S.C.B. ASSOCIATES Prepared by: Sr. Jane and Team

WHO ARE ASSOCIATES? Associates are men and women who wish to associates with a religious community, their spirituality, their mission. The process and degree to which the associates can be involved in the life and mission of the congregation depends on how we want to share. ……

They do not take vow; they do not live with religious. They do not get involved in the internal governance in the congregation. The vision and ministry and spirituality of the religious men and women is expanded to the associates.

They are given orientation period during which they learn about congregation, its charism, spirituality, history. Its apostates etc…..They may make a commitment for one or two years, renewable for as long as they wish. They may be those who are already employed as teachers, nurse, etc.or retired ones, parishioners, or our former students, former teachers, etc.

We are living at a period of time in History which needs a change of mentality. That is what is meant by paradigm shift, a shift in our pattern of thinking and acting.

Gone are the days when we religious conducted ourselves as though we had the monopoly of all that was considered religious and apostolic activities, teaching, nursing,catechizing, social service, pastoral services etc. Religious thought that only they were called to life of holiness and perfection.

In today’s globalized world, the Holy Spirit calling for spirituality of communion between the religious persons and laity in building up the Kingdom of God, and not work in isolation. The charism is a gift of God given to the founder and transmitted to the members of the congregation, not to be preserved as an exclusive property of the congregation. It is given to be shared, extend, fructified (made fruitful which ensures its continuation.

Reading the signs of the time we realize that this is the age of the laity. It is the call of the Church to give to the laity its rightful place in the church and in the world. We see around us how the lay faithful are coming forward, getting more and more involved, putting their time, talents and potentialities at the service of the Church.

It is one of the signs of the times and it urges us to build upon this strong force in the church. The vocation of the laity and faithful and the vocation of the religious enrich, strengthen and complement each other mutually, while each one maintains its proper identity.

The religious must not expect that the lay persons to live and work like them or vice versa. Neither group must lose its identity.

There is a desire in the laity to share our spirituality, our charism, our mission without becoming one of us. This is a call from God for both religious and laity. Responding to this call to share our spirituality and mission enlarge our charism, extends it beyond the congregation.

The charism and the congregation takes on another dimension, of living our consecrated life, with its spirituality, charism and mission not in isolation but in communion, in partnership with others sections of the church, the lay faithful. It develops anew way of being Church, a new of building the church.

We religious must educate ourselves to a change of attitude regarding our identity. We have got so much used to the hierarchical structure: religious were always at the head of the school, hospital nurses, helpers,etc.

Kanada Religious had the directing role and lay persons had a helping role so much so that we find it difficult to work under the direction of the lay people.

We must start realising that we are laity with the laity that we are part of the People of God as they are. That they are also called to holiness and perfection as we are.

The UISG meeting in Rome last year, Challenged religious to weave a new spirituality that generates life and hope for all.

Weave implies; many threads, many colures and shades, it implies intertwining.

Religious life can no longer say it is self sufficient.In the past they could say that with the numbers they had with the resources and monopoly they had over all the important institutions, Educational, hospitals Religious now cannot live enclosed on itself, enclosed its proper charism, its own traditions, its works, Religious must open up more and more to wider realities.

God’s mission today will truly be enhanced if religious congregations recognized this sign of the times in our midst though it will be difficult to give up old ways of thinking and working. It will be like the grain of sand in the oyster. It will hurt, it will be demanding but gradually a pearl will be forming inside, the congregation, in the Church.

We must realize that new relationship with the lay faithful, genuine mutuality, gives vigor to religious life and its works. We still have fears, our mistrust, our ignorance, and our prejudices to work on, what are they?

Through our association with the laity and helping them to form an association we are providing for the lay people: A group to belong to A history to create A language to speak A way to pray A work or ministry to undertake to respond effectively to the needs of our world A means to discover the face of God and God’s action in the world.

Religious with all the training, formation, graces we have received are in the better position to the lay faithful to deepen their Christian life.

The Charism of our Congregation is to incarnate the Compassionate love of God for all people, especially the Poor and the Marginalized through Christian education in our ministries.

THANK YOU LET US WORK IN COLLABORATION