Fall 2020 www.nrvc.net | Volume 45, Number 4
Assessment 2
Updates
18 Cheat sheet for homemade videos
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Case studies in assessment of international candidates By Emily R. Cash
20 Healthy community helps prevent abuse By Father John Tourangeau, O.Praem.
26 Feed Your Spirit 8
Can this candidate be flexible and adapt? By Sister Dorothy Heidersheit, O.S.F.
27 Film Notes Life-or-death discernment By Carol Schuck Scheiber
13 Spiritual development merits careful assessment By Father Kevin Nadolski, O.S.F.S.
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Editor’s Note Editor Carol Schuck Scheiber Proofreaders Sister Mary Ann Hamer, O.S.F. Virginia Piecuch Director of Publishing Services Patrice J. Tuohy © 2020, National Religious Vocation Conference. HORIZON is published quarterly by TrueQuest Communications on behalf of the National Religious Vocation Conference, 5401 South Cornell Avenue, Suite 207, Chicago, IL 60615-5664. 773-363-5454 | nrvc@nrvc.net | nrvc.net Facebook: Horizon vocation journal Twitter: @HORIZONvocation SUBSCRIPTIONS A complimentary subscription to HORIZON comes with NRVC annual membership. Additional subscriptions are $50 each for NRVC members; $125 each for non-members. Single copies are $25 each. Subscribe online at www.nrvc.net/signup_horizon. Please direct subscription inquiries to Marge Argyelan at the NRVC office at 773-363-5454 or margyelan@nrvc.net. POSTMASTER Send address changes to HORIZON, 5401 S. Cornell Ave., Suite 207, Chicago, IL 60615-5664. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and Toledo, OH. ISSN 1042-8461, Pub. # 744-850. REPRINTS, ARCHIVES, ELECTRONIC EDITIONS Permission is granted to distribute no more than 50 copies of HORIZON articles for noncommercial use. Please use the following credit line: Reprinted with permission from HORIZON, nrvc.net. For other types of reprints, please contact the editor at cscheiber@ nrvc.net. EDITORIAL INQUIRIES & ADVERTISING All editorial inquiries should be directed to the editor: Carol Schuck Scheiber, cscheiber@nrvc.net. For advertising rates and deadlines, see nrvc.net or contact the editor. THE NATIONAL RELIGIOUS VOCATION CONFERENCE is a catalyst for vocation discernment and the full flourishing of religious life as sisters, brothers, and priests for the ongoing transformation of the world.
Trust yourself
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EARS AGO I WAS SURPRISED by what a leading expert in psychology and religious life told me about assessment. The topic seemed overwhelmingly complex to me, but she emphasized this during an interview: Vocation ministers should trust their instincts. I find that vocation directors have very, very good instincts because they’re such fine people. They’ve been selected because of their wisdom and dedication, and they know when something is right and when it’s not. They should rely on their judgment. They shouldn’t discount their own judgment too quickly and turn to outside consultation.
Sister Donna Markham, O.P., offered those insights in the HORIZON article “The basics of psychological assessment” that can be found in our archives (nrvc.net/library). The advice to listen to your gut doesn’t discount learning or consulting, but it’s a reminder to use all your forms of knowing. Isn’t that what vocation directors tell those in discernment? Allow God to speak to you in many ways. Do your homework, understand yourself, get to know religious communities, and then listen. This edition of HORIZON is one way to prepare yourself to listen well when you assess candidates. From the concerns of candidates raised in another country to the critical needs for flexibility and spiritual depth, our writers will give you the framework to fine tune your judgment. Blind instinct isn’t enough. Informed instinct can serve you well. Wishing you grace for the journey. —Carol Schuck Scheiber, editor HORIZON is an award-winning journal for vocation ministers and those who support a robust future for religious life. It is published quarterly by TrueQuest Communications on behalf of the National Religious Vocation Conference. NATIONAL RELIGIOUS VOCATION CONFERENCE BOARD Sister Kristin Matthes, S.N.D.deN., Board chair Sister Virginia Herbers, A.S.C.J. Vice chair Father Adam MacDonald, S.V.D. Vice chair Sister Marichui Bringas, C.C.V.I. Sister Jean Marie Fernandez, R.G.S.
Father Charles Johnson, O.P. Sister Lisa Laguna, D.C. Sister Belinda Monahan, O.S.B. Brother Brian Poulin, F.M.S. Mr. Len Uhal Sister Mindy Welding, I.H.M. Sister Deborah Borneman, SS.C.M., Ex officio
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Updates
Resources help break down study’s meaning for individual communities Religious communities now have several resources to help them identify and absorb the most important messages from the 2020 Study on Recent Vocations to Religious Life. The study itself continues to be available in summary and in full at nrvc.net under the “Studies” tab. The resources below that are downloadable are in the same location. Resources for purchase are at nrvc.net/store. Reminder: the Spring 2020 HORIZON had a special focus on the study and may also be accessed at nrvc.net.
Study and reflection guide. Purchase only at nrvc.net/store. $6 members, $9 others.
Infographic. Available in English or Spanish. Purchase or download.
Sister Comfort Arthur, C.S.C. is featured in NRVC’s new video series.
Four videos feature newer religious Religious communities are invited to make use of four new, ten-minute videos that feature 19 newer sisters, brothers, and priests. Each person talks about hopes, adaptation to communal living, and the joys and challenges of intercultural and intergenerational life. NRVC produced the videos with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Consider using them with your religious community, with presentations about religious life, on social media, and more. Find the videos at: youtube.com/NatRelVocationConf.
World Day for Consecrated Life: Feb. 2 Catholic Sisters Week: March 8-14
Brochure/booklet. 16 pages. Available in English or Spanish. Purchase or download.
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Handout on role of leadership in vocations according to study results. Download only.
Brightening up the cold season are two dates for international recognition and celebration of religious life: World Day for Consecrated Life on February 2, 2021 and Catholic Sisters Week, March 8-14, 2021. These are opportunities to thank, celebrate, and publicize those in religious life—and invite others to join. The pope’s message for the former is typically published at vatican. va. Full information and resources for the latter are at catholicsistersweek.org. n Updates
Jeffrey Bruno, JeffreyBruno.com
Three case studies shed light on the nuanced process of assessing someone from a culture outside your own.
The Catholic Church in the U.S. and Europe is home to believers from around the world. As this diverse population enters religious life, communities need to understand how to assess them and understand their needs.
Case studies in assessment of international candidates
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HE GROWING DIVERSITY of the U.S. Catholic Church has resulted in greater diversity among those applying for membership in U.S. religious communities. At Saint Luke Institute (where I am director of the Candidate Assessment Program) we’ve been assessing religious life applicants for 30 years and have been working with religious communities to assess candidates born outside the U.S. for many years. Our protocol—the Saint Luke Institute Candidate Assessment Protocol—relies on a multidisciplinary team approach comprised of two psychologists and one trained spiritual director. We find this collaborative approach captures plentiful data, integrates different perspectives, and provides the individual with a rich, positive experience. Assessment of candidates from non-U.S. cultures must be approached with flexibility, patience, and an appreciation for the multitude of ways that a different cultural background influences an English-language assessment normed on Western culture. In our experience, there are three vital considerations for assessing a candidate born in another country: Cash | Case Studies
By Emily R. Cash Emily R. Cash holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and is the director of Saint Luke Center, a ministry of Saint Luke Institute, located in Louisville, Kentucky. She also serves as the Director of the Candidate Assessment Program for the Institute. She has been with Saint Luke Institute since 2006.
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1) A more extensive interview. 2) Additional psychological testing measures that have research validating their use with nonnative English speakers. 3) Integration of the interview and test data into specific recommendations for the candidate’s long-term success. EXTENSIVE INTERVIEWING: Because psychological testing is normed on a particular population, clinicians performing these tests should allow sufficient time in the interview process to address general cultural norms and understandings. They also need to explore the unique culture of Catholicism in the person’s country of origin, which of course will shape the candidate’s understanding and expectations of Catholicism in the United States. PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING: We recommend that psychological testing be included in the candidate assessment process, regardless of the client’s ethnicity. A standard battery of psychological tests includes a measure of intelligence accompanied by personality testing. Language inevitably plays a significant role in the value of the data gathered from psychological testing. The validity of some tests can be compromised by the individual’s ability to understand and respond accurately to the questions. For candidates from another country it can be helpful to incorporate additional measures that are less dependent on language comprehension, such as the Thematic Apperception Test or House-Tree-Person Drawings, in addition to commonly used personality measures, such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition (MMPI-II). Saint Luke Institute’s cross-cultural evaluations also include a cultural adaptability measure to help predict the candidate’s ability to adapt and thrive in a new culture. These instruments, coupled with strong interview data, help paint a more accurate picture of the candidate’s readiness for successful service and community life in a new culture. INTEGRATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS: Psychological assessment of candidates often focuses heavily on “screening” to identify major behavioral or mental health issues. However, accompanying an individual throughout the discernment and formation experience requires much more than a simple screening for mental 4 | Fall 2020 | HORIZON
illness. A comprehensive psychological report will include specific recommendations based on the candidate’s personal history, psychological makeup, spiritual life and approach to relationships, giving the candidate and community important insight into the candidate’s vocation and highlighting areas of strength and vulnerability. In a cross-cultural assessment, these recommendations will be uniquely tailored to the candidate’s needs and also be informed by the key cultural considerations identified during the testing and interview process. Finally, recommendations should be written with both the applicant and formators in mind. The following case studies are a compilation of clinical experiences gathered by Saint Luke Institute clinical staff. All identifying information has been changed to ensure client confidentiality.
Linh, 32, priest candidate from Vietnam Born and raised in rural Vietnam, Linh attended a high school and college seminary four hours from his home. Linh initially studied to be a priest in his local diocese but ultimately decided to enter into formation with the religious community staffing the seminary. After taking final vows Linh returned to his studies to pursue ordination. Because of the missionary charism of Linh’s community, congregation leaders had formed a new relationship with a diocese in the United States and asked Linh to serve in parish ministry there for a period of five years. That diocese asked Linh to undergo a psychological assessment prior to his assignment. At the time of the assessment, Linh had been in the United States for six months. He was initially assigned to a parish with a large Vietnamese community, assisting the pastor in sacramental ministry while attending immersion English classes. His next anticipated assignment was an associate pastor role in a larger, more diverse parish. The assessment team’s review of the psychological testing highlighted trends common among international applicants. First, intellectual testing results placed Linh in the average range. Our team speculated that this was an underestimate of his cognitive abilities, given that most intellectual measures were normed on a United States English-speaking population. The psychological tests administered included the MMPI-II and two other personality measures (Rorschach Inkblot Test and Thematic Apperception Test). The MMPI-II results suggested marginal validity and the need to interpret it with caution. This profile of “marginal validity” on the MMPI-II is a typical finding among international applicants, Cash | Case Studies
• Linh could benefit from short-term individual psychotherapy to continue to process his transition to the United States. The team recommended he address some of the issues identified during the assessment process, including of sadness over separation from his religious community. Linh acknowledged that the stigma associated with mental health treatment in his country of origin made him somewhat resistant to therapy, but he also indicated he needed increased support while separated from his community. • Linh was encouraged to communicate with the diocesan vocation director and vicar for priests about his ongoing needs for community and opportunities to engage in presbyteral functions, as well as find practical ways to stay connected to his family and friends in Vietnam. • The team recommended that Linh begin working with a spiritual director for longer-term support and as an additional way to ensure ongoing spiritual growth. Cash | Case Studies
Boston Archdiocese, Flickr
as some test statements are challenging to translate, and the phrasing is largely informed by American culture. The two projective measures depended less on verbal communication and provided more relevant data. These results indicated Linh was experiencing mild distress and would benefit from developing additional coping skills; he is very conscientious and highly achievementoriented; he values service to others and places great emphasis on relationships; and he has a healthy approach to conflict. The spiritual and psychosocial interviews revealed additional helpful data. Linh was positive about his assignment but concerned that he was not yet as familiar with mainstream U.S. culture as he had hoped, as he had spent six months in an insulated parish community. This finding was important to highlight for the diocese: while his assignment to a parish with individuals from his home country initially made sense in terms of easing his transition to the United States, he felt isolated from his new culture and anxious about acquiring the skills and knowledge to serve in an American Catholic parish. Linh also reported feeling overwhelmed and fatigued by having to manage the intensity of language classes in addition to parish responsibilities. The evaluation team offered Linh and his vocation director recommendations based on interview and psychological testing data. Some sample recommendations:
Although religious community members share one faith and one charism, culture and language can be very distinct, complicating the assessment process.
Louisa, 38, sister candidate from the Philippines Louisa, born and raised in the Philippines, studied accounting and worked alongside her father for many years. In her 30s, upon her mother’s death and her father’s retirement, she decided to join her siblings, who had previously relocated to the United States. Upon arriving in the U.S., Louisa secured full-time employment in an accounting firm and was free to explore more fully her desire to join religious life, which she had been unable to pursue until then as she had been caring for her mother. At the time of her assessment, Louisa had been living and working in the United States for four years. During that time, she began connecting with various religious communities in the region. She entered into dialogue with one religious community for approximately three months, but the community was in transition and eventually suspended accepting new member applications. Louisa was very disappointed and stopped discerning for a period of six months. However, over time, she realized her desire to pursue religious life was still present, and she returned to active discernment. At the time of evaluation, she had been in regular contact for a year with the religious community to which she was applying. The impressions of the vocation director were largely positive, but she expressed two main concerns: 1) the challenge of Louisa being so geographically distant from her aging father, and 2) her difficulty with speaking directly about concerns and struggles. When concerns arose, rather than expressing them directly to the vocation director, Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 5
Louisa tended to speak to other sisters about her disabuse trauma, the assessment team recommendpleasure. This supplemental data was integrated into the ed Louisa engage in individual therapy to revisit evaluation and discussed during interviews with Louisa. the trauma and develop interpersonal relationWhen the team reviewed the psychological testing ship skills. Because Louisa was not in active psyresults, intellectual testing results suggested high averchological distress and there was no history of age cognitive abilities commensurate with her early any mental health struggles, the recommended education and professional success in the therapy could take place prior to Philippines and the United States. Psyentering into formation or during chological testing results from the MMPIformation. II revealed some difficulties accurately For candidates from • The team highlighted Louisa’s translating the questions, which as noted strong connection to her father another country, above, is quite common in foreign-born and encouraged intentional diait can be helpful to applicants, even with strong language logue between Louisa and comincorporate measures skills and lengthy residence in the United munity leadership about her exthat don’t depend States. Other data from the psychological pectations for nurturing her contesting reflected Louisa’s difficulty estabheavily on language nection with her father in light of lishing trust with others; her discomfort comprehension. her formation obligations. revealing more vulnerable or tender feelings; her desire for structure and discom• The team recommended that fort with ambivalent situations; and the she speak more directly and presence of underlying feelings of anger or resentment. candidly about her experiences of religious life. In the psychosocial and spiritual interviews Louisa Signs of health would be sharing both her posidisclosed fears about the possibility of the community tive and more difficult experiences of formation. closing, identifying this as a significant source of anxiAn indicator of concern would be when those in ety and insecurity despite repeated assurances from the leadership only heard about things that were govocation director. In addition, Louisa was able to speak ing well and saw ongoing evidence that she was about being raised in an authoritarian culture where resharing frustrations with other sisters. spect for elders was great; she named some anxiety about expressing concerns directly to the vocation director beJuan, 27, priest candidate from Argentina cause of this. Louisa also relayed fears that her formation obligations would negatively impact her availability to Juan, born and raised in Argentina, entered a religious her aging father, who still lived in the Philippines. Finalcommunity at the age of 22, upon completing his unily, she disclosed a history of sexual abuse that occurred versity studies. During formation, Juan fell in love with when she was a young child, perpetrated by an older a woman and discerned out of religious life. He was male cousin. She tearfully described this experience and involved in a romantic relationship for two years and how it had impacted her comfort level with males and considered marriage, but the relationship eventually affected her desire for romantic relationships. dissolved. Upon ending this romantic relationship, Juan The evaluation team offered Louisa and her vocadecided to relocate to the United States with hopes of tion director a variety of recommendations based on the returning to school and becoming a teacher. interview and psychological testing data. Some sample Upon arriving in the United States, Juan found it difrecommendations: ficult to enroll in school, as transferring from an international university was somewhat complicated. During this • Louisa would benefit from developing her intime, he also had trouble finding steady employment, so terpersonal confidence. For instance she might he began working in the parish he had recently joined. identify and talk about anger more directly, Juan became increasingly engaged with the parish comtolerate inevitable discomfort in community munity and felt his call to religious life returning. A relationships, learn how to establish trust within priest from a local religious community had been asrelationships, and take healthy interpersonal signed to his parish, and Juan began a dialogue with him risks. Because some of these areas of growth about a return to religious life. The priest began engaging could be related to residual effects of the sexual in spiritual direction with Juan and connected him to the 6 | Fall 2020 | HORIZON
Cash | Case Studies
community’s vocation director. After a year of discernment, Juan presented himself to the community for acceptance and was asked to participate in a psychological assessment as part of his application. When the team reviewed the psychological testing results, intellectual testing suggested low average cognitive abilities. Given that Juan spoke positively about his academic performance in university, it is more likely that his cognitive functioning fell somewhere in the average range. On the MMPI-II, Juan elected not to answer several of the questions; this impacted the validity of the assessment and raised some concern among the evaluation team. Conversation revealed that he struggled significantly with some of the wording and had difficulty comprehending the statements. As a result, and for fear of acknowledging something that was untrue, he did not respond to certain statements. The psychological testing data gathered from other personality measures indicated that he possesses a strong desire to please others; his view of self and identity are often rooted in how others see him; he struggles to reveal what he perceives to be difficult or painful feelings, such as anger; and he has strong fears of being hurt or rejected in interpersonal relationships. Juan presented for the assessment with enthusiasm, professing a sincere desire to move forward in his religious vocation. He spoke about how lost he had felt following the end of the romantic relationship and how for the first time in years, he felt at peace with where God was calling him. Juan denied any lingering desires for marriage or children, in spite of having some difficulty communicating the reasons for the end of his relationship. Juan also struggled at times to verbalize his motivations for his vocation, other than finally feeling peace after feeling lost. This lack of clarity was a concern for the team, especially given that when asked about his plans should religious life not be a good fit, Juan was unable to articulate a “plan B.” Juan reported that the majority of his family, including his parents, still live in Argentina and feel a great deal of pride at his vocation and desire to serve the church. During the interview process Juan disclosed that in the year since his relocation to the United States he had accumulated approximately $20,000 of credit card debt. A portion of this debt was a result of the obligation he felt to continue to offer financial support to family members still living in Argentina. He was nervous about disclosing this, as he had not spoken about this candidly with the community. The team affirmed his willingness to come forward with this information and highlighted Cash | Case Studies
the importance of transparency with the community. The evaluation team offered Juan and his vocation director a variety of recommendations based on the interview and psychological testing data. Some sample recommendations: • Because of the omission of important information from his initial application, there was concern about Juan entering formation immediately, especially given that he also struggled to verbalize a clear understanding of his motivations for entering, apart from a desire for escape and a sense of security or safety in religious life. • The evaluation team encouraged Juan and the vocation director to develop benchmarks for continued discernment over six months. s Maintain full-time employment during the time of discernment. s Engage in regular spiritual direction with a trained director (preferably Spanish-speaking) experienced with crosscultural, vocationally-minded directees. s Continue discernment of his vocation with trusted peers and his spiritual director to further clarify his motivations for entering into formation. s Establish a financial plan to help decrease his financial debt. s Engage in an ongoing discussion with his vocation director about ways to support his family’s financial needs. • The vocation director was encouraged to meet with Juan at the end of the six-month period to determine whether Juan had made sufficient progress towards his goals and was ready to enter into formation with a clearer understanding of his own motivations and expectations for community life. ••• An accurate and helpful assessment of men and women from other cultures requires a sensitive and culturally adaptable approach. We encourage vocation directors to continue to press for accurate, integrated, and comprehensive assessments. Candidates and communities alike will benefit when assessments are valid, practical, and culturally competent. n Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 7
Rigid personalities can cause strife in religious life. Here’s an overview of how to assess for adaptability.
By Sister Dorothy Heidersheit, O.S.F. Sister Dorothy Heidersheit, O.S.F. is a consultation specialist with Southdown Institute in Toronto. A member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, Iowa and mental health professional, she has served religious and clergy for more than 40 years.
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Candidates who are able to bend will be able to contribute and find satisfaction even in the stressful times in religious life.
Can this candidate be flexible and adapt?
L
IVING IN COMMUNITY has an organic quality. In community, we live in relationship—sharing a common goal, encouraging personal growth, deepening spirituality, providing energy for the mission, and witnessing to society and the church the importance and gift of relational living. While living in community is a grace, it does require effort and discipline on the part of each member. For those who accompany men and women considering religious life, it is good to know what qualities in candidates help strengthen the integrity of the congregation, as each congregational culture is unique and is not suited for everyone. No matter the community, however, certain traits are always assets. Over the years, mental health professionals have identified skills and traits that are helpful to religious life. These include strong self-esteem, an openness to flexibility, effective communication skills, an ability to compromise, a willingness to address conflict, a tolerance of differences and imperfections, an awareness of positive self-care, and a heart for forgiveness and gratitude. These skills will foster and strengthen community living. Heidersheit | Flexible
Photo by Ethan Sykes, Unsplash
Personal characteristics that can hinder community or generate unhealthy community living include low self-esteem, self-centered or self-absorbed thinking, rigidity, difficulty with change, judgment, denial, a need for constant affirmation to sustain self-image, chronic complaining, and the use of silence to cope. As well, being unable to deal directly with conflict and externalizing blame, rather than accepting personal responsibility, can create tension in any form of human relations, including religious life. These behaviors are defenses designed to protect oneself from relationships perceived as threatening. To better understand what enhances religious community, let’s look at both sides of the coin, both the qualities that contribute to community and their problematic opposites. It also helps to explore the underlying factors that foster such defenses.
Flexibility versus inflexibility Flexibility is that quality we rely on when, for example, a schedule is changed or our plans are disrupted. Before COVID-19, a flight change or an event cancellation would call on us to show flexibility, although now nearly the whole planet has had to make adjustments to daily life, major and minor. A flexible individual looks for alternatives or prepares for these potential interruptions. For instance, on a journey a flexible person may bring a book to read or a crossword puzzle to work on, just in case of delay. At the core of these responses is a strong belief in the idea that one can manage—the sky is not falling. One can sustain large amounts of external stress when one possesses an ability to accept reality as it is, putting in place alternatives as needed. This quality is also referred to as resilience. When we observe someone being inflexible, we notice how easy it is for the individual to become distressed and frustrated. While looking for ways to remedy or control the uncomfortable experience, the individual may quickly spin out of control in an already uncontrollable situation. Many people have been in airports and watched people meltdown when their flight has been delayed or canceled. The extreme discomfort experienced internally in the face of little or no power can be observed in complaints about the airline system or maybe a declaration of status or entitlement: Do you know who I am? For such individuals, emotional safety is the primary focus. They may feel powerless. They may feel that blaming others is a good place to find some means of control. Heidersheit | Flexible
Justice versus legalism Rigidity can have many faces. It can frequently take on the face of “rule following.” This can be referred to as legalism—an excessive need to adhere strictly to rules or regulations. There can be comfort in order, in knowing what the “right” thing is, or what is expected. This can be summed up in the phrase, “Keep the rule and the rule will keep you.” There is security here amid a life or society that at times is unfamiliar or chaotic. Once security is established, an individual can lose sight of how rigid or rule-bound he or she is. This trait will be evident with new living situations, new ministries, and new arrivals to a group. Legalism can be triggered by any classic transition experience because these experiences are rooted in feelings of helplessness and an awareness of powerlessness. In this context the purpose of the rule is to exert control over a situation that could potentially cause the person to appear inadequate or inept. The opposite of legalism is to give value to other opinions, values, or rights. When reflecting on a situation, those who operate from a sense of justice will seek the greatest good or identify the greatest need for the common good. Most individuals have a need to present themselves in a “good light.” When feeling insecure and unsure, a mature person has the ability to see the situation as temporary and put in place coping skills that do not impinge upon the freedom of another. Consequently, control is a survival technique. The use of control in situations of transition or upheaval creates an internal calm and a sense of stability, comfort, and security. From the view of the controlling individual, grasping the rules tightly is a means of getting along with those around them, especially where differences are poignant.
Spiritual openness versus spiritual righteousness Spiritual righteousness can be a way of managing problems. If the focus is placed on rubrics, “a right way” to pray, or “proper” rituals, the energy provides a distraction to reduce the anxiety caused by the emotional concern. This pattern may be observed by an individual’s dislike of new prayer experiences or disapproval of how others see or experience prayer forms. In extreme cases this can be seen when traditions in the congregation may not be in keeping with what is perceived as the legal or canonical rule. Body posture or language might dictate that prayer and liturgy are personal experiences Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 9
Photo by Ronny Sison, Unsplash
A healthy sense of self goes a long way in being open to the religious formation process—and in getting along in group living.
between the self and God and have no relationship with the communal context for prayer.
Humility versus entitlement A challenge for communal living is forming community with someone who holds personal expectations of specialness. The word for this behavior is entitlement, which has been identified by some clinicians as the aggression of the Millennium. Entitled individuals do not fit into the common life—the needs they experience are unique to them, and them alone. Being self-absorbed creates a sense of personal wellbeing—that is, a sense of safety, “It is all about me because I am following the rules.” The opposite instinct—humility—is the ability to identify unhealthy internal desires (power, greatness, delusions of grandeur) and replace them with awe, an openness to the gifts the world offers, and a willingness to learn the lessons life gives. In doing so, one accepts limitations, as signs of self-acceptance, and one accepts the gifts others offer, especially gifts from those who are most different from oneself.
Adaptability versus obsessions, compulsions and perfectionism With obsessions and compulsions, tensions will develop when the object of the obsession clashes with conforming to the group, or sharing common space. This is simi10 | Fall 2020 | HORIZON
lar to perfectionism, which is not new to religious living. As in other traits described here, this defense is designed to manage the anxiety that surfaces when given a duty or task. Fear of failure, disapproval, looking “bad”, or “not being good enough” can surface quickly. Using perfectionistic traits when working alone is a stressor as the outcome will never be good enough. The same trait will escalate in group scenarios that involve sharing, since controlling the outcome is critical for this individual. When one is able to adapt and adjust thinking and behavior, it can open the mind to creativity. In addition, others are able to see good will, engagement and a cooperative spirit. Particular personality styles can also employ power and control as defenses. Narcissistic individuals who are self-absorbed or self-centered hold a deep seated sense of failure. Their internal energy is used to push against the fear of failure. Individuals with dependent personality traits require structure and external affirmation to be functional and productive. Avoidant persons dislike conflict and will use well measured rules to keep from creating a confrontation. Risk taking would not be a common quality for an avoidant individual as it could open the option of too many variables. Obsessive behaviors surface because of the intense anxiety. Rules, structure, and certainty offer the control necessary to function and maintain a peaceful balance within oneself. A common and simple method to regain personal power is anger—in any form. The results can be seen in the intolerance of differences, unwillingness to compromise when negotiating a solution within a group, holding to rules and regulations tenaciously for comfort and personal control, and, at times, expressing oneself in a way community members and leadership experience as cool hostility, bullying, blackmail, aggression and angry outbursts. The emotional charge that accompanies this behavior of entitlement and rigidity does not come from fear or helplessness, but from an anger that is seen and experienced as aggression: You are getting in my way! I am right and I have chapter and verse to prove this.
Evaluating ability to overcome rigidity Looking at these tendencies, a frequent question is the level of risk involved in bringing older individuals into communal living, as they are more likely to be set in their ways than younger members. This comment has not only been expressed about individuals looking to enter, but about community members who have lived singly for many years. These personal traits are not related Heidersheit | Flexible
to age. The more appropriate focus should be on whether the behavior one sees is age appropriate. Is the behavior a temporary defense that becomes manageable when security is established, or is this a defense that maintains security? In other words, is it fixed and a permanent part of the individual’s lifestyle? Cultural upbringing plays a significant role when evaluating rigidity. Someone reared in a family with deep respect for the lineage of father-to-son authority may find it challenging to adjust to a congregation that avoids direct commands and engages in mutual discernment when making decisions. In these situations, signs of rigidity may be amplified and easily misinterpreted. If an individual has rigid manners, vocation directors will do well to keep in mind the adjustment candidates must endure to shift cultures at the same time as transitioning into religious life. Behaviors may be recent occasions that led the individual to learn and grow. Perhaps the individual developed a negative behavior only recently to manage life stresses. Keep in mind, however, that in reality, problematic defenses tend to be deeply rooted in a person’s developmental history. The individual with problematic behavior typically did not become this way overnight or because of a “problem” in his or her last employment or living situation. Various types of stress in early development, can create a sense of anxiety that is rooted in fear and anger. Trauma—defining it broadly—can also factor in. Trauma can result from abuse of a physical, sexual, or emotional nature. Situations that fall under the broad title of trauma include early parentification (giving children responsibilities before they are age appropriate); parents who live their personal importance through the successes and achievements of their children; hypercritical parents, whereby the child believes that no matter what is attempted, it will never be good enough; an early childhood environment that discounts the value of the child; punishment in the formative years for mistakes of all sizes with little or no reward for successes; and pressure for the child to continually achieve in order to be loved or valued. These are just a few examples of what can cause trauma or extreme stress during early development. Any one of these situations can create a sense of urgency: I am the only one who can do this; I will surely be punished, even though I do not know what I did wrong. These situations tend to foster a lack of self-confidence and a fear of failure in the child, which in turn creates a sense of insecurity, forcing the child to create personal control in new or unfamiliar settings. The escalation of these defenses narrows a person’s Heidersheit | Flexible
Redemptorist Renewal Center
“Celebrating over 50 years of Retreat Ministry ” 7101 W. Picture Rocks Rd, Tucson, AZ 85743 USA Phone: 520.744.3400 Email: office@desertrenewal.org www.desertrenewal.org
Contemplative Study and Sabbatical Program Envision your sabbatical filled with silence so that you can rest and renew. The atmosphere of the Sonoran Desert is one of spirituality that is anchored in a contemplative attitude and approach towards life.
2021
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2022
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HESYCHIA SCHOOL OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
January 31 - February 12, 2021 Week 1 & 2 April 11 - April 23 Week 3 & 4 The HSSD program focuses on the ancient art of Christian Spiritual direction in a multifaith context and offers contemplative study and practice to prepare clergy and vowed religious for a ministry of spiritual direction. Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 11
is not so much whether the individual had a significant ability to be present to a situation or group. Entitlement, stress in childhood but, rather, when trauma or signifilegalism, and rigidity are “ghosts” of early development. cant stress have been part of the life experience, is the Living a life where one’s emotional world shuffles back individual willing to explore the impact? It is important and forth between fear and anger provides fertile ground to look for traits of inflexibility that show up across the for these negative, inflexible behaviors. In any of these spectrum: that is, in behaviors, thoughts, beliefs, and situations, the sense of safety and security has been compersonality. Is the individual functioning with these promised, and may even be nonexistent. traits in all areas? Is he or she willing to reflect on how To identify warning signs in potential new memthis behavior affects others? Is there an openness and a bers, one might ask: Can this person live by other rules? potential to grow into different thought patterns and beIs this person willing to experience and accept other havior styles? guidelines? Sometimes rigid people rely It is important to be clear about the on aggression. One form of aggression institute’s mission and focus. Can the inis to borrow the language of the instituTo identify warning dividual function in a healthy way within tion to get what he or she wants. Another signs, one might ask: that structure? Congregations sometimes scenario is this: when an individual Can this person live make a compromise in this regard, but displaying rigid behaviors is challenged doing so may not be in keeping with by other rules? Is to examine the behavior and how it is the broader congregation’s needs. Keep experienced by others, he or she can bethis person willing to in mind that making a poor decision come aggressive by attacking with verbal experience and accept regarding someone’s suitability can be a condescension. other guidelines? long-term detriment to all concerned. Yet another warning sign is withA single or simple experience of ridrawal. When challenged, the person gidity is normal, and vocation directors may choose to withdraw and isolate. Pay might even see themselves in these examples. However, attention to these responses because they are clues about they must return to key questions: What makes it so hard how strongly the traits are entrenched. Open communito stand up to pressure from the prospective member? Is cation with leadership and peers, along with the practice it fear of losing a potential member? Is it fear of memberof flexibility are essential to growth. ship thinking we are not fulfilling the mandate? Vocation directors can experience pressure to bring Congregations that are committed to healthy living members to the community. This pressure can unwitrealize that bringing into permanent membership a pertingly erode the resolve of clarity regarding who the son with these difficult characteristics is more destruccongregation is and who will best fit. Is the congregation tive than productive. Enabling or encouraging these beclear on who best fits the community personality? When haviors has a corrosive effect on the existing community a vocation director is working with an individual and and on the candidate. Not addressing these issues with experiences a sense of aggression or bullying, it’s worth incoming members in a kind, empathic and charitable asking, “What am I so fearful of that I will tolerate the manner is unkind and destructive. behavior of being bullied?” In these situations vocation This topic evokes an image from the Robert Frost personnel may also feel guilty for not being charitable or poem, “The Road Not Taken.” Like Frost, those discernChristian, or for failing as a formator. ing religious life are at a diverging path. Each discerner Religious life formation has traditionally formed the is facing a significant life choice: Do I take the road I am membership to be Christian and charitable, to believe familiar with, or do I open myself to explore the road that everyone desires to grow in self-awareness and in that will require, indeed demand, personal growth and relation to others. Everyone has a right to be accepted, awareness of my behavior’s impact on others? For some, as it is the mark of a good Christian. If leaders, vocation this choice is so threatening that they scramble to maindirectors, or formators experience discomfort with a retain their familiar patterns. Their survival defenses can quest that feels like a demand (i.e. a right), they can take be well established so that it takes many years for deeper a moment to reflect on what is going on within themdefenses to even surface. But the key is to have the inselves. Problematic behaviors tend to generate resentner ability to embrace a choice for flexibility and growth. ment, confusion, anger, and, sometimes, entrapment. Religious life is a unique gift that is built upon self awareUnderstanding the dynamics of the rigid personality ness, openness, flexibility, humility, and adaptability. n and how it is created is a beginning. The question to ask 12 | Fall 2020 | HORIZON
Heidersheit | Flexible
Photo by Yariana Pino Sánchez, Saint Vincent College
Religious life candidates need to begin formation at a high level of faith maturity. That’s why vocation directors must delve deeply into this area.
A participant in a women’s retreat sponsored by Saint Vincent College takes time for writing.
Spiritual development merits careful assessment
I
BEGAN VIOLIN LESSONS with a private instructor. Once a week, I was taught how to tuck the instrument under my chin, curling my thumb against the underside of the neck. Over and over, I raked the bow across the strings, trying to achieve a sound and not a screech. I learned the names of its various components. And while I was proud to be able to name the parts of its anatomy, it was the smell of the wood, rosin, and velvet that I loved. The best part of every lesson was opening the violin case and lowering my face to inhale. Also, it seemed almost a miracle to me that this hollow figure eight, as light and elegant as a lady, as my Aunt Curtis, was made from wood, from a tree, like the trees out back behind our house in Shutesbury. I just could not see how this was even possible. And that wood—wood—could make a sound so ethereal you were tempted to look over your shoulder and see if somebody transparent were standing right behind you, watching and smiling. It gave me that looking-at-the-night-sky feeling. It made me think of the word God. —Augusten Burroughs, A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father This description of writer Augusten Burroughs’ earliest image of God paints a sensual picture from when he was 6 years old. The imagery of Nadolski | Spiritual Development
By Father Kevin Nadolski, O.S.F.S. Father Kevin Nadolski, O.S.F.S. is vice president for mission at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. In addition to ministry as a high school principal and teacher, he served for seven years as a vocation minister for his community, the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales. A member of the Editorial Board for the National Religious Vocation Conference and a workshop presenter on the topic of spiritual development assessment, he received the NRVC Outstanding Recognition Award in 2010.
Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 13
wood, the infinite figure eight, the inhaling breath, and the all-approving invisible figure standing with him would be sufficient to claim this recollection as indeed religious. Yet, his punctuating the memory with “God” marks it as a primary experience of the divine. This young man first met God in beauty, in the experience of music and the elements that helped him make it. The countless ways in which people encounter God point to their relationship with God, their understanding of religion, their religious imagination, and their spiritual maturity. This last category is essential—as For those with “owned the others are—in assessfaith,” religion is theirs ing a candidate’s readiness because they “own” for a formation program it, possess it, and live in a religious community through it. It is fully or diocesan seminary. As integrated into their vocation directors have lives and personalities. the grave responsibility to determine applicants’ emotional, sexual, and psychological maturity, efforts to understand and accurately articulate their spiritual and religious maturity need acute attention. This dimension, however, of the assessment task is challenging, for it almost always falls directly and exclusively to the responsibility of the vocation minister. Assessment of candidates’ emotional, psychological, and sexual development can understandably be outsourced to mental health care professionals; in fact, it is probably best that it is. Similarly, vocation directors should possess a professional expertise in religious and spiritual matters that enables them to discuss at length related topics and then offer conclusions about candidates’ maturity in these areas. As the psychological profession has developed clear categories and fields from which they helpfully name areas of both mental health and pathology, religious professionals have not historically enjoyed similar descriptive resources for their pastoral ministry. As an effort to assist in this regard, this article will provide vocation ministers one model to classify candidates’ religious development, discuss the model as it relates to candidate assessment, and exhibit uses of the model for assessment.
Westerhoff’s model of faith development Most religious educators are familiar, though not conversant, with James W. Fowler’s stages of faith, explained 14 | Fall 2020 | HORIZON
in Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning. The work of this popular theologian and educator paralleled, in large measure, the developmental model of Erik Erikson in the field of psychology. While Fowler’s work eventually grew to be a seminal contribution to the area of theological formation and catechesis, its six stages with their complicated titles proved to be too cumbersome for most practitioners to use in pastoral settings. For example, with this model one could chart some growth, through use of a narrative, from the intuitive-projective faith stage to the subsequent mythic-literal faith stage, but it could understandably be a challenge for the minister to remember these stages, the other four that are similarly named, and what each actually means. On the other hand, John Westerhoff, formerly of Duke University School of Divinity, addresses the same phenomenon of faith development in four discrete phases or stages, called “styles,” that are easier to recall and more intuitive in their nomenclature. Clearly, their ability to describe the behavior, attitudes, and maturity depicted by each style or stage outshines Fowler’s hyphenated and polysyllabic terms. Westerhoff ’s model is more organic than it is hierarchical. Although his four styles are indeed discrete, there is a healthy holdover of earlier styles even after one progresses to the next phase. Religious educators have commented that this model views faith as dynamic and evolving, where all experiences can emerge in a person’s present moment of faith experience. Like a tree trunk shows all the rings of its age, one’s faith development can always recall and will tend to build on various and prior religious experiences, an idea introduced by Carla E. Fritsch and William J. Raddell, Jr., authors of Faith: Developing an Adult Spirituality. Advancing from the earliest to the final style of faith development, Westerhoff ’s four movements are named experienced, affiliative, searching, and owned. “Experienced faith” is the stage during early childhood. As with the aforementioned example from Augusten Burroughs, faith is based on actual experiences and interactions with people and materials, rather than any sort of cognitive understanding. Sacramentals such as Advent wreaths, manger scenes, crucifixes, etc. may be more explicitly religious than Burrough’s violin case, but they are moments or experiences that bring a very young person to consider the divine on a very basic level. “Affiliative faith” is the stage that occurs in childhood and the grade school years. This faith style brings (usually) pre-teens to a community moment where they Nadolski | Spiritual Development
Owned Faith
Mature faith. Personal commitment. Expression of what has personal meaning. Belief put into action. Personal choice to follow religious tradition.
Image adapted from Faith: Developing an Adult Spirituality by Carla E. Fritsch, William J. Raddell, Jr. and Edward G. Scheid.
Searching faith
Questioning. Search for understanding, truth. Seeking explanations for experiences. Personal wrestling with faith. Experimentation with alternatives.
Affiliative faith
Becoming part of the community. First communion. Confirmation. Set of beliefs and values.
Experienced faith
Imagery at Mass. Bible stories. Prayer at meals.
see that religion and faith are larger than their personal experiences. Participation in the events of religious education, first communion, and maybe even confirmation pushes youngsters to a perspective that takes them beyond an exclusively individualistic approach to God and religion. In fact, it is the beginning of religious sensitivity in most cases, for they are exposed to the size of the tradition before them. Strong experiences during affiliative faith will tap into the historicity and magnitude of the Christian religion, for instance. Often a place where many adults remain, “searching faith” occurs in adolescence and young adulthood. It is characterized by a deep questioning of many of the long-held traditions, beliefs, customs, and teachings that have been treasured by believers through the years. This style is marked, at times, by a rebellious posture that may even reject practices such as regular worship, prayer, and certain social behaviors that are grounded in a religion’s moral code. This searching phase is frequently felt, though not named, when parents will question their ministers about how to get their teenaged children to church on Sunday. With an eye toward the whole of the developmental Westerhoff model, a pastoral minister could engage and console fretful parents about the health, not threat, of teens who are questioning their faith. Nadolski | Spiritual Development
Westerhoff would argue that searching is a necessary passage, a threshold, through which people must pass in order to get to full spiritual maturity. It is common that a person withdraw from the religion in which they are searching in order to ask the important questions, to test its values and articulate and clarify their own, and to emerge with well-developed answers to the deeper questions that give authentic religion its efficacy. Some inherent wisdom in the names given to the two final phases is reflected in the task of this third one. If a person does not complete the necessary searching, can a religion ever become his or her own, as “owned faith” suggests in this model? Finally, owned faith is the stage when religious belief grows as a central and vital part of one’s life. Here, it is through faith that one becomes fully alive and able to reach the potential that is grafted in the personality. Owned faith allows for an authentic appreciation and respect for all faiths because the person, having passed through the necessary searching stage, knows well what is at the center of his or her beliefs. Very simply, for people in this stage of faith, their religion is theirs because they “own” it, possess it, and live through it. It is fully integrated into their lives and personalities.
Styles of faith and candidate assessment Vocation ministers have the responsibility to do a thorough assessment of candidates to ensure healthy ministers for the church. In recent years, religious communities and dioceses have spent a great deal of money employing psychological professionals to help with mental and emotional health evaluations and predictions of candidates’ abilities to maintain appropriate boundaries. Few would doubt the benefit this has had for all involved. The October 2008 statement from the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education (“Guidelines for the Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 15
Use of Psychological Testing in the Admission and Formation of Candidates for the Priesthood”) could not be clearer in its endorsement of such resources. While written for candidates for the priesthood, its scope, spirit and breadth apply to religious life as well. It states: The timely discernment of possible problems that block the vocational journey can only be of great benefit for the person, for the vocational institutions, and for the church. Such problems include excessive affective dependency; disproportionate aggression; insufficient capacity for being faithful to obligations taken on; insufficient capacity for establishing serene relations of openness, trust and fraternal collaboration, as well as collaboration with authority; a sexual identity that is confused or not yet well-defined. In the phase of initial discernment, the help of experts in the psychological sciences can be necessary principally on the specifically diagnostic level, whenever there is a suspicion that psychic disturbances may be present. If it should be ascertained that the candidate needs therapy, this therapy should be carried out before he is admitted to the seminary or house of formation.
The Congregation’s listing of potential problems illustrates well the importance of sound assessments. Both the Congregation and the institutes that use psychological testing would readily admit that these resources point to such difficulties in candidates, for significant and expert help is needed in identifying such troublesome issues. However, these problems, though serious, neglect the essential area of spiritual and religious development. Recalling Pope John Paul’s description of the spiritual dimension as an “extremely important dimension of a priest’s education,” the Congregation reminds all who work in welcoming future ministers, including the nonordained by natural extension, of the heightened attention that spiritual assessment needs. Again, unlike the mental health areas, the resources are few, and they belong to the expertise of the vocation minister. Thus, Westerhoff ’s model could assist vocation directors immeasurably in providing a resource around which to frame a spiritual assessment. An abundance of literature in the field of religious formation speaks to the need to recognize the red flag of rigidity in a candidate, for example. While this trait can surface in personality inventories and behavioral assessment interviews, it is necessary to locate evidence of it in the religious and spiritual lives of candidates, lest their initial formation be compromised at its conception. 16 | Fall 2020 | HORIZON
Additionally, much is made of the dynamic of religious ideology in candidates. As the church enjoys a panoply of spiritualities and expressions of its one faith, it is called to remain open to the different ways that candidates live their relationship with God and the community who gathers to worship. Efforts have been moderately successful in moving beyond the progressiveversus-conservative or cultic-versus-servant models of those presenting for admission. The question is not the candidate’s ideology but his or her health, and the answer is not to match the institute but to be assessed well by its vocation director. If a candidate presents as immature in the spiritual dimension, admission should be seriously questioned. One very clear way to assess this is to determine, using the Westerhoff model, whether the candidate is living the faith at the owned level, having passed through the searching phase. This is important, especially since a candidate’s life in a community and ministry will be met with countless challenges and trials. While it is important for ministers to reflect the fullness of the church’s teaching, it is possible—perhaps likely—that they will be challenged to articulate these at times when met by struggling people in various pastoral settings. If a man or woman has not appropriately “searched” or necessarily questioned so as to understand deeply the values of dogma and doctrine, he or she will be ill-equipped to present them and to minister compassionately and honestly. Very simply, a person cannot—and should not—minister in the faith until he or she has internalized its values. The faith cannot be given away, as the gift it is, until it is possessed fully as one’s own. As one of the strength’s of Westerhoff ’s model is its four aptly named stages or styles, the vocation director could easily recall them and use open-ended questions related to each during conversations around the candidate’s spiritual life. It is not necessary for the director to make explicit for the candidate the model or the categories. While it may not be necessary to list specific questions here, the use of broad questions that would elicit narrative answers is best. For example, for the experienced stage, the directors could inquire about powerful experiences or moments of faith, not just from childhood but throughout the candidate’s life. Then, they will ascertain if these are based on deeper dimensions of faith or initial encounters of what has been believed to be sacred. While early experiences are important, they are not sufficient. Nadolski | Spiritual Development
For the affiliative phase, candidates will need to discuss their understanding of community. Considerable research points to candidates in their 20s and 30s calling for community life; yet much of this research has not probed what these populations mean when they express this need or desire. Discussing a candidate’s current level of investment in community, specifically a parish or prayer group, the vocation director will learn what is needed and sought after in the candidate’s yearning for affiliation through religious life and ministry. Nonetheless, accessing early experiences of religious community, such as religious education or memories of the Catholic school can be particularly helpful, especially if there is an inordinate amount of energy given to these. It is possible that a candidate’s yearning for community, under the perception of a call to ministry or religious life, is a need to return to the safety or clarity of what is remembered or seen through the eyes of nostalgia. If the Westerhoff model is to be used, the importance of attention to the searching phase cannot be overestimated. Searching as a stage of faith development is designed to be the cauldron of maturity where a person asks important questions, clarifies key values, and integrates essential external structures and ideals into the internal loci of decision-making and volition. A word of caution is helpful here. The searching style is not to be viewed or encouraged as a rite of passage wherein one leaves the church, dismisses its teachings, or is given tacit permission for dissent. Rather, it is to be understood as a development period where one’s heart and conscience are stretched to embrace the deeper dimensions of the tradition. Realistically, one cannot go deeper in faith without asking its deeper questions and understanding its underpinnings. Healthy emergence from the searching phase does not require departure from the church, just a plunging into its depths. Engagement of a candidate around this stage includes discussion of possible moments of doubt in and questioning of the church and some of its teachings. It may be helpful to ask the candidate to discuss a time when he or she was challenged to present a church position or a dimension of faith that was in question. Frequently an experience of a relationship where a conflict over religious issues emerged could provide a window into how a candidate negotiated the rigors of searching. In light of the sexual abuse scandals, it may be helpful to discuss how the role of church leadership and the behavior of offending ministers have impacted the candidate. Nadolski | Spiritual Development
Mazur, Catholic Church of England and Wales, Flickr
Growth in faith from adolescence onward
The faithful turn to priests and religious for guidance in many complex situations, which is one reason ministers need a fully developed faith that is already at a mature, “owned” level when beginning formation.
The conversation about owned faith will focus on how a candidate’s relationship with God and understanding of the church facilitated experiences of healing, reconciliation, justice, and prayer. While this list is not exhaustive, these themes point to concrete personal moments when a person’s faith has brought transcendence, immanence, or both. While many experts may eschew specific questions in assessment conversations, the vocation director would do well with a direct line of questioning here. Something like the following may be helpful: “How do you make this tradition that is older than 2,000 years your own faith?” “What personal experiences have you had that make you feel that your faith is central to your life?” “How do you understand your embrace of the faith now in our society of tremendous plurality?” Indeed, helping the church to grow is the work of the Spirit and the responsibility of those baptized and confirmed in this Spirit. The leaders—and future leaders—of the church have a unique role in this responsibility. Vocation directors’ privileged place in this work may be obvious, but it is challenged by the pastoral ministry that frames the countless expressions and experiences of the Spirit in a candidate’s life. The four-stage framework discussed here may serve well to assist the understanding and assessment of a candidate’s faith life. A mature faith life is a key factor in admission to a religious institute or seminary, and only candidates who possess this maturity will be able to truly embrace a formation program. n A version of this article first appeared in HORIZON Summer 2009. Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 17
CHEAT SHEET FOR HOMEMADE VIDEOS
V
OCATION OUTREACH BY VIDEO may be at an all-time high, thanks to COVID-19. For some basic advice for newbies—that is, any vocation director with a phone—we’ve adapted a handout developed by Father Tom Gibbons, C.S.P., creator of the video series
NunsTalkChurch.com. Gibbons boiled down the basics about recording videos so communities could contribute their own footage to his series. (A shout out of gratitude to Gibbons for featuring a staffperson and several members of the National Religious Vocation Conference.) As for those
vocation videos that still remain a dreamy idea, we say: “Lights, camera, action!”
1. Tripod
Use a tripod because it’s impossible to hold your hands steady for more than a moment, and shaky video degrades the quality of your work. Position the camera horizontally. Place it at the interviewee’s eye level for a natural, conversational look.
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Homemade Videos
2. Positioning
A nice effect is to position the interviewee in the first or last third of the frame. It is OK for the person to look off camera to the side.
3. Lighting
A good form of lighting is to have a lamp to the side of the interviewee with the camera on the other, darker side to provide contrast. Overhead light tends to be less flattering to people.
4. Audio A lavalier microphone can upgrade the sound quality, which is key. If your audience cannot clearly hear your message, they won’t keep watching. Lavalier microphones can be easily purchased online for around $20. Be sure to get one that can be plugged into your smartphone.
Homemade Videos
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Photo by Sister Deborah Borneman, SS.C.M.
Vocation directors can be key leaders in encouraging a healthy community culture, a crucial factor in preventing sexual abuse.
Ongoing formation in human development and sexuality is one way communities are fostering a healthy environment where abuse is less likely to occur. Pictured here are participants in a workshop sponsored by the National Religious Vocation Conference.
HORIZON interviews Father John Tourangeau, O. Praem. Father John Tourangeau, O.Praem. belongs to St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere, Wisconsin. A former vocation director, he teaches in the Facundo Valdez School of Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University while helping expand local mental health and pastoral counseling services. His dissertation for a 2017 Ph.D. in organizational development looked at clerical sexual abuse and organizational socialization.
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Healthy community helps prevent abuse
A
S THE SEXUAL ABUSE CRISIS was making headlines in 2018, Father John Tourangeau, O.Praem. had just completed Ph.D. research connected to that very topic. His findings help vocation directors and other religious life leaders better understand what type of community culture can help foster healthy and abuse-free religious congregations.
Tell us a little about your research. After reviewing the literature about child sexual abuse in the United States church, I wanted to explore the idea that sexual abuse by clergy was an individual problem enabled by a certain kind of organizational culture. If religious orders can understand the enabling culture, they can work toward changing it to something healthier. That’s where vocation and formation directors come in. With this question, as well as others, in mind, I designed and executed Tourangeau | Prevent Abuse
a major qualitative research study that resulted in my 2017 dissertation: “The Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis in the United States: Toward a Robust Multilevel Interactionist Lifespan Context, Process, Model, and Theory of Organizational Socialization.” My research consisted of 40 in-depth narrative interviews of religious order and diocesan offending and non-offending clergy. They were invited to share their lifespan stories of socialization: their lived experiences and sense-making of family, community, educational, and organizational realities and dynamics. I wanted to understand the systems that led to healthy non-offending priests—and the systems associated with offenders.
Did you encounter challenges during the research? Yes, carrying out this project was often a very lonely journey fraught with suspicion, judgement, and discouragement. More often than not, doors were closed rather than opened. Many church leaders were appropriately cautious in supporting this research, while others were concerned about what it might unearth. Nevertheless, I felt this type of research would be valuable for building a healthy and vibrant, faith-filled mission in the name of Jesus, both today and in the future.
What do vocation directors need to understand about the family systems associated with both clergy offenders and non-offenders? Essential to vocational discernment is the recognition and understanding of the place and importance of family throughout the lifespan. Murray Bowen developed a family systems theory of human behavior and therapy protocol that strives to describe, understand, and shift complex interactions within the family system, or any group for that matter. Bowen was convinced that the family remains with us. Wherever we go, we carry unresolved emotional reactivity to our parents, in the form of vulnerability to repeat the same old patterns in every new intense relationship we enter into. Unresolved relationships with our original families are the most important unfinished business of our lives, as has been noted by therapy experts Michael Nichols and Richard Schwartz. In their own words, my study participants detailed several family stressors—unresolved emotional reactivity Tourangeau | Prevent Abuse
and unresolved relationships—including but not limited to parental conflict, separation, divorce, verbal and physical abuse, lack of emotion or affection (including touch), family alcoholism, financial instability, family moves, schooling problems, lack of friends, and death of a family member. Moreover, the strong, frequent, and prolonged impact of family stressors on study participants throughout the lifespan shows up in particular during adversity, illness, and a lack of well-being, including inability to strike a good life balance. Here are comments from five different interview subjects: Dad . . . was a drinker. The marriage, because of that, was pretty shaky. My parents fought a lot, which had a significant effect on me. They were very involved and the ideal Catholic couple raising a family, but they fought in the house a lot. Once talking to a counselor, I said, “It was like at times being in a war zone and the shrapnel from the weapons came on me.” Major stressors in my family included lack of love, lack of self-esteem, and co-dependency. And, family life was rough. Mom and Dad always argued. But they never argued in front of us. We heard them arguing in their bedroom. In talking with others in the treatment program, I came to understand that my father was an alcoholic and that I lived and reacted to life like a child of a dysfunctional family of an alcoholic. This began a slow change in the way I lived, and continues through today. The significant loss was the death of my father . . . He was killed in a car accident and [my] mother was severely injured. It was quite a loss, very unexpected. And, I’m not sure if I ever really grieved his dying.
In summary, the management of family image was the salient theme that captured family life stressors for all study participants. Many talked about the unspoken family rules guiding both internal and external relationships. While the majority of study participants presented a perfect and rule-bound family to the world, an often very different reality prevailed in the home behind closed doors. This unintegrated experience of family socialization, though present across study groups (religious, diocesan, and offenders of public record and nonoffenders), was observed to be higher or more significant in religious order and diocesan sexual offenders of public record. Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 21
Your research points toward the idea that organizational culture set the stage, for priests with problematic backgrounds to offend. What sort of initial formation did offenders tend to have. There was a lack of discussion about sexuality and an arrested understanding of the sexual maturation process. Therefore, religious order and diocesan socialization customs and practices increased the secrecy myths learned in the family of origin. Discussion of sexuality was taboo in the family, and then in religious community sexuality was largely ignored. Initial formation, then, took place in a culture of silence, non-disclosure, and minimal discussion. Here are the words of one interviewee: Very, very quiet about all things sexual. I look back now and think in some ways what I missed . . . The mentality, I think, back in the day when I was young, the 50s and 60s, [was] you didn’t talk about certain things. Even when I entered the seminary, the formation in sexuality was almost zip, zilch, zero compared to nowadays.
So, if not addressing sexuality during formation is harmful, what have you learned about what is helpful? Ongoing formation in celibacy and sexuality definitely makes a positive difference. My research shows that religious order and diocesan priests who engaged more frequently than others in ongoing formation, education, and training were less likely to have sexually abused a minor. And the reverse is also true: the less ongoing formation, the greater the likelihood of offending. One interviewee summed up the feelings of others with this comment: “I think we need to define a little bit more fully the genuine celibate life, not only NOT to have sex, but how to live a whole life, a total life, an integrated life.” Another interviewee pointed out: We need to be very careful not to compromise the discernment and assessment processes. We need to give people in discernment time to know us and us them. I think of my own assessment for seminary. It never really dealt with sexuality; I was never asked questions about my sexuality.
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Is ongoing formation in sexuality happening now? Yes, there is clear evidence that both religious men and women, as well as diocesan men, have opportunities to engage in ongoing formation experiences. Communities and dioceses as well are engaging more regularly in system-wide ongoing formation, especially in the areas surrounding the protection of minors and vulnerable adults. Praesidium and Virtus provide these services and educational experiences.
What can vocation directors do to set an appropriate tone about sexuality and healthy celibate living with those in serious discernment? Before all else, vocation directors must acknowledge and be comfortable with their own sexuality as they strive for healthy celibate living, both as individuals and as members of a community. This begs the question of appropriate self-preparation so that they can bring up the topic with those in serious discernment in a manner that supports honest reflection and conversation. Vocation directors need to be authentic and supportive of the reality and goal of healthy sexuality in celibate religious life. [Editor’s note: the National Religious Vocation Conference workshops on sexuality are part of the recommended curriculum for all vocation directors. Learn more at nrvc.net.] Regular spiritual direction is foundational for a healthy spiritual life because it provides companionship on the journey, as well as opportunities for new growth and a deeper relationship with God, especially from places of crisis or brokenness in life. Spiritual direction is also the thread that integrates and gives deeper meaning to all aspects of living and loving that involve the relational, physical, ministerial, emotional, and communal daily living realities. In addition to spiritual direction, I would recommend that vocation directors consider regular mental health therapy in support of ongoing personal insight, growth, and overall human development. This may include participation in a behavioral assessment or other assessments that help them understand and integrate their experiences. Workshops on spirituality and sexuality—and all the other subjects important to vocation ministry—continue to be offered and endorsed by the NRVC, along with many other church organizations. These organizations Tourangeau | Prevent Abuse
have many available resources, both online and in person. As for reading materials, a plethora of resources are available.
Your research also looked at the community culture associated with abuse. What did you learn? Variables of organizational culture that contributed to abuse include secrecy and silence, inauthenticity and inconsistency in communication, a lack of repercussions for unethical behavior, poor leadership, and an experience of the institution being valued over the individual. Wherever these practices have a foothold in religious communities and dioceses, organizational culture needs to be transformed. That means reform of norms, authority, power, communication, and relationship patterns. Here is what one interviewee told me: Yes, leaders—bishops and provincials and abbots— are going to have to take an initiative to change Tourangeau | Prevent Abuse
church and culture in a number of ways, but change has to be more grassroots than that . . . clergy and laity alike willing to do what is right and just, regardless of how their motives may be challenged or judged. It’s a bottom up movement rather than top down . . . ultimately a movement that is collaborative.
Abuse occurred more frequently in settings with bad leadership. These were leaders plagued by poor communication, evasiveness or lying, poor role-modeling (for instance, leaders saying one thing and doing another), and a top-down, authoritarian style of decision-making that seemed disconnected from the needs of individuals. The priority in communities where men became abusers was that the institute took precedence over individual needs, as evidenced by a lack of individual accountability and transparency. Ultimately, there were not adequate checks and balances in place to monitor how religious and priests were conducting themselves personally or in ministry, so as to hold them accountable for low level boundary crossings. Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 23
Here is one interviewee’s observation about lack of accountability and damaging secrecy: During the years of formation, there was no real education in sexual morality or sexuality, period, except “DON’T!” There were guys, both heterosexual and homosexual, who were acting out, and it was all kept rather quiet. You knew in many cases, but the culture of the community didn’t allow you to speak about it.
Many people, including Pope Francis, have condemned clericalism as a part of church culture that fosters abuse. Could you discuss this? In part, psychological and theological rigidity give rise to a culture of clericalism. The authors of The Inner Life of Priests, Gerard McClone and Len Sperry, provide a broader, more comprehensive perspective on abuse and clericalism: “Essentially, it is the organization’s culture, values, policies, and system of rewards and sanctions in combination with the individual dynamics . . . , as well as situational factors, that best account for sexual misconduct . . . or manifestations of clericalism.” Clericalism is grounded in an individual or organizational sense of superiority that sets one group apart, above and far from others. This is the clericalism that Pope Francis continues to confront and condemn, because it contributed in large part to the creation of a culture wherein abuse of minors was widespread and more often than not hidden in the shadows of silence.
How can vocation directors set a tone that rejects clericalism? Clericalism not only embodies a distorted view of authority in communities and the church, but moreover is a poison that paralyzes the voice of the faithful and darkens or negates the need for continual church renewal and reform. How do we, then, oppose a culture of clericalism in the lifecycle formation process, beginning with initial formation? Well, vocation directors play a critical role in setting the tone for rejecting clerical attitudes and actions. Their goal should be to model a Christ-centered, story-focused, and mission-driven discernment process. They’ll want to be grounded in the core Gospel values of welcome, humility, understanding, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility, accountability, transparency, and patience. These are the markers of servant leadership. 24 | Fall 2020 | HORIZON
What type of community culture discourages sexual abuse? A healthy community has a means for open discussion and dialogue on sex, sexuality, celibacy, and addiction. Community leaders encourage accountability, vulnerability, transparency, and truth-telling. Each of these characteristics is critical in moving toward a healthier and integrated lifestyle, a lifestyle deeply rooted in integrity and service. Here are some comments from my interviewees on these traits. When asked to share at community meetings and gatherings, many of the men don’t want to share that personally. But I think it would be good to do so, to learn how to trust, be honest, and vulnerable with each other. I hope that I’m doing that in some small way. I can tell my story and invite others to do the same. The gift given is the ability to be transparent in all things. I have come to know the beauty and integrity that this transparency gives to me and to others in my life.
One interviewee has seen a lot of positive change in his community: The culture of the order has changed very much. We’ve moved from a closed system, from a hierarchical and caste-like system where superiors were allpowerful and there was no discussion or dialogue, to a style that encompasses a lot of dialogue, a lot of discussion and collaboration . . . more human and more like a family . . . . And, we have to continue to provide opportunities in our communities that support a culture of dialogue, one of openness and honesty about our lives and the challenges we have to confront on a daily basis . . . . Leadership has to set the example; they can’t be above the law.
Changing one’s community culture involves a long-term commitment. What concretely can vocation directors do that would be helpful? Indeed, changing organizational culture calls for a longterm, lifelong commitment to a process of ongoing formation and transformation. Several templates exist in support of organizational change; the one I like best, have studied, and employed as a pastor and organizational consultant is that of Appreciative Inquiry. Tourangeau | Prevent Abuse
What is Appreciative Inquiry, and how might it be helpful? Appreciative Inquiry (AI) “is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them,” according to its founder David Cooperrider. Specifically, AI is a process that has the ability to link the knowledge and energy of charism to a community’s change agenda grounded in a life-long process of conversation and conversion that tells both individual and communal stories. In the context of this discussion, AI holds great potential as a template framing the discernment and initial formation processes, recognizing the critical need to focus on the communal “positive core,” beyond sin, fear, blame, and dis-empowerment. AI is also a life-giving and empowering process that embraces communal collective wisdom, builds resilience for change, and extends its capacity to achieve extraordinary results. Lastly, it’s a dynamic process and empowering experience that shifts from a problem focus to a positive core analysis focused on healthy growth, development, change, and transformation. The role of vocation directors and initial formators within the AI change process supports and even demands that they be healthy and holy role models and mentors in the process of becoming grounded in a life of individual and communal prayer and spirituality. These ministers and the community members are aided in developing emotional intelligence, capacity for self-assessment and change, overall mental health, and personal and communal metanoia. It sounds lofty, but the AI process aims at nothing short of the goal of human, spiritual, intellectual, communal, and pastoral integration.
Any final thoughts for our readers? The prayerful words of the late Bishop Kenneth Untener offer hope and encouragement as we continue in service of a church we love and cherish: We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that Tourangeau | Prevent Abuse
RECOMMENDED READING FOR ONGOING FORMATION By Father John Tourangeau, O. Praem.
Jean Bartunek Church Ethics and Its Organizational Mary Ann Hinsdale Context James Keenan Patrick Carnes Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction Father Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O.
The Seven Storey Mountain Thoughts in Solitude New Seeds of Contemplation
Father Henri The Wounded Healer J. M. Nouwen The Return of the Prodigal Son Discernment Spiritual Formation Spiritual Direction Father Diarmuid Poverty, Celibacy, and Obedience: A O’Murchu, M.S.C. Radical Option for Life Consecrated Religious Life: The Changing Paradigms Father Ronald The Restless Heart Rolheiser, O.M.I. The Holy Longing Sister Sandra Schneiders, I.H.M.
Finding the Treasure Selling All
is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not Messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. n
Related reading Fall 2018 edition of HORIZON, “Ministry Amid the Storm.” “Safe youth ministry is everyone’s job,” by Christy Schiller, HORIZON Spring 2015. “Four marks of a healthy church culture,” by Sister Cynthia Nienhaus, C.S.A. HORIZON Fall 2019. Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 25
Feed your spirit A time to weep,
and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance. —Ecclesiastes 3:4
Marciaa, Moolightdancer, Flickr
Film notes Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved
A Hidden Life depicts the true story of Franz Jägerstätter’s difficult decision to resist serving in Hitler’s Army.
Life-or-death discernment
I
N VOCATION MINISTRY, no matter how tortured a discernment journey may be, it is never literally a life-or-death decision. The person moves forward with entering a religious community—or not. The decision is life-altering but not life-threatening. In the gorgeous film A Hidden Life by Terrence Malick, a discernment journey of Christian faithfulness indeed has mortal consequences. This 2019 film tells the story of Franz Jägerstätter (played by August Diehl), an Austrian farmer who was ultimately beheaded for refusing to serve in Hitler’s army after the Nazis took over his country. Most viewers know going in that the film will end with Jägerstätter’s death, so the substance of this movie is how he makes that choice and the impact it has on the people around him. Oh, and by the way, the film is also a hugely romantic and devastating love story between Franz and his wife (played by Valerie Pachner), whose closeness hints at the intimate connection between Franz and his Creator. Viewers like me might laugh at the romanticized portrayal of the Jägerstätters early on: playing jokes on each other, cuddling in the fields, and sharing kisses while planting potatoes (who exactly is minding the toddlers while this happens?), but this joyful portrait is captivating. And it sets us up to understand the depth of the sacrifice made later.
Schuck Scheiber | Discernment
Vocation ministers will recognize in Franz’s story many of the patterns present among those considering religious life.
By Carol Schuck Scheiber Carol Schuck Scheiber has been the editor of HORIZON since 1998. She also edits the NRVC NEWS column and is managing editor of VISION Vocation Guide, vocationnetwork.org.
Fall 2020 | HORIZON | 27
The world now recognizes Jägerstätter’s sacrifice, particularly with his beatification in 2007. The church now honors him with the title “Blessed” for his martyrdom, which had actually remained hidden until a book about him was published in 1964. As in most films about real people, there are departures from the facts. I was bothered by the way the movie’s Franz is a purist who chooses death rather than cooperate by serving in a hospital. In reality, Jägerstätter requested medic duty but was denied this option. Even with this misstep, vocation ministers will recognize in Franz’s story many of the patterns present among those considering religious life. For example, discernment often happens at a snail’s pace. The slow movement of this film could be a turnoff for some, but it also mimics the drawn out hours invested in making a difficult major decision. We glimpse Franz with a rosary; we see him walking the fields, turning his face toward the mountains. As he goes about daily chores of plowing, sowing, fixing, herding, we get the sense he is turning over in his head what he has seen and objected to under the new regime. These rural life scenes are interspersed with scenes showing his growing unease with the Nazis. A secular person would say he is pondering; a religious person would name this as prayer, which continues as months pass and seasons change. Like many people in vocational discernment, Franz changes his mind, experiences doubts, and has to start making mini-decisions that lead toward his ultimate decision to resist. When first recruited, he shows up for military training and follows the rules. Farmers are needed, however, so he gladly takes up his plow again, sidestepping direct opposition. But, he must start making small decisions about loyalty to the Führer. These small decisions seem parallel to a discerner making micro decisions consistent with religious life. Yes, I will give up a weekend to join the sisters in a service project. No, I won’t buy a new car. In Franz’s case, no, he will not contribute to the war cause. No, he won’t smile and nod at a “Heil Hitler!” greeting. Behind this, the big question looms: Should he return to military duty if drafted? Doubts creep in. The parish priest doesn’t support resistance because he would be executed, causing his family to suffer; and the bishop urges loyalty to the fatherland. His wife, mother, and sister-in-law also do not want him to elect death. Later, imprisoned, he is told repeatedly by friend and foe that his act of resistance won’t matter. No one will know. Even once he has firmly opted for resistance and has entered into his own Garden of Gethsemane awaiting execution, 28 | Fall 2020 | HORIZON
a fellow prisoner hounds him, articulating every doubt and casting aspersion at the foundation for his decision. God is not listening, the prisoner tells him. He never even bothered to save his own son. Thus Franz is bedeviled by doubts at each step of discernment and each step of living his new “vocation.” Does this sound familiar? Discerners, too, can be filled with zeal for religious community one day; a month later, the voices of dubious friends and family have sown discord and doubt. Although the people he consults can be sources of doubt, Franz does not make his decision alone. He does exactly what every good spiritual director recommends, which is to pray and discern in tandem with the community. Franz’s wife is horrified at first when she deduces that Franz will resist. But finally she tells him, “If we are faithful to him, he will be faithful to us.” She quietly supports her husband, enduring small town ostracization and the heavy work Franz will never return to do. These are weighty themes, yet the beauty of the cinematography injects an uplifting, spiritual character to the film. A viewer intuits God’s presence in the soaring Alps and also in light beams pouring down just so, door frames adding shape and contrast to the scene within, and even in the symmetry of light and darkness on prison stairs. Viewers may want to turn this movie’s lens onto their own world and keep the magic going. However, there is nothing magical about Austria’s descent into madness. While the film is an excellent study of the process of personal discernment, it also has broad social implications for our time. The good Catholic Austrians in the film line their roads with stations of the cross but nod in agreement when the immigrant bashing begins. Have we not seen the identical pattern among contemporary Catholics? This film forces us to watch as a town (and by implication, a whole country) is sucked into a pattern of evil that has frightening parallels to contemporary racial caste systems in the U.S. and other nations across the globe, the demonization of foreigners and poor people, and the church’s timidity in the face of these systemic problems. I still have the freedom to speak and agitate that Jägerstätter lacked. What am I doing? What are we as a church and society doing? Those are questions that will not leave me. The answers we give are unlikely to carry the weight of death, the way that Franz Jägerstätter’s answer did for him. We don’t choose the challenges of our moment. But we would do well as a church and as individuals to subject our choices for personal and civic behavior to the kind of loving, searching, prayerful discernment that Franz Jägerstätter models for us in this haunting film. n Schuck Scheiber | Discernment
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