Directory of the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity

1986 - Philadelphia
[Note: the numbering of the articles are presented as they appear in the Directory.  Language in italics indicates that is quoted from the writings of Father Judge.]


 




1. Our Lord had very much at heart the creating of a spirit, a missionary spirit, an evangelical burning that would sweep over the whole world. He came to cast a fire on the earth, and he willed that it would be enkindled (Lk 12:49). The Holy Spirit has enkindled this fire in our hearts. This is our heritage: an apostolic spirit, a Gospel spirit, a Catholic spirit. The Missionary Cenacle spirit is charity, charity aflame.

NATURE AND PURPOSE

2.1 The Missionary Cenacle Family is comprised of four branches:

Missionary Cenacle Apostolate
Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity
Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity
Blessed Trinity Missionary Institute

2.2  Men and women who share in our vision, ministry and spirituality and who develop deep bonds with us, may be considered part of our ended Missionary Cenacle Family.

4.1  We announce the Gospel by proclaiming the Word of God and by upholding the dignity and rights of all people. A maxim of our tradition, save the child and you save all, motivates us to have a special concern for families and issues that affect them.

4.2  We must actively participate in building up the Church on the local level.

4.3  We should have regular mission planning for and evaluation of our ministries based on Cenacle values. These should include, as a vital and desired component, the input of clergy, religious and laity aware of our charism.

4.4  Whenever a diocesan pastoral plan exists, each Sister should realize her obligation and responsibility to cooperate in its implementation.

4.5 In accepting new ministries, the following criteria based on our charism are employed:

• evidence of spiritual abandonment;

• opportunity to develop and collaborate with the laity;

• an unmet need exists;

• manifest evidence of poverty;

• Church-related.

4.6  Institutions, for our purposes, are settings such as hospitals, schools, child care facilities, nursing homes and housing projects. An individual Sister may assume a position of staff of an institution.

4.7  Mission assignments are ordinarily for a minimum of threeyears. Periodicevaluationswillrevealwhether they should be renewed or terminated.

4.8  In some instances, we may commit the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity, as a Community, through the decision of the General Custodian with the advice of her Council, for a definite period of time to a particular place to carry out a ministry with particular goals. The ministry placement process will be utilized.

4.9  As missionaries, we can expect to go among people of differentcultures. We need to prepare for ministry: this should involve orientation to other cultures, psychological preparedness, linguistic studies and other special education.

4.10 If any difficulties arise with ecclesiastical superiors the local authority is to refer the matter to the General Custodian. In the mean time, each one shall refrain from any act prejudicial to the respect and deference which she owes to prelates.

4.11 The specifics of our "Mission and Ministry" are in the Handbook.

5.12 As missionaries, we should have a special concern and zeal for evangelization in its fullest sense, to extend the message of the Gospel to all.

8.1  We hold as a value joint meetings of the various branchesof the Missionary Cenacle Family for stimulating and guiding our thrust into the future as a family in the Church.

8.2  The General Custodian and her Council shall be faithful to the tradition of holding council at least once a year with the General Custodian and Council of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, and with the General Custodians and Councils of all branches of the Missionary Cenacle Family.

SPIRITUAL LIFE

15.1 The Eucharistic Liturgy, because of its transcending value, will be the preferred communal celebration of the local Community.

15.2 We recognize the ecclesial role of the ordained priesthood and our responsibility to extend support to priests, especially those in the Missionary Cenacle Family. We do this particularly by our prayer, by showing concern and by collaboration in ministry. We are to encourage the laity to do the same.

18.1  Each Missionary Cenacle shall set aside a day every month for spiritual reflection.

19.1  The Revised Liturgy of the Hours, Christian Prayer, is the prayer of the whole Church; therefore, we encourage its use. Our traditional Cenacle prayers, like other sources, may be incorporated into Christian Prayer or used themselves for community prayer.

20.1 Prayer for one another is a mark of God's favor upon the Cenacles. Sisters are to pray daily for each other and for the apostolic works of the Cenacles.

20.2 Because of our debt of charity to our brothers, the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, we shall remember them in our prayers.

20.3 It is our practice to offer sacrifice and prayers for the faithful departed. The way of expressing this practice is determined in the local Missionary Cenacle. Among the faithful departed to be remembered in a special way are our Sisters, our novices, the parents of a Sister, the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity and other members of the Missionary Cenacle Family, the Holy Father and the local Ordinary.

20.4 It is our practice to pray for vocations to the Missionary Cenacle Family. The way of expressing this practice is determined by the individual Sisters and the local Community.

VOWED LIFE

24.1 We are to wear simple, appropriate clothing that will enable us to approach people readily, without attracting attention to ourselves. Our attire should be simply styled, modest and neat, so that by our appearance we demonstrate respect for those with whom we minister and proclaim our consecration as religious women.

Chastity

27.1 Each Sister shall strive to excel in charity in all her relationships. She shall strive to create a vibrant faith community so that her Sisters may be encouraged in personal growth and challenged in the living out of Gospel and Missionary Cenacle values.

27.2 We recognize that community depends upon the union of hearts, minds and goals as well as upon shared time and presence.

27.3 We recognize plurality and compatibility as values for both community and ministry.

27.4 We recognize that the Missionary Cenacle Family is enriched by the variety of cultural expressions our Sisters bring to us.

27.5 Charity and justice will be the criteria when considering the spiritual, mental and physical wellbeing of each Sister. We will continue to cherish each other in Christ through each stage of life's development including times of crisis, prolonged illness and convalescence.

27.6 We subscribe to a holistic approach to health and health-care. Wellness,motivatedbyspiritualvalues and religious beliefs, is a way of living which we create and direct for ourselves. Responsibility for wellness rests ultimately with each Sister; because we accept the charge of caring for each other, this responsibility rests at the same time with the Community.

27.7 Vacations shall be extended to all Sisters. Arrangements for implementing these shall be decided by the local House Council. Consideration shall be given to the personal needs of the Sister, community life, the needs of the ministry and the house budget.

Poverty

28.1 Each Sister should strive for a spirit of poverty in her personal life.

29.1 According to the custom of our Institute, a Sister's own goods, such as property, money or insurance, consists of those goods which:

a) she acquired prior to her first profession of vows;

b) she acquired as gifts from relatives or from friends known prior to first profession.

A Sister's patrimony consists of those goods inherited from her own relatives or from friends known prior to first profession.

29.2 Cession of administration of goods and patrimony may be made in one of the following ways:

a) Leave it with the Institute, which will invest it and use the interest for the works of the Institute. The principal remains part of the Sister's estate to be disposed of according to her Last Will and Testament.

b) Turn it over to someone else for administration; it remains part of the Sister's estate to be disposed of according to her Last Will and Testament.

29.3 Each Sister is bound by civil law relative to ownership, income and taxation procedures.

29.4 If a Sister receives a gift of substantial value, permission must be obtained from the designated authority as to its disposition.

30.1 Our witness to poverty should be visible in our manner of living. Our Cenacles should be simple and modest, in keeping with the virtue of poverty.

30.2 Our greatest witness to corporate poverty may be seen in renewed zeal, the spirit of sacrifice, the simplicity of life, and the overflow of love in service and availability which is essential to our charism.

30.3 An attitude of respect and thanksgiving for the goods of this earth impels us to use and care for these goods in a conscientious manner.

Obedience

33.1 The usualchannel for seeking resolution of local conflicts is house council; then the Custodian or Councilor for the Region; then the General Custodian.

However, every Sister has the right of direct recourse to the General Custodian.

33.2 A Sister may appeal decisions made concerning her by using appropriate channels.

33.3 A Sister is forbidden to appeal from the decisions of the Community authority to anyone outside the Institute other than to proper Church authority. A Sister may not appeal to a secular tribunal on matters internal to the Institute.

33.4 In these times of rapid change and stress, it is possible that Sisters may find themselves in serious and unresolvable conflict. In such a situation, the principle of council may indicate that the General Custodian or the Sister should invoke the formal Process of Equity. The details of this procedure will be outlined in a Handbook.

MINISTRY OF AUTHORITY

35.1 Respect for diversity and responsibility for attempting to achieve consensus should characterize the exercise of authority and the response of obedience in our Institute.

35.2 Council is central to our style and functioning of authority; it is also central to our style of responding in obedience.

Some of the elements of council are:

• prayerful minds free from bias and love of our own opinions;
• calm statement of our views;
• a holy indifference to our own interests and sentiments;
• a peaceful and charitable presentation of reasons;
• freedom from human expedience.
 
Local Missionary Cenacle

36.1 OurresidencesarecalledMissionaryCenacles. The term Missionary Cenacle also applies to a group of Sisters committed to each other for mission in a geographic cluster.

36.2 A Custodian or the Councilor for the Region is the proper canonical authority of a Missionary Cenacle. Those with proper canonical authority serve with some form of a Council.

36.3 If a local Missionary Cenacle is governed by a Councilor for the Region, it is her special duty to promote the faithful observance of the Constitution by the Sisters.

36.4 The Sisters in each Missionary Cenacle may choose a form of local government, subject to the approval of the General Custodian, from among the following

models:
 

a) A Councilor for the Region assisted by the House Council.

b) A Councilor for the Region assisted by a team or committee with an ele cted coordinator.

c) A Custodian elected by the Sisters. In this model the Custodian relates to the Councilor for the Region and is accountable to the General Custodian.

d) A Custodian appointed by the General Custodian, at the request of the Sisters in the Missionary Cenacle. In this model the Custodian relates to the Councilor for the Region and is accountable to the General Custodian.
 

36.5 The Coordinator or Custodian must be professed with perpetual vows for at least one year. Her appointment or election must be confirmed by the General Custodian. She has a three year term. She may have a second term, but not a third term successively in the same Missionary Cenacle.

36.6 Local government has the following responsibilities:
 

a) To foster a family spirit in the life of its members.

b) To effect decisions regarding the local Community.

c) To call members to accountability and responsibility in regard to their presence and participation in Community.

d) To call the Sisters to house council.

e) To foster a spirit of on-going renewal.

f) To keep necessary reports and a chronicle according to the guidelines from the General Secretary.

g) To keep a record of all financial transactions and necessary receipts.

h) To send reports as are required.

i) To provide opportunities for prayerful reading and reflection on the Constitution and the decrees of the Holy See affecting the religious life.
 

36.7 The Sisters of a Missionary Cenacle shall evaluate their form of government annually.

House Council

36.8 The Sisters are to gather in house council at least once a month. House council shall have priority in the schedule of a Missionary Cenacle and shall take precedence over other activities. It is a major instrument in the development of the co-responsibility and the leadership potential of the Community.

Guidelines for house council are as follows:
 

a) Each Sister will listen and will speak out in simplicity and humility whatever the Holy Spirit gives her to speak.

b) The Sisters will draw up an agreement in the following areas of community life, which should be reviewed annually, and whenever there is a change in membership of the Missionary Cenacle.

common prayer;

use of living space and privacy;

hospitality;

silence;

participation in Region;

communal and personal celebrations, such as, Eucharist, feastdays, informal gatherings, meals;

budgeting, finances and material goods;

simplicity of life style.

c) Directives and pertinent materials that affect our ministry and community life are appropriate matters for prayer and study in house council.

d) Sisters may invite others to their house council, such as lay missionary volunteers, candidates and others.

e) Necessary information concerning decisions made in house council should be recorded.

f) There is a distinction between house council as a forum for community life and mission and a house meeting as a forum for ordinary, mundane matters.
 

36.9 Each Missionary Cenacle selects a Sister or Sisters to be responsible for bookkeeping, the chronicle and other reports.

Local Temporal Affairs

36.10 An integral aspect of the examination of our common life is the development of individual and local Cenacle budgets. The preparationofthesebudgetsrequires us to relate our life-style to Gospel values. ideally, the budget is more than an estimate of anticipated income and expenditures. It is also a tangible expression of our shared values and reflects a common living standard consistent with our perception of the vow of poverty. EachindividualandMissionary Cenacle is to project an annual budget. This budget is worked out in the house council and submitted to the Councilor for the Region for approval. When expenses exceed the sum determined by the annual local budget, the Sisters will need approval from the Councilor for the Region for this expenditure. The Handbook, Budgeting in the Spirit, September, 1984, contains details.

36.11 The monthly allotment from each Cenacle to the central fund is based on the projected budget. It is figured on the stipend(s) received by the Sister(s). Generally, the allotment will be 37% of the stipend(s) after allowed deductions are made.

36.12 Surplus funds, which are those not needed by a Cenacle, individual, program or department, are to be shared with the central fund. At the end of the fiscalyear,atleastone-thirdofthebalanceoffundsis to be forwarded to the General Treasurer. However, this can be done at any time during the year.

36.13 An inventory of furnishings of each Cenacle should be kept and updated annually for the purpose of designating proper ownership.

Regional Affairs

36.14 Prayer, communication and council have a positive value in promoting community spirit and mission as Sisters gather to share, support and encourage one another in their respective regions.

36.15 Generally, regions are geographic areas in which the Sisters live and minister. The General Custodian with her Council shall determine the number and geographic boundaries of the Regions.

36.16 The General Custodian will appoint members of the General Council as Councilors for the Regions.

36.17 The Sisters of the regions regularly gather for regional meetings. These could include lectures, days of renewal, workshops and celebrations of community events. Attendance is a personal responsibility of each Sister and is a legitimate expectation on the part of the Community.

36.18 In each region, the Sisters decide their manner of functioning as a region and of selecting their regional leaders. Together with the Councilor for the Region, they are to bring about an ef fective and creative exchange of central and regional visions and concerns.

36.19 For purposes of accountability, the Sisters in regional leadership come together in council once a year with the General Custodian and her Council. This Extended Council meets for communication, evaluation and planning related to central, regional and local concerns. It is advisory to the General Custodian

and the General Council. The Sisters in regional leadership are accountable to the Sisters of their region for communicating the proceedings of this Extended Council.

Councilors for the Region

36.20 The Councilors for the Regions are responsible:
 

a) To affirm and assist the Sisters in their search for God's will:
 

• by involvement with the Sisters in their spiritual growth;

• by calling forth the leadership potential of each Sister;

• by aiding each Sister in her on-going education;

• by attention to the needs of Sisters as they pass through life's stages.

b) To share and promote a true spirit of community both in the Missionary Cenacles and in the

region:
 

• by supporting the Sisters in their use of house council;

• by holding the Sisters accountable for their finances and other material goods;

• by assisting the Sisters to plan and implement their form for local government;

• by aiding the Sisters in the development of their plan for the region.

c) To join with and unite the Sisters in their pursuit of our apostolic goals:

• by assisting them in the use of the ministry placement process;

• by working with the regional leaders on the evaluation and planning of ministry in the region;

• by communicating trends in ministry, especially as they influence the region;

• by collaborating with Bishops and clergy in relation to ministries, especially in the development of lay leadership;

• by collaborating with members of the Missionary Cenacle Family to enhance the family spirit.

General Custodian

37.1 The General Custodian resides at the Blessed Trinity Generalate.

37.2 The General Custodian may call any Sister to a change of ministry. A decision should be reached after considering with the individual Sister her gifts in the context of the needs of the total Community.

37.3 The General Custodian is to have contact with every Sister personally or through her delegated representative at least once a year.

37.4 The General Custodian may delegate a Sister to be Visitor. The rights of a delegated Visitor shall be specified in the act of delegation. The delegated Visitor should promptly record the proceedings of each visit and send her report to the General Custodian.

37.5 The goals of the Visitation are:
 

To strengthen the charity that should unite all the Missionary Cenacles.

To bring about a renewal of fervor in fulfilling the Constitution.

To discuss the community life and ministry of the Sisters.

To examine the administration of the temporal goods.

General Council

37.6 The General Custodian is to convoke the Council at least every two months, and at any other time that the affairs of the Institute demand.

37.7 The General Council may propose such matters as it considers to be for the good of the Institute. If the Councilors are aware of any abuses in the Institute, they should bring them to the notice of the General Custodian.

37.8 The proceedings and discussions of each meeting are to be recorded by the General Secretary and the minutes made available to the General Custodian and the General Councilors. if correct, they are to be signed by the General Custodian and Secretary. When the acts are of particular importance, the General Custodian may request the signature of all the members of the Council.

37.9 The Assistant General Custodian may assemble the Council at the instruction of the General Custodian. In such case, a decision is not to be considered final until it has been approved by the General Custodian. She may also assemble the Council when an event calls for immediate action and the General Custodian is unavailable. In such case, the Council may come to a decision when there is a valid reason to think that the General Custodian will not oppose it.

Assistant General Custodian

37.10 It shall be the duty of the Assistant General Custodian to assist the General Custodian in any delegated matters of responsibility and to call to the General Custodian's attention matters which have escaped the latter's notice.

General Secretary and General Treasurer

37.11 The General Secretary has the following responsibilities:
 

a) To call attention to legislation and decrees of the Holy See, diocesan regulations and civil enactments which affect the Institute.

b) To compile community statistics and official reports submitted by the Institute to the Holy See, diocesan or civil authorities.

c) To maintain all files relating to members of the Institute.

d) To issue guidelines to the local Cenacies for the maintenance of chronicles of on-going events.

e) To supervise the offices of the archivist and historian.

f) To see that suitable minutes of the General Cenacle are taken and that proceedings are published.

g) To carry on the preparation for the next General Cenacle.

37.12 TheGeneralTreasurerhasthefollowingresponsibilities:
 

a) To plan a sound fiscal program to assure the stability of the Institute.

b) To administer the central funds, insurance, property deeds, securities, records and valuable papers, investments and debts.

c) To oversee the development, maintenance and disposal of community owned property.

d) To prepare the annual budget and a quarterly financial report for the General Custodian and the General Council, an annual financial report for the total Community, and a report at the end of her term for the General Cenacle.

e) To receive and centralize the accounts from the local Missionary Cenacles.

f) To assist the Sisters in understanding matters concerning temporal affairs, and in the implementation of a budget system.

Temporal Affairs

37.13 The General Custodian shall not contract debts or allow debts to be contracted, unless it is certain that from the regular revenue the interest on the debt can be met and the capital paid back within a reasonable period of time and at a legitimate rate of amortization.

37.14 The General Council must approve an expenditure exceeding $15,000 which had not been included in the annual budget. The General Custodian may approve the expenditure of a sum less than $15,000, although a report is to be given to the General Council on all expenditures over $5,000.

37.15 A dowry, although not currently required, had been required of new members in the past. That dowry is administered by the General Treasurer.

37.16 The dowry is to be administered as follows:
 

a) The Sister's name and the amount of her dowry are inserted in a special register.

b) The dowry may not be expended for any purpose.

c) Income from investment of the dowry belongs to the Institute.

d) If a Sister leaves the Institute, her dowry must be returned to her intact, but not the interest derived from it.

e) The dowry is irrevocably acquired by the Institute upon the death of the Sister.

37.17 Before Sisters enter any diocese or parish to solicit funds, they are to request the permission and directives of the Local Ordinary, according to the norms of Canon Law.

37.18 The Institute is to accept only houses or furniture which are suitable to the practice of evangelical poverty and to works of apostolic zeal. Plans for proposed buildings and purchases are to be submitted to the General Custodian to see that they are in accord with Missionary Cenacle standards.

37.19 If a Sister or a Missionary Cenacle is given something of value which cannot be of use to religion, this should be sold upon tactful information to the donors, if that is possible, and the proceeds used for the needs of the Institute.

37.20 We are to have an acute awareness of and appreciation for the contributions of our benefactors and should express our gratitude for their generosity through personal kindness and prayerful remembrances.

MEMBERSHIP

40.1 The members of the Extended Team assist the Initial Vocation Development Team. They help in the further development of this ministry and act as liaison in the Regions.

Novitiate

41.1 At the beginning of the novitiate a copy of the Constitution is given to the novice, so that she may read

and meditate upon it, in order to understand more deeply the charism of the Community.

41.2 There is to be continuing collaboration in the respective education and development programming of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity and the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity.

41.3 The General Custodian and her Council, in collaboration with the Region and the Initial Vocation Development Team, are to continue to study the possibility of re-establishing a novitiate in Puerto Rico.

Director of Novices

41.4 Necessity demanding it, the General Custodian with the deliberative vote of her Council, shall appoint Assistants to the Director of Novices, who shall be subject to this latter in whatever pertains to the novitiate. They shall have made perpetual profession of vows.

41.5 The Director of Novices is to communicate regularly about the novitiate with the General Custodian.

Religious Profession

42.1 At the time of Profession, a "Statement of Profession" shall be signed by the Sister and attached to her official record. A record of the Profession of Vows is noted in the Official Register of the Community.

42.2 The General Custodian may delegate a Sister prof essed with perpetual vows to receive the vows of the novices or Sisters in temporary profession.

42.3 The Coordinator for Sisters in temporary profession is responsible for the contact persons, the annual sharing, the preparation for final commitment and the implementation of policies related to the vocationaldevelopmentoftheseSisters. Sheisappointed by the General Custodian and serves as a member of the Initial Vocation Development Team.

42.4 Each Sister in temporary profession is under proper canonical authority at the local level.

42.5 Each Sister in temporary profession will choose a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity as a contact person. The contact person must be approved by the General Custodian. The temporary professed and the contact person will have regular periods of dialogue for discernment regarding her movement toward perpetual profession of vows.

Ongoing Vocational Development

43.1 Each Sister shall be given the opportunity for specialized training to develop skill and competence in her particular area of apostolic ministry. This includes provision for educational advancement and adequate professional training for mission assignments.

43.2 Each Sister is responsible for furthering her knowledge and understanding of current trends and developments in religious life.

43.3 In-service programs to fill the specific needs of our Sisters shall be developed by the Community as needed.

43.4 Each Sister is to assess her growth and development as she goes through life's stages. Through reflection and evaluation with the Councilor for the Region, she is to adjust her ministry and general activities according to this assessment.

43.5 Each Sister who has completed ten years beyond perpetual profession is eligible to apply for a Sabbatical, that is, three months to one year away from her ministry assignment, for the purpose of personal and professional growth and renewal through an approved program of study, work, prayer and rest.

43.6 Plans for retirement are to be made and implemented on an individual basis with each Sister.

43.7 Sisters in the Ministry of Prayer are recognized as our prayerful intercessors. From this source of spiritual power the Community draws strength for the active apostolate and inspiration for the living out of our religious vocation.

43.8 The Community will recognize the commitment of those Sisters completing sixty and fifty years of religious life and those completing twenty-five years of religious profession. This celebration is to be held annually at the Motherhouse.

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Handbook of the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity
 

CONDUCT OF THE GENERAL CENACLE

Articles in this section may be changed only by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Cenacle in lawful session, with the exception of Constitution articles (c) which require the approval of the Holy See.

Convocation and General Instructions

38.1 The General Secretary shall be responsible for ongoing preparation for the next General Cenacle.

38.2 An ad hoc committee may be formed to assist the General Secretary in preparing for the General Cenacle. The General Secretary will periodically share pertinent information with the entire community.

38.3 Convocation of a General Cenacle shall be announced by the General Custodian at least one year in advance. (c)

38.4 The delegates are to be elected at least six months before the General Cenacle is convened so that they may begin their preparations.

38.5 The General Cenacle shall be held at the Mother Missionary Cenacle. Upon convocation, the members of the General Cenacle may decide to meet elsewhere.

38.6 The General Cenacle shall be preceded by a Novena to the Holy Spirit on the part of the whole Community.

38.7 The General Cenacle shall convene, if at all possible,

about the Feast of Pentecost. During the assembly each member of the Community shall say a Litany of the Holy Spirit daily.

38.8 The General Cenacle shall determine the order of the Chapter of Elections and the Chapter of Affairs.

38.9 The General Cenacle may invite the local Ordinary or his delegate to preside at the election of the General Custodian. He shall be informed in sufficient time of the date the election is to take place.

38.10 The General Custodian, or her assistant, shall make a report to the members of the General Cenacle prior to its opening. The report is on the personnel, and on the disciplinary, material and economic condition of the whole Institute since the preceding General Cenacle.

38.11 The General Treasurer shall submit her report as approved or corrected previously by the General Custodian and the General Council. The General Cenacle shall choose from among the delegates three Sisters who have not taken part in making or approving the report; the duty of these Sisters shall be to examine the documents and make a report to the General Cenacle.

38.12 The day on which the General Cenacle opens, the Eucharist will be offered to invoke God's blessings on the proceedings.

38.13 In order that the acts of the General Cenacle be valid, at least two-thirds of the Sisters who have a voice in the General Cenacle must be present. (c)

38.14 The Cenacle practice of council is used during the General Cenacle as a means for seeking out the will of God. All transactions by the General Cenacle shall move through a consensus process.

38.15 The General Cenacle shall decide the manner of conducting its business.

38.16 An absolute majority of votes shall be required for decisions. In case of a tie after the third ballot, the General Custodian may decide the question.

38.17 The General Secretary shall see that suitable minutes of all the deliberations are taken. These shall be kept in the archives of the Institute after being signed by the General Custodian and the General Council.

38.18 The General Cenacle should not be protracted beyond a reasonable time. When everything has been completed, the General Cenacle declares itself adjourned.

38.19 The General Cenacle shall elect from among its members two tellers who shall pledge themselves by oathtoaccomplishtheirofficefaithfully. Theywill collect, count and compare the votes with the number of voters. It shall also elect a Secretary who will inscribe the votes and faithfully record the elections. Tellers and Secretary are required at the time of voting and elections.

38.20 The General Custodian may appoint a member of the Community who is not a member of the General

Election of Delegates

38.26 The General Cenacle shall have a total of forty members. The number over the ex-officio members shall be elected by all the Sisters having active voice. Three alternate delegates shall be elected in the same balloting.

38.27 Before the date set for voting, a list of all the Sisters having passive voice will be sent to each member with activevoice. If a second ballot is necessary, a second list will indicate the number of votes received by each Sister in the first ballot and will omit the names of those Sisters who were elected.

38.28 Every Sister having active voice shall vote by secret ballot for the number of delegates specified. These ballots are to be mailed to the General Custodian, who with the General Council will open them at a stated time. The General Secretary will record the votes.

38.29 An absolute majority of votes (one over half) is required on the first two ballots and a relative majority (the largest number of those voting) on the third ballot. The vote is based on the number of returned ballots which are validly completed.

Election of the General Custodian

38.30 The General Custodian shall be elected first. The term of office for the General Custodian and the General Councilors shall be five years. (c)

38.31 For the office of General Custodian, those Sisters are eligible who are perpetually professed for five years and who have completed their thirty-fifth year. (c)

38.32 The General Custodian may be re-elected for a second term if she obtains two-thirds of the vote. She shall not retain this office for three successive terms. Shemaybere-electedafterbeingoutofthe office of the General Custodian for one term. (c)

38.33 For electing the General Custodian, an absolute majority of votes is required. If, in the first ballot, no Sister shall have obtained an absolute majority, a second ballot shall be taken; and if that fails, a third shall be taken. If in the third ballot an absolute majority shall not have been obtained, a fourth ballot shall be taken. In the fourth ballot, only the two Sisters shall be eligible who in the third ballot received the largest number of votes. If in the fourth ballot, the vote is a tie, the procedure outlined in Article 38.23 shall be followed. (c)

38.34 After this election has been announced, the newly elected General Custodian shall take her place if she is present. If she is not present, the Secretary shall immediately inform the newly elected General Custodian of her election, and she shall come immediately to the General Cenacle.

38.35 The acts of the election of the General Custodian shall be immediately filled in on a document prepared for this purpose. It shall be signed by the Tellers and the Secretary and shall be preserved in the Archives.

38.36 If the General Cenacle by a two-thirds majority of its membership desires to place in the office of General Custodian a Sister who lacks some juridical qualification, it may request the competent Church authority to promote the desired candidate to office. (c)

38.37 Installation of the newly-elected General Custodian and General Council shall take place on a date determined by the General Cenacle, which shall not be less than three weeks nor more than ten weeks after the election. The newly-elected General Custodian may delegate authority related to the normal administrative affairs of the Institute to the immediate past General Custodian until the date of her formal installation.

Election of General Councilors

38.38 Under the presidency of the newly-elected General Custodian, the General Cenacle shall elect the General Councilors. (c)

38.39 The number of General Councilors is determined by the General Cenacle, but shall not be less than four.

38.40 For the office of General Councilors, those Sisters are eligible who are perpetually professed and have completed their thirtieth year. (c)

38.41 These elections follow the norms laid down in Article 38.23 above. At the conclusion of each election, the General Custodian shall announce the name of the one elected who shall take her respective place immediately.

38.42 If any of the newly elected General Councilors is absent, she must be sent for, but without interrupting or postponing the business of the General Cenacle.

38.43 The General Cenacle shall determine which Councilor shall be the Assistant General Custodian after receiving nominations from the newly-elected General Custodian and the General Council. (c)

38.44 The Assistant General Custodian and the General Councilors shall each remain in their respective off icesforoneterm. Theymaybeelectedforasecond term, but not for three successive terms. (c)

NORMS FOR ADMISSION TO THE INSTITUTE

With the exception of Articles 41.2 and 41.3, which are particular to our Institute, articles in this section are common to all religious Institutes. These common articles may not be changed by the Institute.

41.1 The following are invalidly admitted to the novitiate:

a) Those who have renounced the Catholic Faith or joined another Church or a sect.

b) Those who have not completed their seventeenth year.

c) Those who enter the Institute under the influence of violence, grave fear or fraud, or whom a Custodian receives while under the same influence.

d) Those who are bound in matrimony.

e) Those who are professed members of any other religious Institute.

f) Those who are liable to punishment for a grave crime of which they have been or may be accused.

g) Those who are burdened with debts which they are unable to pay; or those who are involved in other temporal affairs from which the Institute may fear lawsuits or other difficulties.

41.2 Women whose families are in great want and need their assistance are unlawfully but validly admitted to the novitiate.

41.3 The following may be admitted to our Institute by the General Custodian with the deliberative vote of the General Council:

 
a) Those over age thirty-five.

b) Those who are widows.

c) Those whose marriages have been annulled, subsequent to verification by the Holy See.
 

41.4 For the validity of the religious profession, it is

required:
 

a) That she who makes it be of legitimate age:
 

• The novice must have completed her eighteenth year to be admitted to temporary vows.

• The Sister must have completed her twentyfirst year to be admitted to perpetual vows.

b) That the legitimate authority according to the Constitution admit her to profession.

c) That the profession be preceded by a valid novitiate.

d) That the profession be free from violence, grave fear or fraud.

e) That it be expressed in formal terms.

f) That it be received by a Sister with legitimate authority either personally or by delegate.
 

Where a special delegation is lacking, the Sister with proper canonical authority at the local level is considered delegated by law to receive the profession, with the faculty of even sub-delegating.

41.5 For the validity of perpetual profession, it is required

that it be preceded by at least three years of temporary profession.
 

NORMS FOR VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE AND FOR DISMISSAL

 

With the exception of 42.5 f and 42.8 d which are particular to our Institute, articles in this section are common to all religious Institutes. These common articles may not be changed by the Institute.

42.1 Transfer from our Institute to any other religious Institute may be permitted according to common law.

42.2 A Sister professed of temporary vows is free to leave upon the completion of the time of her vows.

42.3 For a grave reason, a Sister may leave prior to the completion of her temporary vows. Permission to leave is given by the General Custodian.

42.4 A physical or mental infirmity, even though contracted after incorporation, which in the judgment of experts renders the Sister incapable of leading religious life, constitutes cause for not permitting a Sister to renew her vows or to take perpetual vows, with due regard to the exceptions noted in Canon 689.

42.5 A Sister professed of temporary vows, while these vows are in effect, may be dismissed by the General Custodian with the collegial vote of her Council after consultation with the Sister and other appropriate personnel.

The following conditions are to be observed:
 

a) The causes for dismissal, such as absence of the proper religious spirit, must be grave though not necessarily culpable.

b) Proper canonical warnings shall have been given and have turned out to no avail.

c) Dismissal must not be decreed because of ill health unless it was fraudulently hidden or dissimulated before profession.

d) The reasons may exist either on the part of the professed Sister or on the part of the Institute.

e) Though the reasons should be clearly known to the General Custodian and her Council, a formal trial is not necessary to establish their existence. However, the reasons must always be given in writing to the Sister who is to be dismissed, and she must have ample opportunity to reply concerning them. Her replies shall be faithfully submitted to the General Custodian and her Council.

f) The Sister may avail herself of the Process of Equity.

g) The Sister has the right of recourse to the Holy See against the Decree of Dismissal within ten days from the communication of the Decree of Dismissal. While the recourse is pending, the dismissal has no juridical effect until announcement of its confirmation, and the authentic document of the Holy See has been received.

2.6 For a grave reason, a decree of exclaustration may be granted to a perpetually professed Sister by the General Custodian with the consent of her Council, but not for more than three years. During the time of exclaustration the Sister is freed from her obligations of community and ministry. She loses both active and passive voice. She remains under the authority of the General Custodian and is also under the care of the local Ordinary. The Sister may return to full membership with the approval of the General Custodian at any time during the period of exclaustration. At the conclusion of three years, the Sister must either return to the Institute, request from the Holy See an extension of the period of exclaustration or seek release from her vows.

42.7 Very grave reasons are required for a perpetually professed Sister to be voluntarily released from her vows. Dispensation from perpetual vows is reserved to the Holy See. The Indult for Dispensation, accepted in writing by the member, releases the member from her vows and from all obligations which arise from them.

42.8 Grave reasons are required for the dismissal of a perpetually professed member. The following conditions are to be observed:
 

a) Reasons for the dismissal must be grave, culpable, external and juridically proved; this includes repeated external offenses against religion, community or morality; or habitual disregard of the Constitution, or of the formal commands of the General Custodian.

b) Two canonical warnings at intervals of at least fifteen days shall have been given and have turned out to no avail.

c) The members must have full liberty to respond toeachwarning. Suchresponsesaretobeput into writing and are included in the acts drawn up for this purpose.

d) The Sister may avail herself of the Process of Equity.

e) The Sister has the right of recourse to the Holy See against the Decree of Dismissal within ten days from the communication of the Decree of Dismissal. While the recourse is pending, the dismissal has no juridical effect, i.e. until announcement of its confirmation and the authentic document of the Holy See has been received.

42.9 A perpetually professed member is ipso facto dismissed for any one of the following reasons:
 

a) She has publicly professed apostasy, heresy or schism.

b) She has contracted marriage.
 

42.10 The report to be made to the Holy See and the report of the General Custodian to the General Cenacle are to include information on members who have been separated from the Institute.

42.11 A Sister professed of either temporary or perpetual vows who is legitimately dismissed from the Institute is by that very fact released from her vows and from all obligations which arise from them.

42.12 A Sister who leaves the Institute cannot seek compensation for the services rendered by her to the Institute. The Institute should in charity give the Sister what is necessary for her maintenance.

42.13 A woman who had completed the novitiate or had been a professed member may be re-admitted to the Institute by the General Custodian with the deliberative vote of her Council. In such an instance, it is not required that the novitiate be repeated. The General Custodian must require another period of probation prior to reincorporation, in accordance with Canon 690.

Do give this much thought, do hold yourselves responsible for the future of the Cenacle; do remember that as you are, so others will be. What more beautiful legacy can you leave than that of an example and life fragrant and rich in the Cenacle traditions. This means that even after your death you will be continuing your apostleship through others whom your virtue has attracted to the service of God. Such will be my constant prayer for you; do make it your constant effort.