"Too much of a good thing is wonderful"

A word of thanks from the Chapter Preparation Committee

By Fr. Ron MacDonell, S.F.M.
January/February 2003

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Ever since the Resurrected Christ ascended to heaven, Christian communities have met to discern how to carry out the mission He handed us, to be bearers of Good News in our world. The early Christian communities had to meet in secret, in the catacombs, for fear of being arrested and executed. In modern times, Christians gather at many different levels, from parish councils to the conferences of bishops and, at special times, at world gatherings, such as Vatican II.

Religious communities assemble every few years in a "Chapter," a word derived from the Latin word for "head": each region sending their head person. The work of the community is evaluated and plans are made for the future.

All Chapters require advance planning and Scarboro Missions' XIth General Chapter was no exception. Our General Council decided to have an "Open Chapter," preceded by an Assembly. They invited all our missionaries (lay and priest) to attend, not only regional heads.

To organize this event, the Council asked three members to serve on the Assembly/Chapter Preparation Committee. The three of us who were chosen felt that our gifts complemented one another. Beverley Vantomme, who had worked in Malawi with her husband Ray and served as head of the Lay Mission Office, brought a woman's perspective to the committee. Fr. Ken MacAulay, a former Superior General with mission experience in Guyana and now retired, contributed an historical appreciation of our community and mission, as well as the wisdom that comes with age. And myself, as youngest Scarboro priest, brought an understanding of mission rooted in my mission work in Brazil, as well as help with computer skills.

We decided to work on a consensus model. No one headed the committee and all three members arrived at decisions together. We also made use of modern communication – email, fax and conference calls – as Beverley was based in Toronto, Ken spent winters in Florida, and I was studying in Québec.

Our work fell into two categories. First, we needed to get our missionaries to reflect on the issues that would be discussed at the meetings. We sent out questionnaires a year before the Assembly and Chapter, and then tabulated the responses concerning Scarboro's mission priorities, our lay and priest partnership, and the use of our central house on Kingston Road in Toronto. Scarboro priest Fr. Frank Hegel helped out immensely in combining the reports.

Our second task was the day-to-day operation of the Assembly and Chapter. Each of us served as anchorperson for a committee: Beverley invited missioners to participate on the liturgy committee, Ken was responsible for the logistics committee and I organized the secretarial and social committees. We were impressed with the level of cooperation from our missionaries.

Everyone had an opportunity to lead morning prayer and each daily mass focused on a mission country. Willing helpers looked after mundane tasks like seeing there were water jugs and glasses on the tables during the Assembly. Volunteers took turns note taking during the meetings and others set up social events (barbecues and get-togethers) that were great fun.

In fact, this feeling of joy, of celebration, of being together as family despite our weaknesses and our challenges, marked our Scarboro gathering. The three of us on the preparation committee recalled comments made by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I., who had guided our community on a retreat before the meetings. He urged us to nourish a sense of humour and to name the blessings in our life as a mission community. He quoted the actress Mae West who once said, "Too much of a good thing is wonderful!"

When we are together as a Scarboro family and things are going well, we want this joy and solidarity to go on. In fact, this is what God wants for us: "I came that you may have life, and have it in abundance." (John 10:10)

God blessed us abundantly at our Chapter. The three of us on the preparation committee feel very privileged to have been able to serve our community in this way. Thank you, everyone.

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