Keeping the Mission Alive By Tim Moller, CFO
T
he Corporation Board for Sponsored Ministries (CBSM) of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati was established after approval by the 1995 Chapter of Affairs. Essentially, stewardship responsibility for the Sisters of Charity sponsored institutions was transferred from the Leadership Council to the CBSM, except for certain major responsibilities retained by Leadership Council, e.g., change in sponsored ministry mission, termination of sponsorship, purchase or sale of property larger than specified dollar amounts, etc. The CBSM plays a key role in the canonical and civil governance and the support of ministries the Sisters of Charity sponsor. “Sponsorship” is a relationship of delegated authority in which the Sisters of Charity Congregation, serving as the canonical steward, ensures that a ministry carries out the work of the Church according to its Catholic identity and the SC mission. Sisters of Charity sponsored ministries are governed by both canon and civil law. As stand alone civil entities, they are separated from the Sisters of Charity from a legal liability standpoint. However, canonically these ministries are still considered to be part of the Sisters of Charity. As such, there are certain “reserved powers” that are held by the Sisters of Charity to ensure canonical control. Using these reserved powers, the Sisters of Charity provide overall direction and ongoing evaluation of their sponsored ministries, largely 18
A number of Sisters of Charity were among the 400 supporters attending the June 5, 2011, dedication and blessing of DePaul Cristo Rey High School, the newest sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. Photo courtesy of Don Denney
through the oversight of the CBSM. A local board of directors, however, is responsible for governing the day-to-day operations of each sponsored ministry. Legal and financial requirements and other sponsored ministries’ accountabilities to the CBSM are outlined in the Sisters of Charity Sponsorship Manual. The CBSM also provides oversight of trustee education and appointment, and sponsorship education and communication to both the sponsored ministries and to the Congregation. One of the main emphases of the CBSM over the past year has been to encourage our sponsored ministries to focus on mission, both that of the Sisters of Charity and their own. One way the board did this was to sponsor our biennial All Boards Retreat on Oct. 26, 2010. Nearly 100 board members and senior administrators of our sponsored ministries participated in a presentation and discussion led by Vincentian Father Ed Udovic on the topic, “Creating a Mission Culture.” The speaker challenged participants to consider what makes our ministries different from those who offer similar services, and how do we keep the Vincentian/ Setonian mission alive in our ministries? His comments were met with enthusiasm and a lively response. Intercom