The International Communications/ Information Session - Rome

28 November – 08 December, 2012

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PARTICIPANTS

General Council Network/ Belgium

Denise VAN DER LAENEN

Margaret MULDOON France

Ana Maria ALCALDE Michèle LEBAS

Kumudinie DASSANAYAKE Italy

Micheline KENDA Tonina FERRAU

Colleen MOORE Rwanda

Vincentia NYIRAKOMONDO

South Africa/Botswana/ Uganda

Britain and Ireland Joy MONEY

Joan FARRELL Sri Lanka - Colombo

Canada Irene FERNANDO

Marie LECLERC Sri Lanka - Jaffna Cameroon-Tchad Maristella Annie ANTHONIPILLAI

Emilienne GAHEMME Vicariate

Congo Rishmala MICHAEL

Christine FENE-FENE ALEKANI

Spain Consecrated Secular

Maria Teresa FLORENSA Nicoletta FANASCA

India

Lalitha Mary AROCKIANATHAN Information

Lesotho Lourdes DE LA FUENTE

Angelina RAMPHALILE Maristella SOOSAIPILLAI

Pakistan

Josephine EMMANUEL Secretariat

Philippines Monica Alexander

Shoba VINCENT

Poland Translators

Maria ROGALSKA M. Carmen LEACH

Network Latin America/ Daniella PERSIA

Brazil Pascale IRIGOYEN

Luiza FERREIRA Síle McGOWAN

Argentina Susanna MAJOLI

Ana Maria ALVAREZ

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THE INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNICATIONS/INFORMATION SESSION

28 November

At exactly 3.30 p.m., twenty-one participants from various countries came into the conference hall. For most of them, it was a first visit to Europe. When they had been welcomed and given some practical information concerning the smooth running of the Session, they went to the front hall of the house. A very creative way of introducing themselves helped them to get to know one another, to share impressions and expectations, to express how they saw their mission in this Service, to enter gradually into the theme of the Session

and to search and work in harmony. The atmosphere was one of openness, sharing and infectious joy. The desire to get to know one another was stronger than the obstacles and. for the moment, barriers of language and culture disappeared; and, while each one kept her identity, differences also disappeared as the group became united. The participants communicated through dialogue but when this became difficult, they used friendly looks and gestures which are sometimes stronger than words.

The Theme of the Session

Basic Clarification

What do we mean by "communications"?

What do we mean by "information"? Are they the same? Are they different?

There was a brief sharing in twos on these questions and the results were shared in the assembly.

They came to the conclusion that:

Information and communications are different but not incompatible.

“Holy Family Communications and Information in a Changing World”

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Information is a collection of data which provides a degree of

knowledge for a person or a group helping them to make

decisions.

Communications establishes a

connection between people. It is

deeper than information and not so

impersonal. We communicate out

of what we are. Communications

has the capacity to bring us into

harmony with others. It is essential

for human relationships.

At the beginning of the Eucharist which brought the first day of the Session to a close, three symbols were brought to the altar expressing what would be experienced in the Session.

The Paschal Candle: Jesus, the Word of God, message and messenger, who communicates light to

the four continents where the Family is present.

The 1852 Annals and the Declaration of the 2012 Congress: These two documents are a sign that,

from the beginning up to the present day, Communications existed, evolved and developed in the

Family of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles.

A Drum and a Mobile Phone: These two symbols show the evolution of social media and the

different ways of sending messages yesterday and today.

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“At the beginning of this Session let us invoke the Holy Spirit who gathers us together as a Family. May he guide us in our search

for better communications in the service of the mission.”

29 November

This prayer expressed the desire of the assembly as they

began their work. It was a short, simple prayer but one that

was deeply felt. Then Margaret’s opening words gave the

group material for reflection and commitment.

Margaret’s message for the opening of the Session:

Introduction … We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life (1 Jn:1)

Too often we communicate at the level of the word, and we don’t change the world if we leave it there; unless the word, our message, our understanding, becomes incarnate, becomes flesh and dwells among us, nothing happens. This is a very deep insight of Christianity – that unless the word comes into the material world and becomes flesh, nothing happens. (E.F. Schumacher quoted in Eucharist and the Living Earth by Hugh O’Donnell) Pierre Bienvenu Noailles was transformed by his conversion experience with the Word of Life and this became flesh in and through his response that was transformative and made a difference in the world. We know that he placed great emphasis on communication as a means of creating unity and stimulating the enthusiasm of the members for mission. We have ample evidence of this in his own life seen in the importance he gave to communication through letters and reflections which were challenging and clear, calling for truthful, honest, transparent, authentic living in daily life. We can be sure that his communication arose out of a deep encounter with God developed through reflection, prayer and open minded interest in many aspects of life; we only have to glimpse at the wide ranging reading material that can be found in his library in Martillac – theology, spirituality, science, geography, history, medicine – to name a few. We recognise that his communication was not limited to the written word but was visible in the quality of his presence and in his many conversations with a great variety of people. He radiated the Charism in and through his life and so attracted others to welcome this same gift of the Spirit in their own hearts. We know too that the early story of the Group was carefully recorded in the Annals. It is significant that the service of Information (the word most commonly used for communication in 1987) is written into article three of the Constitutions/Statutes of the five vocations, highlighting how much information/communication continues to be valued as essential to the living of our Charism. All members are responsible for living out the Founder’s Charism in a way which is relevant for their own time, and for spreading it and making it known. The bonds which unite them are strengthened by an Information Service which calls for the cooperation of all.1 1 Constitutions/Statutes article 3

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The theme of your meeting here is: Holy Family Communication and Information in a World in Transformation. Many good and important changes have taken place in recent years yet we can ask ourselves how much transformation has taken place is our world? Together with the wonderful advances in knowledge we hear of violence of all kinds, war, hunger, ever increasing numbers of refugees, poverty, exploitation of the earth, climate change, and the breakdown in different structures - Church, Government, Social, Financial … We may be tempted to say that it is all too much for us to do anything about and yet we need to continue to give our energy to our mission of communion trusting that our small efforts to incarnate the message do and will make an impact as we collaborate with the Spirit who works from within. We are on a path of evolution – and transformation can be said to take place when our minds and hearts, our way of life has changed significantly or radically. 2 A lot of reflection, meetings, animation has taken place in our Institute/Family since the General Chapter in 2008 and we can also ask ourselves how much real transformation has taken place within each one of us and among us? To what extent have these reflections become 'incarnate' in our lives? “The world in transformation” needs to begin with each one, we are all responsible, we are all called to be open to transformation and in order to facilitate this process, information/communication is a vital aspect that must be attended to. Often, during our visits of animation, the challenge of relationships has been raised and the need for greater transparency and openness in communication and dialogue expressed. In view of our mission perhaps we all need to learn the skills of clear, open, honest and non-violent, communication. We need to develop ways of interacting that inspire, affirm, promote relationships and reconciliation, encourage, challenge, question and call us forward to live the message, our mission, in ever more significant and radical ways. It is information that gives order that prompts growth that defines what is alive. It is both the underlying structure and the dynamic process that ensures life. For a system to remain alive, for the universe to move onward, information must be continually generated. If there is nothing new, or if the information that exists merely confirms what is, then the result will be death. The fuel of life is new information – novelty - ordered into new structures. We need to have information coursing through our systems, disturbing the peace, imbuing everything it touches with new life.3 All of you are here because you have responsibility for communication in your respective Units. This responsibility you carry out in collaboration with others. While acknowledging that communication is much wider and greater than the newsletters or publications that we produce, we need to realise that these do reflect how we see the world and ourselves. At times they seem to be more focussed on the things we do, rather than stimulating conversation, questions, new life. How can we interact more? Share our struggles, our questions, our truth? The Congress stated: it is necessary to have ongoing communication among us in order to promote communion through a quality of presence as Family within the Universe Family.4 It would be good to review the content of our communications. How much space is given to reflecting the reality of life around us? to asking questions? to making connections? to encouraging a change of mindset? to promoting communion? We speak of ‘Family’ do our publications involve the whole Family,

2 Presence by Peter Senge

3 Leadership and the New Science by Margaret J. Wheatley

4 Fourth Congress of the Family, Phase 11

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do they have an influence and impact on the Family? How can we use them to promote a quality of presence as Family? Do they influence others beyond the Family in the sense of being interesting to them, inviting, encouraging and involving them in our Charism of communion? Are we creative in a way that leads or encourages transformation for mission? Innovation(transformation) arises from ongoing circles of exchange, where information is not just accumulated or stored, but created. 5 Peter Senge in a book titled “Presence” speaks of the need to develop a language that can help people think and talk together about how to facilitate transformation. He says that there are so many problems today that we can fall into denial and fear and that we need a language of hope. People need a language with which to think and talk about a different way of being in the world and he adds, until people can start to see their habitual ways of interpreting a situation, they can’t really step into new awareness. If you seriously ask, ‘What am I doing – in my actions, thoughts and feelings – to maintain these patterns as they are?’ you will see many ways that you play a part and perhaps a few new options that you might do differently. 6 May you, during your days here, encourage each other to find new options, new ways of doing communication differently. As members with a particular responsibility for communication your role may well be to stir things up, to ask WHY questions, to challenge, to make connections, to encourage us to an increased awareness that our world is ever changing, often confusing and certainly mysterious and that we are active participants not passive observers. The Congress of the Family encouraged us to go beyond boundaries and move out of our comfort zones7. This also challenges the way we see communication and invites us to be more creative and open to seeing and doing differently. In this year of faith let us deepen our awareness that all good communication reflects God’s love for the world. How can we communicate truth, Gospel truth? How can our communication serve the Spirit’s work of transformation in the world? How can we encourage a new humility that seeks to reveal God in our world and not our own achievements? How do we help the process of “unlearning” that the Congress called for? The Congress also affirmed the desire to “develop a contemplative approach to life”. In a world where we are inundated with information of all kinds we need to be more contemplative, to listen deeply, and so discern how and what we need to communicate. Pope Benedict XVI in his message for 46th World Communications Day says that the process of human communication concerns the relationship between silence and word: two aspects which need to be kept in balance, to alternate and to be integrated with one another if authentic dialogue and closeness between people are to be achieved … Silence is an integral element of communication; in its absence, words rich in content cannot exist. In silence, we are better able to listen to and understand ourselves; ideas come to birth and acquire depth; we understand with greater clarity what it is we want to say and what we expect from others; and we choose how to express ourselves. By remaining silent we allow the other person to speak, to express him or herself; and we avoid being tied simply to our own words and ideas without them being adequately

5 Margaret Wheatley

6 Presence – Peter Senge

7 Fourth Congress

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tested. In this way, space is created for mutual listening, and deeper human relationships become possible … In speaking of God’s grandeur, our language will always prove inadequate and must make space for silent contemplation. Out of such contemplation springs forth, with all its inner power, the urgent sense of mission, the compelling obligation “to communicate what we have seen and heard”(1Jn 1:3). Silent contemplation immerses us in the source of that Love and directs us towards our neighbours so that we may feel their suffering and offer them the light of Christ, his message of life and his saving gift of the fullness of love.8 During this meeting I encourage you to give time to contemplation and deep listening, to open yourselves to seeking new ways to make our communication more dynamic and life-giving for mission in the reality of today. To recognise the Spirit’s action, we need to be attentive to our own hearts to notice what moves us, what touches us and we need to listen to one another. May you be attentive to this in the days ahead. I would like to finish with a quotation, also from “Presence”

It’s common to say that trees come from seeds. But how could a tiny seed create a huge tree? Seeds do not contain the resources needed to grow a tree. These must come from the medium or environment within which the tree grows. But the seed does provide something that is crucial: a place where the whole of the tree starts to form. As resources such as water and nutrients are drawn in, the seed organises the process that generates growth. In a sense, the seed is a gateway through which the future possibility of the living tree emerges.9

May our small efforts to be creative, our imaginations, our dreams be the small seeds that lead us into the future, enabling the word, our message, our understanding, to become incarnate, to becomes flesh and dwell among us, thus facilitating transformation. The seeds of newness, of the Divine are within us and we can use them to generate new ideas, new energies that will help ourselves and others to find a new way of being in our world, to be a gateway through which the future possibility, God’s desire, of all being ONE can continue to evolve.

Margaret Muldoon

Rome: November 2012

8 Pope Benedict XV1 / message for World Communications Day 2012

9 Peter Senge - Presence

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After a time of personal reflection, there was a brief, informal sharing of points which had struck the

participants.

Then the participants were given:

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SESSION

1. Deepening together what the Information service is in the light of the orientations of

the 2008 General Chapter.

2. Becoming aware of what communications is in today's world and its impact on our particular contexts at all levels. Opportunities and challenges.

3. Becoming more aware that we are a team of animation in the service of the Family

and the Institute in order to circulate the life and values of the Gospel and our charism.

4. Moving towards a form of information network in the service of our mission of

communion as a Family.

5. Identifying calls that are directed to us as Holy Family "communicators" and deciding on some definite actions to help us carry out more fully the purpose of this service in the Holy Family.

The Methodology:

After a break, the participants began the first stage:

SEE THE PARTICULAR AND GLOBAL CONTEXTS – describe as objectively as

possible the real state of our Communications/Information Service and the real state of social

media in the present-day world. Opportunities and challenges.

SEE

JUDGE

ACT

EVALUATE

CELEBRATE

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This stage began with a time of personal reflection on two questions:

What is the real state of the Communications/Information Service in my Unit (P/D/N/V

Secular Institute.)? What impact has it?

What is the real state of social media in my country? What impact have they?

Later on the participants met in language groups and then shared the fruit of their reflection in the

assembly. The sharing was done by means of posters – some of them very creatively done.

Some of the points were:

The Real State of the Communications/Information Service

In most of the Units there is a Communications/Information Service comprising between two

and five people who work collaboratively. Some of these teams are very enthusiastic.

In some cases, one person is responsible for the service.

Up to now, there have been publications giving brief new items, and other kinds of less-

frequent publications which gave Sisters’ testimonies or what was being done in various

fields of action. These two types of publications are undertaken mainly by the Sisters.

It was noted that the quality of the presentation of the publications had improved.

Over time, in some Units, another type of publication appeared which was broader and

directed to the Family.

There is an increasing request – especially at the Congress – that

Communications/Information Teams should be formed of members from the different

Vocations and that publications be directed to the Family.

Most of the Units – where it is possible – have blogs or websites.

Where possible, publications are sent by e-mail. Usually it is the Provincial/Unit secretaries

who see to sending out the publications.

The Impact

In Africa and Asia, the Sisters are interested and collaborate actively.

There has been a decrease of interest in other Units and it is difficult to get the Sisters to

collaborate. Perhaps we allow ourselves to be taken over by what is immediate; sometimes

we are passive spectators.

Information helps to broaden our horizons.

It helps us to be interested in what is happening in the Family.

It helps us to look at things positively.

It is important to access information which gives various points of view in order to form a

critical, healthy and creative awareness

The Real State of the Social Media in the Various Countries

There are groups that manipulate the social media. The impact on the population is

enormous.

The media which have the greatest financial resources have the monopoly. Sometimes they

create a significant division in society.

State subsidies maintain the existing regime.

In this day and age, the Internet neutralises these negative influences and offers alternatives.

Social Media have power and intrude on peoples’ personal lives.

They create dependency and affect interpersonal relationships in a negative way. They create

isolation because they do not provide sufficient space for sharing.

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They tend to neutralise pluralism.

They have a strong influence on public opinion.

They promote sensationalism and do not respect the dignity of the person.

But they also have a positive influence

The enable us to communicate with people who are far away. They give us broad contact

with real situations and draw us into solidarity with one another.

The speed up information. They enrich us and broaden our horizons.

They increase knowledge (study materials …)

They are a way of interconnecting and can be used for the New Evanglisation.

They provide us with a new vision of the world.

After this far-reaching and rich sharing, the participants spent a few minutes summarising the day in

an atmosphere of silence and deep listening.

30 November

Objetive: To understand the role of the Communications/Information Service in the Holy

Family and of the people and teams who provide this service.

The day began with a short prayer centred on reading and

sharing the word of God of the day.

Then the participants were given three documents which

Ana María invited them to read.

The Annals 1852, Vol 1 pp. 13ff

Declaration of the Congress of the Family 2012

The Dream of the Communications/Information

Team at the meeting of the Teams of

Participation 2009.

Four questions to guide reflection.

There followed half an hour of personal reflection and some time to share in language groups. Then

in the assembly the first question was shared through posters and the others were shared orally.

Do you feel in harmony with these dreams?

Think of your personal experience in providing this service in your Unit. What do

you and your Team bring to this Service?

What are your qualities and those of your Team?

What support do you receive from your Leadership Team? (Province Delegation,

Network, Vicariate, Secular Institute Councils)

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THE SHARING IN ASSEMBLY

1.

In general, the participants felt in harmony with the content of the three documents. They

saw how Information is a source of life, communion and transformation. This

transformation was understood as a necessary change of mindset.

The participants were aware of the change which is taking place in the world and of the

need to listen to the signs of the times and to use new technology in our work.

They saw that one of the tasks of Information is to bring the problems of the world to the

readers’ attention in order to awaken their sense of responsibility.

They saw the need for Communications/Information Teams to be formed of members from

the different Vocations.

2 and 3 The richness of working in a team where we encourage one another and learn to respect

and accept different opinions.

Complementarity which leads to creativity.

The competence of other Sisters who collaborate with us.

We also have weak points. We need:

o To promote the active involvement of the Sisters and awaken their creativity.

o To use the social media to make contact with young people.

o To broaden our horizons; and we consider this to be a starting point.

o To learn how to use the resources which we have and to know how to ask for help.

o To communicate life, energy, hope, questions and responsibility with regard to world

problems through our publications.

o To ensure that our way of communicating is “non-violent” and that it promotes

communion.

4. In general, the Leadership Teams support, encourage and appreciate us. In some cases, a

member of the Leadership Team is a member of the Communications/Information Team.

The Sisters encourage and challenge us also.

But we also meet with difficulties:

We feel that in some cases our role is not well understood.

Sometimes we find it difficult to meet as a Team and communicate only by email. We

need support in order to be able to meet and share.

In some cases there is too much control and we have not enough independence as a

Team.

Sometimes little interest or enthusiasm is shown. Negative criticism does not help us.

We have not enough time for the task.

It is difficult to distribute information. It does not arrive in some places and

communities.

The morning ended with this sincere and simple sharing and the participants had some time to rest.

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IN THE AFTERNOON

The second stage “Judge” was begun in the afternoon.

Eithne Hughes, the Secretary General

introduced the work by explaining to the

group the importance of preserving the legacy

which the Founder left us through his writings.

It is impossible to protect them from damage

over time. Therefore, aware that this

inheritance does not belong exclusively to us

but to the Church and to future members, the

General Council considered that it was

important to make electronic copies of the

Founder’s manuscripts and to make the most

important parts of his writings available to

everyone by means of the Internet and thus

sharing the riches of the Charism with the

whole world.

In order to do this, they contacted a Belgian-

based company called MNÉMOTIQUE in

2009. We have with us today Pierre

VELDEN who, from the very beginning, was

involved in this project. He is going to

explain the work of MNEMOTIQUE to us

and, most importantly, how the data-base

works so that everyone will be able to access it

through the Communications/Information

Team and receive help from the Team when

necessary.

In the home page of our general website www.sfb.pcn.net , you can find the web address of the

Founder’s manuscripts – www.noailles.org.

This afternoon of explanation, clarification and practical exercises was of great interest to the

participants.

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1 and 2 December

We entered fully into the second stage: JUDGE

Objetive: To reflect on the real situations that we found, enlightened by the input of the consultant, the word of God, the Founder, the texts of Benedict XVI and the other documents.

Theme: Information / communications in a globalised world in the process of change.

During these two days,

Fr. PASQUALETTI, sdb,

professor of Communications

in the Pontifical Salesian

University in Rome, led us

gradually into the theme with

a very interactive method

using videos clips and talks.

Some points shared:

The World in a process of

Change

Fr. Fabio spoke of a changing

world and the need to be

aware of the situation around

us; of the paradox of present-

day society: in which some

die of hunger, others contract

various diseases as a result of obesity. War, violence and aggression have overpowered society. He

used power-point presentations and a short film to describe some of these problems.

Globalisation In the 1980’s the world became “globalised” for commercial purposes but not for the purposes of

human rights. Workers received low salaries and poverty was on the increase. It is a fact that

businesses have the monopoly. Capitalism destroys the person from within. Governments use

natural disasters to promote corruption. In the face of all this, a change of mind-set is urgently

needed.

At the moment, development is presented as:

Modernisation which brings with it:

Technological decision-making A linear concept of development The concept of nature as an unlimited resource Blind faith in the free market Technology and economics as essential elements in

the development process

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Dependence

Multiplicity:

Ecology,

He illustrated all this with a short film.

Social Networks, New Technology. T.V. Internet.

During these days, we also dealt with other themes. The world is changing rapidly. The present

generation uses different means to study and to relate e.g. face-book. Evaluate them. Young people

were born in a digital age. All these media enable them to share knowledge and to interact. Using

them brings changes in the human brain and a loss of the meaning of silence.

This new technology has advantages and disadvantages. Today education is not information. It is a

building of life through information. We must be aware that today the Internet controls our lives like

a dictatorship.

After quoting articles 3 and 4 of Evangelii nuntiandi, he continued: Basically, these questions

(articles 3 and 4 of Evangelii nuntiandi) are contained in the fundamental question which the Church

asks herself and which can be expressed as follows, “ After the Council and thanks to the Council

which was a time given to us by God in this crucial moment in history, ‘Is the Church not better

equipped to proclaim the Gospel and bring it to people effectively with conviction and freedom of

spirit?’”

of the periphery on the centre Technological dependence Economic dependence Cultural dependence Political dependence

There is no universal model of development. Each

country seeks its own model. Development is an

integral, multidimensional, dialectical process which

can change from one society to another. It should bring

with it an increase of power and a necessary

sustainability.

In ecology we must have a balance between

production and the protection of the environment.

He also spoke about participative democracy.

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He left the participants with the following question:

What is the biggest problem that you find in your lives and in your Congregation?

The following points were shared in the assembly:

Relationships among our ministries

Openness to what is new and the difficulty to change

Traditional habits and customs which prevent us from moving on

The ability to be responsible, take initiative, difficult to move from old structures and fear.

The inability to take risks and to be open

Inter-generational conflict

We said goodbye and thanked Fr. Fabio bringing an end to a very full and very rich days.

3 December

This was a free day. In spite of the bad weather, the participants made full use of their free time to get to know Rome better.

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4 December

Colleen invited the participants to consider a new way of contributing to the Information Service and she asked them to carry out a critical review of how they exercise this ministry. She suggested to the group that they reflect on what they have seen and heard in the preceding days noting what is new for each one. Then there was a brainstorming session during which the participants mentioned the following

points:

Margaret’s opening address

Communication is about relationships

The importance of silence, listening and speaking

The impact of means of social communication (MSC) on our communication

Communication should bring life

The message we wish to communicate should be clear for those who receive it

Attention to what we wish to communicate and to whom

Necessity of awareness of what is happening in our world

Then participants were asked to speak to the person sitting next to them and write down aspects of

Margaret’s address and Father Fabio’s conferences that they considered important and also those

aspects that haven’t yet been touched on.

Some points that were shared:

Impact of MSC on our lives and need to seek alternatives

Communication should lead to transformation

Need to seek creative ways of communicating

Communication – a place of encounter between the word and silence

Communication should invite us to reflection; should encourage ideas and

questions

Perhaps we are ignorant of MSC and new technologies and we need to learn how

to use them

What were the most difficult things that we heard?

During the visits of animation, there seemed to be a lack of transparency in our relationships

Need to listen to our resistance to change Try to encourage questions and dialogue We need to have a quality of presence which should be life-giving Avoid controlling; learn to listen and accept without dominating others Information sustained by coherent way of life Dependence and how communication is used to maintain the system

After this brief exchange participants were invited to reflect on the content of the session, allow

themselves to be questioned by it by opening up to the Spirit and listening deeply to the calls directed

to them through each person in the group and the assembly as a whole. They were reminded that

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they were engaged in a process of corporate reflection and they were given questions on which to

reflect.

What do you consider important for the Service of Information?

Responsibility, participation and fidelity on the part of each one.

Time, interest and deep listening

Communicate what is important in terms of world vision and our context.

Take responsibility for sharing Family news and building up links through the Service of

Information

Encourage questioning that takes us out of our comfort zone and commits us to the

world

Create participation

Speak the truth honestly not

allowing ourselves to be

manipulated or influenced

Transmit messages that touch the

lives of those around us

Make sure message is clear and

precise

Communicate the importance of

the emerging vision of the world,

taking the context into account

Diversify means of communication

Develop openness to the Family

What questions do you need to ask yourself and the team in order to improve this

service?

How can we communicate truth?

Should Co-ordinators of the teams be efficient, interested and able

to motivate the members of the team and the sisters in the unit?

Do I feel responsible for strengthening Family bonds?

How do we manage languages?

Are we just into maintenance?

How can we raise our awareness of the different cultures and work

in the networks?

Does part of information require listening to the world?

Do we give time to evaluation?

Are we clear about roles and how to share them out?

Why is our service not efficacious?

What do we wish to communicate?

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After this long interchange, Colleen asked the group:

Colleen commented that none of us has the answers to the concerns facing us today. She then

invited the participants to share their concerns and their lights.

After a rich sharing, some common points emerged:

Create opportunities to get to know one another and be open to others

The different languages are a challenge

Possibilities of working in collaboration. We need to let go of our securities and be

more committed

Use all our energies to communicate effectively

Then the group was invited to remain in silence in order to assimilate and integrate the experience of

the day.

5 December

The morning’s prayer the theme of which was “Utopia” led us directly into the aim of the day: to formulate the “vision” that we have of the Information Service today.

The first half of the morning was dedicated to evaluation and reviewing the information bulletins.

Ana Maria who co-ordinated the day gave guidelines for evaluation

Question yourself about it:

o The form – is it attractive, easy to read, interesting, long, boring?

o The Content: Does it aid reflection and questioning? Are the

articles short and clear? Does it promote a new vision of the

world? Does it promote communion? Does it present us as one

“Family”? Does it promote the corporate commitment? Does it

reflect reality?

o The readership: Is the publication for ourselves or for others?

For whom is it published?

o What changes could you make?

The rest of the day was dedicated to the formulation of the final document of the session.

What needs to change in our mentality in order to offer a better

service according to the desire expressed by the Family in the

Declaration that came from the Congress in Martillac, 2012?

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Ana Maria guided the work defining how to proceed, the actions to be carried out and the means of

achieving the objectives. This “vision” necessarily has to be in accordance with our Mission of

Communion in the Family and beyond – communion with all that exists.

She invited the participants to begin with a time of person reflection within the group. The groups

were asked to present the main points to the assembly on a poster. Then some guidelines for

reflection were given:

1. Do we believe in communication and do we wish to communicate?

2. What do we wish to communicate?

3. Could this “vision” inspire and motivate others?

4. How can we express the belief that the Information Service is at the service of

animation in our Unit?

Common points in the assembly

1. I wish to be in touch with reality and communicate the reality of life with truth and

honesty

2. Include what was asked of us in the declaration from the Congress of the Family where

all vocations are considered equal

3. Information that transmits life, that challenges, leads to reflection, questions…

4. Information that is at the service of and promotes our mission of communion

5. Information that leads to transformation

6. That takes us beyond the Family

7. That awakes us to the harmony that exists between the emerging “vision” of the world

and our Charism

8. That promotes our presence as Family

Once all these elements were gathered together it was suggested that two French speaking

participants should be given the task of drawing up a first draft of the “Vision of the Service of

Communications and Information”.

The day ended with some moments of silence during which each one reviewed the day.

6 December

We entered into the stage of ACTION

The first draft of the document translated into three languages was distributed to the participants. They were asked to read it attentively, take notes and then share their comments.

Some members suggested amendments and other points of view. Then after listening attentively to

each one, the document was approved by the assembly.

After having accepted the content of the document, the participants were invited to suggest specific

actions so that this “vision” could become a reality.

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All returned to their groups and shared practical ways of living this “vision”. They were asked to

respond to the following question:

What actions would help us put this vision into practice?

On ending the assembly, some actions that would lead us to change within the Information Service

were presented.

Then after a break, the group was given one more task: look for ways of carrying out these actions.

A question guided the reflection:

What means will help us put these actions into practice?

7 December

The group came together in assembly to share on the work done in language groups on the

“means”. Then there was time for clarifications and suggestions.

The fruit of this reflection on the vision, actions and means was gathered in a document which is the

Declaration from this service.

The Assembly closed this stage of ACTION

Aim of this last stage EVALUATE

This stage was described thus:

It is a time for personal review of the session with some questions to guide the review:

What have I learned that has helped me towards a new understanding of my role as

communicator?

What impact has this session had on me?

What will give me energy to move forward in the service of communication?

How will I transmit what I have received to my team, the sisters and the leaders in

my unit?

Evaluation of the Session

The evaluation was done in writing in language groups

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8 December

Aim of the day: CELEBRATION

Closing words were taken from the Gospel:

Jesus said to the disciples, “throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to the whole human

race”. After Jesus had talked with them, he was taken up to heaven and sat at the right side of God.

The disciples went and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and proved that their

preaching was true by the miracles that were performed. (Mk 16: 15, 19-20)

Word from Founder: Selected Texts, nº 177:

“The union which should reign between the members and the Works of the Association will be all the closer and stronger the more deeply rooted they are in the love of God, , detachment from earth, and most ardent charity for their neighbour, and the more they show this charity by renouncing their personal satisfaction and their temporal advantage in order to come to the aid of those who are in need. In this sisterly devotedness they will find new motives for loving and supporting each other and of forming one family. They must pray for each other and keep in touch by letters which give information about their works, share ideas and build each other up mutually in order to do good to others”. (1854)

Closure: Words from Margaret -

“We come to the end of this session here and also to the beginning of a new way of living the service

of information. A service that is so vital for life and forward movement in fidelity to our mission and

in response to the needs and the reality of our world. You now have the responsibility to encourage

and to facilitate changes in the way information circulates in your Unit. Every small step for change

that you take is important and necessary. You can begin by communication that which you have lived

here to your team, to the leadership team and to others who are interested.

Through your participations, your reflections, your conversations, your questions and sharing you

will have experienced some personal call maybe even some changes within you and I invite you to

truly believe and trust that you can make a difference. To the extent that you try to be the change you

want to see, change will happen; so please don’t sit back and wait for others to make the first move.

Be attentive to your own inner journey and to your personal responsibility and do something!

Thank you for the unique gift that each one of you is, for all that you have shared here and for all

that you will contribute to enable a free flow of information that inspires, affirms, questions, and

calls forth life within the Family and beyond.

Special thanks to Nicoletta who, by her presence here, brought the Secular Institute into this kind of

session for the first time. Let’s hope that it’s the beginning of a much wider participation in future

international sessions as well as meetings at local level.”

Margaret closed by thanking each person who had contributed to the smooth running of the session.

The Declaration of the Communications/Information Service, fruit of this rich session was offered

during the Mass.

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International Communications/Information Session

Rome, 28 November - 8 December 2012

COMMUNICATIONS IN A CHANGING WORLD

Gathered in Rome, representing the Information/ Communications Service and attentive to the

signs of the times, the emerging vision of the world and the Family’s calls to us:

We want our Information/Communications Service to be a bearer of life and energy, to be

challenging, to raise questions, to prompt reflection and to encourage us to take on commitments

leading to a change: of mindset; relationships; our presence in the world; and of structures which

give rise to marginalisation and injustice.

We want to communicate truthfully and honestly the real social, political and religious situations of

our world, our lives and the lives of those around us because we feel called to broaden our horizons.

We want to be with people of goodwill who are working for a different world; to bring hope and to

offer an alternative style of life steeped in gospel values.

Communications is at the service of the Mission of Communion and must lead to a realisation of the

connection between the emerging world vision and our Charism, thus playing its part in the

leadership of the whole Family. Therefore, in harmony with the call of the Congress (Declaration,

Martillac 2012), we want to move towards communicating as a Family, in an attitude of dialogue

and collaboration, in order to be able to make decisions as equals.

7 December 2012 - Rome.

(Full version of this declaration is available on our website www.pcn.net and in your units.)