Council of
Women Religious
Minutes
for 2/18/2010
A.
Opening Prayer … Sr. Joanna Walsh
B.
Attendance: Bishop Burbidge, Msgr. Jerry, Srs. Barbara Marie
Cady, Arcadia Rivera Gutierrez, Lois MacGillviray, Sr. Shirley
Simpson, Joanna Walsh, Mary Ann Czaja, Chris Gellings, Carol
Loughney, Jeanne Morgan, Mary Agnes Ryan, Mary Jean Korejwo.
Guest presenter: Sr. Anne Heath, RSM
C.
Religious Retirement Fund update …. Sr. Anne
- A call to sisters via email went out to ask willingness to speak at
parishes for the RRF. Ten sisters responded but one could not
travel and no arrangements for her were made. One sister had
only one date available and she was not utilized.
A request
went out to all parishes in centralized mail in October. The
request was as followed: request a sister to speak, have your
own sister to speak, not interested in having a sister to
speak. Request was to be returned via email, phone or mail.
Response from parishes as regards having a sister speak was
poor.
7 sisters
went out to speak, 2 sisters did 2 weekends. One parish asked a
sister at the last minute to speak with no response to the
request. 3 parishes made a request that was not honored (my
fault) but there were no sisters available either.
2 parishes
asked their sister in the parish to speak. Historically, the
collection increases with a sister speaks at the Masses.
Result:
Sisters will be requested to respond to the need. All speakers
were from the Triangle Area. The parishes where a sister did
speak had a sizeable collection. Many parishes to date have not
sent their collection to the diocese. Most parishes did not
respond at all.
Ideas from
Community Relations Committee
Use this time
to incorporate awareness of vocations, make this a tie in, offer
to speak with parish leaders, youth groups, invite families of
religious to give witness in their parishes. Highlight sisters
serving in the diocese
-other suggestions from the Council:
a) at the September meeting sisters
will be encouraged to speak on behalf of the fund;
b) Sisters Lois and Anne will talk to
Richard Reese about the possibility of an article in the NC
Catholic in November on Consecrated Life in preparation for the
collection;
c) presence of sisters at the Catholic
Convocation October 15th will be encouraged;
d) provide Vocation Office with
materials from the communities serving in our diocese and a
contact person for any women interested
e) consensus at Council meeting seemed
to be that it would be
better keep the February Day as our
celebration of World Day
of Consecrated Life and Vocation
Awareness Week since
January is already full with other
activities… Unity Week, Right to Life Week, etc.
D. Update from the Community Relations Committee
summary:
-Review of what has been done by the Council
recently
-Review of
landmark study by Brother Paqul Bednaczyk for the
Bishops Conference
-Collaboration of Religious Retirement Fund
and Vocation
awareness
-Collaboration with Diocesan Office; presence
at next meeting
-Possible highlighting of life story and
ministry of one sister each
month in the NC Catholic. Bishop Burbidge
will present this
idea for approval; Sr. Lois offered to help
with the articles.
-Poster for display
-Vocation discernment model as used by Mexico
to reach out to
Hispanic women
-But trip to DC for Women of Spirit exhibit
F. Bishop Burbidge Announcements..
-Follow up of Deanery Meetings on the
Diocesan Plan … surfaced
two common needs: a) lack of response to the
elderly in our
Diocese; b) better use of technology to make
events, speakers,
etc. that happen in Raleigh available
throughout the Diocese
-Follow up on “Capital Campaign” … a
feasibility study will be
before anything becomes public
-Catholic Convocation will be help in October;
it will focus on
Liturgy; Gerard Hall is setting up a
catechesis program on the
New Missal which will be in place for Easter
2011
-Bishop Burbidge would welcome the presence of
Sisters with
expertise on any of these Advisory Boards:
Finance, Building and
Real Estate, Architecture and Stewardship
-Apostolic Visitation …. Bishop passed on our
concerns; many
other Bishops had the same concerns; contrary
to rumor, no
Diocesan money is being used to pay for the
visitation.
G. Russ Elmayan came to present the proposed
stipend increase for
next year. Council approved a recommendation
to the Bishop.
G. September overnite, Appreciation Day and
Jubilee
- Schedule: Friday, Sept. 24 6-9 Dinner and
Social at Lourdes
Saturday, Sept. 25, Breakfast 8a.m.;
gathering with Bishop 9am
Liturgy with recognition of Jubilarians
11am; reception.
-Sr. Mary Jean will email sisters to
determine their preference of
Hotel, stay with sisters, stay at home.
-A discussion was held about the possibility
of combining both
events in the future. This was not accepted
since discussion
resulted in a feeling that this would not
serve best the purpose
of the two events.
G. Possible bus trip to the Exhibit in DC …
determined it was too
late to do this because it will only be there
until April 25th.
H. Next Council … lunch and meeting April 29th;
Sr. Mary Jean will
notify us of the place
I.
Report from Election Committee … Schedule and procedure will
be emailed to each
sister. |
