Greetings.
CRA President, Fr Peter Jones OSA.
My name is Peter Jones and I am presently serving as Provincial of the Augustinians in the Australian Province. I write on behalf of the newly formed Council of CRA that is constituted by continuing members of Council as well as those newly elected. I wish to acknowledge the other members of the new Executive – Mary-Clare Holland OP (Vice President) and Philippa Murphy FDNSC. Each of us is humbly conscious of the trust placed in us and we will endeavour to serve as best as we are able to. The newly formed Council is grateful for the expressions of support and prayers. We are also grateful to those who have preceded us. In particular I wish to acknowledge with appreciation the selfless and committed service of the outgoing Executive and Council members led by Peter Carroll FMS as President.
As I reflect on the recent National Assembly in Melbourne, I was re-awakened to the unique nature of this ecclesial community that is CRA – there is a great diversity among the congregations that form Catholic Religious in Australia – diversity of charism, spirituality, ministry, experience. The unity through a peak association such as CRA forms a colourful and vibrant mosaic in which each of the parts is enriched by belonging to the whole.
The theme ‘Daring to Lead with Hope and Gratitude – the role of Religious Life in the 21st Century’ opened up a ‘mosaic’ of narratives from religious and lay speakers, who shared a richness of experience that was deeply nourishing. This involves listening to the experiences of others as well as sharing from our experience of the presence of God in our lives, our experience of community and our experience of service.
It is this being further nourished by experience, that I wish to emphasise in this brief reflection on the recent National Assembly, which impacted on the congregational leadership team members present in a profound way.
There were voices on behalf of the broader church, Tony Garvey, Wurundjeri Elder, welcomed us to country and passionately shared his perspective on the story of First Nations People in this land.
Ethicist and young married father Dan Fleming affirmed what he believes religious offer to the church in Australia and how they have dared to lead.
We were stirred by the theology of leadership presented by Jamie Calder SJ as we explored how, by returning to the sources of mission, we return to the source of all life. Several of our fellow Religious who were speakers gave testimonies of how they ‘dare to lead’ in their own lives. They brought with them the voices of those they serve – our sisters and brothers in the broader community who concretely experience suffering, deprivation, marginalisation and isolation but who also seek to live with joy, courage, determination and hope.
Council Members spoke of the prophetic role of CRA, and how CRA might ‘dare to lead.’ One Councillor, Tom McDonough CP said, “being CRA is not just about all the things we do, but how we give witness to the integrity, honesty, transparency, courage and the sometimes exhausting energy and commitment it takes to live total dedication to Christ and his Gospel in a broken world.”
Other fellow religious engaged with the Assembly membership on matters of great importance – Adele Howard RSM spoke to us of the vision of Laudato Si, Elizabeth Young RSM promoted the diaconal ordination of women in our own times, and Clare Condon SGS envisioned a world free of human trafficking, to name a few.
As I mentioned during the Assembly, the responsibility of the CRA leadership has an internal and external dimension. Internally, there is a focus on the needs, interests and concerns of religious congregations present in Australia and the well-being of the members of those congregations. Externally, CRA is a proactive voice for religious in Australia in which there is energetic and engaged connection with the broader church community as well as the society in which we live. In partnership with others of good will, CRA seeks to advance a sense of what is right and just from motivations of faith and humanity. This is its prophetic calling.
This is not an exhaustive summary of the recent CRA National Assembly, rather it is a reminder of what each of us knows well – our vocation as religious is continually formed by the rich and diverse experiences of those we are privileged to serve, as we in turn, endeavour to gently offer what is within us.
Together with the Council, I wish each of you a blessed and fruitful springtime in this Season of Creation.
Peter Jones OSA