Curing Historical Amnesia:
The Quest to Understand the Past as a Means of Preparation for the
1998 Provincial Chapter, St. Paul of the Cross Province, USA
by Rob Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D.
Every four years Passionists gather at a Provincial Chapter.
There they elect a Provincial Superior and Consultors who vote to
implement decrees on the spiritual life and personal life of
Passionist priests and brothers. They also examine the financial
and legal aspects of Province organization. Sometimes they decree
to undertake new ventures in ministry. Other times a Chapter may
decide to cease a ministry. Whatever the case, Provincial Chapters
are extremely crucial in the life of a Province and
Congregation.
Below are short summaries of the Chapter Decrees from 1911
through 1923. They are meant to provide an historical foundation
for the upcoming 1998 Eastern Province Chapter. While not
exhaustive, several points should be noted: The Passionist presence
in the eastern U.S. was limited. Growth remained steady through
WWI. Decrees at a Chapter are often passed because tensions, good
and bad, exist. In this case one sees the Passionists trying to
grapple with prayer life, student life, building new foundations,
financial issues, and health issues. There is concern over the role
of priests, brothers and superiors as well as defining new
ministries such as the retreat movement or foreign missions. Simply
put, the Passionists who voted in these decrees in the first part
of the twentieth century followed those who had arrived in 1852.
Reflecting on the fact that the United States region was split into
two provinces in 1908, it becomes evident that the decrees below
show the challenge to maintain tradition while looking towards the
future even as membership increased and America modernized. Passing
of each decree solved an immediate issue while at the same time
becoming the foundation for us today.
1911 Provincial Chapter:
Passionist foundations were located at St. Paul's Pittsburgh,
St. Mary's Dunkirk, St. Michael's West Hoboken, St. Joseph's
Baltimore, St. Ann's Scranton, St. Gabriel's Brighton. The chapter
issued 19 decrees:
- 1) "emphatically admonishes" religious who had encouraged "a
spirit of unrest, and rebellion against legitimate authority" in
the Province.
- 2) "idle gossip" led to regulation of religious' mail,
restraining telegraph companies from delivering messages by phone
call and forbidding that telephone booths be constructed in all our
Retreats.
- 3) "In order to secure greater uniformity of government and to
meet special emergencies" Superiors of the Province were encouraged
to meet with the Provincial between Chapters.
- 4) greater financial itemizing was demanded.
- 5) The Circular to preaching missionaries endorsed by the last
Chapter was praised.
- 6) "no official position or mere seniority, gives a religious
the right to be appointed Superior of a mission."
- 7) Declaring "while so called Sunday work is not the specific
work of our Congregation," present "conditions in this country make
such work unavoidable, [and] it may be accepted in moderation...."
The Chapter then established criteria of involvement.
- 8) dealt with protocol surrounding financial administration of
foundations.
- 9) parish and monastery expenses were to be kept separate, and
"Extraordinary parish expenses...require the permission of the
Provincial," and at least one Consultor.
- 10) Rectors were "allowed to make extraordinary expenditures to
the amount of $40.00, without the consent of the local
Council."
- 11) It was agreed that the annual $5,000 subsidy, for ten years
(1908-1918) to Holy Cross Province be continued.
- 12) Suffrages: prayers for deceased religious of the Eastern
and Western Provinces, as well as those of parents in the Eastern,
Western and Argentine provinces were settled.
- 13) The Chapter rejoiced in the foundation of the Passionist
Nuns in Pittsburgh, which had been advocated by the previous
Chapter, and encouraged the Provincial to make "reasonable efforts
to assist the Nuns in reducing their debt" and send "zealous and
edifying priests to conduct the Retreats for women."
- 14) Building upon the 1911 decree of the Sacred Congregation of
Religious Concerning Lay Brothers of Religious Orders, the Chapter
stated:
-
- "Lay Brothers receive
Catechetical instructions on Sundays or any other day of the
week"
- "they go to Fr. Rector
once a month, and make the conference with the Spiritual
Father."
- "that they diligently
employ their free time on Sundays and Holydays in spiritual
reading." Also, according to custom they should assist "the Cook
and Refectorian in their offices."
- involved in "manual
offices...they should not occupy this time in study or reading,
which is incompatible with their state."
- 15) "Brother Infirmarian or Tailor will distribute to the
religious at least one small towel every two weeks for their
personal use....religious receive a change of underwear once a
week....clothing, etc., in common be laundered at least every two
weeks," and set down prayer schedule for Brothers at work in the
laundry.
- 16-17) dealt with fasting and prayer.
- 18) Since "there is a general desire to have an accurate
account of the foundation and growth" of the Province, Rectors are
to show "the greatest care in the preservation of the documents of
the Congregation," and exhorts all, Superiors and Religious, to
forward to Fr. Provincial information relative to the history of
the Province. The Chapter further urges Fr. Provincial to secure
one of our Religious to begin work on the collection of materials
for such a history.
- 19) Ecclesiastical Studies was addressed. New plans for the
preparatory school were to be developed. An annual collection in
all our Churches was to be initiated and priests and missionaries
were to secure candidates.
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