Pathways, July 2011
Sister Monica Cavanagh RSJ led a Q&A forum at CRA's National Assembly on the future of religious life reports The Catholic Leader's Paul Dobbyn.
Soon after my arrival at the 35th CRA National Assembly, the Q&A forum facilitated by Josephite Sister Monica Cavanagh got underway.
Panellists were Columban Father Noel Connolly, Mercy Sisters Jan Gray and Veronica Lawson, and Cistercian Father David Tomlinson.
Together they continued a dialogue on topics already presented elsewhere in the conference.
Key discussion topics leading to thought-provoking responses were the managing of divergent viewpoints both within congregations and society at large, and examples of new initiatives showing how the reign of God is emerging in particular congregations.
Responding to the first panel question, Fr Connolly spoke of his response to a businessman who asked whether he was optimistic about the future and how he was able to say "yes".
"I realised I had reached a profound personal truth," he said.
"I asked myself why and realised it was because I believed God will save the world."
Speaking to the same topic of managing divergent viewpoints, Sr Grey said: "I take great confidence in that this is the way God created things - for us all not to be the same."
Sr Lawson said it was "always important to keep relationship to the fore".
"We don't all have to see the world the same way," she said.
She acknowledged that "we come with many different points of view which sometimes converge, sometimes don't".
The Mercy Sister gave an example of restructuring in her own congregation where 15 of 18 groups have decided to form one group which is causing "enormous pain in the things having to be negotiated".
The topic of change, of "new things" continued to be very much a part of the rest of the discussion.
Sr Lawson spoke of the work her Ballarat congregation had done on "forgiveness as a work of mercy" and of a process of "naming and letting go of any past hurts and conflicts".
Fr Tomlinson spoke of working on gender issues in the Cistercian order, of trying to bring men and women religious into unity as one chapter.
Fr Connolly spoke on the increasingly multicultural nature of the Australian Church.
He asked those present to imagine a meeting of religious heads in 10 years' time.
"Based on current trends, we will be much more multicultural and no doubt younger," he said.
"I sense we are not preparing adequately for this change.
"The reality is they (people with multicultural background) are going to be leaders and if they're not happy I suggest we would need to look out."
Sr Grey put the current situation of change facing Catholic religious into historical context, noting, "We're not the first - even earliest Christian communities facing their challenges".
She said "interestingly in the UK, orders are unconcerned about possibility of diminishment - since they have faced challenges many times in history and have been reborn".
The Q&A session finished with words of challenge from Fr Connolly when he quoted the words of one Catholic thinker that the Church should "present a beautiful face to the world".
"If we go around looking miserable, all we will do is convince the doubters they were right all the time," he cautioned.
Finally, he left those present the words of St Peter to ponder: "The reasons for your hope, be ready to share them."
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