Mission Update
United States
Technology and Its Ef fects
After hearing many times that
she should visit the web a
woman from a rural village in
Zambia finally asked, Where is
the web? How do I get there? Is
it a house or an office? We may
chuckle at this womans dilemma
but the story points out the huge
gap the new technologies have
created in the world.
Technology is people using
knowledge, tools, and systems to
make their lives easier and to
better their surroundings. People
use technology to improve their
ability to do their work. Through
technology, people can commu-
nicate faster and better. Technol-
ogy allows us to make a bigger
variety of products. Our build-
ings are safer through the use of
technology. We travel in more
comfort and speed as a result of
technology.
We know that new technology is
being introduced everywhere as a
result of globalization. Those of
us privileged to live in the devel-
oped world often take for granted
the many changes in our lives
brought about by new technolo-
gies. But for too many of our
sisters and brothers throughout
the world these changes have
either not occurred or at a differ-
ent pace. Advertising tells us
that all of this change in our lives
is for the better. But is this really
true in all countries?
Volume 16, Issue 1
Catholic Mission Association
The most obvious result of this
technology boom is the recent
explosion
in the
number of
c e l l
phones all
over the
world.
But some
improvements have been more
basic. For many people, just the
introduction of electricity, im-
proved roads, and new methods
of construction has made lives
easier.
The stories some of our member
missioners wrote for the Voices
in Mission project for Mission
Congress 2005 include numerous
anecdotes about technology and
its impact on the people with
whom they live and work. This
article will explore this issue
using these stories.
Joseph Callahan, a priest work-
ing in El Salvador reflected on
the more basic technological
improvements. First came
streetlights, illuminating the
plaza and basketball court and
the main streets of the town.
Roads were reconstructed,
bridges made, and utilities im-
proved. In December of 1998
phones were installed in the
houses here in our pueblo.
Slowly but surely, the people
had more confidence to be out of
the house at night Electricity
US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
We Pray
has been privatized, bringing new that the training of
poles, lines, etc., much better catechists,
service and again generally lower
organizers and lay
prices.
people committed
in the service of the
Reporting from Cameroon a local
woman admits, Transportation
[here] used to be just by foot or, Gospel may be the
if able, on horseback, with few constant concern
taxis. Now it is done by public
transport and the number of taxis of those responsible
has continued to increase.
for the young Churches.
Benedict XVI
How do the ordinary people
benefit?
In This Issue
Claudette LaVerdiere, MM who
worked in one of the large slum
Technology and Its Effects 1
settlements in Nairobi acknowl-
edged, There are many improve- From the Director 2
ments but the majority of people
are ill equipped to benefit. In From the President 2
India Sr. Aisha, SCN sees that
what the poor need is mainly Job Opportunities 5
food and medical care and educa- CFC Thank You 5
tional opportunities to learn to-
days technology. It has to be Book Review 6
provided for them for they, the Ecumenical Advocacy Days 6
poor, have no access to technol-
ogy. One Cameroonian woman The Kenosis of the Mission- Center
reports, Only a few people can
benefit from all these innovations From Our History, Con- 14
gratulations and Slain Mis-
due to the poverty level in Cam-
eroon. What USCMA Members are 15
saying
For the World Social Forum 16
past 37
years Annual Conference Bro- 17
Bethle-
hem has Missionary DeathsZenit 18
b e e n Corrections 18
occu- Receive MISSION UP- 18
pied by Israel, explained Bro. DATE Electronically.
Neil Kieffe, FSC. In recent
years the widespread introduc- Resources & Upcoming 19
contd on p. 3 Orbis Books 19
Mission Update
From the Director
Rev. Michael Montoya, MJ
Lent is a privileged time of interior pilgrim-
age towards God (Pope Benedict xvi). It is a
pilgrimage that leads us to the joy of Easter.
It is a pilgrimage where God accompanies us
through the challenges faced - the lack of
material necessities for those who are without
the minimum essential for life, the moral
deficiencies of those who are mutilated by
selfishness [the] oppressive social struc-
tures, whether due to the abuses of ownership
or to the abuses of power, to the exploitation
of workers or to unjust transac-
tions (Populorum progressio, 21). It is a
journey towards increased esteem for the
dignity of others, the turning towards the
spirit of poverty, cooperation for the common
good, the will and desire for peace [our]
acknowledgement of supreme values, and of
God, their source and their finality (ibid.).
Given the contexts we live in, this message is
both a message of hope and a challenge. Seen
in this light, we missioners, are gifted with a
privileged time to journey with God and with
the people we encounter in the midst of the
abiding and new polarities that exists in our
time. We are challenged to address the issues
brought about by exclusion and dislocation,
fear and resignation, isolation and marginali-
zation. How does our spirituality of mission
as lived in our contexts give witness to the
values of the Kingdom of God? How do we
journey with people towards the hope and joy
of the Easter promise?
Our Periodic Paper The Kenosis of the Mis-
sionary is a good way to start thinking about
our spirituality of mission. And what a topic
to reflect on during this Lenten-Easter sea-
son! Seen from the perspectives of religious
missioners, this article has a lot to offer to all
missioners, religious and lay. [We]
missionaries will benefit from the frequent
meditation on the mystery of Christs kenosis
and its implications for missionary commit-
ment and religious life. The way of kenosis
is life-giving both for others and ourselves.
It will call for a greater intimacy and identifi-
cation with the Lord, which is the goal of all
discipleship.
Our lead article is a look at the dynamics
between mission and technology as lived by
the missioners themselves. I am sure that you
also can share a story or two based on your
own experience.
Page 2
By now, the mission-sending groups have
received the questionnaire for our survey of
US Catholic missioners working here and
abroad. Thank you for sending the forms back
to us. We do this survey every two years. It is
the official survey of all the US Catholic mis-
sioners working here and abroad.
The planning for our 2007 USCMA Annual
Mission Conference is in full swing. The Con-
ference is generating a lot of excitement. First,
because of the timeliness of the theme: Are
not our hearts burning? Spirituality of Mis-
sion in the 21st Century. A spirituality of mis-
sion is necessary as we respond to our mission
contexts. As Redemptoris missio puts it:
Missionary activity demands a specific spiri-
tuality, which applies in particular to all those
whom God has called to be missionaries (#
87).
It is not enough to claim that the Church is
missionary by its very nature (Ad gentes 2).
As missioners, our task is to make sure that the
Spirit is alive in our responses to the chal-
lenges of our mission contexts, as well as, be
moved by that same Spirit that is alive in the
people we encounter. Only in dialogue, col-
laboration, partnership and networking with
each other, can we arrive at a truly effective
and relevant response to the demands of mis-
sion in the 21st century.
We have two world-renowned speakers and
authors (Ron Rolheiser and Gerald Arbuckle)
together with 17 other speakers that will help
us, participants, to engage and reflect on our
own stories of mission so that we may envi-
sion a renewed way of responding to the chal-
lenges of the 21st century that is both relevant
and Spirit-filled. Please do join us on Octo-
ber 26-28, 2007 in Austin, Texas. We have
you in mind as we planned for this Confer-
ence. (See Conference ad in this issue)
As we had announced in our last issue of our
Mission Update, we are
contd on page 4
USCMA Staff
Rev. Michael Montoya, MJ, Executive Director
Ms. Charlotte Cook, Associate Director
Sr. Anne Louise Von Hoene, MMS, Accountant
Sr. Michael Theresa Brauer, SND de N, Administrative Assistant
Questions/Comments re: Meetings & Conferences
Questions/Comments re: Mission Update / Current Topics
E-Mail: uscma@uscatholicmission.org
Mission Update: ISSN 15426130
US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
From the President of the
Board:
Sr. Mary McGlone, CSJ
Dear Friends in USCMA,
Greetings in this holy season of
Easter! May you feel the creative and em-
powering presence of our Risen Lord as you
continue in your mission.
In March, the USCMA board gathered for
our semi-annual meeting in Washington
D.C. There we had the opportunity to see
our new offices and enjoyed the gracious
hospitality of the Franciscan Mission House
for our 2 days of work and conversation
about the Association. We were greatly
enriched by the enthusiastic contributions of
our two newest board members, Sister Flo-
tilda Lape, ICM and Sister Mayon Sylvain,
RSM. We were saddened to bid farewell to
Rev. Wil Steinbacher of Glenmary who has
served long and fruitful terms on the
board. We also gratefully welcomed Dr.
Andy Thompson to the Executive Commit-
tee.
While the USCMA staff continues to work
diligently to assure the future of the Asso-
ciation, we are aware that you, our mem-
bers, are an invaluable resource in this ef-
fort. While we are not asking you for a
million dollars (unless, of course, you have
it to spare for a good cause), we are asking
you to spread the word about us and help us
bring in new members.
We all know that personal contact and con-
versation is the most effective form of ad-
vertisement. You who have participated in
our conferences know well how enriching it
is to gather with other missioners, to be
nourished by some of our best mission theo-
logians and to share ideas and experi-
ences. All of that is precisely the theme and
goal of our upcoming
contd on page 5
meetings@uscatholicmission.org
news@uscatholicmission.org
Web Site: www.uscatholicmission.org
Mission Update
contd from page 1
tion of the Internet has given Palestinians the ability to communi-
cate with the outside world much more easily than before. How-
ever, even today, Israel denies Palestinians access to high speed
data lines which are available in Israel. This severely impedes
setting up good quality teleconferences with the outside world.
Writing from Papua, Rev. Virgil Petermeier spoke of the introduc-
tion of television and the telephone. In 2000 televisions were sup-
plied by the government for each and every village in our entire
governmental region (Kabupaten Meruake), including our entire
Diocese of Agats. The outward intent was to help these people
know the wider world. Although no surveys or polls have been
conducted, we may presume that the values of consumerism, shal-
low happiness, easy sex and seemingly "justified" violence filter
into this society all the more. People are baited by mass media to
chase after a style of life they can never obtain, while at the same
time abandoning the wealth of their own culture in the process.
Even here in the United States where we take this technological
change for granted, there is a similar divide between those whose
lives have been made easier and those who have not benefited from
it. Kitty Wilson, SCN who worked in Appalachia explained,
Technology preceded my coming and I sensed its destructive
growth patterns that polluted the air, fouled the water, and raped the
land. I stood on Cumberland Mountain and looked at the opposite
mountain stripped of its vegetation and laid bare [as a result of
mountaintop removal coal mining] In ministering with people, I
saw poverty, bulging welfare rolls, and an invasion of tourists,
VCRs, and videos There is practically no trade and telecommuni-
cations is nil. My cell phone rarely, if ever, worked. Some patients
have no phone and use relatives and neighbors phones. If people
have cars, they dont have money for gas; so traveling was/is very
difficult.
Teresa Madassery, SCN explained that the villages of Nepal are the
same now without any roads or transportation facilities, health fa-
cilities and communication facilities. People have become poorer
in the villages.
Access of information is readily available on the Internet. South
Africa is technologically advanced and IT companies are installing
computers and Internet in classrooms around the country, wrote
Joan Mumaw, IHM. Of course those without electricity are disad-
vantaged in this regard. This points to the fact that South Africa has
one of the greatest gaps between the rich and poor in the world. In
fact there are two worlds in South Africa, the majority who are poor
and the elites of all races, mostly white, who are rich.
Effect of Technology on Culture
The culture of this place [Nepal] changed due to the improvement
in media, trade, and telecommunication. As the facilities improved,
the village became more urbanized. There came to be electricity,
telephone, television, shopping centers, long distance buses, plane
services to other cities, schools, medical centers, hospitals. There is
much modernization noticeable in the area. Simple village folks are
going in for English medium schools to educate their children to
cope with the changing world. Due to these developments, [there
are] more family fights, more sickness, unhealthy competition, ex-
pensive living standard, need for comforts and the basic needs and
US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
values have changed.and values havbbbbbbbbbbbbbb nged.
Janet Hockman, MM who worked in the Marshall Islands said, Being
catapulted into an impossibly fast-paced material and financial realm is
witnessing to a kind of violence. Much of what dazzled the wide-eyed
and curious but inexperienced Marshallese deals confusion and cultural
death.
In Cameroon the TV has disrupted some family relationships. This is
because children now escape their homes in the evening to go to homes
that have a set, and they miss the chance to learn the culture and to be
educated on morals through story telling. TV has had a big impact on our
society. It has brought about a greater awareness of what is happening in
the world and exposes us to different thoughts, cultures and lifestyles.
Imported videos also influence people in their beliefs, even causing peo-
ple to question their religious values.
There is a lot of advanced technology to which an ordinary village per-
son [in Nepal] does not have access. So there is a lot of depression and
suicides. Parents have more demands from their children. There is a lot
of unhealthy competition and indifference towards the institutions. Eve-
ryone wants more and an easy way of life, education, power and
money. There are more people in the towns and goods and services have
increased in cost.
Joseph Callahan wrote that while I rejoice in the fact that we now
have a phone in the house (and of course fax and internet connection),
I remember the many years that we did not and I would go to the
phone company office, across the main plaza to make phone calls and
receive messages. This put me in informal and casual contact with
many people: the kids playing in the plaza, the women selling, people
waiting in line to make their calls. Now, while I have regular contact
through the Internet with people in other countries I rarely walk across
that plaza and stop and talk to the people like before.
However, on the positive side Callahan admits, that in the most re-
mote parts of the country, even where there is no electricity, mobile
phones abound. Those in the States can now easily call their relatives
here, something that is especially comforting in an area that has experi-
enced a hurricane and two devastating earthquakes in the last five
years.
We have been introduced to many different nationalities from around
the world and they are all giving their input on how to advance the Cam-
eroonian life. Because of globalization, we have been introduced to the
telephone, radio, cell-phone, television, and Internet, making our isola-
tion non-existent to the outside world. New relations have developed
because of easy communication by email, cell phones and easy means of
transportation.
Little did I realize how the effects of mass communication would en-
able me [Sr. Eileen McKenzie, FSPA, a former VMM] to not only keep
in contact, but to nurture relationships that I thought would eventually
end from erratic global communication. I could not foresee myself con-
necting with my Cameroonian friends on a regular basis as I do today.
Dennis Leder, SJ acknowledged that modern technology has increased
communication, but there is little proof that the technology has improved
contd on page 4
Page 3
Mission Update
contd from page 3
the quality of relationships. People in his community are generally
more informed about occurrences in the world outside Guatemala.
With more information at hand they experience intellectual curiosity
and growth and develop critical thinking. Although they acknowledge
the force that the North American culture exerts on their lives through
television and cinema, they are also able to analyze the enormous
pressure from the North in terms of their own reality, their own val-
ues, and their own needs. The participants in our conversation men-
tioned the following as a sign of hope: increased communication
opens the possibility for more unity on a local and international level.
With the growth of telecommunications, the [people in Nepal] are
more exposed to what is happening outside the country. There is also
greater possibility to communicate with their people outside and get
better education and jobs. The facility in moving today from place to
place, and the speed and multiplicity of cultural exchanges represent
an opportunity for people to open themselves to cultures which would
have been unknown. These days many women take an active part in
politics. Thus, they have a role in shaping the future of the country.
These cultural exchanges could create closer links between people and
thus increase the solidarity within the human community. The tradi-
tional culture is still intact in the villages.
There has been a devaluing of traditional Brazilian culture, music, and
dance, as well as a necessity to learn English to get a better job and
a tendency toward a global homogenization of the culture leading to
even more exclusion. At the same time, the availability of films and
the internet has expanded the world for many people enabling them to
make positive connections.
According to Joanne Blaney in Brazil, People communicated with
others in their group by means of walkie-talkies since there were no
telephones in the favela. Today many of us missioners have com-
puters in our homes. Internet communication with other grassroots
groups and NGOs has helped a number of groups in So Paulo to join
with other groups in a common struggle against similar injustices.
A recent study done in favelas in Brazil showed that violence in the
area often kept people from visiting friends after dark. However, the
internet and email have allowed the people to remain connected with
friends and relatives.
Effects on Jobs
While technological improvements have improved working condi-
tions they have also resulted in job loss around the world. Through
mechanization in the fisheries in India the total production in-
creased, according to Carol Huss, MMS. At the same time, how-
ever, catch per unit decreased considerably. The creation of two
classes of people traditional fisherman and boat owners has left
93% of fisher people living under the poverty line.
contd from page 2
now in our new location:
U.S. Catholic Mission Association
Hecker Center for Ministry, Suite 100
3025 Fourth Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
Tel: 1-202-832-3112 Fax: 1-202-832-3688
Page 4 US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
Deforestation [in India] due to industrialization and other encroach-
ments, construction of mega dams, pollution of water bodies from
industrial wastes, reclamation of lakes, ponds, estuaries etc. for
shrimp culture drastically reduced the fish availability and livelihood
of the fishing communities.
Agriculture has also been impacted by changes in technology. Sr.
Joel, SCN in India wrote of the farmers being forced to use geneti-
cally modified seeds that have had a negative impact on farming
families. Sr. Aisha, SCN, also working in India, said that the local
government provide fertilizers for farmers but that resulted in higher
prices for fertilizer that are not as effective as the organic fertilizer the
farmers had traditionally used. Governments in India are allocating
huge funds to develop telecom networks in order to compete with
other countries while funding for irrigation or roads to help small
farmers transport their products is nil. The poor and remote agricul-
tural areas are becoming poorer and poorer.
Technology has benefited the educated class [in Guatemala], however,
in San Jos it has meant the displacement of workers and the decreasing
of opportunities. A local economy with artisans, known and esteemed
by the community, is disappearing. Locally made textiles in many
countries are being put out of business since imported clothing is often
less expensive and more appealing as being modern.
A question posed by Dr. Nikhil Seth at the International Conference on
Caring Communities for the 21st Century held at the United Nations
February 9, 2007 challenges all of us wherever we live and work. Is
interconnectivity enhancing or endangering urban life? The technology
is becoming available in
more places but societal
connections are being
hurt. There is an increas-
ing amount of anonymity
in societies. What will
be the impact on the fu-
ture of the growing ten-
sion between virtual
worlds and real worlds?
Will social isolation in-
crease? Isolation
Technology itself is nei-
ther good nor bad. How it is used and where it is made available are
the key issues facing the world this century. Dr. Liston Bochette,
speaking at the same Conference, gave three rules for decision-making
of any kind: 1. Is it morally correct? 2. How does it benefit the com-
munity? 3. Whats in it for me? The rules need to be followed in this
order. His concern regarding new technologies is that the order of these
rules is being reversed to the detriment of societies. Sr. Eileen
McKenzie expresses a concern of many. The fast pace, the ever-
widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the abuse and oppres-
sion of people in developing countries is deeply disturbing to me.
Do pass by if you are in the area.
Meantime, may your Lenten journey lead you to the promise of hope
and joy of Easter!
Mission Update Spring 2007

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Jesuit Volunteers International seeks a mission-oriented leader for our program which places and supports full-time
lay volunteers who serve economically poor and marginalized persons in developing countries. Duties include: leadership of JVI, oversight of pro-
gram, fundraising, financial and personnel management, work with Board of Directors, and external relations. Experience required: a history of
increased management responsibility for at least five years, experience in program development and implementation, proven track record in fund-
raising, ability to travel internationally and domestically 8-10 weeks per year, able to relocate to Washington, D.C. area. A Masters of Divinity,
Theology, Education, Social Work or related field is desirable. The starting salary is usually in the mid-fifty thousand dollar range plus benefits. Job
Description available upon request. Apply by submitting cover letter, resume and four references (3 work-related and 1 personal).
Apply to: Executive Director Search, Jesuit Volunteers International, P.O. Box 3756, Washington, D.C. 20027 or jvied-
search@jesuitvolunteers.org. Application deadline: April 20, 2007. Preferred starting date: June 15, 2007.

BUDDIE (Building Understanding and Developing Dignity In
Everyone) established in Pattaya, Thailand in July 2006 to meet the
needs of the growing population of foreign men who come to live in
a city that is known throughout the world for its well-established
sex industry. Thai women migrate to Pattaya due to poverty, traf-
ficking, or other factors, in search of work, which often becomes
work in the sex trade. A growing demand from the men who come
here fuels the ever-present supply of women.
The objective of BUDDIE is to provide a place for men to ex-
perience growth and development, along with fellowship and sup-
portwhich in turn can provide a more peaceful existence that is
taken forth into their relationships and/or their life perspectives. It
is a fraternity for men that is open to all, regardless of age, sexual
orientation, religion, or lifestyle. The mission of BUDDIE is to build
understanding and develop dignity that is inherent in every human
being, men and women alike.
The meetings for BUDDIE take place within the context of the
Redemptorist Center of Thailand which is well known in Pattaya for
the Fr. Ray Foundations work with the physically disabled, the blind
and deaf, orphans, and homeless children. There is also a learning
center in Pattaya available for women in prostitution that was devel-
oped and is run by the Good Shepherd Sisters. BUDDIE was founded
by a Franciscan lay missioner, is solidly established, and well received
within the community.

contd from page 2: Mary McGlone

conference, captured by the theme Are not our hearts burning? sion. Please, help us widen our tent (Is. 54:2) so that we can enrich
Spirituality of Mission in the 21st Century. It is my hope that many one another and better carry on the mission of Jesus.
more of our brothers and sisters in short term mission will join us at
this next conference. The only way that can happen is if we invite
them. Therefore, I will make a plea that each of us invite at least God Bless you all,
one parish, university or volunteer group to join the Association and
participate with us in our Conference next October 26-28.
Mary M. McGlone, CSJ
Together, all of us are creating the future for the U.S. Church in mis-

U.S. Catholic Mission Association

participates in the

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).

Please remember us as you make your donations.
We also appreciate you telling your friends
about our participation.
Thank you!

US Catholic Mission Association Page 5

Mission Update
BOOK REVIEW
Philip Gibbs, ed., Alive in Christ: The Synod for Oceania and the
Church in Papua New Guinea 1998-2005. Goroka: Melanesian Insti-
tute, 2006 (No 30 of Melanesian Institute Point Series), 365pp; avail-
able from the Melanesian Institute; P O Box 571; Goroka 441 EHP;
Papua New Guinea; www.mi.org.
Alive in Christ is a rich resource for understanding the Catholic
Church in Papua New Guinea in its many dimensions. The book
draws together materials from the preparatory phase and the sessions
of the International Synod of Bishops for Oceania (that took place in
Rome from 22 November to 12 December 1998). More importantly,
it brings together materials that reflect on the state of Catholicism in
PNG in subsequent years.
The volumes editor, Philip Gibbs, a New Zealand Divine Word Mis-
sionary theologian and social anthropologist, has worked in Papua
New Guinea since being assigned there in 1978. He has gathered an
extraordinary array of facts and figures that show the empirical shape
of PNG Catholicism, but the articles on pastoral, socio-political, theo-
logical and missiological matters are what bring this book to life.
Synods held to reflect on the churchs situation in areas as diverse and
immense as The Americas and Africa have not been without their
critics. Many of those criticisms (in particular the suspicion that a
Vatican agenda high on theory and principles but low on willingness
to examine and respond to concrete needs and opportunities) can also
be made of the Synod for Oceania. Indeed, to read between the lines
of Part B of the book on the Synod in Rome it is hard to avoid
the impression that the international synod model is a faulty instru-
ment for furthering communication and problem-solving among the
local churches of the Pacific and between these churches and the Holy
See. Nevertheless, this volume also shows bishops, lay people, reli-
gious, and priests in deep communion with the world church who do
Ecumenical Advocacy Days
February 912, 2007
Over 1000 religious advocates gathered March 9-12, 2007 for the fifth
annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days. The theme, "and How are the
Children?" guided and inspired this gathering of people from a wide
range of Christian communions. Catholics outnumbered all other
denominations in attendance. Experts trained participants how to do
advocacy and informed them of U.S. domestic and international poli-
cies that impact all of God's children and are shaping the future of our
world. The gathering concluded with a visit to Capitol Hill where
participants asked their Congressional representatives to make the
needs of children the center of the 2007 legislative agenda.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Chris-
tian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in
biblical witness and shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity
of creation. Its goal, through worship, theological reflection and op-
portunities for learning and witness, is to strengthen the Christian
voice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic
Page 6 US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
not allow faulty instruments to deter their search for solutions to prob-
lems.
In particular Parts C and D offer a rich variety of reflections on the
church in PNG and the way in which faith is put into practice in areas
such as HIV/AIDs ministries, womens issues, spirituality, Christianity
and traditional beliefs. As in any collection of articles by various peo-
ple, quality varies from piece to piece, but when one has finished read-
ing everything, a single impression endures: the Roman Catholic
Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is a peoples
church, one in which the ordained, lay professionals, and ordinary
believers are one. The most vivid impression left on this reviewer, who
worked in Papua New Guinea from 1972 to 1977, is that several gen-
erations of missionary work by expatriates and local church from the
1880s through the 1970s planted a local church whose members today
feel is theirs. The next twenty-five years have been ones in which both
the riches and short-comings of institutional Roman Catholicism have
been felt. The challenge of Alive in Christ is for the church in PNG to
find the way between the Scylla of universally mandated structures,
some of which dont function well in the Melanesian context, and the
Charybdis of becoming a church so local as to lose bonds of commun-
ion with the world church. In particular, the question of identifying,
equipping, and supporting missional and pastoral leaders is acute.
It is rare that a multi-author book succeeds so well as Alive in Christ in
providing readers with up-to-date facts, objective portraits of a local
churchs pastoral and missionary context, and inspiring insights into
how the gospel is being put into practice. For this we owe a great deal
to the editor and animator of this project, Philip Gibbs.
Reviewed by
William R Burrows
Managing Editor, Orbis Books
and international policy issues. Conceived as a collaboration of U.S.
and world faith leaders, Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace
with Justice began in 2003 as a gathering in Washington, DC of some
400 religious advocates concerned about U.S. foreign policy in Africa
and the Middle East. The conference is now the largest national annual
event of its kind of U.S. and international progressive grassroots and
religious activists focused on global and domestic policies.
From its small beginnings Ecumenical Advocacy Days has grown to
include eight tracks that focus on issues affecting Africa, Asia, Latin
America, Middle East, USA, Eco-Justice, Global Security and Jubilee/
Economic Justice. Presentations explored such topics as: debt, trade
and alternatives to unjust systems; child soldiers; investment policy
impacts on AIDS in Africa; human rights abuses in the Philippines and
Burma; children affected by migration and conflict; the links between
debt, oil and climate change; and gang violence in Latin America.
 Periodic Paper #1

The Kenosis of the Missionar y

Some Thoughts on Religious Vows and Mission
By E. Luc MEES, MJ

The experience of weakness, of powerlessness and of the cross is inherent to mission. Depending
on time and circumstance it will present itself in varying degrees of intensity. Should not
kenosis unto the cross be characteristic of missionary praxis?1

Religious Life and Mission

As a radical option and an alternative way of
life pointing to the Kingdom, religious life has a
prophetic dimension.2 The religious are called to be
at the peripheries of human reality, to be counter-
cultural and creatively prospective.3 In this context,
the religious vows are to be understood and lived
primarily as a style of commitment in imitation of
Jesus and as signs of hope in an increasingly diffi-
cult and complex world.
What the world needs now, respects
now, demands now, understands
now is not poverty, chastity and obe-
dience. It is generous justice, reckless
love and limitless listening a reli-
gious life that vows to be what the
world needs most: a reckless lover, a
voice for the poor, a pursuer of truth.
For only such things as this, for this
kind of poverty, chastity and obedi-
ence only, does the present battered,
exploited and poverty-stricken world
wait and grieve and crave. 4
This approach to religious life and particu-
larly to the vows does not, of course, exhaust their
meaning, but may help us to value and live them
better in connection with the missionary charism.
Over the years of renewal there have
been many redefinitions of the vows,
and innumerable attempts to explain
what they are and what they are not.
A new approach to the vows is
needed, one that will go beyond re-
defining words. It is too soon to say
US Catholic Mission Association
what the new vows will be, but al-
ready there are some hints of areas
where they may emerge. The vows,
to be life-giving, must capture the
essence of what committed life is
and the mission it is working to-
ward. 5
If this is true, then religious missionary insti-
tutes should dare to have a closer look at how reli-
gious life and the evangelical counsels could inspire
their missionary commitment, and how missionary
reality should enrich their religious commitment.
While the religious are supposed to be the cutting
edge of the Churchs mission to the world, reli-
gious missionaries could render a particular service
to religious life. Being the first ones who are called
to keep the fire of missionary dynamism kindled in
the Church, they should from the challenges of
the field, and from their commitment at the frontiers
of faith and society remind consecrated people of
what is at stake in mission today.6
One of the points of contact between reli-
gious life and mission is prophecy. As was said be-
fore, prophecy is at the heart of religious life. Like-
wise, modern theology of mission underlines that
mission is at heart prophecy: it reminds people of
Gods saving will and faithfulness, calls them to con
-version, and summons them to a new way of being
and relating with God and neighbors. 7
Since both religious life and mission have to
be rooted in the prophetic vision and praxis of Je-
sus, let us have a closer look at the wellspring and
inspiration of what Jesus was, said and did.
Page 1
Periodic Paper #1
The Kenosis of Jesus
A key notion that helps us to read the Gos-
pels well and to understand the spirituality and
ministry of Jesus is kenosis, a word forged by theo-
logians from the Greek verb kenoun (to empty) in
Philippians 2.
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God as something to
be grasped, but he emptied himself taking the
form of a servant, appearing in human likeness.
(Phil. 2:6-7)
The adjective kenos refers to something that
is vain8, sterile9, without meaning or purpose10, or
hollow.11 The verb keno [kenoun] indicates the act of
emptying, making meaningless or hollow.12 The
form of the verb in v.7 ekensen is variously
translated emptied himself, made himself noth-
ing, or gave up all he had. 13
The meaning of the expression depends:
- First, on the interpretation given to the next
word in the text, morph(n) (form). Does the
form [of a slave] refer to Jesus nature, or
only to his appearance?
- Second, on the interpretation of the subject of
the sentence: who is he? Is the one who emp-
tied himself the eternal Logos or the historical
Christ? If he is the Logos, the text would mean
that he divested himself of his divine nature. The
consensus of scholars is that the text refers to
Christ. It does not speak of an abandonment of
the divine nature by the Logos, but only de-
scribes the stages of Jesus self-emptying during
his life.
According to E. Mathews the kenosis of Christ in-
cluded:
- the suspension of the exercise of his divine pre-
rogatives;
- the need to study and learn as other mortals;
- the refusal to rely on human strength to accom-
plish his mission;
- the willingness to risk failure in winning disci-
Page 2 US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
ples by self-effacing love;
- the necessity to maintain a relationship with
his Father through prayer and obedience.
The history of the Church and of theology
shows that it is easier to discuss the meaning of
kenosis than to practice it. However, the self-
emptying of Christ is meant to be a model for imi-
tation rather than a proposition for theological
debate The phrase to empty himself is a
metaphor that holds up a compelling example ...
From the manger to the cross the life of Jesus was
consistently a life of service14 and of surrender to
the will of the Father. His birth, life and death are
all evidence of self-emptying. The kenosis of Jesus
is not limited to a couple of New Testament texts.
It is a thread that runs throughout the fabric of
his life.15 Self-emptying, therefore, is the essence
of the incarnation and, in a way, indicates the true
nature of Jesus.
When Paul, or an ancient hymn
quoted by him, summarized the
mystery of Christ Jesus by the
Greek verb ekensen literally:
he emptied himself, he had in
mind the cross that showed this
attitude of Jesus brought to its
height: even to death, death on a
cross. But the cross only revealed
the ultimate reality of the mystery
of Christ and the kenosis of the cross
can be found at the heart of all that
Jesus was, did and said A reflec-
tion on kenosis and mission should
take into account this kenosis which
is constitutive of Jesus mission
and can be found in all forms of his
activity. 16
The Kenosis of the Missionary-Religious
Religious life, as a special way of disciple-
ship (sequela Christi) for the sake of the King-
dom (Mt 19:12) and mission as the continuation of
the prophetic mission of Jesus, are the two compo-
Periodic Paper #1
nents of the charism of missionary congregations.
The way we live this charism and our religious
vows should reflect as much as possible the com-
mitment of Jesus the missionary. At the same time
it should be nurtured by a spirituality that is mod-
elled on that of Jesus the faithful witness (Apoc
1:5).
Jesus sends out his disciples with the same
mission: As the Father has sent me, so do I send
you (Jn 20:21; 17:18). The Fathers sending of the
Son serves both as the model and reason for the
sending of the disciples.
What we need today is not so much the
hellenized high Christology of patristic times
that explain what Jesus is, but rather a Christology
that explains what Jesus said and did, the low
Christology of the gospels. To be witness is not
so much a question of accepting truths and pro-
claiming ones faith, but foremost a question of
following Jesus. The Kingdom became visible in
what Jesus said and did. The Kingdom is realized
when his disciples follow his life-style, words and
deeds. This is your calling: remember Christ who
suffered for you, leaving you an example so that
you may follow in his steps (1 Pe 2:21).
If Jesus is the model of the missionary, and
if kenosis is constitutive of Jesus life and mission,
our lives should follow, to the extent possible, this
kenosis. This has profound implications for the life,
ministry, spirituality and basic attitude of the mis-
sionary. It will transform the aims, the priorities, the
structures, and the methods for doing mission.
In the past, missionaries have generally
attached little importance to their role as servants.
They did not adopt the form of slaves or ser-
vants, but rather that of masters and patrons.
Missionaries often went as supervisors, not as
partners.
If the idea of kenosis would have guided
missionary activity throughout history, we would
not be facing today the consequences and difficul-
ties of an exclusively western and often unattrac-
tive type of Christianity that has been exported
US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
and imposed all over the world, in connivance with
imperial conquests and colonial interests.
A Triple Kenosis
When we look at Jesus life and ministry, we
can distinguish three moments or dimensions of his
kenosis: the kenosis of incarnation (identification and
solidarity with human reality), the kenosis of the
road (being on the move, reaching out to all people,
especially the most abandoned), and the kenosis of
the cross (faithfulness in assuming the ultimate con-
sequences of his mission). In the life of Jesus disci-
ples these three dimensions are not to be considered
chronologically but simultaneously, aspects of one
and the same lifelong process. As such, they may
also help us in our understanding of the religious
vows.
The Kenosis of Incarnation the call to love
It is the kenosis of entering human reality
deeply, of going to the very depths of human exis-
tence, of becoming and being totally and truly hu-
man (Phil 2:6-7; Lk 2:1-20; Jn 1:14a) through partici-
pation in what is weak, oppressed and poor. This
kenosis brings us closer to people, and especially to
sharing the life of those for whom Jesus opted (Lk
4:18; Mt 5:3-12). It calls us to solidarity and
insertion into the reality of people in need of light
and liberation.
Incarnation means that we should become
flesh at the underside of history, and opt for the
places where people are suffering or hurt in their
dignity. For missionaries it also implies a respectful
entering into the riches of other cultures and into
the mysterious depth of different God-experiences.
This is further expressed in an ongoing readiness
and capacity to listen to peoples voices, questions,
answers and mysteries. This will demand of the
missionary a willingness to give up preconceived
ideas, privileges, pretensions and hidden agendas.
For a religious missionary this kenosis requires the
sacrifice of certain forms of human love and of
building a family, so as to have greater freedom for
the specific demands of mission. But the call to mis-
Page 3
Periodic Paper #4
sionary incarnation is above all the call to encom-
passing life-giving love of others without necessar-
ily being loved in return (cf. Jn 13:34; 15:12-13).
Could not the kenosis of incarnation be the
missionary way to understand and live the vow of
chastity?
The Kenosis of the Road the call to justice
and solidarity
It is the kenosis of mobility, availability and
provisionality, the kenosis of walking with people, of
setting out with people, and of a common search for
truth, light and hope. This kenosis will lead us to
solidarity with peoples movements and struggles,
and with people who are lost or on the run. It will
enable us to reach out to all, especially to those to
whom the Lord urges us to proclaim the Good
News of the Kingdom. It is the kenosis of missionary
restlessness and daring, the kenosis of the ongoing
search of the lost sheep and of the unconditional
option for the poor. It is the kenosis of going very
far, to the outer boundaries of faith and hope. This
necessarily demands a simple life style and the sac-
rifice of all impediments to this commitment. Like
Jesus, a missionary has to give up all ambitions,
plans and securities, and rid him/herself of any feel-
ing of superiority. This is the kenosis of not-having,
of renouncing extra luggage, powerful means and
even ones family (cf. Mt 10:9-10; 19:27.29), and of
refusing to settle down, to look back or to compro-
mise (cf. Lk 9:23-25. 59-62; 14:26-27). It is the kenosis
of non-installation (cf. Mt 8:20), be it in works, occu-
pations, commodities or ideas.
Since we do not know where the Lord will
lead us or how long the road is, this kenosis requires
trust, patience and the acceptance of weakness and
vulnerability. It is also the kenosis of our willingness
to share what we have and what we are (time, tal-
ents, skills, energy), and of our constant readiness to
move, to respond to greater pressure, to more diffi-
cult or challenging calls. In other words, to follow
the Lord to Galilee (cf. Mt 28:7.10.16), to the periph-
ery. Only through this self-emptying will missionar-
ies acquire the inner freedom and the prophetic
Page 4 US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
frankness they need for their task, especially in
demanding situations (cf. Mt 10:17-20; Lk 21:12-
19).
Could not the kenosis of the road be the mis-
sionary way to understand and live the vow of
poverty?
The Kenosis of the Cross the call to risky
choices
It is the kenosis of faithfulness to God and
to people till the end, the kenosis of radicalism in
going all the way like Jesus did (Phil 2:8; Mt 16:24;
Mk 8:34), refusing to escape threats, conflicts or
difficulties. It is the kenosis of going too far, the
kenosis of solidarity with the crucified people of
today, shown in our commitment to help carry the
crosses of the wretched of the earth, and in our
protest against the crucifixion and massacres of
the innocent. It is also the kenosis of giving up our
freedom in order to set others free.
For missionaries, the kenosis of the cross is
very often the kenosis of not seeing the fruits of
their efforts (cf. the missionary parable of the
Sower), the kenosis of having to endure the hard-
ships of mission, even persecution. For some it
may be the kenosis of failure, loneliness, bitterness,
or doubt. For many others, like for Jesus, the ken-
osis of the cross implies the experience of fear (Mt
26:37-38 // Mk 14:33-34; Jn 12:27), solitude and
abandonment (Mk 15:34). Jesus showed us how to
assume it all in total obedience to the will of the
Father (Mt 26:39 // Mk 14:36 // Lk 22:42). His final
commitment culminated in a kenosis of total sur-
render in naked poverty as a sign of his love with-
out limits (Lk 23:46).
The kenosis of the cross is that of the sacri-
fice of our life: we are called to give up our life so
that others may live. Yet we know that the cross,
suffering and death are not Gods last words: ken-
osis is the way to the resurrection, to the fullness of
life (Phil 2:9).
Periodic Paper #1
Could not the kenosis of the cross be the mis-
sionary way to understand and live the vow of
obedience?
Missionary Praxis in the Manner of Jesus
Mission has its origin and foundation in
the Missio Dei, in the salvific presence and action
of God in history. Mission originates from Gods
boundless love for Gods creation and for the hu-
man beings created in Gods image. The goal of
the Missio Dei is the Kingdom of God. Kenosis is
the means by which one becomes part of the mis-
sion of God. The kingdom that Jesus announced
and inaugurated is one that is founded on and
maintained by a self-emptying love for all. No one
is compelled to be part of it, but all are invited.
Unlike in human societies, the first to be part of it
are the poor, the victims, the marginalized, the
vulnerable and the abandoned.
If kenosis is constitutive of Jesus mission, it
follows that missionary praxis always has to be
carried out in the incarnational way of kenosis. In
spite of difficulties and distortions in diverse his-
torical circumstances, there has been a deep-
rooted conviction throughout the history of Chris-
tianity that following the way of Jesus is an inte-
gral aspect of mission, proof of its authenticity,
and the test of missionary faithfulness. Hence, an
understanding of the self-emptying of Christ can
lead to a fuller comprehension of his ministry and,
consequently, of our own missionary commit-
ments.
The criterion of the life, ministry,
and death of Jesus Christ permits
us to identify him today. This crite-
rion leads us not only to discover
who he is (the Lord and Savior of
the oppressed), but where he is to
be found today (among the poor,
the powerless, and the oppressed),
and what he is doing (healing their
wounds, breaking their chains of
oppression, demanding justice and
peace, giving life, and imparting
US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
hope).21
In the words of Anthony Gittins: Jesus
journeyed along the borders between countries
and people, letting himself be sidetracked and put
upon (Lk 17:11ff) He engaged and encountered a
variety of people, sinners and outcasts, and he en-
trusted himself to people whom he did not inten-
tionally seek (Mk 7:24ff; Jn 12:1ff). The many exam-
ples reflect a whole attitude and a whole way of be-
ing: Jesus entire life was directed toward engage-
ment with people and with negotiating and tran-
scending their boundaries but also, gradually, his
own. 22
And so it must be with each one of
us. But we have to be committed to
the call to mission, to the lure and the
demands of the boundaries or mar-
gins. Unless we seek the margins
and the people who live there, a di-
mension of our Christian lives will
remain unexplored and a whole vista
of mission will remain unseen, out of
sight.23
Since mission is the heart and nature of the
Church, it is true what Lucien Richard wrote: we
need a kenotic, self-emptying church, a counter-
cultural and counter-societal church, an apophatic
church (emphasizing the via negativa), not in the
contemplative sense, but in the sense of a church
which always offers an alternative vision; a church
always with the Lord on the way to Jerusalem.24
A biblical image that powerfully renders this
idea is Heb 13:12-13: Jesus suffered outside the gate in
order to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then
go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he en-
dured.
To go outside the camp means that we
have to go and encounter Christ where he is to be
found: outside the visible civil and religious com-
pound, outside the security and comfort of the re-
deemed community,25 where he gave his life for our
salvation. We have to look for him and find him
among the crucified people of today, among the
Page 5
Periodic Paper #1
destitute, the persecuted, the rejected and those
who suffer. If the disciples want to encounter Jesus
and follow him, they have to go and see where he
lives, outside the gate, in the wilderness, at the
peripheries of society, amidst the outsiders and
outcasts of the world. And once we have found the
master there, we are summoned to commit our-
selves to those with whom he suffered and for
whom he gave his life: the excluded, the poor, the
desperate, the voiceless.26
This is the only way to transform mission
and to discover the true meaning of Missio Dei in a
time of crisis:
For this indicates an action, which
does not point indiscriminately to
all kinds of happenings in the
world, but only to one incompre-
hensible event, namely that God, the
creator of all things, submerged
himself in his own world as a
stranger, as a displaced person, an
outcast, in solidarity with other out-
casts and strangers, who in this
world pursues a very special, hid-
den road in order to liberate it.27
This means that God is hidden in history
and especially in Jesus Christ. And Jesus and the
Spirit are hidden (present, active) in the Church,
hence, in all disciples. The mission of the disciples,
the mission of the Church, is to continue this mission
of God by prolonging the logic of Jesus mission in a
creative, courageous and credible way.28
Conclusion
Kenosis is not a strategy or a method, but an
essential dimension of the mystery of Christ and
his mission.
In Jesus ministry it anticipated, and
in the mission of his disciples it con-
tinues the mystery of a crucified Mes-
siah, a scandal to the Jews and a fool-
ishness to the nations, but to those
who have been called, a Christ who
is both the power of God and wisdom
Page 6 US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
of God. For Gods folly is wiser than
human wisdom, and Gods weakness
is stronger than human strength (1
Cor 1:23-25). Kenosis is this foolish-
ness and this weakness of God who
draws all people to himself (Jn 12:32)
by the power of a Love without lim-
its.29
Religious missionaries will benefit from the
frequent meditation on the mystery of Christs ken-
osis and its implications for missionary commit-
ment and religious life. Following the way of ken-
osis is surely no easy task, but one that will be life-
giving both for others and ourselves. It will call for
a greater intimacy and identification with the Lord,
which is the goal of all discipleship. A disciple is not
above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is
enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the
slave like the master (Mt 10:24-25).
Fr. E.Luc Mees, a Belgian, studied biblical theology at
the Facults Catholiques de Lyon (France) and missiology at
the Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen (The Netherlands). He
served for 22 years in Guatemala as a missionary among the
Qeqchi-Maya Indians, CICM Provincial Superior, and pro-
fessor of phenomenology of religion at the Universidad Rafael
Landivar (SJ) and the ICCRE (La Salle) in Guatemala City.
From 1993 to 1999 he was Vicar General of the CICM Mis-
sionaries in Rome. In 2002 he became a member of the newly
founded Missionaries of Jesus (MJ) in the Philippines. After
teaching missiology and comparative religion at Maryhill
School of Theology, he now lectures at the Institute of Forma-
tion and Religious Studies and at the East Asian Pastoral
Institute in Quezon City, Philippines.
_________________________________
1
See the introduction to Spiritus # 142, March 1996, p.
2 [my translation].
2
Cf. D. OMurchu, Religious Life: A Prophetic Vision.
(Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 1991).
3
M. Amaladoss, Religious and Mission, SEDOS
Bulletin 25 (1993) 8: 213.
4
J. Chittister, The Fire in These Ashes: A Spirituality
of Contemporary Religious Life (Kansas City:
Sheed & Ward, 1995), pp. 102-103.
5
Catherine M. Harmer, Religious Life in the 21st Cen-
tury: A Contemporary Journey into Canaan
Periodic Paper #1
(Mystic: Twenty-Third Publications, 1995), p. 82
[emphasis added].
6
Cf. M. Azevedo, The Consecrated Life: Crossroads
and Directions (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1995), p. 23.
7
Cf. M. Amaladoss, The Challenges of Mission To-
day, in Jenkinson, W. and H. OSullivan, eds.,
Trends in Mission: Toward the Third Millennium
(Maryknoll: Orbis, 1991), pp. 359-397, esp. 390-
396; Mission as Prophecy, in Scherer, J.A. and
S.B. Bevans, eds., New Directions in Mission and
Evangelization-2: Theological Foundations
(Maryknoll: Orbis, 1994), pp. 64-72.
8
Acts 4:25; 1 Cor 15:58; 2 Cor 6:1; Gal 2:2; Phil
2:16; 1 Thes 2:1; 3:5; Jm 4:5.
9
1 Cor 15:10.
10
1 Cor 15:14; Eph 5:6; Col 2:8.
11
1 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 2:16; Jm 2:20.
12
Rom 4:14; 1 Cor 1:17; 9:15; 2 Cor 9:3.
13
E. Mathews, Christ and Kenosis: A Model for Mis-
sion, Journal for Applied Missiology 2 (1991) 1: 2
(Article made available at http://bible.acu.edu/
missions/page.asp?ID=415. Accessed October 3,
2005).
14E. Mathews, Christ and Kenosis, p. 2.
15
Ibid., p. 3.
16
L. Legrand, Rencontres knotiques de Jsus, Spiri-
tus, n 142, March 1996, pp. 40-41 [my translation;
emphasis added].
17
Cf. also the reflections on the vows and kenosis by
A.Paoli, Buscando Libertad: Castidad Obediencia
Pobreza (Santander: Sal Terrae, 1982), pp. 52-56,
74-78, 83-86.
18
Cf. D.J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm
Shifts in Theology of Mission, (Maryknoll: Orbis,
Periodic Papers are published by USCMA
USCMA
Hecker Center, Suite 100
3025 Fourth Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017-1102
Phone: 202-832-3112
E-Mail: uscma@uscatholicmission.org
US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
1991), pp. 389-393; A.J. Kirk, What is Mission?
Theological Explorations (London: Darton, Long-
man and Todd, 1999), pp. 25-30.
19
Cf. A.J. Kirk, What is Mission? pp. 39 and 69.
20
E. Mathews, Christ and Kenosis, p. 4.
21
O.E. Costas, Christ Outside the Gate: Mission Be-
yond Christendom (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1982), pp. 15-
16.
22
A.J. Gittins, Bread for the Journey: the Mission of
Transformation and the Transformation of Mission
(Maryknoll: Orbis, 1993), pp. 150-151.
23
Ibid., p. 151 [emphasis added].
24
L. Richard, Christ: The Self-Emptying God. (New
York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1997), p. 194.
25
O.E. Costas, Christ Outside the Gate, p. 190.
26
Cf. A.J. Gittins, Bread for the Journey, pp. 158-161;
cf also A.J. Gittins, A Presence that Disturbs: A
Call to Radical Discipleship (Liguori: Liguori/
Triumph, 2002), pp. 107-118; A.J. Gittins, Ministry
at the Margins: Strategy and Spirituality for Mission
(Maryknoll: Orbis, 2002).
27
H.H. Rosin, Missio Dei: An Examination of the Ori-
gin, Context and Function of the Term in Protestant
Missiological Discussion (Leiden: 1972), p. 34
quoted by J.A.B. Jongeneel and J.M. van Engelen,
Contemporary Currents in Missiology, in F.J.
Verstraelen et allii, eds., Missiology: An Ecumenical
Introduction (Grand Rapids: Wm.B. Eerdmans,
1995), pp. 447-448.
28
Cf. D.J. Bosch, Transforming Mission, p. 34.
29
L. Legrand, Rencontres knotiques de Jsus, p.
49 [my translation].
Fax: 202-832-3688
Web site: www.uscatholicmission.org
Page 7
Mission Update
From Our History
The year was 1981. Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Zim-
babwe was celebrating one year of independence. The Catholic Mi-
gration Commission of Japan reported that 150 Japanese missionaries
were working in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
Disappearances continued to occur in South America, especially in
Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Violence and bloodshed continued
in Guatemala. The Sandanista Popular Revolution had entered its
second year. President Reagan and Soviet President Breshnev were
petitioned to halt all research, development, testing, manufacture and
deployment of nuclear weapons by the International Petition for
Peace. The United Nations had designated it as the International Year
of Disabled Persons. The Statistical Yearbook of the Church noted
that the number of Catholics worldwide had increased by 14, 214,000
over the previous year.
The US Catholic Mission Association came into being from the for-
mer US Catholic Mission Council. Sr. Mary Ann Dillon, RSM was
the President with Rev. Simon E. Smith, SJ as Vice-President while
Rev. Anthony Bellagamba, IMC continued as Executive Secretary.
The first issue of the Newsletter in the new Association, known then
as Mission Intercom, was published in August/September.
The newsletter of USCMA became the Mission Update with the
March/April, 1994 issue. That issue included news about the beatifi-
cation of Fr. Damien of Molokai who worked and died among leprosy
patients in Hawaii, the awarding of the Mickey Leland Award to Judy
Mayotte for her tireless work on behalf of refugees; the revival of
solidarity work for Nicaragua; a report on the upcoming Synod of
African bishops as well as an interview with Rev. Eugene Hillman,
C.S.Sp. on his newest book, Toward and African Christianity: Incul-
turation Applied. The Periodic Paper for that issue was New Frontiers
in Mission by Rev. Donal Dorr, an Irish Missionary priest working as
a researcher for the Irish Missionary Union. In this paper, excerpted
from a talk he gave in October, 1993 at the Think-in of the IMU
Executives, Fr. Dorr suggests that geography and culture are not the
only criteria for determining the nature of mission to the nations.
Donal Dorr is the author of numerous books including Option for the
Poor: A Hundred Years of Vatican Social Teaching; Integral Spiritu-
ality: Resources for Community, Justice, Peace, and the Earth; Spiri-
tuality of Leadership, Spirituality and Justice; The Social Justice
Agenda: Justice, Ecology, Power, and the Church; and Time For A
Change: A Fresh Look At Spirituality, Sexuality, Globalization, and
the Church.
Congratulations
Consolata Missionary Sister Eugenia Bonetti has been presented a
"Woman of Courage" award for her efforts to combat human traffick-
ing. The award acknowledges women who advocate for women's
rights and advancement. It was inaugurated by the U.S. State Depart-
ment in conjunction with International Women's Day 2007.
A letter from Paula Dobriansky, U.S. undersecretary for democracy
and global affairs, to Sister Bonetti said: "We honor you for your ex-
ceptional courage and leadership. Your achievements have helped to
create transformative change within your country and have set a posi-
tive example for emerging women leaders worldwide."
US Catholic Mission Association congratulates Sr. Eugenia and all
women and men working to end human trafficking.
Page 14 US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
From Rev. John Fischer
President of the Board 1986-1990
Thank you for requesting my thoughts on the
U.S. Catholic Mission Association as a Past
President. As I look back, I consider it an
honor and a privilege to have served on the
board of USCMA. My wonderful experience
as President was greatly affected by the high quality of leadership at
the USCMA during my years of participation. I was fortunate to have
worked with some very outstanding people. I particularly remember
fondly the meetings at Lancaster.
As a former missionary, I understand how very important the work of
USCMA is, particularly for our missionaries when they return home.
I congratulate the USC MA on 25 years or outstanding work and pray
for its continued success.
Rosanne Rustemeyer, SSND
Executive Director 1996-2005
USCMA networks with mission-minded
peoples and agencies serving to develop
contemporary mission thought related to
Church. The networking is critical!
USCMA must continue its work as an inde-
pendent agency engaging and gently challenging the institutional
Church as well as the People of God to living the mission.
Missionary of Africa Slain
US Catholic Mission Association extends heartfelt sympathy to the
Missionaries of Africa on the death of one of their members.
Father Martin Addai, 46, was shot and killed in Nairobi March 10,
2007. Fr. Addai was the rector of their theological center in Nairobi.
According to a communiqu sent to Fides by Father Gerard Chabanon,
superior-general of the Missionaries, Father Addai "was on his way to
visit some friends when, near the seminary, some bandits stopped him
and shot him It seems he died immediately. His body was thrown
by the roadside and his assailants fled with the car."
The Missionaries of Africa web site also said: "Nothing had disap-
peared from the car: his mobile phone, passport, money, documents --
everything was there!
A native of Kumasi, Ghana, Martin Addai entered the novitiate in
Zambia in 1984. He made his vows as a Missionary of Africa in Lon-
don five years later.
He was ordained a priest in 1990, and worked in Mozambique. After
time in Rome and Canada, he returned to Africa. In 2004 he was
elected a member of the general chapter and made rector of the theol-
ogy center.
Mission Update
WHAT USCMA MEMBERS ARE SAYING
We continue with some more sampling of what the participants of our 2006 Annual Mission Conference
tell us about what/who is USCMA for them.
USCMA is necessary for best celebration for all of us missionaries &
hopefully all Christians.
If no dialogue, why exist? We learn so much from one another. Ill
name again Gods abundant blessings. Many prayers for all your/our
needs!
Sr F. Kersjes
For me USCMA is an organization to alert each of us and the entire
Church of the services we are to render as servants of the Church. It is
ever timely, never ending.
Sr. Felissa Zander
Keeps me updated on new trends in mission and gives me the opportu-
nity to know other missionaries from a variety of societies and experi-
ences. Important? Absolutely! I wish we would focus more on
Church without Borders helping our Catholic people to broaden
their vision of Church and to help in their application of being a mis-
sionary church.
Angelo Biancalana, MCCJ
I am not a full-time missioner, I am not clergy, and I am not associ-
ated with any educational system. I am only a lay person with a full-
time job in the corporate world. USCMA is a resource for me to learn
and to share the common passion/call for all things mission. . It is
important, for me, that USCMA convey the current themes in mission
work, history, and how to get better for lay people (best practices,
sharing, etc.) and networking capabilities.
Seth Morgan
The USCMA needs to be a forum, a point of connection and communi-
cation, a resource center for all those committed to Mission and a
challenge and provocation for those who are not. The USCMA
can help to remind the Church in the USA of its authentic mission and
identity.
John Converset
USCMA helps me to see the wider vision of mission, its meaning in
our present day, its needs, lately. It has been a source of joy and en-
couragement to see so many laity involved, laity who are well quali-
fied, filled with dedication and faith.
Sr. Margaret Rogers
USCMA a way of being in contact with other US missionaries and
benefiting from their experience, as well as, sharing mine at the
congregational level and as individual. we are not maximizing our
potential to influence the US Church. We need to work on this by ex-
panding our reach to Dioceses and Parishes.
Sr. Beverly Lacayo
Keep short-term mission and colleges connected to USCMA. Parishes
are twinning more and more and are becoming a key vehicle and
US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
USCMA and mission orders need to top that! USCMA needs to con-
tinue to build these connections!
I also come because I need a progressive support in mission. I would
like to see more connection with the American Society of Missiology
and Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS).
Mike Gable
For me, USCMA is an opportunity to share, to keep updated on the
ever-forward movements in Mission, and any new emphasis being
given to Global Mission as new growth develops.
The importance of USCMA is: the enrichment given by so many won-
derful, dedicated missioners on world-wide levels the sharing of
experiences which have changed and transformed the life of the US
Church the blending of the many, mixed cultures and experiences of
their beauty being accepted in liturgical celebration with ethnic
groups.
Sr. Rose Zander
USCMA is a vivid school for missionaries a bridge to connect the
local churches with the universal Church and universal missions as
well. [USCMA opens up] new vision a new horizon for all of the
missionaries of the church in the future.
Martha Vu
For me personally and for my Ministry as Mission Educator in the
Archdiocese, USCMA is a compass keeping me to true north in
continuing the Mission of Jesus
Regarding Mission dialogue for the Church, USCMA is both catalyst
(initiating) and coordinator (drawing missioners and ideas together).
We come from various dioceses, congregations, vocations, etc., and
meet in the efforts of USCMA - many voices one goal!
Sr. Judy Gomila
It is an association which provides me with information, opportunities
and experiences, like the Annual Assembly, to learn and to participate
in the mission of the Church.
I appreciate the program for this year and the effort to involve more
missionaries and provide new opportunities to improve the dialogue,
and to be the voice for the Missionaries in the United States.
Sr. Maria de la Luz Aguilera, CMS
USCMA a forum to reflect on Mission, its realities, its implications
and its challenges today and discovering the hope and energy for
tomorrow.
It is important that USCMA continue its mission dialogue with the US
Church. How easy it is for us to forget about the mission of the
church, for us to get only involved with ourselves rather than others.
USCMA needs to remind the US Church of their important work in the
mission of Jesus.
Clyde Phillips, MM
Page 15
Mission Update
World Social Forum
By Susan Starrs Thompson
Nearly 80,000 people from around the world attended the 7th
annual World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi, Kenya from
January 19-26, 2007. I was privileged to be part of a small dele-
gation from the 50 Years Is Enough Network for Global Eco-
nomic Justice, as well as a larger delegation of Jubilee USA
leaders and supporters from across the U.S. In my role as a
board member of 50 Years I was able to participate in the or-
ganization and implementation of several workshops. In addi-
tion to the World Social Forum in Nairobi, the Jubilee USA
delegation visited Zambia for a week to learn firsthand the im-
pacts of debt relief as the country recently received cancellation
of a substantial part of its international debt.
The opening Ecumenical service of the World Social Forum in
Nairobi featured Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Wangari
Maathai - 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Kenya.
Archbishop Tutu challenged us by saying, You, the churches
who work to support Gods children, go out of here to work for a
new and just economic order. We do not want the burden of
impossible debt. Cancel the debt.
Wangari Maathai said, How could the most powerful bank loan
money to governments that could not pay without sacrificing
lives of people? How can you punish these poor people? These
debts are illegitimate - the poor are being sacrificed by their
governments to pay the debts. We cannot tolerate these debts
because they are literally killing our people. She challenged the
churches to use their moral authority - we have the numbers
and the voices, but we dont raise that voice! We cannot be
silent while people suffer - we are the agents of the Lord!
One highlight of the WSF for me was the Jubilee demonstration
held with Jubilee South, Jubilee Philippines, Jubilee USA and
Jubilee Kenya. We marched and chanted and waved flags as
around the WSF site. The demonstration attracted a lot of atten-
tion and from a group of about 50 we morphed into a group of
more than 200 as people joined us along the route.
From the hustle and bustle of Nairobi and the WSF we headed
to Zambia. On our first day in Zambia we rode three bumpy
hours south of Lusaka to visit a rural hospital in Saivonga to
witness the impacts of debt relief firsthand. We learned that
since user fees were dropped the hospital saw many more pa-
tients - a positive impact of debt cancellation. Back in Lusaka
the next day we visited an AIDS Clinic and hospice in the Kalin-
galinga slum - this hospice was an oasis of calm and beauty in
the midst of unbelievable squalor, a refuge where AIDS patients
could come as outpatients to the clinic or at the end of their
journey to end their days in a beautiful setting of grass, trees,
flowers in well organized and clean houses .
On Sunday, our free day, some of us walked two blocks to at-
tend the small Catholic church where there was a traditional
Mass in the local dialect. While I did not understand the words,
as a singer I greatly enjoyed the music - beautiful voices in twice
Page 16 US Catholic Mission Association
Spring 2007
as many parts as my own choir with traditional instruments and
drums as accompaniment.
Monday found us meeting with the Assistant to the Minister of
Finance and a trip to the Catholic Centre for Justice and Peace
where we learned about the difference between the basic needs
basket and what civil servants in Zambia actually receive. The
IMF mandates that no more than 8% of GDP be spent on civil
service salaries. This means that civil servants are unable to
meet basic needs from their salaries which explains why so
many civil servants - doctors, nurses and teachers are leaving
Zambia and working in huge numbers in Great Britain and Aus-
tralia. On Monday we also met with an exciting group called
Women for Change. This is a Zambian grassroots organization
seeking alternatives to current models, empowering women by
working with traditional village leaders to bring women into
leadership positions.
Tuesday morning bright and early we headed out to the
Bwafanwo Community School, located in a huge slum of Lu-
saka. Inside the school compound was a small medical clinic.
Parents and volunteers from the community contribute to the
upkeep of the school by making and selling art objects such as
jewelry and wall hangings. That same day we met with Zam-
bias resident representative from the IMF, Birgir Arneson. As
expected he defended the policies of the IMF in Zambia and
insisted that the countrys policies, including a VAT tax on mos-
quito netting and food (17.5%) were just that, the countrys poli-
cies. He admitted that the proposed VAT tax was a rather insen-
sitive suggestion (by the IMF) but maintained the IMF position
that there needed to be a broader tax base established in the
country.
An interesting but short meeting was held with some Members
of Parliament. Since the MPs dont have offices of their own we
were invited to their Parliament Hotel and met with five mem-
bers in the lobby. Within an hour of our arrival security asked
us to leave. But in the time we met some of the members told us
that they want to be able to scrutinize any new loans taken on by
the country, saying We do not want to make the same mistakes
again.
We finished up our delegation with a de-briefing at the Jesuit
Centre for Theological Reflection with staff and director, Peter
Henriot, SJ and members of Jubilee Zambia whose offices are
housed at the Jesuit Centre.
What a terrific opportunity it was to be a part of the World So-
cial Forum, the delegations, and particularly to have an up close
look at life and challenges facing the communities and people of
Africa.
Susan works with the Medical Mission Sisters Alliance for Justice. This
article is adapted from a publication she wrote for the Sisters.
Mission Update Spring 2007

Are not our hearts burning? invites us to look at our own mission
journeys in the midst of the challenges of the 21st century. It asks us
to identify that which enkindles the fire of passion for Gods mis-
sion a holy longing a yearning of the heart.

Are not our hearts burning? calls us to take off our shoes as we
enter this sacred space and time to encounter the fire that burns
but never consumes alive in the stories of mission that we hold
deeply in our hearts. Like Moses in the encounter, and the disci-
ples of Emmaus, we hope to renew and deepen our passion for
Gods mission as we engage in a highly fluid and polarized world.

Keynote Speakers:
GERALD ARBUCKLE, SM
RON ROLHEISER, OMI

Panel Speakers:

ADRIENNE CURRY
SHALINI DSOUZA, SCN
KATIE EBERHARD
JUDY DONOVAN, CSJ

Dialogue Sessions:

MISSION IN CIVIL SOCIETY

JUDY DONOVAN, CSJ & CHRISTINE STEPHENS, CDP

YOUNG CATHOLICS IN MISSION

MEGEEN WHITE-TESTA & KATIE EBERHARD

REGISTRATION FEE: (Includes meeting materials, refresh- FAMILIES IN MISSION

ments, and meals) SAM & CECILIA ESPINOZA-STANTON
USCMA member $295 ($310 after September 31)
PARISHES AND DIOCESES IN MISSION
non USCMA member $310 ($335 after September 31)
JUDY GOMILA, MSC & REV. JAMES JEANFREAU
non USCMA member plus
one year USCMA membership $350 ($375 after September 31) VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION
PLEASE CONTACT HOTEL DIRECTLY for Hotel ac- JIM LINDSAY & LUIS SERNA
commodation
MISSION AND RELIGIOUS LIFE
1-512 -448-2444 or 1-800-996-3426 TOM JOHNSON, FSC & SHALINI DSOUZA, SCN
Or online at www.wyndhamaustin.com

Mention USCMA Conference to get special rates!!! IMMIGRANTS IN MISSION

CECILE MOTUS & LINH HOANG, OFM

For more information call us at 202-832-3112

THE LONG AND SHORT OF
Or email us at meetings@uscatholicmission.org
MISSIONARY CHARISM
Visit our website at www.uscatholicmission.org GERALD ARBUCKLE

US Catholic Mission Association Page 17

Mission Update Spring 2007

ZENIT News Agency, The World Seen from Rome
==================================================
24 Missionaries Died Violently in 2006
List Includes Priests, Religious, Laypeople
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Twenty-four
priests, religious and laypeople were killed in 2006 while car-
rying out their missionary work -- just one person less than
2005's figure.
The Vatican missionary agency Fides published the report on
deaths, not only of missionaries but also of all the ecclesiastical
personnel who died violently or sacrificed their lives, aware of
the risk they faced, rather than abandon their commitment to
give witness and engage in the apostolate.
The list of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of
Peoples avoids explicitly the term "martyrs," so as not to inter-
vene in the judgment that the Church might eventually give on
them.
Nevertheless, the Church proposes them for remembrance and
prayer for their eternal rest.
Africa is the continent that registered the greatest number of
victims last year: nine priests, a nun and a lay volunteer died
violently. In Kenya three priests were murdered, and in Nige-
ria, two priests disappeared.
The second continent marked by violent deaths in 2006 is
America, where six priests, a nun and a layman lost their lives.
The Church lost two of its members in Brazil.
CORRECTIONS to Winter 2006 Issue:
Page 2 column 2: The return address (2nd line) should read
3025 Fourth Street, NE and the e-mail addresses in the
Staff box should read:
news@uscatholicmission.org
uscma@uscatholicmission.org
www.uscatholicmission.org
Please add the following to the end of Page 1 of the Periodic Paper
for Winter 2006, before The embedding of Christianity into new
cultures.
1. The Jewish age of the first century characterized by Jewish
custom, culture and world view.
2. The Hellenistic Roman age in which Christianity invented
the idea of orthodoxy.
3. The Barbarian age which introduced the concept
of the Christian nation.
4. The Western European age marked by the consciousness of
the individual.
5. The age of colonial Europe and western recession
marked by a substantial recession of Christianity
from its western heartland, and also by the cross-cultural
transplantation of Christianity.
6. The age of cross-cultural transmission marked
by the shift to southern Christianity of Asia, Latin

Two priests, a nun and a layman lost their lives in Asia. America, Africa, and the Pacific, where Christianity has

One religious died violently in Oceania. now reached its widest ever diffusion into many cultures

Fides explained that the list is provisional, as the names must (Walls 1996:16-25).
be added of those on whom there will never be any informa-
tion, those who "suffer in all corners of the planet and pay with Page 20 : The return address (2nd line) should read
their lives for their faith in Christ."
3025 Fourth Street, NE

RECEIVE MISSION UPDATE ELECTRONICALLY

As you know, one of the Resolutions passed at the Annual Meeting in October 2006 focused on global climate change.
One of the ways that USCMA can do its part in protecting the environment is to cut back on the amount of paper that we use.
This includes our newsletter Mission Update.

We would like to cut back on the number of hard copies of the Mission Update that we print and mail.
While helping the environment it will also shift some of our cost back into mission.

We would send an email informing people when the next issue of Mission Update is available and include a link to the newsletter online.
If you are interested in receiving your Mission Update electronically please let us know.
Contact Sr. Michael Theresa Brauer at adminassist@uscatholicmission.org

Page 18 US Catholic Mission Association

Mission Update Spring 2007

Resources and Up-Coming Events

Workshop for Returned Missioners From Religion Back to Faith May 20-25
March 22-25, 2007 Sexuality and the Cry for Justice June 3-8
Indianapolis, IN The Gospel Call June 10-15
Another workshop to be held June 19-29, 2007 From the Ends of the Earth June 17-22
From Mission to Mission
San Antonio, TX Conference for Coordinators of Evangelization and Mission in
North America
Telephone: 720-494-7211
Reaching North America
Email: missiontomission@quest.net
May 25-27, 2007
Saint Paul University
Acculturation Workshop for International Priests
223 Main
& Religious
Ottawa, ON K1S 1C4 Canada
March 26-30, 2007
Tel: 613-236-1393 ext. 2221
Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers Mission Center
Email: reachingna@ustpaul.ca
Maryknoll, NY
Contact: Sr. Kathryn Pierce, IHM, 313-341-4841 or
Catholic Media Convention
ktpierce1@juno.com
Together We Spread the Word
May 23-25, 2007
National Day of Climate Action
New York City
April 14, 2007
For information: www.catholicpress.org
Gatherings nation-wide
For information for actions in your area check
www.stepitup2007.gmail.org Orientation Days to the United Nations
May 31-June 2, 2007
The Impacts of Climate Change on International Development 777 UN Plaza
April 16, 2007 New York City
Sponsored by: Friends of the Earth, ActionAid International USA, Telephone: 212-682-6481
Oxfam America, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Jubilee USA Network, Email: Lsiers6720@aol.com
Oil Change International, Center for American Progress.
Washington, DC Bible Translation and Scripture Use in Christian History
For information contact Elizabeth Bast at Friends of the Earth: June 11-22, 2007
202-222-0719 or ebast@foe.org
Wycliffe International
Dallas, Texas
World Mission Institute
Registration: write Harriet_Hill@sil.org
Religion, Media and the Black Church
April 20, 2007
2007 National Conference
Sponsored by Chicago Center for Global Ministries
Interfaith Worker Justice
Chicago, IL
June 16-19, 2007
For information: www.mccormick.edu
Chicago, IL
For information: www.iwj.org
Maryknoll Mission Institute
Rogers Building, Box 529
United States Social Forum
Maryknoll, NY 10545-0311
June 27-July 1, 2007
Telephone: 914-941-7575
Atlanta, GA
Email: missinst@mksisters.org
For information: www.ussf2007.org
Looking for Discipleship May 6-11

ORBIS BOOKS RECEIVED AT USCMA

Concepts of Mission, the Evolution of Contemporary Missiology, Francis Anekwe Oborji, 2006
Meeting Mystery, Nathan D, Mitchell, 2006
Tenebrae, Holy Week after the Holocaust, Theresa Sanders, 2006

US Catholic Mission Association Page 19

Mission Update Spring 2007

...You know the time has come;

the moment is here for you to stop
sleeping and wake up, because by
now our salvation is nearer than
when we first began to believe.
The night is nearly over, daylight
is on the way; so let us throw off
everything that belongs to the dark-
ness and equip ourselves for the
light.
Romans 13:11-13

US Catholic Mission Association NON-PROFIT

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