SPIRITAN
LIFE
No°8
March
1999
APOSTOLIC
COMMUNITY
LIFE
Spiritan Life aims at being a forum for Ongoing Formation
and Animation:
- through the shared experiences of confreres,
through reflection on these experiences,
through the inspiration of our founders, our tradi-
tion and the demands of mission today.
Editorial Board: Jeronimo Cahinga (Portuguese version)
Bernard Reniers (French version)
Vincent O 'Toole (English version)
Philip Ng 'oja (Layout)
John Fogarty (representative of General
Council)
Translations: Abel Moreira, Alexander Joly, Alphonse Gilbert,
Domingos Neiva, James Flynn, Rene Ducrot and
members of the editorial team.
LIST OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Libermann's impossible dream? 3
Vincent 0 'Toole
Living together for mission 13
The students ofClamart and Torre d'Aguilha
A reflection on retirement 19
Charles Coffey
Spiritan communities in Europe 25
Jean-Paul Hoch
As others see us - the witness of international communities
35
Ide de Lange
Community life in an inter-religious context 39
Eddie Flynn
African Spiritan: Intercultural community and SRL 45
Jeronimo Cahinga
Opening the doors 53
Mark Connolly
Our fraternal life in community -a personal reflection 57
Rogath Kimaryo
"The Church entrusts to communities of consecrated life
the particular task of spreading the spirituality of commu-
nion, first of all in their internal life and then in the
ecclesial community and even beyond its boundaries, by
opening or continuing a dialogue in charity, especially
where today's world is torn apart by ethnic hatred or
senseless violence. Placed as they are within the world's
different societies - societies frequently marked by conflict-
ing passions and interests, seeking unity but uncertain
about the ways to attain it — communities of consecrated
life, where persons of different ages, languages and cul-
tures meet as brothers and sisters, are signs that dialogue is
always possible and that community can bring differences
into harmony.
- Vita Consecrata no. 51.
"In a fragmented and individualistic world, community is a
witness to evangelical communion. Each one of us is called
to integrate his personal journey and apostolate into the
Congregation. In doing this, we discover the sense of our
vow of obedience: community becomes a special place for
discerning the divine will It is also a corrective challenge
to a narrow self-centredness in our work"
- 1998 General Chapter, Maynooth 0.4.3.
"Living Together"
Living together, living in community - there is hardly any General
Chapter or Chapter of a circumscription that does not speak about it.
And every time, quoting Libermann, there is a reminder that commu-
nity life is an integral part of our spiritan life!
The Maynooth Chapter was no exception. It insisted, in a most explicit
way, that all circumscriptions "will place a strong emphasis on pro-
grammes of renewal, to revitalize and ensure the authenticity of our
community life "; it called on all Spiritans to practise it and all provin-
cial Administrations and local Superiors to make its implementation a
priority. It is not a question of just any sort of community; "a quality of
presence, of communication and sharing is called for ".
We can never be content with beautiful statements of intent; we would
justly be accused of naivete, or even hypocrisy if concrete achieve-
ments did not result from such noble intentions. This is the aim we have
in mind with this edition of Spiritan Life"; to show that it is possible to
live out a genuine community life and not just settle for sharing the
same roof and table; to illustrate, from the lived experience of our
confreres, that it is not just an impossible dream to imagine a shared life
that is based on deep human friendship, a desire to share our work and
everything else we hold dear, even going as far as sharing our common
faith!
The various contributions that follow include examples of how genuine
spiritan community life is being lived out in different parts of the world.
Even the most sceptical will have to admit that community life for us is
alive and well, that it is sought by both young and old, and that those
who give themselves generously to this ideal receive in return a great
deal of joy, support and dynamism in their apostolic work. As you
would expect from Spiritans, the testimonies are nothing if not realistic;
nearly all the writers stress that community life does not come easily,
that success in community-building depends on the constant efforts of
each individual member. There is no such thing as a perfect commu-
nity; it needs constant attention, it needs to be remodeled with each
arrival and each departure. There is nothing permanent about it.
Put simply, we should try to create an authentic family life in our
communities, where each member is equally important, where all are
loved and cherished for themselves, where there is an atmosphere of
true freedom, where each has his unique place, is recognized, accepted
and, if needs be, supported.
What can one say of the witness-value of our communities, especially
when they are international? From what our confreres tell us, in the
current climate of egoism, war, exclusion of the weak or those who do
not fit in, the presence of a loving-community of people who differ
enormously in their background, education and origins can be the most
striking way of announcing the Good News of the Gospel. If such
diverse people are able to live together like this as brothers, then
logically one must conclude that they all have the same Father! What
better way to share with others the real nature of our God as a loving
Father.
We hope you will enjoy reading about the experiences' of our confreres
and the reflective articles that go with them. Our hope is that what they
have to say will spark off reactions from others, giving rise to an
exchange of ideas, experiences, questions and even gentlemanly dis-
agreements! In this way, Spin tan Life could develop into a sort of an
on-going forum that could focus our reflections on different aspects of
our life and work - this edition is about community living, the next will
be about "Presence and Solidarity", characteristics of our present-day
apostolate identified by Maynooth. If there is sufficient reaction, we
can devote a section of each number to your responses to the ideas and
experiences expressed in the previous edition. Spihtan Life could give
us the chance to share at the level of the Congregation just as is done
(we hope!) in our communities. It is up to you, dear reader!
The Editorial Team
LIBERMANN'S IMPOSSIBLE DREAM?
By Vincent O'Toole c.s.sp.
The Chapter at Maynooth once again reminded us of the centrality of
community life in the vision of Libermann for his new religious family.
In his latter years, it became almost an obsession with him as he saw
many confreres being carried away from this ideal with the excuse of
the overwhelming needs of the apostolate. Vincent 0 Toole of the
English Province, currently working at the Generalate, is struck by the
contrast between Libermann 's dream and the present reality, as seen
through some recent visitation reports, and wonders if perhaps we are
now running out of excuses.
Looking recently through the Generalate visitation reports on various
spiritan circumscriptions, made during the last five years, I could not
help wondering how Francis Libermann would react to our present
approach to community living. Remarks like "many confreres are
living alone" are surprisingly frequent for a religious family that has
chosen "life in community as its founding principle" (SRL 27).
Not for one moment do I think he would have been judgmental; he
would probably have been the first to sympathise with the effects of the
inevitable tug-of-war resulting from his decision to make us both
missionaries and religious. For in one sense, he designed a Congrega-
tion for a situation that was rapidly overtaken by events. When he wrote
the Reglements in 1849, to the forefront of his mind must have been the
French island colonies, where there was already a secular clergy in
place; Libermann's concept of communities of Spiritans helping in
local parishes was tailored to this situation. But the responsibilities
given to his disciples by the Church after his death were of an extent
and magnitude that he could never have imagined. Spiritans were asked
to preach the Gospel from Senegal to the Cape of Good Hope, to
evangelise vast areas of East Africa. In these places, there was effec-
tively no local Church; it had to be built from its very foundations. So
Libermann's children rapidly grew out of the clothes that he had so
carefully designed for them!
But in the wake of another General Chapter, with the growth of so
many new Provinces, Foundations, and missionary initiatives, and with
the changing needs of local Churches where Spiritans are working,
perhaps it is time to look again at the vision and compare it to the
present reality.
THE VISION
Libermann's project
Francis Libermann's burning desire, above all else, was to save the
souls of the most abandoned and preach the Christian message to those
who had never heard it. In the "Reglements" of 1849, the rule for the
new combined societies, he stressed that it was immaterial whether this
work was done by his own Congregation or others: "They (the Spiri-
tans) will have a sincere respect for other Congregations and their
members and they will maintain warm and charitable relations with
them. They will be content to see them honoured and loved by everyone,
even when they are preferred to their own society..... They will rejoice
to see God glorified and souls saved, no matter what instrument has
served to work this effect, and this even though the Congregation is to
suffer thereby". So the work to be accomplished is the primary
consideration and the reason for the existence of the new foundation.
The means by which the project will be accomplished
One could say that community life was almost an obsession with
Libermann, especially in the last years of his life. He seems to have had
great fears that its importance for his confreres would diminish as the
demands of the apostolate become ever greater. For him, commu-
nity living is the essential means for bringing the whole project to
fruition: "To bring the apostolic life (for which spiritan life is
intended) to its perfection, to assure the continuance and the
development of the works in which it engages and to foster the
holiness of its members, the* Congregation has adopted life in
community as its founding principle. Its members shall all live in
community at all times".
He leaves no doubt as to the importance he attaches to community; he
could hardly have stated this fundamental principle in stronger terms.
All other subordinate means adopted must be compatible with commu-
nity' life: "The means which the Congregation employs to attain its
main aim are, in general, those which are not opposed to community
life and which, by their nature, do not expose its members to the danger
of laxity and of losing the spirit that should animate them".
Because of its centrality, because community living will be demanded
of all members, a person unable or unwilling to live the common life
must not be accepted into the Congregation: "...Those who have not the
necessary dispositions to practice faithfully the rule to live amongst
their confreres with the piety and charity that community life de-
mands...are to be sent away". A person does not join this religious
family simply as a means to being a missionary; he is allowed to
commit himself to the Congregation only on condition that he is ready
to live a community life. Bishops must be clear about this when they
ask for the services of Spiritans; a Spiritan "does' not make his commit-
ment with a bishop but with the Congregation represented by the
Superior General. ..and so the superior cannot give subjects to a bishop
except on that condition (community life), which is a real tacit
contract'* .
Why is community life so essential?
Libermann gives two reasons why he has made such an unequivocal
choice; living in community is chosen with a view to a) the sanctifica-
tion of the missionary and b) the efficiency with which the work will be
carried out.
a) The sanctification of the missionary. Basic to all Libermann's
ideas on mission is the insistence on the holiness of the missionary.
Without that, no amount of dedicated activity will achieve anything of
value. Writing to Mgr. Kobes in 1851, he drew conclusions from the
first apostolic endeavours of the zealous young men he had sent to
Africa, full of good will but with a tendency to get their priorities
confused: "These poor children, having left their country to become
missionaries, have always said to themselves; "Above all, 1 am a
6
missionary". As a result, and without being aware, they do not attach
enough importance to religious life and spend too much time in activity
of various kinds. If my surmise is correct, it would be important to
enlighten these confreres by making them see that mission is indeed the
purpose of their lives, but the religious life is the means sine qua
non...Ifthey are saintly religious, they will bring salvation to men. If
they are not, they will achieve nothing because blessing goes with
holiness. Their holiness depends entirely on their fidelity to the prac-
tices of religious life".
The effectiveness of a community as a sanctifying agent will depend on
the quality of the community life and the genuineness of the mutual
concern that is shown by its members. Community does not work ex
opere operato! "Charity should be effective. It will not be enough to
have it in one's heart. It must show itself by each member's close
relations with his confreres: by the services he renders on every
occasion; by the courtesy and good will he puts into it; by the kindness
with which he treats them, whether in words or in his conduct towards
them". Giving time to one another should take precedence over
everything else, including ministry: "Whether they live in the stations
or in community, they will not exercise the sacred ministry during the
times set aside for piety, meals and recreation, apart from extraordi-
g
nary and urgent cases. . . ".
b) The efficiency of the work. In his memorandum to Propaganda in
1840, long before he had any practical experience to draw upon,
Libermann had concluded that genuine team work would be far more
efficacious than the isolated efforts of individuals: "When one lives in
community and is directed in everything by the same superior, the good
that is done is incomparably greater than if each worked in isolation
from the other... Things are done with greater energy... everything is
thought out better and properly put into effect... A life of community has
untold advantages. "
Libermann draws some practical conclusions from these
principles
♦ Where possible, confreres will live in communities whose mem-
bers will put themselves at the disposal of the local parish
priests: "If it can, the Congregation will set up establishments of
its own members living in community, who will serve as auxil-
iaries to parish priests, under the authority of the Ordi-
nary.....They will try to make themselves useful to these ecclesi-
astics by every means not opposed to our rules".
♦ Because of the option taken for community and religious life,
the Congregation will normally refuse to take on the responsi-
bility for parishes: "Only exceptionally and for very grave
reasons will the communities accept parishes, and always on
condition that the members who are in charge will live in
community and observe their rule".
♦ If there is no way to avoid somebody working alone, it shall be
for a brief period and only selected persons should be chosen for
such an apostolate; "Although missionaries should live in com-
munity and be at least two together, nevertheless they can, if
necessary, exercise the sacred ministry alone for a short period
of time. Those who keep the rule exactly and who are most given
to the interior life will be chosen for this kind of ministry. As far
as possible, the same confreres should not always be sent out in
this way. and ordinarily, an interval shall be left so that they can
take up again the habits of community life".
THE REALITY
Almost without exception, community life has a high profile in the
visitation reports I have read, reflecting the concerns of both the
Visitors and confreres visited. There are constant references to those
who live and work alone. No accurate figures are available of the
number of Spiritans concerned, but a rough calculation from the 1993
"Etat du Personnel" shows that around 30% of our membership
were living alone or with non-Spiritans at that time.
The overall picture that emerges is uneven.
Some reports show encouraging progress towards community,
flowing from a conviction that this is how Spiritans should live:
"It is now the exception for a confrere to live alone. There are regular
area reflection meetings that last a morning or the whole day; others
have a weekly meal together. " Elsewhere, we read that "generally, the
confreres have a simple life-style. There are at least two living together
in each of the communities and missions. Many people appreciate the
necessity of community life and efforts have been made in the Circum-
scription to promote this" The following would be fairly typical of
confreres in different circumscriptions who are convinced of the need
for genuine community living: "Some confreres expressed the hope of
being able to live in a community of at least three persons: "it is
mutually stimulating, we encourage one another; with only two people,
when one is on trek, the other is alone". Another talked of setting up
larger communities around the more important poles of activ-
ity....When one is alone, some evenings can seem very long... One
young confrere would give more attention to the quality of community
life than to the work itself, to the importance of fraternal relations
above the functions of the priest or brother".
But elsewhere, in both old and new foundations, the visitors give a
less encouraging picture:
"There is a prevailing feeling that community life is in trouble.
Spiritans are scattered over a large area. There are community
meetings and these are greatly appreciated. There is still a warm
welcome for visitors. At the same time, there are failures in communi-
cation. There is an incipient lack of interest in each other". One sad
result of this is the lack of opportunity to pray together and measure
work being done against the standard of the gospels; "The pity of it is
not that some rule is not being observed, but that our world-view is not
being sufficiently exposed to God's word shared in common. Today's
challenges don't come home to us. Gospel energy passes us by. We are
in danger of making bad errors of judgement, e.g. about the meaning
and responsibility for growth - I planted, Apollos waters, God gives
growth"
One report laments at some length the ways in which pastoral consider-
ations seem to take precedence so often over the preservation of the
9
community style of living and working:
"Because of the demands created by the spread of the Circumscription
in the country, many of the confreres are living alone in the missions.
...At times, the reasons given for this are not only the scarcity of
personnel but also the inability of these missions to maintain more than
one person... A situation where a number of young confreres in the first
few years of their pastoral ministry are charged with responsibilities
and left without the support of a community life is very unsatisfactory
and should not be allowed to continue. Living alone for a long time has
consequences for the individual and the Congregation. It often tends to
promote a style of independent living and "one-man-show" approach to
work, all of which make community life and team work with others
more difficult in later life
Community life must be seen by all as an essential dimension of the
consecration in the Spiritan family. This applies to those in initial
formation as well as those in ministry. Through the fraternal life in
community, each one learns to live with those whom God has put at his
side, accepting their positive traits along with their differences and
limitations... When we learn to be more open with one another and
have deeper sharing among ourselves, we are able to deal with those
stresses that are inevitable in community living.
Since community life is so essential to the Spiritan way of life, the right
of individuals to have the support of a good local community needs to
be given more serious consideration by the Circumscription in the
acceptance of new pastoral commitments in the future"
It is not long before living in isolation makes it very difficult or even
impossible for a confrere to return to life and work in a community:
"Some confreres living alone find it almost impossible to consider
community life. For the last 15 years, Chapters and Assemblies have
reminded us regularly of the necessity to live in community, but many
situations have remained unchanged". In another report, a superior
complains that "when efforts are made to give an isolated confrere
a companion, the reaction is often that there is not enough work
10
here for two men" !
Regional communities
The regional community was recognised in the Chapter of 1968 (CDD
253), reviewed in that of 1974 and incorporated into the Spiritan Rule
of Life in 1986 (SRL 32.2). The Handbook accompanying the rule,
mindful, no doubt, of the insistence of Libermann on real community
and having looked at the chequered history of our so-called "regional
communities" to that date, warns that the demanding conditions laid
down in SRL 32.2 (a superior, sharing of possessions, frequent meet-
ings for communal discernment regarding work etc.) must be observed
if such an extended community is going to be anything more than "a
cover-up for rampant individualism":
"To the extent alone to which it is faithful to the regulations that are
enumerated in no. 32.2 of the Rule of Life can the regional community
be a spiritan community. Putting together a regional community and
keeping it going asks of all its members a very, very strong community
spirit.
THE FUTURE?
One encouraging thing is that despite the many difficulties that Spiri-
tans have experienced over the last 150 years in realising the commu-
nity ideal of Libermann, the ideal itself has never been abandoned or
even watered down. Our Spiritan Rule of Life devotes a whole chapter
to it, repeating, without qualification or comment, the uncompromising
stand taken by Libermann on the necessity of community life for all
Spiritans (SRL 27). We realise that the salvation in Christ which we
preach is essentially communitarian. Coming from community, our
missionary aim is to build up community in Christ wherever we are sent
and we know that we cannot preach what we have not experienced.
So however noble and convincing the reasons for it appear to be, the
continuing gap between our theory and practice leaves us with an
uncomfortable feeling. We are challenged by our young aspirants when
what they read about community in the Rule of Life is sometimes
11
difficult to find on the ground. In letting pastoral needs shape our
life-style to the extent that 30% of our members are living and working
alone, we are still a long way from that return to our Founders'
inspiration that was so much insisted upon by Vatican II. And this
independent living inevitably has serious implications for our practice
of poverty and the sharing of our resources.
Breast-beating can be taken too far. We can be justly proud of the part
our family has played in the modern missionary movement, particularly
in the evangelisation of Africa. But we are no longer being asked to
evangelise vast areas, to take exclusive responsibility for huge numbers
of people. We now work everywhere at the service of local Churches,
usually in relatively small groups. So is it not time to look once again
at Libermann's vision of the primacy of community life at the service of
the apostolate? Should we not consider, for example, returning to a
policy whereby we accept to run parishes "only exceptionally and for
grave reasons" and to take as the norm spiritan communities "that will
serve as auxiliaries to parish priests'"? Any search for a new mission-
ary role for Spiritans in the 21st. century must take the initial vision of
Francis Libermann as its starting point. His arguments in favour of this
vision sound every bit as convincing today as when he first wrote them.
We leave the last word to him:
"... They see souls to be saved, work to be done, and community life as
a fetter to be shaken off They have done with community life in order
to give vent to their burning desires. . . They console themselves for the
loss of recollection and community life by the good that is being done
to the souls they try to save, and they never think of the harm to
themselves and others... If the Congregation was reduced to this by the
imprudent zeal of its members, what use would it be?" 14
1 "Reglements" (1849) ND X, p.537.
2 "Reglements", ND X, 454.
3 "Reglements", ND X 452
"Reglements", where it deals with the admission of postulants. ND X 457.
5 NDK, 99,188
6 ND Xm 354
7 "Reglements", ND X 540
* Reglements", NDX470.
12
9 Memoire a Mgr. Cadolini, Secretaire de la Propagande", ND II 71 .
0 "Reglements", ND X 453
1 "Reglements", ND X, 455
2 "Reglements", ND X, 469
3 "A Handbook for the Spiritan Rule of Life", p. 35.
4 ND Xm 254. A letter to M.Collin, (1851) claiming that such attitudes are
already threatening spiritan community life in Mauritius and Guinea.
« Using our gifts is building com-
munity. If we are not faithful to our
gifts, we are harming the community
and each of its members as well. So
it is important that all members
know what their gifts are, use them
and take responsibility for develop-
ing them; it is important that the gift
of each member is recognised and
that each is accountable to the oth-
ers for the use to which this gift is
put. We all need each other 's gifts;
we must encourage their growth
and our fidelity to them. Everyone
will find their place in community
according to their gift. They will
become not only useful, but unique
and necessary to the others. And so
rivalry and jealousy will
evaporate ».
Jean Vanier: "Community and Growth" p. 53
13
LIVING TOGETHER FOR MISSION
By the students ofClamart and Torre d'Aguilha.
Community life is not just reserved to spiritan confreres in the field; it
is also a deep concern of those who are preparing for missionary life.
Two formation communities have kindly agreed to share their ideas
and aspirations on the common life: Torre d'Aguilha in Portugal and
Clamart in France. Although written independently, their themes, their
ideals and the demands they make of each other are very similar.
Torre d'Aguilha
At Easter, 1997, there was a meeting of young spiritan students from
Europe at Lisbon. During their time together, they shared their ideas
on what they expect from community life. Here are some echoes,
coming from the Portuguese students.
Community life is seen by us as an important element in the growth of
the missionary vocation. A well-structured community is indispensable
for a Spiritan throughout his period of formation. According to SRL,
community life is "an essential element in the spiritan way of life" . It
gives us our identity: the Spiritan will never live alone and his
community will be the dynamic base from which his life will unroll.
But if community living brings us great riches, it also includes serious
obligations - both for our personal lives and in our relations with
others.
For all Spiritans, and in a special way for those in formation, commu-
nity is the first place where we meet "our brothers", in listening to the
Word of God and in prayer. It is a special place for a journey in faith. It
gives us opportunities for sharing and is often a real source of joy.
Three Essentials
The Portuguese students stressed three essential elements during the
meeting at Torre d'Aguilha:
■ Community life must be seen as a meeting with God in the others
with whom we live. This is a fundamental point and will always
14
need to be deepened. If we can understand and live this reality in
our formation community, we will be ready and able to discover
God in other people when we are on mission.
Our formation communities must be fully open to the missionary
situations of our time, so that we can already be living mission from
the start, even if our opportunities for pastoral action are necessar-
ily limited. If we can get stuck into the reality of the most
abandoned as of now, we will be more able to hear other calls when
our formation is finished.
The missionary "stage" should take place in a community that can
answer the needs and expectations of our missionary formation.
The presence of somebody to accompany the young confrere is
essential but is not sufficient in itself; the whole community has a
formative role to play. During our "stage" we should experience
that unity with other confreres which is a living witness of Christ
amongst the people to whom we are sent; community life is one of
the gifts that God gives us for an authentic presentation of his Son
to the people. Such an experience of community will help us to be
more fully integrated later on in our missionary life.
In his exhortation "Vita Consecrata" (No. 51), John Paul II insists
on the fact that "communities of consecrated life have the particu-
lar task of spreading the spirituality of communion, beginning with
their internal life... ", and he adds that these communities "are
signs that dialogue is always possible and that communion can
bring differences into harmony".
Being in community carries with it several exigencies: to live in the
truth with one another, to search for harmony and mutual accep-
tance, to look together at the realities of today's world.
What the Pope says is extremely relevant for us, because in the
Congregation, international missionary communities are being es-
tablished everywhere and this tendency is set to continue. Our
communities will be made up of people with different languages
and cultures and coming from different age-groups. A constant
fraternal concern for each other, as a witness to charity and
15
reconciliation, must always be a characteristic of our communities,
where people of widely differing backgrounds will seek to find in
the meeting of cultures a respect for the other person and a mutual
enrichment. Through our living together, we can become signs that
witness to the possibility of acculturation.
Community life is a witness to the Good News. Fraternal love,
lived out each day, is a sign of hope for those around us, as well as
a source of joy for ourselves. When we come up against difficulties
in the life of our communities, we need to go beyond ourselves and
try to meet the other person, bereft of any prejudices. Certainly, on
the part of each one of us, this calls for a high degree of forgetful-
ness of self and a large capacity for welcoming others.
In a society that is so marked by individualism, our life together
throws out a challenge: it tries to be a sign for our times. It is great
to be asked to give one's life to co-operate in the missionary plan
of Jesus Christ. The discovery and carrying out of this project is all
the more exciting and enriching.
Clamart
Clamart is a second-cycle formation community in Paris with young
Spiritans form different countries. The make-up of the community
changes each year, but the demanding and rewarding challenge of
international living continues for all its members, old and new.
As with all formation communities, Clamart has to be re-built each
year. The average time for remaining here is three years, so there is
a constant change in personnel. Consequently, our community
project has to be re-defined in view of the new arrivals. The
essential remains the same, but some points have to be adapted at
the beginning of each academic year.
Clamart is an inter-cultural community. For example, in 1997 it
was made up of 16 members (13 students and 3 formators) coming
from the FAC, the WAF, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zaire and France.
Our life is necessarily built around studies: some go to the Institut
16
Catholique, others to the Centre Sevres, others again to the Al-
liance Francaise. Each confrere is also involved in a pastoral work.
There are many different types of insertion: literacy programmes,
work with the homeless, school and hospital chaplaincies, work
with migrants, the Y.C.W. and the Oeuvre d'Auteuil.
These two elements - our inter-cultural community life and our
various pastoral works - naturally have a big influence on our life
together. We would like to point out the elements that seem
important to us in the building of the community, even if we do
not always live up to the ideals that we set ourselves. At the same
time, we will be showing the kind of life we would like to live in
our future mission.
A community of sharing and support
We feel that community should be, above all, a support for our
religious and missionary life. This support is shown particularly in
our sharing: sharing of faith and sharing of our motivation. Some
occasions are more important than others in our formation commu-
nity; for example, when we are submitting our requests for vows or
ordination, there is a great deal of sharing... or when, during the
eucharist, we each take our turn with the homily.
But let us not give the impression that everything is perfect or easy.
Sometimes we find it difficult to share things that are important to
us - our faith, our worries, our pastoral difficulties. We do not talk
enough together about our work or our pastoral insertion, and when
we do, it can easily remain at the superficial level. It is often easier
to share in depth with a few rather than with all the members of the
community. Moreover, too often we allow ourselves to be carried
away by our studies; it is not easy to find the right balance between
studies, pastoral work and community life. Our timetables and the
fact that we are following different courses can sometimes make it
difficult to bring everything together.
Thinking about our future ministry on mission, we are concerned
about the balance that needs to be kept between pastoral work and
17
community life. Will there be enough of us to make up a real
community? Will confreres who are 30 or more kilometres apart be
really able to live a community life? And if we are scattered, how
often will we be able to get together to share our lives? Will we be
carried away by the demands of apostolic work?
An open community
Another thing we consider to be very important is the openness of
our community to those outside. We have what we call "Clamart
evenings" when we discuss burning questions like immigration,
exclusion, ecumenism etc. These are very important events because
they make us to do and experience something together. They also
enable us to meet the people who live in the neighbourhood and
who help us in our research. These meetings sometimes lead to one
or the other confrere getting more deeply involved in different
topics that are treated. For example, as a result of these evenings,
one of us took up work with the CCFD (the Catholic Committee
against hunger and for development) and another had regular
meetings with a group of Protestants. One must also add that this
openness extends to inviting people to share a meal with us.
The international make-up of our community is something that
people find striking, particularly young people. A glance at our
visitors' book will bear this out. Of course we have had to sort out
some problems arising from our different ways of looking at things.
But the fact that people from such different places are living
together is something very enriching for us who have been called to
this kind of community. For example, the liturgy is enlivened by
what each of us brings to it; even if we have differing approaches
to quite a number of things, we are able to discuss and identify
these differences amongst ourselves and thereby arrive at a better
understanding of each other's point of view. The discussion on the
use of money spoke volumes for us!
All this sharing is very formative; it calls us to an on-going
conversion. To live in an intercultural community is not all plain
sailing. If it is difficult to really understand somebody of the same
18
culture, it is even more so when one lives with others from such a
wide variety of countries. More than in any other circumstances,
genuine dialogue is essential.
Attention has to be paid to culture-shock. Coming across certain
types of behaviour... or experiencing a liturgy that one finds life-
less ... or the type of language that some people are apt to use. . . such
things as these can be difficult to accept, and serious misunder-
standings can easily develop. The formators (who can experience
the same difficulties in their own group) have to help us to analyse
our reactions and to reflect on our community experiences so we
can learn lessons for our future missionary life.
The community also plays an irreplaceable role in our spiritual
formation. Each year we have periods of retreat and recollection;
we also have groups that we call "groupes de progression spir-
ituelle". We think it is important to reflect together about our
spiritan spirituality and not just leave this important area to individ-
ual initiatives. Such a sharing has taken place several times when
we have invited confreres to talk about their missionary experience.
The Superior of the Community
One cannot talk of community without talking of communication.
We have to look for opportunities to express and share our ideas.
But we have to be realistic. There are several ready-made opportu-
nities, like the weekly community meetings. These must be real
meetings, not just gatherings to share information and sort out the
practicalities of our daily lives. We must not waste these occasions
but use them for a sharing that is deep and authentic. To help us in
this task, the role of the Superior is of great importance. Without
being too directive, he can breath life into the community and help
us to share, live and act as a family. In this way we will grow
together, because we will have created a real community where it
is good to live and where one feels at home.
19
A REFLECTION ON RETIREMENT
By Charles Coffey
Charles Coffey, of the Province of USA West, talks of community in the
context of retirement. In the midst of difficulties that older confreres
experience, community life can continue to be a place of discernment
and support when it is adapted to their particular needs.
When I was a student in the Senior Seminary advancing toward the
priesthood, I was asked to care for a few older Fathers who were
assigned there, some retired from active ministry and others who were
sick. During those years, there was no house of retirement.
I was strongly influenced in those years by various Fathers whose
problems were related to the letting go of ministry that had been already
assumed by others. Also, there was the pain of separation from people
where the Fathers had not only been the evident center of life for people
who were dependent on them, but, perhaps without knowing it, they in
turn were dependent on the people. Now not even the love and respect
of the local community seemed to meet their personal needs and
certainly could not replace ministry in their lives. After twenty -five or
more years in the service of the Lord, leaving it was a soul-wrenching
and physically depressing situation that left them desolate.
I recall seminary conferences about the need for total personal dedica-
tion in ministry. The seminary director frequently said that Holy Ghost
Fathers, as missionaries, "died with their boots on". I adopted this
attitude and hoped that this would be my own way of exiting this life.
Two forms of retirement
As I reflect on these experiences, I recognize the need for two very
different forms of retirement. One is the retirement of Spiritans who
are mobile. They can live in community, care for themselves, partici-
pate in community functions, and assist the local church by ministry.
Such confreres ought to be able to enjoy a place for privacy as well as
community life. Consideration should be given to personal and group
20
community life. Consideration should be given to personal and group
counseling about leaving ministry, about their own dignity when their
ability to work is limited, and on the positive value of life in retirement.
The importance of personal leadership that will guide them to a
common sharing of life should be a daily experience.
Another form of retirement is for those who are not mobile and who,
because of their weaknesses, whatever they may be, cannot totally care
for themselves. Such retirement demands professional consultation and
discernment. There is a special need here for professional counseling so
that full cooperation can lead to an improvement in both physical health
and attitude, and perhaps a return to mobility. While living under such
limitations, even devout priests and religious can quickly lose a vision
of the true value of life.
The meaning of retirement
However, before any retirement program, there is a need for the
Province to examine and perhaps define what retirement means for a
religious missionary and a priest. Pope Paul II, in his post-synodal letter
"Christifideles Laici", has something to say to older people:
"I now address older people, oftentimes unjustly considered as
unproductive if not directly, an insupportable burden. I remind
older people that the Church expects them to continue to
exercise their mission in the apostolic and missionary life. This
is not only a possibility for them, but it is their duty even in this
time in their life when age itself provides opportunities in some
specific and basic way.
The Bible delights in presenting the older person as the symbol
of someone rich in wisdom and fear of the Lord (cf Sir. 25: 4-6).
In this sense, the gift of older people can be specifically the
witness to tradition in the faith, both in the Church and in
society (cfPs.44:2; Ex. 12: 36-27), the teacher of the lessons of
life (cfSir.6: 34; 8:11-12) and the works of charity".
At this moment the growing number of older people in different
countries worldwide and the expected retirement of persons from
21
various professions and the work-place provides older people with a
new opportunity in the apostolate. Involved in the task is their determi-
nation to overcome the temptation of taking refuge in the nostalgia in a
never-to-return past or fleeing from present responsibility because of
difficulties encountered in the world of one novelty after another. They
must always have a clear knowledge that one's role in the Church and
society does not stop at a certain age at all, but at such times knows
only new ways of applications. As the Psalmist says, "They still bring
forth fruit in old age, and are ever full of sap and green to show that the
Lord is upright (Ps:92 15-16),
The Pope goes on to say;
"Arriving at an older age is to be considered a privilege: not
simply because not everyone has the good fortune to reach this
stage in life, but also, and above all, because this period
provides real possibilities for better evaluating the past, for
knowing and living more deeply the Pascal Mystery, for
becoming an example in the Church for the whole people of
God.... Despite the complex nature of the problems you face -
a strength that progressively diminishes, the insufficiencies of
social organizations, official legislation that comes late, or the
lack of understanding by a self-centered society - you are not
to feel yourself as persons underestimated in the life of the
Church or as passive objects in a fast paced world, but as
participants at a time in life which is humanly and spiritually
fruitful. You still have a mission to fulfill, a contribution to
make. According to the divine plan, each individual human
being lives a life of continual growth from the beginning of
existence to the moment at whic the last breath is taken. " (no. 48)
Basic requirements for retirement
First of all, a priest or brother must have a solidly good and improving
idea of himself as he begins retirement. He must learn to transfer
himself from a life dedicated to ministerial duties where his personal
values and his life, as he sees them, are closely related to the impor-
tance of his work for others who depend on him. Now, in retirement,
22
he sees his life in other relationships and activities. Where limitations
are by necessity imposed on him, such as the need to give up driving an
automobile and restriction on his mobility, he needs personal and/or
group counseling and the help of frequent positive leadership in
activities that assist him to grow in respect for his own life and its
value.
Another factor is the question of power. Many Spiritans during their
ministry live alone, where there is no struggle over who is in control.
Where other Spiritans live in community, circumstances lead to a
balanced life. But community life in retirement brings new situations
where each member of the community will try to control life according
to his own views and needs. Community can be a very destructive bomb
if one or two can exercise the power of decision for their own
convenience. Here, again, good leadership is required on a daily basis.
The leadership can direct the community to a consensus where all can
be at peace. Each one must feel that the community is living on a level
field where everyone is listened to and decisions are common property.
Community prayer has not been the experience of many spiritan
confreres. They have often spent their working life living alone, so
among the tendencies they developed were independence before God
and individuality in spirituality. The beautiful retreat prayer experi-
ences of the Western Province over the past few years have been
idealistic, but few, if any, brought home a hope of establishing that
experience as a model to be followed. When Spiritans retire to commu-
nity, there is a special need to find a viable way toward common prayer.
It is important that this daily experience be planned for the common
good, without scrupulous dependency on rubrics and with a sense of
doing whatever is necessary to bring everyone a real sense of satisfac-
tion in being together in the presence of God. The daily concelebration
of the Eucharist is expected to be part of community life. Many
differences in ideals and practices have found their way into the life of
each confrere. Those in positions of leadership can direct the commu-
nity to find a balance for the common life in this daily priestly duty.
There is a need within the nature of common life to find help| in
community discussions of mutual interests, to participate in cultural
23
a restaurant, to see a movie together, and to visit the local places of
interest, etc. No person can continue to live within the four walls of a
house, be it a religious community or any other kind of institution,
without creating depression and a spirit of giving up on life and growth.
There are activities that help us respect life and our participation in it.
These activities need to be planned by a creative leadership that can rise
above objections and continue to offer a way of life that can lead to
contentment and growth.
The Casa Laval Community Residence at Hemet has moved in this
direction under two Provincial Administrations and their Councils. A
non-retired Spiritan with special interest in this ministry was appointed
superior to lead the community. The chapel, the community and dining
rooms and a growing library serve everybody's needs. A religious of
the community of St. Joseph (a professional nurse) and her assistant
care for the health of the confreres. A dedicated staff look after the
upkeep of the rooms and prepare the meals. Community meetings
ensure the participation of everyone's voice in the running of the
community.
The three Spiritan Communities at Hemet
Spiritans are justly proud of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Hemet.
There is an apostolic ministry in a valley of 175,000 people and in a
town of 55,000 where over 50% are retired people. There is also a
powerful challenge to serve a large youthful population and a growing
number of Mexican immigrants, about 20% of the Valley population,
who come with hope for a better life.
To better meet the needs of all these people, the Western Province
founded a second Parish and Community dedicated to the Holy Spirit.
Both Spiritan communities try to work together in fraternal cooperation.
Contiguous to the property of the Our Lady of the Valley Parish is the
Casa Laval Community where the retired Spiritans reside. Members of
this community are invited to serve in the apostolic work of both
parishes. This ministry has been mutually beneficial. The retired
Fathers can participate by offering Mass, administering the Sacraments,
preaching and teaching and by counseling the people where the wisdom
24
of their years is appreciated.
The three communities, Our Lady of the Valley Parish, the Holy Spirit
Parish and Casa Laval Commumty, come together each week to share
a meal and friendship. The confreres frequently visit each other to share
mutual interests.
Fr. Charles Coffey,
St. Bonaventure Church,
1918 Palo Alto Road,
San Antonio,
TX 7821 1-4100
USA
« Community is made by the gentle con-
cern that people show each other every
day. It is made by small gestures of
caring, by services and sacrifices which
say « I love you » and « I am happy to be
with you ». It is letting the other go in
front of you, not trying to prove that you
are right in a discussion; it is taking
small burdens from the other. « Do not
do anything out of jealousy or vanity ;
but in humility, count others better than
yourselves. Let each of you look not only
to selfish interests, but to those of
others ».
- Jean Vanier: "Community and Growth" p. 48.
25
SPIRITAN COMMUNITIES IN EUROPE
by Jean-Paul Hoch
After- many years working in the Central African Republic, Jean-Paul
served as Provincial of the French Province from 1991 to 1997. In
September 1998, he joined the new team ofSpiritans in Taiwan. Below
we reproduce his input article given at the General Chapter in
Maynooth in the summer of 1998.
Introduction
A few preliminary remarks to begin with. Although in this article I will
be speaking directly of the spiritan communities of France, the fact that
the ten European Provinces are now meeting with increasing frequency
has made me realise that what I have to say about the French communi-
ties will also apply in many ways to other Provinces.
I am unable and unwilling to make an ethnological study of this
surprising and admirable phenomenon - a group of celibates living
together! Nor do I want to indulge in a sort of religious and apostolic
stock-taking of our communities, comparing the high ideal traced out in
our Rule of Life with what human fragility has been able to come up
with in practice. Instead I will try to adopt the approach of the
impressionist painters, who by using rapid and delicate touches of the
brush, hope to produce a meaningful picture from these different
patches of colour.
Before launching into this topic, a word about "non-community life".
Of the 420 confreres appointed to the Province of France on December
31, 1997, a good number (around 90) were not living in community.
Some, who go under the title of "dependent on the provincial team" are,
like the captains of ships in days of old, dependent on nobody but
themselves and God. Others, who retain more or less permanent links
with the Province, are living alone from a spiritan point of view. There
are hundreds of reasons to explain these situations - the demands of
ministry, personal satisfaction, the impossibility of finding a suitable
community. Our four regional superiors spend a great deal of time and
26
effort visiting these confreres and trying to bring them together from
time to time. The concept of the "regional community" which was set
up with these kind of confreres in mind, remains largely an empty shell.
1. A place and source of finance
In the first place, a community is a place, a house, a source of finance,
and a package of particular material conditions. These material condi-
tions encourage (or discourage) community life far more than we think.
A disembodied idealism should be avoided like the plague! In France,
we have inherited from our history, from the work of our predecessors
and from the generosity of our benefactors, several beautiful and large
properties. Down the years, we have had not only to maintain and
restore these buildings and properties, but sometimes to adapt them
radically in the light of changes to community life and the advent of
new community projects. To make an old scholasticate into a House
of Welcome, a one-time junior seminary into a house of retirement,
a middle-class residence into a house of formation -while at the
same time observing the strict legislation regarding schools and
public buildings - all this takes up much time and money. Some-
times we have to ask questions about the ultimate fate of our
architectural heritage.
We are very fortunate to have an excellent group of devoted, competent
and enterprising bursars, working under the direction of the provincial
bursar. For a given community, the fact that it is involved in building
work can be a sign of dynamism and hope. The management of
community finances is always a delicate subject. There is a thin line
between a monarchical strictness and the opposite excess of each one
for himself. For example, there have to be regular reminders that mass
intentions are not pocket money to be used by spiritan priests as they
like. On the other hand, I have so often found, with communities and
individuals, a great simplicity of life and, when solidarity is called for,
a great generosity. To encourage such transparency and solidarity, the
Province has adopted the habit of sending each confrere a statement of
accounts of the provincial administration.
27
2. People
In the places mentioned above, people live and work. When we talk of
spiritan communities, we can no longer think simply in terms of
Spiritans. There are religious sisters who share our lives, our prayer,
our work: Sisters of the Holy Spirit, Sisters of Saint-Meen, Indian
sisters (Franciscans of the Presentation of Coimbatore), Nigerian Sis-
ters (Holy Family Sisters of the Needy). There are also salaried
employees devotedly looking after such indispensable services as the
kitchen, cleaning, laundry etc. Very recently, three spiritan lay associ-
ates have been closely inserted into communities. Sometimes, the
spiritan community itself is situated within a larger entity, as, for
example, in the College des Missions at Blotzheim or in several houses
of the Oeuvre d'Auteuil.
More and more, communities include members from other circumscrip-
tions. Twelve of the twenty three communities of the Province have
non-French confreres sharing in their life and work. We are deeply
indebted to those European (Belgium, Holland, Poland, Portugal,
Switzerland) and African circumscriptions (the EAP, FAC, Nigeria)
which have sent 17 confreres on mission ad extra to France. We hope
that this exchange-movement will grow in the years to come. For
understanding, mutual respect and peace between peoples, a good
international community is far more efficacious than hours of impas-
sioned oratory. How could one remain narrowly nationalist, for in-
stance, during the recent World Cup, when French, Nigerians, Dutch
and Brazilians all found themselves huddled round the same television
set?
Six communities are specially designated and organised for older
confreres, but most of the other communities also have senior Spiritans
in their ranks. Finally, we can point to the great variety of size of our
communities, ranging from 2 confreres to more than 60. This extreme
diversity in the make-up of our communities makes any kind of
classification virtually impossible. The truth of this will be seen even
more in what follows!
28
3. An Activity
Where do all these people, grouped together in the same place in a
spiritan community, find their unity? First of all, in a common work.
The work of formation is divided into first cycle (Chevilly/Lille) and
second cycle (the international house at Clamart). Our six "retirement"
houses are far from being limited to just that; all have a missionary
outreach (reception of guests, pastoral help for the surrounding
parishes). Several communities are specifically targeted at missionary
and vocational animation: Allex, Valence, Bordeaux, Blotzheim,
Rennes, Saint-Lo, Neufgrange, Lille, JEM. These same communities
are often involved in pastoral work for immigrants. The Oeuvre
d'Auteuil remains a work of great importance and priority for the
Province of France. More than 20 confreres are involved, no longer so
much in isolation but rather in communities (international if possible),
as at Chateaux de Vaux, where there are Nigerian, Polish and French
confreres working together. Finally, there is the indispensable service
to mission ad extra and animation of the Province, work done by the
Mother House, the Mission Procure, the three reviews (Pentecote sur le
Monde, L 'Echo de la Mission, La Revue de Saint-Joseph of Allex), the
history and Memoire Spiritaine, the Fraternites Esprit et Mission (in
collaboration with the spiritan sisters), the Fraternite du Saint-Esprit
and the review of the same name.
It seems to me that for a community to grow in its activities, three
things have to be emphasised:
Firstly, that the work should be chosen and executed in close
collaboration with the local Church. The experience of the Bor-
deaux community is a good example of this. A few years ago, a
group of confreres were working at missionary animation, mainly
from and in the chapel. There was little outreach, and the question
arose of closing the community. We started a dialogue with the
bishop and those in charge of the diocese. We succeeded in
drawing up a new pastoral project, centered on missionary anima-
tion and care of immigrants, and other confreres were appointed.
In this way, the sole surviving spiritan house in France that was
founded by Libermann has experienced a new lease of life.
29
Secondly, the work of the community should include both
mission ad intra and mission ad extra, both being seen as an
identical service to the poor. When we were setting up the
community at Rennes, this is what we were asked for by the
local Church.
Thirdly, the works of the community must be precisely
defined in the community project and regularly evaluated.
Finally, in the context of the community as a place of action, there is
one difficulty that often arises. It can happen that in a given commu-
nity, the confreres are engaged in such differing works that apostolic
activity is no longer a source of unity but of division. So the community
can be reduced to nothing more than a practical and convenient base for
operations. It is no longer the community that is the principle agent of
activity and the place for discernment, but rather each separate individ-
ual. The search for a dynamic balance between the responsibility of
each one and a commitment to a common goal is one of our most
difficult tasks at the present time. When a community arrives at a point
where centrifugal forces are prevailing over centripetal forces, some
members will look elsewhere for what the community is failing to
provide for them - personal finances to the detriment of a common
sharing, other compensations (alcohol or others), an affective life that
is targeted in the wrong direction etc.
4. An Organisation
In a community, how can Spiritans, who often seem to differ so much
from one another, live together in the service of a common work? A
minimum (perhaps a maximum) of organization is called for. Muscles,
however well-developed they may be, are pretty useless if they are not
firmly attached to a solid skeleton. A brain - even the most brilliant -
would soon be damaged if it were not encased in a strong cranial
container. As elsewhere, the organization of our communities in France
is firmly supported by three feet: the superior, the bursar and the house
council (or if the community is small, all the confreres). It is becoming
more and more difficult to find confreres who will accept these posts
and who have the necessary competence. Six years (two mandates of
30
three years) pass very quickly, perhaps not for the superior and bursar
in question, but certainly for the provincial team which has the
responsibility of finding men for these jobs.
There was a time when some looked on community meetings as either
suspect or useless, achieving nothing that could not be more easily dealt
with over breakfast! But the main reason for such meetings is not to sort
out problems but to express a commitment to live joyfully together. It
seems that the nature and usefulness of such gatherings are better
understood today, and that confreres are insisting more on the quality
of these meetings.
5. External relationships
As with the cells of a living body, it is not enough for each community
to be well organised within itself, with all the necessary components
and a precise common work; communities also have to relate to each
other and to the world around them. In France, inter-community
relations happen, in general, in the context of our four regions, each led
by a superior. There are informal get-togethers for feasts and funerals,
but also regular meetings for sharing, reflection and collaboration.
Besides the provincial bulletin, there is another called "Aux Quatre
Vents", which acts as a channel for each region to communicate its life
and dynamism to the others. The annual retreats, which take place
regularly in several communities of the Province, are another opportu-
nity for meeting and sharing.
Just as important for the life of a community are its relations with the
world around it: local society, the local Church and other such institu-
tions. An example; A young confrere was recently ordained at Blotzheim
where he had done his pastoral year as a deacon. He will leave shortly for
Pakistan. The auxiliary bishop of Strasbourg ordained him, the parish choir
led the singing and many others contributed to the organization of the
occasion. The local mayor and member of parliament were among the
congregation and many of the local priests came to lay their hands on the
ordinand. Another example: our community at Valence is known by the
local Church not just as a place for training possible future Spiritans but
also as a place of accompaniment for candidates for the diocese.
31
Relations with our confreres dispersed around the world are also a
source of dynamism for the life of our communities. It is through the
commitment and "quiet heroism" of these confreres far away that the
Province is known as missionary. It is often their availability that
makes it possible for the Province to find the animators, formators and
superiors that it needs.
6. A Soul
All that has been said so far would be true of any group of people or any
association which is concerned about its solidity, usefulness and future.
To speak accurately of a spiritan community, we have to go further.
What is it that holds us together? It is not the convenience of the places
where we live or the great advantages that flow from a life lived in
common; nor is it the qualities that each of us brings or the common
work we undertake. Rather, it is something that defies definition,
something mysterious - a bit like the soul, the spirit, the heart. It is
something that comes from the Spirit of the Father and the Son and
somehow becomes our spirit - something that is given to us even before
we try to build it up ourselves.
One of the things I discovered during my time on the provincial team
was this: a superior (even if referred to as "major") is not the principal
organism of the activities of the circumscription; the confreres on the
spot normally know better then he what needs to be done and how to do
it. Neither can he claim the credit if confreres live in peace and good
relations with each other. There are many problems and difficulties
whose solution in no way depends upon his efforts. His main concern
should be the religious dimension of the life of the province and
communities. It seems to me that we are discovering more and more the
primacy of community spiritual life. Perhaps it is precisely this element
that young people are looking for, before any idea of an "uplifting
adventure".
For the last ten years, the provincial council has been offering a
"Programme of animation for confreres and communities". This pro-
gramme takes into account the important times of the liturgical year and
seeks to encourage community spiritual reflection around a chosen
32
theme.
One can add that the growth of the Fraternites Spiritaines ", Esprit et
Mission, has been an opportunity for many to rediscover Libermann.
We have there a largely unused treasure, and we have to thank our
confreres who are historians (both of Des Places and Libermann) for
making us more aware of this rich and life-giving source.
It is in common prayer that this "soul" of the community is formed,
nourished and expressed. We particularly see and admire a central
place being given to this prayer in our houses of retirement. In the more
active communities, the thousand and one preoccupations often prevent
such a regular rhythm of prayer. But efforts are usually made so that at
least at one moment of the day, all the community comes together to
pray and that special times are set aside for the praise of the Lord. In
many cases, where it is possible, community prayer is open to lay
people. They seem to appreciate these occasions, even when we
ourselves are sometimes tempted to find community prayer a bit
monotonous. Their presence also encourages us to take more care in the
preparation of our prayers.
Conclusion: communities in constant evolution.
To conclude this brief sharing, I would like to say a word on an
important aspect of the life of our communities in France: the constant
evolution and incessant changes that are taking place. We have long
since left behind the idea that we live in a balanced and stable world;
we see our world as characterized by "chaos", and new situations that
could hardly have been foreseen. This is peculiar neither to France nor
to the Church. In the context of our communities in France, let me point
to some signs of this continuing and profound evolution.
First place must be given to the continual drop in numbers and the
rise in our average age. There is no need to be a mathematician to
calculate the duration and foresee the results of such a phenomenon.
While continuing to live in the present - for it is always today that
salvation is offered to us and mission must be carried out - we still have
to prepare for this future, and preferably, in collaboration with the other
Provinces of Europe which, apart from Poland, are going through the
33
the same process as ourselves. Many preparations are being made for
these changes, some already with us, others which have still to happen:
- the importance given to vocations work,
- collaboration between provinces, especially in initial formation, with
the excellent inter-provincial anglophone novitiate in Dublin,
- the appointment of young confreres from elsewhere,
- collaboration with Indian and Nigerian sisters,
- the "Fratemites Esprit et Mission " and the Associates,
- the reordering of some houses with a view to viable activities in line
with our vocation,
- a greater spiritual attention to where the Spirit is leading us.
Over the years, we have seen how difficult it is for a community to
change by itself; there is always a tendency to continue with what has
always been done, and to avoid adapting to new circumstances. To
conceive and execute a completely new project, there is usually a need
for a significant change of personnel in the community. Hence the
importance of "visits" by the members of the provincial team or the
regional superiors, and, for the Province as a whole, the importance of
visits from the General Council. Like those taking part in the Tour de
France, which we saw recently in Ireland, there is always a temptation
to "bury your head in the handlebars", or when playing football, the
urge to head directly and in glorious isolation towards the opposing
goal, forgetting that a match is won just as much with the head as with
the feet!
Alongside this first great and profound change, that we normally refer
to as "the crisis of vocations", our communities and our Province are
coming up against another upsetting phenomenon which relates to the
very idea of "mission". The disillusionment is often very deep, the
questions asked extremely radical. Confreres hesitate who are about to
return to the missions. Some of the young ones, duly prepared by a
solid initial formation and who left full of enthusiasm, quickly return
home. "Fidei donum" missionaries get a better press from the Church
than we who are "missionaries for life". We are not very keen to look
such questions in the face, either personally or as communities. And
when we do so, we often end up putting the blame on a world "that has
34
lost its way", or a Church "which has lost its sense of the universal".
The sterility of such criticism is obvious. Also, we tend to work out our
own personal concept of mission. We use the same words, but do we
have the same ideals? The cohesion of a community and its missionary
outreach (the old "apostolic zeal") can suffer greatly as a result of this
crisis in the missionary idea and ideal. To avoid internal conflict and
to give an image of peace to those outside, we often fail to challenge
each other about this very foundation of our commitment. So we end up
looking like a soccer team where each member is playing with his own
personal football! We cannot separate our reflection on "our life
together,' from the other themes of the General Chapter, especially the
theme of "our mission". May the Holy Spirit show us what needs to be
done and unite us to bring it to fruition.
Jean-Paul Hoch,
Spiritan Community,
C/o Diocesan Offices,
156-1 Chungcheng Road,
Hsinchu (300)
Taiwan (R.O.C.)
AS OTHERS SEE US - THE WITNESS OF
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES
By Ide de Lange
"By coming together from so many different places and cultures, we
are saying to our brothers and sisters that the unity of the human race
is not just an impossible dream" (Maynooth Chapter documents no. 4).
The Chapter talked much of the witness value of community life and the
impact it can have, especially where it is evident to everybody that the
confreres come from all points of the compass. Ide de Lange of the
Dutch Province describes the growing influence this witness has had in
the mission to Boranaland in Ethiopia.
"Our Congregation is international, and our apostolic
activity usually puts us in contact with a culture differ-
ent from our own. Necessarily then our formation
prepares us both for living in a community and in a
situation that is intercultural" (SRL 141)
The beginnings
It was in 1972 that an International Spiritan Team was first sent to
Ethiopia to work among the nomadic peoples of the south of Ethiopia -
the Borana, the Gabbra and the Guji. The team consisted of members
from the US/East Province and the Dutch Province. They mostly knew
each other already since they had been working together in the District
of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
In a sense, this venture was something new: members of different
provinces coming together to form one team under the direct responsi-
bility of the General Administration, rather than under the responsibility of
their respective provinces of origin. Nonetheless, it has to be said that the
provinces remained faithful in their support and encouragement. The
autonomous and intercultural nature of the group was immediately brought
home to them when they sat down to work out what community
meant for them, what approach to evangelisation they shared and what
concept they each had of "Church". The group needed time to work out
their intercultural differences in order to create a team which would
stand united in its work of First Evangelisation among the Borana.
36
Although the USA and Holland may be miles apart, their international-
ity was far more evident to the group itself than to the local community
amongst whom they lived. It took time for people to give names to our
countries of origin and tell them apart. Differences in behaviour etc.
were regarded more as personal characteristics than cultural differ-
ences. Nevertheless, these initial formative years set us on the road to
believing that the internationally of the group was more than an
accidental throwing together of different nationalities. It was vital in
our eyes for the outreach to other cultures in presenting the Gospel
message.
The make-up of our team
At present, we have three communities in Borana, each with its own
nucleus of missionaries working there. The places are Dhadim, Dho-
qolle and Yavello, while a fourth station Darito/Dida Hara is still in the
making. Although these places may be quite far apart - Dhadim to
Dhoqolle is approximately 130 km - our group in all these places is
regarded as one. At present, we are five Spiritans: two from Holland,
two from Nigeria and one from the US/East Province. Moreover, there
is one young man form Holland working with us who aspires to become
a Spiritan. There are also four Medical Missionaries of Mary: two from
the USA, one from Ireland and one from Tanzania. They are working
with us in Borana and live in Dhadim. In addition to these ten members
of our team, we have had, over the past three years, students from the
EAP (East African Province) doing their Pastoral and Spiritan experi-
ence here in our group. Close contact with one another and the high
visibility of our group among the people means that we are seen as a
group in the eyes of the people. It is therefore quite normal for the
people amongst whom we live and work to ask about the health and
well-being of the other members of the group and name them by name.
The impact of our international team
Initially, our internationality was not particularly noticed. It was not
until we were joined by the African members of our group, Sr. Lydia
from Tanzania, Fr Peter Osuji from Nigeria, Fr Jerome Onwughalu
from Nigeria, and all the students from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda,
that people began to ask such questions as "How did you people come
together? ", "Did you know one another before you came to Ethiopia ",
"What brought you together, being from so many different nationali-
37
ties?". The fact that we all preached the same Gospel had a particular
impact. It wasn't just a "white man's Gospel" after all.
The easy acceptance of one another and the living together in one
community baffled people to a considerable extent. They were not sure
as to how to see the group as one. Questions were asked, especially of
our African members, such as, "How much do they pay you for the work
you are doing for them?" The answer that they got paid nothing and
that the whole group formed one community did little to clarify the
situation. However, slowly people came to accept us as we are, an
international team, and our internationality turned into an asset to our
work of preaching the Gospel. Answers to the above mentioned
questions slowly began to make sense; we were brought together by our
common belief in the Gospel and the need to spread the word, by our
common call to go and preach the Good News to all who have not yet
heard it, to bring hope to the poor, the sick and the disadvantaged. The
living together in one community of people of quite different nationali-
ties and cultures gave a strong witness to the unity of all believers. In
our meetings with them they realised that we wanted to share some-
thing with them that goes beyond the boundaries of individual nations
and peoples. Thus our internationality has become a witness to the
Gospel for those who are willing to see it.
Contradictions
There are factors though that are not conducive to understanding what
we represent. In the way we go about things, we cannot but resemble at
times the many different relief and development organisations that
operate in the country. Our involvement in schools, clinics and other
different projects, our cars and obvious wealth to their eyes make this
comparison quite understandable. The wealth of the Borana is not
visible; it is on the hoof and is not reflected in their lifestyle, housing,
luxury goods, etc. The fact that up to now the government does not
recognise churches as faith communities but as NGOs, does nothing to
help our image. We come under the same heading as organisations such
as CARE, CONCERN, NCA, etc., so it is little wonder if people at
times put us all in the same category.
This image is not very helpful in our work of evangelisation. One asks
oneself how to correct such an impression. Our lifestyle is relatively
simple; our means are sufficient but no more than that. Our open-house
38
lifestyle and sharing, living among the people, our prayer life and
ministry may present us as men of God, preachers of the Gospel - but
our involvement in schools, clinics, and development programmes,
confirms in the minds of the people that we are just another relief
agency with money to spend.
Conclusion
There are snags to everything. I know that we as a group of committed
men and women, feel very strongly about the internationality of our
group. Perhaps we need to pay more attention to the way we look at
each other, appreciating our richness in intercultural experiences to-
gether, contributing from our cultural inheritance, supporting and
enriching one another. Perhaps we should reflect more often on the sort
of image we are presenting to the outside world. Is it a picture of people
who are able to reach across boundaries and experience unity in Christ?
Or is it the image of a multinational relief force which works together
as long as the payment is good? We hope and pray that the first may
prevail.
Iede de LANGE, CSSp.
Catholic Church Dhoquelle,
P.O. Box 2,
Yavello - Borana
Ethiopia
39
COMMUNITY LIFE IN AN INTER-
RELIGIOUS CONTEXT
By Eddie Flynn
Certain spiritan groups have long since felt the need to put a deep
commitment to community living at the very centre of their life and
activity. Such has been the case from the start with our difficult venture
in Pakistan. Eddie Flynn of the Irish Province has spent many years in
this apostolate and shares his experiences of community with us.
The soul selects her own society
Then shuts the Door
To her divine Majority
Present no more".
(Emily Dickinson)
The Community in which I have lived for the past nineteen years is very
special - not because of any of the individuals present, not because it is
in Pakistan with all its stress and attendant problems, and not because
of the high profile we sometimes have abroad. It is special because the
primary focus of the group over the years has been on Community. The
aim has been to live out in some haphazard and risky way the solidarity,
fraternity and equality that we have glimpsed in the life of a Mediter-
ranean peasant - Jesus.
A community that is home
The Spiritan community in Pakistan is home for me. It has been since
1977 and will continue to be so for, at least, the next couple of years. I
have made my contribution to the life of this group on the edge of the
desert and I've received faith, strength and life in return. But commu-
nity is more than a mere bartering of personal gifts and services with
the hope of receiving an equal share in return. It is an opening up of the
vulnerable corners of one's soul in the presence of trusted companions.
In such an atmosphere we bring the shadow side of our personalities
into the light of shared reflection. Something greater than our mere
40
description of it takes place when we commit ourselves to live in
community. We give ourselves over to a lengthy process of transforma-
tion which has not been mapped out beforehand. We are ploughing
furrows in the sand.
Demands made on the community
Let me get away from this introspection, lest we get stuck with one
more inaccurate label about what we do in Pakistan. All the members
of our group have no difficulty in being busy. Despite deliberate efforts
at a policy of DO LESS, we seem to end up with a bigger workload than
ever. Everyone has several caps to wear and the contribution of the
group goes beyond the people and parish boundaries where we perform
our main duties. While having a sure focus on where we are going and
what we are about, we try to be open to the needs of others and open
ourselves to the movements for change and movements of the Spirit in
other corners of the country. The effort and time required for all of this
leads to an enrichment both at the individual and communal level.
The reason for us being in Pakistan is to work for the evangelisation of
the Marwaris. This is what defines our presence, prescribes our work
and forms our life as a group. The Marwaris are poor, for the most part.
They live on the edges (physically, religiously and culturally) of an
Islamic society. They exist among the lower realms of the outcasts in a
caste-ridden culture. Our contact with them challenges us to be conver-
sant with their perspective on life and society, to try to articulate that
viewpoint and to engage with them in a search for a more human life.
Evangelisation
And what do we mean when we speak of evangelisation? Each one has
his own opinion. In an age of pluralism, dialogue and tolerance, we
search for clarity. At a personal level this involves a lot of change. I
grew up with one understanding of evangelisation and then the circum-
stances of my work made me look again at these views. Now, in the
silence of my heart, I search for the pearl of great price that I wish to
share with others. This involves a lot of listening. Listening to the
heartbeat of the universe and to the grass growing. Science and
41
technology are in the driving seat of a roller-coaster running on
empty. Miniature computers based on biological material, race-
specific chemical weapons, thinking computers and genetic engi-
neering challenge us to question where we are headed. The Gospel
has to speak to all of this as well as trying to shed light on questions
of identity, fear and conflict that we experience at an individual
level. It is necessary to be rooted in our own locale. This can be
grinding poerty with no exit for the majority. It can be the corrupt
bureaucracy of an uncaring system or the downward spiral of ghetto
in-fighting. Not an attractive scene within which to live out one's
life. Because of the seeming hopelessness of the situation, we
continue to keep faith, promote gentleness and give witness to the
fact that the struggle must go on. In all situations of our lives, we
seek to incarnate the compassionate spirit of Jesus. Our task is
exploration into God. Our life is to live in the mystery of God's love
and our aim is to awaken the divine within.
The activity of reflection
Analysis does not mean paralysis. The activity of reflection is a
constant feature of our work and lives. Reflection, on the structural
reasons for poverty, on internalised oppression, on the forces and
pressures that circumscribe our lives, on how to work with the poor
in a worthwhile way, on how to survive in a strange place - these are
the themes and many more that occupy us on a daily basis. They are
not topics for debate that we might pick up in our spare time; rather,
they are the bread and butter of our lives and we are existentially
involved in deepening our understanding of them so that we might
be more effective in our service. The situation we are in cries out
for a response so our involvement in very much a "hands on"
approach. It would be easy to get into work that we find more
personally rewarding, individual projects or work in a very struc-
tured environment - all of those options seem like the easy way out
in a difficult situation. Analysing the situation and our response to
it on a regular basis means we develop skills in the art of balancing.
42
The difficulties and frustrations of our community living
It is not possible to talk about community without mentioning the
difficulties and frustrations. There are many fissures in our lives.
We are outsiders trying to swim in a very different cultural ocean.
We need to make adjustments at a personal and communal level if
we are to insert ourselves in a meaningful way. This leads to a
destabalising of our equilibrium, which also has to be coped with.
At the same time, we have to be faithful to the need to nourish our
wellsprings. Often we are at a different stage from the people with
whom we work in relation to personal development, freedom and
responsibility, and individual needs. These differences need to be
recognised, acknowledged and nurtured. We cannot stick our heads
in the sand when it comes to feelings and emotions. At an individual
level, we have different personalities and an array of skills, talents
and capabilities. By respectful listening and gentle inquiry, we
attempt to combine individual initiative and team work. There is
tremendous strength, bondng and mutual support in such an ap-
proach.
A new experience of community
My experience of community in Pakistan is at variance with what I
have experienced in other places. Being superior or parish priest
cuts no ice. Each person gets an equal opportunity to give his
opinion. It is valued in its own right and decisions are arrived at
from the communal pool of reflection. Security, solidarity and
significance have been the hallmarks of our attempts to share a
common life over the years. These are values that we negotiate,
nurture and promote through our own efforts. We invest time and
energy in trying to resolve the misunderstandings, disagreements
and conflicts that arise in any situation where people are trying to
live and work together. We have sustained ourselves by drinking
from our own wells. Our experiences, feelings and reflections have
been freely shared. In doing so, we have expanded our vision,
broken down a few barriers and opened new avenues of hope.
43
The search for justice and peace
Working for Justice and Peace has been a passionate enterprise for the
group over the years. Compassionate concern for individuals is the
preoccupation of some while others are involved in meetings, seminars
and training programmes with local people. Daily contact with poor
people and their struggle keeps us from loosing sight of the tragedy,
fear and injustice that is an everyday event for many. Promoting these
values makes big demands on everybody. It is important to be in contact
with other individuals and groups that are similarly motivated. We have
few illusions about how little we have achieved, and experience has
taught us not to seek the impossible. Yet we are totally convinced that
individual conversion is simply not enough. We must work tirelessly
for the formation of communities that give living witness to these
values of Justice and Peace.
A dialogue of faith
Pakistan has a different faith and culture from Ireland where I grew up.
It takes time to adjust to the new surroundings. I think we accustom
ourselves in a physical way to these circumstances without ever feeling
at home psychologically. We engage in dialogue of sorts with the
culture but we are not part of a dialogue of faith with the majority
religion. None of us has given much time to this topic and we don't see
such a venture as our main task. It is very challenging to live in such a
situation. What does my faith mean in this milieu? How am I to give
witness to my faith here? How can I discuss my faith in this setting? My
own limited experience has taught me that I must seek to discover what
we share in common. Look for the areas where our lives crisscross.
Begin at a basic level and allow human friendship to be the context
within which sincere and meaningful conversation can take place. After
all, dialogue at the level of life must be possible.
Afraid of love?
To talk about community and not mention love would be only telling
half the story. As an all male group, we seldom mention this four-letter
word. Are we afraid of what such a discussion might involve or do we
44
consider such topics too mushy for us? A bit of both maybe. There are
other reasons. We like to walk the walk before we talk the talk. Is love
an action rather than a coffee time topic of conversation? It is difficult
to find suitable words to talk about love. As Emily Dickinson says:
"That love is all there is,
Is all we know of love,
It is enough, the freight should be
Proportioned to the groove".
Eddie Flynn,
Catholic Church,
Rahim Yar Khan 64200,
Punjab
Pakistan
"You have a clever way of rejecting God's
law in order to uphold your own teaching.
For Moses commanded, "Respect your
father and your mother", and Whosoever
curses his father or his mother is to be put
to death". But you teach that if a person
has something he could use to help his
father or mother, but says, "This is Cor-
ban" (which means, it belongs to God), he
is excused from helping his father or
mother. In this way the teaching you pass
on to others cancels out the word of God
And there are many other things like this
that yOU dO". (Mark 7/9-13)
45
AFRICAN SPIRITAN: INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNITY AND SRL
Relations with the Extended Family
by Jeronimo Cahinga
Jeronimo Cahinga, former provincial superior of Angola, is now in
Rome, writing a thesis on biblical theology in the Gregorian Univer-
sity. Here he tackles a problem that is rarely mentioned but which can
be crucial in the lives of African religious.
The title might seem to lack unity and logic, but in reality this is not so.
It is a question of singling out certain challenges that an African
Spiritan might have to face as a religious and missionary, having to
relate to
- his community, whose members belong to different cultures,
- his family, which still considers him an indispensable member
for the solution of many of its problems, and
- the Rule of Life, which tells him that "/« witnessing to poverty
we place ourselves in the hands of Divine Providence, accept-
ing cultural uprooting and the degree of separation from our
family that is entailed. We accept even that insecurity our
apostolic activities might impose. " (SRL 70.2)
A question posed by Lucas Tilisho
In his article, "An African Missionary in Africa"1, Lucas Tilisho is
clearly preoccupied by a real contemporary problem that could affect,
or is already affecting, the way many African Spiritans live their
community and apostolic life. He makes the point that if the relations
and the solidarity that exist among members of the extended family are
a definite value, they can, on the other hand, present a challenge to our
vocation as religious missionaries . He shows how it is taken for
granted that the relations between members of the extended family
include the obligation to help one another; the fact that one is a
46
religious missionary changes nothing in this respect .
No Spiritan in such a situation, which includes myself and many others,
can avoid facing up to this problem. As Lucas points out, we African
Spiritans are under a whole array of pressures, to the extent that not
only are we unable to change the way our families think, but we
constantly find "our duty conflicting with demands or pressures from
outside " .
My objective in this article
I share wholeheartedly this preoccupation of Tilisho. So why another
article on the subject? My aim is not to repeat what has already been
said but to deepen the reflection on it and try to find the beginnings of
a solution.
Let us first look at two of the crucial sayings of Jesus to those who
wanted to follow him in a special way:
"Go, sell... and then come and follow me" (Mark 10, 21s).
I wonder, if the example given in the Synoptic Gospels of the call made
by Jesus to the rich young man (Mk. 10, 17-27; Mt. 19,16-26; Lk.
18,18-27) and presented by the Church for centuries as a model of the
religious vocation, makes the same impact on a young African today
who feels himself or herself called from within a milieu which is really
poor. This does not seem to be the great Gospel challenge for the young
African. The reason is simple: if the heart of this call is: "go, sell all
you possess, give the money to the poor... then come and follow me",
this call to those coming from a situation of extreme poverty sounds
strange, incomprehensible, hollow. They have no goods to sell and they
need money if they want to enter the seminary or the convent.
The critical and fragile socio-political situation into which the African
continent is plunged, the hunger, the misery and the sub-human condi-
tions, make the term "poverty" sound very negative to African ears -
hardly a term where one could discover an ideal. Pope John Paul II
describes the situation vividly: "In a world controlled by rich and
powerful nations, Africa has practically become an irrelevant ap-
pendix, often forgotten and neglected... Africa is a continent where
47
countless human beings - men and women, children and young people
- are lying, as it were, on the edge of the road, sick, injured, disabled,
marginalised and abandoned"
It is certain that the spirit of poverty in the Gospels is one of the chief
signs of being ready and willing to follow Jesus. Christ himself says
that the Good News is for the poor and they are the ones he declares
blessed (Lk. 6, 20-21; Mt. 5, 3-6). But Jesus calls the poor "blessed"
because they are the privileged objects of the saving grace which he
came to offer to the world; at the same time he offers them the
possibility of freeing themselves from their sorry lot and of recovering
their lost dignity. He does not call them "blessed" because he feels it
would be better for them to continue in their poverty. But in Africa, this
liberation is not even on the horizon, at least not in this millennium.
"Whoever comes to me without hating father or mother ... cannot be
my disciple" (Lk 14,26)
If the same call of Jesus comes to the young African as demanding not
only that he leave but even "hate" the whole family, the impact on that
young person becomes deeper and must involve him more completely.
He or she will need time to reflect more seriously on what is at stake
before making the decision to follow Jesus in those conditions, even
when gifted with a great capacity for generous self-giving.
The links between members of the African Family
In my opinion, the importance of the family and the influence it has on
the African is so great that before admitting any candidate into a
religious community there ought to be a dialogue with him and his
family. Why do I say this? We all belong to a nuclear family of mother,
father, brothers and sisters. But in some cultures, like my own, other
relations, such as grandparents and maternal uncles, have a fundamen-
tal role to play in the life of the child and even the adult. It is their task
(especially that of the grandparents) to name the newborn child. It is
they who set down the rules as to how the grandchildren should be
brought up. On nearly every problem they have to be consulted. Our
family covers all relatives, near and distant. Even the dead still belong
to the family. Then there is the village community, which has a large
48
part to play in the life of the family. It joins it in any celebration and is
present at its different activities. It has its role to play in the all-round
education of the chid.
This is how a whole series of vital links is built up, making it very
difficult for an African rooted in such a culture to "extricate himself
from collateral relationships, which constantly remind him that he too
is at the same time the brother, the cousin, the nephew, the uncle...
Whether we want it or not, as Africans we are part of a network of
family solidarity which makes us all responsible in our society. And so
our happiness and unhappiness are lived out equally with all those who
are related to us... It is taken for granted that we must share something
of our very life and, indeed, of what we possess, with them. This is an
unspoken pact which cannot be broken ".
Therefore all family members find it perfectly normal and within their
rights to seek advice or assistance from the priest, hoping that he will
spend a little of his time listening to their problems or other sufferings
that torment them or the family as a whole.
Intercultural apostolic community and relations with the
extended family
So far, I do not see why the situation of an African Spiritan in relation
to his extended family should cause conflicts in his community, even
when it is made up of members from different cultures. It is my
experience as a missionary that the African seeks advice from the priest
without establishing first whether he is from his family or race or tribe,
as long he finds in him someone who is open, values him and does not
constantly repeat "I've no time" or "I've something else to do." In this
way, if the community does not become closed in upon itself through
prejudice, it can even help the African confrere to solve common
family problems.
There need not be any conflict, but rather harmonization between the
missionary program of the community and the time given to listening to
people's problems, whether they be relatives or not. In the words of
John Paul II, "the communities of Religious Institutes and of Societies
49
of Apostolic Life can offer concrete and effective cultural proposals
when they give witness to the evangelical way of practising mutual
acceptance in diversity and of exercising authority, and when they give
an example of sharing material and spiritual goods, of being truly
international... and of listening to the men and women of our time".
If the African Spiritan is left to himself to face the problems of the
family members who come to him, then he will try to provide a solution
without the community or perhaps even contrary to its rules. And this
would be a sure way to produce much conflict.
The heart of the question
The real heart of the question is reached when the family begins to need
concrete material help, especially money, because it has fallen into dire
poverty. In fact, situations brought about by war or bad government and
corruption, as happens in my own country and in many others, have
thrown whole families into utter destitution.
The bringing up of children, their health, their education, is the joint
work of uncles and aunts, brothers and cousins. In other words, all the
active members of the family are expected to sacrifice themselves and
their property to this effect. It is a question of the future of the family
group.
At this point there arises a serious and controversial question. The
family member who is a priest or religious is seen as the privileged one,
the elite of the family, at times the only one who has done further
studies and has a clear social status. In the eyes of our families, we are
rich. And to be honest, at times we show few signs of poverty, whether
materially (house, cars, food, clothing etc.), or intellectually, or in the
social position we achieve, the security we have and the ecclesiastical
protection we are afforded.
So the family of the African Spiritan quite naturally turns its eyes to
him as the only person capable of coming to the rescue of the rest of
the members. His refusal to help would be seen as nothing less than
cynicism, indifference or insensitivity to the suffering of those who
brought him up.
50
HOW SHOULD THE PROBLEM BE TACKLED?
A transitory situation
I am convinced that the condition of beggars to which many of our
families have been reduced is temporary. It is linked to the present
crisis in which many African countries find themselves today; it is not
a cultural question or something inherent in the African tradition.
Certainly it is not destined to continue indefinitely.
We all know that the Africans are truly generous. When they have
what they need they do not go asking from anyone. Quite the opposite;
to the missionary who comes among them they offer what he needs, and
they even provide for their relative who is a priest or religious when
they know he is in want.
At present, however, there is a crisis. And it would be irresponsible on
our part as Africans, rooted as we are in deep solidarity with our family,
to ignore it, deny it, or try to hide it through shame or through an
inferiority complex from our confreres who do not have this type of
problem. To be poor is not a moral fault: in most cases, it is to be a
victim of human injustice.
A question of conscience
But, faced with the precarious situation of our families, an acute
question of conscience arises: must it be that our obligations to our
impoverished family (the poor here being our own mother, father,
brothers, sisters) cease once we have made vows, or that our links with
our relatives must disappear because of our religious profession?
It is a constant worry that never leaves us, especially when we are far
away on mission, aware that we have left them to themselves without
even the basic necessities. What makes matters worse is when we are
sometimes asked by a confrere in the commumty (perhaps through
curiosity), "How do you harmonise the SRL with your obligations to
help your extended family when the Rule does not even foresee such a
case?".
But I would feel even more hurt if I were to interpret such a question as
51
meaning: "African confreres, this is your problem! I'm OK, we're
OKI". But such is not the case and so, in the present circumstances, we
are counting on the affective and effective solidarity of our confreres in
community.
A way towards a solution
It is true that SRL does not deal directly with this type of problem. But
in underlining, with such determination and clarity, the necessity of
solidarity as one of the elements of our religious and missionary
poverty, does the Rule of Life intend to exclude such cases as these?
"When budgets are being drawn up, at whatever level, account should
be taken of the needs that there are beyond the borders of our
community or our circumscription or even outside the Congregation.
This is a means by which we give proof of our poverty and of our
solidarity with those who are in need". (SRL 72.4) I think that where
the circumstances demand it, the relatives of Spiritans in difficult
economic and material situations could be included among "those who
are in need" . This would be a sign of real community solidarity and
would perhaps help to give a sounder dimension to the relationship
between an African Spiritan and his family and open a way for more
constructive dialogue with the community on this subject. Now is the
time, while Spiritan vocations are still on the increase in Africa, to face
up squarely to this problem, at least at the level of our communities or
even our circumscriptions.
If there is a blank refusal to discuss the matter or to look for a solution,
based on the usual and seemingly irrefutable reasons of 'absolute and
total detachment from everything ', the African will use his wits and his
lively imagination to find a solution, even if it means getting round the
rules or simply ignoring them. He will keep trying to put more money
aside, to be used for his family, thus calling into question and discredit-
ing his vow of poverty. This would make his position with the family
even more difficult as they would end up concluding that he is able to
give because he always has something to give.
I do not believe that the Congregation would want to see its African
members slide into this confused and underhand way of living religious
52
life. In the words of Sempore, Religious Institutes that propose as an
ideal "that one should declare "CORBAN" all the possessions, the
power and the knowledge with which the young African religious ought
to assist his family, in order to dedicate himself body and soul to his
new family, will contribute towards making religious life a pious
misunderstanding ".
Jeronimo Cahinga CSSp.
Clivo di Cinna, 195
00136 ROMA
1 TILISHO, Spiritan Life no. 7 (1997) pp. 46-47
2 TILISHO, ibid, p.46
3 TILISHO, ibid. p. 46-47
4 TILISHO, ibid. p. 47
"Ecclesia in Africa", nos. 40, 41.
6 SEMPORE: from "Vida Religiosa em Africa", 1988 p. 62.
"Vita Consecrata" no. 80
8 This idea of African family solidarity is well expressed in an article in
"TELEMA" (1998, p.27):
"The African finds his help and insurance in the solidarity of the
family... So whoever you are, and wherever you are, when a call is
heard for help in the family, it resonates in the very core of the being
of its members. Whether you want to or not, in one way or the other
you will be affected. You would have to have a heart made of stone to
remain indifferent. You feel you simply have no choice ".
9 SEMPORE, Art. Cit. p.63.
53
OPENING THE DOORS
By Mark Connolly
Mark' Connolly of the English Province was appointed to Makurdi
District in Nigeria in 1968. In 1992, he was recalled to work in the
Province in youth/vocations work With shrinking numbers in an aging
Province, his experience has led him to see the need for a different view
of community life which will be no longer exclusively Spiritan. Re-
cently, he has been appointed Provincial Bursar of the Province.
As a young man I joined the Congregation because I wanted to be a
priest. I wanted to say Mass for people, baptize and officiate at
weddings. I wanted to minister to the sick and bury the dead. I wanted
to be that member of the community who was held in great respect and
was seen as a man of God because I was committed to a life of prayer,
self dedication and service to the community. But as a priest I did not
feel I was called to serve in my own community. I wanted to be a priest
in Africa and joining the Congregation of the Holy Ghost would make
that possible. Ordained in 1968 I finally set off for Nigeria.
A changing view of Church and priesthood
When a changing world as well as a new vision presented by the
Vatican Council necessitated a reappraisal of the living out of that
priesthood in the Church many of us found ourselves undergoing
processes of renewal not just through programs and courses but also
through a call to conversion through prayer and a better appreciation of
the Kingdom in our midst. Our comfortable notions of Church in all its
facets had to be challenged, not least in what was the nature of the
Church and who was identified with it. That the presence of the
priesthood was an integral part of the Church was unquestionable; that
it should be elevated on to a clerical plane and shrouded in an
unapproachable cloud would have to challenged.
The Church in Nigeria and the people with whom I lived and worked
taught me so much about what it means to be a priest. The Congrega-
tion, despite its clerical status and its weighted bias to priestly ministry,
54
has enabled me to be more conscious of the potential for evangelisation
in our commitment as professed religious with its strong emphasis on
community living.
A treasure to be shared
The ideals, traditions and spirit of Spiritan Life are a treasure not just
for those who make religious profession but for the many people who
have come to be associated with the Congregation as zealators,
benefactors, associates and co-operators. In the years since my return
from Africa I have discovered in these people a tremendous force for
evangelisation in our society as well as a personal source of affirmation
and support.
I am very fortunate to belong to a Province where there are others who
share these same ideals and vision. A ministry to young people,
collaborative ministry with committed associates and a determination
to keep moving to the periphery of society have ensured that within the
Province we are continually trying to make the Church relevant to the
lives of ordinary people. This has involved opening the doors of our
communities to ensure that our hearts and minds are open as well.
Behind these doors there lies a wealth of resources - accommodation,
technical facilities and a treasury of books and media aids to help
promote the spread of the Gospel. Most precious of all is the space for
prayer and worship and the rhythm and Rule of Life which is the fruit
of the lived experience of our founding fathers and brothers who
committed their lives to the service of the Gospel. These gifts are not
for us alone. While I appreciate that there are risks involved and we
make ourselves very vulnerable by opening the doors, charity and our
apostolic commitment require us to share these gifts with those who
work for the establishment of the Kingdom here on earth.
Come and see
All this has become increasingly clear to me since I returned from
Africa. On my reappointment to the Province in 1992 I was assigned to
our community in Manchester which had the primary task of serving as
a vocation-ministry community. Following the example of Jesus, the
55
confreres there used the same approach as Jesus in their ministry:
'Come and see where I live ' . They invited young men to share their
daily life with them and assisted them in a process of vocation
discernment. With one group of young people inside the door it was not
long before other groups were there as well - parents, local priests,
collaborators in youth ministry.
When I was transferred to our house at Carfin in Scotland, I became
even more confirmed in my opinion that the houses of the Congregation
will never become Spiritan communities while we retain the notion that
such communities can only be valid where there are professed Spiritans
living together. On many occasions, I have found myself to be the only
professed Spiritan in the community. Spiritan community life of a
vibrant and dynamic kind flourished in Salford and I miss being part of
it. Moving to Carfin promised the same experience. But with the core
of the community, both professed and lay, moving on, we are once
again looking for ways of establishing new forms of community living
here in Carfin.
A widening community
Some strands of community life still exist, thank God. The faithful staff
who cater for the day to day functioning of the house, property and
administrative needs of the community are themselves Spiritans in a
very real way because they share in our ideals and apostolic endeav-
ours. And there are our faithful friends who do so much work in the
Charity Shop every Tuesday. With them are the stalwarts of the house
committee who get together to organize fund raising events, particu-
larly the garden fete.
In many respects, the youth groups form the most important strands of
community life. Their presence in our communities challenges our
attitudes and-life styles as well as offering us a hope that something of
the Spiritan way of life has meaning for a future generation who will
form the nucleus of the Church. I have found the present generation of
young people very sensitive to older people's attitudes and reactions
towards them. Any sign of judgementalism or inhospitableness easily
alienates them. A very good litmus-test of our progress in this impor-
56
tant area of life is to gauge the frequency with which a genuine
cross-section of young people from all kinds of background are to be
found not only in our chapels but also at our dining tables.
A view of the future
If the mission of the Congregation is to be revitalized and continue to
flourish in England and Scotland, it must draw on the tremendous
resources of support and good will that already exist here in the
communities. I sometimes describe the present core of the community,
depending so much on professed membership, like that of the black
hole discovered by the astronomers; collapsing in on itself and swal-
lowing up energy without radiating light.
We live in hope that professed Spiritans from other Provinces and
continents will be available to help us carry on the "mission" in
England and Scotland. But I am more and more convinced that our
large houses should be filled with people, not necessarily sharing our
profession of life, but nevertheless sharing our ideals, traditions and
commitment and they should be invited in to live and work with us.
M.J.Connolly
26, Eastbury Avenue,
Northwood,
Middx. HA6 3LN
England
"Clericalism is an obstacle to any kind of
collaborative ministry. Attention should
be focused on the eradication of this form
of domination in both initial and on-going
Formation ".
- 1998 General Chapter, Maynooth 5.15
57
OUR FRATERNAL LIFE IN COMMUNITY -
a personal reflection
By Rogath Kimaryo
One of the members of the new General Council, Rogath Kimaryo of
the East African Province, gives his personal view of community life in
the light of the ideas and experiences related in the other articles.
Introduction
I would like to begin my reflection with the twofold question, which
Jesus asked his disciples: "Who do people say that the Son of man is?"
and "Who do you say that I am?" (Mt. 16:13ff). Peter's answer, "You
are the Son of the living God, " reveals Jesus' identity and mission. I am
just wondering whether these are not the same kind of questions which
most of us ask silently through our lives and activities as missionaries?
Do we not all wonder, from time to time, what people think of us and
what we are up to? This suggests that most "Clericalism is an
obstacle to any kind of collaborative ministry. Attention should be
focused on the eradication of this form of domination in both
initial and on-going Formation "
- Maynooth 5.15people want to know what the others (society) think
of them so that they may either adjust or appreciate better what they
are, to confirm their abilities and personal gifts. So, just as teachers are
able to identify and appraise certain outstanding gifts portrayed by their
students, so is society in general. Society is able to recognise certain
qualities, which may be portrayed by certain individuals or groups and
appraise them as exemplary.
One such gift is the living of our fraternal life in community. Usually,
we who are used to living it may not appraise it as a gift, but other
people (non-Spiritans) are able to see it and confirm it so. How many
times for instance I have heard people remarking, "You Spiritans are
really fortunate "; "I envy you "; "your communities are so good,
friendly, simple and so generous". The fact is, very often, we are not
58
even aware of that fact and the impact our community living has on
others. But, I find those remarks very inspiring and encouraging. They
are quite challenging at the same time, especially when we consider our
weaknesses and the difficulties related to living a truly fraternal
community life as is expressed by our confreres in the articles of this
edition of Spin tan Life.
Reflecting on the articles, regardless of their origin - whether from a
students' community, or a working community or even a retired one -
the message that is conveyed is very clear and simple. Firstly, commu-
nity living is part and parcel of our Spiritan tradition. Secondly, we all
need one another in realising our vocation and our common mission.
Thirdly, it constitutes an apostolate in itself. Fourthly, it is never a
simple task. Fifthly, conversion is a key for community building.
Community as a family
There seems to be a consensus in these articles that community life is
essential for realising our spiritan charism, and that it should also be a
place where each Spiritan feels at home as in a family. A family gives
one a sense of belonging, a place where one feels free, loved, accepted,
secure and joyful. In a family, nuclear or extended, there is a sponta-
neous spirit of love among the family members. Thus, we are called to
make our communities like "family homes" where each one is impor-
tant for what he is, whether young or old, in health or in sickness (SRL
34). In any family, relationships play a very important role. The family
members relate freely. They feel accepted, loved and supported. In the
same way, a Spiritan family should be a privileged place of personal
relationship with one another where we practise the Gospel of love.
Despite its shortcomings, a confrere said "la communaute est le lieu
privilegie d'un cheminement de foi; elle permet un partage, et elle est
bien souvent une veritable source de joie".
One Heart and One Soul
The living of Spiritan community life is not based on fulfilling certain
rules or regulations. It is not even a question of breaking or not
breaking those rules. In any case, our Rule of Life has an entire chapter
on "community life". Those regulations sum up what we already
59
cherish as our way of life. It is not something that is imposed on us but
rather a personal conviction that springs from our hearts, based on our
founders' teachings and on the Christian Gospel of love. It is based on
the love that bound together the early Christian disciples who were
united in "one heart and one soul" (Acts 4.32). In his testimony about
community life, one confrere concludes that "not mentioning love when
talking about community, would be only telling half the story ". The full
story has to be told by each and all of us, by our own lives as we
willingly live our consecration in the pursuit of Love. As a faith-
community, we feel that our ministry is above all the ministry of
transmitting love to the world; a world that has different value systems
and divided by wars, conflicts, individualism and indifferences.
We realise that fraternal living in community is an activity of the Spirit
and the heart. Thus, it is not purely a human construction: it is rather an
activity of the Spirit who operates in us and through us. It is also an
activity of the heart. It is a life, which each one of us is called to
embrace freely. One has to like it. It is based on love for one another.
Community Living as an Art
Just as artists use their skills, time, and dedication in order to produce
a worthy artistic object, so is the building up of our community life.
Artists work tirelessly, spending several hours on the same thing. They
do it again and again, without counting the cost. Their intention is to
produce a product, which is as perfect as possible. Artists strive for
perfection. I suppose this should be a challenge for us Spiritans. Our
community living needs to be continually worked at, in order to create
a favourable situation of mutual trust, friendship, and respect for one
another. The general Chapter of Maynooth warned that: "Structures
can be empty and lifeless unless there is a genuine personal effort of
each confrere to live with the other". It is something we must always
strive for by trying it again and again. This is in line with the inspiring
speech of President Mary McAleese of Ireland when she addressed us
during the Chapter. Talking about the dramatic changes that have taken
place in Northern Ireland vis-a-vis the prospects of peace, she said that
"we must never give up hope". Peace presupposes a certain amount of
understanding. We should always talk and talk again. Any change will
60
come from a willingness to talk and to listen to the other. In the same
way, a truly fraternal community is one which is disposed to talking and
listening and has the ability to accept changes.
Challenges and temptations
1 Over-concern with works
For an institute like ours, which was founded primarily for the evange-
lisation of the poor and abandoned, social activities become part and
parcel of our work of evangelisation. In regions of first evangelisation,
the missionary becomes a Jack-of-all-trades. He is not only a preacher
but also a builder, teacher, etc. His obvious temptation is to see only
things and projects to be accomplished. Community life could be seen
as something secondary and unimportant. Aspects like community
table-fellowship, prayers, discernment and fraternal support are per-
ceived as things that slow down the motion of development. Thus, "to
be in community is felt as an obstacle for the mission, almost a waste of
time... " (Pro-Anima 2000, No. 01 Oct. 98).
During his lifetime, Libermann had already noticed the same tendency
in some of his missionaries. They were over-concerned with works to
be done and had no time for themselves and their fellow missionaries.
He saw exactly the danger we are experiencing in the Congregation
today. Statistics show that only about 70% of Spiritans live in commu-
nity. The rest live alone. We realise that that kind of situation is not
healthy. It is not even in line with our Spiritan tradition where
community living is an essential element in realising our vocation
(SRL, 28). The Maynooth Chapter had "Our living together'' as one of
its four strands. It was evident during the discussions that community
life is more than living under the same roof. Needless to say, confreres
living under the same roof can be more distant from one another than
confreres living miles apart. Whether it be "under the same roof or
"extended", we are all called to community life and we see it as a
privileged means for realising our Spiritan vocation. Addressing all
Spiritans about what happened at Maynooth, the Superior General
wrote this regarding community life; "If we who have the motto of "one
heart and one soul" are sometimes living alone, we do not see it so
61
so much as a fault but rather as something important that we are
missing. We once again underlined the benefits and joys that come
from life lived in common with our brothers" '. About 150 years ago,
Libermann wrote this same vital message to his missionaries. He
exhorted them to see the value of community living in the missions.
The opposite would cause harm to themselves and to others, espe-
cially if they put an exaggerated emphasis on their works. Could we
say that community life was "Libermann' s dream" that has proved to
be too difficult for Spiritans?
2 Blood is thicker than water?
When talking about family ties, we have often heard people saying,
"Blood is thicker than water". It suggests that family ties are stronger
than any kind of relationship. This is to say that there is hardly any
relationship that can replace blood relationship. I suppose this is true
with every culture be it African, European, American or Asian. A
religious community on the other hand, is a faith-family, bringing
together people of different bloods, from different backgrounds and
cultures into what is evidently, a "constructed family". The ties and
feelings are not exactly the same as natural family ties. So the question
which could be asked is how do we, as religious, relate to our natural
families, without jeopardising the uniqueness of our religious calling?
Responding to this question is even more difficult when asked of
African confreres, because of the special situation in Africa where
members of the extended family, such as grandparents, uncles, aunts
and cousins, are all considered part and parcel of one's family. It is
natural for African confreres to ask how they should relate to their
extended families. One confrere writes, "Therefore all family mem-
bers find it perfectly normal and within their rights to seek advice or
assistance.... The real heart of the question is reached when the
family begins to ask for concrete material help especially money,
because it has fallen into dire poverty" . How can a confrere, who is
supposed to have professed religious poverty like all Spiritans, re-
spond to this problem of material need? After all, society has already
classified him as "the privileged one, the elite of the family, at times
62
the only one who has done further studies and has a clear social
status.... Refusal to help would be seen as cynicism, indifference or
lack of sensitivity to the suffering of those who brought him up" .
3 Bread-winners?
The experience of the confrere cited above echoes a deep, underlying
question which is being asked by almost every African confrere. It
would be foolish to pretend that there is no such problem. I think the
best way of solving the problem is to talk about it openly in chapters
and other meetings. The solution has to come from the circumscrip-
tion or the local community where a confrere is living (SRL 72.4).
It is unrealistic to create an impression that all African societies are
exactly the same and that all our family backgrounds are identical.
They are not. Hence there is no one simple solution that is valid for
every region and, much less, for every case.
The other danger is for us to be considered bread-winners by our
families. In doing so, we are liable to create a dependent syndrome
where the family looks to the confrere as the main provider. As an
African religious missionary, I see my role more as one of empower-
ing and liberating, rather than that of being a direct bread-winner for
my family (apart from extreme situations). Education is the best
instrument for enabling and setting one free. I therefore see our
involvement with our families in terms of enabling them to acquire
education so that they may find ways of providing bread for them-
selves. As Spiritans, we are called to announce the empowering and
liberating good news to all people, including our blood relatives.
The Spirit of Maynooth
The articles do not make explicit reference to the spirit of Maynooth
Chapter and its call for renewal of community living. So, the question
that each one of us and every community should ask is how are we
disposed to live our fraternity today with the renewed spirit of the
Maynooth Chapter?
I have already stated above that community life, where it is truly lived,
63
lived, not only gives us strength to carry out our apostolate but also
becomes a way of evangelization; an evident and a powerful way of
evangelization, especially where members of the community are of
different age and nationality. This is already evident in our interna-
tional communities. One confrere from such a community writes, "the
internationality of the group was more than an accidental throwing
together of different nationalities... . Our internationality turned into
an asset to our work of preaching the Gospel " It is for this reason that
the Maynooth Chapter reiterated our option of 1976 for international
communities.
Conclusion
Acknowledging our fragility
One confrere says in his article that "It is not possible to talk about
community without mentioning the difficulties and frustrations... ".
Indeed, at times it passes through moments of sorrow and moments of
joy (SRL, 39.2). I think this is normal and we should not pretend to
say that everything is OK all the time. We are earthen vessels and
quite fragile. Like any fragile object, our community living is liable to
break unless great care is taken to handle it carefully. We have to
"invest time and energy in trying to resolve the misunderstanding,
disagreements and conflicts that arise, breaking of barriers and open
new avenues of hope.'" Each member has to feel responsible for the
well being of the community and play his part. One has to be sensitive
even to those little acts and gestures that make a community human
and divine at the same time.
Silent preaching
Often, as religious missionaries, we need to come together and discuss
how best to carry out our work of evangelisation. Sometimes we
come-up with sophisticated methods. Seldom, however, do we see our
community living and ourselves as a form of evangelisation. And yet
it remains the indispensable and best method of preaching the word of
God. "It is necessary to remind all that in itself, a fraternal commu-
nity is already an apostolate, it contributes directly to the work of
64
of evangelization ... " (Pro-anima, 4). It will undoubtedly have a
lasting and far-reaching impact on the people we mission to and
among whom we live. Hence a good community is already a practical
preaching of the Gospel, and gives credibility to our preaching by
word of mouth. Perhaps it is good to remind ourselves of the powerful
words of Pope Paul VI when he spoke of evangelisation in modern
times: "Modern man is not so much interested in teachers as in
witnesses, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are
witnesses. (EN, 41).
«In a Christian community, everything de-
pends on whether each individual is an indis-
pensable link in a chain. Only when even the
smallest link is securely interlocked is the
chain unbreakable A community which al-
lows some of its members to be unemployed
will perish because of them. It will be well,
therefore, if every member receives a definite
task to perform for the community, that he
may know in hours of doubt that, he too, is not
useless and unusable Every Christian com-
munity must realise that not only do the weak
need the strong, but also that the strong
cannot exist without the weak The elimina-
tion of the weak is the death of fellowship »
Dietrich Bonhoffer : "Life Together", 1976).
Finito di stampare
nel mese di marzo 1999
dalla
Scuola Tipografica S. Pio X
Via degli Etruschi, 7
00185 Roma
The Cover
The triangle represents the Trinity: it is coloured read to
accentuate our dedication to the Holy Spirit. The blue
circle signifies Mary who became the mother of Jesus
through the Holy Spirit; therefore one of the points of
the triangle cuts the circle. The green path represents
hope. Thus the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, under
the protection of Mary, is travelling along the path of
hope and trust
Spiritan Life is published in English, French and Portuguese.
Next Issue: "Presence and Solidarity"
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