Monday: Three Challenges from Sheila

Congregtion Leader Sheila Lemieux gave the Chapter her “State of the Congregation” report on Monday, with a theme of “Releasing the Charism.” “We gather in abundance,” she said, “we gather for a feast, we gather to be transformed. This Congregation Chapter is the public occasion when we release the charism in new and different ways.”

Sheila noted that Crossing Place serves as rich metaphor for this time as we are called to go deeper and be truth-tellers and called not just to tolerate our diversity, but to draw on its power.
She gave us three challenges:

• She challenged us to interpret the charism in light of contemporary needs
• She challenged us to direct possible reconfigurations to mission, to releasing the charism
• She challenged us to give expression to our oneness as Congregation by selecting one focus or mission to mark the upcoming 125th anniversary of our foundation.

In the 2nd phase of Sheila’s report, a DVD prepared by Congregation Communications Director Paulette Krick movingly summarized our work as Congregation to fulfill the commitments made in our Well of Integrity and Rivers of Peace Chapter Acts (this DVD will be available to all).

Finally, Sheila challenged us to move beyond our comfortable identities and boundaries, to expand our horizons for the sake of mission. “Perhaps the deepest purpose of religious life,” she said, “is to cooperate with God’s grace and allow ourselves to evolve to a level of consciousness that sees everything as interconnected, intertwined and interdependent.”

Our first day concluded with a beautiful liturgy in which all participated, celebrated by Fr. Terry Moran,
CSJP-A.