Viator Newsletter 2003 Spring

Page 1

Association evolving and gaining purpose among the Viatorians A recent study by the Center for Applied

charism, which works with Christian commu-

Research in the Apostolate (CA RA) shows

nities to live, deepen and celebrate their faith.

that lay associates play an important role in

It's all a part of me. I'm not a vowed religious,

the life of a religious

but I believe that I've

institution. These

taken on that Viatorian charism."

associates rely on formal training and

M arilyn became an

orientation to best carry

The Age of the

Laity Fr. Charles G. Bolser, CSV, Provincial

My dear friends in St. Viator, The Decree on the Apostolate of Lay

associate just four years

People, developed during Vatican Council II, was promulgated on November 18, 1965.

religious order.

ago, with three others. At first, some people,

As we approach the 40th anniversary of this

Associates are lay people

laity and religious alike,

Decree, we experience a variety of forces

who, in order to gain a

weren't comfortable

that are causing increased tension as the

out the mission of the

deeper understanding in Associates gather with students from St. Viator their lives, affiliate with H igh School, Arlington Heights to deepen and a religious order and go celebrate their faith at a freshman retreat.

with the process. Many felt it was difficult to ge t excited or endorse a

Church struggles to understand and to implement this Decree. All radical cultural

through an offi cial formation period to learn

program that was too undefined and had no

change is by its very nature both threatening and challenging. There is always a tension between letting the old go in order to accept

about the institute's charism, or founding grace,

purpose. Marilyn remembers that there was

and mission. Although associates do not take

much discussion on what people wanted out

the new which is unknown and untested. This

formal vows as religious do, they commit to

of Association, what gifts they could offer

tension is necessary. It is a constant within

living the mission of the religious institute.

and generally who would do what.

nature itself and within all social structures.

"Association is still in its infa ncy and is

Today, there are 12 associates in the Chicago

From the time of Constantine until the experi-

continuously evolving. As vowed religious,

province and ten pre-associates undergoing the

ence of Vatican II, there were two churches

we ask, 'how do we enable associates to

discernment process. "We ask pre-associates to

-the institutional Church and the people

develop skills of ministry and how do we

do quite a bit of introspective thinking abou t

of God. We were living with some degree of

provide opportunities of sharing the Viatorian charism?'" says Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV,

their lives and Association," Marilyn continues.

comfort with that lived experience. We

"We call this process 'discernment.' We ask

existed in a paternalistic church and world,

provincial. "We have to realize that the Spirit

candidates to examine their spirituality; to study

confident that God acted through men,

speaks and works through the whole church,

and to learn the history and the philosophy of the order; to understand the Viatorian mission.

ordained by other men, who were the con-

not just through the vowed religious. It's time we listened to the world ." The factors that attract associates to the religious institute with which they are

duit of God's presence in the Church, and

Most importantly, we ask them to discover

through the Church, into the world. Men

what gifts they can share with the community

were seen to have full authority in the family,

to enrich the lives of all involved."

and all forms of government, civil and ecclesial. Vatican Council II reaffirmed the early life

affiliating include a general desire fo r a deeper

The associate experience is different for each

spirituality in their lives, as well as, the

person. Cathy Abrahamian, administrative

of the Church. It recognized that Jesus gave

institute's spirituality, charism and mission.

assistant at St. Viator H igh School, Arlington

his mandate to act to all, not just the few.

"My thoughts and actions changed before I

H eights, Ill. , feels she brings her dedication to

The words of St. Paul express our faith that,

became an associate," says Marilyn Mulcahy,

children in the community. "I've always been

chairperson for the Viatorian Commission on

close to children, coming from a family of

Association. "I like the Viatorian mission and

eight," says Cathy. "My vocation, however, is to

In Christ, there is neither male nor female, j ew nor Gentile, free nor slave - there is one body. (Ga/3:28) The entire Church, as the

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