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MSC Leadership Conference Held in Malvern, PA
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The conference opened with prayer, and remarks from Stella Maris Provincial Sr. Pietrina Raccuglia, MSC. The traditional introduction of new members of the Cabrinian community followed. New leaders in attendance shared a bit about themselves and were warmly welcomed. Ministry Presentations Ministry presentations highlighting the organizational responses to the New Missionary Vision were the focus of the first day of the conference. On behalf of Dr. Michael Walsh, Cabrini Health CEO, Cath Garner,Executive Director of Mission Integration, presented the topic Responding to the Call which explored the cultural alignment of the Cabrini Health organization’s mission with behavioral practices; the role modeling of senior leadership and the definition of mission as purpose. A staff charter outlining the expectations for those working at Cabrini Health has been developed as a part of Cabrini Health’s three year strategic plan. The presentation by the Cabrini Eldercare Consortium, Building Community Brick by Brick and Word by Word was a two-part endeavor. In Brick by Brick, Philip Deans, Manager of the Cabrini Apartments, provided an overview of the individuals of diverse cultures and backgrounds who reside at the Cabrini Apartments, and the joys and inherent challenges that accompany such a living community. Continuing with the Word by Word portion of the Eldercare presentation, Marianne McGowan, Education Coordinator of Cabrini Immigrant Services, made the point that the immigrant struggles of Mother Cabrini’s time remain ever new. She shared the inspiring stories of today’s immigrants who are clients of Cabrini Immigrant Services where they receive instruction in English as a second language (ESL). Citing the book Grandfather’s Journey by Alan Say, the story of a Japanese immigrant's journey to America, Marianne emphasized that “language builds community” and is “the maker of miracles.” New Spaces in Higher Education Cabrini College offered its perspective on new spaces with a presentation by Dr. Jeffrey Gingerich, Interim Dean of Academic Affairs and Dr. Mary Laver, Director of International Partnerships. In Shared Mission, Solidarity and Partnership: Carrying the Cabrinian Charism into New Spaces in Higher Education, they examined two mission-driven questions: How does Catholic higher education foster both a deep moral foundation and strong critical thinking skills? AND, In a quest to be in solidarity with poor and oppressed communities, what are the possibilities of power sharing with community partners? Through a review of the core curriculum Justice Matters, Dr. Gingerich described the themes of the Engagements with the Common Good courses which are designed to move social justice to the center of undergraduate education. In animating such courses, Dr. Laver explained that emanating from a rootedness in Catholic Social Teaching, Cabrini College partners with the Missionary Sisters, Catholic Relief Services and the nearby city of Norristown, PA to illuminate for our students the congruence of the Cabrini College education with the witness and work of the MSCs worldwide, solidarity as a basis for respectful relationships between poor and non-poor, and advocacy as a component of faith-based citizen empowerment. Tweeting the Mission Rounding out the sessions for day one was a look at new spaces from a technology standpoint. eMission: What would Mother Cabrini tweet? was the focus of Cabrini Mission Corps Director Gina Scarpello’s presentation. Gina demonstrated how Cabrini Mission Corps has “utilized technology to move into new spaces of missionary activity with the goals of: building a brand, building stronger connections with ‘right fit’ potential missioners, other Cabrinian institutions, and others in the [volunteer] ‘business.’” Technology tools such as YouTube, Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and website construction aids such as WordPress have enabled Gina to better promote Cabrini Mission Corps, enhance recruitment and strengthen relationships. Gina encouraged the Cabrinian leaders to listen and connect; to better appreciate that technology can be a powerful relationship and community builder – especially around mission. On Monday evening, the Sisters and Cabrinian leaders were the guests of Cabrini College for campus tours, liturgy and a festive dinner in the College’s historic Mansion. During liturgy, Cabrini College chaplain Fr. Michael Bielecki, OSA was thanked for his dedicated service to the Cabrini College community and his many kindnesses to the Missionary Sisters. At the close of the academic year, Fr. Michael will be leaving the College to assume a mission with the Augustinians. Rethinking Mission and Integrity in Tough Times On day two of the conference, Dr. Carol Taylor, the Director of the Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University, presented Rethinking Mission and Integrity in Tough Times – Need We “Sell our Souls” to Succeed? In this session, Carol Taylor, PhD, RN, explored the overlapping responsibilities of individuals, organizations and society to meet the everyday integrity challenges in Catholic ministries. In an interactive presentation, Dr. Taylor led the participants in an exploration of how everyday decision making honors or compromises moral integrity, ethical leadership and trustworthiness. The starting assumption for her presentation was that “we are all members of a moral community engaged in moral work>&quo; And, that in the accomplishment of this moral work, we need ethically competent professionals. She defined ethics, integrity, and ethical leadership. She outlined structures, processes and outcomes that equate with integrity in Catholic ministries and challenged the leaders to rethink the adequacy of one’s personal and corporate ethical competence and leadership. The meeting drew to a close with remarks by Sr. Pietrina. |
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