Fr. Harry Winter
Fr. Harry Winter
Fr. George McLean, OMI, Evangelizer and Dialoguer
We are grateful to Fr. Charles Hurkes, OMI, for forwarding the 64 Letters of Condolences from Dr. Hu Yeping. Click here for a slightly edited version, where the many cc e-mails have been deleted. A personal remembrance of Fr. McLean: after his year of study in Cairo, Egypt, concerning Islamic Religious Thought (1991), he wrangled an invitation to address the Mullahs (scholars of Islamic Religion) in the holy city of Qom, Iran. He was the first non-Islamic scholar, and the first Christian, to do so. He entered the lecture hall with some fear, and immediately sensed the hostility of the Mullahs.
He related to a group of us when the Oblate Center for Mission Studies, Washington, DC (1994-1999) and his Center for Research in Values and Philosophy (see 8th item below) were working closely together, that all of a sudden, an expression from our Oblate spirituality came to mind: to be an Oblate of Mary Immaculate is to have “a passport to heaven.” He remembered that this is also a revered Islamic expression.
So he introduced himself as an “Oblate of Mary, with a passport to heaven,” and the Mullahs expressions all changed from one of hostility to welcome. This was one of Fr. McLean’s many gifts, to take an expression from one religion and adapt it to another, showing the unity of values.
For more on Fr. George McLean and the Center for Research in Values and Philosophy, click these links:
Synodality and Oblates, Part Six, A Pandora’s Box?
Click here to see this article en Español
Recently, practically every Catholic priest in the USA received in the US postal system a 100 page booklet The Synodal Process Is a Pandora’s Box: 100 Questions & Answers. Sent free by the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP), the accompanying letter is signed by President Raymond E. Drake and dated Aug. 20, 2023. An enclosed form seeks comments, financial contributions and further names of people to receive the booklet.
Originally written in Spanish by Jose Antonio Ureta and Julio Loredo De Izcue, neither of whom seems to have any background in theology, and translated by Jose A. Schelini, the booklet has a two page preface by Cardinal Raymond Burke, who claims that synodality has no history in the doctrine of the Church.
One may summarize the booklet’s thesis as claiming that a minority of progressive liberals have taken over the synodality process (#87). The main villain is the group of Germans pushing the Synodaler Weg (The Synod Way, #’s 53-91).
What is very noteworthy is the silence about St. John Henry Newman’s article “On Consulting the Faithful in the Matter of Doctrine,” in which he lists 20 examples from church history in which the hierarchy got it wrong and the laity did not. The most famous of these is the fourth century Arian heresy denying Jesus’ divinity. At the time, most bishops were Arians (with the notable exceptions of St. Athanasius, archbishop of Alexandria, and the popes). The laity maintained a staunch belief in the divinity of Christ (my thanks to Christine Schenk, C.S.J., for her article in the US Catholic of Oct. 6, 2020, for reminding us of this “Listen to laypeople, said John Henry Newman”).
As the Second Vatican Council began in 1962, it was not the bishops who were the Church teaching; they were being taught by the council priest theologians, led by Yves Congar O.P. and Karl Rahner S.J.
An author with a deep theological background who is much more positive about the Synod process is Serena Nocety and her book Reforming the Church, A Synodal Way of Proceeding, published by Paulist Press. My thanks to Lester Zapata for pointing out this book to me.
The Church Reform Section (IV, #’s 41-52) of Pandora’s Box does not seem to be as critical as the rest of the book. However, there is silence regarding those reformers who weren’t conservative bishops: St. Catherine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Madeleine Delbrel.
The Wikipedia article on Cardinal Raymond Burke is quite extensive, detailing his opposition to the Synod and Pope Francis. It may be significant that Pope Francis named Cardinal Burke to be among the voting members of the upcoming October synod.
Three Oblates are among the 465 already named as voting members: Archbishop Liborius Ndumbukuti Nashenda, O.M.I., of Windhoek, Namibia; Archbishop Bejoy Nicephorus D’cruze, O.M.I., of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Bishop Radoslaw Zimitrowicz, O.M.I., auxiliary bishop of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine. As more people are named for the supporting staff, there will probably be more from the Oblate Family.
The authors object very much to Father Timothy Radcliffe, former Master General of the Dominicans, to be the preacher for the October synod’s spiritual exercises (#96). Older members of the Oblate Family may remember Fr. Radcliffe as one of the two presenters at our 3rd USA Oblate Convocation, held in Pittsburgh, PA, from Nov. 5-9, 2007. (Fr. Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I. was the other).
The authors rejection of any meaningful effort to reach out to LGBTQ is evident from #26 through the “Postface.” Readers here may refer to Synodality and Oblates, especially #’s 2 and 3: click here.
I welcome comments on the matter of LGBTQ and any other issue raised by the Pandora book. The book may be obtained from The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP), PO Box 341, Hanover, PA 17331, USA, TFP@TFP.org I www.TFP.org; tel. (888) 317=5571. It has been translated into Dutch, French, German, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish). The English edition has $10.95 on the back cover.
Instead of a clear line between the teaching Church (bishops and pope) and the learning church (laity), is not every person in the Church both a teacher and a learner, in different moments and ways?
Synodality and the Oblates in the USA, Part Five: Missing, Other Churches
by Harry Winter, O.M.I.
As the Synodality process continues, there are two authorities who have commented differently about the role of Christian Unity as we proceed with synodality. Jon Nilson, professor emeritus of theology at Loyola University of Chicago, wrote on March 7, 2023 in the national Jesuit review America that the “National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America for the Diocesan Phase of the 2021-2023 Synod” document “says nothing–not a word–about our relationship with other Christians.” He observes “The synthesis from the United States gives no hint that ecumenism is a non-negotiable priority for Catholics.”
A second authority is Sr. Nathalie Becquart, a French Xavieres sister, undersecretary for the General Secretariate of the Synod of Bishops. In a talk she gave at the Boston College of Theology and Ministry, Oct. 27, 2022, she said that across the board in the synod reports submitted to the Vatican “There was also a strong call to foster ecumenism. For the Church to face the most important problems of our world–ecological climate change, violence, polarization–we can’t do it alone, we have to do it with our brothers and sisters from the Christian faiths and other religions.”
However, when her talk was printed in America, April 20, 2023, this portion was omitted.
Nilson proposed a simple but perhaps not easy step. “Let each Catholic priest, deacon and pastoral minister call or e-mail a nearby counterpart–perhaps a Lutheran, an Episcopalian, a Methodist–to say ‘We both belong to Christ. We must not be strangers. Can we get together for some coffee and conversation soon?’
“What good might come from encounters like these? Only the Holy Spirit knows. Meanwhile, doing nothing is not an option. The status quo is intolerable. We need ecumenical relationships that produce mutual knowledge and trust. Then, by the end of the 2024 session of the Synod on Synodality, our church might really be more synodal with strong visible bonds to our brother and sister Christians. Then, too, we might be more and truly visibly on the way to that unity which discloses Jesus as the One sent from God to us and for us.”
May every member of the Oblate Family remember what our Constitutions and Rules state about Christian Unity: “We collaborate in a spirit of brotherhood with others who work for the Gospel. Our efforts will be characterized by a genuine desire for unity with all who consider themselves followers of Jesus, so that, according to his prayer, all may believe that the Father has sent him (cf. Jo 17:21). Finally, in our hope for the coming of God’s reign, we are united with all those who, without acknowledging Christ as Lord, nevertheless love what he loves” (C 6).
Synodality emphasizes that every baptized Christian is an evangelizer and a missionary. With the expansion of the Oblate Family, the Holy Spirit is blessing us with more resources for evangelism. The Oct. 2023 Vatican Synodality session requires more involvement on our part, difficult as this may be.
May we exercise creative fidelity as we continue with the synodality journey.
Five Ways Book/Fellowship
Monday, Sept. 25, 2023
Many thanks to those who responded to the August 28 Five Ways item. In it I noted that September began with the Ecumenical aspect of the Season of Creation, on you tube. The month of September also ends, Saturday, with The Ecumenical Vigil of Prayer, on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, to begin the October Synod. You may google “Ecumenical Vigil of Prayer,” to see how young people especially will participate in it. And the Vatican website (www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en) will tell you how to watch on you tube this important service which is scheduled for 5-7 pm Rome time, Sept. 30.
Below you will see an attack on the very concept of synodality, and my response to it (in both English and Spanish). Please note that on the Mission-Unity-Dialogue website (www.harrywinter.org) the five earlier postings on synodality are now available on their own page, on the right of the home page.
Your comments are most welcome.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.
Synodality and the Oblates Part Six Synodality and Oblates, Part Six, A Pandora’s Box? – OMIUSA
Spanish 1 Synodal y Pandora – OMIUSA
Spanish 2 Synodal Dos – OMIUSA
August 2023 Five Ways Newsletter
I hope you can open the YouTube below for this Friday, Sept. 1’s very important ecumenical observance of the Care of Creation Day begun by Pope Francis and immediately joined in by many religions, and by those of no religion.
And as we approach the October Synod on Synodality, there will be at least three Oblates among the 465 voting members. Archbishop Liborius Ndumbukuti Nashenda, O.M.I. of Windhoek, Namibia; Archbishop Bejoy Nicephorus D’cruze, O.M.I. of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Bishop Radoslaw Zimitrowicz, O.M.I., auxiliary bishop of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine. As more people are named in the supporting staff, there will probably be more from the Oblate Family.
For many of us, synodality is a mystery. Recently, the pope’s apostolic nuncio in the USA, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, attempted to clear this up. “I am a bit amazed to see people saying ‘We don’t want synodality, because this goes nowhere.’ It goes somewhere. But it requires effort. If you are a parish priest, you have to involve all your parishioners. Fathers and mothers have to involve the family and work together” (Boston Pilot, July 21, 2023, p. 9).
One area that touches all of us is our attitude towards LGBTQ people. The same issue of the Pilot newspaper notices this as part of the synod discussion (p. 5, from Our Sunday Visitor).
Many thanks to those who commented on the July 12 e-letter. I welcome your insights especially on the Sept. 1 you tube presentation. Feel free to forward this e-letter to your friends.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.
| The #SeasonOfCreation 2023 begins on September 1 with the Day of Creation 🙌💙 Ecumenical faith leaders from around the world will lead this moment of presentation and reflection 🌊Join us: 🎉 👉youtube.com/watch?v=pv3kEx… #SeasonOfCreation2023 #prayer #catholics #commonhome pic.twitter.com/8yzfw6TxiS |
July 2023 Five Ways Newsletter
July 12, 2023 Five Ways E-Letter
Many thanks to those who commented on the June 21 Five Ways E-Letter.
Please note that Bishop Robert Barron below is one of those elected by the USA bishops to take part in the Synod on Synodality, which begins on Sept. 30 with an ecumenical service. Twelve “fraternal delegates” from non-Catholic Christian Churches will also participate. A complete list, including the many women who will be able to participate for the first time in a synod, is available on the internet.
You may want to read the four synod items on the home page of the Mission-Unity-Dialogue website: http://www.harrywinter.org.
The June 2023 issue of Oblate World, pp. 4-7, (available on www.omiusa.org) noted that our Oblate shrines in the USA are taking part in the National Eucharistic Revival, which began on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, June 2022 and will run until Pentecost 2025.
And may we all slow down during the hot summer months and enjoy God’s many gifts to us, especially the presence of Jesus among us in the Most Blessed Sacrament, where He energizes us for evangelism, ecumenism and dialogue.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.
June 2023 Five Ways Newsletter
First, during this month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I was delighted to see that the Apostleship of Prayer, inspired by the Jesuits following the ministry of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and St. Claude de la Colombiere, added the ecumenical intention to the Morning Offering after Vatican II.
The revised Morning Offering prayer now reads: O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month. Amen.
Note the joining of evangelization (the salvation of souls) and ecumenism (the reunion of all Christians).
Secondly, I was a little skeptical to read in the April Reflection of the Gregorian University Foundation, p. 5, that Fr. Philipp Renczes, S.J., the dean of theology at the Greg, recently presented the newly launched program in “Comparative Theology of Christian Traditions and Ecumenical Studies,” as a response to “reading the signs of the times” and to the new “ecumenical spring” that has blossomed under the Francis pontificate.
“We’re trying to figure out what the church will look like in 10 or 20 years, and ecumenical relations become more and more relevant to this.”
Thirdly, the reflection below from the former Oblate General Councilor for Canada-US, Warren Brown, and the former Superior General, Louie Lougen, shows both the importance and difficulty of this.
Many thanks to those who commented on the May 11 Five Ways E-letter.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.
May 2023 Five Ways Newsletter
Many thanks to those who commented on the April 17 Five Ways e-letter.
As we wind down the Easter Season, our first instinct might be to remember the Seven Joys of Mary. We remember perhaps too easily the Seven Sorrows. Are we equally familiar with the Seven Joys of Mary? And do we realize that the fruits of the Holy Spirit begin with love, joy and peace (Catechism, #736)? On the website Mission-Unity-Dialogue, the second page is Christian joy (www.harrywinter.org). In order to evangelize, we need to be joyful Christians.
Secondly, Sr. Nathalie Becquart, a French Xaviere Sister, undersecretary for the General Secretariate of the Synod of Bishops, gave speech at the Boston College of Theology and Ministry, Oct. 27, 2022, which was adapted in the journal America, April 2023. She wrote “A bishop from the United States recently told me the following: ‘This synod is changing my vision of evangelization. As a bishop, as a priest, I have been trained to teach, to preach, to tell the truth. Through all this experience of listening, I realize that the Spirit is already at work in all these people. This synod is really changing my vision of evangelization’.”
Sister Nathalie wrote especially about synod contributions regarding the role of women in the Church, and in the Boston College talk (not the America article) said regarding ecumenism and dialogue: “There was also a strong call to foster ecumenism. For the Church to face the most important problems of our world–ecological climate change, violence, polarization–we can’t do it alone, we have to do it with our brothers and sisters from the Christian faiths and other religions.”
Thirdly and finally, my thanks to Oblates Warren Brown and Peter Stoll for sending me the item below regarding the ecumenical dimension of the crowning of King Charles III. Anglicans in the rest of the world are called Episcopalians in the USA, and our two Churches are coming closer with events like King Charles’ Coronation.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.
A 1st since 16th century: Cardinal Parolin represents Pope at coronation of Charles (aleteia.org)The last time a Cardinal attended the coronation of a British King was in the 16th century. Two other high-ranking Catholics will also attend.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope’s secretary of state, will represent Pope Francis at the coronation of Charles III, King of the United Kingdom, on May 6, 2023, announced the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni on May 4. This will be the first time since the 16th century that a Cardinal will attend the coronation of a British king in Westminster Abbey in London.
Pope Francis’ ‘number 2’ will not be the only high-ranking Catholic representative at the event. The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, will also participate in the ceremony inside the cathedral. The Apostolic Nuncio to the United Kingdom, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, is also invited.
Shortly after the formal coronation, performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Anglican Church, Justin Welby, Cardinal Nichols is expected to bless the new King along with other Protestant and Orthodox leaders. The Cardinal will then say to the new leader: “May God pour upon you the riches of his grace, keep you in his holy fear, prepare you for a happy eternity, and receive you at the last into immortal glory.”
However, no Catholics were given any of the 50 positions of honor during the ceremony – unlike Jewish, Sikh and Hindu personalities who are expected to present the regalia, the objects representing royalty.
A defender of the faith
As supreme governor of the Church of England, Charles III will receive the title of “Fidei Defensor” – defender of the faith – which had been conferred on King Henry VIII by Pope Leo X in 1521. Twelve years later, in 1533, the divorce and remarriage of the King of England, without the consent of the Church, led to his excommunication by Pope Clement VII.
As a consequence, Henry VIII provoked a schism in 1534 by getting the English Parliament to recognize him as “the Supreme Head of the Church of England.” Relations with Rome were formally broken off in 1536, but re-established under the reign of Mary I (1553-1558). Her coronation on October 1, 1553, was the last ceremony performed by a Catholic Archbishop – Bishop Stephen Gardiner of Winchester. The last time a Cardinal was present was at the coronation of Mary I as Queen of Scots in 1542.
From then on, Catholics were considered enemies of the national community for several centuries and were barred from Anglican churches until the end of the 20th century. Another sign of anti-Catholicism: Until 1901, at the coronation of Edward VII, the new King had to publicly denounce transubstantiation. The practice was then abandoned.
At the last coronation, that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, no Catholic entered the basilica. Archbishop William Godfrey, the Apostolic Nuncio at the time – the first since the Reformation – attended the procession to Westminster Abbey but did not enter. The then Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Bernard Griffin, did not attend but celebrated a mass for the Queen the day before the ceremony.
The reign of Elizabeth II helped to ease relations between Anglicans and Catholics, especially after the Second Vatican Council. However, diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Holy See were not restored until 1982.
The Catholic origin of the anointing
One of the most important moments in the ceremony is the anointing, which is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury while four knights prevent the audience from seeing the sacred ceremony. The head, chest, and hands of the King or Queen are anointed out of sight. The oil to be used on May 6 was consecrated by Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on March 4, 2023.
Historically, this anointing was granted by Pope Adrian I to one of the first kings of united England, Offa of Mercia, for his son Ecgfrith in 787. The practice then became customary in the 10th century.
Pope Francis offered two fragments of the Holy Cross to the new King, who asked that they be enshrined in the silver cross to be used during the coronation ceremony. The Holy See said this was an ecumenical gesture desired by the Pontiff.
April Five Ways E-Letter
April 17, 2023
First, many thanks to those who commented on the March 28th Five Ways Letter. I hope you all had a very Happy and Holy Easter.
Secondly, Massachusetts is one of the six states to celebrate Patriot’s Day, on the 3rd Monday of April, to commemorate the historic battles of Lexington and Concord, which mark the beginning of the American Revolution. It was during the revolution that the majority Protestant colonists discovered the value of the Irish Catholic American soldiers and the French Catholic navy, which were both essential to our separation from England.
And it was ten years ago that two Muslim brothers killed three people at the Boston Marathon (held each year since 1897 on Patriots Day) and maimed hundreds more. Cardinal O’Malley of Boston asked all of us pray for them yesterday, and for an end to the increasing violence in our country.
Thirdly, may you enjoy the attachment, the April newsletter of the US Catholic Mission Association. I found the final article, by Don McCrabb, the executive director, to be inspiring as he reflects on the hymn “Here I Am, Lord.”
To prolong Easter joy, google “The Joyful Noiseletter” and click on Holy Humor Sunday, to see how many churches celebrated special joy on the Sunday after Easter, yesterday.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.
A Support Group for Any Christian
March Five Ways E-Letter
March 29, 2023
First, my thanks to Artie Pingolt, president of Oblate Partners, for sending me the important attachment. It shows how crucial Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue are to confront serious challenges, such as the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia. Such cooperation is needed at the local level too.
Secondly, as we approach the Triduum of Holy Thursday evening through Easter Sunday, you might want to consider the custom of Eastern Christians on Easter Sunday afternoon. They gather in cemeteries to process to the graves of those who have died since last Easter. When they reach each grave, the priest shouts out “Christ is risen,” and the people respond “He is truly risen.”
Let us encourage all our friends and relatives who have dropped out of our Churches, to come with us on Easter and the Sundays after.
Thirdly, the website of Jesuit journal America posted an article on March 7 by theologian Jon Nilson, headlined “The Synod is missing something essential: other churches.” He is very concerned that the USA report “National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America for the Diocesan Phase of the 2021-2023 Synod” was crafted from 290 documents distilled from 22,000 reports from parishes, dioceses, etc.
But the importance of working with other Christian Churches is never mentioned in the synthesis. Nilson does not report that the Eastern Churches in the USA did submit their own document. However, especially Episcopalian and Presbyterian Churches have a long record of involving the laity in every major decision and development. A major feature of synodality is to decrease clericalism and increase the role of lay people. Nilson’s concern that ecumenism did not make it into the USA synthesis needs further attention by our bishops.
If any of the Five Ways recipients can find the report on synodality from the Eastern Churches USA, please send it to me.
In the meantime, many thanks to all who commented on the Feb. 14 Five Ways e-letter. May we each have an inspiring Holy Week and Easter!
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.
People who have read the book Dividing or Strengthening, or who have made the retreat (both available, click here) have expressed a desire to pray for unity and to work with other Christians. We meet regularly and update. There are no dues and no regulations. We are a very small part of an increasing web of Christians who identify with one denomination and are concerned with all Christians. Some of the larger groups are Renovare, Stephan Ministries, Taize, and Iona.
Father Tom Ryan, CSP, in his 2015 book Christian Unity: How You Can Make a Difference, describes at length (ch. 5, pp. 83-107) the surge in the number of lay groups focusing on Evangelization and Christian Unity (Paulist Press). But he also states that apathy toward Christian Unity is growing (p. 121).
Currently we have about 50 people connected by e-mail and regular meetings. An initial group came out of the weekend retreat at King’s House, Buffalo, MN, Jan. 15-17, 2010. Following that, there were parish retreats at St. Casimir’s Church, St. Paul, MN, March, 2010 and St. Patrick’s Church, St. Paul, MN, March, 2012. What started out as an update meeting for those who attended any of the three previous retreats was expanded to anyone who is interested in the challenge of sharing our faith: June 6,7, 2012 (evening, repeated the following morning for those unable to come in the evening), and Nov. 7, 8, 2012; May15,16, 2013, May 7th, 8th 2014 See Below
Mass on the Moon
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (2019)
Fifty years ago yesterday, on July 20, 1969, Presbyterian Ruling Elder Buzz Aldrin celebrated the Lord’s Supper on the moon. The first food and drink consumed on the moon was the blessed bread and wine from Aldrin’s church, Webster Presbyterian, near Houston, TX.
Communion on the Moon Fifty Years Later (2019)
When President Donald Trump gave his State of the Union Message on Feb. 5, 2019, he reminded us that fifty years ago this July 20, humans first walked on the moon. By placing astronaut Buzz Aldrin, among those notables invited, he also reminded us that the first food and drink consumed on the moon was the Blessed Bread and Wine Aldrin had brought from his church, Webster Presbyterian, near Houston, TX.
May the rest of your day be filled with love and happiness
2022
December, 2022
November 2022
September 24, 2022
August 17, 2022
July 14, 2022
June 15, 2022
May 17, 2022
April 13, 2022
March 20, 2022
February 19, 2022
January 11, 2022
2021
December 14, 2021
November 19, 2021
October 11, 2021
September 24, 2021
September 9, 2021
Current
Synodality and Oblates in the USA
Pope Francis is asking every parish, retreat center, house of formation, and Catholic center to discuss synodality. In the seven mandated questions, the fourth asks “How connected do you feel to the core mission of the Church–making disciples for Jesus?” St. Eugene de Mazenod must be agreeing with this on every Catholic being a missionary.
In our first installment, we mentioned how much St. Eugene lived synodality, even though he may not have used the word (Synodality and the Oblates: Part 1).
Since the core of synodality is mission, St. Eugene looks over our shoulders as we invest in synodality. (Click here Part Two)
In October, the Diocese entered into the process of discernment regarding ministry. The entire diocese was given 75 questions for parishioners to respond to. So we sent them out and had an above average number of folks fill it out. We also come out as environmentally green and are in the upper 80% in that category in the city and diocese. (Click here Part Three)
The Synodality report submitted by Fr. Jim Allen, regarding our Belleville Oblates, and the Synodality report submitted by Fr. Harry Winter, regarding the Diocese of Syracuse, may seem unrelated. But we are putting them together to show the widespread interest in the Synodality process going on in every religious community and every diocese in the world. Click here Part Four
Two experts recently differed on the role of ecumenism in the process of synodality. I have also inserted the importance of ecumenism as the Oblate Constitutions describe it. (Click here for Part Five)
Oblate Missiologists includes at least one Oblate Missiologist from each of our five geographical regions.
First produced as a hard copy in 1997, it is now made available in two versions on the internet. For a PDF version, click here. The type is smaller and you cannot edit it.
For Ecumenism and Laity in the Oct. 2021-OCt. 2023 Synod.
Thank you for being here for the opening of the Synod. you have come by many different roads and from different Churches, each bearing your own questions and hopes. I am certain the Spirit will guide us and give us the grace to move forward together, to listen to one another and to embark on a discernment of the times in which we are living, in solidarity with the struggles and aspirations of all humanity. I wan to say again that eh Synod is not a parliament or an opinion poll; the Synod is an ecclesial event and its protagonist is the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit is not present, there will be no Synod. Click Here to Read More
Political Order and the Ethics of Peace (August 15 – September 16, 2022)
The global political order is today confronted with one of its most serious and dangerous crises since 1945. The violation of ionternational norms and the massive scale of suffering and destruction have prompted vigorous and unprecedented forms of cooperation aimed at attaining a peaceful resolution. Click here to Read More
Lutheran and Catholic Churches in Sweden Increase Praying Together
In this Voices from the Communion interview, Bishop Johan Tyrberg, Diocese of Lund, Church of Sweden, looks back at how a historic ecumenical event that put his home city on the global map five years ago continues to change Lutheran-Catholic relations there. He also reflects on his early education, his interest in natural sciences and acting, and finding his way into theological formation, and eventually the pastoral ministry. Click Here to Read More
Synodality and Oblates in the USA, Part Four
Posted on August 24, 2022
The Synodality report submitted by Fr. Jim Allen, regarding our Belleville Oblates, and the Synodality report submitted by Fr. Harry Winter, regarding the Diocese of Syracuse, may seem unrelated. But we are putting them together to show the widespread interest in the Synodality process going on in every religious community and every diocese in the world.
Diocese of Syracuse Report
When I was assisting the ill pastor in my home parish of St. Paul, Norwich, NY, from July 25-Aug. 7, 2022, the diocese published in its newspaper The Catholic Sun, a summary of 42 listening sessions. What caught my attention was the addition of “special listening sessions,” three of which were “for those who for whatever reason are estranged from the Church, with a particular focus on the LGBTQ Community.” Later in the report, when the top 10 themes were listed, “The LGBTQ Community” was #6. And when this was described, the authors explained “At one of our special listening sessions geared to the LGBTQ Community, several gay people spoke of their experience of being considered ‘possessed’ or ‘mentally ill.’ Their stories were heartbreaking.”
In a meeting with one of my high school classmates, the husband and wife both expressed their concern and bewilderment over a lesbian daughter and daughter-in-law. This development already presented in “Synodality and Oblates in the USA, Part Three,” continues to grow.
The report also described “one of the surprises was how quickly and how deeply the people entered into the sacred silence. For the most part, the people listened carefully and attentively to one another, and seemed to act just as the Holy Father wished: they spoke freely, boldly , and courageously …and respectfully (with a few exceptions).”
The Contribution of a Community of Religious Men Toward the Synod
St. Henry’s Oblate Residence, Belleville, IL
On May 26, 2022, 13 of the 18 Missionary Oblates living in this community gathered prayerfully to express their thoughts on the preparatory questions for the Synod of 2023. The questions were adapted to the nature of this community of priests and Brothers , most of whom are retired or in Reduced Active Ministry.
- How is “journeying together” happening in this community?
The experience of community life has been a unique experience for each person, depending partially on their ministerial assignments: some have been in small communities; some, in large; some were basically alone for several years.
However, there is general agreement that community life here is a positive source of sharing and mutual support. Given the rather advanced age of most of the members, it has been described as “living while dying, making the best of our time together, aware of our mortality.”
Our shared identity as Oblates of Mary Immaculate affords us the opportunity to learn from one another as we move forward together. The Holy Spirit works differently in each of us and helps us to understand our differences and our gifts.
- What is there about Jesus that draws me to him? What is there about Jesus that makes an impression on me?
- Over the years the relationship with Jesus has changed and become more real in various ways.
- Jesus teaches us by his own life to be more giving than receiving.
- We can look at the concrete actions of Jesus as examples of how we can touch the lives of others.
- We also can find images of Jesus in persons who have affected our lives (e.g. a parent or a teacher)
- Jesus wants to be a constant presence in our lives; one who lives within us.
- What is there about the Church that draws me closer to the Lord and to other people?
As “cradle Catholics,” it is difficult to imagine a life totally outside of the Church. But the idea and experience of Church has expanded through contact with different peoples and cultures. At the same time, we would find it difficult to experience God without being in contact with other people.
Most of us knew the Church before we even really knew God and Jesus. It was only through maturing in our faith that we began to realize the transcendence of God and the call to be of service to others.
At this point in our lives, given the experiences we have had in many places and with so many people, the Church is anything but an abstraction. We see the Church in the persons we serve, whether they are prospering or struggling.
- What are my hopes for the Church that will help to draw me closer to Christ?
- To see a Church with living saints who live their Catholic faith in such a way that we too can be proud to be Catholic.
- To see a Church that is willing to look at its way of presenting its moral teaching in a way that attracts and encourages people to walk the path that is sometimes hard. This should include an in depth and fresh look at the relationship between what is considered to be the “natural law” norm and the “lived experience” of people who are also living what they consider to be “natural.” So many people see some aspects of the Church’s moral teaching so stringent and demanding that they either give up or become pathologically scrupulous.
- Some issues in the Church are not going to go away and they need to be discussed openly and without bias and preconceived answers. Among them stand out such areas as the role of the laity and especially women in the Church; obligatory celibacy of the priests of the Latin Rite; inclusivity, even of sinners (and that’s all of us).
- How will the Church be present to the world in the face of climate change and a possible collapse of the environment?
- How can the Church make synodality a normal way of being Church so that this current process not be mere tokenism? Are we going to take the faithful seriously in their own baptized role as “priests, prophets and kings”?
- We need to meet people where they are and as they are.