Society of the Catholic Apostolate North American Continental Meeting July 2015 New Jersey Jacob Nampudakam,S.A.C. Rector General

Three possibilities Three challenges

The Pallottine call to revive faith and rekindle charity by forming apostles of Jesus 1 Create a strong common Pallottine ethos and communion 2 Nurturing vocations to our Society from North America as a common project 3

The North American Church provides an excellent seedbed in which to present our charism in the context of New Evangelisation. In this country there is an enlightened laity waiting for the Gospel message in a very secularised society. The Pallottine call to revive faith and rekindle charity by forming apostles of Jesus finds a wonderful opportunity for realisation in this Continent. The question is whether or not we are able to interpret our charism according to the needs of the North American Church. There are increasing signs of positive responses to the signs of the times from the part of the Pallottines in North America: The Catholic Apostolate Centre, a ministry of the Immaculate Conception Province, in Washington, DC. The missionary efforts of the MD Province in Zambia. The arrival of the confreres from the East African Delegature of the Mother of God Province in the Delegature of the same Province in USA. The transfer of Mount Carmel Church from the Italian Province to the Poznan Province, The strengthening of the Pallottine presence in North America through the arrival of numerous confreres from the Assumption of the B.V. Mary Province, The opportunity provided to numerous confreres to study in USA, etc. 1

Having more than a hundred Pallottines from various entities working in North America, we have great potential to make a substantial contribution and impact on the local churches here. During the last 10 years there has been great progress in building up fraternal communion, mainly due to common Pallottine retreats and Continental Meetings. A recurring theme that I often encounter today is the question of building up a project of Pallottine spiritual and pastoral communion. There may be confreres from various entities working in a country but there has to be a genuine Pallottine communion among them. Being strangers to each other gives scandal and is a denial of our very charism. So the real challenge before us is to create a strong common Pallottine ethos and communion, which will do good both for the Church and for society as a whole. 2

The third possibility is that of nurturing vocations to our Society from North America as a common project. No doubt, it is not easy to find vocations. But it is also not a question of going to the market place and picking up men for our community. Vocation promotion is a process of Christian formation. As Pallottines we present our values and way of life as models that can attract young men. Vocations are nurtured through relationships. One’s authentic personal testimony of the Christian and Pallottine life will always be more effective than any number of vocation promotion brochures. Having a rather strong Pallottine presence in North America, we have a common responsibility to promote vocations, especially within the two American Provinces. 3

Building up greater cooperation and communion among members and entities in North America Cultural and pastoral preparation of confreres coming to work in North America Diminished number of confreres in the Provinces and Delegatures of North America

I consider the first challenge is that of building up greater cooperation and communion among members and entities in North America. We have come a long way, no doubt, but still there is a long distance to cover. The Continental Meetings are not normative in character but formative and informative. We must get rid of the culture of isolated Pallottines living in parishes all over the country as though they have nothing to do with the rest of the Pallottine world. It will harm confreres themselves through solitude and isolation. Therefore, I hope, we will use these days to look into what potential we might have to further strengthen our sense of communion and collaboration among the entities present in North America.

The second challenge is that of cultural and pastoral preparation of confreres coming to work in North America. At the broader level this is an important topic for the entire Society. Confreres leaving home to work in different missions and entities need not only careful choice on the part of Major Superiors but also adequate preparation – culturally, pastorally and linguistically. I am happy that it is one of the topics on this agenda. My visits to the many missions and entities of our Society have convinced me that we need to do something more in preparing confreres for such ventures. The question that is relevant for us here is: what can we do at the level of North America, as well as the entire Society, in this regard?

The third challenge is the diminished number of confreres in the Provinces and Delegatures of North America. A Christian is always a person of hope and if we truly believe that God is guiding our history and destiny, we will be like Moses ever on the road to the promised-land. In this context I wish to quote from the Apostolic Letter of Pope Francis to all Consecrated People on the Year of Consecrated Life, n. 3:

“To embrace the future with hope should be the third aim of this Year. We all know the difficulties which the various forms of consecrated life are currently experiencing: decreasing vocations and aging members, particularly in the Western world; economic problems stemming from the global financial crisis; issues of internationalization and globalization; the threats posed by relativism and a sense of isolation and social irrelevance… But it is precisely amid these uncertainties, which we share with so many of our contemporaries, that we are called to practice the virtue of hope, the fruit of our faith in the Lord of history, who continues to tell us: ‘Be not afraid… for I am with you (Jer 1:8).’

This hope is not based on statistics or accomplishments, but on the One in whom we have put our trust (cf. 2 Tim 1:2), the One for whom ‘nothing is impossible’ (Lk 1:37). This is the hope which does not disappoint; it is the hope which enables consecrated life to keep writing its great history well into the future. It is to that future that we must always look, conscious that the Holy Spirit spurs us on so that he can still do great things with us.

So do not yield to the temptation to see things in terms of numbers and efficiency, and even less to trust in your own strength. In scanning the horizons of your lives and the present moment, be watchful and alert. Together with Benedict XVI, I urge you not to ‘join the ranks of the prophets of doom who proclaim the end or meaninglessness of the consecrated life in the Church in our day; rather, clothe yourselves in Jesus Christ and put on the armour of light – as Saint Paul urged (cf. Rom 13:11-14) – keeping awake and watchful.’ Let us constantly set out anew, with trust in the Lord.

I would especially like to say a word to those of you who are young. You are the present, since you are already taking active part in the lives of your Institutes, offering all the freshness and generosity of your ‘yes.’ At the same time you are the future, for soon you will be called to take on roles of leadership in the life, formation, service and mission of your communities. This Year should see you actively engaged in dialogue with the previous generation. In fraternal communion you will be enriched by their experiences and wisdom, while at the same time inspiring them, by your own energy and enthusiasm, to recapture their original idealism. In this way the entire community can join in finding new ways of living the Gospel and responding more effectively to the need for witness and proclamation”.

These words of the Holy Father clearly show that the question of the future of religious life is entirely in the hands of God, “the fruit of our faith in the Lord of history.” What is important is to look to the past with gratitude, live the present with passion and embrace the future with hope. From a Pallottine perspective, this means also realising these words of our Founder which we have chosen as the main theme of our next General Assembly: The only rule for our minimal congregation is the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.