Becoming a Discerning Congregation

On Thursday morning, Facilitator Joyce DeShano led us in a wonderful reflection on what it means to become a discerning congregation. A condensed version of her presentation will be shared as a DVD in the September CSG process, along with written materials.

Joyce shared that our nomination and election process will require a mind shift in light of our Chapter decision to become a Congregation without provinces. “It’s no longer just about the women you know best,” she said. Drawing from her personal experience with her Congregation’s
merger, she suggested that we try to avoid thinking in terms of “my province” when surfacing names for potential leaders. “That’s hard to shift.”

Communal discernment is both an attitude and a process. Joyce listed three attitudes required for communal discernment: radical receptivity, openness to the spirit, and deep trust. As a process, communal discernment is a choice among goods, never about winners and losers, and always about a CALL.

She encouraged us to call ourselves to create a discerning congregation for the next six months. “This responsibility applies to everyone, Sisters and Associates,” she said, “not just delegates and nominees.” There was a great deal of discussion at tables and in the larger group about how to
go home and communicate the spirit and experience of the Chapter to those unable to attend.

In the afternoon, we began to consider what qualities might be needed for leadership in the next six years. “Keep in mind,” Joyce said, “the qualities you need now may be quite different than what you’ve needed in the past.” She invited us to consider qualities in four categories: relationships, organization, vision, and team building.

On Friday, we will review the drafts of the Chapter Act documents on nonviolence and care for creation. We will also review the nomination and election process that we will use over the next 6 months through our CSGs. There will also be an opportunity to begin surfacing names of
potential nominees.

Francena Dodd, Bridgetta Rooney and Eileen Bryne
work on the next steps.