After almost two full weeks of apparently Zen-like silence (or that's what it must have been, given the total lack of buzz around the salad bar), a few bloggable blurbs have emerged from the meeting of the Extended Leadership Board).
The first, reported by US Regional, Father Mike Duggan) is that the Maryknoll Society will hold a meeting of the entire membership in 2013. Given our present attrition rate, such a meeting will fit nicely in the Central America room, or maybe have both members gather around the salad bar. Seriously, this will really be an interesting experiment, and might be just the spark needed to re-ignite our fires for renewal. I
am making a conscious effort to avoid analogies using the words "powder keg."
The Maryknoll Sisters had such a "Meeting of the Whole" more than ten years ago, and they had way more members then
than we do now or will in 2012.
But back to ELB. I have heard both directly and indirectly from multiple men that some are frustrated with the lack of substance, direction or in-put. While many issues were discussed, nothing has yet been decided (let the reader take note). ELB was scheduled to go till
June 14 but finished yesterday, so whatever they did or didn't do, they stopped doing it. Now that's Zen.
In other news: Father Stephen Taluja has (finally) been assigned to the Latin America Region, effective November 1, 2011. We wish Stephen well as he prepares this next chapter of his mission journey.
Rumor has it that the closing liturgy for our Centennial may be June 29, 2012. This will chain-stitch nicely with the Maryknoll Sisters' Centennial which begins this coming January.
Sorry for this paucity of news. I gotta eat more salad.
Showing posts with label ElB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ElB. Show all posts
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
ELB 2.0
Insofar as many have inquired as to the happenings here among us last week concerning all that has occurred at the extraordinary session of the Extended Leadership Board, it seemed fitting for me as well to blog it for you, most excellent Theophagus.
Well, OK, Father Mike Duggan, regional in the U.S., was gracious enough to fill me in over lunch yesterday so that I may masticate and regurgitate it to you in bite-size, easily digestible, if not easy-to-swallow morsels.
So here is it. ELB dealt with four topics: Communication, Mission, Retirement, the relationship between ELB and the General Council, and morale of members. (OK, that’s actually five, but the first four directly impact the last, n’est pas?)
MISSION It was heartening to hear that, for all the problems facing our leaders, the future of Maryknoll mission work is still a priority. Clearly we can’t be in as many countries as we are now, but do we concentrate on putting all our mission eggs in just one overseas basket? Or do we maintain our multicultural interests by having at least two Regions?
Someone opined that the best gift we “old timers” can give the 12 men currently in formation and, God willing, to more men who will enter formation in the coming years, is to “get out of their way.” New wine! New skins!
COMMUNICATION It comes as no surprise that this was identified as THE most serious challenge facing our members as we try to discern what leadership is thinking, what they did, and why they did it. Indeed, the reason for ELB 2.0 was to give the Regionals another chance to come together and talk with one another and the Council and brainstorm, as well as express their opinions on the state of the Society and define just what the nature and purpose of ELB is.
RETIREMENT Let’s face it, the big wave is already crashing over our heads. But what is the right time to retire? And who decides? And how do you convince a man to give up the only life he’s known? What does “retirement” even mean? Some men think it means that, absent a formal Maryknoll assignment, they are free to do whatever they want. (So then, what’s the difference between that and what Maryknollers usually do?) The retirement age may be raised to 70 sometime in the future, but this is way too complex an issue to decide right now. More discussion in needed. [In journalistic parlance, this is what is known as “burying the lead”, but I like to reward those of you who plod through my other paragraphs with a solid nugget of news.]
Mike Duggan says there was ample time for him and each of the other Regionals (Fr. Alfonso Kim-Asia; Fr. Jim Lynch-Latin America, Fr. Dave Smith/Fr. Lance Nadeau-Africa and Fr. Tom McDonnell-Retirement) to speak what was on their minds.
But were they heard? And what positive changes will be made? Log in for future developments!
ELB 2.1 is scheduled for a week before and after June 4, 2011, when N’ShaAllah, we will celebrate the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Rodrigo Ulloa-Chavarry to the Maryknoll mission priesthood!
Well, OK, Father Mike Duggan, regional in the U.S., was gracious enough to fill me in over lunch yesterday so that I may masticate and regurgitate it to you in bite-size, easily digestible, if not easy-to-swallow morsels.
So here is it. ELB dealt with four topics: Communication, Mission, Retirement, the relationship between ELB and the General Council, and morale of members. (OK, that’s actually five, but the first four directly impact the last, n’est pas?)
MISSION It was heartening to hear that, for all the problems facing our leaders, the future of Maryknoll mission work is still a priority. Clearly we can’t be in as many countries as we are now, but do we concentrate on putting all our mission eggs in just one overseas basket? Or do we maintain our multicultural interests by having at least two Regions?
Someone opined that the best gift we “old timers” can give the 12 men currently in formation and, God willing, to more men who will enter formation in the coming years, is to “get out of their way.” New wine! New skins!
COMMUNICATION It comes as no surprise that this was identified as THE most serious challenge facing our members as we try to discern what leadership is thinking, what they did, and why they did it. Indeed, the reason for ELB 2.0 was to give the Regionals another chance to come together and talk with one another and the Council and brainstorm, as well as express their opinions on the state of the Society and define just what the nature and purpose of ELB is.
RETIREMENT Let’s face it, the big wave is already crashing over our heads. But what is the right time to retire? And who decides? And how do you convince a man to give up the only life he’s known? What does “retirement” even mean? Some men think it means that, absent a formal Maryknoll assignment, they are free to do whatever they want. (So then, what’s the difference between that and what Maryknollers usually do?) The retirement age may be raised to 70 sometime in the future, but this is way too complex an issue to decide right now. More discussion in needed. [In journalistic parlance, this is what is known as “burying the lead”, but I like to reward those of you who plod through my other paragraphs with a solid nugget of news.]
Mike Duggan says there was ample time for him and each of the other Regionals (Fr. Alfonso Kim-Asia; Fr. Jim Lynch-Latin America, Fr. Dave Smith/Fr. Lance Nadeau-Africa and Fr. Tom McDonnell-Retirement) to speak what was on their minds.
But were they heard? And what positive changes will be made? Log in for future developments!
ELB 2.1 is scheduled for a week before and after June 4, 2011, when N’ShaAllah, we will celebrate the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Rodrigo Ulloa-Chavarry to the Maryknoll mission priesthood!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Coming events
We have a busy week coming up.
Tomorrow Sept. 19, we welcome 150 visitors from the Bronx who will be here for a tour and lunch. Members averse to crowds are encouraged to eat earlier (12:00~12:30). In addition, Fr. Marty Lowery will host about 20 Korean Catholics from the community in Connecticut to celebrate a "Chusok" (Harvest Moon festival) Mass and they will supply their own traditional foods for lunch. Chusok falls on Sept. 21 this year. September 19 also marks the great and glorious feast of San Gennaro, and if that's not enough to make his blood boil, all the fried food available along Mulberry Street might do the trick.
But the big event is the reflection day at Mariandale on Sunday for members of ELB who have been gathering from Asia (Fr. Alfonso Kim), Africa (Fr. Lance Nadeau) and Latin America (Fr. Jim Lynch) in recent days. Fr. Mike Duggan (U.S. regional) and Fr. Tom McDonnell and Fr. Tom Ahearn (Retirement community) had no need to gather because they are already here. This day of reflection will open a fall session of ELB that will go till Friday.
Providentially all these will culminate on Saturday, not here at the Knoll but in Chicago, where Sem. Rodrigo Ulloa-Chavarry will be ordained to the diaconate by the Most Rev. Gustavo Garcia-Siller MSpS (Misioneros de Espiritu Santo) from Mexico.
Then the next day, focus returns again to Mother Knoll for Benefactors Appreciation Day, when we get to say thank you and benefactors get to hobnob with missioners.
Tomorrow Sept. 19, we welcome 150 visitors from the Bronx who will be here for a tour and lunch. Members averse to crowds are encouraged to eat earlier (12:00~12:30). In addition, Fr. Marty Lowery will host about 20 Korean Catholics from the community in Connecticut to celebrate a "Chusok" (Harvest Moon festival) Mass and they will supply their own traditional foods for lunch. Chusok falls on Sept. 21 this year. September 19 also marks the great and glorious feast of San Gennaro, and if that's not enough to make his blood boil, all the fried food available along Mulberry Street might do the trick.
But the big event is the reflection day at Mariandale on Sunday for members of ELB who have been gathering from Asia (Fr. Alfonso Kim), Africa (Fr. Lance Nadeau) and Latin America (Fr. Jim Lynch) in recent days. Fr. Mike Duggan (U.S. regional) and Fr. Tom McDonnell and Fr. Tom Ahearn (Retirement community) had no need to gather because they are already here. This day of reflection will open a fall session of ELB that will go till Friday.
Providentially all these will culminate on Saturday, not here at the Knoll but in Chicago, where Sem. Rodrigo Ulloa-Chavarry will be ordained to the diaconate by the Most Rev. Gustavo Garcia-Siller MSpS (Misioneros de Espiritu Santo) from Mexico.
Then the next day, focus returns again to Mother Knoll for Benefactors Appreciation Day, when we get to say thank you and benefactors get to hobnob with missioners.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Spinning our wheels?
There are more variations on the latest Maryknoll Brothers vs. the Vatican vs. Father Dougherty vs. the Maryknoll Constitutions (note plural) story than different melons in the fruit salad at our famous salad bar, source of grist for the mill and posts for this blog. I shall attempt to distill their common elements.
Apparently whoever is in charge of putting up with us at the Vatican, grew weary of our continually asking for exceptions and variances to our Constitutions. Br. Frank ten Hoopen, for example, some years back was allowed to serve on the regional council in Africa. As was Br. Mark Gruenke after that. But then followed the election of Br. Wayne Fitzpatrick, not as advisor or consultant but as U.S. Regional Superior and we all remember how that turned out. So apparently the recent election of Br. Mark Huntington to serve on the Africa Regional Council was too much for somebody. (Here the stories vary as to who exactly said, "Basta con tutta questa sciocchezza!" but since there are only two actors in this drama who speak fluent Italian, it kind of narrows it down. Now the question is, what does "questa sciocchezza" refer to, the continual election of Brothers or this blog?) Btw, I intentionally did not translate that, so you have a reason to talk to our members of Italian descent and find out who really understands the mother tongue.
The upshot of all this is, apparently, a moratorium on electing Brothers to any leadership roles until we take a look at our Constitutions and revise or amend them accordingly. The Brothers will be meeting soon to discuss this amongst themselves (and they have every reason to feel "verklempt"---go ask a Maryknoller from NYC) and will run their ideas past Fr. Joe Everson, our canon lawyer, to submit these either to ELB or to this blog or to the Food Committee, whichever seems to carry the most weight, authoritatively if not physically.
As it stands, we are a clerical Society of Apostolic Life with auxiliary lay Brothers. Do we need to rethink our identity? (Now THERE'S a project worthy of our Centenary!) Or perhaps a simple sentence or two will suffice, to the effect that "Only a cleric can be elected as major superior and no consultant shall have automatic right of succession." In the event of a "sede vacante" (ask someone ordained before 1965 or after 2005), a clerical member of the General Council will assume responsibility of leadership until another election can take place. Or something.
Perhaps ELB (Extended Leadership Board) later this month will take up the all-important task of discussing vision, directions and priorities. Or perhaps they will simply gather to watch PowerPoint presentations, flip charts and pie graphs of mind-numbing statistics and reports until they run out of time to consult on anything of substance.
Apparently whoever is in charge of putting up with us at the Vatican, grew weary of our continually asking for exceptions and variances to our Constitutions. Br. Frank ten Hoopen, for example, some years back was allowed to serve on the regional council in Africa. As was Br. Mark Gruenke after that. But then followed the election of Br. Wayne Fitzpatrick, not as advisor or consultant but as U.S. Regional Superior and we all remember how that turned out. So apparently the recent election of Br. Mark Huntington to serve on the Africa Regional Council was too much for somebody. (Here the stories vary as to who exactly said, "Basta con tutta questa sciocchezza!" but since there are only two actors in this drama who speak fluent Italian, it kind of narrows it down. Now the question is, what does "questa sciocchezza" refer to, the continual election of Brothers or this blog?) Btw, I intentionally did not translate that, so you have a reason to talk to our members of Italian descent and find out who really understands the mother tongue.
The upshot of all this is, apparently, a moratorium on electing Brothers to any leadership roles until we take a look at our Constitutions and revise or amend them accordingly. The Brothers will be meeting soon to discuss this amongst themselves (and they have every reason to feel "verklempt"---go ask a Maryknoller from NYC) and will run their ideas past Fr. Joe Everson, our canon lawyer, to submit these either to ELB or to this blog or to the Food Committee, whichever seems to carry the most weight, authoritatively if not physically.
As it stands, we are a clerical Society of Apostolic Life with auxiliary lay Brothers. Do we need to rethink our identity? (Now THERE'S a project worthy of our Centenary!) Or perhaps a simple sentence or two will suffice, to the effect that "Only a cleric can be elected as major superior and no consultant shall have automatic right of succession." In the event of a "sede vacante" (ask someone ordained before 1965 or after 2005), a clerical member of the General Council will assume responsibility of leadership until another election can take place. Or something.
Perhaps ELB (Extended Leadership Board) later this month will take up the all-important task of discussing vision, directions and priorities. Or perhaps they will simply gather to watch PowerPoint presentations, flip charts and pie graphs of mind-numbing statistics and reports until they run out of time to consult on anything of substance.
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