Be Well, Do Good Work, and Keep in Touch
I found this quote by Garrison Keillor that I have found in response to my decision to drop this blog for awhile. Circumstances have been altered greatly and I don't feel that I can write in the spirit of this venue while I'm in the life situation I'm in.
For those who have commented, for those who have emailed me over the course of time, thank you for your time, consideration, input and inspiration. There are several of you who have unknowingly kept my feet on the right path as I've wandered off, and you have my perpetual gratitude.
For my lurkers, and I know you're out there, thanks for your silent support and reflection and even the occasional prayers. You are equally in my prayers.
LIFE is to live
and life is to give
and talents are to use
for good if you choose.
Do not pray for easy lives.
Pray to be stronger.
Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers.
Pray for powers equal to your tasks.
then the doing of your work shall be no miracle
but you shall be a miracle.
Every day you shall wonder at yourself.
at the richness of life
which has come to you by the grace of God.
But everyone needs someone.
knowing that somewhere someone is thinking of you.
--Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM Cap.
I wish all of you peace.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
STATEMENT OF THE DIOCESE OF PHOENIX
Re: The Praise and Worship Center
January 3, 2008
The Praise and Worship Services being led by Dale Fushek, a priest of the Diocese of Phoenix on administrative leave, and Mark Dippre, a priest who left public ministry to enter into a civil marriage and a priest not in good standing, are not endorsed by the Catholic Church. Both of these men have been ordained Catholic priests and ministered in the Diocese of Phoenix. Their actions are not in union with the Catholic Church and may potentially mislead well intentioned Catholics and other members of the Christian faithful. It is important for the faithful to know that both priests are acting contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church and remain disobedient to directives of the Bishop of Phoenix to whom they pledged obedience and respect when they were ordained to the priesthood.
Re: The Praise and Worship Center
January 3, 2008
The Praise and Worship Services being led by Dale Fushek, a priest of the Diocese of Phoenix on administrative leave, and Mark Dippre, a priest who left public ministry to enter into a civil marriage and a priest not in good standing, are not endorsed by the Catholic Church. Both of these men have been ordained Catholic priests and ministered in the Diocese of Phoenix. Their actions are not in union with the Catholic Church and may potentially mislead well intentioned Catholics and other members of the Christian faithful. It is important for the faithful to know that both priests are acting contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church and remain disobedient to directives of the Bishop of Phoenix to whom they pledged obedience and respect when they were ordained to the priesthood.
The Diocese of Phoenix wishes to express its grave concern for Catholics who may be misled or confused by the actions of Dale Fushek and Mark Dippre. Therefore, the Diocese of Phoenix does not endorse the actions of these priests and we encourage Catholics to refrain from attending or supporting the Praise and Worship Center. We remind Catholics that the ultimate form of praise and worship is and always will be the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and we urge them to keep the Mass as the center of their lives. There is no substitution for the graces received at Mass and no prayer more edifying.
Thoughts?
Seems crystal clear to me... but local folks under Fushek's spell do not seem to get it.
Back later. Homework time.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Keeping Focused
I didn't think my candidate interview earlier in December went very well (part of the same funk as described a couple of posts ago). In the last six months, I have felt stretched to the limit, ineffectual, and not really with it. For my interview I felt frazzled and unprepared, and apparently Deacon Phil (on the council) had made note of it. Right after, he had emailed me to say he wanted to talk to me, and I was thinking, Oh my God, I'm dead, I'm screwed. Then the holidays came--he was at my open house party, with no place/time to talk--and it got set aside. Then he emailed me again just before the new year, insisting we meet before the next fraternity meeting... and that dread that somehow I had @$%&%*& up stalked me again. Loving Phil to death, knowing he doesn't bite, and trusting him, I took him up on his invitation... all the while bracing myself for the worst.
We met this afternoon when I got off of work, sitting in the garden adjacent to the Perpetual Adoration chapel, a beautiful and peaceful place. Instead of "well, you have been found wanting and, well, see ya..." Phil referred to his notebook and wanted to discuss things that concerned him. Knowing I could trust him, I told him what was on my heart, why I was so scattered, and it was a balm. I was sure I was losing my mind until I talked to him today.
He helped me focus on what is really on my plate at this time:
Marriage
Work
School
Dad
Franciscans
Nothing is more important to me than TJ and the life we have built together. Our marriage is my rock, the center of my world, especially as I know so well how blessed I am to have him. We have something so very rare in our age group that I will allow nothing to interfere with Us. God binds us together, nothing will be allowed to tear us asunder, period. Phil, who admires TJ, and who admires our marriage, was impressed with my line of reasoning and my feelings on the matter. I said something to the effect of, "If I can't take care of and nourish my marriage, then I can't take care of anything else... everything else falls apart."
Work is work. It's a necessity... and it's a blessing in a world where jobs aren't exactly falling from trees. I'm blessed that my boss is a devout Catholic and that he encourages me to go to Mass during the week. Boss is also a reasonable and fair man, and he and I pull tandem very well. This is not a chore, really, but it is something I need to do well and, in the legal realm, requires brain draining and time. Like I told Phil, it's an hour's drive to work, I get there at eight or eight-thirty so that I get out at a decent time. Sometimes I can hold to the three-quarter time schedule, and sometimes twelve hour days are necessary--I never know. It can be mellow--and it is, most days; but when the proverbial poop hits the fan, it gets very bad. This is life.
School is another necessity; I must get my paralegal cert so I can make enough money to take the pressure off of TJ as the main income. It's not hard--school is very easy for me, always has been--but it's a lot of work. It drains me, it's tiring, it's expensive (even for a junior college), and it's time consuming... but it won't last forever. This will pass.
Dad - he is a priority since my mother's death nearly two years ago. He'll be 79 in March, and he is doing pretty well, all things considering. He doesn't need a babysitter, though my sibs disagree (but they like calling shots from out of state anyway). He needs me as a sounding board, a confidante, as the child closest to my mother and his late lamented wife. #2 brother takes care of the house stuff; I take care of Dad's mental and physical health. He'll ask me to go with him for his doctor's visits just so he has a second pair of ears and doesn't miss anything. Or, in Dad's own words, "You come by, there's always lunch on me."
And, the Franciscans. As Phil said, there's six months to go. Where am I going? What do I want? I told Phil about the rocks being flung at my head by my mentor (I'm sorry for the misunderstanding--it was not the council doing that in my prior post, it was my mentor/sponsor). I expressed my great concern about this situation and the fact that my mentor/sponsor doesn't even seem to want to get to know me. The road to profession runs through that person, no matter what Phil or anyone else on the Council thinks, no matter how close to Phil I may be.
I didn't think my candidate interview earlier in December went very well (part of the same funk as described a couple of posts ago). In the last six months, I have felt stretched to the limit, ineffectual, and not really with it. For my interview I felt frazzled and unprepared, and apparently Deacon Phil (on the council) had made note of it. Right after, he had emailed me to say he wanted to talk to me, and I was thinking, Oh my God, I'm dead, I'm screwed. Then the holidays came--he was at my open house party, with no place/time to talk--and it got set aside. Then he emailed me again just before the new year, insisting we meet before the next fraternity meeting... and that dread that somehow I had @$%&%*& up stalked me again. Loving Phil to death, knowing he doesn't bite, and trusting him, I took him up on his invitation... all the while bracing myself for the worst.
We met this afternoon when I got off of work, sitting in the garden adjacent to the Perpetual Adoration chapel, a beautiful and peaceful place. Instead of "well, you have been found wanting and, well, see ya..." Phil referred to his notebook and wanted to discuss things that concerned him. Knowing I could trust him, I told him what was on my heart, why I was so scattered, and it was a balm. I was sure I was losing my mind until I talked to him today.
He helped me focus on what is really on my plate at this time:
Marriage
Work
School
Dad
Franciscans
Nothing is more important to me than TJ and the life we have built together. Our marriage is my rock, the center of my world, especially as I know so well how blessed I am to have him. We have something so very rare in our age group that I will allow nothing to interfere with Us. God binds us together, nothing will be allowed to tear us asunder, period. Phil, who admires TJ, and who admires our marriage, was impressed with my line of reasoning and my feelings on the matter. I said something to the effect of, "If I can't take care of and nourish my marriage, then I can't take care of anything else... everything else falls apart."
Work is work. It's a necessity... and it's a blessing in a world where jobs aren't exactly falling from trees. I'm blessed that my boss is a devout Catholic and that he encourages me to go to Mass during the week. Boss is also a reasonable and fair man, and he and I pull tandem very well. This is not a chore, really, but it is something I need to do well and, in the legal realm, requires brain draining and time. Like I told Phil, it's an hour's drive to work, I get there at eight or eight-thirty so that I get out at a decent time. Sometimes I can hold to the three-quarter time schedule, and sometimes twelve hour days are necessary--I never know. It can be mellow--and it is, most days; but when the proverbial poop hits the fan, it gets very bad. This is life.
School is another necessity; I must get my paralegal cert so I can make enough money to take the pressure off of TJ as the main income. It's not hard--school is very easy for me, always has been--but it's a lot of work. It drains me, it's tiring, it's expensive (even for a junior college), and it's time consuming... but it won't last forever. This will pass.
Dad - he is a priority since my mother's death nearly two years ago. He'll be 79 in March, and he is doing pretty well, all things considering. He doesn't need a babysitter, though my sibs disagree (but they like calling shots from out of state anyway). He needs me as a sounding board, a confidante, as the child closest to my mother and his late lamented wife. #2 brother takes care of the house stuff; I take care of Dad's mental and physical health. He'll ask me to go with him for his doctor's visits just so he has a second pair of ears and doesn't miss anything. Or, in Dad's own words, "You come by, there's always lunch on me."
And, the Franciscans. As Phil said, there's six months to go. Where am I going? What do I want? I told Phil about the rocks being flung at my head by my mentor (I'm sorry for the misunderstanding--it was not the council doing that in my prior post, it was my mentor/sponsor). I expressed my great concern about this situation and the fact that my mentor/sponsor doesn't even seem to want to get to know me. The road to profession runs through that person, no matter what Phil or anyone else on the Council thinks, no matter how close to Phil I may be.
It was a relief to unburden my concerns and thoughts, but all the while, one question nagged at me: why hasn't my sponsor/mentor asked about this? Why does it seem like he doesn't really care. We have to talk.
As Phil and I went to our cars (parked together), he said something that really warmed my heart. He said that I'm on fire, a "passionate woman," passionate about the SFO and the Holy Mother Church... and his greatest concern was that with me going in so many directions that he's afraid the fire will go out.
That's one of the nicest things I've had said to me in a very long time. I'll remember that when I'm trying to balance everything.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Jesus Called: He Wants His Religion Back.
I get to the office this morning and there's a message from my boss: he's going horseback riding and he'll be in sometime after noon. I was irritated; I wanted to have breakfast with my sister before she heads back to California, and I should otherwise be in bed with this hellacious cold... but nooooo...
~~
I was startled to read in Monday's Repulsive that Father Dale Fushek is once more feeding his ego. He has been forbidden to hold any services or do any kind of ministry in light of the allegations and his administrative suspension. The first glaring error in the article is that Fushek is not a "former priest"; he is still a priest at the present time, and one in deep trouble at that. The phone lines to Rome must be burning up.
From the article: "He said he's a preacher and he wants to preach." To me, that translates into "I'm in it for me, and I'll do what I want." BZZZZZZT, wrong answer! This is the same guy who went in with a former priest--Mark Dippre, former pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who dumped the priesthood and married the woman he'd been boinking for awhile--and did another similar service before Thanksgiving.
The fact that he takes his vows and vocation so lightly is sad. What happened to obedience? What about humility? From a forum I read, "Secular priests are bound by an implicit vow of chastity that results from taking orders. Their obligation to obey the bishop does not come from a vow, but from Canon Law." I'm thinking that Fushek wasn't paying attention and took a vow of disobedience. He's certainly ignored any direction from Bishop Olmsted and Msgr. Adamson. I also believe he's mistaken the terms career and vocation. You don't "quit" the priesthood and do a career change. It's not corporate America.
It's strange--once he was beyond the protection of Bp. O'Brien, his star fell fast.
Fr. Mike Manning, SVD, on one of his Q&A pages, stated: "A priest's obedience to a bishop's difficult order catches our attention when we find ourselves enmeshed in an overly selfish understanding of freedom. The prophetic call of the priesthood speaks of an ideal. It is an attempt to imitate Christ in a radical way." Fushek was and is not living up to this ideal, even if you ignore the legal woes he has.
I'm not one to say this often, but Fushek is listening to the devil these days, thinking he doesn't need to obey, doesn't need to look within himself and see the flaws, causes and effects of his actions, and he's obviously listening to his ego, rather than remember the promises he made to God in shepherding His flock.
I was going to continue the commentary with anecdotes and opinions, but in the end I know I shouldn't--I'll just pray that he sees the errors of his ways and humbles himself before God and asks his forgiveness for making a sham out of his vows.
One last thought, though, from the end of the article: " 'If I have to leave the church for him, I'll do it' Gergosian said."
Wow. Just.... wow. Cult of personality, anyone? You're following the wrong man, sir. The one you should be following is the Man on the Cross.
~~
This leads me to something that has bothered me for awhile. In candidates' formation recently, one of the formation directors (we have it co-chaired) keeps harping on the decisions made by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, both before and after his election to the papacy. One he doesn't like at all was the declaration of the primacy of Catholicism. Well, duh--even if you're not a theologian, of course we believe that we are the One True Faith. Why else would we be here? Besides, he's made a statement on a matter of faith; shush.
And I know Franciscanism embraces ecumenism, which is great and fine--I'm good with that, and have always lived my life thusly; in fact, I'm fascinated by the rites and rituals of other religions. However, I have found in my two and a half years here that we Franciscans are extremely tolerant of any other religion on earth, but there's a thread of distrust and dislike for a certain section of the Catholic community, if some don't just outright despise them.
In fact, this past spring, I was to cover a subtopic of Catch Me a Rainbow Too that was titled, "Fundamentalism". The entire section was a backhanded slap in the face against anyone who observes or even likes the Tridentine Rite, and I was going to gently call the writer on it and encourage dialogue within the group. I personally find this stance highly hypocritical of the SFO--we embrace those with conflicting beliefs but shun those within our own fold? My presentation on that section, however, got hijacked by the then-director, who proceeded to go off on anything and anyone who even liked the Mass and anything that came to pass prior to Vatican II. I was shocked at the vitriol and vehemence (an attitude mirrored by the aforementioned current co-chair). I was disillusioned and sad, and my talk got derailed so badly that I saw no point in trying further.
From this incident nearly ten months ago, a burgeoning depressive funk has been born on my part where it came to the SFO, compounded by various other things within the functions and activities of my individual fraternity. I was momentarily uplifted by the retreat, but more and more I have felt that because I lean towards the traditional end of the spectrum that I may not fit into the scope and mission of the SFO, because of it's liberal, and sometimes mind-blowing outright disobedient, leanings within the Church.
I have been told twice, in two separate meetings, that if I do not "conform" to certain things, that if I don't pattern myself on other candidates' path, that I will "not be recommended to move forward." I find the use of pressure re: conformity odd in light of the fact that Francesco Bernadone was the greatest non-conformist in the Church, yet he succeeded in weaving his new way of thought within the fabric of the Catholic faith, remaining obedient, and getting the message across that Catholicism is not a passive religion--something that needs to be preached today as it was 800 years ago.
There's a few problems with these rocks being flung at my head: most of the people in fraternity are old enough to be my parents, and in some cases, grandparents; I am the youngest by at least five years; I am at a totally different place in my life than the fellow candidates I'm being prodded into "conformity"; and I will not be goaded into being disobedient and/or flouting the Church's stances--don't get my wrong, I'm not a blind follower by any means (God gave us brains, after all), but even Francis on his deathbed exhorted his flock to be true to the Roman Church, and that is what I intend to do.
From Testament of the Holy Father St Francis:
...After that the Lord gave me, and gives me, so much faith in priests who live according to the form of the holy Roman Church...
...And we ought to honor and venerate all theologians and those who minister to us the most holy Divine Words as those who minister to us spirit and life... (et tu, Ratzinger?)
...And I caused it to be written in few words and simply, and the Lord Pope confirmed it for me...
...I, little Brother Francis, make for you, my blessed brothers, in order that we may observe in a more Catholic way the Rule which we have promised to the Lord...
From St. Bonaventure’s Major Life of St. Francis:
...He spoke of patience and poverty and of being faithful to the Holy Roman Church, giving precedence to the Holy Gospels before all else... (emphasis mine)
Skepticism, indifference, sadness, pressure, grief, apathy, feelings of exile and exclusion... I'm torn between composing a resignation letter to my minister and sticking it out to be a voice of reason in a mad world.
I don't know what to do.
I get to the office this morning and there's a message from my boss: he's going horseback riding and he'll be in sometime after noon. I was irritated; I wanted to have breakfast with my sister before she heads back to California, and I should otherwise be in bed with this hellacious cold... but nooooo...
~~
I was startled to read in Monday's Repulsive that Father Dale Fushek is once more feeding his ego. He has been forbidden to hold any services or do any kind of ministry in light of the allegations and his administrative suspension. The first glaring error in the article is that Fushek is not a "former priest"; he is still a priest at the present time, and one in deep trouble at that. The phone lines to Rome must be burning up.
From the article: "He said he's a preacher and he wants to preach." To me, that translates into "I'm in it for me, and I'll do what I want." BZZZZZZT, wrong answer! This is the same guy who went in with a former priest--Mark Dippre, former pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who dumped the priesthood and married the woman he'd been boinking for awhile--and did another similar service before Thanksgiving.
The fact that he takes his vows and vocation so lightly is sad. What happened to obedience? What about humility? From a forum I read, "Secular priests are bound by an implicit vow of chastity that results from taking orders. Their obligation to obey the bishop does not come from a vow, but from Canon Law." I'm thinking that Fushek wasn't paying attention and took a vow of disobedience. He's certainly ignored any direction from Bishop Olmsted and Msgr. Adamson. I also believe he's mistaken the terms career and vocation. You don't "quit" the priesthood and do a career change. It's not corporate America.
It's strange--once he was beyond the protection of Bp. O'Brien, his star fell fast.
Fr. Mike Manning, SVD, on one of his Q&A pages, stated: "A priest's obedience to a bishop's difficult order catches our attention when we find ourselves enmeshed in an overly selfish understanding of freedom. The prophetic call of the priesthood speaks of an ideal. It is an attempt to imitate Christ in a radical way." Fushek was and is not living up to this ideal, even if you ignore the legal woes he has.
I'm not one to say this often, but Fushek is listening to the devil these days, thinking he doesn't need to obey, doesn't need to look within himself and see the flaws, causes and effects of his actions, and he's obviously listening to his ego, rather than remember the promises he made to God in shepherding His flock.
I was going to continue the commentary with anecdotes and opinions, but in the end I know I shouldn't--I'll just pray that he sees the errors of his ways and humbles himself before God and asks his forgiveness for making a sham out of his vows.
One last thought, though, from the end of the article: " 'If I have to leave the church for him, I'll do it' Gergosian said."
Wow. Just.... wow. Cult of personality, anyone? You're following the wrong man, sir. The one you should be following is the Man on the Cross.
~~
This leads me to something that has bothered me for awhile. In candidates' formation recently, one of the formation directors (we have it co-chaired) keeps harping on the decisions made by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, both before and after his election to the papacy. One he doesn't like at all was the declaration of the primacy of Catholicism. Well, duh--even if you're not a theologian, of course we believe that we are the One True Faith. Why else would we be here? Besides, he's made a statement on a matter of faith; shush.
And I know Franciscanism embraces ecumenism, which is great and fine--I'm good with that, and have always lived my life thusly; in fact, I'm fascinated by the rites and rituals of other religions. However, I have found in my two and a half years here that we Franciscans are extremely tolerant of any other religion on earth, but there's a thread of distrust and dislike for a certain section of the Catholic community, if some don't just outright despise them.
In fact, this past spring, I was to cover a subtopic of Catch Me a Rainbow Too that was titled, "Fundamentalism". The entire section was a backhanded slap in the face against anyone who observes or even likes the Tridentine Rite, and I was going to gently call the writer on it and encourage dialogue within the group. I personally find this stance highly hypocritical of the SFO--we embrace those with conflicting beliefs but shun those within our own fold? My presentation on that section, however, got hijacked by the then-director, who proceeded to go off on anything and anyone who even liked the Mass and anything that came to pass prior to Vatican II. I was shocked at the vitriol and vehemence (an attitude mirrored by the aforementioned current co-chair). I was disillusioned and sad, and my talk got derailed so badly that I saw no point in trying further.
From this incident nearly ten months ago, a burgeoning depressive funk has been born on my part where it came to the SFO, compounded by various other things within the functions and activities of my individual fraternity. I was momentarily uplifted by the retreat, but more and more I have felt that because I lean towards the traditional end of the spectrum that I may not fit into the scope and mission of the SFO, because of it's liberal, and sometimes mind-blowing outright disobedient, leanings within the Church.
I have been told twice, in two separate meetings, that if I do not "conform" to certain things, that if I don't pattern myself on other candidates' path, that I will "not be recommended to move forward." I find the use of pressure re: conformity odd in light of the fact that Francesco Bernadone was the greatest non-conformist in the Church, yet he succeeded in weaving his new way of thought within the fabric of the Catholic faith, remaining obedient, and getting the message across that Catholicism is not a passive religion--something that needs to be preached today as it was 800 years ago.
There's a few problems with these rocks being flung at my head: most of the people in fraternity are old enough to be my parents, and in some cases, grandparents; I am the youngest by at least five years; I am at a totally different place in my life than the fellow candidates I'm being prodded into "conformity"; and I will not be goaded into being disobedient and/or flouting the Church's stances--don't get my wrong, I'm not a blind follower by any means (God gave us brains, after all), but even Francis on his deathbed exhorted his flock to be true to the Roman Church, and that is what I intend to do.
From Testament of the Holy Father St Francis:
...After that the Lord gave me, and gives me, so much faith in priests who live according to the form of the holy Roman Church...
...And we ought to honor and venerate all theologians and those who minister to us the most holy Divine Words as those who minister to us spirit and life... (et tu, Ratzinger?)
...And I caused it to be written in few words and simply, and the Lord Pope confirmed it for me...
...I, little Brother Francis, make for you, my blessed brothers, in order that we may observe in a more Catholic way the Rule which we have promised to the Lord...
From St. Bonaventure’s Major Life of St. Francis:
...He spoke of patience and poverty and of being faithful to the Holy Roman Church, giving precedence to the Holy Gospels before all else... (emphasis mine)
Skepticism, indifference, sadness, pressure, grief, apathy, feelings of exile and exclusion... I'm torn between composing a resignation letter to my minister and sticking it out to be a voice of reason in a mad world.
I don't know what to do.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Friday, December 07, 2007
The Best "Fw:Fwd:Fw:" in a Loooong Time
In my email today, I got one of those chain emails that you're supposed to send to everyone. I loved the pics of the metal Crucifixion art in Amarillo... I don't have time to repost the pics, but I can cut and past what was at the end.
In my email today, I got one of those chain emails that you're supposed to send to everyone. I loved the pics of the metal Crucifixion art in Amarillo... I don't have time to repost the pics, but I can cut and past what was at the end.
The Greatest Man in History:
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared Him..
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Monday, November 05, 2007
What Makes It All Worthwhile
The meeting went phenomenally well. It was easy, seamless, and jovial--certainly not the stress-fest we thought it would be. The Candidates' presentation--both first and second year--was a joy and was something that got everyone in a groove. Our regional minister and our regional spiritual director were in attendance for the pastoral and spiritual visit, and I had met our minister before a couple of times, and I'd remembered where I saw Br. D before: the regional day of recollection at San Xavier del Bac back in May, 2006--he was our tour guide.
Yesterday evening, we all received the most beautiful email from our minister. She and her husband are the original torch bearers of the dream, and have rallied around them several top-notch people that have made the dream so close to reality. The email is so beautifully and prayerfully written that I think it's worth sharing. This is what she wrote:
Subject: Graces
You are a grace.
We have received many blessings and many of God's graces these past six-seven years as we have been growing our Franciscan community. I hope each one of you know that God put us together for many purposes - it is not, nor was it, by chance. You have been chosen.
The ongoing formation presentation was a testament to the power of sharing with one another, being vulnerable, letting go, and building up the Body of Christ. What joyfulness you brought to today's meeting and to the fraternity throughout its journey in becoming an established fraternity. God has given us you! You are a grace.
For the Council members and Commission and Committee chairs and members who unceasingly serve others, including one another and our fraternity and beyond, you, too, are graces.
Our fraternal and pastoral visit was another grace given freely today. Each of you helped to make our forming community into an emerging fraternity. Thank you for sharing the graces that God has given you with Saint Clare Emerging Fraternity so it can continue to grow in many ways and into an established fraternity. Special thanks to P__ B____ who patiently and skillfully took our reports and data and assembled them into a tidy and detailed notebook that is easy to follow and as R__ stated, sets the standard for all other fraternities regarding business affairs.
It appears that the Region at its February 2008 meeting will include on its agenda a recommendation to approve Saint Clare for establishment of a full fraternity. Your work you have done, through praying, persevering, letting go, willingness to share your talents, offering your skills, laughing, crying, all for the glory of God is a grace! We are called to serve as Franciscans. Thank you for embracing our commitment to serve. Celebrate!
Peace and joy.
I have had many struggles in the last couple of years, especially in the last year or so. Some of them have come directly from the politics inherent in any organization; some of them are just the Dark One working his mischief. I have a long way to go; however, I would never have gone as far as I have without our Minister, her husband (who is our co-formation director as of the last election), my current sponsor (the other co-director), and the incredible circle of women who comprise the current crop of Candidates, both first and second year.
After this moving weekend, I am re-energized and ready to tackle my several more months of candidacy. There is no doubt in my mind after this weekend that I am where I am supposed to be.
The meeting went phenomenally well. It was easy, seamless, and jovial--certainly not the stress-fest we thought it would be. The Candidates' presentation--both first and second year--was a joy and was something that got everyone in a groove. Our regional minister and our regional spiritual director were in attendance for the pastoral and spiritual visit, and I had met our minister before a couple of times, and I'd remembered where I saw Br. D before: the regional day of recollection at San Xavier del Bac back in May, 2006--he was our tour guide.
Yesterday evening, we all received the most beautiful email from our minister. She and her husband are the original torch bearers of the dream, and have rallied around them several top-notch people that have made the dream so close to reality. The email is so beautifully and prayerfully written that I think it's worth sharing. This is what she wrote:
Subject: Graces
You are a grace.
We have received many blessings and many of God's graces these past six-seven years as we have been growing our Franciscan community. I hope each one of you know that God put us together for many purposes - it is not, nor was it, by chance. You have been chosen.
The ongoing formation presentation was a testament to the power of sharing with one another, being vulnerable, letting go, and building up the Body of Christ. What joyfulness you brought to today's meeting and to the fraternity throughout its journey in becoming an established fraternity. God has given us you! You are a grace.
For the Council members and Commission and Committee chairs and members who unceasingly serve others, including one another and our fraternity and beyond, you, too, are graces.
Our fraternal and pastoral visit was another grace given freely today. Each of you helped to make our forming community into an emerging fraternity. Thank you for sharing the graces that God has given you with Saint Clare Emerging Fraternity so it can continue to grow in many ways and into an established fraternity. Special thanks to P__ B____ who patiently and skillfully took our reports and data and assembled them into a tidy and detailed notebook that is easy to follow and as R__ stated, sets the standard for all other fraternities regarding business affairs.
It appears that the Region at its February 2008 meeting will include on its agenda a recommendation to approve Saint Clare for establishment of a full fraternity. Your work you have done, through praying, persevering, letting go, willingness to share your talents, offering your skills, laughing, crying, all for the glory of God is a grace! We are called to serve as Franciscans. Thank you for embracing our commitment to serve. Celebrate!
Peace and joy.
I have had many struggles in the last couple of years, especially in the last year or so. Some of them have come directly from the politics inherent in any organization; some of them are just the Dark One working his mischief. I have a long way to go; however, I would never have gone as far as I have without our Minister, her husband (who is our co-formation director as of the last election), my current sponsor (the other co-director), and the incredible circle of women who comprise the current crop of Candidates, both first and second year.
After this moving weekend, I am re-energized and ready to tackle my several more months of candidacy. There is no doubt in my mind after this weekend that I am where I am supposed to be.
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