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SDS Contributions Contributions on Salvatorian History, Charism, and Spirituality Volume Twelve Key Elements Contributions on Salvatorian History, Charism, and Spirituality Volume Twelve Key Elements A Project of the Joint History and Charism Committee Ms. Janet E Bitzan, SDS Ms. Sue Haertel, SDS Sr. Nelda Hernandez, SDS Fr. Michael Hoffman, SDS Fr. Patric Nikolas, SDS Sr. Barbara Reynolds, SDS Mr. Anthony Scola, SDS Sr. Carol Thresher, SDS With Permission of the Superiors Sr. Beverly Heitke, SDS Provincial of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Divine Savior Mrs. Jaqueline White, SDS National Director of the Lay Salvatorians Fr. Jeff Wocken, SDS Provincial of the Society of the Divine Savior February, 2020 Contents Introduction . v Key Element: Charism . 1 Universality in the Family Charter and its Roots in Father Jordan . .3 Ms. Janet Bitzan, SDS Our Salvation In Jesus Christ . .11 Fr. Luis Alfredo Escalante, SDS Towards a Salvatorian Theory of Salvation in the African Perspective . 23 Fr. Marcel Mukadi Kabisay, SDS Toward a Salvatorian Theology of Salvation. .41 Fr. Thomas Perrin, SDS Exploring Universality as Inclusive Love. .49 Sr. Carol Thresher, SDS Signs of the Presence of the Holy Spirit in the Society of the Divine Savior . .63 Fr. Milton Zonta, SDS The Holy Spirit in Early Salvatorian History. .75 Sr. Carol Thresher, SDS Key Element: Mission. 91 The Salvatorian Family Charter and the Kingdom of God . .93 Sr. Rozilde Maria Binotto, SDS, and Sr. Therezinha Joana Rasera, SDS Salvatorian Mission for the Signs of the Time . .105 Sr. Dinusha Fernando, SDS Living in the “Now”: A Salvatorian Response to the Signs of the Times . .113 Sr. Sheila Novak, SDS, and Sr. Jean Schafer, SDS Mother of Good Counsel and St. Pius X Parishes: A Case Study in the Universality of the Salvatorian Charism . .129 Fr. Patric Nikolas, SDS I Will Come This Summer . .145 † Fr. Robert Nugent, SDS The Mission of Jesus Christ, Savior of the World . .159 Fr. Thomas Knoebel Perspectives on Mission through the Lens of the Salvatorian Charism . 171 Sr. Carol Thresher, SDS iii Key Element: Spirituality . 183 Saved by the Experience of the Knowledge of God! Some Refl ection Points for a Possible Salvatorian Theology of Salvation Based on John 17,3. .185 Fr. Paulo José Floriani, SDS The Kingdom of God for All! . .195 Dr. Martin Jäggle/Sr. Teresa Schlackl, SDS Francis Jordan and His Relationship with Jesus Christ . .205 Fr. Milton Zonta, SDS Salvatorians: On Fire with the Spirit . .223 Sr. Marion Etzel, SDS Key Element: Identity. 239 The Idea of the Salvatorian Family: A Thought for the Future . .241 Fr. Scott Jones Life in Community . .249 Mr. Christian Patzl, SDS Salvatorian Family–An Unusual View from the Perspective of the Third Branch . .265 Mr. Christian Patzl, SDS iv We Salvatorians, men and women, religious and lay, describe our Salvatorian charism, mission, spirituality and identity by stating that these elements are all inseparably related to one another. Salvatorian Key Elements: Part 1 International Charism Commission, 2002 Introduction Four elements defi ned by the International Charism Commission in 2002 constitute the “key elements” of the Salvatorian Family. These key elements are charism, mission, spirituality and identity. It is within this framework that the articles of this volume are presented to the reader. As you will see, the majority of the articles contained herein were fi rst solicited and made available by the International Joint Charism Commission. As requested, the authors of these articles focused on the relationship between the key elements and the Charter of the Salvatorian Family. Four additional works were originally presented as talks at the 2016 USA National Assembly. These speakers focused on the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the key elements of charism, spirituality and identity. Another four articles are related to the key element of mission. This includes two papers that were presented at the 2018 USA Provincial Chapter of the Society, a case study about lived mission at two Milwaukee parishes and a historical piece about Fr. Jordan’s visit to St. Nazianz. The USA Joint History/Charism Committee is happy to make these diverse articles available to the Salvatorian Family. Since each article can stand on its own, one need not feel compelled to read the book from the front to the back cover. Rather, one can select an article of interest, read it alone or within a study group, discuss and think about how that article encourages us to live more fully the Salvatorian life: charism, mission, spirituality and identity. Janet Bitzan, SDS November 18, 2019 Chairperson, USA Joint History/Charism Committee v spacer Key Element: Charism space holder Universality in the Salvatorian Family Charter and its Roots in Father Jordan Janet E. Bitzan, SDS June 18, 2015 Salvatorians are, of their very essence, universal. In the earliest available written formulation of Father Jordan’s program, known as the “Smyrna Draft,” Father Jordan (1880) articulated the universal character of The Apostolic Teaching Society. The goal of the society, he wrote, includes working, not only for one’s own sanctifi cation and perfection, but also so that “every thinking creature may more and more come to know the true God and Him whom He has sent, Jesus Christ…” Today, Father Jordan’s Society has evolved into the Salvatorian Family–priests, deacons, religious men and women, and lay people joined together to continue “Jesus’ life-giving work of bringing salvation to all creation and liberation from all that is a threat to fullness of life” (Charter, para. 10). The idea of bringing salvation to the whole world, or to all people, is one of the three fundamental aspects of the Salvatorian characteristic known as “universality.” For Salvatorians, universality is a call to minister (1) to all people, (2) with all people who are called to share in the Salvatorian charism and mission, and (3) by all ways and means that are inspired by the love of God. Janet Bitzan, SDS taught nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for 30 years re ring in 2015. She has been a Lay Salvatorian since 1994. In the Salvatorian Family, she served two terms on the Interna onal Joint Charism Commission and has been a longstanding member of the USA Joint History/Charism Commi ee. She has done numerous presenta ons about and for the Lay Salvatorians with a special focus on the history of the Lay Salvatorians in the US and the integra on of Lay Salvatorians into the Salvatorian Family. This paper was originally published by the Interna onal Joint Charism Commission on both the interna onal web site of the Society (sds.org) and of the Congrega on (congsds.org) in Part 6 of the Salvatorian Key Elements (2016). 3 Universality as a call to minister to all people At the time when Father Jordan was attempting to draft a plan for his Society, he prayed, “Oh my Lord and my God, with Your help grant that I may be able to carry out that undertaking for Your honor, so that all may be imbued with Your sacred doctrine...” (Spiritual Diary [SD] I 120). This society, he noted, will be “A Catholic Society of clerics and workers in the Lord’s vineyard among all nations” (SD I 124). Following the approval of his constitutions for the Society in 1886, Father Jordan wrote, “Believe, trust, hope, love, work–You must lead all to Christ. You are in debt to all, to whatever nation they belong” (SD I 192). Salvatorians are to be among all peoples, in all nations, so that all may know Christ and His Church. “We make the eternal truths of the Word of God and our Faith accessible to persons of any culture, race, ethnic group, social class, nationality and religion” (Charter, para. 8c). Like Father Jordan, Salvatorians of today proclaim Jesus Christ to a “world in need of God” (Charter, para. 1). We are urged ‘not to rest until all persons on earth know, love and glorify God’ (Charter, Preface). The idea of never resting makes our mission sound exhausting, however, the work that Father Jordan did for the glory of God was not always diffi cult or painful. Father Jordan realized early on that the work of saving souls is an exalted task because it is a participation in the redeeming work of the Savior. He cited Dionysius the Areopagyte, a Greek or Syrian theologian and philosopher (c. 500 AD), who expressed this thought, “The most divine of all divine things is to work with God for the salvation of souls” (SD I 99). Work done with the right intention provided Father Jordan with spiritual joy, consolation, peace of heart (SD I 134) and sweetness (SD I 138). Universality as the call to minister with all people The “Smyrna Draft” (1880) delineated the original composition of the three “degrees” of the Apostolic Teaching Society. The fi rst degree consisted of priests of all Catholic rites, sisters, and lay people who were willing, like the Apostles, to devote themselves totally to the work of the Society. These full time members were especially charged with teaching in “schools and seminaries for the indigenous in their own lands...wherever the glory of God will call for it.” The second degree was to be made up 4 of “well educated and scholarly people, clerical and lay, who already have their own profession and remain in their careers.” They were charged with “spreading and promoting Catholic education and teaching as far as they are able...” And, fi nally, the third degree consisted of both lay men and lay women. These lay members were charged with “protecting the children entrusted to them” and ensuring that these children received a “good Catholic education and upbringing.” In 1883, Fr.
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