October 2007 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter

8/9/2019 October 2007 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter

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LCWR Update October 2007 page 1

Inside this issue:

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October 2007

At their recent meetings, the LCWR nationalboard members have discussed the changingrealities impacting US religious life, leaders,and LCWR as a conference. To help in plan-

ning for future LCWR programs and services, the boarddecided to initiate a process to explore how LCWR canbest serve its members during these times.

The board recognizes that although leaders spendmost of their time facilitating the transformation oftheir own institutes, they also carry a responsibility forthe refounding of religious life for a new time. To this

end, the board asks each member to spend some timeconsidering what are the matters of critical importancefor religious life leaders today and what the leadershipconference can provide its members in light of thosematters.

In August, all LCWR members received online a reflec-tion guide that they were asked to use prior to theirfall regional meetings. (This document is available onthe LCWR Members Information section of the LCWRwebsite --www.lcwr.org.)

Members are encouraged to give personal reflectiontime to the three questions provided and, if possible,discuss them with other team members prior to the fallregional meetings. The questions are:

In the context of changing realities, what are thetwo or three most significant issues, concerns, orquestions that we as leaders need to be exploring atthis time?

How can we as leaders (LCWR members and con-ference leadership) focus our collective energies torespond to these issues, concerns, and questions?

How do we insure ongoing leadership for LCWR(presidency/national board/national office/re-gional leadership)?

Time will be provided at all fall regional meetings forconversation on these questions. Because the insights ofall LCWR members are critical to this process, memberswho cannot be present at their fall meeting are asked to

submit their ideas in writing to their regional chair.

The LCWR Shared Future Process is being coordinatedby national board members Kathryn Clauss, IHM; RayaHanlon, OP; and Mary Jo Nelson, OLVM. This com-mittee will coordinate the feedback received from theregions and prepare a summary for consideration bythe national board at its February 2008 meeting. Basedon the feedback received, the board will plan next stepsfor this multi-phase reflection and planning process.

Reflecting on Our Shared FutureLCWR Invites its Members into a Critical Reflection Process

Highlights of the LCWR Assembly

Search for LCWR Executive Director

Sabbath Year Rolling Fast
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Fr t LCWR PridncyWaking Up to Environmental Concerns

by Mary Whited, CPPS LCWR President

Recently Carmen, Mary, Judy,and I moved into a new house.When we were informed thatwe needed to move from our

comfortable convent home, we wantedto stay together. The timing of the movewas inconvenient given our combinedresponsibilities of leadership, caregivingfor an aging parent, and the busy activi-ties of parish life. Yet, a determinationto stay together, as well as a lot of helpfrom many generous people, enabled us

to find a house and move.

Waking to the graceful pine tree outside my bedroomwindow has replaced a view of the asphalt and concretethat surrounds our former home. Each day the woods atthe edge of our back yard, humming birds at the feederhung above a flowerbed, and the red fox that occasion-ally darts across the lawn awaken me to my connectionwith the earth. The morning chirp of birds and theevening hum of cicadas stir my soul. What a differenceit makes when I remember I am part of nature! Prayerseems deeper. The Sacred flows more freely throughoutthe experiences of my day.

Recently I attended a showing of The 11th Hour, apowerful documentary that examines the current globalenvironment and offers possible solutions for restoringthe planets ecosystem. The moving testimony of manyenvironmental experts and concerned scientists reawak-ened me from a numbness that had crept into my daily

life. Today I am much more aware of how choices Imake affect other life on this planet Earth.

I am encouraged that, among many members of mycommunity and other congregations of women reli-gious, there is a growing consciousness that blends ourlove for nature into committed efforts to preserve theintegrity of creation. I treasure my connections withothers who also believe that, when we cherish life on

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this planet, we are, in fact, encounteringthe mystery of Gods personal engage-ment in our world.

This past August, at our national assem-bly, we agreed to promote federal andlocal legislation that is directed towardpreserving the renewing wetlands andcoastal regions in the United States. Aswe work to influence legislation towardgreater balance within ecosystems,perhaps we are also waking ourselves

up to the sacred dimension of the earth.Contemplating nature can lead to responsible action. Asleaders who are concerned about the balance of living

systems, I wonder what will enable us to stay awakeand stave off that creeping numbness. How do weawaken those who seem to be asleep to the multiplicityof environmental concerns?

Waking up is a natural response when one has hadenough sleep. With regard to issues connected withglobal warming, climate change, deforestation, unsus-tainable patterns of consumption, etc., we have hadenough sleep. It is time to wake up. Although theselines from a poem by Christopher Fry in A Sleep of

Prisoners were not written in light of ecological sensi-tivity, they remind me of critical realities we hold in ourrelationship to all that is living, including the earth.

Affairs are now soul size.The enterpriseIs exploration into God.Where are you making for? It takesSo many thousand years to wake,But will you wake for pitys sake!


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http://www.lcwr.org/lcwrannualassembly/2007assembly.htm


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Highlights of the 2007 LCWR Assembly

I recognize four different general directions in which religious congrega-tions seem to be moving. Not one of these four is better or worse than theothers. The difficulty lies not in the directions themselves but in gettingthe congregation as a whole to discern together the best approach and to

commit together to that end. -- Keynoter Laurie Brink, OP

Before we can speculate on those frontierswe must ask ourselves why we face them.I believe that seeking frontiers, now or in

the past is integral to religious life.-- 2007 LCWR President Mary Dacey, SSJ

We may be failing to real-ize that we ourselves arenow the new small groupsof women leaders whomust come from one kindof religious life to beginanother kind in a new anddifferent world. Indeed,this is not a dying time.This is a seeding time.--2007 LCWROutstanding LeadershipAward RecipientJoan Chittister, OSB

Panel moderator Mary Waskowiak, RSM with panelists: John L. Allen;

Fran Ferder, FSPA; Lynn Levo, CSJ; and Simone Campbell, SSS

The assembly participants prayed for peace at theWorld War I Memorial in Kansas City


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Through the New Member Orientation, LCWRnatiomal board members and staff shared importantinformation about the conference and its services.

Highlights of the 2007 LCWR Assembly

Several past LCWR presidents and execu-tive directors participated in the assembly

and joined those currently in officefor a luncheon.

(Standing) Carole Shinnick, SSND; MaryChris Fellerhoff, CSA; Donna Markham,OP; J. Lora Dambroski, OSF; Mary AnnZollmann, BVM; Mary Mollison, CSA;

Nancy Sylvester, IHM; Helen MaherGarvey, BVM; Camille DArienzo, RSM;

Constance Phelps, SCL(Seated) Mary Whited, CPPS; Theresa

Kane, RSM; Joan Chittister, OSB; MaryDacey, SSJ; and Bea Eichten, OSF

LCWR Board Meeting Highlights

The LCWR national board met at the Marillac Cen-ter in Leavenworth, Kansas for three days follow-ing the LCWR assembly. Included in the agenda

were the following:

A report by Mary Charlotte Chandler, RSCJ andPaula Damiano, SP on the Center for the Study ofReligious LifeEvaluation of the LCWR assemblyLCWR leadership and the officer nomination pro-cessThe FADICA-LCWR response to the women reli-gious in New Orleans

The search process for the new LCWR executivedirectorThe LCWR Shared Future processThe LCWR dues structureThe 2008 LCWR-CMSM joint assemblyReports from the presidents, treasurer, and national

office staff

At the meeting, the national board elected BarbaraHagedorn, SC and Kathryn Clauss, IHM to serve one-year terms as the at-large members of the executivecommittee


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Search Begins for New LCWRExecutive Director

In August 2008, Carole Shinnick, SSND will completeher term as LCWR executive director. Becausethis is such a key position for the conference, the

national board initiated the search for a new executivedirector in mid-September. The search committee sentall LCWR members a copy of the role description, aninformational flyer, and an application form and askedmembers to circulate them within their congregationsand beyond. In addition, the committee placedadvertisements inAmerica, the National Catholic Reporter,and Crux of the News.

The application deadline is November 9, 2007. The

board hopes to engage an executive director byFebruary 2008, with the new person beginning in thisposition in mid-July 2008.

LCWR past president Mary Dacey, SSJ is chairingthe search committee whose members are: CatherineBertrand, SSND; Helen Maher Garvey, BVM; MaryMollison, CSA; and Janet Roesener, CSJ.

The application materials are available on the LCWRwebsite at: www.lcwr.org/what%27snew/ED.htm.

Catholics for an End to the War in

Iraq Gather throughout the US

LCWR is one of a number of Catholic organizationsin Washington, DC who have met monthly sincelast November to dialogue and strategize about

Catholic involvement in efforts to bring about an end tothe war in Iraq. Recent activities include the following:

August 20: Thirteen Catholic representatives metwith the papal nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, topresent their concerns. From his extensive experi-ence in the Middle East, especially in Jerusalem-Palestine, the archbishop offered his insights andthanked the group for their efforts. He stressed thatthe Vatican opposed this war before it started, thatresolution of the conflict must involve the region,especially Syria and Iran, but cautioned against animmediate and quick withdrawal of US troops.August 28: Catholics United, the media arm ofCatholics in Alliance for the Common Good,

worked to have Catholics on panels of a series oftown hall meetings to call for an end to the war.Several members of LCWR congregations partici-pated on panels in Virginia, Minnesota, Philadel-phia, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Several othersheld prayer vigils on this date.September 11: A mass for peace was celebrated atSt. Peters Church on Capitol Hill, sponsored bythis group and co-sponsored by the Archdiocese ofWashington, DC.

LCWR associate director for social mission Marie Lucey,OSF represented LCWR at a town hall meeting in Burke,Virginia where she spoke against the war. The meeting wasbroadcast on C-Span.

NGO-DPI Conference Focuses on Cli-mate Change

The annual NGO-DPI conference held at the UnitedNations building in New York was attended by1,762 NGO (non-governmental organization)

representatives from 62 countries. Many scientific andenvironmental experts addressed the alarming facts ofclimate change and urged immediate and concrete ac-tions by both governments and members of civil societyto halt global warming. Reiterated frequently was the

fact that those countries which contribute the least toglobal warming suffer the most, and that the industrial-ized wealthier nations bear the greater responsibilityto assist poor nations in their efforts to reduce carbonemissions. Some of the breakout sessions addressed therole of faith communities in addressing climate change.Several members of LCWR congregations attended theconference, as well as staff members of the LCWR andCMSM offices. LCWR and CMSM hold joint DPI (De-partment of Public Information) NGO status.
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Printing the LCWR Directory

All LCWR members and associateshave access to the LCWR directoryonline via the LCWR website. The

online directory provides many features,including the capacity to search for mem-bers according to first or last name, city,state, region, congregation, or office.

The online directory can also be printed byfollowing these steps:

Go to the Members Directory, availablein the LCWR Members Informationsection, accessible atwww.lcwr.org.Under Search for Persons chooseAll for either all members or all as-sociates.Select the entire listing (Control + A)and copy (Control + C)Open a new Word document and paste(Control + V) the copied information.

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Members Respond to 2007 SabbathYear Rolling Fast

Implementing the 2007 assembly resolution to fastand advocate for debt cancellation for impoverished

countries, 130 LCWR congregations registered toparticipate in the rolling fast initiated by Jubilee USA ona date between September 6 and October 15. On the dayof their fast, sisters join in spirit with Rev. David Dun-combe who began an open-ended fast on September 6,walking the halls of Congress each day urging lawmak-ers to support the Jubilee Act. All participating in thefast are encouraged to make calls to their legislatorsurging support for the Jubilee Act for Expanded DebtCancellation and Responsible Lending of 2007 (HR

2634). Another activity is to participate in the Collec-tion of Plates by writing on an empty plate Im hun-gry for debt justice, followed by ones name, address,and phone number; asking ones member of Congressto support the Jubilee Act; and sending the plates tothe Jubilee office for delivery to Congress: Jubilee USA

Network, 222 East Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC20003.

(Note: Due to problems in the registration and reportingprocess at the Jubilee office, the list recently forwardedto LCWR members was not complete.) The fast willconclude with a prayer breakfast in DC on October 16,followed by a lobby day on October 17.
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Support the LCWR Scholarship Fundby Recycling Ink Cartridges

Participants in Program

LCWR, CMSM, RFC, NATRI, LRCRLCWR Member CongregationsWashington Theological Union

Catholic Theological Union

Amount of Money Received intoLCWR Scholarship Fund

(From May 1, 2007 -- August 31, 2007)$339.00

Congregations are asked to consider participating inthis program and inviting

other entities to do so as well.Other possibilities are health systems, universities,

schools, and other works.Participation in the program is easy and has no costs.

Recyclable items include: ink jet cartridges,laser cartridges, and cell phones.

More information is on the LCWR website at:www.lcwr.org/lcwrsocialjustice/recycling.htm.

LCWR Engages New CartridgeRecycling Company

LCWR recently switched to working with InkjetCollect for its cartridge recycling program. Anyone

with supplies left over from Envirosmart is askednot to use these materials since the company is nolonger able to receive most of the cartridges that it hadpreviously accepted.

New supplies may be ordered from Carol Glidden [email protected] or by calling 301-588-4955.

Progress continues on the LCWR exhibit, Pioneers,Poets & Prophets: Catholic Sisters in America.The LCWR History Committee has been actively

engaged in exhibit development, venue searches, andfundraising toward the $3.2 million goal to cover thecosts of designing, constructing, and traveling theexhibit.

In August Helen Maher Garvey, BVM, chair of the LCWRHistory Committee; Jeanne Bessette, OSF, LCWR secretary;and Carole Shinnick, SSND, LCWR executive director touredCSI: The Experience, an interactive traveling exhibit nowat the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. The tourwas led by Bob Weis, who designed the exhibit, and who isserving as a consultant to the LCWR project.

In September the LCWRHistory Committee

members met inSt. Louis and were joined

by Mellissa Berry andNancy Seruto who areoverseeing the design

and construction of theexhibit. Here, Mellissa

reviews the exhibit floorplan. Pioneers, Poets &

Prophets is slated toopen in 2009.
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May I Have Your Attention, Please?Fr t LCWR Exv Drer

Carole Shinnick, SSND

No doubt about it the agrariancalendar rules. Although January

is the first month, for most of usin the northern hemisphere, fall iswhen the year really begins. September isback-to-business time. Yellow school bus-ses dot the roads and I-pod wearing kidsclump on the corners sharing homeworkand gossip.

Every meeting I have been at latelyincludes calendaring that take-your-breath-away exercise when you feel as if every livingminute of the coming months has been sucked into a

big black hole. And these are the days of subtle seasonaldecisions long-sleeved or short-sleeved, cotton or

corduroy? Shut off the air conditioning (and toast) orleave it on (and freeze)? This is the season of the equi-nox when the nights quietly nibble away at the days.

Wise ones tell us that the only time we truly have isnow, and that energy invested in regrets or worries iswasted energy. In fact, they tell us that time itself is aseductive illusion that drains our capacity to be atten-tive to the only thing that is real the present. Person-ally I like time-markers. I like turning the page of thecalendar and noting the change of season. Well, I likeMOST time markers. Recently my usually gracious staff

celebrated a certain birthday of mine by presenting mewith a cake frosted with a facsimile of my Medicarecard! Oh, yeah - thanks, Gang.

On a Metro trip this week an attractive young coupleboarded the train at the stop for Gallaudet University,the premier school for the deaf here in Washington. Asthey entered the car, they were already engaged in ananimated conversation in sign language. I was struckby how focused each was on the other, closely watching

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hands, eyes, mouth, and body language. Itseemed to me that they were much more

attentive to each other as they signed thanhearing people are when they speak. Per-haps thats the nature of sign language. Orperhaps they were in love. Or, both. Onething is for sure they were totally pres-ent to each other and to the moment.

You and I live in a culture of multi-task-ing. We pride ourselves on our abilityto juggle many things at a time. If you

interview someone for a job, they will likely say, I amgood at multi-tasking. But theres a downside to this

skill its power to scatter and distract. Each morn-ing I sit in traffic very, very slow traffic and I amstunned at the foolish multi-tasking around me. Womenapply mascara in the rear-view mirrors. Men shave withcordless razors. Some read newspapers propped ontheir steering wheels. Many check Blackberries or chat-ter on cell phones. Then there are the meals on wheels Starbucks, Egg McMuffins, and yogurt smoothies.I know its a matter of time until I am rear-ended bysomeone who spills hot coffee on an electric shaverwhile text-messaging.

October is a glorious month, bursting with astonish-ing colors, brilliant days, and navy blue nights. Thepeople around us are glorious, too in their diversity

and in the very miracle of their presence. Despite ourover-flowing calendars and multiple demands, it seemsessential to our own health and the health of our vari-ous communities that we attend to the present, to theperson right in front of us, to doing one thing at a time.

The couple on the train spoke to me as they spoke toeach other. They modeled contemplative living takinga long, loving look at the now. So, focus, Carole -- focus.


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Upcoming LCWR Dates

LCWR Leading from Within RetreatRedemptorist Renewal Center

Tucson, Arizona

January 20 25, 2008

Systemic Change Think TankFranciscan Renewal Center

Scottsdale ArizonaFebruary 4 7, 2008

LCWR New Leader WorkshopThe Retreat Center at St. Johns

Plymouth, MichiganMarch 13 16, 2008

LCWR-CMSM Joint AssemblyDenver, Colorado

August 1 4, 2008

LCWR Leading from Within RetreatFranciscan Center

Tampa, FloridaJanuary 12 16, 2009

LCWR New Leader WorkshopThe Retreat Center at St. Johns

Plymouth, MichiganMarch 19 22, 2009

LCWR AssemblyNew Orleans, LouisianaAugust 11 15, 2009

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

Editor: Annmarie Sanders, IHM8808 Cameron Street Silver Spring, MD 20910Phone: 301-588-4955 Fax: [email protected] www.lcwr.org

Update

Religious Formation Conference toProvide Congress Take-Home Packetsfor Use with Congregation Leadersand Members

T

he Religious Formation Conference will be sendinghome with the participants of its National Con-

gress November 8-11, 2008 fuel for continuedconversations about being compelled by the spirit tobe fire in the world, Church and religious life. A take-home packet will include questions for participantsto bring back to their communities in order to engagemembers in conversation about the role of religious lifein todays global context. Congress participants willbe asked to meet with their institute leadership for adiscussion about ways to engage members in a processof reflection and assessment that assists members inhaving meaningful conversations that stir the embersof vocation and the call to be religious in these times.These processes could be inserted into structures thatalready exist for chapter preparation or conversationgroups implementing chapter mandates.

The take-home packets also will include order formsfor videotapes of the congress presentations and forProceedings, a booklet containing the congress presenta-tions written in English and Spanish. These materialswill allow more community members to gain from theexcitement of the congress days.

Registration is still open for the congress to be held inPittsburgh. More information and the registration formare available atwww.relforcon.org..
http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.relforcon.org/http://www.relforcon.org/http://www.relforcon.org/http://www.relforcon.org/http://www.lcwr.org/


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From theCenter for the Study of

Religious Life

Sign Up for Third Introductory ArchivesWorkshop

The Catholic Library Association and the Center forthe Study of Religious Life are sponsoring the secondsession of the Introductory Archives Workshop for Re-ligious Communities on October 7-12, 2007 at MalvernRetreat House, Malvern, Pennsylvania for those new tothe archival field and those interested in updating theirknowledge of archival theory and practice.

Directed by Malachy McCarthy, province archivist for

the Claretian Missionaries Archives of Chicago, andEllen Pierce, director of Maryknoll Mission Archives,the first session in April was fully subscribed as is thesecond session, The third session will be held in July2009 in Belleville, Illinois,

Anyone interested in attending in July 2009 is askedto complete and return the registration form at www.cathla.org/preservation.phpwithout fees, as soon aspossible. Those who do so will receive advance noticeof the 2009 workshop so they can register before it isannounced elsewhere.

CSRL Is On the Move

As the Center begins its tenth year, it moved its officesacross Cornell Street to the original Catholic Theologi-cal Union building and is located on the second floorwith a number of other organizations serving religiouslife in the United States. The Center s mailing address,phone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses remainthe same.

2007 NATRI Conference Focuses onTransformation:

In Business and On Mission

Hyatt Regency Hotel, Miami FloridaNovember 6-9, 2007

Following the theme of transformation, the 2007NATRI conference will address topics of reconfigu-ration, dissolution/exit strategy, strategic plan-

ning, new times require new strategies in investing,lay formation and mission effectiveness. In additionto these workshops, the conference will offer updateson government programs, accounting SOP, retirement,non-profit/community 501(C)(3) benefits.

The keynote speakers for the conference will be LouisDeThomasis, FSC, who will develop the topic of busi-ness ethics as they pertain to the religious institutes.Patricia Wittberg, SC will address the need for a newtheology of institutional administration/institutionalapostolates and the kinds of questions or issues thistheology would have to address.

Pre-conference workshops for new and advancedTRENDS users will be offered on Tuesday, November 5,2007. There will also be a free workshop for members ofsmall communities on Tuesday afternoon.

Registration materials and additional information areavailable on the NATRI website atwww.natri.org.
http://www.www.cathla.org/preservation.phphttp://www.www.cathla.org/preservation.phphttp://www.www.cathla.org/preservation.phphttp://www.www.cathla.org/preservation.phphttp://www.natri.org/http://www.natri.org/http://www.natri.org/http://www.natri.org/http://www.natri.org/http://www.www.cathla.org/preservation.php


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Upcoming LRCR WorkshopSan Antonio, Texas

More details available atwww.lrcr.org

RECONFIGURATION BEST PRACTICES:Civilly, Canonically, Culturally

February 11-13, 2008Hilton San Antonio Airport

Faculty:Janet Fleischhacker, CSJ

Stephen Glodek, SMLynn Jarrell, OSU, JCDMark MacDougall, JD

Mary Reichert, JDDaniel Ward, OSB, JD, JCL

Hilton San Antonio AirportRate $99 plus tax

Subscriber Registration Fee: $450Group Rate:

Three or more from same institute/firm $400

New LRCR Publication Available

Procedures & Documents forCanonical & Civil Administration

In Institutes of Consecrated Life and

Societies of Apostolic Life

Publication price for 2007-2008 LRCR Subscribers$55.00

Publication Price for Non-LRCR Subscribers$75.00

To order:Tel: 301-589-8143 Fax: 301-589-2897

Email: [email protected]
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