Moving Forward on Oblate Association
DISTRICT ANIMATORS
We are all familiar with the adage, ‘Time flies.’ This has become manifestly true with the District Animators in OMI Lacombe Canada. With most of the last appointments being made in Spring 2016, those terms have too quickly ended. The Leadership Team has accepted a few retirements, made some reappointments and named several new animators. Across the country, here then are our new District Animators:
Marie Luttrell
British Columbia: Mike and Jo Creedon, newly appointed join Father Jim Dukowski who accepted reappointment. Our gratitude goes out to Marie Luttrell who is retiring as Animator there, having served two terms.
Fr. Alfred Groleau, OMI
Alberta: Father Susai Jesu is the new Oblate Animator working with Debbie Doornbos who has agreed to a second term. Many thanks to Father Alfred Groleau who is stepping down from his duties as Animator.
Saskatchewan and Ontario: the Animators in these two districts were reappointed, Father Mike Dechant and Darcie Lich in Saskatchewan and Father Richard Beaudette and Pamela Dixon in Ontario.
Margot Lavoie
Taché: Appointments have not yet been made but we offer thanks to Brother Tom Novak and Margot Lavoie who both retired after serving as Animators since 2014.
Bro. Thomas Novak, OMI
The ministry of District Animator is an important one: Animators are responsible for ‘promoting, supporting and animating association within their district.’ We give thanks for those who offered their service for the last number of years. They set a foundation for association to grow within the Province. We are grateful to those who accepted to serve now; they are helping Association to thrive in the future.
MOVING FORWARD
We are moving forward! The Leadership Team of OMI Lacombe Canada has deemed it timely to take a fresh look at Oblate Association in the Province. The last four years have seen consolidation and progress in Association in the Districts. With procedures and policies in place to support Association and a formation process to welcome and form new Associates, we are well positioned to see Association grow in the future.
How do we do that though? What should our next steps be? The Preamble to our Statutes reads, “We actively promote participation of women and men who share the charism and mission of St. Eugene de Mazenod.” Fidelity to that ideal requires we pay attention to Association within the province. To that end, the Leadership Team is undertaking a process of discernment with regard to future growth of OMI Lacombe Association.
The first step is to evaluate what already is happening across the country in terms of actual practices. This includes things like the number of Associates in each district, their meeting schedules, participation in community, etc.. The second step is gathering information from Associates and Oblates about their experiences with Association: what they celebrate about it; what they see as the challenges; and what their hopes for Association are. The Associates answered these questions in a survey prior to Convocation and they will be given a second opportunity to respond. A similar survey for the Oblates is being prepared.
This information from these first two steps will be presented to the Leadership Team in the Fall and handed over to a visioning committee [yet to be named]. They will review the material and engage in a visioning process, exploring ways to foster Association in the Districts and offering practical strategies to promote it.
“Our relationship with lay persons is a priority for the future our Congregation and our religious life,” Witnessing as Apostolic Community 39 states. It is our hope that this fresh look at Association within OMI Lacombe Canada will bring that relationship alive and reflect the priority we feel.
By Sandy Prather, HOMI
