COMMITMENTS AND CALLS FOR THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF SAINT ELIZABETH

INTRODUCTION In all our conversations prior to the convening of the 2007 General Assembly of Affairs a clear and consistent theme emerged: the call to be a prophetic congregation in the spirit of Toward Boundless Charity. This challenge is not new. It comes from a rich scriptural tradition, winding its way through the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures calling their communities to be prophetic in the troubled world of their times and to be faithful to the relationships inherent in God’s covenant with them. As women committed to the Gospel, we too are challenged to be prophetic. More so, as a religious congregation committed to the charism of charity we are called collectively to the work of the prophet: to be faithful to our truths received from our founders, expressed in our Constitution and honed by our lived experience. As Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth we challenge ourselves to be a presence of Love in our world. In these times, this is clearly a counter-cultural stance. The work of a prophetic community is to "say the truth in an environment where the truth is not being heard, is not welcome, is being resisted, and is unacceptable." The members of the 2007 General Assembly accepted the challenge to be a prophetic congregation, a community of women who speak the truth in love, by focusing on the three themes which emerged from the Mission Reflection Groups: Spirituality and Charism, Mission and Ministry, and Reverence for the Earth. We call ourselves to this prophetic role through the Commitments and Calls which follow, and we encourage Seton Associates and all those with whom we collaborate to join us in the challenge to be prophetic in today’s world. Called to be a Prophetic Congregation, we make these commitments:

Spirituality and Charism:  We commit ourselves to reflect on and deepen our expressions of Mission Spirituality in light of our understanding of the sacredness of creation and our concern for the poor, and to share these reflections honestly with each other.

Mission and Ministry: We commit ourselves to make decisions regarding our mission and ministry in fidelity to the passion and vision of our founders and through the lens of the common good.

Reverence for Earth: We commit ourselves, in intentional and creative ways, to make reverence for Earth an integral part of our daily living, our spirituality, our ministries, and our use of Congregational resources.

- C10 Toward Boundless Charity