May 5, 2022 - General Chapter 46

You may not have had this experience, but today I was reminded that sometimes what we've lost is actually rather nearby. The ticket that was hidden behind a credit card in your wallet, the receipt that was in the drawer of your desk, or the favorite shirt that was in the laundry basket - maybe these are things that older folks experience. But the point is that earlier I wrote about the Superior General's talk, and how I would just summarize things because I didn't have a copy, when all the time a copy was very much available right HERE. That's the place to get all the latest information, photos, and media.

Today, there was a "main event", the report from AIMEL, and the start of the "Market Place" sessions. All three were noteworthy for different reasons. The main event was the presentation by Fr. Bryan Massingale, a diocesan priest from Milwaukie who is an ethics professor at Fordham and very well known throughout the country for his passion, erudition, connectivity with students, and exemplary teaching style. He was introduced by Br. Ernest Miller, who shared a long list of  Fr. Massingale's accomplishments, and recognitions. When the welcome was finished, Fr. Massingale came down and spoke to us from the front of the podium because he was a teacher and wished to move around as he spoke to us.

His first statement to us set the theme: What does it mean to be a courageous sign of hope in a time that does not know how to name itself? Using Pope Francis' quote “We are not living in an era of change, but a change of era", he proceeded to describe an existentially different time of living today, one that calls for courageous venturing into the unknown. A list of all the ways that the world is different - climate change, deep questions about sexuality, rising nationalism, the pandemic, etc. - became immediate when he showed two photographs, side by side. One was a Brothers community in North America (mostly older, white-haired, Brothers, some smiling, sort of) and the other was a Brothers community in the Southern hemisphere (none white, largely young, no grey hair, very much smiling). He posed the questions "Whose Institute is this? Who really belongs? Who counts?"

I very much liked a quotation that he used from Pope Francis' talk to priests and religious in Mozambique in 2019, because it applies so well to our current situation: "Whether we like it or not, we are called to face reality as it is. Times change and we need to realize that often we do not know how to find our place in new scenarios: we keep dreaming about the ‘leeks of Egypt' (Num 11:15), forgetting that the promised land is before us, not behind us, and in our lamentation for times past, we are turning to stone.” From there, he spoke about the virtue of courage, which according to Aquinas is the precondition of all virtue, It is the fortitude to endure hardships and fear for the sake of doing right in the face of injustice, translating convictions to actions. You need courage to dwell in the peripheries. And you need hope: the inner orientation of the human spirit that sustains one in the quest for a non-guaranteed future in the face of formidable obstacles. Plus you need "gnome", which is the ability to reason well in the exceptional situations that are not covered by the common rules of action. And finally you need YHWH, the Divine Mystery for which the word is in the future present tense - a tense that is not in English; - a presence that mysterious, dynamic, passionate. "Behold, I make all things new."

Let's hope that his presentation is uploaded to the Chapter website linked above. It's really impressive when someone can be both passionate and erudite, down-to-earth and deeply grounded in theology, passionate with us and empathetic to our priorities. At the end of his talk, it received the most sustained applause of any presentation or talk so far, and for good reason. After a break - during which I gave him a copy of my little book on De La Salle since he said that he'd learned about him mostly on the internet - there were some excellent questions, followed by excellent answers, all challenging and insightful. Example question: Can an organization as large as ours make radical changes, or does it require something very new? Part of his answer: "Yes! As an organization as large and global as you are, you need to make space for creativity and the experimentation to move into new frontiers and new places. Don’t stigmatize people who are doing so. ... We made changes in the past; we have a history; the spirit is ever new and ever creative." Another question: How should an all-male congregation address the LGBTQ issue considering that our young Lasallians and Partners are grappling with this too? Part of his answer: "First, we have to be honest about how the question makes us uncomfortable. It makes us uncomfortable because as religious men, our religious life makes us already suspicious and uncomfortable about how we live masculinity. By definition we are unmarried, and educators, called to be compassionate and sensitive. ... [And] we have to understand that we are called to a prophetic understanding of masculinity. We are called to the masculinity of Jesus, who at Gethsemane needed his friends to be with him, who allowed John to rest his head on his chest, who was not afraid of human touch (women washing his feet) and washed his disciples feet." In answer to another question, he spoke about what we can learn about other international organizational that have gone through different models of change, recommending John Quinn's book, Deep Change. There were other questions about conservative young people and priests, the goal of "radical availability" on the part of the Brothers, etc. The time moved quickly and 90 minutes were done in a flash. The session ended by Sr. Leslie leading us through an "important words for us right now" exercise using an online program that displayed the words we wrote on the "menti" website on the screen in a word cloud. The largest word was "courage".

We next came together again at 3:00 pm, when Alisa Macksey and Br. Nestor presented the results of the first phase of the AIMEL gathering. There was a bit of earphone juggling on my part, because Alisa spoke in English and Nestor in Spanish, taking alternate turns at reading the sections of the eight propositions from AIMEL. I needed the earphones for Nestor, but if I didn't take them off right away, or go to another channel when Alisa came on, there would a French translation in my ear. But most of it got through.

The question period was quite varied and serious. The propositions brought up all sorts of issues and concerns. Examples: Who gives the stamp of approval to the final document from AIMEL that will be created at the second session? (Answer: The hope is that we would entrust the delegates of IAMEL with the final approval.) Who does the implementation of the document - Rome, Regions, Districts? (Answer: It would be the work of CIAMEL with the next General Council and work with Districts on the implementation.) Are there discussions or specific proposals with respect to the General Chapter itself? (Answer: We’d like the General Chapter to contribute some possibilities to add to our second phase: comments and input. There was a brief discussion by AIMEL as to whether to have a joint meeting of AIMEL and the General Chapter in the future.) What do you want from the General Chapter? (Answer: We hope that things that are in line with your proposals would be incorporated into your own decisions.) Is it your intention for this CIAMEL to have some sort of deliberative authority? It seems to include a bold shift in empowerment. (Answer: We would like CIAMEL to be empowered to make decisions in dialogue with the General Council without necessarily requiring approval for every decision made.) A few "questions" were more in the nature of opinions. But generally the questions were thoughtful and focused. A proposal was offered from the central committee of the Chapter, regarding the acceptance and validation of the AIMEL proposals. It was written in language that was carefully nuanced and supportive.

When it came to the voting itself, the Moderator for the session pointed out that this would be the first actual Chapter Act to be voted on. A hand-count of the voting delegates was done by all the scrutineers, which yielded 66 voting delegates in the room. The vote was then taken electronically. The total votes recorded was 71. A bit of a problem here. The vote was retaken, and this time 65 people voted and 56 votes (53 positive and 3 Juxta Modum, which count as positive). General applause followed, and the session ended, with many going up to the front to congratulate Alisa and Br. Nestor for their work and its validation by the Chapter. One procedural concern on my part was communicated to the central community afterwards, via a quick email from my room prior to the next activity, but its neither necessary nor helpful to bring it up here. I was happy that the work of CIAMEL and AIMEL was understand, accepted, and brought forward.

After this, there were Marketplace sessions in different locations on the property. Those in my language subgroup, mentioned in an earlier blog, went to the Young Lasallian and Young Brothers presentations. Br. Dylan Perry showed several videos prepared for the occasion which succinctly shared the results of those gatherings, after which he had us highlight with post-it stickers which ones we thought had already been done well or not been accomplished yet. It was a clever way to get a pulse on where the group stood.

The second Marketplace session focused on the "Notes" that the Brothers had sent to the Chapter, only 100 in number. The presentation provided a summary of those notes and began a longer discussion of what we had learned during the day's events and what we wanted to "privilege" as we moved ahead. It was a very good group conversation.

Today's activities finished at 6:43, seven minutes before Mass in the main chapel. A quick run to my room and then to the chapel, where the Mass would be in English, with Fr. Massingale as the main celebrant. I had volunteered to sing in the choir and therefore was busy with that for most of the Mass, although our point of view was rather limited.

During dinner, I sat next to Br Alvaro Rodriquez Echeverria, the former Superior General from Costa Rica, who was a "by right" member of the Chapter. We had a fine conversation about many things, including the 2007 Chapter when he was reelected and I was overseeing the liturgies and prayer. We're both a little older now. After dinner, I popped down to the Den and found a find bunch of folks enjoying themselves. It was a nice place to relax for a while before heading upstairs to write up this blog post. Before leaving, I took out my phone and asked for a photo for the blog. People were happy and willing to do so. Below is the result. A very busy day once again, and a noteworthy one.

May 4, 2022 - General Chapter 36

It already seems like we have been meeting for several weeks. Now that the retreat days are done, the planned process has begun and the schedule is tightly configured. The Superior General's report this morning was the main event. He told me that he thought that it would not fill in the time given for it - 90 minutes - and he was right, except that part of that time was to be given over to questions and comments.

The presentation itself was about 45 minutes, and it was really excellent. He started by quoting Ephesians 4:23 about putting on a new mind and asked what it meant for us at this moment in the history of the Institute to "procure God's glory" because that is what we have consecrated ourselves to. We joyfully proclaim God's glory through the ministry of education. We must not forget why this charism came into existence, and we must realize that we inherited that charism, one that always exceeds our expectations and our cautions. It is a charism that witnesses to Jesus and his project for the reign of God.

The talk went on in that vein, and it is well worth reading once it is publicly made available. Listening to it was like a spiritual rally - a sort of political rally without the fuss and noise and confetti - touching lots of echoes in the heart and articulating all those things that first attracted you to this Lasallian vocation and that keeps you in it. In one section, he said, "Brothers, we too are called to be men of the spirit. The renewal of the Institute will become a reality to the extent that we give ourselves to spiritual renewal. Each Brother is invited to renew himself spiritually. This won’t happen without knowing that we are loved. ..." He also highlighted the new realities of today: "Our world has changed in these last two years. What meaning does a changed world have for us? ... It is time to realize the dreams of past chapters ... Reimagine who we are and for whom we are as followers of Jesus Christ." And in terms of the expectations for this General Chapter, "We don’t expect that Chapter to offer a definitive governance model in these three weeks, but we do hope that it provides clear direction for developing a model by the next General Chapter." These are only little nuggets that I managed to write out almost verbatim, but it gives you a sense of the message. He also repeatedly urged us to be aware of the fact that while there are few Brother vocations, the Holy Spirit has given us thousands and thousands of Lasallian vocations. What does that mean? How do we read that for our lives and our future?

After the talk, there were some questions and some comments, a number of them highlighting the organizational realities and responsibilities that were part of our educational scope today. One of his responses stood out to me, although it's not exactly verbatim; "Through dialogues and discussion, I am convinced that we can move toward new models. ... I wonder if we have been offering models to our Partners based on religious life structures? I hope that we come up with a model whereby Brothers and Partners share responsibility for the mission." He highlighted some of the ways that France and ARLEP have responded to their realities and have shared responsibility for the mission with their Partners, and Brothers made reference to synodality. One asked, "Are we really enriching the entire Lasallian world in terms of the charismatic path, or are we just maintaining the mission?" Here I'll stop putting down quotations. Just know that it was one of those genuinely engaging exchanges that are as rare as they are rich. At the end of the 90 minutes we deserved a break and took it.

The next person on the agenda was me; my fifteen minutes of fame, as it were. The report was going to be on the Lasallian Research and Resources Service, for which I am the "Secretary/Coordinator" - a rather strange title, but okay. For the last couple of weeks, I'd been working on the talk, figuring out ways to keep it informative but also appealing. The text was written out, with cues for the Powerpoint pieces, and timed to the minute. I'd figured out a way whereby a smaller corner video could run across multiple slides, allowing me to make my points while a silent walk-through video of the various locations ran in one corner of the slide. I had also made copies of the text, with DeepL.com translation copies in French and Spanish, to be given to the translators in their booths. They would certainly appreciate the English text I was going to use, but perhaps they's like the pre-translated ones as well.

People seemed to be quite happy with the result. After the applause, as I was walking back to my seat carrying the laptop with its dangling power cord and clutching my text, all the Brothers I passed or caught my eye gave me the thumbs-up with a wide genuine smile. And for most of the day, Brothers I know well, and some I don't, have come to let me know that they really appreciated the presentation. We had also prepared a booklet about the SRRL (the acronym, in French, for our Service) that we placed at each seat during the break, in the language of that particular person, along with a copy of "The Teacher's Saint" in the same language. And so I think that everything was well covered. The talk would make them interested in reading the booklet, and my "observations" during the presentation may help advance the interests of this Service. A couple of folks asked for copies of the Powerpoint, but it was simpler to record the Powerpoint and then put it on YouTube. (HERE)

The Communications Service followed my presentation, and Br. Alexander did a fine job of explaining all of the work that his staff does to ensure publications and communications on all sorts of media. (#FSC46GC is the hashtag to use on Twitter, although I'm not a Twitter user.) One of the guests sitting next to the Superior General was Br. Ernesto Sanchez, the Superior General of the Marist Brothers. He also spoke to the assembly with kind words, recollecting times when groups he was associated with had used that particular hall, and identifying with many of our concerns and priorities. Then everyone went off for a short break before lunch.

At 3:00 pm, the usual time to resume things in the Motherhouse, we gathered in language groups in different rooms to answer one or more of some questions that would begin our discernment journey. The process for the group - there were two English language groups of about 16 people - was that first four people would converse for 30 minutes, then two 4-person groups would come together for 30 minutes to share their results and continue the conversation, and then the whole group would come together for another 30 minutes to consolidate their thoughts which the Secretary for the group would report on afterwards. The question that our small group chose was "What challenges have been met during this seven-year term that have had the greatest impact on you?" By the end of the 90 minutes, we were rather tired but had raised a number of things that we appreciated and things we were concerned about. (Not enough time or space to cover these here.) It should be said, however, that various works of direct service of the poor such as the Fratelli project and the Beyond the Borders projects were repeatedly mentioned as examples of where charismatic life seems to be most evident.

We finished at 4:30 and had a short break before returning to the Aula Magna at 5:00 pm for our group reports, which took about an hour. After that, there were questions and comments from the floor, and Sr. Leslie, our facilitator, provided her comments, very impressed with the deep and bold thinking that had been expressed. In effect, she said "The touchpoint in the center of the table is charism, which will move us - some things will fall away and others move forward; but that charism rekindles our passion. Be encouraged; there is alot of to be proud of here; these examples have given you much support." Then there were announcements and instructions for upcoming events, so that by the time we left the Aula Magna it was 6:34 pm - Mass would start at 6:45 pm. But it started on time, and I think many people were relieved to be somewhere where they didn't have to do anything but pray.

May 3, 2022 - General Chapter 46

 Bear with me while I take a mental breath. Although today was a retreat day, and the schedule was simple and straightforward, the rich input that we had reminded me of the Far Side cartoon where the student raises his hand and asks to be excused because his brain is full. Today's talks were a kind of spirituality equivalent of that, at least for me.

Sr. Maria Cimperman from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago was our presenter, and there were two presentations, one at 9:00 am and the other at 3:00 pm, both about 90 minutes long. Her experience as a professor in social ethics and a female religious were both evident in the things that she shared with us. Her style was conversational, which was really helpful, but her material was both challenging, deeply grounded, and very thought-provoking. I took over six pages of notes on my laptop, highlighting some things as they struck me as important.

The flow of thoughts, connections, and images were something like a symphony, which you can appreciate on any number of levels; melodic passages, interesting harmonics, exciting rhythm here or there, long thematic stretches, and so on. If you can imagine that on a verbal/mental/reflective level, you will also understand that it's useless to try to share its content here. All I might attempt is to share some of the statements or questions that captured my attention as something I'd want to think some more about.

- There is the hermeneutic or serendipity. When you think you are settled somewhere, surprises happen that call for new pathways, new thinking, different approaches from the past.
- (One part of the General Chapter's theme is transforming lives.) Consecrated life is also in need of transformation, interior conversion. "Trannsfoming lives includes your own. It must."
- Religious life doesn't own the charism; we embody it and seek to live it. The charism is a gift of the Holy Spirit, which means that it is brought forth in creativity and freedom. It's given for particular needs, always grounded in God. We're not called to be NGO's but to be the Good News.
- The title "Brothers" speaks to the loving tenderness of relationship that your Founder of and is in your documents. You witness what it means to be a male religious.
- She quoted from and expanded on a Canadian theologian's thinking about seven cautions or challenges for religious orders who engage in a "transformation" process: we make new improved versions of the past; we think we have to try harder rather than think differently; we play it safe rather than innovate; we engage in polite incremental change rather than vigorous and deep transformation; we exercise avoidance rather than creation; we download the same information and put it in another Excel form, not shifitng our consciousness; and we focus on external work rather than inner work.
- Where are our new peripheries? Where is the charism calling us now, today? What message of Jesus does God want to speak to the world today through the Institute?
- By their nature, the Brothers go to the peripheries (she used quotations from the Rule throughout her talks.) "You have the periphery at the center. They are your focus. The question is, if that's your center, where are your next peripheries? They may very well be the existential ones. ... What is calling next?"
- The need is for process more than structure. A pathway isn't a building. It's not concrete. It will be far more organic, and you will walk this way. The richness comes from listening, listening long and hard.

By now you're either a little bored or just trying to figure out how all that ties together. Did I mention that the talks were hard to summarize? I just know that several times I wanted to hit the Pause button, so that I could think through something that was said, either by the presenter or by one of the Brothers during the open response times. But I think that it was the overall impact that was her focus, which was to help us to contextualize the riches that we carry, become increasingly aware of our present realities as opportunities, and motivate us to trust in the Holy Spirit's dynamic in the existential realities of the present and move forward in a way that aligns with our foundational (think Heroic Vow) and Gospel priorities. In some ways, her talk was like a collie herding sheep, getting the group to move in a direction that was being guided by one whose perspective was outside of our own immediate minutiae of life. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the whole experience, but it certainly was rich with potential and meaning.

When we weren't in the talks, we were supposed to be reflecting on questions that were give out at the end of each session. And I'm sure that many people did that. In my own case, I had a number of things happening in my Secretariat and needed to be there for most of the day. Plus, tomorrow is the day for my short 15-minute presentation to the Chapter about the Lasallian Research and Resources Service. I'll let you know tomorrow how that went.

By the time I had finished my work, Mass had started, and so I arrived late and remained in the background. But there was a nice photo from that angle, however. Just looking at all the Brothers present there, from all the countries where we have ministries, it was impressive to see that inter-culturality (one of the strengths and catalysts of transformation according to Sr. Maria) was clearly and quietly on display. We are just at the beginning of our time together, but already the strong sense of common mission and community provides assurance that we may do some rather good things here.

May 2, 2022 - General Chapter 46

 This is the day when we began to work. After prayer in the large "Sanctuary of St. John Baptist de La Salle" at 7:00 am, the Brothers went to breakfast and did what they needed to do prior to the first session at 9:00 am in the Aula Magna.

The first part of the morning was presented and overseen by Sr. Leslie, the Salesian Sister from Nicaragua who would be our facilitator. A roomful of 70+ male religious could be a daunting audience, but she had already loosened us up yesterday with her exercises, and today she would introduce "Appreciative Inquiry" - a methodology of organiziation inquiry coming from a professor in Cleveland and successfully used in many settings, although not many in the USA. We started with this video, followed by spontaneous insights and comments by the Brothers. Then she began to explain aspects of this methodology as one that promotes growth and motivation, highlighting strengths that contribute to achieving success together by concentrating on what gives us life instead of what we see as problems. Her presentation was articulate and convincing. Over a period of about an hour, she gradually wove a tapestry of understanding of what this methodology meant, sharing basic principles behind it and highlighting things like the reality of genuine circumstances, the power of collective imagination based on the refusal to say "I can't", and the recognition that many things happen at the same time (simultaneousness). I was struck by the analogy of a child who encounters a tree and immediately begins to imagine the ways that the tree could be made part of his/her experiences and life. 

A question period followed. And this was a critical portion of the session, since the entire General Chapter had been planned on the basis of following Appreciative Inquiry, and it could all fall apart without wide support from the Capitulants. But each question was answered with calm expertise, clear recognition of what lay behind the question, and a depth of background that only someone with a confident trust in that process could project. She was asked about the kinds of difficulties that might be experienced (reconciling different points of view & language group / regional distinctions) and what the practical objective might l want?" A statement from the floor was "How to we transform our paths so that life is allowed to happen?" 

After 90 minutes of input and questions, the groups was ready to vote on whether or not to use this method for the Chapter. There were 69 voting Brothers in attendance (not including me, since the Consultants are not voting members) and the electronic vote was 63-1-2-1 (Yes-No-Abstain-Juxta Modum) That last one, "Juxta Modum", means that you agree but not with all of it and would like to see some changes; I don't know the origins of this interesting voting option. Generally, therefore, the method passed with flying colors.

Next, the five Regions (PARC, RELAL, RELEM, RELAF, RELAN) went to different parts of the property to meet and choose a Coordinator (leader) and Secretary fo their regional group, a proposed "Scrutineer" (someone to count the votes; usually the youngert Brother in the group), a proposed "Moderator" (someone to take his turn in running a session) from the Region, and a proposed permanent "Coordinator" for the Chapter. The latter is the person who would be in overall charge of the sessions and lead the Central Committee, made up of all these people along with others. We quickly chose Br. Dylan Perry as our Scrutineer, and recommended the current temporary Chapter Coordinator, Br. Jorge Sierra, originally appointed by the Superior General, as the permanet one. For our own group, Br. Rober Schaeffer was chosen as our regional group's Coordinator and Br. Chris Patino as our Secretary. Finally, we proposed Br. Nick Gonzalez as RELAN's nomination for Moderator for the general sessions.

All of these folks from the various regional groups were duly proposed, confirmed by a hand vote (which probably made it simpler since the majority would be obvious and prevented the noticing of any small number of negative votes), and applauded upon confirmation. The Coordinator for the Chapter that was proposed by the regional groups were all exactly the same: Br. Jorge Sierra. This was the validation that the preparatory committee had hoped for. From that moment, he became the Chapter Coordinator and became responsible for running this General Chapter. Subsequently, each Moderator and each Scrutineer was voted on and confirmed.

When we met again at 3:00 pm, there was a discussion of the Manual of Rules and Procedures. Br. Jacques D'Huiteau, who was the Moderator of the session along with Br. Pierre Ouattara, went through each of the chapters of the document to ask for any questions or clarifications. Clearly, he had done this sort of thing before, and he was very thorough and careful in making sure any questions were recognized and considered. Finally, after going through each chapter of the Manual, we were ready to vote. The final vote was 65-1-2-0. Therefore, the methodology and the procedures that the Preparatory Committee had been working on for 2-3 years, and one that was radically different from the approaches of any previous General Chatpter, was accepted and approved.

Following this session, we went into language groups - there were two groups for the English-speaking participants - and were assigned to rooms throughout the property where we would begin our work together. Each group was asked to choose a Moderator (Br. Ricky Laguda) and a Secretary who could speak Spanish, in order to facilitate communication with Sr. Maria, the facilitator (Br. Chris Patino was chosen). Since most didn't know one another, we briefly introduced ourselves and subsequently shared some general thoughts / impresssions / concerns about the Chapter and its processes. The method we ended up using was that one person would verbally invite the next person to respond. It was clear that people had thought carefully and deeply about the issues that were on the table, and it was a very good beginning of conversations that will extend throughout the Chapter. As we had been told, most of our work would happen in these language groups. It should be noted that the two lay women who were appointed by the Superior General were both from the U.S. - one is Alisa Macksey and the other is Heather Ruple Gilson. Heather is part of our English language group.

Among the thoughts shared within the group - which really don't need to be part of any blog but may be generally relayed - was the notion that we are at a critical junction in the history of the Institute, and the window of opportunity is rather small. One analogy was shared that it is as if we are in the middle of crossing a river; we can't go back and the only thing we can do to survive is to move forward. (I agreed but also commented that I'd like to see a piece of the shore that we're aiming at.)

These rich conversations went on until it was time for the "afternoon break" which happened at 4:30 pm. As it was, we kept on talking into the break and beyond. Some of the other groups kept on talking together for much longer.

In between these sessions, I would pop down to my office to get some of my other work done and to check on the historical displays that are being prepared in various parts of the house. It's one of the liabilities of having an office and responsibility in the same place where the General Chapter is held.

The Mass was held in the main sanctuary at 6:45 pm. It was done in Italian and French (readings, homily, songs, etc.). The strongest singing occurred at the very end when we sang the Lourdes hymn to Mary in French. It was loud, broad, and sincere, with various harmonic parts emerging spontaneously; one of those goose-bumpy moments that was really enriching.

Following dinner, there was a little reception sponsored by the General Council in the Brothers dining room, where we also have all of our breaks. I ended up speaking with Br. Janusz (yes, that's spelled correctly) from Poland, who didn't know English but knew Spanish well, having gone to Spain for his novitiate. Thankfully, Br. Chris Patino was there to interpret the parts that I couldn't quite understand. It's really fascinating when you speak with a Brother from a place you're not really familiar with. 

When the three of us finished our conversation. 95% of those in the room had left, and Chris and I went down to the Den to see if anyone was there. In fact, there were quite a few people there. In places and times such as this, it is probably in such circumstances that much of the connectivity and conversation takes place, although I left after a while to make sure that I could write up my recollections here.

May 1, 2022 - General Chapter 46

 It was Sunday today, but it certainly was NOT a day of rest. The 46th General Chapter started today, with it 71 voting delegates, 13 Consultants, and a variety of secretaries, translators, and others responsible for making sure that things run smoothly.

Thankfully, the official gathering was scheduled for 9:00 am inthe "Aula Magna" - which is the grand meeting hall that had been fully renovated some years back. It is used by other religious congregations for their international gatherings because it has everyone you need for a meeting space... lots of seats with microphones and voting buttons, a grand dais with room for plenty of "moderators" and important people, four translator booths looming high up in the back like miniature luxury boxes at a football stadium, and a projection and audio system that allows for maximum flexibility. All you have to figure out how to do is operate the portable Snickers Bar sized translation unit that are being charged at the back of the room.

Clearly, I wasn't wise enough to know how they operated. Not only did I report that they weren't working, when I went into the hall to show a Pakistani Brother where his place would be and how to use the equipment (this was 45 minutes before the first session) - that the units weren't lit and that taking them out and pressing the power button produced nothing on the small screen - but later in the day when I was trying to help the French-speaking Brother from Africa who was seated next to me by showing him where and how those translation units worked, the damn things didn't work even, even though the problem to the power units was explained to me (the unit had been turned off... the switch was in an obvious position). It turns out that you need to plug in one of the earphones before the unit even thinks about turning on. One you plug an earphone in, it's as happy as a clam and works very well. Who knew?

By the time we started in the Aula Magna, everyone was there with a quiet sort of excitement. There were the expected instructions - "Here is how you use the translation units!" - and an inspirational short talk by Br. Robert Schieler, the Superior General. Then the General Secretary, Br. Antxon, went through many of the needed details, with slides above his head to match, after which Br. Robert Schieler said: "I now declare this General Chapter officially open" - or words to that effect. One the "rules" that we were told is that photos or recordings of the sessions were not permitted; there were official photographers taking photos. Therefore, the photo below is probably the only photo that you will see from my position among the rows.

It is worth mentioning that the seats are attached in such a way that they swing out and back under the top counter, but the space between you and the person behind you is rather small. If someone seated in the middle wanted (or needed) to leave, they would have to ask the person seated near the end to either move into the aisle or to scrunch up to edge of the top counter so that they could squeeze behind them. Not the most optimal design, in the opinion of some. I was blessed in scoring an aisle seat, as it were. (They are spread out alphabetically from the front row to the back.)

The official preliminaries took a good 60-90 minutes, after which there was a welcome coffee break. When we returned, we tried out the voting system with some imagined resolutions - "Proposition to have a weel-long online session after this three-week in-person session." - and the Preparatory Committee provided an overview of what they proposed for the flow and substance of our time together. The "Capitulants" will vote on this later in the week.

After a decent break for lunch and siesta (Noon to 3 pm) we regathered in the Aula Magna. After lunch, I used the opportunity to to with Br. John Fernando to a nearby grocery store for "supplies" for the Den, which is the English-language lounge in the basement. We are making it available to those Brothers who would like to use it, and I'll let you guess what "supplies" refer to. When the group resumed, they introduced a Salesian Sister from Nicaragua who would be our facilitator, Sr. Leslie Sandigo Ortega. She jumped right into her role and had the Spanish, French, and English groups gather in different parts of the room. First they had to take a selfie, which I could only do with a small part of the group.

After that, we had to come up with a greeting to their Lasallian colleagues back home that would be filmed. Quick creativity was called for. The Spanish and French folks looked like they were organizing themselves well. The English group stood around staring at one another and wondering what to do. Finally, when crunch time came, Br. Armin suggested the word "Animo!" and we ended up shouting that into the camera. It had the virtue of being short, loud, and easy to do.

What followed was a very interesting and rather good process, whereby the participants had to schedule "appointments" for five time periods from 10 to 20 minutes with either one or more Brothers. The purpose was to share the answers to some questions about our hopes, fears, vocation stories, etc. with different English-speakers in the room (in my case). The last task was to decide on a word that represented our commitment to the upcoming session. My small group of four Brothers decided on "Prophetic Encounter" as our best description. 

Then we all met in another location to share out group words and the "whys" behind them. Some three hours later, we had a rather impressive set of words that I unfortunately failed to record but will provide in a later post. Sr. Leslie pointed out that ALL of those words were important, just as all of our contributions were important, and that we should think about and apply those principles as we move ahead with the process.

By now, it was close to 6:00 pm. We were given ten minutes to get into our robes and then to show up at the front steps of the Casa Generalizia where our "first photo" would be taken. The picture taking, along with a swooping drone that we had to wave at several times, took another twenty minutes. Then it was into the main church for our opening Mass. The main celebrant was Cardina Michale Czerny, S.J. , who was just appointed by Pope Francis to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. He gave a very nice homily, telling us the the encyclical "Fratelli Tutti" was our very own encyclical since it was part of our vocation to encourage and support sibling relationships within society, which was one of the only ways that the planet might yet be saved. Powerful stuff.

After this, we went to the dining room for a festive opening meal. It ended around 9:30 pm when the dolce (cake) was served. A long long day with lots of activities. And it only the first day!

    

Aprile 30, 2022 - General Chapter 46

It's been a great while since I've contributed to this blog, and it's probably has more to do with a lack of discipline than an intentional neglect. Like any interesting practice that becomes a habit, after some time it is simply a habit and the "interesting" part wanes. Whether or not one sticks to the habit is matter of relativity. Are other priorities becoming more important? Are you just becoming a bit more lazy - that's the guilty part of the equation. Whatever the cause, I've decided to see if I can't keep some sort of record of my experience during this General Chapter in Rome, as I did back in 2007 when I participated as the one who organized the liturgies and prayers. 

This time around, I'm here as a "Consultor" to the Chapter. As such, I'm one of ten Consultors, most of which are in charge of "Secretariats" here at the Casa Generalizia. There are also two women Consultors, which is a distinct blessing. In this position, we can participate in all aspects of the General Chapter except vote. Whether I will even say anything on the floor and not just in committee is yet to be determined. But my disposition is to be helpful but not to get too involved in areas where others are in a better position to do so.

Brothers have been arriving for GC46 for the last week of so. The nearer we got to today, the more people arrived. Until this morning, all of our meals were held in the community's dining room - a large room but finally too small for the 70+ guests who will be joining us. It was lunch today that was held in one of the larger public dining rooms, and that will be the case until May 22nd, when the Chapter ends.

For most of today, I worked on my 15-minute public report on my area, the Lasallian Research and Resources Service. The report is schedule for May 4th, after the report of the Superior General (the main event and much longer) and the 15-minute report of the Communications Office that follows it. Trying to squeeze as much information as possible into that 15 minutes is balanced by the realization that most people in the room will already be somewhat exhausted by facts and don't need to head a plethora of them from me. Therefore, we prepared a booklet with the information which will be handed out at the time, and I'll just provide some highlights. But still, there is a verbal script, with cues for Powerpoint changes, and I've worked on the Powerpoint to keep it interesting and engaged.

For lunch, I invited a younger Brother from Lebanon, Br. Louis, to lunch at one of the nearby restaurants. We had a great conversation about his circumstances in Lebanon where, for example, there is no reliable power - therefore you pay others to get plugged into their generators. The U.S. Dolllar was king 20 years ago, but today it is worth a mere fraction of what it used to be, and banks don't let you transfer dollars or withdraw them. Our schools are surving, mostly because the 900 teachers all of the country receive $100 every once in while from the Brothers to tide them over; paid for my generous charities overseas. It's just a very strange and difficult situation that becomes much more real when you're speaking with a 33-year-old Brother who faces that each day.

This evening, we sort of began the Chapter because today is De La Salle's birthday (April 30, 1951), and we had Mass in the small downstairs chapel instead of the large, echo-filled, main church. As a result, almost every seat was taken, and the singing was amazingly loud and vigorous. The Mass was in Spanish, English, French, and Italian, with the language hop-scotching across the prayers and readings. But it all seemed just fine, because 95% of the place was filled with Brothers from around the world. At the very end, with the singing of the Salve Regina, the volume and depth was really impressive and wonderful; filled with a sort of exuberance.

After that, most of the Brothers lingered outside, waiting for dinner to start at 7:30 pm (the usual time for dinner here). The English-speaking crowd drifted toward the "Den" - which is the English language group's hangout. By the time I got there, it was filled with people, noisily talking and helping to empty the sparse bar that we keep there. But it was a great atmosphere; very positive, enjoyable, and filled with life. Usually, there are 3-5 of us here during that time period, having had our evening prayer at 6:45 pm. Now it was a nice cauldron of energy and conversation.

At the dinner that followed, we sort of figured out to get some food and then drift around until you heard or saw a table with English-speaking folks, joining them if there was room. This is not a requirement, but it's the usual practice. I'm sure that over the next couple of weeks, we will sit at tables where other languages are generally spoken. But the Brothers are very good about noticing someone who isn't really participating and speaking with them in their native language. Certainly for me, it's a saving grace.

At one point during dinner, a last contingent of Brothers from Spain arrived, having taken a late flight to Italy. At once, the hubub increased, lots of greetings all around, many "What's  that guy's name. I recognize him but don't remember his name?" incidents at table. Tomorrow, when we officially start at 9:00 am, we will all be wearing our name tags, so eventually we should be able to recognize others when we see them. Even an old brain like me might be able get close to that goal.

Tonight's atmosphere is like a group of athletes before their primary event. Lots of happy energy, greetings, conversations, and laughter. But we know that the work starts soon, and that we will be very busy for the next three weeks. I'm looking forward to it with hope and a little trepidation. Real Providence tends to be like that.

Hope for Today

 “Faith is the foundation of the hope that we have.” [1]

– St. John Baptist de La Salle –

Many of us were very much taken by Amanda Gorman’s poem at the recent inauguration ceremony. It’s simplicity, rhythm, authenticity, and hope reverberated in the hearts of those witnessing the scaled-down, isolated ceremony on a cold day in Washington, D.C. Another of her poems is entitled “The Miracle of Morning.” It gives a description of what hope can look like, even today, to those who pay sincere attention. “I see a dad with a stroller taking a jog. Across the street, a bright-eyed girl chases her dog. A grandma on a porch fingers her rosaries. She grins as her young neighbor brings her groceries.” [2]

These are expressions of what may be called a sacramental sensibility, fostered I should think in some small part by her family’s ties to St. Bridget’s in Los Angeles. Amanda looked beyond and through the world around her, with a wider, larger, more inclusive perspective. One might say that she saw with the eyes of faith.

De La Salle writes that “Faith is the foundation of the hope that we have.” And scripture has it that “Faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not see.” (Heb 11:1) Those are rich statements, but it’s harder to know what they might mean in the daily world of pandemic life. Where and how does one live hope today? Chesterton wisely wrote “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. … As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.” Hoping for the best is certainly different than hoping for truth, justice, peace, and genuine goodness in one’s life and relationships. The first is wishful and the second takes work. The first is easy and the second is hard. The first is impersonal and the second is very personal. Jonathan Sacks writes, “Optimism is the belief that things are going to get better. Hope is the belief that we can make things better. Optimism is a passive virtue; hope is an active one. It takes no courage to be an optimist, but it does need courage to hope.”[3]

One good illustration of this kind of hope comes from Ronald Rolheiser. In 2011 he underwent 168 chemotherapy treatments for colon cancer, and he kept a journal, vowing “I’ll get through it! I’ll endure it!” His hope was focused on getting to the end of the treatments, ignoring all other matters of importance. About halfway through these many weeks of treatment, he had a revelation. “…I woke up, I woke up to the fact that I was putting my life on hold, that I wasn’t really living but only enduring each day in order check it off and eventually reach that magical 168th day when I could start living again. I realized that I was wasting a season of my life. Moreover, I realized that what I was living through was sometimes rich precisely because of the impact of chemotherapy in my life. That realization remains one of the special graces in my life… The coronavirus has put us all, in effect, on a conscripted sabbatical and it’s subjecting those who have contracted it to their own type of chemotherapy. And the danger is that we will put our lives on hold as we go through this extraordinary time and will just endure rather than let ourselves be graced by what lies within this uninvited season. Yes, there will be frustration and pain in living this through, but that’s not incompatible with happiness.”[4] Lived hope, real hope, embraces the graces that lie within reach. In fact, these are the only ones that God truly places before us at each moment of each day in each circumstance. Our trust / faith lies here.

Hope “is congenital, in the gut, a trust, not deflected by anything, that our lives are not mere accident, that we are more than brute chips fallen off the conveyor-belt of chance, that we have individual significance and destiny, that every small act of conscience and fidelity has meaning within the eternal schema of things, and that the tiny rivulet of our lives is flowing into the great ocean of meaning and eternity where, far from being absorbed or obliterated, we will enjoy perfect, self-conscious mutuality in love in an ecstatic, communal, yet individual, eternal fulfilment. This is hope, as we feel it practically.”[5]

Hope does not need to be dour or resigning. Hope needs to be alive and engaged. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Rom 12:12) For those of us involved in Lasallian educational ministries – in whatever capacity – remember De La Salle’s inspired insight that “[The students] are your hope, your joy, and your crown of glory before our Lord Jesus Christ.” [6] That is certainly enough to keep us grounded and motivated to look for and see the graces hidden within the very real challenges and difficulties associated with the current pandemic.

How do these final lines of Amanda Gorman’s poem echo in your life, ministry, mind & heart?

Let every dawn find us courageous, brought closer;
Heeding the light before the fight is over.
When this ends, we’ll smile sweetly, finally seeing
In testing times, we became the best of beings.[7]

---

A PDF of this reflection is HERE

[1] De La Salle, John Baptist, Meditations by St. John Baptist de La Salle, trans. Richard Arnandez, and Augustine Loes, eds. Augustine Loes and Francis Huether, (Landover, MD: Christian Brothers Conference, 1994), Meditations 40.3

[2] https://www.treatsforthesoul.org/the-miracle-of-morning/

[3] Sacks, Jonathan. Celebrating Life (Continuum Press, 2004) p. 175

[4] https://ronrolheiser.com/love-in-the-time-of-covid-19/#.YByZA-hKguW

[5] https://ronrolheiser.com/practical-hope/#.YBxF3OhKguU

[6] Meditations, op. cit., 207.3

[7] https://www.treatsforthesoul.org/the-miracle-of-morning/

Lasallian Reflection - Advent & Daffodils

 

“Because you have to prepare the hearts of others for the coming of Jesus Christ, you must first of all dispose your own hearts to be entirely filled with zeal, in order to  render your words effective in those whom you instruct.” [1]
–  St. John Baptist de La Salle  –

This has been a good training year for the season of Advent, for waiting and waiting and waiting a little longer. A vaccine? An upcoming election? A change in systemic racism? Reform of Church clericalism, among other things?  A visit to friends, relatives, neighbors, even strangers? A county COVID-19 status to a better color? An in-person, three-dimensional, messily immersive Mass?

But Advent is not about the “let’s get back to some kind of normal” sort of waiting. It is a more appealing and optimistic kind of waiting because it is “a season to get in touch with our deepest yearnings. Like Mary, we wait patiently, preparing a womb within which Christ can be born.”[2] It’s more like waiting for spring, for the re-emergent flowering of deep, rich, wonderful things, bringing their glorious fragrances, complexities, colors, and sheer beauty. It is a springtime for our souls.

For each of us, we remember different life-moments of such springtime experiences, dotting the landscape of our lives like a field of daffodils. The conversation with a professor in college, who took your stumbling attempt at a question about his presentation, articulated the question better than you ever could, and then kindly explained why your assumptions were wrong. The visit to a museum where you turned a corner and a single El Greco painting, isolated in its own space, stunned you with its quiet intensity and drama, elevating the power of art to a whole new level. An encounter with a small group of students on retreat, for whom you were able to be the attentive listener they craved for, an experience that deepened your appreciation of accompaniment — by you, by others, by God — as graced opportunities. The sermon or reading that answered a burning question or shaped a difficult decision. The reluctant response to a request to do, to go, or to be available for something, which led to unexpected shores and brand-new horizons. All these are manifestations of the deeper yearnings, harbingers of what this year’s Advent spring may yet bring.

Advent essentially means staying awake “to the truth that God is with us even when most everything in our lives and in the world seems to belie that.”[3] For those in Lasallian education, staying awake invites us to “dispose our own hearts to be entirely filled with zeal, in order to render our words effective in those whom we instruct.”[4] Recall teachers who were not effective and put us to sleep, not because they lacked knowledge, but because they lacked zeal, which is not found in loud gestures and shouting, but in an intensity of purpose and attention that burns into hearts.

For most of us, it is a zeal awakened and fostered through conversations that we regularly have. David Brooks has tips for deepening conversations, such as open-ended or elevated questions. But genuine attention and approaching others “with awe” make the real difference: “It’s best to act as if attention had an on/off switch with no dimmer. Total focus.” Why? Because “deeper conversation builds trust, the oxygen of society, exactly what we’re missing right now.”[5]

Perhaps it is the recently deceased Rabbi Jonathan Sacks who said it best: “Conversation is a kind of prayer. Because in conversation, by reaching out to the human other, we begin the journey of reaching out to the divine other.”[6] Some twenty years earlier, his description of a conversation that he had when he was much younger, traveling 3,000 miles to visit a quiet, rather non-charismatic international Jewish rabbinic leader makes the same point from the listening side. “As I left the room, it occurred to me that it had been full of my presence and his absence. Perhaps that is what listening is, considered as a religious act. I knew then that greatness is measured by what we efface ourselves towards. There was no grandeur in his manner; neither was there any false modesty. He was serene, dignified, majestic; a man of transcending humility who gathered you into his embrace and taught you to look up.”[7] What a fine way of talking about the graced teaching encounter, animated by what De La Salle calls the Spirit of Faith & Zeal.

During this Advent season, perhaps we can – in our conversations, reading choices, online habits, prayer practices, and perceived deeper yearnings – look up a little more and look down a little less. Because then, the daffodils buried deep within the soil of our lives will have a chance to grow, emerge, and bloom once more, soaking up the sun’s bounty and enhancing the inherent beauty of our local vistas.

That is indeed something worth waiting (and working) for.

---

A PDF of this reflection is HERE

Photo by Laila Gebhard on Unsplash

[1] De La Salle, John Baptist, Meditations by St. John Baptist de La Salle, trans. Richard Arnandez, and Augustine Loes, eds. Augustine Loes and Francis Huether, (Landover, MD: Christian Brothers Conference, 1994), 36 (Meditation 2.2 – The Second Sunday of Advent)

[2] Rolheiser, Ronald. Liturgical Press, “Give Us This Day” November 2020, 298-299.

[3] Rolheiser, op. cit.

[4] This is the opening quotation from De La Salle, slightly altered.

[5] Brooks, David. The New York Times, November 19, 2020. “Nine Nonobvious Ways to Have Deeper Conversation.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/opinion/nine-nonobvious-ways-to-have-deeper-conversations.html

[6] Sacks, Jonathan. On Being Studios. https://soundcloud.com/onbeing/rabbi-sacks-conversation-is-a Retrieved November 30, 2020

[7] Sacks, Jonathan. The Tablet, 1 April, 2000, 451.