Partners in Mission News from Baltimore Province
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January 18, 2022At the Baltimore Province Convocation via Zoom, three different confreres in varying locations of our Province shared their experience of recently forming a Partner in Mission ‘Circle of Associates.’ Fathers John Olenick, Anthony Michalik, and Michael Cunningham are members of our own PIM Baltimore Province Committee.
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The message of Partners in Mission is a timely one. We heard earlier in the day the challenges of staffing parishes now and in the very near future. Often, God is in our midst in a very profound and real way, and we don’t always recognize his presence. It could be that God is saying to us, “I’ve heard your needs and your prayers in relation to vocations and staffing, and I am responding to that need; it may not look like what you anticipated but be open to the possibilities.”
It appears we may have a beautiful opportunity at hand -- the opportunity to wed a need with a resource. Staffing, which is the need, with the resource, which is PIM. The resource of PIM that is already fully developed and that which still requires maturation. Maybe God is asking us to invite the laity to walk closer with us Redemptorists to share in our charism more intimately as to Lay missionaries.
There are a few noteworthy things to mention with regards to PIM and its members albeit from my very limited experience with PIM and its members here at OLPH:
The element people find appealing about the CSSR charism that already resides within them is our common humanity. The way the Redemptorists navigate our common human experience many people find appealing. Instead of viewing the challenges of life through some lofty esoteric philosophy, we CSSR’s seek the remedy through very human means common to all people. So that what people find appealing in us already resides within them. This realization inspires hope because what they like about us, they already possess, and this can give them a new appreciation of themselves.
Lucy Burich McNamara’s testimonial video speaks of building blocks. Here at OLPH, we aren’t reinventing the wheel in relation to PIM. We have had many that have come before us that have laid the foundation, namely Frs. Pat Woods and Charlie McDonald, and currently Fr. Clem Krug with a wealth of experience in a similar movement in Brazil. The challenge is to build upon that which has already been established in new and creative ways.
Fr. Michael Cunningham, C.Ss.R.Our Lady of Perpetual HelpBrooklyn, NY
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We invite you share your feedback or questions with Fr. Francis Gargani, C.Ss.R. at [email protected] or Lucy Burich McNamara at [email protected]Partners in Mission Province Co-coordinatorsFr. Francis Gargani, CSsRLucy Burich McNamara
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Our group in St. Lucia has only been meeting since May and already it is obvious to me that the laity have a hunger for our Redemptorist Spirituality. I believe that so often we as Redemptorists take for granted what we have inherited from our founder, St. Alphonsus, and other Redemptorist Saints and Blesseds. We have not done the best job in sharing this treasure with our collaborators and I believe that Partners in Mission is a wonderful way to open ourselves, our spirituality, and our charism to lay folks.
The group here has asked many questions about not only the Redemptorists but also Religious Life in general. Again, we as consecrated religious can assume that all the persons in our apostolates are familiar with the difference between a diocesan and a religious priest, an active brother and a monk, and the vows we profess. The truth is that many are uninformed. Partners in Mission opens up to lay men and women a greater understanding not only of the Redemptorists but also the truths of our Catholic faith.
A good number of our members were able to participate in the North American Conference Virtual Retreat on October 15-16. They enjoyed sharing with other people and learning about who the Redemptorists are on a broader scale. As “newbies” in the Redemptorist Family, some of the terms we casually use regarding structures, such as province, conference, etc., were not clear to them so I had to do some explaining at our next gathering.
The retreat has inspired our members to begin a project in reaching out to the wounded among us here in St. Lucia. We have chosen to work with disadvantaged families with vulnerable children who have fallen far behind in their schoolwork during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the reality of virtual learning and a lack of access to tablets, internet, etc. The group has also decided to assist the parents of these children regarding parenting skills and other needs that they may have. We are very excited to begin!
Fr. John Olenick, C.Ss.R.Assumption ParishPalmiste, St. Lucia
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Good afternoon, everyone. When I was asked to form a “Partners in Mission” circle here in Boston, I was uncertain how to begin. I was concerned that those parishioners I would approach might feel obligated to say yes, and I was unsure exactly how best to present the idea itself. But I could hear a voice within saying to me: “Just begin…and stop worrying! It will unfold of its own.” And so, I began by approaching certain members of the parish who were already active within the parish, and their response was positive and genuine. There was an enthusiasm and a sincere sense of gratitude for having been asked – almost as if it was something that they had been waiting for – or wanting to happen. Then, members began to suggest others who they thought might be interested, and this proved to be a very effective way of growing in number. At this point, here at Mission Church, we have fifteen members in our “circle of disciples” – our “Partners in Mission.”
From the very start there was an immediate sense of something very right beginning to happen; there was a real sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit and a feeling of community – of family – which quickly began to form.
It was important to stress that to be a “Partner in Mission” meant that you were becoming, in a very real and personal way, a member of the Redemptorist family, and, being here in Boston, you were becoming an important member of our particular Redemptorist community. We began by studying the history of the family, how and where it all began with Alphonsus and how it has been kept alive through the centuries by the example and prayers of our great Redemptorist Saints and Blesseds. There was an understanding that we came together to share our faith and to grow in faith particularly as we began to learn about and sharing more intimately in the charism and spirituality of the Congregation – coming to understand – through a Redemptorist lens – that God has given to all of humanity “plentiful redemption” in Jesus Christ, and, in a very unique way, we are called to bring this message of unconditional, merciful, and redemptive love to all of God’s children, especially to the most abandoned – to those who are most in need.
We would begin simply by bringing this message of God’s merciful love into the realities of our everyday lives within our families and into our places of work. We would then begin to explore in what areas of life Christ might be calling us to a true Redemptorist form of Apostolic outreach – some form of active discipleship in this very wounded world. The important realization would be that – though we have all been called in a unique and personal way – both as professed and as laity – yet, we move forward as one family, as “Partners in Christ’s Mission,” embracing our baptismal calling together – in the work of the Kingdom.
This is indeed a movement of the Holy Spirit and I believe that all we are really asked to do is – in deepest faith – cooperate with this great gift.
Fr. Anthony E. Michalik, C.Ss.R.OLPH Mission ChurchBoston, MA
(Courtesy of Baltimore Beacon.)
