Second General Congress of the Union of Catholic Apostolate,

Rocca di Papa, Roma, April 2010.

Fr. Derry Murphy, SAC.

Our Second General Congress is another historical moment in the growth and development of our Union of Catholic Apostolate. Our General Statutes affirm in article 100 that the General Congress is part of our life as Union; “it is convoked at least once every six years, for reflection, an exchange of opinions, experiences and proposals, and for a more effective fostering of the universal apostolate.”

The first General Congress took place in Konstancin in Poland, in August 2005, that was a memorable occasion for all who took part. So memorable was it that voices were very quickly heard urging a second Congress. We were happy to respond to these and to set about organizing this event. At Konstancin we were aware that the UAC is a world-wide Pallottine family, our manner of living the mission may differ but the spirit that unites us and moves us is the same. The Congress at Konstancin brought new life and zeal to many persons, and in and through them to National and Local Coordination Councils.

Some years ago when I was working in a school I came across a story in a book of catechetics for teenagers, I liked it and used it, it goes like this: “When Jesus ascended into heaven he met the Archangel Gabriel who welcomed him in, he was a bit distressed to see that Jesus had suffered so much on earth, been rejected, scorned, crucified and put to death on the Cross. He said to Jesus “how could it all have ended like that? When I think of how joyful and happy I was when I went to Mary with the news of your birth, of the great sense of hope and promise for humanity, then I watched your early ministry and your success, it is hard to understand what happened.” Then he went off to make Jesus a cup of coffee and when he returned he had a question for him, he asked “what is going to happen now on earth? What about all the work you started, all the new life and hope, is it all dead too?” Jesus took a sip of his coffee and said “No, it is not dead, in fact it is very much alive, I entrusted my mission to a group of friends, they are called disciples and some of them apostles, they will carry on with what I was doing.” Gabriel was pleased to hear this and they chatted for a few minutes, but then a doubt struck him and he asked Jesus “but Jesus, will these friends of yours carry on your mission? Are you sure of them? Perhaps they won’t, maybe you should think of another plan, a plan B, to ensure your mission goes on”. But Jesus said “I have every confidence in my friends, they will carry on my mission, I have no other plan but them.” End of story.

This story came to mind in the past few weeks as we prepared for this Congress. The theme was chosen by the General Coordination Council very deliberately, ‘From the vision to the mission, in communion with Mary’. Over the past twenty years a good deal of time, effort and energy was invested in the preparatory work for the erection of the UAC and the initial approval of the General Statutes, since then the implementation of the structures as envisaged by the Statutes and their definitive approval has engaged us. The General Coordination Council is convinced that we now must look at our mission, our mission in the Church and in the world. The origin of the UAC was centered on mission, St. Vincent’s apostolic activities were ‘missionary’ in the broadest sense of the term, the first members of the Union were imbued with a sense of mission. If the UAC is to be faithful to St. Vincent then it must engage in and be committed to mission.

Our mission as UAC is rooted in vision, in the vision of St. Vincent, in our internalization of this vision and in the grace we receive from God to live it. We will therefore also reflect on the vision of St. Vincent but will do so with our eyes firmly focused on MISSION. We as baptised persons and members of the Church have all received a mission from Jesus. The mission Jesus entrusted to St. Vincent he in turn entrusted to his small community and we are spiritual heirs of it. Pope Benedict XVI in an address to Consecrated Life on February 2^nd 2008 referred to the founders and foundresses and their contribution to the development of charisms in the life of the Church, he mentioned some of them by name and St. Vincent Pallotti was included in the list; he made a few very pertinent points which can serve for our reflections in these days:

- the succession of charisms …can therefore be read as an unfolding of Christ down the ages;

- they are a living Gospel that is actualized in ever new forms;

- the mystery of Christ is reflected in the works of Foundresses and Founders, a word of his, an illuminating ray of his radiant Face, the splendour of the Father;

- so it is that a work, a religious family, is born which with its very presence becomes in turn a living "exegesis" of the Word of God.

In referring to St. Vincent he noted: “St Vincent Pallotti said: "Since the life of Jesus Christ is the fundamental rule of our small Congregation... we must aim at what is most perfect always and in everything" (cf. Complete Works, II, 541-546; VIII, 63, 67, 253, 254, 466).

Jesus trusts us, so too does St. Vincent and in these days we will, in community, look at the origin of the mission and how we live it, incarnate it, and how we might further it in ever greater fidelity.

Art. 100 of the General Statutes indicates five tasks for our Congress: let us start with the fifth one

· “a more effective fostering of the universal apostolate”. The UAC exists in the Church and for the Church, it does not exist for itself, nor is it an end in itself, it is an Association of the Church as desired by St. Vincent, for the universal apostolate. This is our mission, our responsibility. It is also our joy, like the joy experienced by the first disciples and apostles in being promoters of the Church of Jesus Christ. The apostolate is also our ‘trade’ or our ‘task’, it is what we do. We will ask ourselves how can the universal apostolate be more effectively fostered.

· The fourth element is “an exchange of proposals”; proposals for a life ever more in harmony with our identity as UAC, proposals for enhancing our membership of the UAC; proposals for the mission and for our apostolic work and activity: And finally proposals for …? Yes, open ended.

· Third on the list is “an exchange of experiences”; sharing our experiences, both personal and in communion and in community with others; both are important, perhaps the second more so for us, to share our experiences of how communion and community affects our lives, we are UAC, and art. 1 affirms “The Union of Catholic Apostolate a gift of the Holy Spirit, is a communion of the faithful who, united with God and with one another in accordance with the charism of St. Vincent Pallotti…”

· Number two speaks of “an exchange of opinions”; I went to the Thesaurus for this, and found synonyms for ‘opinion’, “a point of view, a belief, a thought, a way of thinking, theory, a judgement, a feeling, an impression, a notion, a conception, a conviction, a creed, a dogma, or a point for debate or discussion”. So there is ample ground for our exchange of opinions in the broadest sense possible and in these we will know one another and learn from one another in these Congress days. And an exchange of opinions will prepare us for the final point which is “reflection”.

· Finally, a Congress is convoked for reflection, for meditation and contemplation; reflection, living the Congress in a reflective manner will open us to an awareness of the Holy Spirit in us, with us and all around us and lead us in discerning what the Spirit of God wishes us to see and notice and then do. In the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (6.16) we read:

“This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.”

It is in this spirit that we will look, contemplate and reflect in these days.

There are a few points that I would like to emphasise at the outset.

Firstly I for one feel a great sense of gratitude today, gratitude because the UAC exists, gratitude because it has been erected in the Universal Church as a public association; gratitude to St. Vincent for his vision and for his openness to God and all that God was asking of him; gratitude for his spirituality – for sharing it with us through his writings, his spiritual diary and his letters, they are a journal of his soul, and for this I feel gratitude as I come to understand God and his workings in and through Vincent. Gratitude to St. Vincent for founding the UAC, for persevering in it and with it.

It would be wonderful to be able to display an X-ray of the UAC here now for you all to see its inner workings, its inner life, its beating heart, its muscles and arteries. It is not possible. I can share something of what is happening that reveals something of the life of the UAC.

1. People, men and women, priests and brothers, sisters, lay persons, Pallottines and of other religious families and traditions, are coming to know, to value and to embrace the UAC, its life, its spirituality, its characteristics and its essential charism in assuming the invitation to be disciples and then apostles of Jesus Christ. There is growth, it is not perfect, not 100%, but growth there is.

2. Identity and identification with the UAC. We refer to ourselves as Pallottines, Pallottine lay persons, religious, or priests, we are becoming more aware that we are Pallottines within the Union, our being Pallottine is lived and expressed in our communities, in our congregations, society, or in our life state and commitment, however we are all members of the one ‘communion of the faithful, united with God and with one another’ (art. 1 G. St). We identify with the UAC, and this shift of awareness or consciousness is growing, and will grow and lead us on. This is particularly true I think for the lay members, the erection of the UAC in the Universal Church and the implementation of its structures assures them of their membership of the Association, affirms their identity and mission in the association of the Church and allows expression of a spirituality centered on Jesus Christ and on God, Infinite Love and Mercy.

1. Stretching the metaphor of the X-ray a little perhaps I could refer to the beating heart of the UAC as ‘cooperation and collaboration’. When St. Vincent speaks of cooperation he begins with his awareness of the invitation to cooperate with God, with what God is doing in his person and wishes to do in him. He realizes that God is communicating salvation to him in this cooperation. The second stage is that of cooperation with God for what he is doing and wishes to do in other persons, it is an invitation to cooperate in the realization of Jesus’ mission of salvation for all of humanity. The third aspect is then cooperation with one another. St. Vincent calls cooperation the most divine of all divine gifts “Consider, o my soul, that the gift of cooperation for the salvation of souls is one of the perfections that God communicates to his creatures, among all his gifts it is the most divine and indeed the greatest for many reasons …the first being that those who respond to this gift …are the most perfect imitators of Jesus Christ…” (OOCC XI, 256). Experience would seem to teach us that the impulse to cooperate is not a natural one and thereby requires grace. When cooperation works and becomes a reality it is wonderful, however it is not an automatic process, it is really an ‘art’, and this ‘art’ can be acquired and developed, always of course with the grace of God. The ‘art’ of cooperation involves the removal of all that closes us in on ourselves and our own interests, all that sows distrust and division among persons, all that impedes collaboration. It is a true sign of the presence of God and of his Spirit when it is present and effective.

At this relatively young stage of the life of the officially erected UAC a growth in cooperation is evident, we still have a way to go, but with the grace of God and good will we will get there.

1. If the heart of the Union is cooperation then the muscles or sinew must surely be the formative process in the life of the UAC. Formation that takes place at the initial stages of contact with the UAC, during the preparation for membership through the Act of Apostolic Commitment and on-going formation which will take us into the next life. While working on one of the texts which had been prepared for our morning session on Saturday I noted that the person who had translated it from Italian to English had translated the word ‘formation’ with ‘education’. I corrected it, but have since thought that perhaps she was correct, formation means to give form, to shape, to build and develop, but we do need ‘education’ also to complete the process, ‘education’ in the sense of informing, and of drawing out, or, bringing out what is within.

Formation in and for the UAC is part of the life of the UAC, it is very good to see formation taking place in so many countries, a formation itinerary that is organized, systematic and complete. We will have the opportunity to see something of the formation programmes as used in various countries, programmes that are adapted and suitable for the reality of each country.

1. The arteries which carry blood, life giving blood, to the UAC are our specifically spiritual activities, prayer, meditation and contemplation, and above all the celebration of the Eucharist as expressed in article 23 “the members of the Union … make the celebration of the Eucharist the centre of their lives”.

There are challenges emerging in the life of the UAC, difficulties also. Archbishop Ryłko in his homily during the Mass of thanksgiving for the erection of the UAC which was celebrated at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Damaso on January 24^th 2004 said: “The act of canonical erection of the Union of Catholic Apostolate is also for all of you a new call to deepen your identity which comes to you from the charism. It is necessary to ask yourselves: who are we in the Church as the large Pallottine family? What is our place among the many charisms which the Spirit lavishes generously on the Church of our time? John Paul II in Christifideles laici spoke of a ‘new season of aggregation” of lay faithful which started in the Church after the Second Vatican Council, we are witnessing the blossoming of new ecclesial movements and communities alongside associations such as yours that have a long and meritorious or creditable history. But the question springs up spontaneously today, how many of these new charism will have such a long and fruitful life as yours has? The ways of the Lord are inscrutable …”

Our charism, our UAC is indeed ‘old’ in that is stretches back to St. Vincent, while it is taking new shape and form, and we are all growing in our renewed understanding of it. Here there are several challenges for us, questions to ask ourselves regarding our understanding of our charism in these Congress days.

Another challenge present in the UAC is the place and role of the Communities of the UAC within the UAC and for the UAC. The General Statutes affirm in article 35 that the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate and the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate “were founded by St. Vincent Pallotti in the Union and for it…the members or these communities, which are integral parts of the Union are responsible for ensuring the unity and apostolic effectiveness of the entire Union”. The challenge here for these Communities and their members is to realize this vocation. Article 36 speaks of the other Communities of the Union “There are other communities which were formed later and specifically characterized by the Pallottine charism and they were subsequently admitted to the Union …the members of these communities dedicate themselves either totally to the fulfilment of the tasks of the Union or as their state of life and circumstances permits.” A challenge here is to strike a balance between the life of the community and its works and the fulfilment of the tasks of the Union.

Archbishop Ryłko asked us to reflect of the question ‘what is our place among the many charisms?’. What is our place in the local Church, what presence do we present, or in the words of Pope Benedict quoted already: what mystery of Christ which was reflected in the works of St. Vincent can we make present? What word of Christ, what illuminating ray of his radiant Face did Vincent make his own?

St. Vincent was very much a man of the Church, anxious to serve the Church and her mission. Like Vincent we ask ourselves what can we offer, what can we give, mindful that a charism is not to be hoarded in a miserly manner, nor jealously guarded just for us, St. Paul affirms in his letters that charisms are entrusted in order to build up the Body of Christ, the Church, “Each one of us has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it…” (Eph.4,7) … “so that (together we) make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4, 12-13).

In conclusion let us turn to Mary, our Mother, and greet her in prayer. Our desire and intention is to live this Congress in communion with Mary, our protector and our patroness. The apostles gathered with her in the Cenacle, they prayed with her for the gift and strength of the Holy Spirit, we join our hearts and voices with Mary, and with her we invoke the Holy Spirit on our Second General Congress.

Suggestions for reflection and sharing on the following points:

1. How do I see and understand my mission in the UAC, in the Church and in the world?
2. Taking into consideration the affirmation of Pope Benedict XVI on page 2, what aspect of the mystery of Christ was reflected in St. Vincent Pallotti? And, in us today?
3. How do I live cooperation and collaboration as a member of the Union of St. Vincent Pallotti?
4. What is our place amongst the many charisms in the Church?

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