R E T T 20 E L S W E N OF THE CONGREGATION LEADERSHIP TEAM Mount St Joseph, Blarney St, Cork, Ireland. THINKING CONGREGATIONALLY Dear Brothers and Friends, Welcome to our Congregation Leadership Team (CLT) Newsletter! The purpose of this publication is to share some news and refl ections from our experience of ministry over the past year. As we refl ect on the last twelve months, we are struck by the message of Pope Francis. Mercy has emerged as a key theme of this already remarkable pontifi cate. Mercy is the essence of the gospel, the Pope tells us, and is the key to the Christian life. Our challenge is to refl ect on mercy in our personal lives, in our communities and mission. Mercy leads to hope, and hope will not deceive us! The Canadian spiritual writer, Ronald Rolheiser, has written of the need for Christians to rediscover the lost virtues of admiration and praise. To show mercy, to admire, to praise – these are my wishes for all of us throughout 2015! I assure you that we, as a Congregation Leadership Team, will endeavour to allow these qualities to animate our ministry. Wishing you and your loved ones peace and joy! Br. Martin Kenneally, Congregation Leader The Emmaus Experience – a Personal Encounter with Christ on the Journey of Life Our Vision as a Congregation Leadership Team We see the specifi c role/call of the CLT in the following way: • Helping to create the atmosphere and opportunities • The primary purpose of CLT visitation is to facilitate an across the entire Congregation through which Brothers “Emmaus Experience” for Brothers and others. and others can enter into the Emmaus experience. • The membership of the Congregation (Africa/rest of the • To adopt life affj rming priorities in our leadership ministry. world), broadly speaking, refl ects the two halves of life in terms of younger and older members. The role of the • To lead in such a way that we facilitate members to enter CLT is to unify, build bridges, hold more fully into the mission of the Congregation. together. The CLT will promote • To help people to experience Christ in a way that is real “thinking Congregationally”. and personal. • To be with people … to listen … to challenge. To notice and draw the attention of the entire Congregation and Presentation Family to what the Spirit is saying in the signs of the times.
CONGREGATION LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETS IN CANADA The entire Congregation Leadership Team travelled to Canada in September 2014 for an assembly of Our Lady of the Americas (OLA) Province. The gathering took place at Villa St Joseph Retreat & Ecology Centre in Cobourg, by the shores of beautiful Lake Ontario, about an hour and a half from Toronto. The purpose of the assembly was to look at the challenges facing OLA Province and to plan for our future. The Brothers refl ected on how the call of the Spirit, as expressed in the Chapter of 2011, is to be lived in the Province today. The Brothers of the Province are now working on a set of recommendations that emerged from the meeting. R G U B O C O H , S E P J O “It was a very fruitful and refl ective time,” said Brother Francis S T L A V I L T T A C L H E H T W I T E N C Schafer, Province Leader. “ We hope and pray that new life will be V I R O A P O L O F S H E R O T B R experienced throughout the Province.” Br. Walter Hurley will act as mentor to the Province Leadership Team as the implementation of recommendations proceeds. STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE 18th-23rd July 2014, Mount St Anne’s, Killenard, Co. Laois, Ireland The Congregation Leadership Team commissioned L&P Trustee Services Ltd to carry out an ‘Assessment of Congregation Resources’ in preparing for our gathering at Mount St Anne’s. The objective of this assessment was to enable Congregation Leadership to assess the current reality and likely future capacity of resources in each Province, and to support the overall mission of the Congregation into the future. Shane Cowley, on behalf of L&P carried out ‘on- site’ meetings with the Province Leadership Teams in Dublin, Toronto and Tamale. Congregation and province bursars and other relevant fi nancial personnel were also involved in this process. L&P prepared a report for our conference at Mount St Anne’s. A summary of the L&P Report was later presented at an assembly of Our Lady of the Americas Province in Canada in September, and to a gathering of the Anglo-Irish Province in Cork in December. The Brothers of the West Africa Province will discuss the Report in April 2015. This Congregation Resources Assessment is an important step for us as Presentation Brothers in implementing our Chapter Vision Statement and in further advancing our mission objectives. 2
NEWSLETTER OF THE CONGREGATION LEADERSHIP TEAM Mix & Mingle in Toronto A group of young people gathered for a ‘Mix & Mingle’ with the Religious of the Archdiocese of Toronto at the Brothers’ residence in Parkdale, Toronto in September. This initiative is one of the many activities hosted by the Brothers at their residence. Br Denis Claivaz is an active member of TAVDA (Toronto Area Vocation Directors Assocation). BR RUPERT AND BR DENIS WITH STUDENTS AT HAIN IN GHANA VISITATION OF WEST AFRICA PROVINCE During their visitation of the West Africa Province, Br Denis Claivaz and Br Rupert O’Sullivan visited Hain in the Upper West Region of Ghana. This is the location for the new school built with funds from Misean Cara and Tom & Ann Jago. Tom and Ann have additionally contributed to the costs of a community house for the Brothers who will live and work T O O N R T O E , A L D R K in Hain. Tom is a past pupil of the Presentation Brothers in P A N E I N C E I D E S ’ R R S H E O T Cobh, Co. Cork. R B H E T T A S S M A R O D O T O U EVENTS AT MOUNT ST JOSEPH STUDENTS’ RETREAT Br Patrick Fitzgibbon and students from Coláiste Chríost Rí came to Mount St Joseph earlier in the year for a retreat facilitated by Br Martin Kenneally in preparation for their immersion trip to Ghana. BROTHERS’ JUBILEES Seven Presentation Brothers celebrated their Jubilees with Mass in the chapel at Mount St Joseph on August 12th, 2014. It was followed by a meal at the Rochestown Park Hotel. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Aidan Vaughan, OFM Cap and the homily was given by Br Rupert O’Sullivan. Our 2014 Jubilarians are Br Nilus O’Regan (Platinum); Br Bernard Murphy, Br Mark Fitzpatrick, Br Majella Burke and Br Germanus Noonan (Diamond); Br James O’Donovan and Br Hugh Sweeney (Gold). Congratulations to all our Jubilarians! IN MEMORIAM A large crowd attended the annual commemorative Mass for deceased Brothers celebrated by Bishop William Crean of Cloyne, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in September. The choir of Turner’s Cross provided the beautiful singing. Treise O’Callaghan (Youth Ministry Coordinator) and Brion O’Sullivan (Ghana volunteer) shared refl ections on their work, while music for the occasion was provided by the relatives of Br Patrick Fitzgibbon. The Mass was followed by prayers in the Brothers’ cemetery. PRESENTATION SISTERS VISIT We hosted the Congregation Leadership Team of the Presentation Sisters and their Province Leaders at Mount St Joseph in December 2013 on the occasion of the declaration of Nano Nagle as Venerable. The visit included a moving ritual which was attended by many Brothers and members of the S.H.A.R. E. A Executive, followed by a buff et lunch prepared by Aedeen McGuckan and H T S L I G V E , C U T I E X E R . E . H . A . F S . R O R N M B E N T E M E L A her staff . L E Y , G L E O W N A E C R A N O A T I E N K N T H E D I A C E P L T O B D L E A N C 3
Recommend
More recommend
