Trung Pham: Leadership Assembly Recap

Thursday June 28th, 2012.
The Opening of Leaderships Assembly 5

The 5th Leadership Assembly of Christian Life Community - USA was held at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with and attendance of 68 leaders from 11 geographical regions and two cultural bodies; K-CLC and Dong Hanh-CLC.  One after another, one from different parts of the country flew in and were picked up at Pittsburgh Airport to then be dropped off at Gilmary Retreat Center.
 
Fr. Jim O’Brien, SJ presided the Thursday Mass at 5:00 PM which celebrated the Feast of St .Iraneaus. Although the St. Mary chapel was suffocating with the heat wave, the entire assembly joyfully celebrated Eucharist Sacrament with English and Vietnamese worshipping hymns.

After dining in the sauna-like dining room, at 7:30 PM Hang Nguyen, President of CLC-USA, convened members of the National Coordinating Council (NCC) and seated the new members; in which there 4 additional members from K-CLC and 4 additional members from Dong Hanh along with the Delegates. This is the 1st in-person meeting of the expended NCC.

In the same process, Mong Hang also retold the Miami Assembly experience in which Dong Hanh joined CLC-USA.  She also mentioned the growing presence of K-CLC communities and the vibrant energy of S. Florida communities in the CLC-USA that led to the drive and efforts on re-organize our community.   

Friday June 29th, 2010.
The morning prayer was led by the Working Group members.  Old, young, new Delegates joined their voice and body movement with the prayer: “I Surrender”.  It was so touching and inspirational to see people in silver hair,  with walker, young faces prayed together with their Heart, Body and Soul with the song: I Surrender – I step into the flow, and then I let it go, my mind, my heart, my soul, I surrender,  I surrender…” 

During the 4th exercise: Relationship among Members in the CLC-USA Community, Rick Kunkle, chairperson of the Working Group shared the vision for the new structure.

After the presentation, participants broke out into small affinity groups: DH, K-CLC, S. Florida,  and geographical regions to discern for disadvantages and advantages on the proposed vision of membership, community and clusters, and that took all day.

Liem Le led everyone back to memory lane way back to the very first community formed by Jean Leunis, SJ in 1548 .  The up and down of Marian Congregation along the suppression and revival of Society of Jesus.  God had protected CLC through out  the 450 years in order for Vietnamese Catholic in USA still have opportunity to experienced God’s love and live CLC vocation fully.     Yes, we were convinced that 

On Friday evening, the Feast of St Peter and St. Paul was presided by Fr. Tri Dinh.  During the Homily, he pointed out that CLC-USA not just a house but a home in which we all will come into loving relationship. Also we were surprised with the visit of Ms Daniela Frank, the World CLC president.  During the Mass, Henry Gonzales, Carol Gonzales and Sophie Nguyen made their commitment.  Daniela representing the World community was very happy to receive their commitments.    Many other Delegates also renewed their commitment.  To celebrate the occasion, Daniela gave all committed members each a new pin of the CLC-USA.  

Saturday June 30th, Evening.
The exercise 5a - Service Centers and National Offices led by Mong Hang and 5b – the Executive Council and the Delegate Assembly led by Maryanne Rouse touched so close rto what ACE DH  treasured so dearly.  They was in desolation, fear, tension, pain because the reality of losing Dong Hanh identity and leadership capacity to process and link all DH members into one family when the new structure being implemented.   Tears flew.  Faces whiten.  Eyes red.   Tension among ACE leaders were evident and imminent.  They took a long time to pray individually on these subjects and shared their graced experiences  before returning to big group session.  At last, peace and interior freedom filled their hearts.  

At 8:30 PM 24 members of National Coordinating Council and 5 Executive Council sit in a fishbowl circle to formulate statements for next day deliberation on 6 different areas: Membership, Community, Cluster, Service Centers, National Offices, Delegate Assembly and Executive Council.  The session was intensively participative and  ACE DH voiced concerns that they reached for DH Community.

At 9:00 PM, the CLC By Night started rolling out with a wonderful entertaining programs contributed and performed by almost all of the Leadership Assembly participants.  The Fashion show of various cultural costumes within CLC-USA was the most colorful and educational contribution.  ACE DH put on our traditional khăn đông and áo dài.  Please see pictures.   

Phóng Viên Đồng Hành

Thái Sơn: Reflection LA Assembly, Pittsburgh 2012

"Too bad I have to miss the last day of the Assembly"

I said to myself when sitting at the airport to return to Dallas. I have a flight to Vietnam to catch early the next day, so here I am, sitting on the plane reflecting back on the graces of the last couple of days.
What remains in me?

Faith. Hope. Love.

This weekend was about a communal discernment as we discern together a new way of being and organized together within CLC USA with the richness in its diversity. I remembered the first nights our Dong Hanh brothers and sisters checked in together and asked for the graces to be open, to be real and humble. It was quite a challenge and journey...

I believe it was not a coincidence that this weekend of discernment about the restructuring process falls onto the Feast of St Peter and St Paul, the 2 pillars of the our Church. Cha Tri Dinh, during his homily on Friday, reminded us that Peter and Paul, 2 men who made a lot of mistakes in their life, but yet always remain open to let that consuming love of God transform them. A love of God so immense that in Jesus, God is willing to give up, to "waste" all that He has and all that He is for us. St Peter represents unity, structure... On the other hand, St Paul represent diversity, charism... They have done so much for our Church. Yet, at the end of their life, all that they have and cherish is this love of God that has transformed their life. They knew and have always found their home.

In this re-structuring process, there is this tension between unity and diversity. It was real. We have been going through this today. There were moments of desolation, tension, doubt, fears, questions and uncertainties today when we listen and discuss about the new proposed structure of CLC-USA, as there were also uncertainties of what will happen to Dong Hanh-CLC in the future. As we got the chance earlier this afternoon in the chapel to pray, to be real with one another with our thoughts and feelings, we started to face our fears, desolations and doubts. As we shared and let the Spirit speak, we started to be a little more peaceful and become a little more free. We trust a little more that God has a plan and dream for us. We walk together more in faith.

I remember someone asked St Ignatius after he founded the Society of Jesus :"How do you feel if the Society of Jesus is suppressed". He replied:"Give me 15 minutes to recompose myself in prayer and I will be ok." His reply still strikes and touches me so much every time I think of it. What an inner freedom! That is the indifference and detachment that we often talking about in Ignatian spirituality. St Ignatius is very clear about what is the gift. Who is the giver. What is a means. What is an end.  At the end of the day, for Ignatius, it is not about the Society of Jesus, it is about Jesus.

This story gives me a lot of hope. For about 30 years and for all of us, Dong Hanh-CLC has been a big gift from God.  We have been embracing this gift and sharing it with others. Yet, we are also called to be indifferent and detached from this gift, just like St Ignatius. In the context of this re-structuring process, we are called to be more open and give more space for God to shape this gift, to be more ready to let go, as well as to trust deeper and hang on tighter to Him. I remembered one of our Dong Hanh NCC member just shared this afternoon:"Before I am a Canadian, I am a Vietnamese. Before I am a Vietnamese, I am a Catholic."

I hope that the whole Assembly will continue to be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to be open to the changing and unfolding of the structure through the suggestions, inputs, recommendations of everyone, so we can strive together to build a structure that embraces unity as well as diversity, that is empowering, that fosters relationships, that helps one another discover and live out one's  personal vocation, which is the heart of CLC charism.

I don't know what God has in store for the new structure of CLC-USA. I don't know what the new "house" will look like. All I can do is trust. All we can do is to continue to build loving, genuine relationships, to foster the sense of home, so that when the house is there, it would be a "homey" one, and there, it would be full of joyful people who is so filled with love, that they would be able to say to one another:"I love you so much that I am willing to give up all that I am and all that I have for you".

"So faith, hope, and love remain, these three... But the greatest of these is love" 1 Cor 13:13

Tinh Chua qua tinh nguoi.
When we are not sure what the next step would be, the next surest step is to love.

Thái Sơn

Leadership Assembly - Ngày 3

Dear all,

Morning prayer remind the delegates to trust; trust in one another, trust in God.  The only moment of the day that is calm.  It was as if the calm before the storm.  The rest of the day was not as calm; in fact, it was a tough tough day for all who was here.  Why was the day hard?  It was hard because we were all asked to give up a part of us which we all held so close to our heart. 

Restructuring of CLC-USA was not new to most of us.  We knew of the process for at least 5 years.  I found out that the process actually started almost immediately after the Assembly in Miami in 2004.  In fact, last year at the Leadership Assembly, Dong Hanh breathed a sigh of relieve when the proposed structure included an entity called "Affinity Group" that would satisfied Dong Hanh current structure.  If that was so, then why was this year so tough? 

There is a saying " the devil is in the detail".  This year's Leadership Assembly will begin to propose more specific detail.  This was when the rubber hit the road.  When the details begin to emerge, it did not even dawn on the delegates of the ramification until it was explained to us in more detail by anh Liem and anh Trung last night.  Dong Hanh now faced a reality that dong hanh as the way most of us know will cease to exist, if details of the structure are implemented.

Dong Hanh, a home to many of us; a place that give us identity; a place that nurture us;  Now we are asked to give it up.  Give up not only its name, but the life giving structure.  This is something that I have been struggled with these issues for the past few weeks with no clear answer.  Tension was high at time, in fact, as anh Liem put it, there was no freedom in our discernment at all.  The reality that was put forth was not even conceived of and not easily accepted by most of us.  Yet, this issue was placed on the shoulders of Dong Hanh delegates.  We took much time, more time than any other communities, but it was to be expected, because we have much more to loose.  To give up our identity in exchange of something concrete may be easier to decide, but even the details that were presented was very sketchy at best.  So we were ask to give us something so dear to us in exchange for more unknown and uncertainty.

My contemplation revolved around the prayer of St. Francis especially the part that say "in giving that we are received".  Oh such painful invitation.  But then just like the mustard seed, it must die in order to give life.  Just like Christ, there is no resurrection if there is no dying.  I was reminded of all the morning prayers - on Friday, freedom comes from giving up of value; on Saturday, we are asked to trust in God, trust in one another.  I was also reminded of the quote from Progressio that Liem uses as his signature that CLC exist so that the Church may grow (paraphrase).  If that is so, then what about Dong Hanh?  Does Dong Hanh exist so that the church may grow?  I am being asked to die myself so that the Church may grow?  We are all being invited to die "one self" so that the Church may grow and grow stronger.    I began to get clarity on what must be done.  At the group sharing, it was apparent to many of us too.

I honestly don't know where this will lead us.  I do know is that as a community (of delegates), we were faced with an invitation to grow deeper in our relationship with His Church and instead of  running away, we face the growing pain together.  We face the fear of uncertainty head on.  We discern as a community with God as our center.  We arrived at a consensus freely.  We emerge from a place of deep desolation to a place of clarity.

We were reminded that to follow Christ, we will never be the same again;  So it is with Dong Hanh.  Where we go from here I don't really know.  However sitting here at 7am on Sunday morning, I feel a sense of peace; I feel confirmed; I feel free; I feel that I am, we are all at a good place.

In Christ's Love,
Khánh

P.S.  Attached is the picture of all the delegates from Dong Hanh and 2 other vietnamese delegates represent other regions.  Missing from the picture are Thai Son and cha Doan.

More pictures:
http://dh-online.smugmug.com/Events/2012/LA2012-day3/23887837_r9ZVq3#!i=1937272208&k=Zr6gpd5

Leadership Assembly - Ngày 2

Thưa cả nhà,
Day 2 is the first full day of the assembly.  Lot of surprises.  Lot of graces, but also much desolations.

During morning prayer, anh Trung using the song "I step into the flow....", was attempting to focus everyone on God again.  The morning prayer and the song help remind everyone that we must "surrender" in order to find true freedom.

Chi Mong Hang presented the current reality of CLC, with all its complexities, diversities, life giving energies as well as shortcomings.

Short individual reflection lead to small group sharing then the community came back together to share the fruit of small group sharing.  Some groups/members feel that they are being invited to step out of the comfort zone.  The great diversity with in CLC-USA was brought up.  There are different culture groups.  With in each culture groups, there are also regional differences as well.  The diversity also have issue because CLC-USA have so many duplication of functions and the wasted resources for those duplication.  The activity showed the community that many good things were accomplished as well as many negative things.  The community is invited to do more of what was done right and over time the negative things will be less significant.

The next session was the toughest and longest.  Activity 4 invites participants to examine 3 aspects of community relationships.  Visions of membership, community and clusters were shared and the communities brought out why will work and what will not work when the articulation of each vision is reviewed.

The day's activities ended with the solemn mass to celebrate the feast of St. Peter & St. Paul.  The mass was attended the World CLC president - Daniela Frank.  Daniela helped accepted 3 new members making their public permanent commitment.

More of today's pictures can be seen at:
http://dh-online.smugmug.com/Events/LA2012-day2/23875082_38zs6m

Tomorrow would be much more of the same type of exercise, we were promised.
May God continue to be here with the delegates and be among us as well discern His will for CLC-USA and for Dong Hanh.

A.M.D.G.,
Khánh

Leadership Assembly - Ngày 1

Thưa cả nhà,

Ngày đầu tiên của LA kết thúc tốt đẹp.
Ngày xảy ra cũng uneventful, định đi chơi với Bửu nhưng Kitty nhờ làm tài xế đón những anh em khác từ phi trường, nên cũng đành để ý định đó qua một bên để giúp ban tổ chức.  Mọi chuyện cũng xảy ra tốt đẹp. 

Chương trình bắt đầu lúc 5g chiều với thánh lễ.  Lúc đó cũng đến khá đầy đủ.

First session starts at 7:00pm.  After opening remarks do President của CLC-USA, chị Mộng Hằng, thì Rick re-introduces working group đến cộng đoàn.  According to chị Mộng Hằng, WG had already put in a combine 3000 hours working on this reorganization process.  Thật là đáng phục và cũng phải cảm tạ Chúa đã cho cộng đoàn chúng ta những con người thật là generous with their time and love.  Cha Jim, the process guide for the LA, helps the community review the process of communal discernment.  Items such as personal attachment, recognition that we don't have all the answers and continually seeking for God's guidance, etc..  Khánh thấy this review was very helpful, especially since more than half of the delegates are here for the first time.  Anh Liêm was asked by chị Mộng Hằng to help the community of delegates to reflect back on our grace history.  It is important to know where we came from and who we are right now before we can discern where we want to go.  Nếu các cô chú và anh chị dự khóa CRW1, thì anh chị cũng familiar with this reflection.  Xong phần của anh Liêm, thì đến chia sẻ nhóm nhỏ và sau đó là chia sẻ nhóm lớn.

The official program ended around 9:00pm or 9:30pm, to allow các clusters, regions to sit together.  Đồng Hành cũng get together, những cũng mất một số anh chị vì nằm trong NCC (NCC họp riêng).  Các anh chị có cơ hội để check in và có cơ hội để được giải tỏa một số thắc mắc, ưu tư.  Then we spend time to mingle and snack before retiring for the evening.

This communal discernment process had started and we will continue with it tomorrow. 

Xin cộng đoàn tiếp tục cầu nguyện cho Leadership Assembly to be free (this freedom came from the realization of the value that have and to freely give it up) and together discern God's dream for our community.  Như anh Liêm cũng nhắc nhở nhiều lần, CLC exist so that the Church may grow; the church may grow and not any one individual group or person.

Xin cả nhà đón xem hình tại:
http://dh-online.smugmug.com/Events/2012/LA2012/23796923_zmTqFh

Good night and good morning,
Khánh

Xin cầu nguyện và hướng về CLC LEADERSHIP ASSEMBLY

Kính thưa quý Cha và Anh Chị Em Đồng Hành khắp nơi,

Từ chiều Thứ Năm June 28, đến chiều Chúa nhật tuần này, July 1, CLC-USA sẽ tổ chức 2012 Leadership Assembly (LA) tại Pittsburgh PA. Đây là LA thứ Năm và cũng là LA cuối cùng trong tiến trình chuẩn bị cho việc Tái Cấu Trúc USA-CLC.

Cộng Đoàn Đồng Hành sẽ gửi 12 ACE cùng với cha Tuyên Úy Hoàng Tiến Đoàn, chị MH & anh Liêm (trong CLC Exco) và anh Trung trong Working Group, về tham dự LA năm nay.

Thay mặt BPV DH, TS và ÂN xin các Cha và cả Cộng Đoàn trước hết cầu nguyện cho EXCO trong đó có chị Mộng Hằng và anh Liêm, và Working Group, trong đó có anh Phạm Trung, đã bỏ nhiều thời giờ và công sức chuẩn bị cho tiến trình Tái Cấu Trúc trong nhiều năm qua, và sẽ bắt đầu có mặt và làm việc tại Pittsburgh từ chiều mai... Xin cho các ACE này được nhiều sức lực, bình an, và ân sủng của Chúa để có thể giúp hoàn tất những gì Chúa muốn cho Đại Gia Đình CLC mà ĐH là một phần tử. Cũng trong LA năm nay câc Đại Biểu sẽ bầu lại Ban Phục Vụ mới cho EXCO, và Thanh Dung là một candidate của Treasure xin cầu nguyện cho việc bầu cử và nhất là cho những ac đang đâp lại lời mời gọi phục vụ này.

Thứ đến xin cũng sai đi với lời cầu nguyện và chúc lành cho những ACE trong Leadership Team của CĐ ĐH thân thương. Xin hợp lời cầu cho ACE này được đầy tràn ơn sủng của Chúa Thánh Thần để vừa mở lòng lắng nghe tác động của Ngài, vùa khôn ngoan nhận định trong một tinh thần hợp nhất, một tiếng nói chung của cả CĐ ĐH, về những hướng đi để vừa giúp chia xẻ những hoa trái món quà Chúa trao ban cho những người ACE trong CLC, nhưng cũng vừa giúp phát huy thêm những gì đang mang lại sức sống cho ĐH....
Đây là một thách đố vì là một tiến trình Communal Discernment,  và mọi người đều rất cần đến ân sủng và tác động của Chúa.

Danh sách ACE thuộc CĐ ĐH về tham dự LA 2012:

1- Châu Hoàn          
2- Tiên Đạo (Khánh)
3- Bửu  Trần
4- Như Liên
5- Mai Hương
6- Mai Ân
7- Nam Phương
8- Thái Sơn
9- Kaity Tuyết Trần
10- Bính Hà
11- Frank Vương
12- Thanh Dung
13- Phạm Trung (WG)
14- Cha Đoàn (EA)
15- A Liêm (EXCO)
16- Chị MH (EXCO)

Xin cám ơn quý Cha và ACE
Hiệp nhất trong tâm tình và lời cầu nguyện.

MHA & TS

Fr General appeals to youth

The Superior General of the Jesuits, Fr Adolfo Nicolás, has identified the nurturing and formation of young people as a central concern for the Society of Jesus in the 21st century.

Speaking at a gathering of Jesuits and their religious and lay colleagues and supporters at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, in Sydney last week, Fr Nicolás said there was a strong need for a deep and ongoing investment in youth, especially with regard to their education.

‘We cannot build our societies unless we respect and honour the young people in our midst. They are the ones with the imagination, the energy, the desire to change things’, he said.

Fr Nicolás said this concern for the formation of young people was shared by Jesuits around the world, and that the ongoing accompaniment of the youth as they progressed into adulthood was needed now more than ever. While young people were honest, direct and willing to ask tough questions, they were finding it increasingly difficult to make decisions, he said.

‘How do we accompany them after graduation and into adulthood? This is an area where we have room for reflection. The aim of St Ignatius was that we would be internally transformed. If our education does not contribute to transformation then something very important is missing from our schools.’

Read more ...

OUR HOME IN ROME!

Dear Friends,
I had hoped by now to be in touch with many of you by phone or email to follow up on the "Our home in Rome" project.  It was great to see many of you in Dallas and be part of the Dong Hanh Assembly.  I came home intending to follow up personally but am only getting back to you now and that by email.   The lupus which had been in remission for over 6 years has flared up again and though I am not nearly as sick as I was in 2004, it has slowed me down considerably.  So I am following up this way and hoping some of you will be in a position to support the project. 
We have now raised over 210,000 of the 330,000 Euros we need.  I travel to Rome on Thursday for our annual meeting and will give a report on CLC USA and Canada.  Please consider making a pledge to the project in the next several weeks.  You can make a pledge by responding to this email or  contacting Kitty Gray, our CLC USA treasurer.  She has set up a restricted fund for the project. 
Thank you for considering this request.  Please also keep me and the upcoming ExCo meeting in your prayer as I travel to Rome this week.  

Blessings,
Lois
412-475-2324 

+ + +

Cac anh chi va cac ban men,

Mh hy vong cac ace va cac ban ung ho World-CLC accommodation project nay. Su dong gop cua tung thanh vien la vien gach de giup CLC duoc on dinh hon ve tai chanh. Mh xin gui kem voi email nay presentation (pdf format) ma van phong WCLC da soan de cat nghia ve accommodation project. Doi voi Mh, project nay se giup cho CLC ve duong dai de co tai chinh giup trong cac cong viec tong do o nhung quoc gia dang can den.

Duoc biet co mot vai anh chi da dong gop, Mh rat mung. Hy vong se co nhieu anh chi huong ung hon. Mh nghi su tham gia cua DH, it nhieu tuy kha nang, noi len su hiep nhat cua minh voi tat ca cac ace trong CLC the gioi. We are one world community.

Thuong men trong Ngai,
Mhang

+ + +

Dear chi MH,

Is it true that we can send in a pledge but we don’t have to send in the full amount right awaỵ  We can send it in as installments of that is better.    Please confirm before any of us send in our pledge.

KA

+ + +

Yes you can pledge and pay later. Here is Lois' reply to the pledge question:

"Yes you can contribute later.  We are simply asking people to let us know how much--when they can and whether to expect their pledge before or after February 29th so we can plan.  Many pledges will come in later in 2012--perhaps some even later" 

 Please make your donation check to CLC-USA,

3601 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108

Attn: World CLC Accommodation project

CLC-USA has established a restricted fund for this project. You will receive a tax receipt for your contribution

Thanks

Hang

CLC Mid-Atlantic Region Annual Pot-Luck dinner - Jan 8, 2012

Buồi họp mặt thường niên của CLC Vùng Mid-Atlantic

Chụp hình chung

thức ăn Việt, Mỹ, Đại Hàn ...

Kinh nguyện trước bữa ăn ...

Các bạn CLC người Đại Hàn

các bà ...
Bà Carol (áo hồng) là đại diện Vùng

ông Fred Leone, đã từng là CLC President ...

Bửu và Fred