Panel on Vowed Membership

Province Chapter, July 8, 2013

People say that we are facing a vocation crisis. I want to briefly share my thoughts on vocation, in relation to the future of religious life.

Often, we hear that religious women develop strategies to bring new members into the community. However, this vocation crisis – as well as our attitude to the crisis – is not on the level of strategy; it is deeper and more sincere. So I suggest a mode of discernment.

Most sisters seem to reject the idea of “death with dignity,” which can imply an acceptance of the congregation’s death, and so seek alternative ways of thriving. As one of the younger members, I am relieved when I see this strong and passionate reaction. However, I think we need to discern, and as a beginning step to the discernment, we should ask God for inner freedom. Are we willing to die with dignity or be transformed into something new? We cannot know the future, yet we must maintain an inner freedom so that God’s will can lead us and transform us.
And we need to take action based on our discernment.

Also, I had the opportunity to pray with the Good Savior sisters in Paris who discerned whether to unite with other communities. According to my listening, those sisters in France seemed to have gone through three stages. The first was to cross cultural configurations, combining with other provinces on an international level. In the case of the Good Savior community, they worked together and shared mission on a global level. The second stage was an alliance with other communities that carry similar charisms. In this process, they kept their autonomy while sharing resources. The final step was to create one community, for which they needed to create a new name and constitution, and to ask approval from the Vatican.

Where is our community located amid these three stages? Perhaps we have not yet begun the stages.

Our congregation’s average age is 75. These sisters belongs to the “Baby Boomer” generation, which I believe this is one of the most fascinating and exciting generations. This group can primarily be characterized as “seekers,” which indicates that they explored and expanded the horizon of humanity, religion, and science.

They are the people of the “free speech movement,” “anti-Vietnam war movement,” “hippies,” “sexual revolution,” and the “third wave of feminism.” Most importantly, they are the witnesses of the new model of the Church, as represented by the second Vatican Council. After the Council, religious women underwent enormous changes and opened a new era.

But sociologists critique this generation as “too idealistic.” And although they have never stopped exploring, the group is relatively weak in its skills of communication with the following generations. Let us take a look at these generations.
The following generation, the so-called “Gen Xers,” are more sober and practical. They do not like commitment, and they do not show great passion for changing the world. Their typical portrait is hiding behind a baseball cap and shopping around at different churches. This generation is now nearing age 50.

The next generation is the Millienials. They are very domestic and close to their parents. They have passion for social justice, but are different from the Baby Boomers in that their interests are very practical and local. Their prayer is more conservative and pious.

I believe that religious communities need to promote communication with these recent generations. But how?

In most congregations, younger members or candidates listen to the founder and the first group of sisters through their formation period. This gives insight to people who are looking for community. However, it is not enough. Newer members also need to listen to the stories of sisters who have walked on revolutionary paths. For example, they need to hear how habit-less sisters initiated new ways of living, which then opened up new ministries – such as social justice activism and inner city education – in addition to their school and hospital work. Otherwise, it will be difficult to continue to build congruent spirituality and mission, and thereby difficult to share this mission with the next generation.

With what kind of stories do we want to invite younger people? Or into what kind of stories do we want to invite them? The French philosopher Michael Foucault plainly stated, “no discourse, no reality. ” Unless we create the narrative of a new way of religious life, there will be no reality to share, continue, and grow.

Additionally, we need to work together on a global level in term of our mission of social justice. In this way, we will cross over cultural and national boundaries and, in so doing, we can spark new energy and invite new people into this circle.