Fraternity in Action

The Atonement Friars from various parts of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Rome, and Japan gathered at Graymoor, our New York headquarters, the week following Pentecost. This was a continuance of our Chapter of Affairs, which had met two years ago.

Two years ago, our friars gathered for a General Chapter, which meets every five years with a dual purpose. One part is a Chapter of Affairs, where the friars consider the direction and assessment of our mission and administration. Ordinarily this part of the convocation is completed and followed by a Chapter of Elections during which a Minister General is elected along with the General Council of the community. Ordinarily the Chapter of Affairs mandates the Minister General, his Council, and the community at large to pursue the directives and discernment of our shared decisions.

The conclusion of the last Chapter of Affairs moved the Friars in a slightly different direction. Once before, immediately after the Second Vatican Council, the friars had a year between the sessions to experiment with the many changes occasioned by the Council. This time the challenge was to form working committees, regional gatherings, and to plan out a thorough and efficient process for the second session of the Chapter of Affairs.

The Challenges
The challenges facing the Friars arise from the changing realities of the community itself, from the Church which continues to assess itself, and from a very different world. The most exciting part which breathes life into our discipleship is the new mission expression of the Church in response to its conversation with the world at large. The Church both, in the United States and internationally, seeks to rediscover the call of the gospel in the contemporary world. What are the needs of our world? What are the demands of change? What language and cultural expression are needed to effectively proclaim the gospel?

Vocations and Aging
Whether one sees the numbers of vocations as a “crisis” or not, the number of people being called and

responding is significantly less than it used to be. The Friars, like so many other communities and dioceses across the county, are not replacing themselves. Vocation conversation speaks of aging friars. both priests and brothers. It certainly takes a closer look at actuary tables and the effect on ministerial effectiveness and hopes. Vocation, likewise, invites newer thoughts about collaborative ministry with the laity and with other groups in the Church.

Connected with vocation and with the challenges of our times, the friars had significant conversations about fraternal life. Again, like so many religious communities, the friars have changed in their shared life. Has this been effective to our spiritual life, to our prayers, and to the living of shared values? Obviously the past forms of religious life have changed, but what further changes and possibilities would enhance our shared life and its service to the Church. The vocational questions are: what are young people looking for in the Church and what do we have to offer as challenge to them?

Foundational Charism
As the Friars look forward, they are challenged to look over their collective shoulders to the past. Each community has from their founders a foundational group of charisms. These are the gifts and vocational call which led to the beginning of the community. With the Friars that charism focuses on Christian Unity and the missions. Those foundational gifts are discovered in contemporary ecumenism, inter-religious dialogue and reconciliation within the Church and within the human family. The challenge of the Chapter of Affairs is how to continue that mission and ministry.

A Challenge in Faith
The challenge which the Friars took up was how to continue to serve the Church. Aging and dying members, fewer fiscal resources, fewer major facilities, more challenges and more urgent needs in the world call one to faith. Beyond the comfortability of the past and the clarity of our life style, this new faith brings life and vitality to the friars in their commitment to the gospel. In the end it’s God’s work and God’s Kingdom. We are left to respond with hope.

CDH