Lunch Conversation on Wednesday 6-22-16 regarding New Initiatives

Follow-up possibilities

1. Create a forum so that sisters can publicize the opportunities in the areas where they now live.

Josephine gives us this example of area sharing:

Gallup, NM         

Living Opportunities

1)    With S. Josephine Goebel: Private rooms for 2 others:—Downstairs bedroom with full bath shared and Upstairs bedroom with Half bath.  S. Josephine’s room has complete shower.

2)   Retreat Center

Ministry Opportunities

          Gallup Diocese spans Navajo Reservation in NM and AZ.  It is the poorest Diocese in US in the 2nd poorest county in the US.

Possibilities for paid employment would depend on qualifications of individual.

Volunteer opportunities in Prison ministry, 2 hospitals in city, homeless shelters, Catholic elementary schools, parishes (RCIA, etc), Sacred Heart Retreat Center.  These could be paid opportunities.

          Intercultural opportunities, Hispanic, Native Americans (7 tirbes)

Community living, Faith Sharing, etc, would

 depend on the group.

Good Spiritual Directors in the area.

          Spiritual Directors Peer Group  meets monthly, a life-giving faith sharing experience.

New Mexico’s motto is LAND OF ENCHANTMENT.  Come. Let yourself be enchanted. Amazing sunrises, sunsets, starry nights, mountains, rocks, 360 sunny days each year, 6500 ft. altitude keeps summers temps       below 100 

2. Areas around Fond du Lac have many opportunities of either an intentional ministerial communities or band of visiting sisters who minister locally.

                               Sonia gives us this example:

                             Waupun is 20 miles out of town and they have a sponsored hospital and a state prison that needs whatever help can be provided.

3. Creativity has no boundaries so other sisters and associates and encouraged to form a small group and envision a new initiative. The description should identify the group participants, the planned location and the proposed timeline. This information should be given to the RC's who will follow up with them.
4. The concept of an intentional community for the sake of ministry needs further development by interested individuals and small groups.

5. ZOOM groups provide an opportunity for small groups to develop these ideas or other proposals in preparation for the upcoming chapter.

6. This document will be posted on a blog at http://CSAnewinitiatives.blogspot.com// to foster connections and conversation among sisters and associates. Those who wish to post more conversation starters will need to request authorship rights by emailing Sister Dolores at cclytle@gmail.com .

Lunch Conversation on Wednesday 6-22-16 regarding New Initiatives

Conversation Summary

Sonia welcomed the group and shared the history of the New Initiatives. Then she used the desire of the people of the Waupun area for ministry support in the hospital and the prison.

Questions were raised such as whether the ministry was one of presence of salary. Either seemed appropriate. The target audience is those who are leaving an active ministry and desire to do something different, like make a commitment to each other while working with the people. Areas near other sisters include Milwaukee, and Phoenix, as well as the greater Fond du Lac area. Will the group actually go someplace new or look more creatively where they are? Well Waupun would be an opportunity for sisters to start another initiative near others, but without the experience of being one more pea in the pod.

Then some shared opportunities where we already are. Some have additional room in established houses in some of the poorest counties in the nation where many have no running water. See attachments from the Southwest area. Electronic communication like ZOOM.US would allow face to face planning conversations. Milwaukee has countless opportunities, creativity has no boundaries. Gary and Marian University have extensive needs that sisters could engage in. Returning to the question of what kind of help people need. While Fond du Lac County is well organized, neighbors like Dodge County are struggling.

Eileen summarized two threads: ministry in extremely needy areas, and intentional community focused on ministry with the possibility of electronic group. The conversation turned to the need for a forum to tell each other our stories, not once a year at CSA days but we need to do in now and often. Such an opportunity will energize the storyteller and the listeners.

The next steps in this process include getting the notes typed and distributed. Getting a ZOOM conference call could follow. As soon as a group of three or four see a plan, they should approach the RC's with it. There is one ZOOM group of eight already functioning: it is non-hierarchical and uses the circle process with a guardian, the harvester and a host who organizes the three time zones. ZOOM uses a different bandwidth and only the one who sets up the call needs a paying membership.

The burning questions were reviewed: not like minded people but those willing to move, listening and deeply hearing are crucial, an agenda, building intentional community.

Lunch Conversation on Wednesday 6-22-16 regarding New Initiatives

Participants:

Sisters:

Brigid Layden Carole Gurdak Cyndi Neinhaus Deborah Walter Dolores Lytle Scribe Donna Innes Eileen Mahony Jean Andrewjeski Joanita Stelter Joann Sambs Josephine Braun Jovita Winkel Judith VanderGrinten

Madeline Gianforte Marilyn Bever Marilyn Ellickson Marilyn Winkel Mary Ann Scherer Mary Rose Obholz Patricia Robinson Peg Spindler Rene Bache Sharon Pullnow Sonia Miley Convener Victoria Wuolle

Associates:

Carol Braun Lucile Birshbach Jennifer Krueger Ron Palm