May 19th: Responding to the General Superior's Report

The first session of the day was a continuation of what was begun on Monday: the presentation of the General Superior's Report. Fr. José Ornelas Carvalho, superior general, delivered the fourth and final section, which was a reflection of where the congregation is today, where it is growing and where there are challenges for the future.

He began with the basic statistics. As of December 31, 2008, there were 2,227 SCJs. This is less than the 2,363 members in 1991, but the 30-year downward trend seems to be stabilizing. However, distribution of the congregation's population has changed significantly. As are most religious communities, membership is rapidly growing in the southern hemisphere while diminishing in the north. The demographics are changing as well, with the average age of SCJs in the north increasing while that of the south gets younger and younger. North America has the highest average age at 65.8 while Asia is the youngest with 36.32. Not only does this reflect where the congregation is now, but where it will most likely be in the future.

Europe is where the Priests of the Sacred Heart were born. It is still the largest source of missionary personnel and finances for the congregation. Nearly 87% of SCJs working outside of their home province or region are from Europe. North America is also responsible for meeting many financial needs in the congregation.

However, it is obvious that the growth of the congregation is in the southern hemisphere. There are still missionaries in Africa and Asia, but they are aging and diminishing in number while vocations of indigenous SCJs grow rapidly. In 1991 there were 167 missionaries in Africa but only 80 today. At the same time, the number of African SCJs has grown from 40 to 235.

Noting these changes, Fr. Ornelas spoke of some of the challenges of the future. "The congregation has an immeasurable debt to the historical entities in the Northern Hemisphere," said Fr. Ornelas. "At the price of the sacrifice of their lives, they founded and supported SCJ communities throughout the world and continue do so today."

Now these northern entities face the challenge of staffing their ministries with fewer members, properly caring for the needs of their aging populations and seeking ways to have impact on increasingly secular societies. "As a congregation, what attitude do we take?" said Fr. Ornelas. "Do we find ways to be present, aware that this may require assistance from other entities? Can we be protagonists who proclaim the Gospel?"

In the south, there is much vocational growth but few resources for self-sustainment. There are also the "growing pains" of entities transitioning from their missionary status to self-direction. Some entities that were once considered missions are now sending forth their own missionaries.

"All of this speaks to the need for a new inter-cultural and international mentality or mindset along the lines of 'We the Congregation,'" said Fr. General. "Unless we take new and courageous steps to deal with the matter of sharing personnel at the international level, as well as other resources, we will face hardship, and compromise our mission in the Church and in the world.


Group reflections

Delegates spent most of the rest of Tuesday in small, linguistic groups, reflecting on the General Superior's Report. Gathering together in plenary for the final session, the small groups shared their discussions. Br. Ray Kozuch, moderator, noted that discussion of the report is part of the larger discernment process of the chapter. Reports and individual comments will not simply be filed away but utilized as a part of this process. A synthesis committee will highlight the discussions as an aid to revisiting many of the topics of the first week in preparation for work with the Instrumentum Laboris, which will take place in the second week.

There were several common themes in the small group discussions. The need to place greater focus on vocations, formation and community life was often echoed. There was a call for greater formation of the formators and a need for more on-going formation. The formative experience should emphasize the international nature of the congregation and prepare men for the possibility of living in an international community. One group called for a greater standardization of the formative experience while allowing room for local adaptations.

Vocations are the future of the congregation and the responsibility of all, not just those specifically identified with vocation ministry.

It was agreed that the SCJs need to be more present among young people, but that such a presence should be tailored to particular cultures. Youth need accompaniment but SCJs should not be afraid to challenge them as well.

Another commonality was the need for enhanced community life and a more developed SCJ identity. The congregation doesn't have specific works, instead, it is defined by its charism and spirituality. That SCJ identity needs to be developed not only to enhance the lives of current members but to have something attractive to offer potential vocations.

Continued commitment to the missions is vital as is the need for people to live, at least for a brief time, in a culture other than their own. This allows a person to see his own culture with new eyes and have a better grasp of other realities.

Common prayer and a focus on adoration needs to be emphasized.

Justice and peace is an area that some suggested needs to be better integrated into the life of the congregation, while one group asked for a better refinement of what is meant by "Justice and Peace." In the personal comments, one delegate suggested that justice and peace is simply a part of the Dehonian charism; when that charism is lived fully, SCJs find a focus for justice and peace.

There was a call for further development of the Centro Studi Dehoniani, as well as enhancement of Dehon Study Centers on the local level. There needs to be a better sense of what is being done and where these centers are located, as well as a greater collaboration between the centers. It would be beneficial to have an "expert" on Fr. Dehon and Dehonian spirituality in each zone.

As the congregation grows in Asia and Africa it is vital that representatives from these regions be a part of general committees and other structures.

Communication is vital and enhanced communication is one of the key tools needed to build communion. There are many good publications, letters and other materials both locally and on the general level. However, how much is actually read? Instead of adding another layer, can the congregation better use the communication tools that it already has? There was a call for frequent, short communications made available in a variety of languages.

Several linguistic groups focused on the issue of the Dehonian Family. Many agreed that it is important to share the charism of Fr. Dehon with the laity. However, many areas of the congregation struggle in finding a way to do this. There was a suggestion from several that the laity themselves need to define what it is to be a "lay Dehonian" and find a way to live the founder's charism in their lives. The SCJs can serve as resources to these lay members of the "Dehonian Family."

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NOTE: The majority of photos taken at the General Chapter will be posted at the congregational website, http://www.dehon.it.

I'll be posting some of the photos I take at http://www.scjusa.smugmug.com To see them, click on the first gallery, or go directly to: http://scjusa.smugmug.com/gallery/8259359_fwcwx#540413616_85pae

Mary Gorski