Generative Communities: Ourselves Becoming
Building and maintaining a community of men and women devoted to Christ is an endeavor that holds unique challenges. It requires a balance of respect for the community and understanding for the individual. In an effort to discover creative solutions for these varying difficulties, a group of bright minds has committed to meeting for an annual colloquium titled “Generative Communities: Communities generating a vocational way of life in members.”
Each year has a different emphasis, always relating back to the overarching theme of generative communities. This year, men and women from around the world met to discuss the topic of “Ourselves Becoming.”
The first day of this year’s colloquium was held at St. Benedict’s Abbey. Abbot James welcomed the group as the sponsor of the colloquium. After five years of absence due to the coronavirus pandemic, the meeting began with the attendees taking the morning to share the many events that have taken place in their lives since the last in-person meeting. Abbot James, then invited everyone in attendance to join the monks for noon mass and lunch.
Two papers were considered during the afternoon session. First, Fr. Daniel McCarthy, OSB, read a paper titled “Ring of Fire”, which considered the consequences of shame in a monastic community.
Sr. Jeana Visel, OSB, read a paper: “To Thine Own Self Be True: Strategies for Remaining Faithful as Religious Communities in a Hierarchical and Synodal church”. Her recommendations included developing a resource of church documents on religious life as a sure basis for initial and ongoing formation. Each paper was followed by a period of discussion and a break. After supper in the lower lounge the monastic community was invited to hold its weekly community night with the members of the colloquium.
The second day of the colloquium was held at Mount St. Scholastica. Prioress Mary Elizabeth welcomed the group as co-host of the colloquium. Dr. Catherine Stevenson, read a paper titled, “Eschatology in the Present Moment”. Following the account of the last judgment in the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 25, she spoke about the eschatological future revealed already in the present. She drew upon varied authors from the hard sciences as well as the psychological and social sciences.
After a break, the group discussed plans for the forthcoming year and spent lunch with the sisters of the Mount. The group then gathered again for further discussion and planning. They decided to hold the next colloquium on September 11th-12th, 2026 at the Abbey and Mount. The topic will be ”Sharing Divine Life”, also called “Theosis” or “Sanctification”.
A number of participants said they would consider preparing either a paper with possible respondents or a presentation. After supper, a reception was held in the guest facilities at the Mount and a good time was had by all.
We would like to take a moment now to commend the participants of the colloquium and their commitment to growth and discovery.
From St. Benedict’s Abbey
Abbot James Albers, OSB, Abbot, St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison, KS; Sponsor of the Generative Communities Colloquium; STB, Pontifical Athenaeum Sant’Anselmo, Rome.
Fr. Daniel McCarthy, OSB, St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison, KS; SLD, lecturer Pontifical Institute of Liturgy, Rome; Director Liturgy Institute, London, at Ealing abbey
From Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison
Sr. Mary Elizabeth Schweiger, OSB, Prioress of Mount St Scholastica, Atchison, KS.
Sr. Marcia Ziska, OSB, Director of Vocation Ministry at Mount St Scholastica, Atchison, KS.
Sr. Genevieve Robinson, OSB, Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison; PhD in History.
Sr. Susan Barber, OSB, Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison; visiting for the first time this year.
From Monastery Immaculate Conception, Ferdinand, Indiana
Sr. Karen Joseph, OSB, Monastery Immaculate Conception, Ferdinand, IN. Long time Prioress, Prioress General, now works in Spirituality Ministry at Ferdinand.
Sr. Jeana Visel, OSB, Monastery Immaculate Conception, Ferdinand, IN; D.Min. Spirituality, CUA; Dean of School of Theology Programs, Saint Meinrad.
From Incarnation Monastery, Berkeley, California, a foundation of New Camaldoli Hermitage, Big Sur, California.
Fr. Bede Healey, OSB Cam., Prior of Incarnation Monastery, Berkeley, CA; PhD Clinical Psychology, Derner Institute, Adelphi University.
From St. Benedict’s Abbey, Ealing, London, UK.
Abbot Martin Shipperlee, OSB, retired Abbot. of St Benedict’s Abbey, Ealing, London, UK.
Lay participants:
Dr. Stephen Behnke, M.Div., J.D. Yale Law School, 1986, PhD. in clinical psychology, University of Michigan 1994.
Dr. Catherine Stevenson, MD, STL, Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst; Assistant Professor, Menninger Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.
Not attending this year:
Sr. Edith Bogue, OSB; Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Work.
Sr. Judith Sutera, OSB
Previous participants now deceased:
† Prioress Esther Fangman, OSB, Prioress of Mount St Scholastica, Atchison, KS, past President Federation of St. Scholastica; PhD counselling, Idaho State University.
† Fr. Duane Roy, OSB, St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison, KS; Missionary in Brazil 1971-2018. Retired Prior of São Bento, Mineiros, Brazil; chaplain to Mount St. Scholastica.
† Fr. Benjamin Tremmel, OSB, St Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison, KS; Doctor in Biology; past-pastor in rural Atchison and Doniphan counties, Kansas.
† Fr. James Leachman, OSB, St. Benedict’s Abbey, Ealing, London, UK; SLD, prof. em. Pontifical Institute of Liturgy, Rome, prof. inv. KU Leuven, London; co-founder Liturgy Institute, London, at Ealing Abbey and of the Generative Communities Colloquium.