Summer 2006 Mission Update Newsletter - Catholic Mission Association

8/9/2019 Summer 2006 Mission Update Newsletter - Catholic Mission Association

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since more cultivation

means more money earned.

4. Population increase Morepeople means more need forland and cut trees for con-

struction .

5. Free grazing Traditionalanimal raising requires freemovement for pasture andresults in the area being

changed afterwards.

6. Clear cutting Burning thegrowth on an area of landfor crops interferes with the

growth of trees.

7. Plastic trash Plastic trashfound thrown everywhere

(especially in Mali) doesnot decompose, and thus,destroys the fertility of theland, preventing water from

being absorbed into the soil

during the rainy season.

Fr. Anselm continues:

With more than 90% of thepopulation depending on agricul-ture and animal raising, desertifi-cation is the biggest danger for a

country like Mali. The wholetraditional way of living wasaffected when there was drought

in the past. People from the ruralareas started migrating to towns,which created problems there:unemployment, begging, prosti-tution, theft and an increase in

the price of goods. Nomads areforced to change their ways ofliving as they can no longer de-

pend on animals for living. Therivers which are drying slowlyare no longer giving enough fish

The International Year of Desertsand Desertification

The UN General Assembly de-clared 2006 the International

Year of Deserts and Desertifica-tion. According to the UNs web

site, Desertification is aboutland degradation: the loss of the

lands biological productivity,caused by human-induced factorsand climate change. It affectsone third of the earths surface

and over a billion people. More-over, it has potentially devastat-ing consequences in terms of

social and economic costs.

Drylands are home to some of

the most magnificent ecosystemsof this world: the desertstheir

incredibly diverse fauna have been home to some of the

worlds oldest civilizations.

Deserts are arid regions, gener-ally receiving less than ten inchesof precipitation a year, or regions

where the potential evaporationrate is twice as great as the pre-

cipitation.

Deserts are not only the hot, dryareas most people associate with

the term. Deserts also includecool coastal deserts such as theAtacama in northern Chile andthe Namib which covers areas inAngola, Namibia and South Af-

rica; cold winter deserts such asthe Gobi desert in China andMongolia and Patagonian desert

in Argentina; and polar deserts

such as the Antarctic.

We will look at three desert areasand some of the work being done

there by missioners: Mali, Chileand the Sonoran Desert in south-

west United States.

MALI

Fr. Anselm Mahwera is a Mis-sionary of Africa working inGao, Mali, part of the arid Saha-ran desert. Desertification is a

phenomenon which affects thewhole of Mali, of which 65% ofthe land is desert or semi-desert.According to statistics, the desert

is advancing 5 km in a year.Wherever you go, you can seethe disappearance of vegetationand the evidences of desertifica-

tion, says Fr. Anselm. In hisview, the reasons for this deserti-

fication are:

1. Climate change There isless and less rain in the re-

gion.

2. Loss of trees New farmsneed firewood and carpentry

for buildings and furniture.

3. Cash crop cultivation People cultivate larger areas

In This Issue

International Year of Deserts

and Desertification

1

From the Director 2

USCMA Annual Conference 2

Religious Orders Partnership/

Partnership for Global Jus-

tice

4

Mission Inventory 2004-2005

Executive Summary

5

The Church as Creation of

the Spirit

Center

Orbis Books 10

Resources & Upcoming

Events

11

We Praythat in the

mission territories,

different ethnic

and

religious groupsmay live

in peace

and together

build a society

inspired

by human

and

spiritual

values.July 2006 Missionary Intention of Pope Benedict XVI

Un i t ed S ta t esCa tho l i c M i s s ion Assoc ia t i on

contd on p. 3

Sahara Desert courtesy of Digital West Media,

Inc.

U.S. Catholic Mission Association

Vol. 115, Issue 2

Summer 2006

Mission Update


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USCMA 25th AnniversaryAnnual Mission Conference

USCMA StaffRev. Michael Montoya, MJ, Executive Director

Ms. Charlotte Cook, Associate Director

Sr. Anne Louise Von Hoene, MMS, Accountant

Sr. Michael Theresa Brauer, SND de N, Administrative Assistant

Questions/Comments re: Meetings & Conferences [email protected]

Questions/Comments re: Mission Update / Current Topics [email protected]

E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: uscma.catholicmission.org

Mission Update: ISSN 15426130

Page 2

Mission Update Summer 2006

From the Director:

Rev. Michael Montoya, MJ

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all

my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy

because of your partnership in the gospel from thefirst day until now, being confident of this, that he

who began a good work in you will carry it on to

completion until the day of Christ Je-sus (Philippians 1: 3-6, NIV).

As we enter into the 25th year of USCMA, I cannot

help but think of all the challenges and blessings

received. And with each challenge and blessing is a

God that continues to call us to faithfulness. It is a

privilege to be part of USCMA on its 25 th year of

celebrating passion for Gods mission. Everyday Ithank God for the people that continue to inspire

all of us in our response to Gods call to mission.

The Periodic Paper written by Steve Bevans, SVD

included in this Mission Update reminds us that theSpirit calls, equips, and challenges the Church to

be a missionary Church, and that we are not cre-ated for ourselves; we are created for mission.

Bold statements considering the consequences andchallenges of such affirmation! But is this not what

we claim when we profess that the Church is

missionary by its very nature (AG2)? Mission

defines the Church. It permeates its very being. Itforms, informs, and reforms its very actions. In the

words of the US Bishops, To say Church is tosay Mission (Pastoral Statement on World Mis-

sion, To the Ends of the Earth #16).

This Periodic Paper is very timely as we also cele-

brate in this Mission Update the thousands of USmissioners working all over the world. The Execu-

tive Summary of the Mission Inventory 2005-2006

you see here highlights even more the ever active presence of the Spirit in the US Church as shecalls, equips, and challenges us to be a missionary

Church. The data we read give us a glimpse of the

commitment of US missioners to Gods mission.

They have been and continue to inspire millions of

people in the mission territories by living up totheir mission identity. A complete copy of the

Mission Inventory can be accessed through our

website www.uscatholicmission.org. We encour-

age you to mine the treasures contained in thissurvey and join us in thanking God for the gift of

mission.

The Deserts and Desertification article also cele-

brates the efforts of missioners working in desert

contexts. The Spirit indeed calls, equips and chal-

lenges us in our response to Gods mission.Through the experiences of the missioners working

in the deserts, we see the problems of deforestation

and land degradation to which the UN has right-

fully called our attention. But we are also led to seethe concern regarding preservation of desert cul-

tures and raise awareness of the faith-filled actions

of missioners in those deserts as they try to respond

to the human needs presented to them. Hosea 2:16

comes to mind: I will now allure her and bring herinto the desert and speak tenderly to her - words

of encouragement, affection, pardon, and grace to a

people disheartened,

Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of US Catholic

Mission Association will be an important part of

our annual Conference to be held at Notre DameUniversity, October 1-3. 2006. The theme of the

conference is: CELEBRATING AND INTE-

GRATING OUR MISSION PERSPECTIVES:

Short Term, Long Term, On Whose Terms?

Rev. Robert Schreiter will open the Conference

with a keynote reflecting on short term mission

and its place in the whole dynamics of mission-

sending and mission-receiving during the past 25

years.

A panel of four speakers will look at short term

mission from the perspectives of mission-

sending. The panel represents a broad section of

groups that are actually doing short term mission.Rosanne Fischer, Director of the Diocese of St.

Cloud Mission Office will talk about Parish and

Diocesan Twinning. Rachel Tomas-Morgan,

Director of International Service Learning and

Justice Education at the Center for Social Con-

cerns of the University of Notre Dame will speakfrom the perspectives of campus-based and cam-

pus-sponsored programs. Teresita Gonzalez de la

Maza, Executive Director of Amor en Accion

from the Archdiocese of Miami will talk aboutshort-term mission from the perspectives of

groups connected to a Diocese. Finally, Sr. Mary

Medved, SNJM, Executive Director of Jesuit

Volunteers International, will speak from the

perspectives of groups connected to a religious

congregation.

A second keynote by Bishop Edmond Carmody of

the Diocese of Corpus Christi, will address the issue

from the perspectives of mission-receiving commu-nities. He will reflect from the experiences of re-

ceiving missionaries in the United States.

Use of the home community format, which proved

so popular at the Mission Congress 2005, will pro-vide opportunities for participants to share their own

stories and experiences in small groups.

Participants will also be able to choose two

Dialogue Sessions from a selection of ten focustopics. Through the Dialogue Sessions, we hope to

integrate and deepen our mission perspectives. All

Dialogue Session speakers come with both rich

experiences and expertise in the topic that they will

facilitate.

Following the Banquet Monday evening will be

music and dancing.

Registration is available on our website

www.uscatholicmission.org. Click on USCMA

Annual Conference. Or go directly to https://marketplace.nd.edu/cce/. You may direct questions

to 574-631-6691 [email protected]

We hope to see you at the USCMA 25 th Anniversary

Annual Mission Conference as we celebrate ourpassion for Gods mission, integrate and deepen our

mission perspectives, dialogue our stories of mis-

sion, and renew our commitment to Gods mission!

wounded, and crushed (How Can We Make Signs

of Vitality Our Points of Departure for Religious

Life? Br. Alvaro Rodriguez Echeverria, FSC,

UISG #130, 2006, p. 11).

And what better way and better time to celebrate

the Spirits action in our times as we commemoratea jubilee year for us, USCMA! We do hope that

you have made plans to join us on October 1-3,

2006 at the University of Notre Dame for the

USCMA 25th Anniversary Annual Mission Confer-ence. By now, you have already received the bro-

chures and hopefully have started registering. If

not, then please visit our website and click on

USCMA Annual Conference to print the bro-

chure and to register online. Your presence will

definitely add flavor to the celebration and deepen

our dialogue of faith and life. Your stories affirm ourcommitment to Gods mission and enrich our mis-

sion perspectives.

We are very excited about this Conference and we

believe that the topic is both current and relevant tothe growing number of US missioners both on

short-term and long-term. There is a lot to learn

from each others stories and the perspectives that

our experiences allow us to see. And in a very spe-cial way, as we celebrate 25 years, it is a time to

gather, to pray, to celebrate, and to renew our com-

mitment to Gods mission. This is a celebration of

Gods mission! This OUR celebration! USCMA is

us! All of us missioners!

contd in col. 2



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ples.

As a result of this program, the participants will

have a firm grasp of the economic principles asthey intersect with issues of Human Rights,

Development and Sustainability. As NGOs,leadership and justice promoters work intenselyon specific issues directed by their organization,having a greater overview of the economic con-

cerns filtered by a justice viewpoint willsharpen their understanding and perception of

the world issues in which they participate.

3) Poverty: Impasse of Dollars and Sense

Who? What? Why? and How? of Poverty.

All - rich and poor, busy and retired, illiterateand educated, North and South, employed and

jobless - All are entrapped by the effects ofabsolute poverty. And, each one can do some-

thing about opening an escape.Often, what we do can take

place within our current occu- pation, in our present situa

tion.

An overview of the currentglobal situation reveals the

interconnectedness of majorissues conflict, disease, hun-ger, illiteracy, unemployment,

trafficking, child abuse, pow-

erlessness are all aspects ofpoverty.

This program provides a basic understanding ofnational and global poverty and of simple ac-tions which can engage already busy people in

the work of eliminating absolute poverty.

The poverty trap confines us all victims of

poverty, victims of property, the guilt-ridden,

the busy, the ignorant, the informed.

This program provides a basic understanding of

the roots of economic poverty and of the condi-tions which perpetuate poverty as it impacts

every aspect of social development: health,education, human rights, employment, sustain-able environments. As we labor in direct ser-

vice, it is imperative that we understand andinclude in our viewpoint those underlyingcauses which create new victims daily. The

workshop includes simple actions that willmove our direct services of charity to include

work for justice.

pole 30 feet high. The barrels all haveHumane Borders bumper stickers and are

painted with the word "Agua" on the side.Local soft drink companies who supportour cause donate the 55-gallon drums. All

the water barrels are purified with chlorine,preventing organic growth and keeping the

life-saving water safe for drinking.

Other aspects of the desert

While to the migrants the desert is an ob-stacle to be overcome, to the indigenous

people there is beauty in the desert. Theirculture is rooted there. For the Tohono

Oodham of the Sonora, Iitoi, ElderBrother and Creator, lives on the sacred

Baboquivari mountain.

The Navajo, a short distance north and

east, see beauty in the fruit of MotherEarth as expressed in this poem:

OHKWAHO AKARA

Dine (Navajo) Wind Prayer

by Wolfeyes

Oh, Great Spirit,

Oh Grandfathers,

How lucky can one be to know such

beauty?

One can search the world over

and not find this much loveliness.

Her heart is pure,

and radiates love and warmth.

Oh, Mother Earth,

It is from your womb that she does come.

It has to be,

for she reflects your beauty that I see

all around me.

Oh, Navajo Wind,

blow softly upon this desert rose.

Embrace her always with your warm gen-

tle breezes.

Fill her heart with the pride and happi-

ness

From a proud and noble people

that she does come.

Whisper soft reminders in her ear,

"Never forget...

Never forget."

http://www.indians.org/welkers/navajo.htm

Religious Orders Partnership/Partnership forGlobal Justice offers four workshops that pro-vide participants with a rich experience inissues that are currently emerging on the inter-

national horizon.

1) UN Orientation Days

This gathering is designed to provide basicinformation regarding the United Nations sys-

tem including the participation of Secretariat,the Nation States, and the Non-GovernmentOrganizations (NGOs) and other groups thatform the UN community. It includes an over-

view of the current UN agenda and a reflectionof how your congregation or organization

might be able to participate in UN activities.

These sessions are designed for those who are

involved in justice and peace ministry who areinterested in learning more about the workingsof the UN. It is for those in leadership posi-

tions who would like toinclude the UN agenda intheir worldview. It is forthose involved in communi-

cations work for congrega-tions and groups who haveresponsibility to provideinformation to people that

includes a broad perspec-tive. It is for individualswho are interested in broad-ening their understanding of

the United Nations systemso that they can integrate it

within their understanding

of the world.

2) Global Economics Workshop.

This is a three day meeting held near theUnited Nations Headquarters in New York

City but it can also be held in other locationschosen by a host community. The program

provides an overview of principles in econom-ics with a backdrop of Catholic Social Teach-

ing. These principles are then applied to is-sues that are currently discussed as part of theUN economic agenda including trade, debt,

multinational corporations, development andsubsidies.

Every issue at the UN has an economic com-

ponent. Therefore it is important for us tounderstand economic principles as we enterinto dialogue as NGOs with the Nation-Statesand the UN Secretariat. Our need as NGOs,

Religious Leaders and Justice Promoters is tohave a better understanding of economics as itinterconnects with our basic Christian princi-

Religious Orders Partnership/Partnership for Global Justice

Page 4

Thepoverty trap

confines us all

victims of poverty,

victims of property,

the guilt-ridden,

the busy, the ignorant,

the informed.

contd on page 15




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Page 5

Mission Inventory 2005-2006Executive Summary

This year as we celebrate 25 years of passion for Gods mission, we atthe U.S. Catholic Mission Association are happy to share with you thecompilation of the missionary survey results received in response to a

questionnaire and a request to update the 2002-2003 statistics. Thesurvey was originally mailed to 786 mission-sending organizations inJanuary, 2005. A follow-up mailing was sent in May, 2005. Acknowl-edging that our mission outreach is to the global community, the tabula-

tion is inclusive ofU.S. citizens, Catholic missioners laity, religiousand clergy serving in mission both within and outside the United

States borders.

Included in this edition of the USCMA Mission Update 2006 is a sec-tion with charts and tables of the new data received in relation to previ-

ous data.

GUIDELINES TO THE PRESENTATION

The following 2005 2006 tabulation of United States Catholic mis-sioners serving both within the U.S. and abroad has been compiled by

the U.S. Catholic Mission Association from data gathered from manysources. USCMA has compiled the lists of missioners from data re-ceived from mission-sending organizations and home dioceses (withadditional reference to The Official Catholic Directory). The data,

therefore, is as reliable as the most diligent effort can make it and as theconstant changes in personnel will allow. Some comments on severalitems in this handbook follow.

The lists of data include only U.S. missioners, meaning those who areor have been United States citizens by birth or naturalization. Those

who have taken out citizenship in their country of mission service are

still listed here as missioners from the United States. On the otherhand, citizens of other countries serving as members of mission-sending organizations headquartered in the U.S. are not listed. As an

example, there are numerous Maryknoll sisters serving abroad, often incountries other than their homeland, who are not U.S. citizens andtherefore are not listed here among the Maryknoll sisters serving abroadas U.S. Catholic Missioners. This policy helps to prevent overlapping

when the various national mission councils publish their tabulations. Itmust be remembered, however, that mission-sending organizationswhich appear to have only very few members in a given mission fieldmay have many more who are not U.S. citizens.

The lists bear the heading U.S. Catholic Missioners. This includes allthose Catholics who are sponsored by Catholic mission-sending organi-zations, even if they work for projects not sponsored by the Catholic

Church.

The term missioner is used in its generally accepted sense. It includesnot only those engaged in the primary and subsequent stages of evange-

lization but also those ministering in closely related areas of communityservice and development.

The term serving stands for service over a period of time. While someorganizations provide opportunities for short-term service, only thoseindividuals are included in these statistics who serve for a minimum ofone year.

The term abroad means outside of the 50 contiguous UnitedStates. Those working in Alaska and Hawaii are included in the dataas missioners serving within the U.S. As Puerto Rico and the Virgin

Islands are U.S. territories and not U.S. states, their data lies in thecategory of abroad for the statistical purposes of this inventory.

As with the 2002 - 2003 tabulation, the many missioners ministering

in cross-cultural situations in the United States are included. Thecontinuing political and socio-economic changes, trends and circum-

stances both in the U.S. and abroad have enabled a renewed un-derstanding of mission universally.

GUIDELINES FOR SURVEY OF

U.S. CATHOLIC

(CROSS-CULTURAL) MISSIONERS

SERVING IN THE U.S.

[Note: The following guidelines were included with the request tomission-sending organizations that they name constituen-

cies involved in cross-cultural mission in the U.S.]

The following guidelines are intended to be descriptive, not theologi-cal or sociological definitions. We offer them as guidelines for pas-toral/missional judgment and not as definitive statements or catego-

ries. A cross-cultural missioner may fall into one or many of thesedescriptions. We at the U.S. Catholic Mission Association realizethat these guidelines are not exhaustive, but they will help you inself-defining those missionary activities in which your organiza-

tion is engaged.

The ministry is with people who have either never heard the Word or

have never had it effectively proclaimed to them or their communityi.e., generally not reachable by the common methods or means of

ministry in the U.S.

The missioner is working in an area where the local church is easilyunderstood as institutionally underdeveloped i.e., it lacks indige-

nous ecclesial leadership, personnel, and financial resources for ef-

fective ministry beyond the pastoral nurture of its own membership.

The ministry is genuinely with those on the margins i.e., amongpeople linguistically, culturally, and/or economically outside the

stream of the dominant culture.

The people with whom this ministry is exercised would see them-selves as significantly distinct from the mainline culture i.e., their

distinct identity is clearly perceived by themselves when in the

larger cultural context of the United States.

It is a ministry of dialogue by which the Christian churches or com-munity are engaged with a community of values different from its

own in some core religious or moral manner.




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THE CHURCH AS CREATION OF THE SPIRIT:

Unpacking a Missionary Image

Periodic Paper #2

Page 1

Stephen Bevans, SVD

This is brief synopsis of Steve Bevans Presidential Address at the 2006 meeting of the American Society of Missiology in June.

The complete version will be published inMissiology,January, 2007.

It is the proper work of the Holy Spirit, wrote Martin Luther in 1523, to make the church. My hopehere is to contribute a little bit to a theology of the church that is led into mission by the power of the Spirit, and so

created by that power.

Of course, the church is not justthe work of the Spirit. It is the work of the entire Trinity, a people made

one with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (see LG 4). Nevertheless, as Luther rightly intuited, itis the Holy Spiritwhispering gently in history, blowing where she wills, anointing Jesus with power for his minis-

try, stirring up the flames of faith in Jesus Lordship and crying out Gods intimate love in our heartswho has aspecial,properrole in calling the church to be, equipping it for its mission, and leading it to ever new understand-

ings of Gods wonderful works (Acts 2:11) in Jesus Christ. If the church is foundedby Jesus Christ, it is built up

andshapedby the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit CALLSthe Church To Be a Missionary Church

The story of the Spirit, writes Denis Edwards, begins a long time before Pentecost and the consequentemergence of the church. If the history of the universe were imagined as a single year, the foundation and creation

of the church would happen only in the years final seconds. In contrast, the history of the Spiritwould encompass

every second of that imagined year, for the Spirit has been present in the universe from the first nanosecond of its

existence.

We Christians know of this Spirit, of course, only through the biblical witness, and that witness is vagueand undifferentiated in the Old Testament. There the word ruach wind, breath, spirit is used to express the way

God accomplishes Gods work of salvation as a missionary God. Wherever Gods Spirit blows, something new be-

gins to stir in creation, in human history, or in womens and mens lives.

We see this already in the first lines of Genesis where the Spirit of God hovers over the primeval waters like

a mother bird covering eggs with her body. In Genesis 2 God gives the newly-formed human creature life bybreathing into the creatures nostrils the breath of life, and it becomes a living being (Gen 2:7). The Spirit, says

Basil of Caesarea, is no stranger to the action of creation. Israels heroes, kings and prophets are endowed withGods spirit for their mission. Israels judges are all gifted with Yahwehs spirit (Ju 3:10, 5:1-31, 6:34, 11:29,

13:25, 14:6, 14:19). When Samuel anoints David king, the spirit descends on him permanently (1Sam 16:13). Spiritentered into Ezekiel at the beginning of his career (Ez 2:2), and Micah too is filled with the spirit (Mic 3:8) as hebegins to prophesy. The spirit of the Lord anoints Third Isaiah for the gift of prophecy in the passage that Luke uses

to describe the prophetic program of Jesus. Finally, Gods spirit is portrayed in Israels scriptures as the eschato-logical gift for the revivification and reconstitution of Israel, as we see in the passages about the dry bones (Ez

37:1-14) and the new covenant (Ez 36:27). Second Isaiah, Zechariah and Joel all speak of God lavishing Godsspirit upon all Israel, and even upon the whole of humanity (Is 42:1; Zech 6:1-8; Joel 2:28). This is the final pur-

pose of Gods mission to gather all peoples into one family; and this will be the purpose of the church as well.

In the fullness of time (Gal 4:4), this spirit of life, prophecy and renewal found concrete expression in thelife of one man, Jesus of Nazareth. As theologians in Asia have expressed it, Jesus entire ministry was carried out


Summer 2006


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Page 2

believe that it is only really at Antioch when the

Spirit has led the community, in mission, to the Gen-tiles, can we speak about the community as a

church that is, as a discrete community from Juda-ism, or a new religion. Of course, this emerging iden-

tity of the church did not yet involve the tragic break

with Judaism altogether, as Pauls agonizing reflec-tions in Romans evidence. In fact the connection withJudaism perdured for several centuries. But what Actsis witness to is the ineluctable movement of the Holy

Spirit calling as she called life, prophecy and renewalinto being in the worlds and in Israels history a new

reality into being: the church, Gods new People, acommunity which is to be Christs presence, Christsbody, in the world. The Spirit creates the church, calls

the church into beingthrough mission.

The Spirit EQUIPS the Church to Be a MissionaryChurch

The Creator Spirit calls the church to be a mis-sionary church, but the gentle yet powerful work of theSpirit does not leave it at that. From the beginning the

Spirit has been present within the church, enabling it tobe bothsign and instrumentof the Reign of God that

Jesus preached, served and embodied. The church cre-ated by the Spirit never exists for itself; it exists en-tirely for the coming Reign of God. And yet, by the

power of the Spirit, the church is already, in some im-perfect way, a foretaste of the fullness for which it has

been created. It is that partial yet authentic reality thatthe church is called to witness forth to the world; and it

is the hope of complete fullness that the Spirit empow-ers the church to proclaim and work for in the world.

In other words, the Spirit equips the church to be a

missionary church.

Vatican II has taught us that the church is first

and foremost a community of fundamentally equal per-sons through baptism (LG 32). Such fundamental

equality, however, is only one part of the churchs real-ity. The other part, equally important, is that withinthis reality there is an amazing diversity and this is

the work of the Spirit. The church is one People, onecommunity; but the church, created by the Spirit, is a

community of varied gifts gifts that need not com-pete with one another, but gifts that blend with and into

one another in ministry and mission. These gifts arewhat we mean by charisms; the Holy Spirit creates a

charismatic community, with a basic charismatic struc-

under the sway of the Spirit of God. His ministry be-

gan like the heroes and prophets of Israel with hisanointing of the Spirit at his baptism in the Jordan (Mk

1:9-12; Matt 3:13-4:1; Lk 3:21-22, 4:1; Jn 1:33), and hismessage of the imminent Reign of God was inspired by

the same Spirit who spoke through the prophets. In the

gospel of Luke, Jesus sums up his entire ministry inIsaiahs words: that the Spirit has anointed him to bring

the good news to the poor and liberty to captives.

It was because of his fidelity to this mission thatJesus ran into opposition from Israels leadership, and

for this that, ultimately, he was brought to trial and exe-cuted as a common criminal. The cross happened,

writes evangelical theologian Clark Pinnock, becauseof the Sons fidelity to Gods call by the power of the

Spirit. But, as we Christians know so well, Jesus

death was not the end.

Soon after his death, Jesus disciples experi-

enced him as alive, and at the feast of Pentecost thefeast of the harvest, the feast of fullness the commu-

nity experienced the power and presence of the Spirit ina way gave the community new insight and new cour-age. . . . they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and

began to speak in different tongues . . . . . . . of themighty acts of God (Acts 2: 4, 11). Just as Jesus had

been anointed by the Spirit at his baptism, so now Je-sus disciples are anointed to carry on Jesus Spirit-inspired mission. This is why in Acts the main charac-

ter is the Holy Spirit as such. Indeed, as many com-mentators suggest, Acts might better be named the

Gospel of the Holy Spirit.

But the Holy Spirit did not act all at once to cre-

ate the church. Indeed, it seems to us that it is not quiteexact to speak of the Spirit as creating the church imme-diately, or to speak of Pentecost as the birthday of the

church. Rather, the entire first half of Acts chronicleshow only gradually, even painfully the community

comes to understand its real mission, and thus under-stand its identity as a discrete reality from Israel, as a

church. The people gathered at Pentecost were allJews, but gradually the Spirit led the community tohalf-Jews (Samaritans), to wannabe Jews (the Ethio-

pian Eunuch), to good Gentiles (Cornelius and hishousehold), and then to Gentiles in general, without in-

sisting that they become Jews through circumcision and

Jewish dietary laws (the Greeks at Antioch).

The text of Acts is much richer than what I have

had time to rehearse in these few lines, but my point isto show how the Spirit worked to create the church. I


Periodic Paper #2


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Page 3

Periodic Paper #2

The Spirit CHALLENGES the Church To Be a Mis-

sionary Church

Just as the Spirit equipped the early community

to do and think what was for them and perhaps evenfor Jesus the unthinkable, so today the Spirit contin-ues to create us as the church by calling us beyond ourcomfort zones, into unknown territories, turning us and

our certainties inside out. Being church is never fol-lowing a script; it is rather following the unpredictable,

sometimes wild, always wonderful paths of the Spirit.Our first task as a missionary church, says Clark Pin-

nock, is to ride the wind of Gods Spirit like a hawkendlessly and effortlessly circling and gliding in the

summer sky. After all, it is the Spirit, not we ourselves,

who creates the church.

There are, to my mind, at least six challenges

with which the Spirit confronts the church today as shecreates the church through mission. Each of these chal-

lenges take us into dangerous areas, but they seem to beareas into which the Spirit is leading the church today,and by challenging us to engage with them in mission

the Spirit is continuing to create the church.

Pentecostalism is the fastest growing Christianchurch in the world today, and trails only Roman Ca-

tholicism in terms of the number of members. And yet,in the missionary practice of the church, very little of

the power of Pentecostalism has been recognized. Thisneeds to change. The Spirit, it would seem, is callingthe church today to be more experiential and exuberant

in its worship, to trust her power of healing and herstrength in dealing with the demons that enslave women

and men, to develop the potential of women, and to cul-tivate real communities of mutual support and forgive-

ness. For many of us this is a dangerous, scary agenda.Nevertheless, I think that a real dialogue and study of

Pentecostalism is a major area of priority for the prac-tice of mission today. This challenge of the Spirit can

and will continue to create us as the church.Second, the Spirit is creating the church as he

reveals to us the truth present in the worlds religions.The Spirit, says Vatican IIs document on missionary

activity, was already at work in the world before Christwas glorified (AG 4). What this means for mission is

that it can only be carried out today in a truly mutualdialogue; the church will be createdas church only as

it learns from that same Spirit in other religions. This isadmittedly a very dangerous stance, but only through

ture.

The Spirit equips the church to be a missionarychurch by giving each baptized person gifts that arefor some benefit (1Cor 12:7) to the church as a

whole. The image one gets is a community in which

each can recognize her or his own dignity, in whicheach can offer her or his gift to others, and in whicheveryone ministers to everyone else. The Spirits crea-

tive activity of bestowing charisms on baptized menand women, therefore, makes of the church simply by the way it lives a missionary church. This is

where, like in the temple in Jerusalem, Gods presenceis palpable in the world. This is where Gods saving

presence is seen and felt. This is where the wholeness

and fullness of the Reign of God is experienced.

But not only does the churchs inner vitality,

equipped by the Creator Spirit, give witness to thepower of the gospel. The charismatic gifts with which

the Spirit equips the church moves the church beyonditself into the world in mission. Those who are gifted

with apostleship are not just preachers of the word tothe church; they witness with their lives and announcewith their words the meaning of the gospel to all peo-

ples and cultures. Those who are gifted with a passionfor justice not only inflame believers to live lives of

justice, peacemaking and the care of creation; theyconfront and persuade the powers of this world, they

march together on the day without immigrants, they

demonstrate outside the School of the Americas. Thosewith the gift of the ability to bring about reconciliationare not only concerned with reconciliation between and

among Christians in the church although God knowswe need plenty of that! The Spirit leads them outside

the Christian community toward places of genocide inAfrica, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Those whom the

Spirit has given the gift of compassion are moved toconsole and grieve with people with AIDS or victimsof cancer. Robert Jensen writes, the church is to stand

in the street or the temple or the palace, like Amos or

Isaiah or Jeremiah, and state the truth of the presentsituation by speaking the Word that evokes the future:The one who inhabits and sends the future is this Je-

sus whom you crucified. . . . .

As the Spirit moves her charismatic commu-

nity beyond itself, she creates, again and again, thechurch. This is not only a community concerned for

itself, but a community missionary by its very nature

(AG 2).



10/16

Periodic Papers are published by USCMA. They feature short reflections on issues pertaining to mission.

Additional copies may be purchased from: USCMA

3029 Fourth Street, NE

Washington, DC 20017-1102

Phone: 202-884-9764

Fax: 202-884-9776

E-Mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.uscatholicmission.org

Page 4

tury has opened up in an unprecedented way the beau-

ties and the pitfalls of human sexuality. How is thechurch to deal with all of this? How can it respond to

the challenges of the Spirit? Does it need to stand withthe Spirit in a prophetic stance against sexual deprav-

ity? Should it welcome things hitherto unimagined

like same sex marriage? Whatever the answers might be, there is no doubt that the Spirit is creating thechurch anew as it wrestles with these questions that are

so dangerous, and yet so central to the churchs mis-

sion today.

Finally, the Spirit is creating the church today

as she raises up a greater consciousness of the role ofwomen in the church. At least two-thirds of Christiansin the church today are women. In the Roman Catholic

Church today, we are witnessing an explosion of layecclesial ministers, and of the 30,000 or so of them,

fully eighty percent are women! We have seen churchafter church admit women to full ministerial participa-

tion, much to the chagrin of some members, and to thefrustration of many Roman Catholic women. Again,

we are at a dangerous crossroads, but one where theSpirit hovers with her huge covering wings, beckoning

the church to new life and new birth. What are the an-swers? We probably should ask and listen to women.But it is engaging in these questions, perhaps going

where we are not comfortable in going, that the Spirit

will once again create our church.

The amazing thing about the church as creationof the Spirit is that, although the Spirit pervades the

universe and is always and everywhere present in theprocesses of creation, we have been chosen to repre-sent that life-giving, healing, renewing, challenging

presence in our own particular world, at this particulartime. In other words, we are not created for ourselves;

we are created for mission. Veni, Creator Spiritus!Come, Creator Spirit!

dialogue will we be able to be created by the Spirit to be

the Spirits temple where the goodness and love of the

God of Jesus Christ will shine forth.

Third, often because of the inequities brought

on by certain aspects of contemporary globalization, or

often because of the opportunities for economic ad-vancement that globalization makes possible, migrantsfrom Africa, Asia and Latin America are literally

changing the face of the population of the countries inEurope, Canada and the United States, and Australia

and New Zealand. In addition, depending on how youcount them, there are some fifty million refugees anddisplaced persons in our world. There is no doubt in mymind that it is among these peoplemany of whom arethe poorest of the poorthat the Spirit is present, beck-

oning the church to be the church by its presence andadvocacy, by its practice of hospitality, and by its rec-

ognition ofitselfas a pilgrim people.

A fourth challenge from the Spirit is the chal-lenge of her presence in all human experience. Because

the Spirit is present in every aspect of human life andindeed all of creation, the church can only be a church

of these particular people in this particular culture inthis particular time. This is the way the Spirit is moving

to create the church today: not some abstract universalinstitution with a universal, pre-packaged message, but

a church in touch with the Spirit as she moves in thewarp and woof of life. There is no such thing as the

church. There are only local churches, created by theSpirit as the community engages with the Spirits pres-ence in peoples lives. Dangerous? Of course. There is

also the possibility of selling out the gospel. But theother, perhaps even more imminent danger, is to missthe Spirits power to create the church in all its particu-

lar vitality.

A fifth area of challenge by the Spirit is evenmore dangerous, and it is an issue over which the

church is deeply and emotionally divided. The past cen-


Periodic Paper #2


11/16

Page 7

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Numbers

1960 1970 1980 1990 1991 1992 1994 1996 1998 2001 2003 2005

Years

U.S. Missioners by Church Role: 2004-

2005

Diocesan Priests Re ligious Priests Re ligious Brothers Religious Siste rs Seminarians Lay Persons

Diocesan

Priests

Religious

Priests

Religious

Brothers

Religious

SistersSeminarians Lay Persons TOTALS

1960 14 3018 578 2827 170 178 6785

1970 373 3117 666 3824 90 303 8373

1980 188 2750 592 2592 50 221 6393

1990 200 2257 477 2347 42 421 57441991 187 2200 468 2264 30 446 5595

1992 181 2183 449 2222 26 406 5467

1994 177 2007 408 1887 22 374 3 4875

1996 173 1770 347 1513 18 343 4 4164

1998 5 167 5 1903 370 2693 11 739 6 5883

2001 180 1784 349 2589 15 1191 6 6108

2003 147 1840 361 2812 8 1368 6536

20055 136 1663 366 2819 9 1402 6395

01002 0 03 0 04 0 050 06 0 070 08 0 09 0 01000

110 012001300140015001600170018001900

2 0 0 02100

2 2 0 02 3 0 02 4 0 0

Nu

mberof

Missioners

Afric

aAsia

Caribbe

an

Eurasia

Europ

e

Latin

Ame

rica

S.

Amer

C.

Ame

r

Midd

leEa

st

N.Ame

rica

Oceania

Region

Missioners by Region and Gender

2004-2005

Men

Women

3 Totals estimated due to inconclusive

survey results.

4 Alaska and Hawaii are no longer in the

category of overseas missioners.

5 This includes Bishops and Deacons.

6 This includes missioners serving within

and outside the U.S. Borders in Cross-

Cultural Mission.

contd from page 6




12/16

Page 8

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

NumberofMiss

ioners

2001 2003 2005

Years

U.S. Missioners by Region 2001-2003-2005

Africa

Near East

Far East

Oceania

Europe

N.Amer.

Caribbean

C. Amer.

S. Amer

Totals

U. S. Missioners by Regions 2004-2005

Africa

Near

East Far East Oceania Europe N.Amer.

Carib-

bean

C.

Amer. S. Amer Totals

2001 704 35 734 175 181 2682 342 506 741 6100

2003 693 740 13 160 180 3122 348 1241 39 6536

2005 636 46 675 150 165 3165 353 527 678 6395

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

Number of

Missioners


13/16

Page 9

Primary Ministry Outside US 2004-2005

Volunteer

0%Social Work

1%

Youth Ministry

0%Translation (Official)

0%

Legal

0%

Retreat

0%

Prison

0%

Social Justice

0%

Social Transformation

2%

Relief Services

0%

Religious Education

0%

Other

14%

Parish

2%

Pastoral

30%

Maintenance

0%

Orphanage

1% Mass Communication

0%

Immigration/Refugees

0%

Health Care

8%

Formation -

Priestly/Religious

6%

Elderly Care

0%

Education

20%

Counselor

0%

Development

2%

Day Care/Child Care

0%

Catechetics

2%

Chaplaincy

0%

Contemplative

1%

Administration

7%

Primary Work - Within US

Counselor

0.10%

Lega l

0.13%

H e a l t h C a r e

6.14%

I m m i gr a t i o n / R e f u g e e s

4 . 4 3 %

Maintenance

0 . 5 8 %

Orphanage

0.13%

Mass Communication

0.10%

Other

7 . 6 5 %

Par ish

3 . 3 7 %

P a s t o r a l

16.61%

R e t r e a t

0 . 4 2 %

Socia l Just ice

5.01%

Socia l Work

10 .63%Socia l Transformat ion

4 . 0 8 %

Rel ig ious Educat ion

0 . 4 8 %

R e l i e f S e r v i c e s

1.86%

Prison

0 .13%Format ion -

P r i e s t l y / R e l i g i o us

1 .03%

Educat ion

2 3 . 3 5 %

Elder ly Care

0 . 2 2 %

Chapla incy

0 . 8 7 %C o n t e m p l a t i v e

0 . 7 7 %

Deve lopment

0 . 7 4 %

D a y C a r e / C h i l d C a r e

0.19%

C a t e c h e t i c s

1.70%

Volunteer

0 . 0 0 %T r a n sl a t i o n ( O f f i c i a l )

0.10%

Youth Min is t ry

1.19% Adminis t ra t ion

8 . 0 0 %

Ministry - All Missioners 2004-2005

Health Care

7.11%

Formation - Priestly/Religious

3.69%

Elderly Care

0.14%

Education

21.81%

Chaplaincy

0.53%

Contemplative

0.81%

Counselor

0.09%

Day Care/Child Care

0.13%

Development

1.16%

Catechetics

2.02%Administration

7.74%Volunteer

0.02%Youth Ministry

0.72%

Translation (Official)

0.09%

Social Work

5.83%

Pastoral

23.74%

Parish

2.44%

Other

11.09%

Legal

0.06%Maintenance

0.28%

Orphanage

0.53%

Immigrations/Refugees

2.31%

Mass Communication

0.28%

Prison

0.08%

Retreat

0.42%

Relief Services

1.08%

Social Justice

2.49%

Social Transformation

2.86%

Religious Education

0.44%




14/16


15/16

This basic program is designed for religious leaders, parish workers, youth leaders, educators, anyone interested in understanding the poverty trap.

We use exercises, video, discussion, instruction.

Workshop will take place at your venue. The host community will be responsible for inviting participants and for providing adequate meeting

space for the group.

4) Spirituality in the Global Village:In a time of Paradox, a Spirituality of Paradox

As the strange becomes familiar and the known surprising, we are rapidly creating a new world. Distance and limitations are fast disappearing.

* What are the challenges and possibilities offered by the current process of globalization a process which is progressively eroding bounda-

ries, differences and traditions?

* What response does this new world call for and what form of spirituality can motivate, sustain, and refresh global citizens as they labor for

global justice?

This program will involve presenter and participants in listening and dialogue, attempting to respond to such significant questions for our world

today.

Workshop will take place at your venue. The host community will be responsible for inviting participants and for providing adequate meeting

space for the group.

Time Frame: 1 to 5 days workshop or retreat format negotiable More information about these workshops is available at: ww.religiousorderspartnership.org

Maryknoll Mission Institute

July 9-14 The Four Seasons of Grace

July 16-21 Comedy, Tragedy & the Cross

July 23-28 Nature and God

July 30-August 4 Leading From Inside Out

Maryknoll Sisters Center Ossining, NY

Telephone: 914-941-7575

September 27-30 Beatitudes and Discipleship

Los Altos, CA

October 1-6 Beatitudes and Discipleship

Monrovia, CA

Telephone: 914-941-7575

Email: [email protected]

Maryknoll International Service Orientation

July 6-21, 2006 A residential, holistic, preparation program for cross-

cultural service volunteers.

Ossining, NY

Telephone: 914-762-6364 ext 123

www.members.mklm.org/miso

Retreat/Workshop

July 23-30, 2006 From Mission To Mission

St. Louis, MO

Telephone: 520-744-3400


Workshop for Returned MissionersSept. 19-29, 2006 From Mission to Mission

San Antonio, TX

October 27-30, 2006 From Mission To Mission

Indianapolis, IN

Telephone: 720-494-7211


USCMA 25th Anniversary Annual Mission Conference

October 1-3, 2006 University of Notre Dame, Indiana

Registration: www.uscatholicmission.org

Global Economics Workshop

Oct 16-18, 2006 Church Center, 777 UN Plaza, NY City

Contact: Lucianne Siers, OP

Telephone: 201-333-2454


Maryknoll Mission Institute & Overseas Ministries Study Center

Oct. 16-20, 2006 Theology for Mission in Asia in Local Contexts

New Haven, CT

Telephone: 203-624-6672, ext 315


Pax Christi USAs Annual Conference

July 28-30, 2006 Gods People Can Wait No Longer: Twenty Years

Since Economic Justice For All

Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA

Oblate Ecological Initiative Program

August 3-10, 2006 Exploring the Sacred Universe

Godfrey, IL

Telephone: 618-466-5004

www.lavistacsa.org

Come and Drink from the Well of Gods Grace Retreat

August 20-25, 2006 For persons living with or affected by HIV and AIDS

and those who minister to them. Redemptorist Renewal Center Tucson, AZ

Resources and Up-Coming Events

Page 11

contd from page 4




16/16


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Woodbridge, VA

PERMIT NO. 70

Celebrating and Integrating Our Mission Perspectives:Short Term, Long Term, On Whose Terms?

USCMA ANNUAL MISSION CONFERENCE

OCTOBER 1-3, 2006

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA

Come Celebrate With Us!

Us Catholic Mission Association

3029 Fourth Street, NW

Washington, DC 20017-1102

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