Friday, June 24, 2011

CLC-USA LEADERSHIP ASSEMBLY AND NCC MEETING - UPDATED


Xin gửi đến gia đình ĐH những diễn biến tại Pittsburgh

Photo Album
+ + +

Thursday June 23, 2011

5 pm Mass
6 pm Dinner
7 pm Assembly Session 1: Welcoming (Liem Le)
  • 4th CLC-USA leadership assembly. The gathering here is beyond human wisdom. CLC exists not by the will of itself but by the grace of God. We need to reorganize to be a better witness to the church. We are moved to this point by the grace of God. We are not here to invent anything new but God already laid the groundwork for us in different parts of CLC-USA. We just need to collect the graces, gifts. This is the assembly of the geverning body.
  • Turn to the person next to you and share your desire for this new organization (5-10 min), then sharing in big group.
  • Remember how the Lord has taken us so far to this point, reconnect with the inner freedom to what God has for us/his plan.
  • Throughout the whole weekend will be discernment, small and large group reflections
  • about 60 people will attend this assembly
8 pm Reflection in small groups (6 people)
  • people share about how they come to this assembly, sharing of feelings of angst, hope, trust,
  • want to see sign of the Spirit
9 pm Social time



Gilmary Center Chapel

CLC Exco

General Assembly

anh Phạm Quang Trung

anh Mai Hoàng Ân và Lê Thanh Liêm

+ + +

Friday June 24, 2011

8 am Breakfast
9 am Morning prayer - Kim Anh as guide for the Assy, linking/making the transition from one session to another.
Kim Anh's opening remark:
We will join the working group and begin the discernment process. Yesterday in small group sharings, people came with fear, anxiety, questions, spirit of freedom, different mentality and disposition, ... We ask all to be aware of what is going on, be open to the inner movement, and to have total interior freedom.
Working group will help us enter into community discernment today, in small groups we will share and reflect more, lots of listening, processing. We will be the working group this weekend. Be open, no hidden agenda, no set plan.

Claire Meng (KCLC, New York area, member of the working group) leads morning prayer:
Grace to be desired: To better follow Christ as a body as we seek to discern a framework for the "new way of being together" in CLC-USA.
- Luke 5:36-37: No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
- Discernment: In which direction shall we go? Towards a new body of CLC that reads and corresponds to the signs of the time.
- Journey: Why should we embrace the journey? To fully live CLC vocation.
- Trust: How shall we travel? Leaving our new body to the flow of the of the Holy Spirit.

Assembly Session 2: The new CLC-USA Organizational Framework ( Mong Hang Nguyen):
- Outline of Exercise 1 (see handout)
1. Presentation:
   - Few words about the Working Group
   - Discernment process: input (from General Principles, consultors), experiences (consolation, desolation, delight, divine moments, ...), challenges ( overwhelming task)
   - Grouping of guiding principles
   - Key assumptions that guided our work: support local communities, General Principles (GP) and General norms (GN), relationships and bonds of community, lived experience, empowering, recognize and embrace affinity.
   - GP39a (sharing commom ground, some basis of connection, some similar interest), framework is not an organization chart but is an overall vision, a frame to build on, a high level relational system
   - Framework models
   - Remarks on a new way to be one: takes time, continuous discernment, not a quick fix of existing structure
2. Clarifying questions:
   - What was the impetus for the new framework? Reforming the current structure, how to help us as an organization grow
   - building relationships
   - Organic: having toothache, the entire body suffers. We CLC USA are organic, but we do not see the other parts of the body. We do not seem to care about the other parts of the body. Give life and receive life.
3. Reflection questions:
   a. How do you feel about the framework?
   b. What are the points in the presentation that were not clear to me?
   c. What are the parts of what was presented that attract or "seem right" to me?
   d. What disturbs or concerns me?

4. 15 minutes for personal reflection.

5. Small group sharing about reflection questions (1 hour):
   - languages and cultures enrich CLC- USA, they are not barriers.
   - framework can work, governance body needs to be defined
   - language of discernment, using DSSE as our way of life/proceeding.
   - English speaking communities need to learn, know more about the sufferings, experiences of the Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese speaking communities because these communities have suffered before they came to the US
   - English speaking communities do not like the word "anglophone." Non-English speaking communities need to be mindful when using this word because within the English speaking communities, there are different affinity groups based on age, heritage, ... The English speaking communities feel the same way that when we use anglophone term, they are losing their cultural ID
   - want a delegate assembly that is made up of representatives from the local communities. Local communities discern and send the delegate /representative to the assembly, represntative is empowereed, being sent and supported.
   - Framework is based on general principle, promoting unity, family, love, empowerment, trust.

12:15 pm: recognizing Fr. Costello

12:30 pm- 1: 30 pm Lunch

1:30 pm Sharing in the big group:
   - framework helps individual to fully live his CLC vocation/calling
   - Framework is based on GP
   - model hopeful because it addresses some of the dificulties that we have right now. It emphasizes the affinity
   - we are different but we are one
   - organic body: relationships
   - uniqueness: grace of God, it's God who is doing it
   - DSSE
Concerns:
   - What are the gifts that CLC has, what is CLC lacking?
   - children, where are they in this framework? Children are also engaged in CLC.
   - Visibility of CLC to the larger church
   - Connection and not wanting to be connected of the local groups to the upper layers of structure- do local groups still have this freedom?
   - Concentric circle reflects relationships, the national and world CLC help the local/individual groups celebrate the actions of God
   - Affinity sounds good, gives room to breathe, with whom do we feel the kinship.
   - we are already living this framework and now the invitation is to expand it
   - touched by the love vested in us
   - read and correspond to the signs of the time
   - strength of one group to be shared with other group
   - we need to have national missions

2:15 pm - 2:50 pm Break

Kim Anh guide:
- looking at the framework, reflection, sharing

Assembly Session 3: The framework for organizing communities
Grace to be desired: To better follow Christ as a body as we seek to discern a framework for the "new way of being together" in CLC-USA.
   - Current realities of CLC-USA communities: 11 regions and 2 cultural groups
   - Our discernment process: defining the questions based on GP, looking at organization models and functions of organizations, what is our current realities, what do our GP say, what is our vision?
   - Local community: What do the GP and General Norms say?
     GP7 : One world Community
     GN 39-41: Local communities - concentric levels
   - Clusters: groupings of local communities, reflects our current experiences (see illustration on CLC-USA, Affinity groups: DH! KC! YA!
   - Centers: there is a need for immediate structures between the "clusters" of communities; two dimensions: grouping of clusters and affinity groups (see handout for center characteristics)

3:25 pm Reflection questions (15 minutes of personal reflection)
   1. What are your feelings after the framework for organizing communities presentation?
   2. What are the points in the presentation that were not clear to me?
   3. What are the parts of what was presented that attract or "seem right" to me?
   4. What disturbs or concerns me?

3:40 Small group sharing
   - at home with the cluster, center model celebrates the unique strengths, gifts, and talents of each cluster/center, no assimilation
   - invited to reflect on the graces, open my eyes to see God's plan, his working in our communities, to recognize the signs of the time, the structure that God has planted, blessed, and continues give life to:
   - grateful heart for CLC USA to accept the DH communities into CLC/Church
   - God's activities in DH is present in the youth, young adults, family based family groups, program for children, DH is an apostolic tcommunity in process and not a community of apostles, serving in apostolic ministries: MRW, Lightworks, SEED, YaYA ministries,
   - DH Canada, Europe - part of DH famiky
   - enthusiasm, learn from DH
   - worry from MAR region, if KCLC separates from MAR, financial loss, delicate issue
   - openess of group members to listen
   - desire of DH to share the fruits, to collaborate

4:40 pm Break

5 pm Mass
6 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Big group sharing of personal reflection: What was the small group like?
   - Nature of group has changed because we know each other better, more comfortable
   - Is governance body another layer?
   - People are brave in facing realities, see courage in people, at the end experience of the feeling presence of God's love, intense, dealing with real realities, there were tears
   - sense of true community, what's best, not just for my local groups/communities but for all of us
   - move beyond from what we were different to what we are similar
   - people have varius needs that are not being met by CLC and that we are sensitive to those needs
   - amazed by the preparation of some of the other groups through praying and communal discernment
   - feel very consoled even though it was very painful
   - concentric model very flexible, grassroot, chart means a lot
   - thanking group for deep listening, patience
   - issue of communities
   - financial impact, delicate issue
   - beauty of DH communities: the time, money that DH put into it, family vs. individualist, non-DH communities being damaged by individualism
   - new path, new opening for all of us. Trust in the working group, be open to the Holy Spirit, great opportunity. What about DH Canada?
   - DH Canada: fear, anxiety, communal discernment: new door, DH Canada will continue to grow
Concerns:
   - what difference between cluster and center? What is affinity, need clarity of "Affinity"
   - will we have freedom to join or not to join cluster, center?
   - Communication is symbolic of something: appreciate what is good
   - where would National Formation Team fit into all of this
   - what is a center comprised of?
   - what is a CLC community?
   - Flexibility is fluidity, can we embrace more structure, embrace the gift of all?
   - Will the governance body be different than the national body?
   - Communication from center to center and within center, how would it work?
   - how diaspora members fit into this?

What is that of the concentric circle that attracts you?
   - share resources, feeling of freer sharings of resource
   - there won't be any more Diaspora
   - model felt familiar, resonated, coming home
   - freedom to belong to a cluster, barriers are removed, sharing of gifts
   - we don't really know each others, need to address the question of how often we have the National Assy
   - DH, KC cover the whole country in 3-4 regions, learn from the Vietnamese and Korean, thus it would be more simple for formation, communication
   - factored financial impact into this model, be creative in this world
   - need an operating executive body and governing body

8:45 pm Kim Anh going through the day, reviewing the day: two images
Abraham was called to leave his homeland, no details, no location, no reasons, no GPS. Abraham was invited to get out of his comfort zone, was promised promise land.
Morning prayer asks us to reform. Ignatius was given experience of reform, not being able to do a lot (broken leg) formation, resetting his life.
2nd exercise gives us the realities - don't do anything now and still survive but how can we become more thriving, more fruitful like Abraham. With the exercises we are asked to face with realities, have fear and anxiety of losing region, fear of DH Canada of losing DH, dying to the old structure. On the other side new horizon, trust, surrendering, resetting, reforming may give us new life, rebirth, walk through the path of dying to something that is not working and risen, being born to something more life giving.
Ignatius went through year long formation, one person who dares to say yes to refrom, conversion. What is God speaking to 60 of us here to let us be transformed to something new. Structure is just a tool, a means for letting God work in us. We are invited to journey with all the people who have gone before us and all those who will come after us. The Lord is going through the dying with us, we are not alone in our struggle. We are asked to trust him.

+ + +

Saturday June 25, 2011

8 am Breakfast
9 am Morning prayer:
Grace: To be open and ready for the changes that God wants us to discern.
2 Corintians 4,7: But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.

Assembly Session 4: The framework for governance (Marianne Rouse)
Grace: To beter follow Christ as a body as we seek to discern the framework for governance for the "new way of being together" in CLC-USA
- Our current governing body: ( see handout)
- add to Our discernment process: does not well engage members in governance
- add to National Delegate Assembly: manageable number of discerned delegates +ExCo
- ordinary process is communal discernment

National Delegate Assembly
ExCo
National Office
Centers
Clusters
Local communities

10 am Reflection in small groups
12 pm Group picture
12:30 pm Lunch
2 pm Continue reflection in Assembly
   - more united and unity, consolation,
   - more understanding and there will be a lot of work
   How do I feel about the governance body? Concerns! Sharings in big group:
   - invited to be more involved with CLC, exciting feelings
   - instead of structure use channel
   - DSSE needs to be employed than any model will work, needs to evaluate, is an ongoing process
   - most important part of the model is the arrows, opportunity for gatherings,
   - arrows need to be two ways
   - basis, foundation of the model are relationship, communication
   - sharing of resources, fruits,
   - don't like the word/feel resistance against the word structure, prefer the word family, body
   - need good communication to also let people who cannot attend this assembly due to physical and financial abilities share the fruits
   - we need to be inclusive
   - servant leaders in a servant structure
   - office means the office of president, communication, formation (not the physical office)
   - still trying to figure out what center, cluster are, how many centers and offices
   - disconnection to the local groups, no suport, no sending
   - framework looks good but need to work out the details
   - will DH Canada, DH Europe be a cluster?
   - delegate assy: where do the children fit into this?
   - role of the guide in this governance and new model/structure
   - disconnection of NFT to twhatever is going on right now, NCC, EXCO
   - students from Jesuit schools & colleges need to be included (they don't have anywhere to go after graduation
   - need solid foundation, many differences among our members
   - Working Group Website has posted all morning prayers, sessions, ...

3:40 pm Assembly Session 5: Working group members sharing what they have heard from us:

Exercise 1:
- Overview of the framework of CLC USA: freedom, flexibility, common sense, circle of relationship, lack of clarity such as the dotted line for the outer circle, reaching out to the world, double arrow, nice, presence of Holy Spirit, learning more about CLC, know who we are, prayer for openess, organic body, trust in working group, continue to build that trust, respect history, be sensitive to people's history, concentric cirle with two way of communication, process overall very helpful, body is thankful for being given opportunity to be part of the working group, circle of love rather than structure, how to function in an organic body, fear of the unknown and changes, new model, exciting, openess, consolation, framework based on GP and GN, aplly DSSE, living out this journey, already living out this framework in some communities but how to live out more fully
Concerns: How does relationship between local communities and the rest, how to take this back to the local communities, formation, keep the process simple, concerns, anxiety, concern about what affinity, center are, ability to have more visibility in the church and local parishes, inclusion of children, how to help bring this to people back home.

Exercise 2:
- pain, fear, anxiety, consolation, opportunity to share some of the fear brings consolation, lots of emotions, confusion of center, affinity, how many centers, further clarification of centers, model allows for freedom and flexibility, option to join or not join a cluster, embrace all gifts, role of NFT based on this new framework, deep listening, facing realities, financial being a delicate issue, don't like the term affinity, openess, DH Canada's being separated, communication is important, relationship with the church how, meeting every five yeas can build relationship, reverence of the voices in us as we go through, concern for new model and diaspora people, resistance from local communities, how to help members at home embrace the changes, conversion process, transformation process, respect the signs of time

Exercise 3:- question how all of this fit together, clarity, sense of ease, ability to sell it at home, how to get people involved in this, channels, DSSE, how to take old energies and new energies, double ended arrow, conversion, transformation process, not a quick fix, natural use of family of DH communities, patience and not letting us stop, national offices not clear, delegates, communication, importance of young adults and children how do they fit in, how does NFT fit in here.

Exercise 4: - timeline, officers vs. offices, what is a delegate, how to implement, communication with local groups, room and space for young adults and children and DH Canada/Europe, resistance of local communities, mixed feeling about structure and family, resistance to word anglophone, function of NCC and new delegate assy, number of centers and clusters and their responsibilities, trial basis, openess to accept model, how many delegates, implementation - do not run ahead of the grace, how to engage the body, request for a timeline, financial needs to be considered but should not control, what is a member, working together for mission, resource about who is a member, don't put everything on hold, whole process needs to be flexible, reflected, revised

4:30 pm break
4:45 pm Mass
6:00 pm Dinner
8:30 pm Meting of interest group
9 pm Pittsburgh by Night. - it was a blast

+ + +

Sunday June 26, 2011

8 am Breakfast
9:30 am Kim Anh: Examen of the past few days, whole body was taken through the community discernment:
Thursday night orientation
Friday: two exercises, framework that can or will be
Saturday: Governing body
Note the graces: moments of consolation when we feel life, joy, peace, moments of desolation: anxious, unrest.  How do you feel night as we come to a close of the exercises, community discernment?

9:35 am Morning prayer: Corpus Christi Sunday
Reflection: 
- The current sturcture that we inherit, the new structure that we bless, are they not a participation in the body of Christ?
- The graced history of CLC, the CLC way of life, the Ignatian spirituality and the humanity that we share, are they not a participation in the blood of Christ?
Assembly Session 5:  Formal NCC Meeting
New EA: Rev. Jim Bobely
Approced Proposal 1, 2, 3.

11 am Mass

Thanh Dung

No comments:

Post a Comment