‘Encuentro’
Deepening
the Conversations
Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny
Pre-Chapter Community Day
On Friday, July 14th, the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny in the Province of the United States &
Canada, gathered for a Pre-Chapter meeting at the Provincial House in
Middletown, RI. Of the sixteen members of the Province, nine sisters were able
to gather along with a visiting Cluny Sister from West Africa doing Mission
Appeals in the States.
The purpose and focus of the
day was to begin the formal conversations leading to the Province Chapter being
held in October. The purpose of the day
was threefold:
1. To provide a
forum for Sisters to discuss what is really important to consider at the
upcoming Provincial Chapter.
2. To gain the
“collective wisdom” of the Province regarding the deep conversations that need
to take place at the Provincial Chapter.
3. To provide
the opportunity for the Facilitator and Sisters to get to know one another.
The day focused on surfacing
the “deep conversations” that the members need to engage at Chapter. These
“deep conversations” call the members to a level of engagement that is
characterized by intense listening to one another and God’s Spirit and openness
to possibility.
The question was asked: “What
are the Deep Conversations that need to take place among us?” We identified the five following areas.
1.
How to create
‘encuentro’ among us?
2.
Building
Relationships
3.
Presence
4.
Availability
5.
Community
The Pre-Chapter Gathering was
a formal first step toward our Province Chapter. In reality, we have been preparing for this
Chapter since the last one. We have been called to embrace the Gospel of
Non-Violence and to see the world through this lens.
Using the lens of Gospel
Non-Violence, can we---
Reimagine How We Relate…
To the world we live in now, both locally, nationally and
globally?
To those who are most vulnerable…immigrants, refugees,
etc.?
To those who think, look, or believe differently?
To those who practice violence and to their victims?
To local, national and world leaders?
To those in our church who hold violence in their hearts?
Reimagine How We Live…
Our presence to others?
Our availability to the other, for whatever reason?
Our commitment to community as a witness of unity in a
divided world?
Our willingness to go “beyond the boundaries” to build
community outside ourselves?
Reimagine How We Steward…
Our gifts shared generously, openly, without strings
attached?
Our resources shared broadly with those who embrace our
mission/charism?
Our gift of a contemplative stance to the world
Our generosity in sharing and exploring deeper
spirituality
with all?
We invite you to hold our
preparations and our Province Chapter, October 1 – 4, in your prayers and
special intentions.
There is no power greater than a
community
discovering what it cares about.
As a community we trust that meaningful
conversations
can be transformative.
