Part Five. The Three Year Experiment 1968-1979
Discussions among the sixteen Passionists at the July 1968 General Meeting revolved around themes which respected the individual couched in an overall tone of “frankness and openness.” A second feature was a “positive reaction to the smallness of the group.” This in turn fostered the belief that “flexibility and adaptability” would emerge.
A decision was made for a three-man governing body along traditional lines: Father Cusack was elected Provincial and Fathers Dunn and Pierre Myrand were the two consultors. Father West wrote that it became apparent that the group wished for, “mature experimentation with a minimum of structures.” Essential for the development of a province was the idea of a team approach to ministry. One hard decision was to let the Sudbury experience come to an end. The average age of the eighteen men living in Canada was 39. The first profession of Passionists in Canada was held on August 15, 1968 for five members: two novices and three in final profession.
By mid-July 1969 the Sudbury experiment was officially over. However, from September 1968 until 1971 the Passionists ran a residence program for college students who were contemplating a Passionist vocation. At first eight collegians lived at 95 St. Joseph Street, Toronto. Directors were Fathers Bert McEachern and Steve Dunn. The program was affiliated with Basilian College. In February 1969 the residence moved to 21 Southview. Father Dunn was replaced by Father Henry Simmons.
But the residence program quickly came to an end, because no new candidates joined the group. The Passionists of Canada could not invite new candidates until the vowed members had a sense of their own new identity. By June of 1971, only Greg Chisholm remained. An idea to keep the residence open as a lay residence so as to continue a college outreach apostolate was put aside as it was felt energy should be put elsewhere. In September 1970 Father Simmons began teaching full time at the Toronto School of Theology.
Part of the Canadian plan was to make Port Burwell an experimental religious community whereby the members would elect their own superior, decide term of office, and regulate their own structure of life, apostolate and duties of religious through a group consensus process. This was different from the norm in that Passionist superiors of that period required a provincial appointment. They were not elected by the local community. Another innovation, was that the entire Port Burwell community joined together to determine the retreat schedule theme. While creative, this Port Burwell process also revealed how effective programming had to deal with power generated by each member of the religious community. Adding to the intensity of the experience was the community appointment of Passionist brothers Brian Forestall as superior and Raphael Turcotte as director of retreats. They were the first Passionist brothers to have executive positions in the Passionist retreat apostolate
Port Burwell held its First Marriage Encounter in June 1969. In August 1969 it was decided not to have a superior. Instead a collegial model was put in place. A devastating blow to the Port Burwell and entire Canadian venture was the sudden illness of Father Hennessey in October 1969. During the 1969-1970 season 1800 people came to Port Burwell. They were Catholic, non-Catholic, and secular groups.
Behind all the efforts to create a new Canadian province was a series of Province General Meetings. There were eight from September 1968 until May 1971. Each meeting brought a range of issues to the table. The first three were marked by a spirit of experimentation. At the third meeting of December 1968 frustrations were evident about retreat planning. Also overall province directions was becoming a concern in that it had an increased relationship to individual planning. News was also received that the Passionist Superior General had reversed his decision and refused to recognize Forestall as a superior. At the fourth meeting a canonical decision was made. Canada was not a province but in reality a vicariate according to Passionist legislation. Lack of feeling of apostolic unity was discussed at the fifth meeting. Members were leaving the Passionist congregation and priesthood. As time went on there were twenty men in nine different apostolates. Furthermore, the Brothers wanted a meeting to discuss their position in the venture. At the seventh meeting vocations were addressed even as the membership tried to determine its image in Canada.
By 1968 St. Gabriel's had three Passionist apostolates: the parish, Intercom community building, and the Passionist Mission band or preaching apostolate. All knew that the parish was more popular than the monastery. For example, Father Buchheit's Coffee House Centre had become a happening and by 1970 the Sunday noon Mass was being broadcast on Canadian television.
Still, financial solvency remained elusive. At the same time, a 1969 plan to have Italian Passionist Father Conrad Gasbarro work with Italians in Toronto collapsed when his own provincial assigned him to his home Italian province.
In 1971 a sixteen page document was written for the Passionist Provincial Chapter. The report was the main topic of concern at the First Canadian Congress held June 28-29, 1971. It proved helpful for the future in that a decision was made to follow leadership as it had been developing—community sharing model rather than strong leadership. Father Cusack was chosen as the Regional Vicar and Fathers McEachern and John Lee were elected first and second consultor, respectively. Furthermore the Congress was to be held every three years.
Twenty men began the venture in 1968. While six had left the group, another four students had plans to come back. As a result the Canadian Vicariate was a total of eighteen men with another four men about ready to cross the border and come north as soon as they were given the necessary permission.
Feed