Friday: Chapter votes to become “A Congregation without Provinces”!

Today, August 1, 2008, Chapter participants voted unanimously to become a Congregation without Provinces, a vote that was officially ratified by the unanimous YES of Chapter Delegates. After the moment of decision, the Chapter joined in singing “The Summons” (“Will you but come and follow me if I but call your name?”) and then, weeping and grinning, we enveloped each other in a CSJP group hug.

We began the day in prayer with a beautiful musical setting of the Chapter Prayer by Rosalie McQuaide. Facilitator Joyce DeShano led us through the long background of the proposals before us. Then we held what Jean Alvarez called an Italian Town Meeting, moving from group to group to hear each others’ thinking. Coming back to the whole, we listened to comments, took a first leaning, and voted.

Later in the day we were able to agree quickly that the first elected member of the new Congregational Leadership Team (CLT) will be Congregation Leader, that the Team will name one member as Assistant Congregation Leader and that the Team will choose the location of the Congregation office. More discussion was needed to set the size of the CLT at 5. A new proposal surfaced, to name an Associate to the Team for non-canonical matters, but the group agreed that this was not the time to make such a decision. At the end of this long, emotional day, we rejoiced that we had made our decisions in such peace and joy in the presence of the Spirit.

The delegates vote.

Alexandra Kovats and
Gladys Hughes celebrate.