august-september 2008 leadership conference of women religious newsletter

8/9/2019 August-September 2008 Leadership Conference of Women Religious Newsletter

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LCWR Update August - September 2008 page 1

Inside this issue:

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August - September 2008

LCWR Leading from Within Retreat

LCWR Systemic Change Think Tank

Convention for Common Good is a Success

A Checklist to Prepare for theLCWR-CMSM Assembly

T

he LCWR-CMSMassemblywill provide

important opportu-nities for all par-ticipants to exploresome of the criticaltopics facing religious today. In order to preparefully for this experience, all members are encour-aged to do the following:

Read the 2007-2008 annual report

Read the Summer 2008 issue of OccasionalPapers

Review the assembly resolution on climatechange (sent online to all LCWR members)

Read the Summary Document: Reflec-tion on Our Shared Future March 2008that was distributed at the LCWR springregional meetings. (Members who are newto LCWR will receive a summary of thisdocument in their assembly folder and areencouraged to read it in preparation for theshared future discussions.)

Review the information on the candidatesfor LCWR president and secretary (seeLCWR Members Information section of theLCWR website www.lcwr.org)

Be sure you also have registered for the assembly(your cancelled check is your confirmation) andmade hotel reservations.

Online Survey to be Sent to All

LCWR Members

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mmediately following the LCWR-CMSM assembly,all LCWR members will receive an online survey.This survey will replace the written evaluation that

members have been asked to fill out at the end of anassembly.

All LCWR members are asked to complete this ques-tionnaire, whether or not they attended the assembly.Questions will be asked on the survey that will be use-ful in future planning for LCWR. Although the surveywill take just a few minutes to complete, the input willbe invaluable for the conference.
http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.lcwr.org/


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Fro t LCWR Pridncy

by Mary Dacey, SSJ LCWR Past President

Gratitude is the Memory of the Heart

Almost three years ago I waselected into one of the mostremarkable experiences of mylifethe Presidency of the

Leadership Conference of Women Re-ligious. From my perspective, the onlyappropriate theme for my last letter isthank you.

In my former life as an English teacher,I regularly taught the construction fora basic essay: choose a theme, identify

three points to develop the theme,include an appropriate introduction. So here is mytheme, borrowed from Jean Baptiste Massieu Grati-tude is the memory of the heart. Point one memo-ries. Point two the heart of the matter. Point three gratitude.

Point OneThe memories are extraordinarily rich and varied. Aschedule of meetings with a list of acronyms that weretotally mysterious to me morphed into rich and some-

times challenging exchanges with bishops (CRLM),members of the otherconferences (CMSM andCMSWR), and variousgroups such as NATRI,NRRO, and LRCR. Yearlyvisits to the Vatican of-fices afforded not onlyan opportunity to rep-resent our conference tothe Congregation for Religious (CICLSAL), but it alsooffered an experience of deep faith sharing and commu-

nity with our CMSM brothers.

The journey to post-Katrina New Orleans with Carolewas soul searing. Witnessing the fidelity and doggeddetermination of the women religious in the face ofthe chaos and terrible devastation of the city was aprivilege the likes of which will not be repeated forme. The History Exhibit Committee taught me aboutcharrettes, a brainstorming of creativity and collabora-tion with amazing artists who now know more about

the contributions of women religiousto our countrys fabric than many ofus! Representing the conference at thePopes Mass in Washington was anunexpected thrill. Being in the companyof conference legends like Mary DanielTurner, Theresa Kane, Margaret Bren-nan, Catherine Pinkerton, Joan Chittis-ter, Helen Garvey, and others gave me adeeper appreciation for the conferencesrich legacy of leadership, as did attend-ing the funerals of Mary Luke Tobin,

Bea Jeffries, and Andre Fries.

Point TwoAt the heart of the conference are several groups withwhom I had the privilege to work. The National Boardand the Executive Committee members were the two-way communicators who represented the views of themembers even as they kept their regions informed ofconference business and this along side their dayjobs. Sharing the presidency with extraordinarywomen like Christine and Bea, Mary and Lora inspiredme to change the face of the mountain, realize that

everything is in bud,and dare to turn hope-less situations into life-giving realities. Andthere are not enoughwords to describe thededicated, hard work-ing and multi-talentedstaffMarie, Annma-

rie, Pat and Eleanorso wonderfully coordinated byCaroles dynamic leadership. And of course, there is all

of you, the lifeblood of the conference who embracethis time as holy, our leadership as gift, and our chal-lenges as blessings.

Point ThreeThere can be only one response for the privilege of be-ing part of this leadership conference with its energy,its vitality, its hope, and its faithfulness. It is my greatgratitude. As a former English teacher, as a member, Igive it A+.

Tr c b ly n p r tvleg bn r ts leadrcfrnc wt ts nrgy, ts tty,

ts hp n ts tfn.I s my gre grud.


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Watch for LCWR Retreat

Registration Forms in September

L

CWR will be offering for the fifth year its Lead-ing from Within Retreat, a five-day experience

designed for women religious serving in electedleadership. The retreat will be led by Kaye Ashe,OP and Mara Elena Martnez, OSF and will be heldfrom January 11 - 16, 2009 at the Franciscan Center inTampa, Florida.

This retreat is open to the first 25 LCWR memberswho register. Only one person per leadership teammay attend. Registration forms will be sent online inearly September.

LCWR Leading from WithinRetreatFranciscan Center

Tampa, FloridaJanuary 11 16, 2009

Farewell to Carole Shinnick, SSND

The LCWR national office staff paid tribute to Carole Shinnick, SSND, the LCWR executive directorfrom 2002-2008, with a farewell celebration on July 16. Carole will complete her service at LCWRfollowing the August 1-4 assembly. Shown here are: Marianne Benson, executive assistant; Annma-rie Sanders, IHM, director of communications; Carol Crowder, membership coordinator; ChristabelLartey, receptionist; Carole Shinnick; Honora Precourt, development coordinator for the historyproject; Carol Glidden, administrative assistant; Marie Lucey, associate director for social mission;and Pat Cormack, SCSC, associate director for business and finance.


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Convention for the Common Good

Exceeds Expectations

S

o many people, so much work, so much energy allcame together in Philadelphia on July 11-13, 2008

in what one speaker called a daring gathering ofnearly 800 delegates to the Convention for the CommonGood. While it is impossible to convey in print the spiritof the event, several highlights may help to give someflavor of the Convention in which many members ofLCWR congregations participated actually and/or byway of pre-convention dialogues:

Setting the context of the common good by theolo-gian Dr. Shawn Copeland on Friday night followinga welcome to Philadelphia from Senator Bob Caseyand a representative from Mayor Michael Nuttersoffice

Breakout sessions on Saturday morning withexpert panels on ecology, immigration, war/peace,economy, and health careStatements and questions from each breakout ad-dressed to Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH) andstaff from two additional congressional officesAffirmation of the Platform for the Common GoodA participative, energetic Eucharistic liturgy fol-lowed by a reception and celebrative banquet onSaturday eveningVideo messages to the convention during the

banquet from Senator Barack Obama, Senator ArlenSpecter (PA), and BonoAn interview with Democrat John Podesta (chair ofthe DNC) and Republican Rep. Charles Dougherty(former congressional representative from Phila-delphia), both Catholics, conducted by WashingtonPost columnist, E.J. Dionne, also a CatholicA Sunday morning session on next steps, Organiz-ing for the Common Good, followed by a call toaction by AFL-CIO President, John Sweeney, and achildrens presentation, Little Friends for PeaceA rousing send off by Helen Prejean, CSJ prior to

the closing blessing by Bishop Walter Sullivan andcommissioning of delegates

Delegates committed themselves to sending the af-firmed Platform for the Common Good to electedofficials and candidates for election as well as to eightother people asking them to do the same and then send

Systemic Change Think Tank 2009:Post-Election Deep DiveConversations

LCWR Think Tank XI is scheduled for February 23-26, 2009 at the Redemptorist Retreat Center in Pic-ture Rocks, Arizona. Barbara Stanbridge, IHM, an

experienced change consultant, will lead participants inusing the process of U Theory to explore how womenreligious can better effect change in the post-2008 elec-

tion national and global context. Popularized by PeterSenge and further developed by Otto Scharmer, theU Theory offers offers a deeply reflective way of look-ing at the future, a way that is, therefore, compatiblewith the spirituality of women religious. A flyer with aregistration form will be available to LCWR membersand justice coordinators by the end of August.

Committee Issues a Catholic Study

Guide on Torture

ACatholic sub-committee of the National ReligiousCampaign Against Torture released in June,National Torture Awareness Month, a study guide

written mainly by David Gibson and published by theUSCCB. The four chapters, solidly grounded in Catho-lic social teaching, are designed for use by discussiongroups and classes in parishes and educational settings,as well as by individuals, families, religious communi-ties, and others. Each chapter includes prayer and sug-gestions for concrete action. A thoughtful and practical

follow-up to the 2006 assembly resolution on torture,the guide is easily available for downloading and print-ing at www.usccb.org/sdwp/TortureIsAMoralIssue-CatholicStudyGuide.pdf.

to eight others in an 8 for 08 action. The platform, aswell as additional information from the Convention isposted on the website: www.commongoodconvention.org.
http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/TortureIsAMoralIssueCatholicStudyGuide.pdfhttp://www.usccb.org/sdwp/TortureIsAMoralIssueCatholicStudyGuide.pdfhttp://www.usccb.org/sdwp/TortureIsAMoralIssueCatholicStudyGuide.pdfhttp://www.usccb.org/sdwp/TortureIsAMoralIssueCatholicStudyGuide.pdfhttp://www.commongoodconvention.org/http://www.commongoodconvention.org/http://www.commongoodconvention.org/http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/TortureIsAMoralIssueCatholicStudyGuide.pdfhttp://www.commongoodconvention.org/


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Kiss Today Good-ByeFro t LCWR Exv Drer

Carole Shinnick, SSND

Countless plays and novels haveused the metaphor of a group of

travelers journeying together, froma known to an unknown place, toportray the great human adventure. TheExodus of the Jewish people from Egypt,the pilgrimage of Chaucers CanterburyTales, the flight from London to the Never-Never Land of Peter Pan all portray thetransition and the transformation thathappen when a group of people movefrom here to there. And sometimes thehere and there are not places on a map but placeswithin.

The travelers are always diverse, and the normal rub-and-polish of personal interactions reshapes them andtheir relationships. None arrive at the end of the tripquite the same as they were at the outset. And whenthe journey is over, despite challenges and hardshipsthere is a sense of accomplishment and always anundeniable feeling of loss.

In the long-running Broadway hit,A Chorus Line,seventeen singer-dancers arrive as strangers andcompetitors to try out for roles in what else a chorusline. Some are young and ambitious. Some are olderand desperate. Some are eager. Some are frightened. All

know that only eight will be chosen to be members of

the cast. In the course of the play each character tells heror his story so that by the time of the final cut, we dontwant to see any of them go. We have come to care forthem and they have come to care for each other.

Traveling together, learning each others stories, andthen coming to the inevitable splits in the road this isthe unmistakable course of the human journey. There isno getting around it. Every ending is a little death. And

I cn magn workng orengf stry, t finr opl, or

br stff,or hvng suc wondrf avr.

B I c org I i or lov.

the busyness that often surrounds thesetransitional moments does little to numb

their deep, dull ache. Some of you readingthis may be in your last year of leadershipand you know this ache. Or you may haveleft a treasured ministry to accept the callto leadership, and you know this ache.Or perhaps you have recently lost a dearone, or have drifted apart in a significantrelationship, and you know this ache.

I have been blessed to have been theLCWR executive director for six and a half amazingyears. I always knew that I had a term, but I didnt

know it would go so fast. Yet here it is and I am findingit hard to believe that I will ever have as much funagain. I cannot imagine working in a more meaningful

ministry, with finer people, or a better staff, or havingsuch wonderful adventures. This is a costly good-byefor me, as it should be.

Towards the end ofA Chorus Line, one of the charactersfalls while dancing and is carried off to the hospital. Theevent confronts the remaining dancers with the realitythat at some point they will no longer be able dance.Will the hurt of losing the ability to dance be worthit? someone asks. Will they regret having investedthemselves so fully in something that was always goingto end?

The casts response is my own as I prepare to leaveLCWR. They sing: Kiss today goodbye, the sweetness

and the sorrow. Wish me luck the same to you. But Icant regret what I did for love, what I did for love. Seemy eyes are dry. The gift was ours to borrow. Its as ifwe always knew. But I cant forget what I did for love.What I did for love.

My own heart is filled with gratitude. Thanks for thehonor of letting me work with you, dear sisters ofLCWR. And now, the curtain, please...


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Upcoming LCWR Dates

LCWR-CMSM Joint AssemblyDenver, Colorado

August 1 5, 2008

LCWR Leading from Within RetreatFranciscan Center

Tampa, FloridaJanuary 11 16, 2009

LCWR Systemic Change Think TankRedemptorist Renewal Center

Tucson, ArizonaFebruary 23 26, 2009

LCWR New Leader WorkshopThe Retreat Center at St. Johns

Plymouth, MichiganMarch 19 22, 2009

LCWR AssemblyNew Orleans, LouisianaAugust 11 15, 2009

LCWR Leading from Within RetreatRedemptorist Renewal Center

Tucson, ArizonaJanuary 17 22, 2010

LCWR New Leader WorkshopThe Retreat Center at St. Johns

Plymouth, MichiganMarch 11 14, 2010

LCWR AssemblyDallas, Texas

August 10 14, 2010

LCWR AssemblyGarden Grove, California

August 9 13, 2011

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 ConferenceWorkshop:

Orientation to Formation

Presenters:Don Bisson, FMS; MaryAnn Seton Lopiccolo, SC

October 31 - November 2, 2008

Passionist Spiritual Center ofRiverdale, New York

This two-day workshop welcomes andis designed to be of assistance to:

Ministers of Initial FormationLeaders with Formation Responsibilities

Formative Community Members

For further information and registration contact:

Religious Formation Conference8820 Cameron Street

Silver Spring, MD 20910-4152Phone: 301-588-4938

Fax: [email protected]

www.relforcon.org
http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.relforcon.org/http://www.lcwr.org/http://www.relforcon.org/


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Position Opening:FLRCR Executive Director

T

he Financial and Legal Resource Center for Reli-gious (FLRCR), a newly formed nonprofit corpora-

tion (formerly NATRI and LRCR) located in SilverSpring, Maryland, seeks an exceptional individual tolead the programs, services, and activities of the organi-zation.

Responsibilities: membership services, acting as thepublic representative for the association, integrating alllegal and financial activities and oversight of the humanresource and financial management of the national of-fice. The position is accountable to the board of direc-tors.

Qualifications: belief in and support of the missionof FLRCR. Graduate degree in related field preferred.Minimum of five years experience in legal, finance,management, administration, or related fields; threeto five years relevant managerial experience. Generalknowledge of religious life and of the financial man-agement and legal requirements of religious institutesrequired.

The executive director must work collaboratively withstaff, board, related organizations, and members. PC

literacy required: MS Office.

Rsums with cover letter and salary expectationsshould be sent by July 30:

Search Committee: [email protected] or fax 810-592-7695.

LRCR Renewal Time

This is the time to renew subscriptions to the LegalResource Center for Religious for 2008/2009. Re-newals and new subscriptions are being accepted.

Subscriptions for 2007/2008 expired on June 30, 2008.Additional information is available atwww.lrcr.org.

NRVC Newsletter to Feature World

Youth Day Events

As the Catholic youth of the world are gathering inSydney, Australia to celebrate World Youth Daywith Pope Benedict XVI, so too are several NRVC

members who are hosting youth groups or sponsor-ing tables at the WYD Vocation Expo. NRVC hopes tofeature some of these events and happenings in futureonline newsletters.

NRVC Hosts Convocation:Called by One, Invited by Many

The 2008 biennial NRVC convocation will take placefrom October 9-13 in Louisville, KY, at the his-

torical Galt House Hotel. Participants will gatherunder the theme Called by One, Invited by Many, high-lighting the responsibilities of all baptized Christians tobuild a vocation culture within the church. Participa-tion is open to all NRVC members as well as those whoshare an interest in vocation promotion.

Keynote speakers will be Donald Senior, CP, presidentof the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago; MariaCimperman, OSU, assistant professor of moral theol-ogy at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas;

and James Martin, SJ, associate editor of America andaward-winning author.

Further information on Convocation 2008 and onlineregistration may be found at www.nrvc.net. Please notethat registrations for the convocation and the three pre-convocation workshops can only be made online.
http://www.lrcr.org/http://www.lrcr.org/http://www.lrcr.org/http://www.lrcr.org/


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Metzger Assumes Position at NRRO

The National Reli-gious RetirementOffice (NRRO) has

announced that Br. Robert

Metzger, SM will be join-ing the NRRO staff as theassistant director of plan-ning and education.Bob isa member of the Society ofMary (Marianists), prov-ince of the United States.He has served his com-munity both as directorof finance and as a member of the council. He also hasvolunteered as a consultant for NRRO and NATRI since

1987. He will begin his service at NRRO on August 25.

NRVC/CARA Study on Religious Voca-tions Receiving Excellent Response

C

ARA reports that it has received an excellentresponse to the religious vocation survey sent to

major superiors of all religious institutes in theUS. As of July 2 there is a 58% total response rate, whichreflects 76% of the LCWR member congregations. Thissurvey was also sent to members of CMSWR, CMSM,all contemplative communities, and those emergingcommunities aspiring for canonical status.

Those congregations that have not completed thisimportant survey are asked to do so as soon as possible.Anyone in need of additional information or surveysmay contact CARA at 202-687-8086 or by [email protected].

Vision 2009 Available on August 1

Vision 2009, the annual Catholic Religious VocationGuide published by NRVC, will be available onAugust 1. This publication is mailed to all par-

ishes, Catholic colleges, universities, high schools, and

retreat centers in the US and Canada.

Also on August 1 Vision will premiere its newly up-graded and redesigned English and Spanish websites,www.vocation-network.organdwww.vocacioncatolica.org. These popular and highly interactive sites are thehome ofVocationMatch.com, which was recently fea-tured on the CBS Evening News. This year there is alsoan increase in the number of French-translated onlinearticles.

NRVC Hosts Summer Institute

This summer NRVC hosted five workshops with134 participants at its annual Summer Institute atCatholic Theological Union in Chicago. The insti-

tute included the following programs:

Vocation Minister as Spiritual Guide, with David

Couturier, OFMCap, PhD, DMinRecognizing and Responding to Yellow Flags inVocation Ministry, with Mary M. Lindsay, SSJ, PhDBehavioral Assessment I and Ethics in VocationMinistry, with Rev. Ray Carey, PhDOrientation Program for New Vocation Directors,with Paul Bednarczyk, CSC and Charlene Diorka,SSJ

NRVC strives to offer fresh programming for its mem-bers, so it is always open to any suggestions about top-ics for future workshops.
http://www.vocation-network.org/http://www.vocation-network.org/http://www.vocacioncatolica.org/http://www.vocacioncatolica.org/http://www.vocationmatch.com/http://www.vocationmatch.com/http://www.vocationmatch.com/http://www.vocationmatch.com/http://www.vocationmatch.com/http://www.vocacioncatolica.org/http://www.vocation-network.org/

august-september 2008 leadership conference of women religious newsletter

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