Queen of Apostles Retreat House

Provincial Gathering Queen of Apostles Retreat House January 10-12 2011

Present: Sylvia Obrigewitsch, Margie McGrath, Dianna Lieffers, Juliana Heisler, Donna Purdy, Bernadette O’Reilly, Stephanie Schmidts, Josie Germaine, Audrey Doetzel, Jocelyn Monette, Phyllis Kapuscinski, Kay MacDonald, Mary Babic, Mary Ellen Coombe, Margaret Hughes, Jackie Chenard, Audrey Gerwing, Joyce Sinnett, Pauline Greenizan, Elizabeth Losinski, Lucy Thorson, Terry Horvath

Skype: Catherine Seemann, Virginia Scissons

Presenter: Desmond Lamont, Life and Pensions. Regrets from Helen Harrington

January 10, 2011

Des Lamont presented the actuarial study results for the Congregation:

An Assessment of Resources available for the Congregation Mission

January 11, 2011

Morning Session

Des Lamont presented the actuarial study results for our province:

An Assessment of Resources available for the Congregation Mission Canada/US Province

Bernadette O’Reilly presented a financial report for the province and Budget Comparisons from 2009- 2011.

Province of Canada/USA Financial Report January 2011

Congregation of Our Lady of Sion Canada/USA Budget Comparison 2009-2011 Afternoon Session

Personal Reflection time on 4 questions.

-How do I feel about all that I have heard, now that we have this information, our own year-end reports and the facts presented by L&P?

-Is there anything surprising for me, distressing for me?

-What 2 or 3 facts do I see that might be important sign posts? Name a least 2 facts that you see are going to be important for you/for us?

-What are 2 or 3 implications of the facts that you see as important? To what do they invite you/us?

Small group sharing.

Large group conversation. (Report of individual comments)

Feelings

Great appreciation that everything brought to light; nothing hidden Good energy; ready to put it to the deep questions Gratitude for study and Des

Grateful for how Des helped as get a whole picture of congregation

Hopeful for the future

At this point in our history, distance is killing us

Need to be corporate in our response to these questions; together is important

Liberation; untied something among us in order to move us forward

Humble vulnerability that arises from the facts; the truth will set us free

Life-giving spirit, freedom in our group

More oneness in the congregation

Move the life style question forward ; all of us together Closing the door and the door that is opening for us is totally awesome that we cannot even imagine

Feel energized

Important Signposts

Questions around governance – legal structures, very important in work on reconfiguration

Collaboration with others is essential

Remember that we are an international congregation; live in a multicultural, multireligious context wherever we are

Need for strategic planning; we are ready. Need criteria.

Collaboration re vocations with other areas

Study is one step in strategic planning; basis for policies on e.g. vocations, formation

Also need a strategy for Charism

Aging and decline in numbers at same time coupled with giftedness, wisdom, and passion

Stewardship – do no t own anything; deep reality check

Transparency of process; need to carry the transparency forward in our strategic planning

Our own history – remembering the Sobeco study that really helped us get to this point – also gives us hope; the study is not the last word.

Even as we make the plan, it will be changing

Implications

We have not been good at decisions and actions, but shift of language even to words such as strategic signal that we are ready to act

Movement toward coming together, maybe two places of coming together – Saskatoon and Toronto

Need concrete planning right now

Need for sharing of resources across congregation

Like suggestion of Des – any profit from selling properties go to a common pot, need this to move justly

Looking for directives for our mutual care

Great for words, not for action – think we are now forced to do something

Think strategically and concretely about future of mission and new membership Face issues of living alone sooner rather than when we have to; this will be difficult

Better stewardship, personally and communally

Call and need to establish solidarity fund

January 11, 2011

Morning Session

Overview of “Task and Timelines” Next 15 months: leading to Jan 20, 2012

Personal reflection:

-From the information gathered and shared here in these days and at the regional meetings, what values are being called for in the future?

-How/where am I, personally, called to change?

-In what ways might we as a group be called to change?

-From your life in Sion and in the values shared from the Advent reflections, identify several essential lived values that you want to see continued as we begin to reconfigure?

Small group sharing.

Large group conversation. (Report of individual comments.)

What have these days been like for us, for you?

Enlightening, learning new information and deepening other information, from L&P, Bernadette but also from conversations

Good days of listening and learning; also stretched us, invited to have big ears, remember well our past, open eyes, courageous hearts

Not a bit stressful, even though difficult facts, joyful time

Time of coming home for me Astounding – spirit is hopeful, connected, courageous. Shift from when we arrived. A liminal moment shared by all of us. Ready to go. Renewed vocation

Energizing and at same time daunting; information to all at the same time, this is when discernment can happen. This allows us to say what is the next step

Amazing – back to Ezekiel reading, the bones have started to move. Don’t know the dance steps yet but we are ready to go

Reception. We have received this – have let the information in and are with it and are ready to move together.

Lovely family reunion

How wonderful it is when we come together as sisters.

Image of being in a car with locked doors, steering wheel and could not go. Realized there are other people in the car with me- the doors are beginning to unlock and we are beginning to go. On an adventure.

Key was all the preparation for this meeting – back to prep for chapter, the regional meetings, etc. All brought us to this point. Grateful to the planners. Spirit is working with us in these days. All in view of where we have come from.

What of all we have heard and shared is important to you, and what do you want to remain important for you, as we move forward?

Need to do research, especially in area of care, before meeting in July

In our strategic planning and decisions, not determined by finances. Mission is important and need to make prudent financial decisions.

Transparency – what do we together understand by transparency. Trusting God and each other; trust the sincerity of each other

Do not lose the threads of the things that were brought up, e.g. vocations, collaboration. Be gatherers of some of these threads.

We are on the journey together. Together we can do it. Really believe we can together move to a new place

Diversity. Discern and respect each other. Welcome the diversity of all our gifts.

Do not lose our connectedness.

Stewardship

In planning/preparing for chapter July 2011 -What would help you/us at this moment to continue?

-What do you/we need now to be ready and prepared for the July Chapter?

(Report of individual comments)

Given a lot of information and general directions, some study of this in terms of implications in terms of charism, outreach to associates/friend. Implications in broader perspective

Impetus from this meeting to strategic planning plus Chapter agenda is reconfiguration. Pursuing the strategic plan will be the way that we reconfigure.

Research the options of what reconfiguration might look like- that addresses care, charism, etc.

Personal and area conversations help us. But keep in mind some timelines – 5 years or 10 years down the road. We cannot ask leadership to do strategic planning if we don’t do it as well more concretely.

Timelines for other areas – vocations, friends/associates. Can we find a process to share what is happening and what is seen ahead? Share over next 5 months

Communication is really important. Learned here many things did not know about.

Personally take on responsibility to find out, bring information. Come prepared.