Passionists Responding to the Signs of the Times

Two action plans from Chapter and Assembly meetings

In his opening reflection at the June 6-11 35th Provincial Chapter meeting of the Holy Cross Province in Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Fr. Joachim Rego reflected on the call of Jesus to Peter “to get out of the boat” and he continued by asking us to accept the risks and dangers of that call and to do the same. Passionists have a unique calling to be in solidarity with the crucified of today by recreating our relationships with fellow human beings who are poor and on the unjust margins of society. He spoke of the solidarity, empathy and compassion that comes with accepting that invitation in our work. This human solidarity also requires of us an active engagement with environmental concerns, because it is the poor who suffer first from environmental harm, even though they have contributed the least to its causes. Fighting poverty and facing our ecological crisis are not either/or propositions. As we’ve heard, “You can’t have healthy people on a sick planet.”

At that meeting, as a culmination of the long-term visioning process for the province, calls to action were highlighted relating to five key areas of Passionist life and ministry:  Charism, Community, Collaboration, Outreach and Preaching.  Two of the calls to action that emerged from the Chapter are particularly compelling for the Passionist Solidarity Network and will form the basis of much of our work going forward.  They are:

• Embracing Laudato Si--Taking Action to Care for Our Common Home In response to the pressing crisis of global climate change, we affirm our commitment to the teaching of the Church expressed in Laudato Si and the calling of our charism to respond to the suffering of the Earth and its creatures, we recommend that all members and entities of the province (community residences, ministry sites, and province organizations) affirm and embrace the spirit of Laudato Si’ by taking action to care for the Earth as our “common home.” 
• Responding to the immigration crisis-- Affirming Holy Cross province’s longtime commitment to Hispanic ministry and the suffering of the most vulnerable of today, we call ourselves to explore ways in which we respond to the desperate plight of refugees by offering care and compassion for immigrants and migrants.

Later in June, at the St. Paul of the Cross Assembly in Jamaica, conversations were also very much in keeping with these concerns and they will be further discussed by the leadership of that province with an eye toward collaboration.  

See also the statement from Inter council Passionist Meeting, For-difficult-time-courageous-choices