February 2009 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter

8/9/2019 February 2009 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter

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LCWR Update February 2009 page 1

Inside this issue:

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February 2009

LCWR 2009 Reflection Books

Leading From Within: Mentoring Leadership

Order Additional Occasional Papers

Twenty-four LCWR members gathered at theFranciscan Retreat Center in Tampa, Florida fromJanuary 11 to 16 for the fifth annual LCWR Lead-ing from Within Retreat.

Led by Kaye Ashe, OP and Maria Elena Martinez, OSF,the retreatants reflected on religious life leadership via

LCWR Members Reflect on Religious Life Leadershipin a Week of Prayer

Wrapped in Mexican shawls, 24 LCWR members participate in a retreat in Tampa, Florida.

several spiritual life themes. Each received a rebozo (awoven shawl) made by women in Chiapas, Mexicowhich she used throughout the retreat.

The days included input from Kaye and Maria Elena,opportunities for group and individual spiritual direc-tion, communal prayer and rituals, and time for quietreflection. Said one retreatant, I return to leadership

ministry transformed and enriched by the graces givenme.

I highly recommend this retreat to elected leaders,stated another. I was re-energized and filled withhope.

Jane Burke, SSND and Annmarie Sanders, IHM staffedthe retreat. Additional photos and information on nextyears retreat are on page 4.


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From th LCWR Pridency

by Mary Whited, CPPS LCWR Past President

The Art and Science of Bridge-Building

Bold headlines, scrawled acrossthe top of this morningsnewspaper, highlight a fragileeconomic climate around

the globe. Many leaders of religiouscommunities wonder how our assetscan be stretched to care for membersand to support ministry to those mostaffected by poverty. A new presidentpromises to boost the economy byshoring up bridges and roads. If hisstrategy is effective, bridge-building

may sustain many during this economicroller-coaster ride.

I have to admit that when I heard that the GeneralAssembly of the United Nations had designated2009 as an International Year of Reconciliation, or

bridge-building between nations, I was a bit skeptical.Hasnt the current economic crumbling across theglobe widened the gaps between those who have anabundance of material resources and those who knowonly poverty? What kinds of bridges can possibly spanthese widening gaps? And who will build such bridges?

Bridge-building presents a challenge on an internationalscale as well as in the relationships that touch our dailylives. We who lead are familiar with the challenge ofbuilding bridges in church and society. We know whatit takes to create links between our congregations andother congregations of men and women religious. Weknow how to balance the needs of individual membersof our congregation and the larger whole. When weencourage our members to make choices that supportthe evolution of religious life into the future, rather thanresisting or stopping the natural flow of life, we areactually building bridges into the future.

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Hard manual labor and intellectualacumen are required for bridge-building as well as the willingness anddetermination to stay with the task, eventhrough apparent hardships. A complextask, bridge-building relies on theknowledge and skills of others as wellas our own wisdom and life experience.Our efforts to build bridges call forthpassion and a purpose that stirs fromthat deep spiritual sense of who weare as women religious and disciples

of Jesus. From a broader perspective,bridge-building is a gift from God that allows us todraw from the wisdom of the past, to be at peace in thepresent, and to envision a future in which it is possiblefor gaps to be spanned.

Ultimately, if we stay with the task, building bridgeswill bear fruit. Though, perhaps, in our lifetime wewill not see the results of our labor. Meanwhile, letus work toward eliminating the disparities betweenthose who have more wealth and those who live in

poverty. In this new year, let us risk the insecurities ofentering into something new to deepen our awarenessof the connections that, in fact, are already present.As leaders, let us hold lightly, but doggedly, our

responsibilities to work together to bridge the gaps.After all, bridge-building is an art as well as a science.As an art, it requires creativity, focus, and the endurancethat comes from envisioning what is possible with theresources entrusted to us.


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LCWR presents a new book,Midwiving a VibrantFuture,a resource for further reflection on livingwith imagination and hope in these challenging

times.

Using the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, as well asinsights from some of the great thinkers of our day, 53LCWR members offer a reflection for every day from

May 31 (Feast of the Visitation) through July 22 (Feastof Mary Magdalene). The writers offer insights andwisdom on creatively bringing forth new life at thiscritical time in the world and in religious life.

Many congregations provide their members, associates,and co-workers copies of the LCWR reflection books,finding them a valuable resource for personal and com-munal reflection and prayer.

LCWR will print only the amount of copies that arepre-ordered. Special rates are available for ordering

in bulk. Orders must be received with payment byFEBRUARY 18. Purchase of the LCWR reflection booksalso aid the conference financially.

Please direct any questions to Carol Glidden [email protected] 301-588-4955. Order forms areavailable at:http://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/2009reflectionorder.pdf

Orders Due for LCWR Reflection Book

by February 18

Additional Copies of LCWR OccasionalPapers Available for Purchase

Some additional copies of the Winter 2009 issue ofLCWRs Occasional Papers are available for purchasethrough the LCWR national office. The cost is $4.00

per copy (which includes shipping and handling).

Order forms are available on the LCWR website at:http://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/OPordersWin-ter09.pdf.

Some copies are also available of the Summer 2008 is-sue. Contact Carol Glidden at [email protected] or at301-588-4955 to order.

Save the Date

Women of Spirit: Creating in Chaos

LCWR Assembly

New Orleans, LouisianaAugust 11 15, 2009
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/2009reflectionorder.pdfhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/2009reflectionorder.pdfhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/2009reflectionorder.pdfhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/2009reflectionorder.pdfhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/OPordersWinter09.pdfhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/OPordersWinter09.pdfmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/2009reflectionorder.pdfmailto:[email protected]://www.lcwr.org/lcwrpublications/OPordersWinter09.pdf


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Justice Organizations Anticipate

Change in Washington DC

Groups with whom LCWR partners to addressjustice issues have been preparing for a newday in the nations capital. Strategies have been

developed in meetings and letters have been senton several key issues. For example, members of thelegislative sub-committee of Justice for Immigrantsplan meetings with Catholic freshmen in the Houseof Representatives and Heads of Washington Offices(HOWO) of faith organizations held meetings withthe Obama transition team. Meanwhile, the Catholic

Leadership Council of the National Religious CoalitionAgainst Torture (NRCAT) has planned a conference onTorture, Conscience, and the Catholic Moral Traditionto be held on March 19, 2009 at the Law School of TheCatholic University in DC.

Catholic Mission Forum Announces

Mission Congress 2010

LCWR participates in the Catholic Mission Forumwhose task it is to plan the mission congressthat occurs every five years. A save-the-date

announcement has been made for the 2010 Congress:Gods Mission, Many Faces: A Portrait of US Catholicsin Mission which will be held in Albuquerque, NewMexico October 28-31, 2010. Planners are asked toinform their members to save the date. The congresswill invite participants to: DISCERN the movement ofthe Spirit within the US church in mission, DISCOVER

the varied colors and brushstrokes of US Catholics inmission, INVIGORATE mission identity and leadershipin the US church, and CELEBRATE the faces andcreativity of US Catholics in mission.

LCWR Retreat Offers Unique Opportunities to Reflect on Religious Life Leadership

Plan for a Retreat in 2010

LCWR Leading from Within RetreatRedemptorist Renewal Center

Tucson, ArizonaJanuary 17 22, 2010

Registrations accepted in Fall 2009

2009 Leading from Within retreatants enjoyed

quiet moments for individual reflection, as well ascommunal prayer and rituals twice a day.


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Catholic Coalition on ClimateChange Hears Reports from VariousOrganizations

The agenda of the January 16 meeting of the

Catholic Coalition on Climate Change was veryfull. In addition to continued efforts to promote A

Catholic Climate Covenant: The St. Francis Pledge toProtect Creation and the Poor, (January 2009 Update),participants heard from four speakers, plus briefaccounts of projects addressing climate change by sevenrecipients of coalition grants.

Martha Coven, senior legislative associate at theCenter on Budget and Policy Priorities, provided aninformative overview of current policy landscape and

domestic concerns before announcing that she will beleaving the center to work for the new administration.This appointment sends an encouraging message aboutthe priority that will be placed on climate change andenvironmental initiatives. The coalition also heardfrom Bill OKeefe of Catholic Relief Services whogave a CRS perspective on climate change impactsin the developing world; David Waskow of OxfamAmerica on international policy concerns and optionsto address adaptation and mitigation in the worldspoorest countries; and Walt Grazer, special advisor tothe National Religious Partnership for the Environment,

with whom the Catholic coalition collaborates.

LCWR member congregations may wish to learn moreabout a resource being developed by the NationalCatholic Rural Life Conference (NCRLC), with thesupport of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change.The resource is a web-based, searchable databaseof Catholic institutions (parishes, colleges, schools,hospitals, religious communities, etc.) that are educatingCatholics about the impact of climate change on poorand vulnerable people and/or practicing stewardship

that helps mitigate climate change. NCRLC has alreadydeveloped a database of nearly 80 religious communitieswho have implemented innovations. (See http://www.ncrlc.com/communities_database01.html) Informationon how additional communities can participate in thisexpanding initiative can be obtained from Tim Kautza [email protected].

US Catholic Coalition for the Protection

of Iraqi Refugees Hears from an IraqiDominican Sister

Members of the US Catholic Coalition for the

Protection of Iraqi Refugees welcomed DianaMomeka, OP to their January 15 meeting and

were moved by both the images she showed of Mosuland Baghdad and her depiction of what has come to beviewed as ordinary life in Iraq. Diana, a member ofthe St. Catherine Congregation in Mosul, is currentlyliving with the Adrian, MI Dominicans while shecompletes her studies. The Adrian Dominican sistershave welcomed several Iraqi Dominicans after thedestructive bombings in Mosul made it impossible forthem to pursue their studies.

Diana contrasted life in Iraq before and after whatshe consistently called the US invasion. Sheshowed images of dead and injured children, as wellas destruction of buildings, including churches andher congregations motherhouse, images that standin contrast to what is portrayed in US mainstreammedia promoting the concept that life in Iraq hasalmost returned to life as it was. Diana is in closecommunication with family and friends in Iraq whotell her that while in the west of Mosul there are fewerkillings, the north is still terrible, with 40 killings just

a month ago, and destroyed buildings are now partof the normal landscape. As for Baghdad, Dianasbrothers assessment is that there is 2% improvement.

Updates were provided to the coalition about thecurrent status of legislation to assist Iraqi refugees anddisplaced persons inside Iraq. Senator Kennedys billis off the table since proponents will now work directlywith the White House. The Hastings bill (HR 6196) wasto be reintroduced on the day of the coalition meeting,and no word had been received about the Casey-Cardin bill. Coalition members acknowledged thatrequests for greater funding will be a challenge givencurrent economic restraints.
http://www.ncrlc.com/communities_database01.htmlhttp://www.ncrlc.com/communities_database01.htmlhttp://www.ncrlc.com/communities_database01.htmlhttp://www.ncrlc.com/communities_database01.htmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.ncrlc.com/communities_database01.html


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Upcoming LCWR Dates

LCWR Systemic Change Think TankRedemptorist Renewal Center

Tucson, Arizona

February 23 26, 2009

LCWR New Leader WorkshopThe Retreat Center at St. Johns

Plymouth, MichiganMarch 19 22, 2009

LCWR AssemblyNew Orleans, LouisianaAugust 11 15, 2009

LCWR Leading from Within Retreat

Redemptorist Renewal CenterTucson, Arizona

January 17 22, 2010

LCWR New Leader WorkshopThe Retreat Center at St. Johns

Plymouth, MichiganMarch 11 14, 2010

LCWR AssemblyDallas, Texas

August 10 14, 2010

LCWR AssemblyGarden Grove, California

August 9 13, 2011

Update is an official publication of the LeadershipConference of Women Religious published monthly anddistributed to members nationally.

Editor: Annmarie Sanders, IHM

8808 Cameron Street Silver Spring, MD 20910Phone: 301-588-4955 Fax: [email protected] www.lcwr.org

Update

During January, LCWR sent or signed a number ofletters and statements including the following:

At the request of religious NGOs at the UN,a letter to Ambassador-Elect Susan Rice andAmbassador Zalamy Khalilzad urged workingbeyond a ceasefire to permanent peace in Gazaby developing two sets of strategies: protection

and empowerment. The letter also expresseddismay at the Israeli attack on the UN buildingand yet another hospital.

An economic stimulus letter to PresidentObama from faith communities called for apackage that works for the common good,especially the most vulnerable among us.

The Campaign for a New American Policyon Iran issued a statement calling for a policythat signals a willingness to engage with thecurrent government in mutually respectfulnegotiations.

A letter from the National Congress ofAmerican Indians urged the President andCongress to incorporate Native Americancommunities explicitly in the economicstimulus.

A letter from Jubilee USA to Secretary TimothyGeithner requested a meeting early in thesecond week of February to share thoughts onthe importance of protecting the worlds poorin the context of the current financial crisis.

LCWRSIGN ONs &

Letters
http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.lcwr.org/


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LCWR offers a leadership mentoring program thatcan be pursued from home. The conference devel-oped Leading from Within: A Mentoring Leadership

Manual that is based on the three dimensions of leader-ship (symbolic/meaning-making, relational, structural/organizational). Many leaders have used this manualand have found it extremely helpful in their ministry.

The program is especially helpful to those relatively new to leader-ship but is a valuable reflection tool for any leader. involves a period of reflection, study and explora-tion on the part of the leader. The process usually takesabout one year. involves partnering with an experienced leader orformer leader who serves as a mentor, or forming a peermentoring group. is flexible. Participants can do as many or as few ofthe units as works well for them. offers a variety of experiences that will accommodatedifferent styles of adult learning.

Information on ordering can be found on the LCWRwebsite at: www.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/mentoringleadership.htm.

Leading from Within Manual

A Leadership Program Designedfor Use at Home

Featured in the article, Growing a Culture ofLeadership Among Congregation Members in the

Winter 2009 issue ofOccasional Papers

Consider Recycling Ink Cartridgesand Contributing to LCWRs

Scholarship Fund

LCWR and many of its member congregations havebeen participating in an ink cartridge recyclingprogram that helps protect the environment and

conserve non-renewable resources.

LCWR works with a recycling company, Empties-4-Cash, an organization that rewards those who recycleby paying for each usable empty ink jet cartridge and orlaser cartridge. LCWR applies the earnings received tothe scholarship fund that assists LCWR members whowish to attend the LCWR national assembly but cannotafford to do so.

LCWR congregations are invited to assist in buildingthe scholarship fund by sending their cartridges directlyto Empties-4-Cash and having their earnings applied tothe scholarship fund. Congregations are encouraged toinvite companies and other organizations to participatein this effort as well.

To participate in the program:

Contact Carol Glidden at 301-588-4955 [email protected]

Provide a contact person and address, phone num-ber and email where boxes and labels can be sent

Empties-4-Cash will send the labels and boxes to allparticipants after the contact with Carol is made. Theselabels are prepaid Federal Express labels and can beadhered to any box to be shipped directly to Empties-4-Cash at no cost to you. Once a shipment of cartridges isprocessed, LCWR will receive a check from Empties-4-Cash that will go to the scholarship fund.

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http://www.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/mentoringleadership.htmhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/mentoringleadership.htmhttp://www.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/mentoringleadership.htmmailto:[email protected]://www.lcwr.org/lcwrprogramsresources/mentoringleadership.htmmailto:[email protected]

Documents

February 2009 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter