Associate Coordinator and Co-coordinator meeting
Leadership of the Heart
February 18-20, 2011
The Associate and RSCJ coordinators and the Associates National Coordinators (ANC) leadership gathered for the Leadership with Heart Conference at St Charles the week end of February 18-20, 2011. The prayer times for the week end were prepared by a different Associates’ group from
around the country giving us a flavor of the diversity of groups and helping us to see the depth of each group’s commitment to the life of prayer and contemplation. Friday evening began with prayer and then a sharing of what were the issues that we wished to discuss. The prayer for Friday evening was prepared by the New Orleans group.
Reflection on the Readings
7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
The Associates Coordinators met the weekend of February 18-20, 2011 at St Charles. A reflection on the readings given by Chicago Associate, Jane Steinfels began with the words: Pineapple Upside-down Cake:
Letter from the Society's Central Team
February 10, 2011
SOCIETÀ DEL SACRO CUORE – CASA GENERALIZIA
“The pursuit of justice, peace and integrity of creation permeates all aspects of our lives.” Chapter 2008
From: Cathie Kinabrew
Associates National Committee
January 15, 2011
What great joy! In the truest sense of mutuality and utter belief in the power of prayer, we have been asked by Mary Pat White, RSCJ, Vocation Director for the U.
S. Province, to join the Society in praying for vocations to the Society.
We (the Associates National Committee) ask that each local Associate group take one month of the year to intentionally respond in prayer.
We are so happy to join our RSCJ friends in its important effort to encourage women to answer their call to life in the Society.
Associates at the Spirituality Forum
July 7 - 11, 2010
Spirituality Forum July 2010 video
Drawings and photos are by Albany Associate Kathy Kernan
Hearts Broken Open
Associates' Reflection at the Conference: Sacred Heart Spirituality in a Globalized World
With approximately 250 RSCJ, Associates, Network colleagues, collaborators and friends of the Society gathered at Stone Ridge for the forum, the energy for our shared mission was tangible --- so much so that many of us felt as if our hearts were broken wide open! How could we contain all the legacies of Sophie, Philippine, and Janet Stuart, all of the zeal for Haiti, all the possibilities of making Sophie's message of love for the world possible today? We were filled to the top, brimming over.
Members of theiNational Committee (ANC-USA) were thrilled to have lunch with the provincial team. Our face-to-face discussion about the Associates movement was a wonderful chance to establish the beginning of a new relationship.
Suzanne Cooke unfolded Janet Erskine Stuart's life with God, her portrait of a wonderfully whole person who vibrant message about educating young children is available for us in the Goals and Criteria of the Network Schools.
Lyn Osiek shared a portion of her recent research into the life of Philippine through Philippine's own writings and letters. In words and images we came to know Philippine more deeply.
Cecile Meijer shared the realities of world issues through her work at the UN. she challenged us to "do a little thing--like writing a letter."
We were so fortunate to hear Paul Farmer's own story of his passion for the people of Haiti, of he weaves the Goals and Criteria into his work. When the electrical power went out in the room, we sat in semi-darkness wondering how we could respond for his call to perform the corporal works of mercy.
Associates shared their experiences of JPIC through engaging stories of work with women, juveniles, and children and the justice system, of education and immigrants, of direct evangelization in Taiwan, of mission outreach in Houston, and of helping underserved populations in El Salvador and Haiti.
Clare Pratt did an invaluable service in tying the threads of the forum together. She reminded us of our sacred sources who continue to help us to find the "the heartbeat of God in the reality of our world." There was no doubt that we left renewed and informed, energized to transform our own realities in large and small ways.
written by: Catherine Kinabrew, Marianne Basila, Jane Steinfels, Fran Dickey, Associates
Videos of the presentations at the forum can be seen at: http://www.rscj.org/
NEW ASSOCIATE COORDINATORS and CO-COORDINATORS
September 2010
It is with great happiness that we announce the provincial team's confirmation of the new leadership teams in the local Associate groups. After careful discernment and full participation by Associates and RSCJ, we now have teams of two or three to keep the Associates movement going forward.
This kind of collaboration is not new. From its organic beginning the Associates movement has relied on close work between RSCJ and lay women and men called to share our charism and mission. With the growth of the movement we have matured even further, so that now an Associate will join the RSCJ coordinators in each local area to fulfill the tasks of recruiting and orienting Associates, organizing retreats or prayer experiences, hold gatherings for ongoing "formation to mission", and participating on the national level as possible.
The new teams are:
This kind of collaboration is not new. From its organic beginning the Associates movement has relied on close work between RSCJ and lay women and men called to share our charism and mission. With the growth of the movement we have matured even further, so that now an Associate will join the RSCJ coordinators in each local area to fulfill the tasks of recruiting and orienting Associates, organizing retreats or prayer experiences, hold gatherings for ongoing "formation to mission", and participating on the national level as possible.
The new teams are:
Albany: Rosemary Serignese with Rose Marie Quilter, RSCJ
Boston: Kathryn Hannon with Mary Lyman, RSCJ
Chicago: Mary Burke-Peterson with Nancy Finn, RSCJ
Mary Burke has been serving in this capacity for a number of years.
Houston: Cathy Knapik with Sharon Karam, RSCJ and Ann Caire, RSCJ
New Orleans: Theresa Lutostanski with Anne Sturges, RSCJ
Omaha: Eileen McKinstra with Joanne Fitzpatrick, RSCJ
St Louis/St Charles: Noel Barrett with Elaine Abels, RSCJ
San Diego: Ardith (Ardie) Brownsberger with Anne Wente, RSCJ and Tita Lapeyre, RSCJ
Menlo/South Bay: Michelle Hogan with Ginny Dennehy, RSCJ and Mary Ann Foy, RSCJ
San Francisco: Lucy Garcia with Ginny Dennehy, RSCJ
Seattle: Sue Lane with Kathleen Sullivan, RSCJ
Count on our prayers and help as we move forward. If you have any questions about this very exciting movement toward Associate-RSCJ mutuality, please feel free to email the Associates National Committee at. Contact information can also be found on the Associates website at www.rscjassociatesusa.blogspot.com
Something to Consider:
The International Online Program in Spiritual Studies
Reported by Dahlia Herring, Associate
You can find a course description online by searching the Saint Thomas University web site (http://www.stu.edu/), clicking Schools and Programs (on your right), scrolling down to School of Theology & Ministry, and clicking International Spiritual Studies Online Certificate. (Whew!) Basically, the program consists of four courses, each course lasting for 12 weeks. Each course consists of six two-week Units. For each Unit, students read the books assigned, participate in online discussions, and, at the end of each Unit, write a summary of what they have learned from their readings and online participation.
The four courses are:
Spirituality of the New Testament and Early Church Fathers
Monks, Mendicants, Mystics
Spanish Mystics and Modern Spirituality
Contemporary Spirituality
The courses follow a Fall/Spring semester schedule. The cost is $300 per course plus cost for books – and, of course, you need a computer. While the program will begin in Fall 2010 with Spirituality of the New Testament and Early Church Fathers, you can start with any of the four courses and continue until you complete them all.
There are many ingredients that make this Program so remarkable. The reading list is outstanding. In addition to the Gospels, students read the very best of Christian spiritual classics from Benedict, to Teresa of Avila to Ignatius to today’s great spiritual writers (to name just a few!). Secondly, the assignments and questions for each unit are so relevant and well articulated that they become a platform for lively conversations, and sometimes, lively arguments! The result of these interactions is that what starts out as a group of strangers in a virtual classroom, quickly turns into an authentic community of seekers who both challenge and support each other in the most positive of ways.
For me, the combination of excellent reading materials, a well-structured curriculum, superb facilitation and the development of a community of learning resulted in an experience that was nothing less than transforming. I hope that some of you will consider joining the Spirituality Studies Program. I know you will not regret it!
News from the Society's NGO Office at the U.N. - November 2009
As of November 1st, the Provincial Team has asked Judy Garson, RSCJ, to serve as the liaison between the Society's NGO Office at the UN and the U.S. Province. Information about the Society's activities can be found at www.rscjinternational.org/en/our-presence-at-un.html
Society News - October 2009
The General Council announced that two members of the U.S. Province have been asked and have prayerfully discerned the invitation to serve the Society at the central level.
The General Council has asked Claude Demoustier to serve as Secretary General for a period of three years renewable. Claude served in the Secretariat at the Motherhouse from 2000 until 2004 and is happy to be returning to Rome and this international service. Claude will begin her service in July, 2010.
They have asked Ellen Collesano to serve on the next probation team beginning in September 2010. Ellen was a delegate to Chapter 2008 and currently serves as Director of Vocation Ministry.
Initial Orientation Project - September 2009
Marianne Basila and Sharon Karam have put together some initial orientation materials. The “curriculum” topics include history, faith traditions, spirituality, spiritual accompaniment, lives of the major figures, understanding the ministries of the contemporary Society. Resources include the lives of St. Madeleine Sophie, St. Philippine Duchesne; the DVD by Kathleen Conan and Barbara Bowe and the video by Barbara Dawson on charism; homilies from the 2000 bicentennial; materials from the Superiors General; the CD of the Network’s Journey of the Heart; the resource booklet from the 2008 Associates/ Coordinators Meeting.
RSCJ Assembly Results - September 2009
Please see the attached information to Sacred Heart Network Colleagues, Associates and Collaborators. The RSCJ in the U.S. met in July 2009 to focus on the province’s implementation of the priorities of the 2008 General Chapter. Since the Associates have reflected on the Chapter priorities we can look forward to working with our sisters on some of the implementation of the actions.
