A Mighty Tree - Sisters of the Holy Cross

A Mighty TreeThe Beginnings of a Renewed JourneyIt was Pentecost weekend of June 12, 2011, that the leaders of the Holy Cross FamilyAssociate Leadership Group convened in New Orleans, Louisiana. The group represented thefour Holy Cross congregations: Marianites of Holy Cross (Chris Laughlin and Sister JudithGomila, MSC), Sisters of Holy Cross (Shirley Brien and Sister Louise Auclair, CSC), JudithPlummer (Sisters of the Holy Cross), and Joe Connell (Congregation of Holy Cross, MidwestProvince). They gathered to discover, discuss and discern where the Holy Spirit is guiding themas leaders of associates called to the family of Holy Cross.Their gathering was a reconnection for some. Chris, Judith Plummer and Joe originallymet in St. Louis at the 2010 biannual meeting of the North American Conference of Associatesand Religious (NACAR). It was there that they began to share the associate journey they areexperiencing in their congregations. They decided to continue their discussions a year later,together with other associate leaders in the Holy Cross family. It was in a venue of generoushospitality provided by the Marianite Sisters that this group met at Holy Angels CongregationalCenter, New Orleans.Early on it became clearly evident that all held the foundational belief that association isin the “DNA” of Holy Cross and that lay association in Holy Cross is not new. From the earlyfounding times of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau formed the Associates ofSt. Joseph for lay women and men who were called and invited to participate in the charism andGospel-based spirituality of his growing community. Everyone concurred that lay association inHoly Cross, as envisioned and initiated by Father Moreau, was not carried forth bycongregational leaders until recent times.Father Moreau’s mighty tree metaphor, which he often used to describe the vision he hadfor the family of Holy Cross, continues to be a powerful image. They pondered this thought:that the mighty tree is consistent with recognizing and promoting an unrealized fourth branch oflaity called to association in the family of Holy Cross. It was acknowledged that they have seenforms of associate programs come and go in Holy Cross. This time, however, all were firmlyconvinced that what they see now is the reawakening of Father Moreau’s vision of the mightytree which includes new forms of association and that Moreau’s path to sainthood is calling forthhis followers to enable the mighty tree to flourish and to fulfill his vision for the family of HolyCross.At length, this group of Holy Cross associate leaders discussed Father Moreau’s vision ofChurch; that he was ahead of his time; and that Vatican II subsequently affirmed many of hisviews. They reminded themselves that the Council proclaimed the charisms of religiousinstitutes do not belong solely to the vowed members; rather, they belong equally to the peopleof God. The Council encouraged religious institutes to find ways to share their charisms with thelaity. Moreau had come to these conclusions over 175 years ago!

As the dialogue continued, it became clear to the group that association now appears tobe prophetically and simultaneously igniting within the family of Holy Cross. To this end, theyagreed that what the Holy Cross associate journey requires in our time is that congregationalleaders and others need to have the competency to see and the courage to act upon what the HolySpirit is calling the family of Holy Cross to understand and run with.Everyone listened with their hearts and minds to each other’s stories, and shared their upsand downs in their ministries as associate leaders. They saw how they might become betterinstruments to facilitate, in step with their congregational leaders, the Spirit’s call leading laymen and women to embrace the charisms of Holy Cross—laity who seek opportunities fordeeper, spiritual and charismatic connections with the family of Holy Cross.During that weekend in New Orleans, the group sensed throughout their meeting that itwas truly Spirit filled and guided. They resolved to stay in touch with one another in supportiveways when discussing with their congregational leaders ways of configuring and promoting layassociation within the family of Holy Cross as Father Moreau might have envisioned in ourtimes. And so they agreed to meet next June at the 2012 NACAR Conference in Chicago, and toparticipate in periodic conference calls to continue the dialogue they experienced in New Orleansat the time of Pentecost.July 19, 2011