Cluny USA Regional Assembly

 

In Her Radiance: 

Igniting the World with Love  

and Hope

SJC REGIONAL ASSEMBLY

September 18– 21, 2023

Holy Spirit Retreat Center

Encino, California

Our Cluny Region gathered to prepare for the 2024 General Chapter.  The focus of our work from February to May, 2023  was a personal and community EVALUATION of our Missionary Priorities 2018 and a Reflection on the Deep Story of the Congregation, our Communities and each Sister.  Those moments of ‘explosions of grace’ in our stories. 

The Missionary Priorities of 2018 - 2024

• Being Credible Witnesses to our Religious Consecrated Life
• Missionary Disciples, let us go forth
• Going Forward Together, collaborating for Mission

The Deep Story Reflection

This is a reflection of our charism which is born anew in an ‘explosion of grace’ every time the Deep Story of the congregation and the needs of the times come together.  The initial ‘explosion’ of the charism continues to evolve as do the many needs of our time.  We are not about ‘preserving our charism’ but about ‘reinventing’ the charism anew in our time in the Spirit Energy of God and our Foundress, Blessed Anne Marie Javouhey.

Each day of the Assembly we came together for Prayer and Contemplative Silence.  We also had two Masses during the four days of Assembly.  

We are grateful to Fr. Marinello Saguin and Fr. Danny Guinto for celebrating with us.

Sister Anncarla Costello, SND, Chancellor of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, facilitated the work of the Assembly which included:

Reflections on Religious Life

Intercultural Living Part I & II

Sister Genevieve’s Province Report

Mission priorities, sustaining the passion of charism, visioning together

Raising ‘proposals’ for the General Chapter Assembly in 2024

Closing Ritual of Blessing and Missioning

Special thank you to our Assembly Secretary, Anne Lobsinger, for her time and her presence with us.

October 4th Pope Francis releases a new Apostolic Exhortation

Eight years have passed since I published the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, when I wanted to share with all of you, my brothers and sisters of our suffering planet, my heartfelt concerns about the care of our common home. Yet, with the passage of time, I have realized that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point. [Laudate Deum 2]

Today, Pope Francis released his new environmental document titled, ‘Laudate Deum’, which means, ‘Praise God’.  This Apostolic Exhortation is a follow-up document to his 2015 Encyclical, Laudato Si.

October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi is also the first day of a monthlong assembly for the Synod on Synodality and the conclusion of the Season of Creation, a Vatican-supported ecumenical initiative about caring for the environment.

Five Takeaways from Laudate Deum

1. Climate change is real and caused by human activity.

2. Climate change damage is often irreversible and unequally distributed.

3. Technocracy is not the answer.

4. World cooperation is necessary, but our responses so far have been inadequate.

5. Humanity is intimately connected with the rest of God’s creation.

Read More From Maryknoll’s Article

https://maryknollogc.org/resources/news/five-takeaways-laudate-deum?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=981ee96b-ed5d-4dac-8b14-d6752a8a8cb5

 Saint Francis’s Prayer in Praise of God, Given to Brother Leo 

You are holy, Lord, the only God, and Your deeds are wonderful.

You are strong.

You are great.

You are the Most High. 

You are Almighty.

You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.

You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.

You are Good, all Good, supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.

You are love.

You are wisdom.

You are humility.

You are endurance.

You are rest.

You are peace.

You are joy and gladness.

You are justice and moderation.

You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.

You are beauty.

You are gentleness.

You are our protector.

You are our guardian and defender. 

You are our courage.

You are our haven and our hope.

You are our faith, our great consolation.

You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord, God Almighty,

Merciful Savior. 

Amen.