Now, lets take a little look at what you have to do as leaders. - PDF document

LEADERSH LEADERSHIP IP SESSIO SESSION FO N FOR T R THE RI HE RIMOA REG REGIO ION Augus ugust 20 t 2016 Presen esenta tatio tions b by y Anne J Josephin osephine Ca e Carr, r , rgs gs SESSION TWO Now, let’s take a little look at what you have to do as leaders. Well, the Constitutions are quite clear about it. I quote: Sisters entrusted with the service of authority promote the spiritual and apostolic vitality of the congregation in accordance with the constitutions and statutes. Through discernment, collaboration, consultation and delegation, they honour the Spirit at work in each sister. It’s simple isn’t it? In theory yes, but in practice we know it is not! The Province Leader has a special chapter, but basically “ Her role is one of spiritual and apostolic leadership, service, and love. Through her support and animation she strives to ensure union and the spiritual growth of the communities as well as an effective apostolate in her province. ” There is no mention in the Constitutions of the leaders telling people what to do. “Lording it over the brethren,” as St. Peter mentions in one of his letters. And yet, that is how some sisters experience leadership. There can be a lot of unhappiness in a community and a lot of injustice if the leader is not up to the job. Remember that when you are looking for local leaders and formators – not to mention province leaders! If you were looking for someone to be in charge of a school or a hospital, would you put in someone you know would not be able to do it? If you did you would be stupid, but somehow with leaders it can be different – they will grow into it. Will they? Do they have the humility and realism that we talked about yesterday? Times have changed, but have we? Our style of leadership in religious life was hierarchical and authoritarian, whether it was ever meant to be so is another matter but that is what we experienced. The leader said “Jump” and all you asked was “How high?” In theory there was the possibility of discussing with the leader about a new mission or community, but in practice it didn’t happen very often. When I was young, and I was once upon a time, the leader took the place of God. When we were asked to go to a mission, we went in faith – and often trembling! But we went. There was no “I can’t do that. I don’t have the training for that. I’m too young.” None of that. I have a friend who was sent to take charge of a laundry after profession. She was 22 years old. She said to the Provincial: but I don’t know anything about laundries. I don’t know how to work the machinery, I don’t know how to starch things etc., etc. The Provincial said: Yes, I understand that. I will give yo u Sr…..who is an expert to show you what to do. She will come with you for 2 weeks. And that is what happened. So, my friend had to learn the mechanics of the laundry and at the same time make a relationship with the girls who worked Anne Josephine Carr, rgs 1

in the laundry. She was 22 years old and this work, on which the house depended in order to survive, was in her hands. We all had similar experiences, And when I look at our first sisters, who came from a very different world in which women were not given responsibility, not expected to make decisions and these women left their homes and countries to bring the message of God’s merciful love to the world. I think to myself, if they had said I can’t do it then none of us would be here today. That said, it must be said that St. Mary Euphrasia never sent anyone on a mission if she was not happy to go. Now leadership is different, or rather the style is different. We went through a phase where the leader was more or less ignored, she was the servant of the servants of God – and how! But now, we have matured and we recognize the mission that is leadership of a congregation, a province or a community or a ministry. Yes, times have changed, but have we? Pope Francis says in a homily on the gospel passage of the new wine skins: “ New Wine into new wineskins…In essence, what does this mean? Does it mean that the law has changed? No!” It means rather “that the law is at the service of man, that it is at the service of God and for this reason man must have an open heart. The atti tude of those who say “this is how it has always been done ” is, in reality, born of a closed heart. Instead, however, “Jesus told us: I will send the Holy Spirit and he will lead you to the full truth”. Thus, if your heart is closed to the newness of the Holy Spirit you will never reach the full truth”. Additionally, your Christian life will be a half and half life, a patched up life, mended with new things but on a structure that is not open to the Lord’s voice: a closed heart because you are not capabl e of changing the wineskins”. Are our hearts open to the newness of the Spirit? What might this newness look like? Do we want to live a half and half life? What wineskins must we change? I think you know that if you put new wine into old wineskins the skins burst and the wine is lost. I will talk more about this tomorrow in relation to community and ministry structures and also the problem the young have with community but today, I want you to think about leadership structure and styles. How do you lead, what kind of leader are you – really, honestly? If you go back to Mary Euphrasia’s time, Mary Euphrasia listened to the Spirit. She dared to do a new thing? Why? For the mission. Bro. Pinto told us last year at the Chapter that we cannot have a mission if we do not have an experience of God. He was quite clear about it. Your main role as a leader is to spiritual and apostolic service. How do you do this? There is only one way – example. St. Mary Euphrasia said: “If you want to save souls you m ust be holy.” That’s the bottom line sisters – you first! You don’t ensure that the others have the chance to grow spiritually and apostolically, you do it yourselves first and show the way. “The sheep follow me..” Jesus said. He didn’t say that he drove the sheep in front of him and he followed them. Now, this is all very good, but practically what happens. If we are honest, we spend most of our time sorting out different problems and administrative affairs. Most problems can be sorted out peacefully, but some, the most difficult ones, are caused us by the ones we love and serve – our sisters. We will talk more about that tomorrow when we look at forgiveness and community. Anne Josephine Carr, rgs 2