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Editor: This is the thirteenth in this series of articles based on the eight Dossiers (from February 1978 to November 1981) totaling 718 pages in this study. In 1982, Fr. Eugene Barrette, M.S., the prime mover in this historic study, was elected the thirteenth La Salette Superior General (1982-1988). Other articles on Religious Life are available in our La Salette Online Library.
What do the La Salettes do?
“It’s a question that all of us have been asked at one time or another. Most of us answer, ‘A little bit of everything,’ or ‘We work for reconciliation.’ The Church also asks the same question in an official way when it approves the Rule of Religious Communities. Apparently, our present Rule does not give a completely satisfactory answer because the Congregation for Religious has asked that our text make more apparent the specific apostolate that the [Community] is pledged to fulfill. The additions and changes made in this Chapter on the Apostolate [or Ministry] are an attempt to do precisely that.
“Not everyone agrees that this should be done, however. Some members feel that when a religious [Community] claims a specific or particular apostolate as its own, the [Community] is not being faithful to the mandate given by Lumen Gentium that all religious ‘should then be devoted to the welfare of the whole Church’ (#44).
Gathering of La Salette Month Group in 2001 on the Holy Mountain“Ignoring the many other Council texts that stress the value of the distinctive character and mission of each [Community], those holding this position will often oppose any attempt to specify our mission and instead propose that our [Ministry] be simply a commitment to serve the needs of the Church.
“And yet, the practice and documents of the Church during the more than fifteen years since the Second Vatican Council give ample evidence that the life of the Church is best served when Institutes recognize, preserve, and foster their own distinctive character and specific mission.
“In practice, the Church does not approve new [Communities] that do not have a specific character or apostolate. It is not enough for a group to desire to be religious and serve the needs of the Church. Such a group must show itself to be ‘necessary, or even very useful’” (Perfectae Caritatis, #19). (1)
La Salette Rule:
The Congregation is at the service of the People of God. However, among those which may be confined to its care, it considers certain apostolic [that is, ministerial) activities to be more in harmony with its charism. These are:
- evangelization in areas where the Church has not been implanted and in a social milieu that are estranged from it;
- faith enrichment ministries: preaching retreats and missions, animating renewal centers, leading prayer communities or groups committed to a deeper understanding of the Christian vocation, collaboration in movements that promote human development, caring for shrines, especially that of the Holy Mountain;
- the pastoral care of parishes and chaplaincies;
- the formation of youth;
- ecumenical work. (#38cp)
What is the advantage of knowing our distinctive character and mission in religious life?
Meeting of La Salettes with Pope Pius XII in 1952 at the Vatican“The theological basis for this stress on the specific character and mission is the whole charismatic nature of the Church. The variety of lifestyles and [Ministries] in the different [Communities] simply reflect the diversity and wealth of the Spirit's gifts. To respect one's differences is not to set the basis for separation from other [Communities], but simply to properly value the gift of the Spirit given to us for the service of the Church. (This was treated in some detail in Dossier I, pgs. 32-35).
“From a practical point of view, a clearer vision of one's mission permits more effective evaluation, the establishment of priorities, training of personnel, and long-range planning. It also provides a real basis for unity. As Fr. Albert Chazelle, M.S. (1917—1991) wrote:
‘Beyond fidelity to one's charism, the proper of [a Community] requires the concrete commitment of the members to common tasks in the [ministry], and this not simply on the level of intention or of inspiration. If the members of a [community] are scattered here and there, in time, space, interest, and the type of work they do, then it is quite inconceivable that such a religious family lacking common activities will be able to maintain any real unity. ...If there is nothing in common in the works undertaken, then the common existence itself is gravely put into question, and perhaps even irreversibly compromised’” (“Vie religieuse apostolique et oeuvre de la charité (Apostolic Religious Life and the Work of Charity), en Vie Consacrée, Nov. 15, 1979, pg. 342)... (2)
What is the advantage of knowing our corporate identity in religious life?
“[A community’s] vision of its [ministry] is a vital element in its corporate identity. And apparently, this is a factor in attracting applicants. A survey made in the U.S. of 300 active religious communities showed that communities with well-defined apostolates have more vocations... In Europe, the few [communities] that have vocations are usually those with a clearly defined lifestyle or mission.
Fr. Thomas Dinan, M.S. (1885-1939) with a group of Malagasy parishioners“All this plays a big part in any authentic discernment of vocation. A [community’s] clear goals and [ministries] offer individuals a chance to commit themselves and be part of something larger than themselves. A [community’s] solidarity and common effort permit effectiveness that will be more far-reaching than any solitary or individual effort. Part of a vocation is often this desire to contribute to this common effort, and also the desire to have one's service supported and strengthened by this common effort. But if there is no common effort discernable, then there is not much of an invitation either. There is, therefore, a great value in trying to recognize and spell out more clearly what our specific mission is in the life of the Church.” (3)
Reflection Questions:
- When did you feel – in the distant or recent past – that you were part of a larger effort to build God’s kingdom, to make the world better?
- Other comments…
Who or what is the source and model for all ministry?
“Christ is the ‘source’ of our [ministry]. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
“We have only to look at the lives of the most effective and dynamic apostles — men and women throughout the history of the Church – to realize that the source of their power was their deep union with and experience of the Lord.
“Christ is also the ‘model’ of our [ministry]. We not only draw our power from him; we should also pattern our lives on his. We must fix our eyes on Jesus, understand his life more fully, and, as contradictory as it may sound, try to imitate him in our unique way. He is the model for our continual incarnation of his presence.” (4)
Endnotes: (1) Fifth La Salette Dossier by Fr. Eugene Barrette, M.S., pg. 22; (2) Ibidem, pgs. 22 & 24; (3) Ibidem, pg. 24; (4) Ibidem, pgs. 26-27.