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EspañolDuring the morning session we listened to two reports,Congregational Spirituality centre and Good Shepherd International Justice peace Office. After each presentation time was given for personal reflection, then the participants were asked to use their discernment guide to take notes.
Report 1
Congregational Spirituality Centre
Presented by Sr Noreen O’Shea
The Team,From left to right:Noreen,Irma,sarah,Denise, Marielos.
Absent: Teresa
Role of the Congregational Spirituality centre
- To follow through on the initiatives of the Congregational Spirituality Committee
- To nourish a vibrant spirituality for today, through reflective living
- To promote an appreciation of our heritage (spirituality, people, places)
- To Respond to requests for individual /group Accompaniment and Formation
- To Develop Pilgrimages/Sabbaticals connected with our Congregational story and roots
- To Offer Retreats enlivened by the spirituality of SJE & SME
- To Maintain and respect the Historical Archives and encourage continuing research
Logo of the Congregational Spirituality Centre
From the depths of our heart, we lean back
into the Heart of Christ.
The fire of his love animates our inner being.
Drawn by Christ’s energy, we join
together and participate in the dynamic
movement of the cosmos towards greater love.
Report II
Good Shepherd International Justice Peace Office
Presented by Winifred Doherty
The presentation of Winifred Doherty was in three parts. First there was a short meditative reflection on the consequences of Easter. The second part commenced with noting that in 2016 we will be celebrating 20 years of Justice and Peace Ministry in the Congregation. The third part focused on recommendations towards the Chapter directions.
She told us that the Justice and Peace experience, since the last Chapter, has been one of a Journey of Integrating and Learning. There was a conscious movement towards integration of the international offices of Justice and Peace, Mission Development, Spirituality Center, Communications and Formation, so as to better serve Units and implement grassroots integration of Justice and Peace.She continued:"We proposed a strong directional thrust to continue the journey of integrating and learning together.Our work, the work of every sister and mission partner is to respond and evolve with this journey".
She reviewed with us where and how Justice and Peace is integrating along 11 areas.
1. Justice and Peace integrating with Mission, Spirituality and Ministries through the implementation of the six Position Papers.
2. Justice and Peace integrating with the Congregational Leadership Team and the congregational offices of Mission Development, Spirituality and Communications.
3. Justice and Peace integrating with Formation.
4. Justice and Peace integrating with Contemplative Life
5. Justice and Peace integrating within Regions, Units and Community Ministries
6. Justice and Peace integrating in Leadership Sessions
7. Seven - Justice and Peace integrating with Unit national and grassroots concerns
8. Eight - Justice and Peace integrating the congregational voice at the United Nations
9. Nine - Justice and Peace integrating with Chapter Priority areas 2009 – 2015
10. Justice and Peace integrating with Congregational Communications
11, Justice and Peace integrating into the Future
Report III
Mission Development Office
Presented by Mrs Cristina Duranti
Photo: Left Cristina Duranti and Eliene Barros
Mission and Geographic Focus
The Mission Development Office was established at the Congregational level in Rome
by the CLT in January 2007 with the mission of contributing to the sustainability and
effectiveness of the ministries serving vulnerable and marginalized women and
children in the least developed communities of Africa, Middle East, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
Roles and Functions
The 29th Congregational Chapter held in 2009, expressed a very clear recommendation regarding the role of the MDO:
“ That we address the challenges and implement the recommendations in the Mission Development report presented at the 29th Congregational Chapter regarding economic justice and mission development: accountability, sustainability, networking, planning and continuity”.
In the past six years the MDO has worked extensively to respond to such ambitious directions and strengthen the impact of the Good Shepherd programs in the areas of poverty eradication, human trafficking, empowerment of women victims of all kinds of violence, protection of vulnerable children and youth. To do so, the MDO has implemented the following activities:
- Cultivated and expanded a global network of donors and partners to support the Good Shepherd programs in the least financially sustainable communities of the Global South;
- Assisted sisters and staff working at grassroots level in the whole Cycle of Project management, from the assessment of the needs of their target communities, to planning, fundraising, and up to Monitoring and Evaluation;
- Applied for grants to international funding agencies on behalf of the grassroots projects;
- Supervised local managers in the whole cycle of grants management and provided support upon request;
- Ensured accountability and transparency in the management of international grants;
- Raised the profile of the Congregational programs through all media, including social media, by preparing effective communication materials and campaigns;
- Raised the capacities of the sisters and lay partners operating at grassroots level through mentorship, networking and joint strategic planning
Achievements
- Networking system: following a Strategic Planning Meeting held in Rome in June 2010, with members of the Micro-Economic Justice Development Team (MEJD), the Justice and Peace Office, the Funding Team (initially created to support the MDO with fundraising in Europe, US and Latin America), the MDO staff and board members, and the Congregational Apostolic Council, it was agreed that, instead of working as separate Committees and Teams, the MDO, the Funding Team and the MEJD, would work as an integrated network to raise funding through joint programs, in support of the Economic Justice ministries, with the coordination of the Rome MDO;
At the end of the day there was a panel comprising sisters Winifred Doherty, Noreen O'Shea and Christina Duranti.
Lots of questions were asked concerning the integration
Feast of St. Barnabas: The liturgy for the mass was prepared by the provinces of Germany/ Albania and Austria/Switzerland/Czech Republic