Thoughts of the 25th on the 25th: Test by Curtis

Feb. 25, 2014

Decades long friendship enlivens Australian and U.S. vocation organizations

A visit from NRVC’s former executive director in 1997 proved to be a significant milestone in the development of Australian vocations ministry and ultimately the Australian Church. (Edited by me.)

Back in 1997, Australian vocation leaders representing both diocesan and religious community members, asked the executive director of National Religious Vocation Conference to be a keynote speaker at our 4^th Biennial National Conference. Sister Cathy Bertrand, SSND, then NRVC’s executive director, gave the keynote in Australia.

Cathy’s presence, and the gifts of her passion for the future of religious life, her insightful presentations, her wisdom, her inspiring one-liners, her generous self-giving and encouragement-- and her promise of on-going support--provided us with a much-needed injection of life and hope. It was also an impetus to work toward a national vocations office.

Brother Paul as a young priest.

Brother Paul as a young priest.

With support and encouragement from many quarters, including NRVC, Australian vocation leaders subsequently wrote a constitution and hired staff members. Catholic Vocations Ministry Australia (CVMA) thus became a more formal professional association.

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True to her pledge of support, Sister Cathy returned the following year. She delivered a five-day “Orientation to New Vocation Ministry” workshop in 1998 in Turramurra with Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC. (Brother Paul, now NRVC’s executive director, was then a vocation minister for his community and active in national vocation ministry.) The workshop provided us not only with insights, skills, and excellent resources, but it also facilitated networking with colleagues: kindred spirits across Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand--and the USA.

Later, as CVMA’s National Executive (in addition to many responsibilities with my congregation) I shared my sense of being under-resourced. Sister Cathy threw out to me the exciting idea of visiting the States! Thus I traveled in 1998 to the U.S. to meet and share strategies and ideas with NRVC ministers and church leaders across the country.

I returned home exhausted, yet exhilarated, and with a treasure trove of new ideas and resources, a deepened belief in the future of consecrated life and the diocesan priesthood, and most of all, a very strong sense that, despite the geographical isolation of our land ‘down under,’ we were no longer alone!

Our two organizations have continued to be in conversation with each other—visiting and exchanging resources and publications. Most recently, Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC spent several days giving a workshop in Australia in 2012. I will always be grateful for the gift of NRVC’s influence, friendship and support – for me personally and for CVMA.

Submitted by Sister Mary Ryan, RSJ
CVMA Executive Officer 2001-2006
Feb. 25, 2014

Jan. 25, 2014

HORIZON grows and changes with the times

HORIZON began 39 years ago as a modest mimeograph. The idea of a journal for vocation ministers originated with the National Conference of Religious Vocation Directors of Men—a predecessor to NRVC. HORIZON was originally titled Called to Growth/Ministry. It was produced the way everyone made low-cost copies in the 1970s: on a mimeograph.

When the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) was born in 1988 out of a merger of two religious vocation groups, Called to Growth/Ministry was renamed HORIZON, but the focus remained the same: providing insightful and instructive articles to assist in the ministry and professional development of vocation directors.

As NRVC grew, the printing and design of HORIZON became more sophisticated, its readership expanded, and it received wide recognition for editorial excellence, including being honored with numerous Catholic Press Association awards. With an eye to covering vocation issues in other parts of the English-speaking world, the journal recently added editorial board members from Canada, the UK, and Ireland.

Looking to the future, NRVC continues to invest in HORIZON and is committed to keeping a lively, thought-provoking journal for those dedicated to and supporting a robust future for religious life.

Submitted by Carol Schuck Scheiber,
HORIZON Editor
Jan. 25, 2014
 

Dec. 25, 2013

Convocation 1996 in New Orleans leaves a lasting impression

Most things in New Orleans have a festive flair unique to “The Big Easy.” While we work hard and get our work done (well, most of the time), we enjoy ourselves celebrating life and the people who are with us. And, the NRVC Convocation held in the “City that Care Forgot” in 1996 was no exception.

We even got everyone present to join us in a “second line” waiving their very own “NRVC Second Line” handkerchiefs and dancing through the hotel.

The truly unique part of Convocation 1996, however, was the presence of 200 young adults who had been invited to address us and the Convocation theme, “Who Do You Say that We Are?” Through processes planned by Sr. Gloria Marie Jones, OP and Fr. Bill Kraus, OFM Cap., young people were able to personally offer to us their experiences of the ministry and witness of women and men religious across the U.S. Church, what encourages and discourages their consideration of religious life, and suggestions on how to better approach our ministry. All in attendance were humbled and touched by the honest sharing, the appreciation they expressed for religious, the genuine desire of many in attendance to discern a religious vocation, the willingness of so many young people to assist us with vocation promotion. With no disrespect to any of our guests, they were the hit of the weekend!

Our young adults even joined us in a parade – a surprise parade – right down the center of the main ballroom, complete with costumed Mardi Gras krewe members throwing beads and doubloons.

Through the collaborative efforts of the NRVC staff, the members of host Region V, the speakers and presenters, and the young people themselves, Convocation 1996 was a most memorable experience and with a record 670 attendees!

So, y’all come back, now. Hear?
 

Submitted by Br. Ronald Hingle, SC
Vocation Director, New Orleans Province
Brothers of the Sacred Heart
NRVC Board Member
December 25, 2013
 

Nov.  25, 2013

Our offices

Vocation directors had hoped for the consolidation of the religious vocation conferences for many years so that the combined resources, personnel, and energy could be focused on one mission and require only one membership. 

In the spring of 1988, the interim board of directors, composed of members of the National Sisters Vocation Conference (NSVC) and the National Conference of Religious Vocation Directors (NCRVD)--together with their respective executive directors, Sharon Baudry, CSA and Jeanne Schweickert, SSSF--put the finishing touches on the structure and documentation of the new joint venture: National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC). 

Since 1979 the now combined conferences of NSVC and NCRVD into NRVC had shared office space (at 1307 South Wabash Avenue, Suite 350 in Chicago) with the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD) and the National Catholic Vocation Council (predecessor to the National Coalition for Church Vocations) in a collaborative effort to serve religious and diocesan vocation directors in the U.S. The building had been anchored by a business school, but once the school closed, all tenants were asked to move. 

In 1990 the NRVC office along with NCDVD and NCCV was relocated four blocks away to 1603 South Michigan Avenue. This building was being remodeled from a manufacturing plant into office space. It was a temporary venture until the foreseen regentrification of the neighborhood would begin, at which point the entire structure would be turned into condominiums. 

The NCDVD was the first to exit in the mid-1990s when Dorothy Foss became executive director and moved their office to Raleigh, North Carolina. 

Then in 1997, NRVC and NCCV were invited by the Catholic Theological Union (CTU) to relocate to the first floor of their residence hall at 5420 South Cornell Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. That cozy space served NRVC well until 2005 when the old residence hall was demolished to make way for CTU’s new school building. 

NRVC now occupies a newly renovated space in CTU’s original building at 5401 South Cornell Avenue. 

And that is the end of the story of NRVC's beginnings. 

Happy 25th Anniversary!

Submitted by Sr. Mary Ann Hamer, OSF, 
former NRVC Finance coordinator 
and current HORIZON contributor
November 25, 2013