By Br David Hawke FSC
Recently I spent one month in the USA based at La Salle College High School Philadelphia where a community of De La Salle Brothers are all engaged in the high school as administrators or teachers.
My time concluded on the Wednesday after Easter; a first experience of spring in the northern hemisphere where the season coincided with the Church’s liturgical year.
Spring in the northern hemisphere highlights the hope of Easter, reflects Br David Hawke FSC.
The spring blooms of flowers and blossoms in the trees appeared as if planned on Easter Sunday.
The resurrection message of hope along with my experience living with the eight Brothers invited me to reflect with hope not only with respect to my own religious Institute but also on others’ religious Institutes and Congregations.
My experience in international and provincial leadership over the past twenty six years has been enriched by observations across parts of our international Institute particularly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. There are great signs of hope in these places where communities of Brothers live together in community and work in a common mission not unlike my recent experience in Philadelphia. Vocations to the Brothers’ life are signs of hope in these places.
Some religious congregations in Australia have over an extended period of time discerned a future which “moves towards completion” and are part of the Emerging Futures Collaborative. In this season of Easter they too, in a spirit of hope plan for their future in a spirit of collaboration and partnership.
A number of other international Institutes including my own, while facing the reality in some parts of the world of diminishing numbers with increasing age, other parts of these Institutes are growing but no where near as rapidly as those pre-Vatican II days. Those of us who belong to international Institutes who have not chosen to move towards completion have a responsibility to support and encourage religious in those parts of the world where there are signs of hope with vocations.
Yes, it is amazing what spring in the northern hemisphere invites one to think about.