Mission - Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

SYNTHESIS: MISSION
from Conversation Circles
Communion Sacred mystery embraces us in unifying love and we know
Communion. (Acts of Chapter ‘07)
All-­‐inclusive, unifying love
Love at the center of all that we do
Unity in diversity
Reconciliation
Community—we need it
Relational women gain strength from one another.
Moving from “I” to “we”—the power in being together
It is our being—to love, to be in loving relationships, no matter the age or occupation.
The charism has us, we don’t have the charism; it is universal.
Commentary: This process reveals tangible feelings of strength, energy and union
stemming from a shift from “I” to “WE”. The process disclosed the Community of the
Great Love of God as palpable for members/ACOF and is perceptible to others.
Mission The Sister of St. Joseph moves always toward profound love of God and love
of neighbor without distinction...and for whom she works in order to achieve unity of
neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God... (Consensus Statement)
Our mission is who we are, not what we do.
Being in loving relationship with the dear neighbor at home, in ministry, in the world
The mission of Jesus: extending love to all without distinction
The option for the poor which is the option of Jesus
Serving the dear neighbor will always be core!
Mission grounds ministry.
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Commentary: Mission is the wellspring; ministry flows from it. There is a realization of the
need to recapture the counter-­‐cultural values of the Gospel: to live simply, to live community
in a more visible way. Our life is rooted in the Gospels and the Constitution which is kept
contemporary by the Acts of Chapter.
Zeal and passion for the mission In gentleness, peace and joy we strive to become
more loving and effective instruments of Christ’s zeal. (Constitution N° 22)
If there is no love, there is no zeal or passion for the mission.
Our investment now must be nothing less than all we have to give.
Life spirals forth; empower new life in mission
We age and energy diminishes, but our hearts are still on fire.
Our greatest energy came from sisters working together for mission.
The younger members want to live together; witnessing mission by being together.
Commentary: There is a desire to be united together for mission in new ways to capture
energy, to pool resources to discover new ways of being together in mission for a world in
need.
Prayer Prayer is a living relationship with God—a relationship moving and growing
with the rhythms of life. (Constitution N° 9)
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Without prayer everything falls apart.
Prayer strengthens love.
Power of prayer—opens us to transformation.
Practice deep listening in ordinary life.
Ignatian spirituality—active contemplatives
Discernment is essential—we must be deeply grounded.
God can be more as we do less.
Commentary: There is a tangible energy growing from prayer, reflection and
contemplation leading to greater awareness which seems to lead to greater depth which
deepens mission. Being ‘contemplatives in action’ promises to lead toward greater
prophetic witness.
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Wisdom Stimulated by the Holy Spirit of Love and receptive to His inspirations...
(Consensus Statement)
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Letting go
Live in the present moment.
Wisdom, age and grace
Affirmation from elders as well as energy from young
Age is a factor for the majority, but not for the minority.
Listen to the wisdom of the young, let them run ahead.
Know what the younger members are thinking, as they will have longer term
investment.
Elders are a powerful resource for those who follow.
Wisdom and resources offered to the next generation to live the mission, to be
hopeful
Listen attentively, hasten slowly, live the questions patiently.
Passing life and love along
Celebrate and be grateful for where we are.
Commentary: There exists a Hospice-­‐Midwifery metaphor; it is an invitation for all of us to
attend to that which is diminishing or to commit to moving forward. The difference
comes with intention to focus attention on what is in decline or to birth a new future. In
the responses to the MISSION conversation, there seems to be a “both-­‐and” rather than
an “either-­‐or.” There is the recognition of a dance with movements embracing elder
appreciation and care while supporting the midwives of the emerging future. Both are
critical, simultaneous and rhythmic. Recognizing and attending to both defines the dance
of Wisdom.
Women of the Church The gift of unifying love calls us to join with the People of
God in keeping the mission of Jesus alive in the Church. (Acts of Chapter ‘07)
Grieving the loss of the Vatican II church in many places
CSJ role in/with the Church:
We are church, the people of God.
Are we the positive face of Jesus amid all the difficulties in the Church?
It is more about spirituality than religions.
People talk about the Institutional Church becoming more irrelevant.
People are spiritually hungry.
Can we offer spaces for a vibrant church?
Commentary: There is a need to move past the reversal of the Institutional Church, to
recapture the Church of Vatican II and continue to bring it forward. Unpacking our
prophetic role as women in and for the church is a critical challenge.

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THE FUTURE
Signs of the times Continuing Christ’s mission in the world calls us to live in the
spirit of the beatitudes with generous and courageous love. (Constitution N° 3)
How can CSJ mission and spirituality respond to present needs?
Our lived experience and history teaches us that mission evolves today as it has
before—we are responsible for the needs of today.
Signs:
Dehumanization/need for hospitality and presence
The world has lost its soul/spiritual hunger/need for healing.
Disparity between rich and poor/policies of greed
The Earth: new level of consciousness/destruction
Violence/culture of peace
Inclusion/exclusion
Families/women/children
Human trafficking
Technology/the global world
Corporate stand/Systemic change
Commentary: We need to unpack the signs of the times. We are the major consciousness
in creation; where should our light be focused like a beam? Technology is changing how
we communicate, live as the range and pace of communication and life is quickening.
Understanding and using technology is critical for us––and a challenge.
Challenge of the future It is our responsibility both as a congregation and as
individuals...to share the task of identifying and responding to spiritual and material needs.
The expression of these needs varies with times, cultures, and conditions of
persons. (Constitution N° 21)
Hope
Change is a good thing; the past is over, how we move ahead with what we have learned?
Embrace what emerges.
Be flexible.
As we dream the future, we do not need to follow the rules of the past.
If we want to be part of the future—show up!
Give up assumptions; give into curiosity.
Step beyond the safety of known boundaries.
Willing to work into/grow into something we do not/cannot know yet
Willing to be uncomfortable/unsettled/to live with ambiguity
Just because I can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Can we pretend “as if” and live/act our way into a new way of being?

It is time to be faithful without having all the answers.
As a community of sisters and associates, we must grieve our losses, define our
mission, and move on without fear.
Commentary: There is a call to be hopeful and to embrace ambiguity––to become deeper
in our understanding of communion and mission and to be active in the creation of new
models of community, membership, and structures.
Wake up calls/the hard questions Each member realizes that, to carry out the
social mission of the church and of the gospel, her witness at times will necessarily be
counter cultural. (Complementary Document N° 20-­‐22 A)
Jesus has a way of waking us up!
Now! Don’t wait! Now while we have strength and resources
Is there integrity in our lives?
Let ourselves be questions about who we are and what we do.
Be realistic about CSJ reality—age, energy, and finances.
Are we pretending to do all we did when we were younger and the congregation
was larger?
Stop pretending that we can do it all.
How do we replenish ourselves, achieve a balance?
Not about bigger, but about deeper convictions
Are we stuck in the “upper room”—the good old days?
There is not the same willingness to say: “I’ll go!”
What does it mean to really commit to community living?
How do we live interdependently with one another?
Commentary: There is a definite sense that the time is NOW. We do not have
another two, four, six years to make decisions. We need full participation for this
community process and for future decisions. We need to unpack what being and
acting as one congregation in new ways really means for us.
Other topics that arose during this first step that will be taken up in the near future:
Membership
Vowed life
ACOF
Partners in mission
Partners in ministry
Structures
Congregational Chapter
Core Group
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