Now, lets take a little look at what you have to do as leaders. - - PDF document

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LEADERSH LEADERSHIP IP SESSIO SESSION FO N FOR T R THE RI HE RIMOA REG REGIO ION Augus ugust 20 t 2016 Presen esenta tatio tions b by y Anne J Josephin

• sephine Ca

e Carr, r , rgs gs SESSION TWO Now, let’s take a little look at what you have to do as leaders. Well, the Constitutions are quite clear about it. I quote: Sisters entrusted with the service of authority promote the spiritual and apostolic vitality of the congregation in accordance with the constitutions and statutes. Through discernment, collaboration, consultation and delegation, they honour the Spirit at work in each sister. It’s simple isn’t it? In theory yes, but in practice we know it is not! The Province Leader has a special chapter, but basically “Her role is one of spiritual and apostolic leadership, service, and love. Through her support and animation she strives to ensure union and the spiritual growth of the communities as well as an effective apostolate in her province.” There is no mention in the Constitutions of the leaders telling people what to do. “Lording it

• ver the brethren,” as St. Peter mentions in one of his letters. And yet, that is how some

sisters experience leadership. There can be a lot of unhappiness in a community and a lot of injustice if the leader is not up to the job. Remember that when you are looking for local leaders and formators – not to mention province leaders! If you were looking for someone to be in charge of a school or a hospital, would you put in someone you know would not be able to do it? If you did you would be stupid, but somehow with leaders it can be different – they will grow into it. Will they? Do they have the humility and realism that we talked about yesterday? Times have changed, but have we? Our style of leadership in religious life was hierarchical and authoritarian, whether it was ever meant to be so is another matter but that is what we

• experienced. The leader said “Jump” and all you asked was “How high?” In theory there

was the possibility of discussing with the leader about a new mission or community, but in practice it didn’t happen very often. When I was young, and I was once upon a time, the leader took the place of God. When we were asked to go to a mission, we went in faith – and often trembling! But we went. There was no “I can’t do that. I don’t have the training for that. I’m too young.” None of that. I have a friend who was sent to take charge of a laundry after profession. She was 22 years

• ld. She said to the Provincial: but I don’t know anything about laundries. I don’t know how

to work the machinery, I don’t know how to starch things etc., etc. The Provincial said: Yes, I understand that. I will give you Sr…..who is an expert to show you what to do. She will come with you for 2 weeks. And that is what happened. So, my friend had to learn the mechanics of the laundry and at the same time make a relationship with the girls who worked

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in the laundry. She was 22 years old and this work, on which the house depended in order to survive, was in her hands. We all had similar experiences, And when I look at our first sisters, who came from a very different world in which women were not given responsibility, not expected to make decisions and these women left their homes and countries to bring the message of God’s merciful love to the world. I think to myself, if they had said I can’t do it then none of us would be here today. That said, it must be said that St. Mary Euphrasia never sent anyone on a mission if she was not happy to go. Now leadership is different, or rather the style is different. We went through a phase where the leader was more or less ignored, she was the servant of the servants of God – and how! But now, we have matured and we recognize the mission that is leadership of a congregation, a province or a community or a ministry. Yes, times have changed, but have we? Pope Francis says in a homily on the gospel passage of the new wine skins: “New Wine into new wineskins…In essence, what does this mean? Does it mean that the law has changed? No!” It means rather “that the law is at the service of man, that it is at the service of God and for this reason man must have an open heart. The attitude of those who say “this is how it has always been done” is, in reality, born of a closed heart. Instead, however, “Jesus told us: I will send the Holy Spirit and he will lead you to the full truth”. Thus, if your heart is closed to the newness of the Holy Spirit you will never reach the full truth”. Additionally, your Christian life will be a half and half life, a patched up life, mended with new things but on a structure that is not open to the Lord’s voice: a closed heart because you are not capable of changing the wineskins”. Are our hearts open to the newness of the Spirit? What might this newness look like? Do we want to live a half and half life? What wineskins must we change? I think you know that if you put new wine into old wineskins the skins burst and the wine is lost. I will talk more about this tomorrow in relation to community and ministry structures and also the problem the young have with community but today, I want you to think about leadership structure and

• styles. How do you lead, what kind of leader are you – really, honestly?

If you go back to Mary Euphrasia’s time, Mary Euphrasia listened to the Spirit. She dared to do a new thing? Why? For the mission. Bro. Pinto told us last year at the Chapter that we cannot have a mission if we do not have an experience of God. He was quite clear about it. Your main role as a leader is to spiritual and apostolic service. How do you do this? There is only one way – example. St. Mary Euphrasia said: “If you want to save souls you must be holy.” That’s the bottom line sisters – you first! You don’t ensure that the others have the chance to grow spiritually and apostolically, you do it yourselves first and show the way. “The sheep follow me..” Jesus said. He didn’t say that he drove the sheep in front of him and he followed them. Now, this is all very good, but practically what happens. If we are honest, we spend most of

• ur time sorting out different problems and administrative affairs. Most problems can be

sorted out peacefully, but some, the most difficult ones, are caused us by the ones we love and serve – our sisters. We will talk more about that tomorrow when we look at forgiveness and community.

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But I want to look now with you at what kind of leader Mary Euphrasia was. She tells us quite a bit about herself, perhaps unwittingly in her instructions as to how to treat the girls: In Conference (62) she says: “You often ask me what tactics I used to manage the girls when I was their mistress. Well it was with justice and kindness.” And she gives several pointers as to how to do this:

• 1. Speak little, punish little.
• 2. Live a good life– it is worth thousands of fine words. Goodness speaks to their

hearts better than pious speeches.

• 3. Never raise your voice.
• 4. Don’t be provoked into punishing – know when to look the other way.
• 5. Don’t correct the whole class for the misdeeds of a few.

More specifically she says: I must remind you once again of a very important regulation: never strike our children! I know that none of you do so, but it is my duty to exhort you to be faithful to this recommendation. Oh, no, you must never use harsh measures. It is well known that they do not correct anything, Let this order stand for ever and always, as though it were inscribed and printed everywhere, because, everywhere and in all circumstances, I wish it to be obeyed. We can neither ill- treat them, nor shut them up. Our girls and women have all come to us voluntarily, or are placed with us by their parents' authority, and we can no more chastise them than keep them against their will… Make no mistake, often on coming to us, their first feeling is one of dislike but if they are well treated, surrounded with kind attention and signs of interest, they change their outlook… Respect will follow and then affection… The same applies to the sisters!! These recommendations all come from an experienced Mary Euphrasia. She was not always like this as I told you this morning – she had to learn to be a good leader. We all have to learn to be good leaders. It requires humility, patience and the willingness and ability to change. A leader is only a leader if there are people to follow! At her death, Mary Euphrasia left over 1000 Sisters in 110 houses all over the world. I imagine that indicates she was a good leader! A leader must be able to influence others. One of her secretaries, Sr. Mary of the Angels Valois said: “She possessed her Sisters’ hearts that was the secret of her power.” They loved her so much that they would do anything for her. A good leader makes the followers want to achieve high goals. She does not simply boss people around. Mary Euphrasia would tell the sisters that when they were instructing the girls to: “Instruct all in a kindly and attractive way. Let them be persuaded that all you want is to enrich them.” (Conf. ch. 2) She would use the same methods with the sisters. Ray Kroc – Founder of McDonalds said: “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” I’m sure Mary Euphrasia would have been amazed at the idea of eating a burger and fries, like many French people she might have been horrified at the idea, but she would certainly have agreed with Mr. Kroc’s philosophy. Mary of St. Marine Verger tells us: “She was zealous for her own perfection and ours.” She continues: “We felt more

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fervent after her instructions than after prayer. She sort of electrified us. It’s something that can’t be explained, her words were so powerful in inspiring us to love God.” Ordinary

• Process. She sort of electrified us. Sr. Mary of St. Marine spoke these words in 1899.

Electricity had only been introduced in France 7 years earlier. It’s a powerful image isn’t it - when you know what electricity can do. Mary Euphrasia’s leadership was very feminine. We talk about a feminine model of leadership don’t we? Today, the expression is a friendship model of leadership. Mary Euphrasia, like other women leaders developed strong relationships, relationships that allowed unexpected things to happen. You hear a lot about her relationships with lay people, but I am talking here about her relationships with the sisters. If the sisters had not followed there would have been no Good Shepherd Congregation and none of us would be here today. Question: What are the qualities of your leadership, do you have strong relationships with your sisters. Do they trust you, want to follow you? Would they ever be able to say that you “electrified them”? Reading the signs of the times: a good leader has to be able to read the signs of the times. Mary Euphrasia did not really start anything new on her own, she followed the trends of her time but she was well informed and advised. One example of this was what led to the foundation of Nazareth. Just in case you are saying to yourself – I didn’t know Mary Euphrasia went to Israel – the Nazareth I’m talking about is just up the road, about 2kms. It’s just opposite the big supermarket Leclerc if you have managed to find that. In 1850, a law was passed in France, the only one in 19th century, to lay down guidelines for the education of female prisoners under 16 years of age. It stated that prisoners could have their detention commuted to a stay in an agricultural colony, a structure of re-education…yet to be built. This law led Mary Euphrasia to embark on the adventure that would be Nazareth. Let’s look at what happened: The date is the end of April 1853. They came in large groups - 27,38,45,75,100. When the Prefect of the Department wrote to Mary Euphrasia telling her that all the prisoners under 16 years of age from the female detention centres in Rennes and Clairvaux were being turned over to her, she did not lose a minute. The letter about the Rennes prisoners arrived on a Saturday. The same day, three sisters were sent off to collect

• them. It would take them 3 or 4 days to get to the prison and about the same number to get

back to Angers, so, 8 to 10 days in all to get ready. Mary Euphrasia contacted her friends and asked them to give her coloured material. Once she got it, the whole house, novices, professed sisters, Magdalens, etc. set about sewing new dresses (by hand of course) for these girls. The prison authorities provided transport for the girls as far as the east gates of the city of

• Paris. The girls and sisters had to cross Paris on foot - can you picture it? 75 adolescents, in

prison dress, accompanied by three or four sisters? I suppose one was at the front, one at the back and two in the middle. We have no record of them losing anyone!! Maybe the girls were chained, it is quite possible. At the southern gate of the city, transport was waiting to bring them to Angers, to Nazareth. This is what Mary Euphrasia told the community in Angers the next day:

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“I am so happy to be with you again, dear Sisters, I would have liked all of you to be at Nazareth to welcome the contingent of young prisoners. The carriage from Rennes was late and they arrived only at ten o’clock in the evening. At first they seemed woebegone and frightened, but once in front of the fire of vine branches, which crackled in the big kitchen chimney, our little birds began to chirp! We served them a nice, hot soup, meat and wine etc. Then their poor hearts opened; it was a long time since they had enjoyed such a banquet! The next day another surprise. The prison uniforms were replaced by the dresses you made so eagerly and with such love. They stared at each other unable to grasp such a

• transformation. When they were allowed to run about in part of the garden, one of them

asked “Are we not in prison anymore?”.... The sister replied and the child said: “Thank you sister.” “You mustn’t say that”, corrected one of the older ones: “Here they are Mothers.” And this rebuke was accompanied by an energetic nudge! None of this would have been possible if Mary Euphrasia had not been well informed of the political attitudes of the government of the day, (her lay friends brought her this knowledge) and if she had not been open to the possibility of being part of something new, of integrating new social thinking and perspectives into her work. If she had not had the vision of what would be needed for these children, if she had not added the delicate little touches of good food, a nice dress and freedom to run about. It’s a nice illustration of her leadership skills that she brought the sisters and the laity together to prepare Nazareth for the children. Question: How aware are you of the current political attitudes and social trends in your country? How do you keep up to date? Another example: There had been a community in Avignon since May 1839. In the early 1850s a family who had a deaf and dumb child approached the sisters asking if they could take her in and help

• her. The problem was not simply the child’s handicap. Avignon is in the south of France. It

is a place where there were/are a lot of seasonal workers. These workers went from town to town picking fruit, doing whatever seasonal jobs were available. Several of these handicapped children had been raped by the men and because of their handicap were unable to explain what had happened or who was responsible. The parents were understandably worried. As this was a new venture, the Sisters asked Mary Euphrasia what they should do. Mary Euphrasia told them to take the girls and had two sisters sent to Paris to learn the method of communication by signs, worked out by Fr. de l’Epée. However, Mary Euphrasia doesn’t just tell the sisters to take the girls; she uses a scriptural image that she knew would speak volumes to them. She wrote: “A propos of love, my dearest daughter, with a good heart, receive a class of these poor deaf and dumb children, honour in this work the silence of the Incarnate Word, a silence of love that gives us the Word of Life.” In using this image, Mary Euphrasia hones right in to one of the central mysteries of the Christian faith – the Incarnation. The work for these girls continued well into the 20th century until the diocese was able to provide a school for them. The sisters then handed the work over to the diocese. These three examples/stories give you an idea of the multiplicity of situations Mary Euphrasia had to deal with. In all three examples we see Mary Euphrasia either using or giving an example of the values that bind us together – spiritual life, faith, compassion and

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mercy with zeal. It is the values that unite us to her. We cannot do what she did and indeed we must not as we live in a different world, but we must hold the same values, give an example of living them and serve our world of today. An unknown author has written something on the most important words in leadership. It goes like this: The six most important words: “I admit I made a mistake.” The five most important words: “You did a good job.” The four most important words: “What is your opinion?” The three most important words: “If you please.” The two most important words: “Thank you.” The most important word: “We.” Let’s look at how Mary Euphrasia measures up… I admit I made a mistake: Sr. Marie de S. Pierre Merckelbagh tells the following story about Mary Euphrasia: Sister was econome here at the Mother House. “Some Sisters, as far as I could see, had been unjustly accused; and the Servant of God had allowed herself to be swayed by the unfortunate accusations of the third treasurer. Seeing where the truth lay, I tried to explain things to Our Mother. Forewarned as she was, she could not at first believe me, and did not take what I was saying too well. But a moment later, she recalled me and I think she said to me: ‘I am sorry, I have reflected, you have relieved me. And the next day she saw that justice was done to the sisters who had been wrongly accused.” Mary Euphrasia was not afraid to say sorry or to go back to people and say she had been wrong, especially when it was a question of justice and of justice having been seen to be done. You did a good job: Very often in her letters Mary Euphrasia would praise the Sisters or the people they were working with: In a letter to Sr. Mary of the Divine Heart Lionet in Avignon she says: “I assure you, I think all you have been able to do is astonishing.” March 1846. And in a letter to Sr. Mary of St. Sophie Lavoye in Metz, commenting on the Vicar General and all he has done for the house she says: “Everything he has done is good.” Her letters are full of praise and encouragement. She knew that things were hard and that people were doing their best, even when they made mistakes. What is your opinion: Mary Euphrasia never liked to make decisions that the Sisters could properly make for themselves. She wrote to Sr. Mary of St. Louis Royné in May (17th) 1835: “I do not like to make abrupt decisions for my Sisters, nor to see them imposed; I prefer to reach a mutual understanding humbly.” She expected them to advise her and follow their own opinion on a matter: thus to Sr. Mary

• f St. Louis Royné in Grenoble in 1833: ...you are on the spot my dear sisters, do what you

think is best.” And finally, during the Process of Canonization, certain questions on this subject were put to

• Sr. Mary of St. Peter de Coudenhove, Mary Euphrasia’s successor as Superior General: Q.

“Did the Servant of God hold regular council meetings?” A. She often gathered her council together at a time when there was as yet nothing fixed about such meetings in our

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Constitutions.

• Q. Did the Servant of God consult her council on all important matters?
• A. Yes, she spoke very openly to the Councillors.

Mother Peter concluded: “As far as the council is concerned, as Assistant, I was a member. I noticed that she left us the greatest freedom to express our opinion and she took notice of our

• bservations.”

If you please: These words are used 253 times in Mary Euphrasia’s letters! Thank you: These words appear approximately 370 times in the letters! Mary Euphrasia is always thanking the sisters for gifts, feast day greetings, sending postulants and above all for what they are doing in the different houses and all they are coping with. We: Mary Euphrasia often uses what we would call “the Royal We” but she also uses we to denote that she is not acting alone, she has a council. If you go back to London: “I have had to consult my God, my Superiors and our Chapter. A single response has been given and it is this: We must support this work…we must support it at the cost of the greatest sacrifices…we are ready to make these great sacrifices…we leave you perfectly free…” I will leave one last word about it to Mother Peter de Coudenhove: I have never seen an air

• f dominance or arrogance in Our Mother; she is more a mother, to put it better, like a

servant of God for her entire religious family.” Question: How would you measure up in the use of these important words? We tend to think of Mary Euphrasia as a natural leader, a good leader. She herself admits: “I am not as invulnerable as you think I am.” It is hard for us to think of her as vulnerable, but it does make her more human and closer to us doesn’t it. But I leave the final word of all to the Chinese philosopher Lao Tse1 He says: “When an effective leader is finished with his work, the people say it happened naturally.”

1 Contemporary of Confuscius, court archivist. Confuscius asked to discuss Toaism with him and learned more

from him than from books.