Cultivating a "culture of vocations"

Mr. Sam Alzheimer (yes, he's related to the Dr. Alzheimer) of Vianny Vocations, helps diocese and religious groups attract vocations. During the U.S. Regional Assembly, he was invited to describe today's seminarians and their understanding of church and what we might do to attract more men to Maryknoll.

Since 1965 the number of priests and Brothers has dropped from 59,000 to 43,000 today. Meanwhile, the Catholic population has gone from 45 million in 1965 to 65 million today.

By 2022 Maryknoll will have 81 members under 70 years of age; in 2032 we will have just 32. Alzheimer says we can triple the ordination rate by accepting five men a year, allowing for 40 percent attrition rate. That's the best case scenario.

If Maryknoll can be at peace with being a small Society (different than being fatalistic or resigned to our ultimate demise) yet maintain a sense of urgency, we can turn this situation around and attract young men to our mission vocation.

Here's what he says NOT to do: give up.

"Seek the type of men joining seminary and give them a mission experience," he said. "Become the kind of Society they seek."

Contemporary Candidates' Worldview and Ecclesiology (according to CARA):

+ Strong social conscience (huge opportunity for Maryknoll)
+ Theological orthodoxy (whoops!)
+ Loyalty to the Holy Father (more than people realize)
+ Intense devotion to the Eucharist
+ Strong Marian devotion
+ Fully support priestly celibacy
+ A visible priestly identity (Our lapel pins alone just won't cut it, Alzheimer insists.)
+ Reverence for the sacred, especially in liturgy

Do these guys want to turn back th e clock on Vatican II? NO!

Yet the traditional orders are thriving, while liberal ones are dying.

What would impress a prospect visiting Maryknoll? Our history, especially Bishop James E. Walsh's story, and the idea of giving one's life to spread the gospel of Christ overseas.

What would discourage prospects? Our mission museum looks like a "tribute to multiculturalism"; it lacks Catholic identity; (In its defense, I would say it's SUPPOSED to look multicultural, because that is our mission reality. If guys want a Roman experience, they should go to Rome, IMHO, but I digress.) anither turn-off for prospects: Maryknoll priests usually do not wear clerical garb; and with few exceptions we don't make it a habit of being called Father.

Quoting noted Catholic author, Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, "There is a rift between Catholics who place a strong emphasis on social justice and those with traditional morality and piety."

We need a holistic spirituality that emphasizes both. Can Maryknoll bridge this gap?

Young Catholics want to help the poor and marginalized. But they are reluctant to do this under the banner of social justice, which they equate with disloyalty to the Church.

Younger candidates, he pointed out, however, are not so polarized or militant.

Maryknoll has a serious reputation problem. Example: National Catholic Register rejected advertising from Maryknoll as not being a "good fit" for their readership. Some diocesan priests would not refer prospects to us.

The language of mission does not resonate as much with people outside our Society.

Our vocation website looks and sounds good: men on fire with mission.

One recommendation: get more young men into an overseas mission experience.

Personal promotion: transform church dates, own some college mission trips.

Digital promotion: drive men to our websites. Survey recent Maryknoll candidates to find out how they learned about us. "Called By Name" email campaign, which his company runs, asks people for the names of young men they know who may have a Maryknoll vocation, and then follow up with a personal invitation.

Maryknoll is at a supreme disadvantage at not being able to recruit directly from the overseas communities where we serve. Our church dates here in the States must have a transparent vocation focus and overt invitation to young men to go on short-term mission. These are the main opportunities for us to encounter potential prospects in a church setting.

He recommends Maryknoll sponsor college mission trips by having a sustained presence on a few select Catholic campuses. Creative financing: Alzheimer suggested Maryknoll pay for these initial exposure trips provided the students agree to speak about their experiences when they return and raise funds for the next student to go overseas.

Cast a wide net to include guys who may not be interested in a lifelong commitment.

We need to become men on fire for vocations if we want young men to be on fire for mission.

Some Maryknollers at the Assembly responded: Do we need to change our identity to attract such vocations? And would that discourage the vocations we have already attracted?

Maryknoll already has a unique identity because we have a worldwide presence.

We shouldn't expect a prospect to be fully formed before he even applies for admission. Our mission experience transforms us. The overseas experience and people overseas will evangelize and form the candidates as they do the Missioners.

We must meet prospects where they are, just like we meet people on the missions where they are. We don't just bring people into the church, but we also educate them theologically. That should remain our policy with candidates. One first-year seminarian said the presentation by Sam Alzheimer described him to a T, but he added, "It's not about Roman collars" but about letting young people know who we are: "Men dedicating their lives to the spread of the gospel among people overseas." That will attract vocations, he insisted.

The Mission of Jesus remains Maryknoll's mission: to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the contrite of heart, to give sight to the blind and set prisoners free.

We should face the future as if it were mission territory: "The future is like another country; we do things differently there."

Prayer before taking Oath

Fr. Ed Dougherty, Maryknoll superior general, leads concelebrants in prayer for seminarians Daniel Kim and Shaun Crumb before taking their Temporary Oath to the Society.

The Mass and Oath Ceremony ended Day Three of the U.S. Regional Assembly, where Maryknollers discussed issues pertaining to mission and life here at Maryknoll.

Daniel will take summer courses in Nairobi, Kenya, and Shaun begins his Overseas Training Program in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

State of the Society

2011 U.S. Regional Assembly (Day Three)

We took time this morning to read and evaluate EIGHT PAGES of suggestions, recommendations and areas of interest culled from the previous days discussions. We were asked to mark the ones we thought should go to ELB (Extended Leadership Board), to the Regional Council, or to department heads and which we didn't consider necessary to discuss. Then we were asked to put a star next to two or three items we feel most important. All sharp instruments and access to the tower were wisely locked up.

After a mandatory Emergency Response Drill (appropriate, no?), Fr. Ed Dougherty, superior general, addressed our assembly.

He spoke first on vocations, admissions and formation. He introduced and welcomed Fr. Jim Madden, Fr. Steve Booth, Fr. Dave LaBuda and Deacon Steve DeMartino. He thanked Fr. Dennis Moorman who has finished his term as vocation director and who hopes to be returning to mission in Brazil after a sabbatical.

Doc welcomed Fr. John Eybel and Br. Joe Bruener, our formators, as well as our candidates who are attending the Assembly. All Society members are cordially invited to visit our Formation house in Chicago.

Fr. Ed McGovern, General Council member, became the interim Admissions director after Br. Wayne Fitzpatrick stepped down. Fr. Emile Dumas, Br. Brendon Corkery and Fr. Ray Nobilleti also serve on the board that has accepted three men into formation this year.

He next mentioned the Council's recent visit to Hong Kong and China (our first missions), and Navarre, France (where the heart of our Co-Founder, Fr. Thomas Price, is buried at the tomb of St. Bernadette).

Doc then recapped all the various Centennial activities around the country. (These are all listed in earlier posts on this blog.)

He also met with many bishops and spoke about our Centennial.

Maryknoll Donor Services and Creative Services were acknowledged for their work. Fr. Dave Smith is our new CFO, replacing retiring Fr. Dick Callahan.

Regarding Regions and Departments, all council member have tried to visit all regions and members, especially in the Africa and Asia areas. Philippines and Korea were spared. Latin America received fewer visits. Seminarian Dae Kim will return from the Overseas Training Program in Cochabamba, Bolivia and Sem. Shaun Crumb will be going there on OTP this summer.

Our retirement houses and staffs at Los Altos and St. Theresa's were feted.

Ed again congratulated Br. Conrad Fleisch, who turned 100 this month, the only Society member to reach this mark.

Here at the Center, Ed is looking to name a local superior but six men have declined the "honor" so far. ELB will consider what things are necessary to determine the future uses of this house. He mentioned that no Paris Foreign Mission Society retirees are allowed to live at the headquarters. Something to consider?

Doc gave kudos to Fr. Bob Jalbert and all the men working in MEPD. Bob mentioned the closing and merging of parishes, and the growing number of overseas groups coming here to make appeals have contributed to the decline church dates and contributions. Often parishes we can get into do not allow the distributions of envelopes or magazines.

Regarding the sense of renewal from the last Chapter, Doc promises we will hear more on this in days to come.

Br. Wayne Fitzpatrick has done a wonderful job helping guys get on-going life formation.

While "internationalization" remains an energizing (and controversial) topic for discussion, "the door is slightly open" to investigating this possibility for men overseas to be considered on a case-by case basis. That being said, Doc says there hasn't been any great number of men seeking to join Maryknoll from overseas.

The clergy sex-abuse scandal and the bishops' mishandling of it continue to have a detrimental effect on clergy morale.

It seems to me Doc got a bit verklempt talking about the Oath, and what it means to the individual member and to the Society as a whole. More on that below.

The resistance of Missioners to return to the States, either to do Stateside service or to call it a life and retire, remains a concern for our leadership.

Doc is not sure where the proposed swap of the Walsh building for Bethany (former lay missioner headquarters) is, since the town of Ossining raised objections.

We continue to collaborate with the Sisters and Lay Missioners, especially on Centennial celebrations.

Investigating alternative energy sources and making environmentally friendly adjustments are expensive but necessary, in Doc's opinion.

ELB will consider ways Maryknollers can be more visionary in our thinking and policy making.

To date, Doc has meant just once with the Middle Management group (which in my opinion, undercuts the very purpose of the group and underscores the problem that gave rise to it.)

Doc has imposed another hiring freeze and there has been a realignment of duties.

The Harassment Committee will be disbanded as not being the best use of employees' and members' time. Instead, the Ethics Point firm will be hired to investigate complaints.

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM was finally addressed. A Conciliatory Group that met with the superior general in Chicago was helpful, Doc said, but wasn't able to resolve this issue. The Assembly listened. Among the responses (without repeating those mentioned at the previous gathering):

What can we (individually, as an Assembly and as a Society) do to walk this back from the brink? How can we find an acceptable solution?

There are some things we NEED to talk about in the church and it is healthy and necessary to do so, even when they (officials in the church) declare certain issues not be discussed.

This controversy is distracting from Maryknoll's primary dedication to overseas mission.

Over the past several months, this controversy has prompted some to reflect on the meaning of the oath and this has underscored its sacredness.

We must trust our leadership to do the right thing.

Explosive canon

Former Maryknoll superior general, Father John Sivalon, maintains that according to canon law, dismissal from the Society requires the unanimous vote of the General Council plus one more Member, presumably the regional superior of the area to which the missioner belongs. No such vote was taken, and absent the requisite votes, the First Canonical Warning Letter to Fr. Roy Bourgeois may have been premature, if not moot.

This further muddies the murky waters in which Maryknoll finds itself. We are on record as threatening Roy with dismissal unless he recant. And if you know Roy, you know he can't recant. Our reputation for justice, let alone fairness, has taken a major hit already, no matter what happens.

Today's first reading at Mass proved providential. Acts 15:1-6 speaks of "no little dissension and debate" between Paul and the Judaizers regarding circumcision being necessary for Gentile converts. Paul and Barnabas were sent by the church to Jerusalem, and the church there received them with joy, despite their bringing a controversial issue for discussion.

Fr. John Eybel, who was main celebrant, brought this up as a model for how we, gathered in assembly, might approach our own current controversy.

Can we break out of the atmosphere of fear and receive one another with joy in the Holy Spirit?

Fr. Roy Bourgeois speaks

Roy addressed the community gathered for the U.S. Regional Assembly.

A group discussion with Father Roy Bourgeois, M.M.

Father Roy Bourgeois addressed an impromptu gathering of Maryknollers this evening, following the opening day of the U.S. Regional Assembly. About 38 members attended.

He started with some background as to how he got involved in the issue of women's ordination in the Roman Catholic church. He linked this with his own process of discernment of his priestly vocation.

Next he reviewed his work with closing the School of the Americas (SOA-Watch) in Fort Benning, GA.

In the last ten years in going around the country talking about injustices in Central America, he became more aware of injustice in the Church, namely devout Catholic women who feel called to priesthood but who are denied their vocation.

Until the 1960s, racial segregation was an accepted tradition in this country, especially in the South, until it was rightly challenged and overturned. Similarly, Roy feels, the exclusion of women from the Catholic priesthood is an unacceptable and unjust tradition. "Who are we (men), to say our call is authentic and valid but yours (women's) is not?"

He felt in his heart and conscience he could no longer keep silent on this issue.

"The hammer came down swiftly," he said, in the letter from Rome demanding he recant or face excommunication. In discerning a response, Roy said, "My biggest concern was my family."

His family, included his elderly father, expressed their support and blessing.

He continued his work with SOA Watch until the letter came from Maryknoll leadership asking him to recant or face dismissal from the Society. This letter was more devastating to him than the threat of excommunication, he said.

He expressed sadness because now, "I am in big trouble."

In closing he said he is finding broad support around the country for women's ordination and to be told we cannot even talk about this is highly offensive. He is hoping more people step forward to participate in this important conversation. For Roy this is a matter of justice and a matter of conscience.

Roy invited questions and comments.

Father Dennis Moorman said that Roy's actions also impacted Maryknoll and he asked what consideration Roy gave to this before speaking or acting in this regard.

Roy's response was rambling and vague, IMHO, about how he did development work and people expected Maryknoll to be involved in peace and justice issues. He mused what would it be like if all the priests, and especially Maryknollers, who supported women's ordination were to come forward, speak out, perhaps sign a petition. "But the atmosphere is one of fear."

Father Phil Erbland mentioned a show on TV where a priest left the priesthood in order to push for an overall over-haul of the very structure of the Roman Catholic Church. "Our discussion should be wider (than women's ordinations)," he said.

Roy responded that many, many Catholics are leaving the Church out of anger, especially for its discrimination against women, gays and lesbians. He says the pope and some bishops are trying to undo the progress of Vatican II.

I expressed being conflicted vis-a-vis Roy's situation. I support and agree with his position on women's ordination but cannot understand how he can ignore a direct order of our superior, given our oath of obedience.

Roy answered that his conscience compels him to continue to speak out and ask basic questions, much like people did during the Vietnam war. The debate or discussion will not stop, Roy maintains, just like opposition to the abolition of slavery and women's suffrage could not stop these movements. "We (Maryknoll) are on the wrong side of history on this issue," he said. "Unless we change, we are going to die."

Father Dave LaBuda says he honestly believes in and respects Roy's conscience but he (Roy) also publicly represents the Maryknoll community and there has never been a discussion of his position with the wider membership or any consultation with us. Dave used the analogy of a man deciding on his own to move to another country and expecting his family to go with him, without consultation.

"In the wider world church, is this even an issue?" David asks. "The church in the U.S. is different than the one we knew when we first went oversees. The reality is very different." Dave wants to know how Roy jives his conscience with the (Maryknoll) community, and how does he jive his message with the younger generation of Catholics which tends to be more accepting of the institutional church?

Roy says his experience has been different (than Dave's) because he sees signs of hope and enthusiasm among the young people he speaks with.

Dave tried valiantly to get back to the issue of Roy jiving his personal conscience and subsequent actions with that of the larger Maryknoll community. Again, Roy gave an impassioned reply about sexism and power but did not answer the question, IMO.

Father Larry Murphy sees a larger issue as a problem of authority in the Church, of which the ordination of women is just one area that we might be in disagreement with current Church leadership. "How do we, with what little power we have, influence the Church and not leave it over just one issue?"

Former superior general, Father John Sivalon, says there had been some consultation between Roy and the previous administration.

Father Steve Taluja asks why we here at Maryknoll haven't gotten together to discuss just where we stand on this topic. He says it's not fair to lay all the blame on Roy.

Father John Felago said he suspects he is part of a silent majority, in Maryknoll if not in the Church, who supports Roy's position. He invoked Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and the Freedom Riders whose actions lead to the fall of the walls of prejudice and discrimination. Perhaps this issue would precipitate the changes we are desiring.

Brother John Blazo says there is also the question of power and money that the current structure supports and will vigorously defend. Maybe the ordination of women is something just for this country to address and does not necessarily have to apply to other countries or cultures.

Father Tom Marty said patriarchy and the abuse of power in the Church must be dealt with. But, he said, he disagrees with Roy's tactics, especially participating in the (illicit) ordination of a woman. Plus, ordination is not a right, like a human right, Tom said. "One can feel called to priesthood but one does not have an automatic right to ordination."

Brother Ray Tetrault first encountered justice issues following his return from Japan. This issue of women's ordination has provoked new feelings and challenges about where he stands on this. "Maybe we should be imitating the Acts of the Apostles," he said, when they relied on the Holy Spirit to address important issues with faith and love.

Fr. Bill Donnelly says, "If the Church (eventually) says it wants to ordain women, great." He says Roy has now made his point, especially with Rome, and there is nothing to be gained by continuing to speak out. Roy's battle is going nowhere. Bill said he would hate to see Roy dismissed from Maryknoll, which would solve nothing.

Fr. Mike Bassano said he is saddened by how the institutional church is treating Roy and our General Council not being more compassionate but rather threatening dismissal.

Fr. John Barth said he wished this discussion could be a part of agenda of the Regional Assembly, instead of just an impromptu gathering.

I (Fr. Joseph Veneroso) asked where Roy now stood vis-a-vis Maryknoll and the dismissal process.

Roy said he learned there would not be a lot of discussion with the Council. The Second Letter has not yet arrived, but it may arrive any time. Many Maryknoll Sisters and Society members have appealed on Roy's behalf. He got a whole stack of support letters and a relative few calling for him to be burned at the stake. He is hoping that we at Maryknoll might still have this important discussion.

Former superior general, Father Jim Noonan, said this evening has been a real grace. The one thing he found himself doing is praying for both Fr. Ed Dougherty, superior general, as well as for Roy. "Ed is in a very, very difficult position."

Jim asked, "How can we continue to live in harmony as brothers and sisters in Maryknoll?"

Indeed.

Praesidium 3.0

The afternoon session of the Assembly was dedicated to the mandatory participation of men in ministry in the Praesidium program. This was developed by the Jesuits following the USCMA's response to the US Bishops's Dallas Charter in 2002 which, in turn, was a response to the ever-growing child-abuse scandals.

Maryknollers in ministry in the States must participate in the Praesidium program every three years. For the New York archdiocese, this takes the place of the Virtus program and is necessary to continue Maryknoll's accreditation.

I am happy to report that, unlike previous Praesidium programs, this one was informative and encouraging. In other years, the presentations were so graphic and chilling that the overall effect was extremely depressing.

Our membership was divided into two groups, names beginning A-K in the Asia room, and M-Z in the Founders' room. The men in my group were very forthcoming in their observations and questions as we examined the causes and possible solutions to inappropriate behaviors and internet addictions. Accountability and pastoral approaches surfaced as important areas, as well as peer support groups.

Morning Session Part One

U.S. Assembly, Second Session, Tuesday Morning

Tuesday Morning Session Part Two

Fathers Gerry Kelly, Bill Boteler and Dave LaBuda, inspired by the 2008 Chapter and the encouragement of Pope Benedict, formed a special committee to animate local dioceses to become more mission-oriented, both overseas and domestically.

These men went to the USCMA in Albuquerque, NM, last October to connect with other groups involved in mission. There they met up with Mr. Mike Gable, who heads the mission board of Cincinnati and who used to head Maryknoll's Justice & Peace department, and Mr. Mike Haasl, from the St. Paul-Minneapolis mission office.

Both men saw the need for a central mission office to empower and send Missioners abroad as well as to do home mission. Sending emersion groups from between 5-15 people for exposure trips of up to a week is becoming popular.

The challenge is to get bishops and dioceses to commit resources and energy to promoting mission.

A mission congress is scheduled here at Maryknoll in 2012. This proposal is currently with the MEPD (Mission Education and Promotion Department). They will address what kinds of programs are desired, what countries are available and which Maryknoll areas would be open to facilitate such exposure trips. They hope to have a director and board named to oversee this.

As an example of Short Term (a year or less) Volunteer programs Father Scott Harris described his China Teachers Program that started 14 years ago, which had been assigning people from the United States to teach English in mainland universities.

To date, 370 participants have taken part, many were college graduates, Affiliates, teachers on sabbatical and members of other religious groups have participated. One Maryknoll seminarian, Sean Crumb, who will be taking his First Oath on Thursday, is a product of the China Teachers Project.

Ms. Megan McKenna skillfully directed the short term volunteer programs for many years and has recently retired. A new director is being sought.

For many of the volunteers who successfully completed their service, their experience with Maryknoll ranked higher even than their time in China for helping them understand their faith and the spirit of mission. Many volunteers learn about this and apply via Internet.

Scott is concerned that, on college campuses where Maryknoll still has great name-recognition and respect, that the "fires not be allowed to go out". He says our relationships to the various colleges must be actively cultivated.

Maryknoll Vocations Director, Father Jim Madden, spoke about mission in the future involved partnering with other mission-minded organizations. Regarding the China Teachers Program, two new policies from Hong Kong are that in the future, all volunteers must be Christian and all must be in some proximity to Maryknollers. All volunteers need not have a Maryknoll formation, but all must be affiliated to some Christian group that offer some preparation for mission. Scott clarified that from the beginning all volunteers were Christian. Not all Maryknollers in China wanted volunteers. A spiritual life was always considered essential because the China Teachers Project is not just a placement service. This is necessary, Scott maintains, to appreciate lay vocations in their own right and not as some round-about way to foster vocations to the priesthood and Brotherhood.

Jim sees this as an excellent opportunity for Maryknoll to participate in this growing area of short-term volunteer mission.

A question arose as to whether there was any follow-up with the volunteers after they got back. Jerry said about 10 percent continue in some sort of reflection or on-going involvement.

Dave LaBuda also said that the Dallas-Fort Worth Affiliate group is organizing "Webinars" to help priests who participated in the Pilgrimage to Central America to process and integrate what they experienced.

Many parishes, such as St. Paul Cheong Ha-Sang Korean Catholic church in Queens, NY, have been sending young people on short-term mission trips for years, first to Oaxaca, Mexico and now to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. They raise their own funds and do their own organizing and planning. But they do not do spiritual preparation or gather to reflect on their experiences. Here is where a Mission Center could be of assistance.

Dave emphasized all this was to "get U.S. Bishops to take responsibility for mission."

The seminarians were asked for their thoughts about this emphasis on short-term ministry to involve young people in mission.

Several candidates had participated in some sort of short-term or mission exposure program and saw this as key to their vocation.

2011 U.S. Regional Assembly

2011 U.S. Regional Assembly (Tuesday Morning Session)

After Morning Prayer, Regional Superior Father Mike Duggan greeted the members. He asked the seminarians and Brother candidates from Chicago who are attending the Assembly to introduce themselves. Father Paul Masson from the general council shared a word of welcome and said our Centenary is more a time for humility and gratitude, rather than triumphalism.

Brother Wayne Fitzpatrick introduced our facilitator: Mr. Larry LeNoir, originally from the diocese of Raleigh, N.C. He was the director of spiritual formation in Irvine, TX. He is currently the department chair of pastoral studies at Catholic University.

After a review of the week's schedule, Mike Duggan gave his state of the Region address. Mike underscored the uniqueness of the U.S. Region: it is the largest region of Maryknoll and its members come with experiences from all over the Maryknoll world. Sixty-two of the 70 men in the Region are attending.

From his room at St. Theresa's, Vicar General Father José Arámburu has asked for continued prayers and visits as he facing his life-threatening illness.

Mike addressed the "elephant in the room" because "It is correct to mention Roy's decision to follow his conscience, since it profoundly affected the Region and certainly the morale of the men in the house." Mike said Roy's situation is still under discussion and has not yet been resolved. Mike said the main Assembly session wasn't the proper place to discuss Roy and his actions, but the members were free to raise this as a topic for group discussion later in the day or throughout the week.

Mike reviewed the various events for the Centenary. He explained the background to the Missa ad Gentes, by Michael Joncas (Blogger's note: four tracts are viewable on YouTube. Search: Maryknoll Mass.)

On July 17th there will be a celebration at the Center just for Society members. All Fathers & Brothers are invited.

A Middle Management group of some 14 members has come together to assist the General Council in its discussion-making process, by giving as much input from the. Offices and departments as possible. This came up, in part, from a general perception that we need to "take back the decision-making power" (ostensibly from lay employees to whom Maryknoll has willingly or not ceded authority.)

At this point, Roy's situation again surfaced as a prime example of a major decision being made without any consultation, either with the Council or with the membership.

Another member suggested that when we discuss our identity as a Region, we might widen it to include our identity in a Church that is moving away from the spirit of Vatican II.

.

ManuOB1 sent you a video: "Catholic songs- "Glory to God" from Maryknoll"

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ManuOB1 has shared a video with you on YouTube: Check out my latest video meditation. This is based on the Glory to God from the Missa ad Gentes by Michael Joncas for our Centenary. Enjoy! Catholic songs- "Glory to God" from Maryknoll Africa is mother to the human race. The rhythms and harmonies of the "Glory To God," reminiscent of Gospel music, have deep roots in the African continent. The peoples of Africa have taught Missioners how to enjoy life and praise God even in the midst of hardship and suffering. The images and videos illustrating this section of the "Missa ad Gentes" (Mass to the Peoples) by J. Michael Joncas to commemorate Maryknoll's Centennial in 2011, start off in Africa then lift our hearts up literally to the highest heavens before bringing us back to Earth and people of good will. By the way, did you know you can rent movies from YouTube? Check it out now: youtube.com/movies.
© 2011 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066

Back at Mother Knoll (to find an elephant in the room!)

I arrived Saturday night in time for two Sunday Masses and afternoon Confirmation at St. Paul's, with retired Bishop Thomas Daily officiating. He had kind words for Maryknoll and his old classmate, Maryknoll Father Tom (Fish) Foley.

Now here I lie wide awake at 3:45 a.m. in the throes of full-blown jet-lag.

I go to replace my Precioussss after breakfast.

The U.S. Regional Assembly begins with a social later today.

Ah, but here's where Sherlock Veneroso kicks in. Whilst Father Jim Gilligan, our cannon lawyer, deigned not to clarify the current status of Father Roy Bourgeois vis-a-vis Maryknoll, a simple phone call to the receptionist at the front desk revealed this intriguing tidbit: Father Roy has a room reserved from today on. Whilst I tend not to use titles after first reference, in this case it's germane.

Father Roy is certainly entitled to participate in the U.S. Regional Assembly as long as he is still a member of the region, which he can only be if he is still a member of Maryknoll, which he can only be if he is still a priest.

The more intriguing question is how will Roy's presence effect the discussions and agenda? Will we proceed apace and tackle such explosive issues as "Six Months Till We Revisit the Ambo" or "Why the New Roman Missal is the Last Nail in the Coffin of Vatican II Reform" or will we bite the bullet and acknowledge the immense elephant in the room?

If both Superior General Ed Dougherty and Roy address the assembly and allow questions and discussion, this could be the most exciting, interesting, controversial and provocative Assembly in Maryknoll's 100 years. How this is handled will determine the kind of Society we are, going forward.

Unfortunately, you might not read about it here. No, I doubt I'd be silenced (way too ironic in this case, no?) but rather because the second half of my jet lag would be kicking in about that time.

Till then, following is a link to an article about the Dutch Salesians whose superior is balking at expelling (whoops! DISMISSING) one of their members for publicly advocating pedophilia. The most telling quote: "Removing someone from the order is something you would only do in the case of grave moral transgression, such as rape. There was never any question of that."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/21/dutch-catholic-priest-pedophilia-endorsement_n_865124.html

Homeward bound

Greetigs once again from the Free Internet Service at Hong Kong airport. In a few hours I shall be in the air, but my guess is it will be the Cathay Pacific flight to JFK and not the expected Rapture.

Many thanks to all the men in the Korea area for their hospitality during my visit.
Local area superior Father Gerry (or is that with a "J"?) Hammond returned from a meeting in Hong Kong yesterday in time to meet and greet me with all kinds of pictures and publications and info about his important work up North. I should be able to work these into an updated Magazine article on his important ministry.

Everyone continues to be concerned and praying for a return to health for our Vicar General, Father Jose Aramburu. If ever we could use an intercessry miracle from one of our Founders, this is it.

Father Dennis Cleary was kind enough to download my Masan pix onto a flash drive, so there maybe another article in the making.

Fr. Jim Gilligan, our diplomatic (read: "tight-lipped") canon lawyer, visiting Korea for a month, would neither confirm nor deny nor comment on whether the much-dreaded Second Letter and Third Letter have been issued. His advise was simply to "Ask Father Doherty." I shall do just that upon my return to the Knoll this Monday. Or you can just look on the NCR website for yourselves.

Seoulnews 2 (via Masan)

After a hiatus of 13 years, I was able to revisit the parish I started and built in 1981in Hwoi Weon Dong in the southern port cirty of Masan. I was overwhelmed!

When I left Masan to work on the magazine in 1985, Hwoi Weon Dong parish had 375 parishioners. I thought that an admirable increase from the 150 we'd started with. Today the parish boasts 3,000+.

While the basic structure of the rectory/church complex remains, they have magnificently refurbished the entire building. Granite now covers the stucco facade on the outside; marble flooring in the sanctuary replaced the "Tokitashi" (faux marble) and the inside walls are now covered with hard wood. On the rooftop, a huge,larger-than-life statue of Christ blesses and invites people in. Below his feet, a large rose window of the Holy Spirit, made of real stained glass, adds that touch of solemnity Korean Catholics love so much.

The ramp for people with handicaps was moved closer to the rectory to allow for a new parking lot. (Cars? When I was pastor, we didn't even have roads!) A new, Korean Madonna and Child stands in the Oriental garden in front of an ornamental wall.

Wooden benches and a patio maintain, and vastly improve on my concept of the courtyard being a place for people to gather, sit, rest and chat. But they did me one better! The parish now also offers an inside lounge with tables, chairs, magazines, water and coffee machines as a gathering place.

Most impressive is the Legion of Mary at Hwoi Weon Dong. which now boasts 36 (count 'em!) Praesidia and two Curiae! BTW, the Legion of Mary is the largest apostolic group of Catholic laity in the Catholic Church, according to Wikipedia. And, not suprisingly, South Korea has the largest number of Legion members!

On short notice, word went out that Founding Pastor had returned and they filled the church for an impromptu Mass on Wednesday evening. For me it was all very surreal and dreamlike. And it was immensely gratifying to see the parish not only survived but prospered.

I spent the evening at the apartment of my old office man, Mr. Yun Do Sang, and his wife and son. His first son started seminary in Busan last March. This year, 10 new seminarians came from Busan and 12 from Masan. There are 120 seminarians in Busan, one of seven seminaries in Korea. I was also proud to learn my old parish has produced four priests so far.

Since the Busan seminary is also where Maryknoll Father Rich Agustin works as Spiritual Director for the seminarians and staff, I was thrilled when Do Sang offered to drive me to Busan (about an hour away) to meet him.

As Providence would have it, Rich was there and graciously received us over coffee. A fortuitous end-of-class bell rang, and who should walk by but Do Sang's son! I got some great pictures which I hope to use in an article for a future issue of Maryknoll Magazine, providing, of course, that the camera doesn't suffer the same fate as my iPhone, (my Preciousss!) which was "liberated" by three aggressive pickpockets in Guilin, China.

The camera I took to Masan was on loan from Father Dennis Cleary, who although not understanding Korean, has become really adept at navigating the impressive and vast Seoul subway and bus systems. Dennis teaches English to seminarians at the Korean Foreign Mission Society.

Would that I had talked with Dennis BEFORE visiting China. He said that he'd learned in Venezuela never to put anything in any pockets, but rather to tuck valuables into his socks. (I hope this trade secret doesn't jeopardize our men in Latin America. They may have to hide their valuables closer to their valuables.)

Tomorrow begins the long haul back to the USA and New York, God willing in time for Sunday Masses at St. Paul's and Confirmations later Sunday afternoon. Of course, if the world ends tomorrow as some predict, all bets are off. (I wonder if I can blog from the Other Side?)

Seoulnews

Greetings from Seoul, Korea, the last leg of a far-too adventurous trip to Asia.

Father Dave Pfeiffer, ever the gracious host, welcomed me warmly to the Seoul House yesterday after I took the red-eye from Hong Kong. It was good to see Dave and the faithful remnant of Maryknollers here.

Father Jerry O'Connor was the next Maryknoller I saw. He hasn't changed since the time I did my OTP at his parish in Hwa Su Dong in Incheon back in 1976! I suspect there may be a special portrait of Jerry aging up in the attic.

Father Phil Mares, who did his OTP at my parish in Masan in 1984, showed up next. He's a perfect example of the student far outpacing the teacher, as his Korean (complete with Kyungsangdo accent) is better even than most Koreans'! He does great work giving retreats and spiritual direction to Korean Sisters and seminarians, infusing a mission spirit into ther vocations.

Father Jim Sinnot was especially happy to see me so he could decompress some of his thoughts and emotions about all the Roy Bourgeois developments. "Loose cannon?" Jim says with disbelief and contempt, "If anything, he's a straight arrow."

Jim has had his own episode in the lime-light back in the 1970s after he was expelled from the ROK for "meddling" in their politics by coming to the aid of widows whose husbands had been illegally executed by the Park Chung Hee regime. Jim's actions on behalf of justice were vindicated by a later democratic Korean government that invited him back and paid his way so he could enjoy his retirement in the new Korea he had helped to create.

Fr. Bob (Black) Lilly remained discretely silent during Jim's defense of Roy. Bob, for his part, mentioned how somehow Magnificat magazine comes to him despite an erroneous address showing him living in the North. When he pointed out the error, Magnificat starting sending him two copies. Fr. Dick Rolewicz reports the same problem with Maryknoll magazine. I told him to use the other issue as an evangelization tool. Who knows, maybe if he too had an address in the North, he'd get four copies.

Fr. Hank Benenati and I shared memories of our time down in the Masan area when he lived in the neighboring town of Changwan.

Fr. Russ Feldmeier, who generously allowed me use of his computer so I might blog and ccheck email, is as perapatetic as ever. After a brief time talking together, he was off to do more of his work with collaboration and retreats. Russ and I go WAAAAY back to when he and I served in the Peace Corps together at Kungbuk University in Daegu back in the early 1970s.

Both Father Jerry Farrell and Father Joe Slaby keep active by continuing their interest in the Charismatic renewal.

Fr. Carl Costa came to the Seoul House on Tuesday, as is his custom, to do the bookkeeping. Carl continues to minister at a local old folks home.

Local superior Father Jerry Hammond and I apparently crossed paths in midair last Monday as he flew off to a meeting in Hong Kong.

Tomorrow I catch the Bullet Train to Masan, my old stomping grounds. Wish me well. The newly constructed train has been plagued with breakdowns in recent months.

Greetings

Parishioners greet Fr. Ron Saucci and me after Mass.

Lord's Prayer

More than 1,200 people attend each of nine Masses.

Mass at St. Joseph's in Hong Kong

Knollnews East?

A Saturday supper at Maryknoll's Stanley House gave me the opportunity to schmooze with some of the residents. Br. Sebastian Schwartz never seems to age. Hong Kong's veteran illustrator and cartoonist remains active at an age when lesser mortals would have settled for a well-earned retirement of leisure. Fr. Ed Phillips prospers and seems the most upbeat of the Maryknollers I saw here.

Stanley House hosted a group of 50+ men on an Emmaus Walk weekend. Next week they will welcome 90+ women for the same program. Years ago, Maryknollers here wisely divided Stanley into Maryknollers' and guests' sections to accommodate large groups and get maximum use of the facility. We back at the Knoll would do well to learn from them.

It was good to see Br. Ed Redmund up and about and looking healthier than ever. He is an inspiration to all who have to confront life-threatening illnesses. Last year he celebrated ten years of survival. On that subject, he has much to share with Fr. Ron Saucci who, despite everything, looks and sounds amazingly well. Indeed, were it not for having to depend on a cane to get around, you'd be hard pressed to suspect anything amiss.

Speaking of survival, this morning I also ran into Fr. Jim McAuley at St. Joseph's church where he and Ron and several others minister to the huge Philppine community here. His years in the Philippines more than prepared him to work among Hong Kong's migrant population.

Tomorrow I head to Guangzhou where I hope to meet and interview Maryknoll Sr. Anastasia Lindawati, herself a fellow blogger. I will update Knollnews whenever Wi-Fi allows.

Hong Kong & Points East

Just before heading to JFK airport to catch a red-eye to Hong Kong, I got a news alert on my most excellent iPhone: Bin Ladin Dead.

Talk about conflicting emotions. As an American, I confess to being overjoyed that the man responsible for the deaths of thousands of people had at last been found and killed. And it was U.S. Troops that found and killed him.

As a Christian, I couldn't help but feel shame for the above sentiment and sadness, especially for the death of an apparently unrepentant sinner. More sadness, perhaps, for the begrudging reality that violence begets violence and, aside from the visceral gratification and momentary bump in U.S. prestige, this solves nothing.

I felt some concern, not quite fear, that there might be retaliation (And here I was catching an international flight). I felt anger that the now dead man had profoundly and negatively impacted life in the U.S. as well people's lives around the world.

At the airport only a few people (and these were security guards) gathered around each of the many TV monitors broadcasting CNN. Most, like me, went through the security routine with silent resignation and removed our shoes and belts and watches and submitted to pat downs and full-body scans: Bin Ladin's lasting legacy.

As time and Wi-Fi allow in the three weeks I'll be away, I'll attempt to post some random thoughts from Asia. If you want to find out what's the buzz around the Maryknoll salad bar, you'll just have to wait to read it in NCR.

New wine, old wineskins?

Yesterday we had ten people at morning prayer. Only three were Society members. Things improved (?) at Evening Prayer when we had four Society members, but then we had 22 visitors.

Our guests were permanent deacons and their wives from around the United States who came to Maryknoll for a weekend symposium on the diaconate and mission. Organized by Deacon Steve DeMartino from our vocations office, this annual event helps foster a mission spirit among the growing number of permanent deacons.

I gotta say, I was impressed with the way the deacons' wives deftly navigated the macrame complexities of the breviary ribbons during the Octave of Easter.

Maybe this (many guests/few Maryknollers) is a foreshadowing of a not-so-bad future where a small and (one can only hope, still) vital part of the Maryknoll Society acts as a focal point and catalyst for a much larger and dynamic ministry to mission by other groups.

But between here and there there is fixed a great abyss. We have to somehow slough off our present situation if new possibilities are to emerge. Getting to there from here won't be easy. Or pretty.

Mistake #1 happened right after our building renovations ended and there was much hope-filled talk of a Mission Center, with various groups coming to imbibe the mission spirit here at the Knoll whilst planning ministries for the new millennium. That plan required setting aside the R-Wing rooms exclusively for these visitors. Alas, ensconced missioners (an oxymoron if ever there was one) refused to move to other sections of the building reserved for permanent members. The result was that when visitors come, we must intersperse them all over the building.

Mistake #2 happened as our headquarters slowly devolved over the years into a retirement home. The ever-growing tail has been wagging the shrinking dog more and more. As one very influential Maryknoller noted, "We owe members a place to stay, but it doesn't have to be here at the Center." But if the Administration couldn't get Members to move to another wing, can you imagine them trying to get Members to move away altogether? One solution may be to empty the R Wing of Maryknollers by attrition. Assign no Members a room there, either temporarily or permanently. Should some die-hards dig in their heels, they forfeit any right to complain about the noise or disruptions caused by visitors. Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

Mistake #3 is the on-going lack of communication, conversation and transparency, those lofty ideals that wafted from the last Chapter and have remained elusive ever since. Oh, we have communication, usually one way and only after the cat is out of the bag. Conversation of any import seldom makes it past the salad bar. And forget transparency. That too seems one-sided, where hoi polloi are expected to be totally open about all our plans without any reciprocity, like passing through the emotional equivalent of a full-body scanner.

Case in point: no one in the dining room seems to know just where Roy Bourgeois stands vis-a-vis the Society. (Or rather, thems that know aren't talking). Did the Second Letter get sent? Did the Third Letter get sent? What happens if too much time elapses between letters and there is no action? Of course, we'll find out what happened just as soon as the National Catholic Reporter tells us.

In the meantime, as we prepare for our Regional Assembly at the end of May, will anyone dare suggest discussing a radical idea: that the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, as it is currently defined and established, can no longer meet the challenges of announcing the Reign of God nor fulfill the demands of mission in our time ?

Joseph Veneroso has recommended an article from americamagazine.org

Joseph Veneroso thought you might like this story from americamagazine.org...

Paths of Conscience

Since the day Martin Luther refused to recant his beliefs, declaring “Here I stand. I can do no other,” the unyielding integrity of the solitary hero of conscience has been an icon of the Western imagination. But conscience is a subtle power, and it sometimes also ties people of principle to the very communities against whom they protest. Socrates followed his daimon but also submitted to the verdict of Athens, the city that had given birth to his quest for virtue. The Second...

To view the rest of the article, click here.

If you have any questions about this service, please notify us at members@americamagazine.org

Crossing over to risen life

As has been my experience every Easter since being ordained in 1978, Jesus comes out of the tomb just in time for me to go in and get some shut-eye. This year was no exception, what with our vocation retreat, holy week services at the Knoll and my regular Masses at the Korean church in Queens, I was dead tired. Now that I have rested up and have risen from the dead, a report is in order.

I and many Maryknollers I spoke with were impressed with the high calibre of the 13 young men who came to spend the Triduum with us and learn about Maryknoll and our mission work. And like the Society they are checking out, the retreatants came in different colors, categories and convictions. A young priest from Fr. Benedict Groeschel's Franciscans of the Renewal, who worked in Southern Sudan and is applying to join our Associate program, seemed right at home with us. Two other guys got into lively debate at supper over taxes and government spending (sign 'em up!) and seven of them played kick-ass volleyball.

Following the movie "Of Gods and Men" about the true-life drama surrounding the Trappist community's gut-wrenching discernment to stay in Algeria in the 1990s which ultimately led to their martyrdom, one prospect expressed some disappointment our Maryknoll community in Juarez would "abandon the people there" to the violent situation by closing that mission. Not having been part of that decision-making process, I simply stated that each Maryknoller has to decide for himself what is best. But he would have none of it. His feeling was that without guys willing to take risks for Christ, young men like him will not be attracted to overseas mission and Maryknoll's future is "dim", to quote how one resident at St. T's put it. I countered that Maryknoll's main purpose is not its own survival, but rather announcing the reign of God. As long as we are doing that, whether we go out of existence through attrition or martyrdom, is inconsequential. All seemed to be in agreement on that. If Maryknollers are true to the Gospel, new members will come.

One young man from the Korean parish is inclined to join Maryknoll but wisely wants to experience mission first. His plan is to go to college for a year, then take some time off to explore a short-term volunteer program with Maryknoll overseas to help him discern. If he gets "bit by the mission bug" he may consider applying to the Society.

Later, up in the Third Floor Rec Room following the Easter vigil service, while six guys played Monopoly, Fr. Dave LaBuda, from the vocations team, spoke with me about an effort by five Society members to enter into a conversation in Chicago with Fr. Ed Dougherty, superior general, and somehow dissuade or convince him not to send the dreaded Second Letter to Fr. Roy Bourgeois, which would set in motion the final 15 day deadline till the Third Letter of dismissal from the Society and appeal to Rome for laicization.

Dave was quite candid in thinking there wasn't really much wiggle room. Roy deliberately painted Maryknoll leadership into a corner, and as long as we want to keep that Catholic portion of our C.F.M.S.A. title, Doc has little choice but to blast a whole in that corner. Just what is the status of that Second Letter. Dave didn't know. The retreatants who listened to our discussion, in fact, hadn't even heard about Roy or this recent piece of drama and, when brought up to speed on developments, seemed to side with Doc.

Life and death issues during Holy Week. Appropriate enough. A blessed Easter to all. Click on the Alleluia YouTube entry above on the right. The third installment of a video meditation on our Maryknoll Centennial Missa ad Gentes, by Michael Joncas.

Good Friday @ the Knoll

Next year, instead of the annual contest to guess how many jelly beans are in the jar, I propose a far more daunting challenge: guess how many times we'll change keys during the singing of the Passion.

1,201 was the magic number of jelly beans, with the First Prize going to Fr. John Moran who "guessed" 1,200. Oddly enough, he's won the past several years.

Providentially, this was also the number of times Frs. Paul Masson, Mike Duggan and I changed keys during the singing of the Passion.

We had the foresight to ask the people to sit, otherwise more than the Lord would have suffered.

Breaking with our vocation retreat tradition, we had no outdoor Stations of the Cross at Maryknoll this year. Instead, the group went to the outdoor reenactment of the Stations held by the Hispanic community of St. Ann's parish, where former Maryknoll Associate Fr. Ed Byrne is pastor. The forecasted rain never materialized, so all went well.

Actually, going to an ethnic parish had been part of our vocation retreats in years past. One year we brought the retreatants down to the Korean parish in Queens, another year to Transfiguration in Chinatown, and when the retreat was at Los Altos, to a local Vietnamese parish.

Another departure from previous retreats was the showing of a NEW movie besides "The Mission" and "Romero". Today's offering was the 2010 movie "Of Gods and Men", based on the true events faced by Trappists in Algeria during the 1990s.

Whether to stay with the people during the increasing terrorism and violence or close the mission and return to France forms the core of this at once disturbing yet edifying movie, befitting Good Friday.

One of the young Koreans who is attending this year, said the retreat was way more interesting than he thought it'd be. So to that degree, it's a success.

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Washing of Feet

Do THIS in memory of me!

Holy Week Vocation Retreat

One sure sign of the End Times was seeing 25 guys at Morning Prayer today. Even if you subtract the 13 men here for the discernment retreat, that still means 12 Society members deigned to gather for the Liturgy of the Hours. Surely the End is near.

It was great welcoming the retreatants from all over the country (world, actually, if you count the one from India and Nigeria, and don't consider Texas a foreign country.)

Their presence here since last evening certainly interjected energy into our community and lowered the average age down to about 43 from its current 77.

The guys represent various backgrounds: lawyer, army captain, opera singer, parish administrator, personal trainer, college students and even high school seniors.

Speaking of Call To Action (?), there were indeed many phone calls --about 515-- from those supporting Fr. Roy Bourgeois and asking our superior general to reconsider the formal dismissal for breaking his vow of obedience by continuing to publicly speak out on behalf of women's ordination.

Which brings us to Holy Thursday and the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood. Although my observation stands: if woman cannot be priests because not was present at the Last Supper, why do they receive Communion?

I guess consistency is not a characteristic of contemporary Carholicism.

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Book Review by Fr. Jack Keegan, M.M.

Fr. Jack Keegan sent the following book review via email. Of particularly timely import is his observation in the very first paragraph:

"We Roman Catholics worry more whether the candidate for this calling (to the priesthood) is male rather than female, celibate rather than married, but we worry not nearly enough whether that candidate has a firm grasp on Christian wisdom."

I found it particularly edifying as we approach Holy Week, when we commemorate Jesus' "dismissal" from his society for suggesting maybe their hearts, thoughts, traditions and religion weren't sufficiently open and big enough to contain God's revelation.

Enjoy!

**************************************

Julia Gatta, THE NEARNESS OF GOD: PARISH MINISTRY AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE (New York, Morehouse Publishing, 2010) 141 pages.


Some books occasion happiness in their readers. Such a one is Julia Gatta’s THE NEARNESS OF GOD: PARISH MINISTRY AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE. For a priest, reading it is much like being on retreat. Julia, with her twenty five years of experience is the retreat master. That she is a woman and married vindicates a complaint I used to mutter to myself many years ago when I was a seminary professor.

We Roman Catholics worry more whether the candidate for this calling is male rather than female, celibate rather than married, but we worry not nearly enough whether that candidate has a firm grasp on Christian wisdom. She has it, and shows it throughout the five chapters that make up this slim volume. In them she reflects on ordination, the eucharist, preaching and prayer, pastoral care, and temptation in ministry.

The central theme pervading her reflections on the priesthood is borrowed from Karl Rahner. “This is the life of the priest: to dwell completely in the explicit nearness of God.” Her companion is Urban T. Holmes who “was one of the first to call the priesthood of the church back to its theological and spiritual roots” so that priests might “reclaim their vocation to mediate the transcendent mystery of God.”

Priests can get bogged down in thinking of themselves as counselors and managers, leaders of their congregations and communities, another ‘helping profession.’ Underneath her reflections, although she never says so, stands a theology of grace, the saving presence of God that gifts every human life. It is to that the priest is related. It awaits the mediation of the priest in the mundane where “we are more apt to discover these blessings in the wide spectrum of exchanges that reveal our common humanity."

“Profoundly religious assumptions,” she later says, “are lodged quietly in worldly concerns,… the kinds of things people talk about when they do not think they are talking religion.” The Trinitarian presence of God embraces every human life, and the priest is oriented toward it as mediator to its becoming explicit in consciousness and behavior. And “Grace often takes us by surprise.”

This might have led these reflections on the priesthood toward a wider field of concern. Reviewing this book in SEWANEE THEOLOGICAL REVIEW (Vol.54, No. 1, p.86), Elizabeth Orens wonders “what she might say about the role of the priest who is called to witness in a social and political context.” In so wondering, she, no doubt, is groping toward a vision of the priesthood that focuses on its essentially missionary nature. While priests are ordained by and within a Christian community, they are not ordained only for it. They are also SENT by the Christian community to the mystery of grace irrupting in the wider world.

The author of THE NEARNESS OF GOD might have had this in mind when she rightly draws our attention to the fact that it is “natural for us to mark the beginning of a new priest’s ministry with a first celebration of the eucharist.” She then goes on to recall “a wonderful scene at the conclusion of the movie PLACES IN THE HEART that captures how the eucharist makes present the ‘age to come’” It looks forward to a final reconciliation of all human beings “sharing in the eschatological power of Christ’s Body and Blood.”

The author comes closest to affirming the missionary nature of the priesthood when focusing on a certain uneasiness she has with the term Pastoral care. “Whatever else ‘pastoral’might mean, then, “ she says, “it is a calling that must keep the paschal mystery well in the foreground.” For, “each human being contains unfathomable depths.” People experience the paschal mystery (often a kind of entering into the death of Christ without any feeling for the resurrection) not quite knowing what is happening in their lives. And, we priests “are invited into these places of pain and weakness simply because we are the priest; were it not for our ordination, we would not be there.”

This little book focuses on the priesthood within the Christian community. It is concerned with parish ministry as spiritual practice. It is here that its author displays both her experience and her wisdom. Nowhere is this more evident than in her chapter THE SUPPER OF THE LAMB: CELEBRATING THE EUCHARIST. She observes: “In some quarters, however, emphasizing liturgy as the ‘work of the people’ has become a pretext for endless human invention, while correspondingly little attention is paid to liturgy as Christ’s gift and action among us.”

This perspective carries over into the way she introduces her chapter on SERVING THE WORD: PRAYER FOR PREACHING. Her opening paragraph situates the two. “Preaching prepares the congregation for prayer, for their participation in the sacred mysteries.” It is clear that she has homiletic preaching in mind. She is quick to explain. “It refreshes the cleansing, transformative grace of baptism. It cultivates our ongoing conversion to Christ. It forms in us the perspective of the gospel. It sharpens our vision of the kingdom of God.”

This most rewarding chapter, wherein she intertwines prayer and preaching, was doubly effective for me because I was also reading Lewis V. Baldwin’s
NEVER TO LEAVE US ALONE: THE PRAYER LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. at the same time. She is helpful and suggestive as to how to go about preaching, but she is not adverse to doing a little scolding. “Those who feel themselves called to the priesthood but who shy away from preaching and teaching are captured more by a sacerdotal archetype than by a calling to the real work of priesthood.”

A final chapter, DEFYING AND DEFINING LIMITS: TEMPTATION IN MINISTRY, is quite intriguing. “Grace confronts on all sides in a world saturated with the presence of the Risen Christ,” she reminds us, but priests must also remember that there is a close connection between ministry and temptation. The synoptic gospels attest to it, and “we would be naïve to suppose that the Holy Spirit is the only spirit around, that all the influences that press upon us are benign.”

The demonic is real, however we want to explain it. We can be tempted by the good. Remember the temptations of Jesus. They now weave their way into priestly ministry seducing priests to misuse their power, or to ask to be saved from self inflicted disasters, and to fail to honor the limitations of their
human nature. All by way of proposing the good that can come from it.

There is one aspect of this demonic assault on the ministry of the priest that remains inarticulate in her reflections. It was anticipated in her preface when she wrote: “For too long…the Church has subscribed to an essentially ethical understanding of IMITATIO CHRISTI to define the goal of Christian life and ministry. Jesus was not first and foremost a teacher of ethics. Part of his ministry was devoted to teaching and part of his teaching was devoted to ethical concerns. But, the last thing a priest wants to do is to wean people away from the cruciform character of human existence. Moral integrity is laudable, but priests have an eye and a nose for how the paschal mystery is woven into the flesh and blood of human existence.

Our ministry is not fundamentally to the moral integrity of humans, as laudable as that may be. Priests have to resist the temptation to undermine the gospel not by way of something evil, but through something good. The satanic temptation comes through when the moral life is promoted as the epitome of Christian living, displacing the mystery of life-through-death. True morality needs the paschal mystery for its foundation.

THE NEARNESS OF GOD is a small book with much in it to be savored, particularly by priests. But, it will surely be welcomed by anyone who wants to spend some time with a true spiritual guide whose wisdom is surely Christian.

John E. Keegan, M.M.

Huffington Post: Pope Appeals To China Over Naming Of Bishops

Our own Fr. Larry Lewis is returning from Rome and a meeting with Pope Benedict even as we blog. Ten days ago he called me up in a panic (Larry, not the pope) having heard from my classmate in Rome (Fr. Clyde Phillips, not the pope) that in the new dispensation, a suit and clerical collar are not sartorially sufficient to come into the papal presence.

"Joe, do you have a cassock I can borrow?"

"Actually I have three. Take your pick!"

He chose the one custom made for me some years ago by the mother of our late Br. Mike Greyerbiehl with the faux buttons hiding a full-length zipper (the cassock, not Mike) and a Maryknoll cincture complete with Chi Rho.

The purpose of Larry's call to Rome was a high-level discussion of Maryknoll's China Formation Project which has helped bring Chinese priests, seminarians and Sisters from the mainland to the U.S. so they could receive solid education in religious matters.

Four (or five?) alums of the program went on to become bishops in China with Vatican and PRC official approval. Larry went to give his assessment of the program.

Now, I'm not saying there's a quid pro quo, but my cassock may have just been the tipping point to the following press release from the Vatican. Just sayin'.

		Pope Appeals To China Over Naming Of Bishops
	By Francis X. Rocca Religion News Service VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican on Thursday (April 14) lamented China's interference with the Roman Catholic Church, and...

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"Lord Have Mercy" Maryknoll

THIS is the corrected link to the latest music video meditation of the Missa ad Gentes.

Check it out on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az0LhIcAZ_A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sent from my iPad

Well-planned activities

Fr. Leo Shea wows the crowd with a PowerPoint presentation of up-coming Centennial events.

House Meeting

Will there be enough life preservers and lifeboats?

Deck chairs at Maryknoll

Fr. Leo Shea addressed a monthly house meeting which was moved up a week because of Holy Week. Eighty events are scheduled around the world. On June 29th, the actual Day, will see all entities of the Maryknoll Movement in attendance. September 15-18 is Alumni Weekend, is being prepared by Mr.Dave Brown. More than 1,000 people are expected. Fr.Eugene Kennedy will be among the speakers.

Mr. Bob Short (MEPD) put together a PowerPoint display shown by Leo of the Maryknoll journey nigh these past 100 years. Portraits of Maryknollers, past and present, reminded us how young and thin we once were. A montage of our Opening Liturgy last January 25 helped those of us with short-term memory loss.

Excerpts from Superior General Ed Doughtery's opening homily celebrated the past and pointed toward the future of mission in Maryknoll.

A new site went up today on our Maryknoll.net page with a banner announcing upcoming events. Check it out.

Fr. Bob Jalbert described the CTU Mission Symposium in Chicago on October 6-8. Mr. Greg Darr and his staff have been working hard to put together this theme of Mission Ad Gentes. Cardinal Francis George will be the keynote speaker on the U.S. Church in Mission Ad Gentes.

Br. Wayne Fitzpatrick described the daunting tasks faced by the Committee for the October 30 celebration in St. Patricks, which may be streamed live over the Internet as well as Channel 15. Maryknoll will bring flags, flag bearers, ushers, choir and concelebrants. Buses will take people back and forth between Maryknoll and Manhattan. Fr. Peter LeJacq heads this committee of 20. Two archbishops and two cardinals and ten bishops will be in attendance. A reception sponsored by the brother of Fr. Joe Healey will be held for the hierarchy following the Mass.

Ms. Colleen Brathwaite (marketing) explained the Youth Gathering in Indianapolis in November 17-19, expected to draw 20,000 young people. Maryknoll will have four booths there.

Fr. Ed Dougherty described his recent trip to China with Vicar General Father José Arámburu a few months ago. He also talked about the speech he made earlier this month to the Pontifical Mission Societies in Seattle that included an apology for any insensitivites or misunderstandings Maryknoll may have caused in the past. No mention of any elephants in the room.

Meanwhile, back at the barricades, Call To Action announced a phone-in for this coming Monday, April 18, asking its 24,000+ members to call our main switchboard to advocate reconsideration of the decision to dismiss Fr. Roy Bourgeois from the Society in the coming weeks.

Iceberg? What iceberg?

Fr. Roy Bourgeois, M.M.

Will Roy's picture be taken down from the hall of Maryknollers once he is formally dismissed from the Society and laicized by Rome?

On Conscientious Objection

Back in my college days in the mid 1960s, I joined the War Resisters League, founded by Mahatma Gandhi, to combat the predominant mentality in society that violence and war can solve our problems. We took a pledge never to refer to another human being in anything less than human terms. No "pigs". No "gooks". No "monsters."

The strength of the movement lay in its followers being willing to participate in acts of civil disobedience against selective laws deemed unjust, and then willingly accepting the consequence of their action. Gandhi clearly stated such action must be selective. If laws are broken habitually then the focus of the injustice is lost. Similarly, Gandhi thought it essential to willingly accept the punishment for the infraction, thus underscoring just how injust, if not absurd, the particular law in question is.

I bring this up in this week before Holy Week as Maryknoll on the one hand prepares to celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord (the cosmic example of a conscientious objector) while on the other hand preparing to expel (excuse me, DISMISS) Fr. Roy Bourgeois from our Society. [Our resident canon lawyer insists Roy is being dismissed, not expelled. I think the nuance depends on whether or not you open the door before booting someone out through it.]

Like many Maryknollers, I feel saddened, angry yet resigned to the inevitable and unavoidable consequences to Roy's actions these past several years. Let me be honest in the interest of full disclosure: I like Roy, I consider him my brother, and I totally agree with his opinion of women's ordination. I do not, however, agree with his strategy.

By dragging Maryknoll into his cause and putting us on a collision course with the hierarchy and official Church teaching, he forced Superior General Fr. Ed Dougherty's hand. One Maryknoller wanted to pose this question to Roy: would you force a busload of protesters at the annual SOA protest to cross the line and get arrested against their will? This Maryknoller says what Roy did was essentially to hijack Maryknoll and force us over the line.

When Roy was excommunicated in 2009 for participating in an attempted ordination of a woman to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 2008, he acted in the prophetic role of a conscientious objector by accepting the punishment for breaking what he feels in his heart of hearts is an unjust law. But by continually disregarding Fr. Dougherty's explicit instruction to make no further public statements and take no further action in support of women's ordination, Roy sealed his own fate and gave Doc an out to rid the Society of this "meddlesome priest" (cf. Thomas Becket and King Henry II, for those who are historically challenged.)

Perhaps Roy was acting in the style of Martin Luther ("Hier stehe ich, ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir." ["Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me."]) Unfortunately, Doc's letter to Roy clouds the issue by casting the dismissal once again in terms of women's ordination and not explicitly in breaking the vow of obedience we take to our superiors. Inadvertently, then, our superior actually did Roy a favor by making the dismissal from Maryknoll a direct consequence of his public stand against the official Church's barring women from Holy Orders.

Murky ecclesial waters indeed. But for the above reasons, Roy's imminent dismissal from Maryknoll and forced laicization does refocus attention on the Church's ban on women's ordination. This apparent injustice in the Church is highlighted all the more by the recent report by the Boston-based Gavin group that found 55 dioceses are not compliant with the 2002 Dallas Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Two dioceses, Lincoln, Neb. and Baker, Ore. refused to cooperate with the audit. Is it too much to ask the bishops to keep their own promises and be consistent in meting out ecclesial justice by slapping the recalcitrant dioceses with an interdict (a communal excommunication) until they reflect and repent the error of their ways? Or is it true that the official Church considers involvement in women's ordination as grave a sin as pedophilia? (I notice a strange silence about the gravity of the sin of those who permitted the abuses to continue by transferring offenders and hiding their crimes.)

Be that as it may, the Vatican has declared no women shall be called to Holy Orders, ostensibly because none was present at the Last Super when Jesus instituted the priesthood. But by that same logic, let us then be consistent and decree that henceforth no woman is qualified to receive communion.

So here we stand, we can do no other. In 100 years, I feel Maryknoll will be but an asterisk next to Roy Bourgeois name. Don't believe me? Can anyone name the superior general who dismissed Father Martin Luther? Didn't think so. God help us, indeed.

Letter from Roy Bourgeois

April 8, 2011

Rev. Edward Dougherty, M.M., Superior General
Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers
P.O. Box 303
Maryknoll, NY 10545


Dear Father Dougherty and General Council,

Maryknoll has been my community, my family, for 44 years, so it is with great sadness that I received your letter of March 18, 2011 stating I must recant my belief and public statements that support the ordination of women, or I will be dismissed from Maryknoll.

When I was a young man in the military, I felt God was calling me to be a priest. I later entered Maryknoll and was ordained. I am grateful for finding the happiness, meaning and hope I was seeking in my life.

For the past 20 years I have been speaking out and organizing against the injustice of the School of the Americas and U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. Over these years I discovered an injustice much closer to home - an injustice in my Church.

Devout women in our Church believe God is calling them to be priests, but they are rejected because the Church teaches that only baptized men can become priests. As a Catholic priest for 38 years, I believe our Church's teaching that excludes women from the priesthood defies both faith and reason and cannot stand up to scrutiny for the following reasons:

(1) As Catholics, we believe that we are created in the image and likeness of God and that men and women are equal before God. Excluding women from the priesthood implies that men are superior to women.

(2) Catholic priests say that the call to be a priest is a gift and comes from GOD. How can we, as men say: "Our call from God is authentic, but your call, as women, is not"? Who are we to reject God's call of women to the priesthood? I believe our Creator who is the Source of life and called forth the sun and stars is certainly capable of calling women to be priests.

(3) We are told that women cannot be priests because Jesus chose only men as apostles. As we know, Jesus did not ordain anyone. Jesus also chose a woman, Mary Magdalene, to be the first witness to His resurrection, which is at the core of our faith. Mary Magdalene became known as "the apostle to the apostles."

(4) A 1976 report by the Pontifical Biblical Commission, the Vatican's top Scripture scholars, concluded that there is no valid case to be made against the ordination of women from the Scriptures. In the Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian and other Christian churches, God's call of women to the priesthood is affirmed and women are ordained. Why not in the Catholic church?

(5) The Holy Scriptures remind us in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither male nor female. In Christ Jesus you are one." Furthermore, the Second Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution on "The Church in the Modern World" states: "Every type of discrimination ... based on sex ... is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God's intent."

After much reflection and many conversations with fellow priests and women, I believe sexism is at the root of excluding women from the priesthood. Sexism, like racism, is a sin. And no matter how hard we may try to justify discrimination against women, in the end, it is not the way of God. Sexism is about power. In the culture of clericalism many Catholics priests see the ordination of women as a threat to their power.

Our Church is in a crisis today because of the sexual abuse scandal and the closing of hundreds of churches because of a shortage of priests. When I entered Maryknoll we had over 300 seminarians. Today we have ten. For years we have been praying for more vocations to the priesthood. Our prayers have been answered. God is sending us women priests. Half the population are women. If we are to have a vibrant and healthy Church, we need the wisdom, experience and voices of women in the priesthood.

As Catholics, we believe in the primacy and sacredness of conscience. Our conscience is sacred because it gives us a sense of right and wrong and urges us to do the right thing. Conscience is what compelled Franz Jagerstatter, a humble Austrian farmer, husband and father of four young children, to refuse to join Hitler's army, which led to his execution. Conscience is what compelled Rosa Parks to say she could no longer sit in the back of the bus. Conscience is what compels women in our Church to say they cannot be silent and deny their call from God to he priesthood. And it is my conscience that compels me to say publicly that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is a grave injustice against women, against our Church and against our God who calls both men and women to the priesthood.

In his 1968 commentary on the Second Vatican Council's document, "Gaudium et Spes," Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, said: "Over the pope ... there still stands one's own conscience, which must be obeyed before all else, if necessary, even against the requirement of ecclesiastical authority."

What you are requiring of me is not possible without betraying my conscience. In essence, you are telling me to lie and say I do not believe that God calls both men and women to the priesthood. This I cannot do, therefore I will not recant.

Like the abolition of slavery, the civil rights movement and the right of women to vote, the ordination of women is inevitable because it is rooted in justice. Whenever there is an injustice, silence is the voice of consent. I respectfully ask my fellow priests, bishops, Church leaders in the Vatican and Catholics in the pews to speak out and affirm God's call of women to the priesthood.


Your Brother in Christ,

(Signed)

Roy Bourgeois, M.M.
P.O. Box 3330
Columbus, GA 31903
Tel/Fax 706-682-5369
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Kingdom of Radical Love

"Exempting no one; excluding no one."

Fr. Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, M.M.

Breakfast at the 39th St. House turns into a mini retreat for this blogger.

Miguel's mission

An overnight stay at our 39th St. House afforded me some time to chat with Fr. Miguel D'Escoto about his recent activities. He assured me he has no great desire to be Libya's representative at the United Nations, but rather wants to put together an A-List international team of high profile negotiators who can bring a peaceful and just solution to the Libya conflict.

To that end, Miguel had to quickly change his plans to come to the Knoll this weekend. A phone call convinced him to get back to Nicaragua tomorrow.

I have to say, listening to Miguel is like going on a mini-retreat. No matter what question I asked him, he always circled back around to the gospel. Miguel certainly lets his faith illuminate his actions. Quoting Tolstoy, he said "The kingdom of God requires a radical love that exempts no one and excludes no one." This has been his guiding principle throughout his missionary life as well as in recent years when he served as president of the U.N. General Assembly. He dismissed charges that he needed a diplomatic visa to work at the U.N. and flashed a special I.D. badge he has as a former president which gets him anywhere inside the U.N. compound.

"You have no right to criticize someone unless you love them," Miguel said. "Only love gives you the vision to criticize effectively. Without love, criticism may be motivated by jealousy, anger or hatred. Such criticism will never be heard by God nor will it help the person or institution you are criticizing."

Speaking of which, Miguel is about to publish a book proposing a total overhaul and reinvention of the United Nations. Clearly he loves the U.N.

He recalled meeting President George W. Bush for the first time. "What would I say to him? We had 153 items on the U.N. agenda. Finally I offered my hand and said, 'Mr. President, I want you to know that I love you. I love your wife and I love your family.' " Miguel recalls how Bush's face noticeably softened. Probably underestimating the man he was facing, Bush later described Miguel as a pleasant, old gentleman.

I tried to gauge his reaction to the imminent dismissal of Fr. Roy Bourgeois from Maryknoll and from the priesthood. "Roy is paying the price for standing up to the institutional church which has been distorting the Gospel of Jesus Christ for 1,600 years." He then went into detailed description of how Constantine manipulated the Council of Nicea.

At about this time I got a phone call from a former superior general of Maryknoll who shall remain anonymous so as not to jeopardize his teaching position at the University of Scranton. I assured John I had not been silenced again, for the simple reason that I had not been silenced the first time. I try to give an accurate reading of what guys discuss here at the Knoll, but truth be told, how many colonoscopies and seminars on gerontology can one report on in between baseball or basketball games?

That being said, Miguel's taking a long view of things and casting his actions as working out of love to build the kingdom of God, no matter what the personal cost or hardship, helps us understand if not always appreciate what he and Roy and so many lower profile Maryknollers are doing. "What else would you expect if you're following a Crucified Lord?" Miguel said.

Huffington Post: Excommunicated Priest Now Faces Expulsion

Here is how the Huffington Post treated the stories. The comments at the end are a good indication of how the average person views this.

		Excommunicated Priest Now Faces Expulsion
	By Bruce Nolan Religion News Service NEW ORLEANS -- The Rev. Roy Bourgeois, the Louisiana native and peace activist who was excommunicated three years ago...

 

Sent from my iPad