Dare We Hope?
Convocation 2024
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
The Convocation on Tuesday, May 14th, featured a series of insightful presentations, beginning with Fr. Ken Thorson, OMI and Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso, OMI, in the morning, followed by Lisa Raven and Joe Gunn in the afternoon, each contributing to our understanding of shared responsibilities, hope, reconciliation, and ecological justice.
Presentation – Fr. Ken Thorson, OMI
Fr. Ken Thorson, OMI, our Provincial Superior, opened the morning session expressing gratitude for our gathering and reminding participants of our shared duty and responsibility. He reflected briefly on what has transpired in the two years since the last Convocation, acknowledging changes in ministries and alluded to forthcoming decisions regarding ministries and community life, including discernment regarding congregational structures and provincial leadership. He went on to outline the upcoming convocation sessions, which would inform discussions on our collective calling and ministries. He closed by emphasizing the power of our communal witness and the strength derived from our unity in spirit and purpose.
By Darcie Lich – Oblate Associate – Saskatchewan District
Presentation – Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso, OMI
Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso, OMI joined us from Rome via Zoom sharing his thoughts on hope as he asked all of us where we might dare to find hope for today? Leading us with his reflection on hope he offered three questions for us to respond to and the following is a summary of our responses in the plenary session. CLICK HERE TO VIEW QUESTIONS – We spoke of the importance of listening with love, praying and discerning with others, becoming agents of hope as we follow Jesus as our model. Accompaniment without judgement, being members of evangelical community, sharing messages of hope, descending into the depths of hell and then placing all at the foot of the cross. Discovering our strength together rather than doing it alone. We added the value of being a “presence” to the world and beginning to see through the eyes of our crucified Saviour. We stand as witnesses of Oblation, sharing our pain and our joys.
Fr. Chicho also shared some of his way of being in his work in the Sahara with a closing reminder of how the poor are to be always at the center of our attention. We are so grateful for our time together.
By Eleanor Rabnett – Oblate Associate – Ontario District
CLICK ON LINKS BELOW FOR FULL PRESENTATION OF THE SUPERIOR GENERAL:
VIDEO
Presentation – Lisa Raven – Returning to Spirit
Lisa Raven gifted our convocation by sharing her journey to the ministry of Returning to Spirit. “I wanted nothing to do with the Church for many years, but this estranged me from my family.” By embracing the process of reconciliation, letting go of attachment to grief and an identity based on past injustice is possible. Lisa emphasised how important “space” is in facilitating reconciliation and warned us not to let our “space” be filled with negativity. Returning to Spirit, a reconciliation ministry started by Oblates, was shown to be a continual sign of Hope and daring.
By Mark Blom, OMI
LISA RAVEN FULL VIDEO PRESENTATION
Presentation – Joe Gunn – Centre Oblat: A Voice for Justice
Joe Gunn is the Director of the Centre Oblat: A Voice for Justice. The Centre Oblat is a collaborative project of the three Canadian Provinces – Assumption, Notre Dame du Cap and OMI Lacombe Canada.
The four areas of focus for the work of the Centre Oblate are:
- Care of Creation
- Poverty in Canada
- Ecological justice
- Mining/extractive industries in the Global South
In the Acts of the 37th General Chapter (2022) and the writings of Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso, OMI we find a major focus on care for our common home. In the letters of Father General, care for our common home focusses on creation as well as Oblate community.
In 2015, Pope Francis released “Laudato Si”, with a focus on
- Integral Ecology
- Described as the relationship between living organisms and te environment in which they develop
- A Call to mutual responsibility between human beings and nature (LS #67)
- Pope Francis avoids direct use of the term stewardship of creation as this can denote a pyramidal model of relationship with humans at the top
- Nature can reveal to us the divine, “a caress of God” (LS #84)
Francis calls us to action, calls us to engage with civil society and organizations to work for care of our common home
In 2023, Laudate Deum was released ahead of the COPs meeting in Dubai
- Francis reminds us that our responses in the 8 years since Laudato Si have not been adequate
- This document is an update of the 2025 document
- Francis is also critical of the lack of progress of COPs
- There is also a self-criticism, citing the lack of response and opposing criticism even in the church
- A main point is that we cannot rely on technology to sav us; we have to take action, individually and collectively
- Francis contends that two things are necessary:
- A transition to clean energy
- A change of lifestyle
- Chicho also challenges us, reminding us that personal and collective conversion is needed
Some responses from the Oblates:
- The Laudato Si Action Platform was set up by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and assists the universal church to reflect on our response to Laudato Si and set goals
- the Oblates at the General Administration level have signed on to the platform and outlined a plan and goals
- individual unites are invited to opt in and develop and Action plan and goals
- In Canada, the Oblates, through the Centre Oblate participate in various organizations which work toward care for our common home, including:
- ORCIE – the Organization of Religious Communities for Integra Ecology
At the end of the presentation, we were invited to reflect on several questions and fill out a questionnaire that can help us plan a personal and communal response to caring for our common home.
By Richard Beaudette, OMI
JOE GUNN FULL VIDEO PRESENTATION
