It has been a while since we had a First Friday discussion at the Damien Residence in Fairhaven. We shared in months past our reflections on Dilexit Nos and Dilexi Te.  We are reluctant to delve into Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo’s encyclical on Artificial Intelligence. So, we returned to familiar territory, and the writings of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, namely, our Constitutions, para. 38-39, and 44-45.  These paragraphs were picked by Fr. Rich McNally.  Our number today was small, due to vacations and brothers at funerals.

After Fr. Rich’s introduction, Fr. Martin Gomes noted that we have different communities here.  There are the parish pastors, and there is Damien Residence, and the brothers living here.  It has been best in the past when getting together, we would talk about both communities helping each other.  Fr. Rich added that now we have the added benefit of our Sisters being present, and we also look forward to our upcoming retreat together at La Salette in September.

Martin Gomes, Matthias Shanley, and Rich McNally

I mentioned words present in #38 about “Our common mission”, creating among us a “bond of communion”.  Our mission here is our common life.  We can be together and do together.  I would like to have all of us come over to OLOA again for another pizza party and some fun.  We don’t always have to be here at the residence.  Fr. Rich added that it is important to find ways of supporting and encouraging one another.

The idea of a PARL was raised, creating a plan for active religious life.  Is that possible in our situation?  While we pondered this, Rich noted this community’s role in planning the next Provincial chapter, slated for Autumn 2027.  We shared memories of planning the 2024 Chapter in the basement of St. Joseph’s Church, with newsprint filled with scrawling and scribbling tacked up everywhere. Matthias Shanley added that indeed those were good days, and the Chapter preparation we did was very good.

I noted in #45.4 words about meetings, like the one that we were all in at the moment!  Meetings can be difficult when there is no agenda, and no direction to the meeting.  But meetings can be much better. Rich added that with preparation, it can happen, and we can even rotate the Chair (leader).

Community Life calls us all to work for what is better and what blesses us all.  The effort of everyone is called upon. Br. Kasi and Fr. Kris were asked how the Brothers in the Pacific live their common life, and they replied that it is very similar to how we live here, in the Eastern end of the Province.  There is the added celebration for all those in formation at PRS in Fiji.

Bill Petrie, Kris Kaitapu, and Kasi Bule

We too must play together as well as pray together.  Recreation is very important. We should plan outings together.  As it is, we enjoy “movie night” every 4^th Friday, although attendance could be better.

As we finished our discussion, Fr. Columban arrived.

                      David Lupo and Columban Crotty

 

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