Spring 2007 Mission Update Newsletter - Catholic Mission Association

8/9/2019 Spring 2007 Mission Update Newsletter - Catholic Mission Association

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has been privatized, bringing new poles, lines, etc., much better service and again generally lower

prices.

Reporting from Cameroon a localwoman admits, Transportation[here] used to be just by foot or,if able, on horseback, with fewtaxis. Now it is done by publictransport and the number of taxishas continued to increase.

How do the ordinary peoplebenefit?

Claudette LaVerdiere, MM whoworked in one of the large slumsettlements in Nairobi acknowl-edged, There are many improve-ments but the majority of peopleare ill equipped to benefit. InIndia Sr. Aisha, SCN sees thatwhat the poor need is mainlyfood and medical care and educa-tional opportunities to learn to-days technology. It has to be

provided for them for they, the poor, have no access to technol-ogy. One Cameroonian womanreports, Only a few people can

benefit from all these innovationsdue to the poverty level in Cam-

eroon.

For the past 37y e a r sBethle-hem has

b e e no c c u -

pied by Israel, explained Bro. Neil Kieffe, FSC. In recentyears the widespread introduc-

Technology and Its Effects

Mission Update

After hearing many times thatshe should visit the web awoman from a rural village inZambia finally asked, Where isthe web? How do I get there? Isit a house or an office? We maychuckle at this womans dilemma

but the story points out the hugegap the new technologies havecreated in the world.

Technology is people usingknowledge, tools, and systems tomake their lives easier and to

better their surroundings. Peopleuse technology to improve their ability to do their work. Throughtechnology, people can commu-nicate faster and better. Technol-ogy allows us to make a bigger variety of products. Our build-ings are safer through the use of technology. We travel in morecomfort and speed as a result of technology.

We know that new technology is being introduced everywhere as aresult of globalization. Those of us privileged to live in the devel-oped world often take for grantedthe many changes in our lives

brought about by new technolo-gies. But for too many of our sisters and brothers throughoutthe world these changes haveeither not occurred or at a differ-ent pace. Advertising tells usthat all of this change in our livesis for the better. But is this reallytrue in all countries?

The most obvious result of thistechnology boom is the recent

explosionin thenumber of c e l l

phones allover thew o r l d .But some

improvements have been more basic. For many people, just theintroduction of electricity, im-

proved roads, and new methodsof construction has made liveseasier.

The stories some of our member missioners wrote for the Voicesin Mission project for MissionCongress 2005 include numerousanecdotes about technology andits impact on the people withwhom they live and work. Thisarticle will explore this issueusing these stories.

Joseph Callahan, a priest work-ing in El Salvador reflected onthe more basic technologicalimprovements. First camestreetlights, illuminating the

plaza and basketball court andthe main streets of the town.Roads were reconstructed,

bridges made, and utilities improved. In December of 1998 phones were installed in thehouses here in our pueblo.Slowly but surely, the peoplehad more confidence to be out of the house at night Electricity

In This Issue

From the Director 2

CFC Thank You 5

Book Review

Ecumenical Advocacy Days 6

What USCMA Members are saying

15

Receive MISSION UP- DATE Electronically.

18

Resources & Upcoming 19

Orbis Books 19

Job Opportunities 5

Corrections 18

The Kenosis of the Mission- Center

From the President 2

Annual Conference Bro- 17

Technology and Its Effects 1

World Social Forum 16

From Our History, Con- gratulations and Slain Mis-

14

Missionary DeathsZenit 18

We Praythat the training of

catechists,

organizers and lay

people committed in the service of the

Gospel may be theconstant concern

of those responsible

for the young Churches. Benedict XVI

U n i t e d S t a t e sC a t h o l i c M i s s i o n A s s o c i a t i o n Spring 2007

Volume 16 , Issue 1

contd on p. 3

US Catholic Mission Association


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From the President of theBoard:

Sr. Mary McGlone, CSJ

USCMA StaffRev. Michael Montoya, MJ, Executive Director

Ms. Charlotte Cook, Associate Director

Sr. Anne Louise Von Hoene, MMS, Accountant

Sr. Michael Theresa Brauer, SND de N, Administrative Assistant

Questions/Comments re: Meetings & Conferences [email protected]

Questions/Comments re: Mission Update / Current Topics [email protected]

E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.uscatholicmission.org

Mission Update: ISSN 15426130

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Mission Update

Lent is a privileged time of interior pilgrim-age towards God (Pope Benedict xvi). It is a

pilgrimage that leads us to the joy of Easter.It is a pilgrimage where God accompanies usthrough the challenges faced - the lack of material necessities for those who are withoutthe minimum essential for life, the moraldeficiencies of those who are mutilated byselfishness [the] oppressive social struc-tures, whether due to the abuses of ownershipor to the abuses of power, to the exploitationof workers or to unjust transac-tions ( Populorum progressio, 21 ). It is a

journey towards increased esteem for thedignity of others, the turning towards thespirit of poverty, cooperation for the commongood, the will and desire for peace [our]acknowledgement of supreme values, and of God, their source and their finality ( ibid. ).

Given the contexts we live in, this message is both a message of hope and a challenge. Seenin this light, we missioners, are gifted with a

privileged time to journey with God and withthe people we encounter in the midst of theabiding and new polarities that exists in our time. We are challenged to address the issues

brought about by exclusion and dislocation,fear and resignation, isolation and marginali-zation. How does our spirituality of missionas lived in our contexts give witness to thevalues of the Kingdom of God? How do we

journey with people towards the hope and joyof the Easter promise?

Our Periodic Paper The Kenosis of the Mis- sionary is a good way to start thinking aboutour spirituality of mission. And what a topicto reflect on during this Lenten-Easter sea-son! Seen from the perspectives of religiousmissioners, this article has a lot to offer to allmissioners, religious and lay. [We]missionaries will benefit from the frequentmeditation on the mystery of Christs kenosis and its implications for missionary commit-ment and religious life. The way of kenosis

is life-giving both for others and ourselves.It will call for a greater intimacy and identifi-cation with the Lord, which is the goal of alldiscipleship.

Our lead article is a look at the dynamics between mission and technology as lived bythe missioners themselves. I am sure that youalso can share a story or two based on your own experience.

Dear Friends in USCMA,

Greetings in this holy season of Easter! May you feel the creative and em-

powering presence of our Risen Lord as youcontinue in your mission.

In March, the USCMA board gathered for our semi-annual meeting in WashingtonD.C. There we had the opportunity to seeour new offices and enjoyed the gracioushospitality of the Franciscan Mission Housefor our 2 days of work and conversationabout the Association. We were greatlyenriched by the enthusiastic contributions of our two newest board members, Sister Flo-tilda Lape, ICM and Sister Mayon Sylvain,RSM. We were saddened to bid farewell toRev. Wil Steinbacher of Glenmary who hasserved long and fruitful terms on the

board. We also gratefully welcomed Dr.Andy Thompson to the Executive Commit-tee.

While the USCMA staff continues to work diligently to assure the future of the Asso-ciation, we are aware that you, our mem-

bers, are an invaluable resource in this ef-fort. While we are not asking you for amillion dollars (unless, of course, you haveit to spare for a good cause), we are askingyou to spread the word about us and help us

bring in new members.

We all know that personal contact and con-versation is the most effective form of ad-vertisement. You who have participated inour conferences know well how enriching itis to gather with other missioners, to benourished by some of our best mission theo-logians and to share ideas and experi-ences. All of that is precisely the theme andgoal of our upcoming

By now, the mission-sending groups havereceived the questionnaire for our survey of US Catholic missioners working here andabroad. Thank you for sending the forms back to us. We do this survey every two years. It isthe official survey of all the US Catholic mis-sioners working here and abroad.

The planning for our 2007 USCMA AnnualMission Conference is in full swing. The Con-ference is generating a lot of excitement. First,

because of the timeliness of the theme : Arenot our hearts burning? Spirituality of Mis-

sion in the 21 st Century . A spirituality of mis-sion is necessary as we respond to our missioncontexts. As Redemptoris missio puts it:Missionary activity demands a specific spiri-tuality, which applies in particular to all thosewhom God has called to be missionaries (# 87 ).

It is not enough to claim that the Church ismissionary by its very nature ( Ad gentes 2 ).As missioners, our task is to make sure that theSpirit is alive in our responses to the chal-lenges of our mission contexts, as well as, bemoved by that same Spirit that is alive in the

people we encounter. Only in dialogue, col-laboration, partnership and networking witheach other, can we arrive at a truly effectiveand relevant response to the demands of mis-sion in the 21 st century.

We have two world-renowned speakers andauthors (Ron Rolheiser and Gerald Arbuckle)together with 17 other speakers that will helpus, participants, to engage and reflect on our own stories of mission so that we may envi-sion a renewed way of responding to the chal-lenges of the 21 st century that is both relevantand Spirit-filled. Please do join us on Octo-ber 26-28, 2007 in Austin, Texas. We haveyou in mind as we planned for this Confer-ence. ( See Conference ad in this issue)

As we had announced in our last issue of our Mission Update, we are

Spring 2007


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From the Director Rev. Michael Montoya, MJ

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tion of the Internet has given Palestinians the ability to communi-cate with the outside world much more easily than before. How-ever, even today, Israel denies Palestinians access to high speeddata lines which are available in Israel. This severely impedessetting up good quality teleconferences with the outside world.

Writing from Papua, Rev. Virgil Petermeier spoke of the introduc-tion of television and the telephone. In 2000 televisions were sup-

plied by the government for each and every village in our entiregovernmental region (Kabupaten Meruake), including our entireDiocese of Agats. The outward intent was to help these peopleknow the wider world. Although no surveys or polls have beenconducted, we may presume that the values of consumerism, shal-low happiness, easy sex and seemingly "justified" violence filter into this society all the more. People are baited by mass media tochase after a style of life they can never obtain, while at the sametime abandoning the wealth of their own culture in the process.

Even here in the United States where we take this technologicalchange for granted, there is a similar divide between those whose

lives have been made easier and those who have not benefited fromit. Kitty Wilson, SCN who worked in Appalachia explained,Technology preceded my coming and I sensed its destructivegrowth patterns that polluted the air, fouled the water, and raped theland. I stood on Cumberland Mountain and looked at the oppositemountain stripped of its vegetation and laid bare [as a result of mountaintop removal coal mining] In ministering with people, Isaw poverty, bulging welfare rolls, and an invasion of tourists,VCRs, and videos There is practically no trade and telecommuni-cations is nil. My cell phone rarely, if ever, worked. Some patientshave no phone and use relatives and neighbors phones. If peoplehave cars, they dont have money for gas; so traveling was/is verydifficult.

Teresa Madassery, SCN explained that the villages of Nepal are thesame now without any roads or transportation facilities, health fa-cilities and communication facilities. People have become poorer in the villages.

Access of information is readily available on the Internet. SouthAfrica is technologically advanced and IT companies are installingcomputers and Internet in classrooms around the country, wroteJoan Mumaw, IHM. Of course those without electricity are disad-vantaged in this regard. This points to the fact that South Africa hasone of the greatest gaps between the rich and poor in the world. Infact there are two worlds in South Africa, the majority who are poor and the elites of all races, mostly white, who are rich.

Effect of Technology on Culture

The culture of this place [Nepal] changed due to the improvementin media, trade, and telecommunication. As the facilities improved,the village became more urbanized. There came to be electricity,telephone, television, shopping centers, long distance buses, planeservices to other cities, schools, medical centers, hospitals. There ismuch modernization noticeable in the area. Simple village folks aregoing in for English medium schools to educate their children tocope with the changing world. Due to these developments, [thereare] more family fights, more sickness, unhealthy competition, ex-

pensive living standard, need for comforts and the basic needs and

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Spring 2007 Mission Update


values have changed. and values havbbbbbbbbbbbbbb nged.

Janet Hockman, MM who worked in the Marshall Islands said, Beingcatapulted into an impossibly fast-paced material and financial realm iswitnessing to a kind of violence. Much of what dazzled the wide-eyedand curious but inexperienced Marshallese deals confusion and culturaldeath.

In Cameroon the TV has disrupted some family relationships. This is because children now escape their homes in the evening to go to homesthat have a set, and they miss the chance to learn the culture and to beeducated on morals through story telling. TV has had a big impact on our society. It has brought about a greater awareness of what is happening inthe world and exposes us to different thoughts, cultures and lifestyles.Imported videos also influence people in their beliefs, even causing peo-

ple to question their religious values.

There is a lot of advanced technology to which an ordinary village per-son [in Nepal] does not have access. So there is a lot of depression andsuicides. Parents have more demands from their children. There is a lotof unhealthy competition and indifference towards the institutions. Eve-ryone wants more and an easy way of life, education, power andmoney. There are more people in the towns and goods and services haveincreased in cost.

Joseph Callahan wrote that while I rejoice in the fact that we nowhave a phone in the house (and of course fax and internet connection),I remember the many years that we did not and I would go to the

phone company office, across the main plaza to make phone calls andreceive messages. This put me in informal and casual contact withmany people: the kids playing in the plaza, the women selling, peoplewaiting in line to make their calls. Now, while I have regular contactthrough the Internet with people in other countries I rarely walk acrossthat plaza and stop and talk to the people like before.

However, on the positive side Callahan admits, that in the most re-mote parts of the country, even where there is no electricity, mobile

phones abound. Those in the States can now easily call their relativeshere, something that is especially comforting in an area that has experi-enced a hurricane and two devastating earthquakes in the last fiveyears.

We have been introduced to many different nationalities from aroundthe world and they are all giving their input on how to advance the Cam-eroonian life. Because of globalization, we have been introduced to thetelephone, radio, cell-phone, television, and Internet, making our isola-tion non-existent to the outside world. New relations have developed

because of easy communication by email, cell phones and easy means of

transportation.

Little did I realize how the effects of mass communication would en-able me [Sr. Eileen McKenzie, FSPA, a former VMM] to not only keepin contact, but to nurture relationships that I thought would eventuallyend from erratic global communication. I could not foresee myself con-necting with my Cameroonian friends on a regular basis as I do today.

Dennis Leder, SJ acknowledged that modern technology has increasedcommunication, but there is little proof that the technology has improved

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the quality of relationships. People in his community are generallymore informed about occurrences in the world outside Guatemala.With more information at hand they experience intellectual curiosityand growth and develop critical thinking. Although they acknowledgethe force that the North American culture exerts on their lives throughtelevision and cinema, they are also able to analyze the enormous

pressure from the North in terms of their own reality, their own val-ues, and their own needs. The participants in our conversation men-tioned the following as a sign of hope: increased communicationopens the possibility for more unity on a local and international level.

With the growth of telecommunications, the [people in Nepal] aremore exposed to what is happening outside the country. There is alsogreater possibility to communicate with their people outside and get

better education and jobs. The facility in moving today from place to place, and the speed and multiplicity of cultural exchanges representan opportunity for people to open themselves to cultures which wouldhave been unknown. These days many women take an active part in

politics. Thus, they have a role in shaping the future of the country.These cultural exchanges could create closer links between people andthus increase the solidarity within the human community. The tradi-tional culture is still intact in the villages.

There has been a devaluing of traditional Brazilian culture, music, anddance, as well as a necessity to learn English to get a better job anda tendency toward a global homogenization of the culture leading toeven more exclusion. At the same time, the availability of films andthe internet has expanded the world for many people enabling them tomake positive connections.

According to Joanne Blaney in Brazil, People communicated withothers in their group by means of walkie-talkies since there were notelephones in the favela. Today many of us missioners have com-

puters in our homes. Internet communication with other grassroots

groups and NGOs has helped a number of groups in So Paulo to joinwith other groups in a common struggle against similar injustices.

A recent study done in favelas in Brazil showed that violence in thearea often kept people from visiting friends after dark. However, theinternet and email have allowed the people to remain connected withfriends and relatives.

Effects on Jobs

While technological improvements have improved working condi-tions they have also resulted in job loss around the world. Throughmechanization in the fisheries in India the total production in-creased, according to Carol Huss, MMS. At the same time, how-

ever, catch per unit decreased considerably. The creation of twoclasses of people traditional fisherman and boat owners has left93% of fisher people living under the poverty line.

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Mission Update Spring 2007

Deforestation [in India] due to industrialization and other encroach-ments, construction of mega dams, pollution of water bodies fromindustrial wastes, reclamation of lakes, ponds, estuaries etc. for shrimp culture drastically reduced the fish availability and livelihoodof the fishing communities.

Agriculture has also been impacted by changes in technology. Sr.Joel, SCN in India wrote of the farmers being forced to use geneti-cally modified seeds that have had a negative impact on farmingfamilies. Sr. Aisha, SCN, also working in India, said that the localgovernment provide fertilizers for farmers but that resulted in higher

prices for fertilizer that are not as effective as the organic fertilizer thefarmers had traditionally used. Governments in India are allocatinghuge funds to develop telecom networks in order to compete withother countries while funding for irrigation or roads to help smallfarmers transport their products is nil. The poor and remote agricul-tural areas are becoming poorer and poorer.

Technology has benefited the educated class [in Guatemala], however,in San Jos it has meant the displacement of workers and the decreasingof opportunities. A local economy with artisans, known and esteemed

by the community, is disappearing. Locally made textiles in manycountries are being put out of business since imported clothing is oftenless expensive and more appealing as being modern.

A question posed by Dr. Nikhil Seth at the International Conference onCaring Communities for the 21 st Century held at the United NationsFebruary 9, 2007 challenges all of us wherever we live and work. Isinterconnectivity enhancing or endangering urban life? The technology

is becoming available inmore places but societalconnections are beinghurt. There is an increas-ing amount of anonymityin societies. What will

be the impact on the fu-ture of the growing ten-sion between virtualworlds and real worlds?Will social isolation in-crease? Isolation

Technology itself is nei-ther good nor bad. How it is used and where it is made available arethe key issues facing the world this century. Dr. Liston Bochette,speaking at the same Conference, gave three rules for decision-makingof any kind: 1. Is it morally correct? 2. How does it benefit the com-munity? 3. Whats in it for me? The rules need to be followed in thisorder. His concern regarding new technologies is that the order of theserules is being reversed to the detriment of societies. Sr. EileenMcKenzie expresses a concern of many. The fast pace, the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the abuse and oppres-sion of people in developing countries is deeply disturbing to me.

contd from page 3

now in our new location:

U.S. Catholic Mission Association

Hecker Center for Ministry, Suite 100

3025 Fourth Street, NE

Washington, DC 20017

Tel: 1-202-832-3112 Fax: 1-202-832-3688


Do pass by if you are in the area.

Meantime, may your Lenten journey lead you to the promise of hopeand joy of Easter!

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not allow faulty instruments to deter their search for solutions to prob-lems.

In particular Parts C and D offer a rich variety of reflections on thechurch in PNG and the way in which faith is put into practice in areassuch as HIV/AIDs ministries, womens issues, spirituality, Christianityand traditional beliefs. As in any collection of articles by various peo-

ple, quality varies from piece to piece, but when one has finished read-ing everything, a single impression endures: the Roman CatholicChurch in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is a peopleschurch, one in which the ordained, lay professionals, and ordinary

believers are one. The most vivid impression left on this reviewer, whoworked in Papua New Guinea from 1972 to 1977, is that several gen-erations of missionary work by expatriates and local church from the1880s through the 1970s planted a local church whose members todayfeel is theirs. The next twenty-five years have been ones in which boththe riches and short-comings of institutional Roman Catholicism have

been felt. The challenge of Alive in Christ is for the church in PNG tofind the way between the Scylla of universally mandated structures,some of which dont function well in the Melanesian context, and theCharybdis of becoming a church so local as to lose bonds of commun-ion with the world church. In particular, the question of identifying,equipping, and supporting missional and pastoral leaders is acute.

It is rare that a multi-author book succeeds so well as Alive in Christ in providing readers with up-to-date facts, objective portraits of a localchurchs pastoral and missionary context, and inspiring insights intohow the gospel is being put into practice. For this we owe a great dealto the editor and animator of this project, Philip Gibbs.

Reviewed by

William R BurrowsManaging Editor, Orbis Books

BOOK REVIEWPhilip Gibbs, ed., Alive in Christ: The Synod for Oceania and theChurch in Papua New Guinea 1998-2005 . Goroka: Melanesian Insti-tute, 2006 (No 30 of Melanesian Institute Point Series), 365pp; avail-able from the Melanesian Institute; P O Box 571; Goroka 441 EHP;Papua New Guinea; www.mi.org.

Alive in Christ is a rich resource for understanding the CatholicChurch in Papua New Guinea in its many dimensions. The book draws together materials from the preparatory phase and the sessionsof the International Synod of Bishops for Oceania (that took place inRome from 22 November to 12 December 1998). More importantly,it brings together materials that reflect on the state of Catholicism inPNG in subsequent years.

The volumes editor, Philip Gibbs, a New Zealand Divine Word Mis-sionary theologian and social anthropologist, has worked in Papua

New Guinea since being assigned there in 1978. He has gathered anextraordinary array of facts and figures that show the empirical shapeof PNG Catholicism, but the articles on pastoral, socio-political, theo-logical and missiological matters are what bring this book to life.

Synods held to reflect on the churchs situation in areas as diverse andimmense as The Americas and Africa have not been without their critics. Many of those criticisms (in particular the suspicion that aVatican agenda high on theory and principles but low on willingnessto examine and respond to concrete needs and opportunities) can also

be made of the Synod for Oceania. Indeed, to read between the linesof Part B of the book on the Synod in Rome it is hard to avoidthe impression that the international synod model is a faulty instru-ment for furthering communication and problem-solving among thelocal churches of the Pacific and between these churches and the HolySee. Nevertheless, this volume also shows bishops, lay people, reli-gious, and priests in deep communion with the world church who do

February 912, 2007

Over 1000 religious advocates gathered March 9-12, 2007 for the fifthannual Ecumenical Advocacy Days. The theme, "and How are theChildren?" guided and inspired this gathering of people from a widerange of Christian communions. Catholics outnumbered all other denominations in attendance. Experts trained participants how to doadvocacy and informed them of U.S. domestic and international poli-cies that impact all of God's children and are shaping the future of our world. The gathering concluded with a visit to Capitol Hill where

participants asked their Congressional representatives to make theneeds of children the center of the 2007 legislative agenda.

Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Chris-tian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in

biblical witness and shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrityof creation. Its goal, through worship, theological reflection and op-

portunities for learning and witness, is to strengthen the Christianvoice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic

and international policy issues. Conceived as a collaboration of U.S.and world faith leaders, Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peacewith Justice began in 2003 as a gathering in Washington, DC of some400 religious advocates concerned about U.S. foreign policy in Africaand the Middle East. The conference is now the largest national annualevent of its kind of U.S. and international progressive grassroots andreligious activists focused on global and domestic policies.

From its small beginnings Ecumenical Advocacy Days has grown toinclude eight tracks that focus on issues affecting Africa, Asia, LatinAmerica, Middle East, USA, Eco-Justice, Global Security and Jubilee/Economic Justice. Presentations explored such topics as: debt, tradeand alternatives to unjust systems; child soldiers; investment policyimpacts on AIDS in Africa; human rights abuses in the Philippines andBurma; children affected by migration and conflict; the links betweendebt, oil and climate change; and gang violence in Latin America.

Ecumenical Advocacy Days


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The Kenosis of the Miss ionarySome Thoughts on Religious Vows and Mission

By E. Luc MEES, MJ

Periodic Paper #1

Page 1

Religious Life and Mission

As a radical option and an alternative way oflife pointing to the Kingdom, religious life has aprophetic dimension. 2 The religious are called to beat the peripheries of human reality, to be counter-cultural and creatively prospective. 3 In this context,the religious vows are to be understood and livedprimarily as a style of commitment in imitation of Jesus and as signs of hope in an increasingly diffi-cult and complex world.

What the world needs now, respectsnow, demands now, understandsnow is not poverty, chastity and obe-dience. It is generous justice, recklesslove and limitless listening a reli-

gious life that vows to be what theworld needs most: a reckless lover, avoice for the poor, a pursuer of truth.For only such things as this, for thiskind of poverty, chastity and obedi-ence only, does the present battered,exploited and poverty-stricken worldwait and grieve and crave. 4

This approach to religious life and particu-larly to the vows does not, of course, exhaust their

meaning, but may help us to value and live them better in connection with the missionary charism.

Over the years of renewal there have been many redefinitions of the vows,and innumerable attempts to explainwhat they are and what they are not.A new approach to the vows isneeded, one that will go beyond re-defining words. It is too soon to say


what the new vows will be, but al-ready there are some hints of areaswhere they may emerge. The vows,to be life-giving, must capture the

essence of what committed life isand the mission it is working to-ward. 5

If this is true, then religious missionary insti-tutes should dare to have a closer look at how reli-gious life and the evangelical counsels could inspiretheir missionary commitment, and how missionaryreality should enrich their religious commitment.While the religious are supposed to be the cuttingedge of the Churchs mission to the world, reli-

gious missionaries could render a particular serviceto religious life. Being the first ones who are calledto keep the fire of missionary dynamism kindled inthe Church, they should from the challenges ofthe field, and from their commitment at the frontiersof faith and society remind consecrated people ofwhat is at stake in mission today. 6

One of the points of contact between reli-gious life and mission is prophecy . As was said be-fore, prophecy is at the heart of religious life. Like-

wise, modern theology of mission underlines thatmission is at heart prophecy: it reminds people ofGods saving will and faithfulness, calls them to con-version, and summons them to a new way of beingand relating with God and neighbors. 7

Since both religious life and mission have to be rooted in the prophetic vision and praxis of Je-sus, let us have a closer look at the wellspring andinspiration of what Jesus was, said and did.

The experience of weakness, of powerlessness and of the cross is inherent to mission. Dependingon time and circumstance it will present itself in varying degrees of intensity. Should notkenosis unto the cross be characteristic of missionary praxis?1


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Page 2

ples by self-effacing love;

- the necessity to maintain a relationship withhis Father through prayer and obedience.

The history of the Church and of theology

shows that it is easier to discuss the meaning ofkenosis than to practice it. However, the self-emptying of Christ is meant to be a model for imi-tation rather than a proposition for theologicaldebate The phrase to empty himself is ametaphor that holds up a compelling example ...From the manger to the cross the life of Jesus wasconsistently a life of service 14 and of surrender tothe will of the Father. His birth, life and death areall evidence of self-emptying. The kenosisof Jesusis not limited to a couple of New Testament texts.It is a thread that runs throughout the fabric ofhis life. 15 Self-emptying, therefore, is the essenceof the incarnation and, in a way, indicates the truenature of Jesus.

When Paul, or an ancient hymnquoted by him, summarized themystery of Christ Jesus by theGreek verb ekensen literally:he emptied himself, he had inmind the cross that showed thisattitude of Jesus brought to itsheight: even to death, death on across. But the cross only revealedthe ultimate reality of the mysteryof Christ and the kenosisof the crosscan be found at the heart of all thatJesus was, did and said A reflec-tion on kenosis and mission shouldtake into account this kenosis whichis constitutive of Jesus mission and can be found in all forms of hisactivity. 16

The Kenosis of the Missionary-ReligiousReligious life, as a special way of disciple-

ship ( sequela Christi) for the sake of the King-dom (Mt 19:12) and mission as the continuation ofthe prophetic mission of Jesus, are the two compo-

The Kenosis of Jesus

A key notion that helps us to read the Gos-pels well and to understand the spirituality andministry of Jesus is kenosis , a word forged by theo-logians from the Greek verb kenoun (to empty) inPhilippians 2.

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,did not regard equality with God as something tobe grasped, but he emptied himself taking the form of a servant, appearing in human likeness.(Phil. 2:6-7)

The adjective kenos refers to something thatis vain 8 , sterile9 , without meaning or purpose 10 , orhollow. 11 The verb keno [kenoun] indicates the act of

emptying, making meaningless or hollow. 12 Theform of the verb in v.7 ekensen is variouslytranslated emptied himself, made himself noth-ing, or gave up all he had. 13

The meaning of the expression depends:

- First, on the interpretation given to the nextword in the text, morph(n) (form). Does theform [of a slave] refer to Jesus nature, oronly to his appearance?

- Second, on the interpretation of the subject ofthe sentence: who is he? Is the one who emp-tied himself the eternal Logos or the historicalChrist? If he is the Logos, the text would meanthat he divested himself of his divine nature. Theconsensus of scholars is that the text refers toChrist. It does not speak of an abandonment ofthe divine nature by the Logos, but only de-scribes the stages of Jesus self-emptying duringhis life.

According to E. Mathews the kenosis of Christ in-cluded:

- the suspension of the exercise of his divine pre-rogatives;

- the need to study and learn as other mortals;

- the refusal to rely on human strength to accom-plish his mission;

- the willingness to risk failure in winning disci-

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frankness they need for their task, especially indemanding situations (cf. Mt 10:17-20; Lk 21:12-19).

Could not the kenosis of the roadbe the mis-sionary way to understand and live the vow of

poverty ?

The Kenosis of the Cross the call to riskychoices

It is the kenosis of faithfulness to God andto people till the end, the kenosis of radicalism ingoing all the way like Jesus did (Phil 2:8; Mt 16:24;Mk 8:34), refusing to escape threats, conflicts ordifficulties. It is the kenosis of going too far , the

kenosis of solidarity with the crucified people oftoday, shown in our commitment to help carry thecrosses of the wretched of the earth, and in ourprotest against the crucifixion and massacres ofthe innocent. It is also the kenosis of giving up ourfreedom in order to set others free.

For missionaries, the kenosisof the cross isvery often the kenosis of not seeing the fruits oftheir efforts (cf. the missionary parable of theSower), the kenosis of having to endure the hard-

ships of mission, even persecution. For some itmay be the kenosisof failure, loneliness, bitterness,or doubt. For many others, like for Jesus, the ken-osis of the cross implies the experience of fear (Mt26:37-38 // Mk 14:33-34; Jn 12:27), solitude andabandonment (Mk 15:34). Jesus showed us how toassume it all in total obedience to the will of theFather (Mt 26:39 // Mk 14:36 // Lk 22:42). His finalcommitment culminated in a kenosis of total sur-render in naked poverty as a sign of his love with-out limits (Lk 23:46).

The kenosis of the cross is that of the sacri-fice of our life: we are called to give up our life sothat others may live. Yet we know that the cross,suffering and death are not Gods last words: ken-osis is the way to the resurrection, to the fullness oflife (Phil 2:9).

sionary incarnation is above all the call to encom-passing life-giving love of others without necessar-ily being loved in return (cf. Jn 13:34; 15:12-13).

Could not the kenosis of incarnation be themissionary way to understand and live the vow of

chastity ?

The Kenosis of the Road the call to justiceand solidarity

It is the kenosis of mobility , availability andprovisionality, the kenosisof walking with people, ofsetting out with people, and of a common search fortruth, light and hope. This kenosis will lead us tosolidarity with peoples movements and struggles,and with people who are lost or on the run. It will

enable us to reach out to all, especially to those towhom the Lord urges us to proclaim the GoodNews of the Kingdom. It is the kenosisof missionaryrestlessness and daring, the kenosis of the ongoingsearch of the lost sheep and of the unconditionaloption for the poor. It is the kenosis of going veryfar , to the outer boundaries of faith and hope. Thisnecessarily demands a simple life style and the sac-rifice of all impediments to this commitment. Like Jesus, a missionary has to give up all ambitions,

plans and securities, and rid him/herself of any feel-ing of superiority. This is the kenosis of not-having,of renouncing extra luggage, powerful means andeven ones family (cf. Mt 10:9-10; 19:27.29), and ofrefusing to settle down, to look back or to compro-mise (cf. Lk 9:23-25. 59-62; 14:26-27). It is the kenosis of non-installation (cf. Mt 8:20), be it in works, occu-pations, commodities or ideas.

Since we do not know where the Lord willlead us or how long the road is, this kenosis requires

trust, patience and the acceptance of weakness andvulnerability. It is also the kenosis of our willingnessto share what we have and what we are (time, tal-ents, skills, energy), and of our constant readiness tomove, to respond to greater pressure, to more diffi-cult or challenging calls. In other words, to followthe Lord to Galilee (cf. Mt 28:7.10.16), to the periph-ery. Only through this self-emptying will missionar-ies acquire the inner freedom and the prophetic

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Could not the kenosis of the crossbe the mis-sionary way to understand and live the vow ofobedience ?

Missionary Praxis in the Manner of Jesus

Mission has its origin and foundation inthe Missio Dei , in the salvific presence and actionof God in history. Mission originates from Gods boundless love for Gods creation and for the hu-man beings created in Gods image. The goal ofthe Missio Dei is the Kingdom of God. Kenosis isthe means by which one becomes part of the mis-sion of God. The kingdom that Jesus announcedand inaugurated is one that is founded on andmaintained by a self-emptying love for all. No one

is compelled to be part of it, but all are invited.Unlike in human societies, the first to be part of itare the poor, the victims, the marginalized, thevulnerable and the abandoned.

If kenosisis constitutive of Jesus mission, itfollows that missionary praxis always has to becarried out in the incarnational way of kenosis. Inspite of difficulties and distortions in diverse his-torical circumstances, there has been a deep-rooted conviction throughout the history of Chris-

tianity that following the way of Jesus is an inte-gral aspect of mission, proof of its authenticity,and the test of missionary faithfulness. Hence, anunderstanding of the self-emptying of Christ canlead to a fuller comprehension of his ministry and,consequently, of our own missionary commit-ments.

The criterion of the life, ministry,and death of Jesus Christ permitsus to identify him today. This crite-

rion leads us not only to discoverwho he is (the Lord and Savior ofthe oppressed), but where he is to be found today (among the poor,the powerless, and the oppressed),and what he is doing (healing theirwounds, breaking their chains ofoppression, demanding justice andpeace, giving life, and imparting

hope). 21

In the words of Anthony Gittins: Jesusjourneyed along the borders between countriesand people, letting himself be sidetracked and putupon (Lk 17:11ff) He engaged and encountered avariety of people, sinners and outcasts, and he en-trusted himself to people whom he did not inten-tionally seek (Mk 7:24ff; Jn 12:1ff). The many exam-ples reflect a whole attitude and a whole way of be-ing: Jesus entire life was directed toward engage-ment with people and with negotiating and tran-scending their boundaries but also, gradually, hisown. 22

And so it must be with each one ofus. But we have to be committed tothe call to mission, to the lure and thedemands of the boundaries or mar-gins . Unless we seek the marginsand the people who live there , a di-mension of our Christian lives willremain unexplored and a whole vistaof mission will remain unseen, out ofsight. 23

Since mission is the heart and nature of the

Church, it is true what Lucien Richard wrote: weneed a kenotic , self-emptying church, a counter-cultural and counter-societal church, an apophaticchurch (emphasizing the via negativa), not in thecontemplative sense, but in the sense of a churchwhich always offers an alternative vision; a churchalways with the Lord on the way to Jerusalem. 24

A biblical image that powerfully renders thisidea is Heb 13:12-13: Jesus suffered outside the gate inorder to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then

go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured.

To go outside the camp means that wehave to go and encounter Christ where he is to befound: outside the visible civil and religious com-pound, outside the security and comfort of the re-deemed community, 25 where he gave his life for oursalvation. We have to look for him and find himamong the crucified people of today, among the

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destitute, the persecuted, the rejected and thosewho suffer. If the disciples want to encounter Jesusand follow him, they have to go and see where helives, outside the gate, in the wilderness, at theperipheries of society, amidst the outsiders and

outcasts of the world. And once we have found themaster there, we are summoned to commit our-selves to those with whom he suffered and forwhom he gave his life: the excluded, the poor, thedesperate, the voiceless. 26

This is the only way to transform missionand to discover the true meaning of Missio Dei in atime of crisis:

For this indicates an action, whichdoes not point indiscriminately toall kinds of happenings in theworld, but only to one incompre-hensible event, namely that God, thecreator of all things, submergedhimself in his own world as astranger, as a displaced person, anoutcast, in solidarity with other out-casts and strangers, who in thisworld pursues a very special, hid-den road in order to liberate it. 27

This means that God is hidden in historyand especially in Jesus Christ. And Jesus and theSpirit are hidden (present, active) in the Church,hence, in all disciples. The mission of the disciples,the mission of the Church, is to continue this missionof God by prolonging the logic of Jesus mission in acreative, courageous and credible way. 28

ConclusionKenosis is not a strategy or a method, but an

essential dimension of the mystery of Christ andhis mission.

In Jesus ministry it anticipated, andin the mission of his disciples it con-tinues the mystery of a crucified Mes-siah, a scandal to the Jews and a fool-ishness to the nations, but to thosewho have been called, a Christ whois both the power of God and wisdom

of God. For Gods folly is wiser thanhuman wisdom, and Gods weaknessis stronger than human strength (1Cor 1:23-25). Kenosis is this foolish-ness and this weakness of God who

draws all people to himself (Jn 12:32) by the power of a Love without lim-its.29

Religious missionaries will benefit from thefrequent meditation on the mystery of Christs ken-osis and its implications for missionary commit-ment and religious life. Following the way of ken-osis is surely no easy task, but one that will be life-giving both for others and ourselves. It will call fora greater intimacy and identification with the Lord,

which is the goal of all discipleship. A disciple is notabove the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it isenough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and theslave like the master (Mt 10:24-25).

Fr. E.Luc Mees, a Belgian, studied biblical theology atthe Facults Catholiques de Lyon (France) and missiology atthe Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen (The Netherlands). Heserved for 22 years in Guatemala as a missionary among theQeqchi-Maya Indians, CICM Provincial Superior, and pro-

fessor of phenomenology of religion at the Universidad RafaeLandivar (SJ) and the ICCRE (La Salle) in Guatemala City.From 1993 to 1999 he was Vicar General of the CICM Mis-sionaries in Rome. In 2002 he became a member of the newly

founded Missionaries of Jesus (MJ) in the Philippines. Afterteaching missiology and comparative religion at MaryhillSchool of Theology, he now lectures at the Institute of Forma-tion and Religious Studies and at the East Asian PastoralInstitute in Quezon City, Philippines.

_________________________________ 1See the introduction to Spiritus # 142, March 1996, p.

2 [my translation].2Cf. D. OMurchu, Religious Life: A Prophetic Vision.(Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 1991).

3M. Amaladoss, Religious and Mission, SEDOS Bulletin 25 (1993) 8: 213.

4J. Chittister, The Fire in These Ashes: A Spiritualityof Contemporary Religious Life (Kansas City:Sheed & Ward, 1995) , pp. 102-103.

5Catherine M. Harmer, Religious Life in the 21 st Cen-tury: A Contemporary Journey into Canaan

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Periodic Papers are published by USCMA

USCMAHecker Center, Suite 100


Washington, DC 20017-1102

Phone: 202-832-3112 Fax: 202-832-3688

E-Mail: [email protected] Web site: www.uscatholicmission.org

Page 7

(Mystic: Twenty-Third Publications, 1995), p. 82[emphasis added].

6Cf. M. Azevedo, The Consecrated Life: Crossroadsand Directions (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1995), p. 23.

7Cf. M. Amaladoss, The Challenges of Mission To-day, in Jenkinson, W. and H. OSullivan, eds.,Trends in Mission: Toward the Third Millennium(Maryknoll: Orbis, 1991), pp. 359-397, esp. 390-396; Mission as Prophecy, in Scherer, J.A. andS.B. Bevans, eds., New Directions in Mission and

Evangelization-2: Theological Foundations(Maryknoll: Orbis, 1994), pp. 64-72.

8Acts 4:25; 1 Cor 15:58; 2 Cor 6:1; Gal 2:2; Phil2:16; 1 Thes 2:1; 3:5; Jm 4:5.

91 Cor 15:10.101 Cor 15:14; Eph 5:6; Col 2:8.111 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 2:16; Jm 2:20.12Rom 4:14; 1 Cor 1:17; 9:15; 2 Cor 9:3.13E. Mathews, Christ and Kenosis: A Model for Mis-

sion, Journal for Applied Missiology 2 (1991) 1: 2(Article made available at http://bible.acu.edu/missions/page.asp?ID=415 . Accessed October 3,2005).

14 E. Mathews, Christ and Kenosis, p. 2.15Ibid., p. 3.16L. Legrand, Rencontres knotiques de Jsus, Spiri-

tus, n 142, March 1996, pp. 40-41 [my translation;

emphasis added].17Cf. also the reflections on the vows and kenosis byA.Paoli, Buscando Libertad: Castidad Obediencia

Pobreza (Santander: Sal Terrae, 1982), pp. 52-56,74-78, 83-86.

18Cf. D.J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: ParadigmShifts in Theology of Mission, (Maryknoll: Orbis,

1991), pp. 389-393; A.J. Kirk, What is Mission?Theological Explorations (London: Darton, Long-man and Todd, 1999), pp. 25-30.

19Cf. A.J. Kirk, What is Mission? pp. 39 and 69.20E. Mathews, Christ and Kenosis, p. 4.21O.E. Costas, Christ Outside the Gate: Mission Be-

yond Christendom (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1982), pp. 15-16.

22A.J. Gittins, Bread for the Journey: the Mission of Transformation and the Transformation of Mission(Maryknoll: Orbis, 1993), pp. 150-151.

23Ibid., p. 151 [emphasis added].24L. Richard, Christ: The Self-Emptying God. (New

York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1997), p. 194.25O.E. Costas, Christ Outside the Gate, p. 190.26Cf. A.J. Gittins, Bread for the Journey, pp. 158-161;

cf also A.J. Gittins, A Presence that Disturbs: ACall to Radical Discipleship (Liguori: Liguori/Triumph, 2002), pp. 107-118; A.J. Gittins, Ministryat the Margins: Strategy and Spirituality for Mission(Maryknoll: Orbis, 2002).

27H.H. Rosin, Missio Dei: An Examination of the Ori- gin, Context and Function of the Term in Protestant Missiological Discussion (Leiden: 1972), p. 34 quoted by J.A.B. Jongeneel and J.M. van Engelen,Contemporary Currents in Missiology, in F.J.Verstraelen et allii, eds., Missiology: An Ecumenical

Introduction (Grand Rapids: Wm.B. Eerdmans,1995), pp. 447-448.

28Cf. D.J. Bosch, Transforming Mission, p. 34.29L. Legrand, Rencontres knotiques de Jsus, p.

49 [my translation].

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From Rev. John Fischer

President of the Board 1986-1990

Thank you for requesting my thoughts on theU.S. Catholic Mission Association as a PastPresident. As I look back, I consider it anhonor and a privilege to have served on the

board of USCMA. My wonderful experienceas President was greatly affected by the high quality of leadership atthe USCMA during my years of participation. I was fortunate to haveworked with some very outstanding people. I particularly remember fondly the meetings at Lancaster.

As a former missionary, I understand how very important the work of USCMA is, particularly for our missionaries when they return home.I congratulate the USC MA on 25 years or outstanding work and prayfor its continued success.

Rosanne Rustemeyer, SSND

Executive Director 1996-2005

USCMA networks with mission-minded peoples and agencies serving to developcontemporary mission thought related toChurch. The networking is critical!

USCMA must continue its work as an inde- pendent agency engaging and gently challenging the institutionalChurch as well as the People of God to living the mission.

From Our History The year was 1981. Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Zim-

babwe was celebrating one year of independence. The Catholic Mi-gration Commission of Japan reported that 150 Japanese missionarieswere working in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.Disappearances continued to occur in South America, especially inArgentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Violence and bloodshed continued

in Guatemala. The Sandanista Popular Revolution had entered itssecond year. President Reagan and Soviet President Breshnev were

petitioned to halt all research, development, testing, manufacture anddeployment of nuclear weapons by the International Petition for Peace. The United Nations had designated it as the International Year of Disabled Persons. The Statistical Yearbook of the Church notedthat the number of Catholics worldwide had increased by 14, 214,000over the previous year.

The US Catholic Mission Association came into being from the for-mer US Catholic Mission Council. Sr. Mary Ann Dillon, RSM wasthe President with Rev. Simon E. Smith, SJ as Vice-President whileRev. Anthony Bellagamba, IMC continued as Executive Secretary.The first issue of the Newsletter in the new Association, known then

as Mission Intercom, was published in August/September.

The newsletter of USCMA became the Mission Update with theMarch/April, 1994 issue. That issue included news about the beatifi-cation of Fr. Damien of Molokai who worked and died among leprosy

patients in Hawaii, the awarding of the Mickey Leland Award to JudyMayotte for her tireless work on behalf of refugees; the revival of solidarity work for Nicaragua; a report on the upcoming Synod of African bishops as well as an interview with Rev. Eugene Hillman,C.S.Sp. on his newest book, Toward and African Christianity: Incul-turation Applied. The Periodic Paper for that issue was New Frontiersin Mission by Rev. Donal Dorr, an Irish Missionary priest working asa researcher for the Irish Missionary Union. In this paper, excerptedfrom a talk he gave in October, 1993 at the Think-in of the IMU

Executives, Fr. Dorr suggests that geography and culture are not theonly criteria for determining the nature of mission to the nations.Donal Dorr is the author of numerous books including Option for the

Poor: A Hundred Years of Vatican Social Teaching ; Integral Spiritu-ality: Resources for Community, Justice, Peace, and the Earth; Spiri-tuality of Leadership, Spirituality and Justice; The Social Justice

Agenda: Justice, Ecology, Power, and the Church ; and Time For AChange: A Fresh Look At Spirituality, Sexuality, Globalization, and the Church.



Congratulations

Consolata Missionary Sister Eugenia Bonetti has been presented a"Woman of Courage" award for her efforts to combat human traffick-

ing. The award acknowledges women who advocate for women'srights and advancement. It was inaugurated by the U.S. State Depart-ment in conjunction with International Women's Day 2007.

A letter from Paula Dobriansky, U.S. undersecretary for democracyand global affairs, to Sister Bonetti said: "We honor you for your ex-ceptional courage and leadership. Your achievements have helped tocreate transformative change within your country and have set a posi-tive example for emerging women leaders worldwide."

US Catholic Mission Association congratulates Sr. Eugenia and allwomen and men working to end human trafficking.

Missionary of Africa Slain

US Catholic Mission Association extends heartfelt sympathy to theMissionaries of Africa on the death of one of their members.

Father Martin Addai, 46, was shot and killed in Nairobi March 10,2007. Fr. Addai was the rector of their theological center in Nairobi.

According to a communiqu sent to Fides by Father Gerard Chabanon,superior-general of the Missionaries, Father Addai "was on his way tovisit some friends when, near the seminary, some bandits stopped himand shot him It seems he died immediately. His body was thrown

by the roadside and his assailants fled with the car."

The Missionaries of Africa web site also said: "Nothing had disappeared from the car: his mobile phone, passport, money, documents --everything was there!

A native of Kumasi, Ghana, Martin Addai entered the novitiate inZambia in 1984. He made his vows as a Missionary of Africa in Lon-don five years later.

He was ordained a priest in 1990, and worked in Mozambique. After time in Rome and Canada, he returned to Africa. In 2004 he waselected a member of the general chapter and made rector of the theol-ogy center.


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Mission Update

WHAT USCMA MEMBERS ARE SAYINGWe continue with some more sampling of what the participants of our 2006 Annual Mission Conference

tell us about what/who is USCMA for them.

USCMA is necessary for best celebration for all of us missionaries &hopefully all Christians.

If no dialogue, why exist? We learn so much from one another. Ill name again Gods abundant blessings. Many prayers for all your/our needs!

Sr F. Kersjes

For me USCMA is an organization to alert each of us and the entireChurch of the services we are to render as servants of the Church. It isever timely, never ending.

Sr. Felissa Zander

Keeps me updated on new trends in mission and gives me the opportu-nity to know other missionaries from a variety of societies and experi-

ences. Important? Absolutely! I wish we would focus more onChurch without Borders helping our Catholic people to broadentheir vision of Church and to help in their application of being a mis-

sionary church.

Angelo Biancalana, MCCJ

I am not a full-time missioner, I am not clergy, and I am not associ-ated with any educational system. I am only a lay person with a full-time job in the corporate world. USCMA is a resource for me to learnand to share the common passion/call for all things mission. . It isimportant, for me, that USCMA convey the current themes in missionwork, history, and how to get better for lay people (best practices,

sharing, etc.) and networking capabilities.

Seth Morgan

The USCMA needs to be a forum, a point of connection and communi-cation, a resource center for all those committed to Mission and achallenge and provocation for those who are not. The USCMAcan help to remind the Church in the USA of its authentic mission and identity.

John Converset

USCMA helps me to see the wider vision of mission, its meaning inour present day, its needs, lately. It has been a source of joy and en-couragement to see so many laity involved, laity who are well quali-

fied, filled with dedication and faith.

Sr. Margaret Rogers

USCMA a way of being in contact with other US missionaries and benefiting from their experience, as well as, sharing mine at thecongregational level and as individual. we are not maximizing our

potential to influence the US Church. We need to work on this by ex- panding our reach to Dioceses and Parishes.

Sr. Beverly Lacayo

Keep short-term mission and colleges connected to USCMA. Parishesare twinning more and more and are becoming a key vehicle and

USCMA and mission orders need to top that! USCMA needs to con-tinue to build these connections!

I also come because I need a progressive support in mission. I would like to see more connection with the American Society of Missiologyand Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS).

Mike Gable

For me, USCMA is an opportunity to share, to keep updated on theever-forward movements in Mission, and any new emphasis being

given to Global Mission as new growth develops.

The importance of USCMA is: the enrichment given by so many won-derful, dedicated missioners on world-wide levels the sharing of experiences which have changed and transformed the life of the US Church the blending of the many, mixed cultures and experiences of their beauty being accepted in liturgical celebration with ethnic

groups.

Sr. Rose Zander

USCMA is a vivid school for missionaries a bridge to connect thelocal churches with the universal Church and universal missions aswell. [USCMA opens up] new vision a new horizon for all of themissionaries of the church in the future.

Martha Vu

For me personally and for my Ministry as Mission Educator in the Archdiocese, USCMA is a compass keeping me to true north incontinuing the Mission of Jesus

Regarding Mission dialogue for the Church, USCMA is both catalyst (initiating) and coordinator (drawing missioners and ideas together).We come from various dioceses, congregations, vocations, etc., and meet in the efforts of USCMA - many voices one goal!

Sr. Judy Gomila

It is an association which provides me with information, opportunitiesand experiences, like the Annual Assembly, to learn and to participatein the mission of the Church.

I appreciate the program for this year and the effort to involve moremissionaries and provide new opportunities to improve the dialogue,and to be the voice for the Missionaries in the United States.

Sr. Maria de la Luz Aguilera, CMS

USCMA a forum to reflect on Mission, its realities, its implicationsand its challenges today and discovering the hope and energy for tomorrow.

It is important that USCMA continue its mission dialogue with the US Church. How easy it is for us to forget about the mission of thechurch, for us to get only involved with ourselves rather than others.USCMA needs to remind the US Church of their important work in themission of Jesus.

Clyde Phillips, MM


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Mission Update


Spring 2007

as many parts as my own choir with traditional instruments anddrums as accompaniment.

Monday found us meeting with the Assistant to the Minister of Finance and a trip to the Catholic Centre for Justice and Peace where we learned about the difference between the basic needs basket and what civil servants in Zambia actually receive. TheIMF mandates that no more than 8% of GDP be spent on civilservice salaries. This means that civil servants are unable tomeet basic needs from their salaries which explains why somany civil servants - doctors, nurses and teachers are leavingZambia and working in huge numbers in Great Britain and Aus-tralia. On Monday we also met with an exciting group called Women for Change. This is a Zambian grassroots organizationseeking alternatives to current models, empowering women by working with traditional village leaders to bring women into

leadership positions.

Tuesday morning bright and early we headed out to theBwafanwo Community School, located in a huge slum of Lu-saka. Inside the school compound was a small medical clinic.Parents and volunteers from the community contribute to theupkeep of the school by making and selling art objects such as jewelry and wall hangings. That same day we met with Zam- bias resident representative from the IMF, Birgir Arneson. Asexpected he defended the policies of the IMF in Zambia andinsisted that the countrys policies, including a VAT tax on mos-quito netting and food (17.5%) were just that, the countrys poli-cies. He admitted that the proposed VAT tax was a rather insen-sitive suggestion (by the IMF) but maintained the IMF positionthat there needed to be a broader tax base established in thecountry.

An interesting but short meeting was held with some Membersof Parliament. Since the MPs dont have offices of their own we were invited to their Parliament Hotel and met with five members in the lobby. Within an hour of our arrival security askedus to leave. But in the time we met some of the members told usthat they want to be able to scrutinize any new loans taken on by the country, saying We do not want to make the same mistakesagain.

We finished up our delegation with a de-briefing at the JesuitCentre for Theological Reflection with staff and director, PeterHenriot, SJ and members of Jubilee Zambia whose offices arehoused at the Jesuit Centre.

What a terrific opportunity it was to be a part of the World So-cial Forum, the delegations, and particularly to have an up closelook at life and challenges facing the communities and people of Africa.

Susan works with the Medical Mission Sisters Alliance for Justice. Thisarticle is adapted from a publication she wrote for the Sisters.

Nearly 80,000 people from around the world attended the 7 th annual World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi, Kenya from

January 19-26, 2007. I was privileged to be part of a small dele-gation from the 50 Years Is Enough Network for Global Eco-nomic Justice, as well as a larger delegation of Jubilee USA leaders and supporters from across the U.S. In my role as a board member of 50 Years I was able to participate in the or-ganization and implementation of several workshops. In addi-tion to the World Social Forum in Nairobi, the Jubilee USA delegation visited Zambia for a week to learn firsthand the im-pacts of debt relief as the country recently received cancellationof a substantial part of its international debt.

The opening Ecumenical service of the World Social Forum inNairobi featured Archbishop Desmond Tutu and WangariMaathai - 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Kenya.

Archbishop Tutu challenged us by saying, You, the churches who work to support Gods children, go out of here to work for anew and just economic order. We do not want the burden of impossible debt. Cancel the debt.

Wangari Maathai said, How could the most powerful bank loanmoney to governments that could not pay without sacrificinglives of people? How can you punish these poor people? Thesedebts are illegitimate - the poor are being sacrificed by theirgovernments to pay the debts. We cannot tolerate these debts because they are literally killing our people. She challenged thechurches to use their moral authority - we have the numbersand the voices, but we dont raise that voice! We cannot besilent while people suffer - we are the agents of the Lord!

One highlight of the WSF for me was the Jubilee demonstrationheld with Jubilee South, Jubilee Philippines, Jubilee USA andJubilee Kenya. We marched and chanted and waved flags asaround the WSF site. The demonstration attracted a lot of atten-tion and from a group of about 50 we morphed into a group of more than 200 as people joined us along the route.

From the hustle and bustle of Nairobi and the WSF we headedto Zambia. On our first day in Zambia we rode three bumpy hours south of Lusaka to visit a rural hospital in Saivonga to witness the impacts of debt relief firsthand. We learned thatsince user fees were dropped the hospital saw many more pa-tients - a positive impact of debt cancellation. Back in Lusakathe next day we visited an AIDS Clinic and hospice in the Kalin-galinga slum - this hospice was an oasis of calm and beauty inthe midst of unbelievable squalor, a refuge where AIDS patientscould come as outpatients to the clinic or at the end of their journey to end their days in a beautiful setting of grass, trees,flowers in well organized and clean houses .

On Sunday, our free day, some of us walked two blocks to at-tend the small Catholic church where there was a traditionalMass in the local dialect. While I did not understand the words,as a singer I greatly enjoyed the music - beautiful voices in twice

World Social ForumBy Susan Starrs Thompson


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Spring 2007


Mission Update

Are not our hearts burning?invites us to look at our own journeys in the midst of the challenges of the 21st century. It asksto identify that which enkindles the fire of passion fsion a holy longing a yearning of the heart.

Are not our hearts burning?calls us to take off our shoesenter this sacred space and time to encounter the fibut never consumes alive in the stories of missiondeeply in our hearts. Like Moses in the encounter, aples of Emmaus, we hope to renew and deepen ourGods mission as we engage in a highly fluid and pola

Keynote Speakers: GERALD ARBUCKLE, SM

RON ROLHEISER, OMI

Panel Speakers:

ADRIENNE CURRY

SHALINI DSOUZA, SCN

KATIE EBERHARD

JUDY DONOVAN, CSJ

Dialogue Sessions:

MISSION IN CIVIL SOCIETY

JUDY DONOVAN, CSJ & CHRISTINE STEPHENS, CDP

YOUNG CATHOLICS IN MISSION

MEGEEN WHITE-TESTA & KATIE EBERHARD

FAMILIES IN MISSION

SAM & CECILIA ESPINOZA-STANTON

PARISHES AND DIOCESES IN MISSION

JUDY GOMILA, MSC & REV. JAMES JEANFREAU

VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION

JIM LINDSAY & LUIS SERNA

MISSION AND RELIGIOUS LIFE

TOM JOHNSON, FSC & SHALINI DSOUZA, SCN

IMMIGRANTS IN MISSION

CECILE MOTUS & LINH HOANG, OFM

THE LONG AND SHORT OF

MISSIONARY CHARISM

GERALD ARBUCKLE

REGISTRATION FEE : (Includes meeting materials, refresh-ments, and meals) USCMA member $295 ($310 after September 31)

non USCMA member $310 ($335 after September 31)

non USCMA member plus

one year USCMA membership $350 ($375 after September 31)

PLEASE CONTACT HOTEL DIRECTLY for Hotel ac-commodation

1-512 -448-2444 or 1-800-996-3426

Or online at www.wyndhamaustin.com

Mention USCMA Conference to get special rates!!!

For more information call us at 202-832-3112

Or email us [email protected]

Visit our website atwww.uscatholicmission.org


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Mission Update

As you know, one of the Resolutions passed at the Annual Meeting in October 2006 focused on global climate change.

One of the ways that USCMA can do its part in protecting the environment is to cut back on the amount of paper that we use.

This includes our newsletter Mission Update.

We would like to cut back on the number of hard copies of the Mission Update that we print and mail.

While helping the environment it will also shift some of our cost back into mission.

We would send an email informing people when the next issue of Mission Update is available and include a link to the newsletter online.

If you are interested in receiving your Mission Update electronically please let us know.

Contact Sr. Michael Theresa Brauer at [email protected]

Spring 2007


RECEIVE MISSION UPDATE ELECTRONICALLY

CORRECTIONS to Winter 2006 Issue: Page 2 column 2: The return address (2nd line) should read

3025 Fourth Street, NE and the e-mail addresses in theStaff box should read:

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.uscatholicmission.org

Please add the following to the end of Page 1 of the Periodic Paper for Winter 2006, before The embedding of Christianity into newcultures.

1. The Jewish age of the first century characterized by Jewishcustom, culture and world view.

2. The Hellenistic Roman age in which Christianity inventedthe idea of orthodoxy.

3. The Barbarian age which introduced the concept

of the Christian nation .4. The Western European age marked by the consciousness of the individual .

5. The age of colonial Europe and western recession

marked by a substantial recession of Christianity

from its western heartland, and also by the cross-cultural

transplantation of Christianity.

6. The age of cross-cultural transmission marked

by the shift to southern Christianity of Asia, Latin

America, Africa, and the Pacific, where Christianity hasnow reached its widest ever diffusion into many cultures

(Walls 1996:16-25).

Page 20 : The return address (2nd line) should read


ZENIT News Agency, The World Seen from Rome==================================================

24 Missionaries Died Violently in 2006

List Includes Priests, Religious, Laypeople

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Twenty-four priests, religious and laypeople were killed in 2006 while car-rying out their missionary work -- just one person less than2005's figure.

The Vatican missionary agency Fides published the report ondeaths, not only of missionaries but also of all the ecclesiastical

personnel who died violently or sacrificed their lives, aware of the risk they faced, rather than abandon their commitment togive witness and engage in the apostolate.

The list of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples avoids explicitly the term "martyrs," so as not to inter-

vene in the judgment that the Church might eventually give onthem.

Nevertheless, the Church proposes them for remembrance and prayer for their eternal rest.

Africa is the continent that registered the greatest number of victims last year: nine priests, a nun and a lay volunteer diedviolently. In Kenya three priests were murdered, and in Nige-ria, two priests disappeared.

The second continent marked by violent deaths in 2006 isAmerica, where six priests, a nun and a layman lost their lives.The Church lost two of its members in Brazil.

Two priests, a nun and a layman lost their lives in Asia.

One religious died violently in Oceania.

Fides explained that the list is provisional, as the names must be added of those on whom there will never be any informa-tion, those who "suffer in all corners of the planet and pay withtheir lives for their faith in Christ."


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Concepts of Mission, the Evolution of Contemporary Missiology , Francis Anekwe Oborji, 2006

Meeting Mystery, Nathan D, Mitchell, 2006

Tenebrae, Holy Week after the Holocaust, Theresa Sanders, 2006

Workshop for Returned Missioners March 22-25, 2007Indianapolis, INAnother workshop to be held June 19-29, 2007

From Mission to MissionSan Antonio, TXTelephone: 720-494-7211Email: [email protected]

Acculturation Workshop for International Priests& ReligiousMarch 26-30, 2007Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers Mission Center Maryknoll, NYContact: Sr. Kathryn Pierce, IHM, 313-341-4841 or [email protected]

National Day of Climate ActionApril 14, 2007Gatherings nation-wideFor information for actions in your area check www.stepitup2007.gmail.org

The Impacts of Climate Change on International Development April 16, 2007

Sponsored by: Friends of the Earth, ActionAid International USA,Oxfam America, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Jubilee USA Network,Oil Change International, Center for American Progress.Washington, DC

For information contact Elizabeth Bast at Friends of the Earth:202-222-0719 or [email protected]

World Mission InstituteReligion, Media and the Black ChurchApril 20, 2007Sponsored by Chicago Center for Global MinistriesChicago, ILFor information: www.mccormick.edu

Maryknoll Mission InstituteRogers Building, Box 529Maryknoll, NY 10545-0311Telephone: 914-941-7575Email: [email protected]

Looking for Discipleship May 6-11

From Religion Back to Faith May 20-25Sexuality and the Cry for Justice June 3-8The Gospel Call June 10-15From the Ends of the Earth June 17-22

Conference for Coordinators of Evangelization and Mission inNorth AmericaReaching North AmericaMay 25-27, 2007Saint Paul University223 MainOttawa, ON K1S 1C4 CanadaTel: 613-236-1393 ext. 2221Email: [email protected]

Catholic Media Convention Together We Spread the WordMay 23-25, 2007

New York CityFor information: www.catholicpress.org

Orientation Days to the United NationsMay 31-June 2, 2007777 UN Plaza

New York CityTelephone: 212-682-6481Email: [email protected]

Bible Translation and Scripture Use in Christian History

June 11-22, 2007Wycliffe InternationalDallas, TexasRegistration: write [email protected]

2007 National Conference Interfaith Worker JusticeJune 16-19, 2007Chicago, ILFor information: www.iwj.org

United States Social Forum

June 27-July 1, 2007Atlanta, GAFor information: www.ussf2007.org

Resources and Up-Coming Events

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... You know the time has come;the moment is here for you to stop

sleeping and wake up, because bynow our salvation is nearer thanwhen we first began to believe.

The night is nearly over, daylightis on the way; so let us throw off everything that belongs to the dark-ness and equip ourselves for thelight.

Romans 13:11-13

Documents

Spring 2007 Mission Update Newsletter - Catholic Mission Association