stafford, poet and pacifist, cautions us:How we stand here is important.How we listen for the next things to happenHow we breathe.

Let us breathe in the Spirit and breathe out peacetogether.

*Sandra Louise Litzinger, Word, Wisdom & WorshipThanks to Sue Miller, SCL for the inspiration for this reflec-tion


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Collaborative Viability Project to

be Phased Out

The Collaborative Viability Project (CVP), initiatedby NATRI, NRRO, and LCWR in 1996, has helpedmany religious congregations to assess the

viability of their individual institutes and to use theoutcomes as a springboard for strategic planning.Congregations have launched programs to invite andsupport new members, engaged in the processes forlicensing their healthcare facilities, and focused onpreparing new leaders for their institutes. It has indeedbeen an effective tool for systemic change - probablyone that far out-performed what the original designershoped for.

In November 2003 the CVP Planning Committee met tomap next steps in light of evolving needs and decliningrequests for materials and consultations. It seemedapparent that, for the most part, any congregation whowished a CVP consultation had already requested it.After careful consideration, the committee decided tobring closure to the CVP consultation service as ofMarch 1, 2004. Consultations will still be provided forinstitutes already engaged in the self-assessmentprocess at the time appropriate for them. The CVPPlanning Committee wishes to acknowledge with deepgratitude the unnamed leadership and finance officers

who have served generously as consultants.

A small quantity of the viability booklets, in bothEnglish and Spanish, will be available for purchase athalf-price as long as the supply lasts. For furtherinformation, contact: Lorelle Elcock, OP at 301-587-7776or [email protected].

LCWR Requests CarefulTreatment of DirectoryInformation

The February 2004 issue of Update carried an article

about the policy of LCWR concerning mailinglabels. For the LCWR national office, protectingthe privacy of members is very important. Conse-quently, a great deal of care is taken before the mailinglabels are made available to any person or group. Forthe most part, LCWR does not allow its labels to be usedfor fund-raising purposes.

In effect, the information in the LCWR membershipdirectories needs to be treated similarly. Essentially, thedirectories include the same information that is care-fully handled at the national level. It is important to

remember this when individual members, associates, orsubscribers are asked to share LCWR directories withothers. Some may want to use the directory to developmailing labels or lists.

The national office requests members, associates, andsubscribers to keep this in mind. Regional LCWRmembers may also want to review their regions policyfor sharing mailing lists and labels, and if there is nopolicy, to consider putting one in place.

Space Still Available for LCWR

Leading from Within Retreat

Afew spaces are still

available for partici-pants in the LCWR Lead-ing from Within Retreat to be heldat San Pedro Retreat Center inWinter Park, Florida from January16-21, 2005.

Regina Bechtle, SC and NancySchreck, OSF will facilitate the retreat which willinclude input, quiet contemplative space, a variety ofritual experiences and some opportunity for individualand group spiritual direction. Participation in the retreat

is limited to the first 25 LCWR national members whoregister and send to the national office the $100 deposittoward the total of $525.

Marie Augusta Neal, SND de Namur

1921 - 2004

LCWR celebrates the life of Marie Augusta Neal, whodied on February 26, 2004. A sociology professor atEmmanuel College, Boston, she will long be remem-bered for her significant role in the renewal of religiouslife since Vatican II. She also made significant contribu-tions to research on change in the Catholic church,analysis of Catholic social teaching and work for socialjustice, particularly human rights.


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Among the topics included on theagenda of the joint LCWR/CMSMboard meeting were:

The future of LCWR/CMSM assem-blies

A presentation by Andree Fries,CPPS, executive director of theNational Religious Retirement Officeon the future of the religious retire-ment collection

A presentation by Mary CharlotteChandler, RSCJ, director of theCenter for the Study of ReligiousLife on learnings from the leader-ship forums

Discussion on the draft of the docu-

ment of the USCCBs Committee onWomen in Society and Churchentitled Collaboration Between Clergyand the Women Who Work With Them

LCWR board members MaryCatherine Rabbitt, SL and

Maureen Broughan SSJ discuss theUSCCB document with CMSM

board members

CMSM board member John Duffy,CPS, joins Carol Wagner, RDC;Dorothy Jean Beyer, OSB; MarilynKessler, SSND; and Maria ElenaMartinez, OSF

CMSM board member Dan Casey, FSCmeets with(clockwise from Dan) CaroleShinnick, SSND; Anne Hennessy, CSJ; RitaBrink, OSB; and Rose Jochmann, OSF

Beatrice Eichten, OSF andJeanne Bessette, OSF

LCWR national office staff members: EleanorGranger, OSF; Carole Shinnick, SSND,

Annmarie Sanders, IHM and Marie Lucey, OSF


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Blessing of Outgoing Board Members

An outdoor prayer service took place during the LCWR boardmeeting to bless the four board members whose terms will end in

August 2004: Mary Ann Zollmann, BVM; Maureen Broughan, SSJ;Jeanne Moore, OP; and Pamela Smith, SSCM

MarieLucey,OS

Fwith

MaryAnnZollm

ann,

BVM

MaureenBroughan,SSJwithRitaBrink,OSB

JeanneMoore,OPwith

JeanneBessette,OSF

PamelaSmith,SSCMwithMaryCatherineRabbitt,SL


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Resources Available for

Elections 2004

One of our greatest blessings in the United States is ourright and responsibility to participate in civic life. Everyone

can and should participate . . . . Since the last presidentialelection and our last reflection on faithful citizenship, ournation has been attacked by terrorists and has gone to wartwice. We have moved from how to share budget surplusesto how to allocate the burdens of deficits. As we approachthe elections of 2004, we face difficult challenges for ournation and world. -- from Faithful Citizenship, USCCB

A

n important element of the responsibility toparticipate in civic life is to educate onself onissues and candidates. Although some of these

issues are complex, and no one candidate has a perfectrecord on issues of importance to Catholic womenreligious, there are resources to help all be informedvoters. A few resources are:

Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Responsibility,available for $3.75 per single copy. For further informa-tion go to www.usccb.org. To order, call 800-235-8722.

NETWORK electronic resources: go towww.networklobby.org; see on home page, Network Guide to 2004 Elections, and find options. (Elections

and Candidates particularly helpful.)

Bread for the World offers free of charge a resourcetitled Elections Matter: Vote to End Hunger. To ordercopies or down load go to www.bread.org.

Election 2004: A Time for Political and Moral Choicesavailable from LCWR Region VII Justice Coordinatorsat www.cscsisters.org.

For debt issues, see www.jubileeusa.org, Debt and 04

Elections.

Unhappy Birthday Cards Available

T

his year the IMF and World Bank celebrate their60th birthdays. Jubilee USA Network encouragessending unhappy birthday cards to these institu-

tions calling on them to cancel the debt of impoverishednations without conditions. To send a card see:www.jubileeusa.org and find send an unhappybirthday card.

Whats Up at Wal-Mart?

T

he retail giant Wal-Mart has been receiving somebad press in recent months, and for religiousshareholders and others concerned about fairness

and justice, this is good news.

More than 30 religious groups, including some LCWRmembers, have filed a shareholder resolution calling thecompany to issue a Sustainability Report to Sharehold-ers by October 2004. The report would include adop-tion and implementation of practices designed toprotect human rights, worker rights, land and theenvironment. Wal-Mart has tried every means to getthe resolution off the books because of their otherproblems.

An additional perspective is offered by MargaretMimberley in an article titled Wal-Mart and theEconomic Destruction of Black Communities, in theJanuary 8, 2004 issue of The Black Commentator. Theauthor assails Wal-Mart for its happy commercialswhich put a false face on a company which preventsunion organizing and, before being sued, requiredemployees to work overtime without pay. She also callsto task some black business leaders who welcome thecompany because it provides jobs and lower cost goodsin black neighborhoods. The author questions: what

kind of jobs? lower prices at what cost to both U.S.employees and workers around the globe? and whatabout the small black businesses forced to close whenWal-Mart comes to town?

A question for all to consider: do we really need to shopat Wal-Mart?

UpdateUpdateUpdateUpdateUpdate is an official publication of the LeadershipConference of Women Religious published monthlyand distributed to members nationally.

Editor: Annmarie Sanders, IHM

Address:8808 Cameron Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910Phone: 301-588-4955 Fax: 301-587-4575E-mail: [email protected]. Website: www.lcwr.org
http://www.usccb.org/http://www.networklobby.org/http://www.bread.org/http://www.cscsisters.org/http://www.jubileeusa.org/http://www.jubileeusa.org/http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.jubileeusa.org/http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.jubileeusa.org/http://www.cscsisters.org/http://www.bread.org/http://www.networklobby.org/http://www.usccb.org/


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Our Time, A Blessed TimeFrom the LCWR Executive Director

Carole Shinnick, SSND

The human heart can go to the lengths of God.Dark and cold we may be, but this

Is no winter now. The frozen miseryOf centuries breaks, cracks, begins to move,The thunder is the thunder of the floes,The thaw, the flood, the upstart Spring.

Thank God our time is now when wrongComes up to face us everywhere,Never to leave us till we takeThe longest stride of soul men ever took.

Affairs are now soul size.The enterprise is exploration into God.

From:A Sleep of Prisonersby Christopher Fry

Christopher Fry, a British playwright sometimescalled the Shakespeare of his time, was aQuaker and a pacifist. His writing career wasinterrupted by World War II. For four years he servedin the Pioneer Corps, a group responsible for fightingthe fires and dealing with the damage caused by theincessant bombing of England. Despite the difficultdays he and his country had seen during the war, whenhe resumed his writing career, his plays exudedoptimism and hope. From the lips of one of his

characters, an imprisoned, dreaming soldier comes theastonishing line, Thank God our time is now whenwrong comes up to face us everywhere.

Perhaps we all have a tendency to see times other thanour own in a softer light. Some refer to the golden ageof religious life, possibly thinking that a time when we

were very numerous and staffing parochial schools andhospitals around the country, was exactly how itshould be. As an adolescent, I daydreamed aboutliving in the romantic times of the Renaissance. (Thatwas until I realized that deodorant and dental carewere in very short supply!)

Two LCWR committees that have met since the begin-ning of the year have each been led to claim this time,our time, as a blessed time. The Goal-Setting Commit-

New Nomination and ElectionCommittee Members Appointed

At the February LCWR board meeting, two newmembers were appointed to the Nominationand Election Committee: Dorothy Scesny,PBVM, from New Windsor, NY (Region 1) and BarbaraMass, SLW, Arlington Heights, IL (Region 8). At theAugust 2004 assembly, they will replace out-goingmember and chair, Chris Ludwig, CSJ, and Veronica

Wiedower, CSC. At that time Ardis Cloutier, OSF willassume the position of chair.

Materials for the nomination process have been sent tothe committee members and regional liaisons for thespring regional meetings. LCWR is grateful to thecommittee and liaisons for all they do at the meetingand following it to make the nomination process runsmoothly.

What else can we do, dear sisters,except to step into this time together,

trusting that our enterprise is exploration into God.

tee chose to name the realities of ourday and our world and to proclaim this

a time of favor from the Lord. TheJubilee Committee, after reviewing therecommendations from the regions,and praying over the jubilee texts, willinvite us as LCWR to proclaim a yearof jubilee, to celebrate a time forextravagance of heart and total pas-sion.

Working with these two groups, I had astrong sense that through the regions,and then through these wonderfullygenerous women, LCWR was being

especially called to embrace our time our one, unrepeatable moment as holy. It isntperfect. Our days are rife with human tragedy, failure,and disappointment. How easy it could be disheart-ened beyond repair until, that is, we see our time assoul-sized. What else can we do, dear sisters, exceptto step into this time together, trusting that our en-terprise is exploration into God.


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Religious Formation ConferenceRegional Workshops 2004-2005

A Movement in Hope:Continuing the Conversation on a

Theology of Religious Life

With theologians:Janet Ruffing, RSMKatherine Hanley, CSJ

Gary Riebe-Estrella, SVD

Patricia Walter, OPDonald Goergen, OP

Mary Ellen Sheehan, IHM

Anthony Gittins, CSSp

Donald Senior, CPBarbara Reid, OP

Anita de Luna, MCDP

Dates, locations and registration information are availableon the RFC website:

http://www.relforcon.org/5_wkshops/5_2004workshops.htm

From theFrom theFrom theFrom theFrom the

Center for the Study ofCenter for the Study ofCenter for the Study ofCenter for the Study ofCenter for the Study of

Religious LifeReligious LifeReligious LifeReligious LifeReligious Life

CSRL Offers Cultural AuditWorkshop

One of the publications produced by the Center forthe Study of Religious Life (CSRL) is the CulturalAudit Notebook. This tool assists a group(religious congregation, formation team, region) to develop a profile of their internal culture; to view their internal culture in relation to the

dominant US culture; to examine ways culture influences their thinking

and behavior, positively and negatively; and to become familiar with resources for meeting the

challenges of their own culture and the culturesthey encounter.

This summer CSRL is offering another workshop tohelp individuals conduct a cultural audit for theirgroup. The facilitators are Frances Cunningham, OSF,and Rudy Vela, SM, both members of the team thatdeveloped the cultural audit. Workshop participantswill do several of the exercises provided in the Cultural

Audit Notebook. There will be both small group andlarge group work.

The workshop will be at Catholic Theological Union atChicago, June 10-12, 2004 8:30 AM -- 4:00 PM each day.Note these dates are slightly different than the ones firstpublished. For further information and registrationforms contact Virginia Piecuch, CSRL program coordi-nator, at 773-752-2720 or [email protected].

Discounts: There will be a $50 rebate from CSRL on registration

costs for the second and third member of a congre-gation attending the workshop if the congregationis a CSRL member.

If a Cultural Audit Notebook is ordered from CSRLahead of the workshop and is picked up at theworkshop by a participant, the cost is only $200.The regular price is $300 plus shipping and hand-ling.

Seminar Addresses Law in the

Service of Governance

The Legal Seminar, sponsored by the Legal Re-source Center for Religious, is being held March

10-14 in Denver, Colorado. This year will see anincreased number of participants gathering for themeeting which focuses on governance through theprism of law.

The opening address by Christine Vladimiroff, OSB,vice-president of LCWR, will discuss law in the serviceof governance. In addition to general sessions, seminarparticipants will have the opportunity to attend five ofthe 21 workshops offered. Each workshop will focus ona civil or canon law topic of importance to religious

leadership and their members. Speakers include bothcivil and canon lawyers with expertise and experiencehelping religious orders.
http://www.relforcon.org/5_wkshops/5_2004workshops.htmhttp://www.relforcon.org/5_wkshops/5_2004workshops.htm


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Responses may also be mailed to [email protected] withthe subject heading Strategic Plan.

NRVC Launches New SpanishLanguage Website

In March 2004 the NRVC will launch an affiliatewebsite to the Vision website. The new Spanishlanguage site, www.vocacioncatolica.com, is foryoung adults who are interested in deepening theirfaith lives and possibly considering a religiousvocation. The site will include: a sampling of articles about finding ones path,

religious life, prayer, and living in two cultures; descriptive listings of participating religious

communities;

an opportunities section posting events and minis-try and service opportunities for Latino/a youth; a web index that links visitors to many sites of

interest to Hispanic Catholics and Latino/a youngadults seeking information about church vocations,religious life, and Catholic culture and teaching.

NRVC Convocation 2004 Focuses

on Fidelity to Jesus: A Paradigmof Hope

The NRVC Convocation 2004 will take place at theMarriott OHare Airport Hotel in Chicago fromSeptember 9-13. The keynote speakers, Timothy

Radcliffe, OP and Mary Maher, SSND, will addressparticipants on the theme of Fidelity to Jesus: AParadigm of Hope.

This convocation is open to congregational leadershipand, for this year, the NRVC Board is inviting professedreligious under the age of 40. As part of the convoca-tion, there will be a special process for interaction withthe keynote speakers, vocation directors, congregational

leaders, and younger religious. For quality dialogue,NRVC hopes to have representative samples from allthese populations. The convocation will also includeworkshops that would be appealing to all groups. Allmajor superiors and council members are invited toattend.Convocation information will be posted on the NRVCwebsite www.nrvc.net in April.

NRVC Begins Drafting Five-Year

Strategic Plan

All major superiors will be receiving a copy of apreliminary working document of the NRVCFive Year Strategic Plan. This report is far fromcomplete. It includes a preamble, the NRVC missionstatement, projected trends and challenges for the next10 years, and an explanation of six organizationalpriorities for the next five years.

The report does not include specific action plans. TheNRVC board believes that it is best at this point in theprocess to receive the necessary feedback from NRVCmembers, major superiors and directors of its collabo-rating organizations. In other words, NRVC needs toknow if it is going in the right direction.

NRVC stresses that it values the thoughts and opinionsof others and asks LCWR members to carefully reviewthe information when they receive it and mail or fax aresponse on the form that is enclosed byApril 15.

Upcoming LCWR Dates

LCWR New Leader WorkshopMundelein, IllinoisMarch 25-28, 2004

LCWR/CMSM Joint AssemblyFort Worth, Texas

August 19 -- 23, 2004

LCWR Leading from Within RetreatWinter Park, FloridaJanuary 16-21, 2005

LCWR AssemblyAnaheim, CaliforniaAugust 19 -- 23, 2005

LCWR AssemblyAtlanta, Georgia

August 18 -- 22, 2006
http://www.vocacioncatolica.com/http://www.nrvc.net/http://www.vocacioncatolica.com/http://www.nrvc.net/

March 2004 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter

Documents

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