Mission-Unity- Dialogue
A personal newsletter continuing the legacy of the Oblate Center for Mission Studies, and stressing the bond of evangelization, ecumenism, and dialogue, "that all may be one...that the world may believe" (Jn. 17:21).		No. 1, Third Series  Sept. 2000  "To gather into one all the Children of God who are scattered (Jn. 11:52)."

The OblateCenter for Mission Studies, conducted by the Eastern U.S. Province from February, 1996, in Washington, D.C., was officially closed by the new U.S. Province on January 25, 2000.Lack of personnel and resources was the reason given (see below, "Where Are They Now?").

 

This newsletter, which was published as OCMS's occasional newsletter "Mission-Unity" (1996-98, six issues), now resembles its earlier form (1980-95, thirty-one issues), when it was an unofficial newsletter of the Eastern U.S. Province, stressing the relationship between mission and ecumenism.Dialogue has been added as a third reality because of the growth of contact with non-Christian religions, especially Islam.

 

As early as the New Testament, and then in the writings of Justin Martyr (+ 165), dialogue with other religions and societies was a Christian concern.The modern period begins with Pope Paul VI's first encyclical EcclesiamSuam, takes a gigantic leap with VaticanII's Decree on Ecumenism, and culminates in the 1991 Vatican document Dialogue and Proclamation.This document is most accessible in Orbis Press' Redemption and Dialogue (ed. William R. Burrows, 1993), pp. 93-118.Archbishop Marcello Zago, O.M.I. comments in the same volume on the encyclical RedemptorisMissio, explaining much about dialogue (pp. 56-92).

 

Islam presents many challenges to Christians.Recently, the first Islamic high school in the Detroit, Michigan area was announced, to complete the 15 Islamic elementary and middle schools already located there.Nearly 750 students are expected to enroll in the high school, with tuition ranging from $3,000.00 to $3,600.00.Already, many areas have developed tripartite groups (Christians, Jews and Moslems) to find common values and lessen conflicts and misunderstandings.On both the East and WestCoasts, dialogues are taking place for Christian and Moslem inter-faith couples.The National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Islamic Circle of North America are coordinating such dialogues to promote stable marriages.

 

The 2000 edition of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches has incorporated for the first time a directory of selected non-Christian faith traditions.And, the Greymoor-Nationalcouncil of Churches annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity booklet several years ago developed a yearly calendar of dates and events for non-Christian religions.

 

As the third millennium begins, Pope John Paul II has pushed the envelope very strongly to indicate that the Holy Spirit is at work in non-Christian religions.The critical theological question for this third millennium of Christianity may well be the way this action of the Holy Spirit is tied to the salvific action of Jesus Christ and His Church.

Mission Portfolio:david ullrich, O.m.i.

When the single U.S. Province was formed on February 10, 1999 from the five previous U.S. provinces, the portfolio for mission was given to the second councillor, David Ullrich, O.M.I.Father Ullrich served in Japan from 1967-75, and then specialized in Hispanic ministry in California.He represented the Oblates at the Third Ecumenical Conference on Common Witness, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 14-17, 1998.He may be reached at the national headquarters of the Oblates:391 Michigan Ave. NE, Washington, D.C.20017; telephone (202) 529-4505; fax (202) 529-4572; e-mail dppu@omiusa.org.

National catholic evangelization conference:1999, 2000

By George Knab, O.M.I.

During the annual National Catholic Evangelization Conference in New Orleans, June 16-19, 1999, I was present for the preaching day and the day for local participation.Rev. Richard Fragomeni was the presenter for the preaching day.He defined preaching in terms of genus and species.All preaching has five characteristics.First, itis an oral-aural event, a proclamation rather than a manifestation.Second, it is convincing speech meant to stimulate thoughts and emotions that are congruent with the tradition.Third, it is an action of the Holy Spirit that happens best when there is conscientious preparation.Fourth, it is dialogical, respecting community concerns: preachers must first say what the people want to hear before preaching what they need to hear.Finally, preaching affirms the community and challenges it, particularly in the areas of solidarity, inclusivity and addiction.He listed and briefly described seven kinds of preaching:evangelization, catechesis, liturgical homilies, retreat conferences, parish mission sermons, eulogies and money talks.

 

During the local day Kathleen Dorsey Bellow spoke about God's Gift of Blackness.She explained that the spirit of God that resides among African-Americans is holistic, joyful, contemplative and communitarian.She pointed out that in black hymnody the pronoun "I" means "we."She lamented that while blacks make up 12% of Americans, they compose only 3% of Catholic Americans.

The 2000 N.C.C.E. Conference originally planned for Albuquerque has been cancelled in favor of promoting participation in Encuentro 2000 in Los Angeles, July 6-9.

Where are they Now?

Hank Lemoncelli, former administrator OCMS:  now attaché of the secretariat at the Vatican Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life, and Moderator of the Student Fathers at the Oblate General House:C.P. 9061, 00100 Roma-Aurelio, Italy:  phone 39 6 39 87 71;   fax 39 06 39 37 53 22;  E-mail  omigen@pcn.net

Jim Sullivan, former director OCMS:Oblate Retirement Residence, P.O. Box 419, Tewksbury, MA01876; phone (978) 851-7258; fax (978) 858-3661.(Jim died on Dec. 29, 2001.)

Harry Winter, former director OCMS, see editor below.

Seamus Finn, former consultor, social justice OCMS, now superior, Oblate Community, Washington, DC (same as Ullrich above).

George McLean, former consultor, philosophy and inter-religious dialogue, OCMS (same as Ullrich above).Fr. McLean has extensively visited the Oblate mission in Turkmenistan:see his report in Oblate World, Dec. 1999, p. 5.

Mission congress 2000, Sept. 28-oct. 1

The congress, held at the Chicago Mart Plaza-Holiday Inn, Chicago, Illinois, was opened by Cardinal Francis George O.M.I.The keynote address, "Global Integration of the Elements of the Mission of Christ Today," was given by Archbishop Marcello Zago, O.M.I.Among the 25 workshops, Rev. Joseph Donders, MAfr., professor of Mission Theology at the Washington Theological Union, addressed "Dialogue with Islam."Information may be obtained from the U.S. Catholic Mission Association, 3029 Fourth Street NE, Washington, DC20017.

Highly recommended

Jeffrey Gros, F.S.C., Eamon McManus, and Ann Riggs, Introduction to Ecumenism (Paulist, NY, 1998) comprehensively covers the major developments in ecumenism in the 1990's.  Mission, inter-religious dialogue, Protestant evangelical evolution and the richness of Eastern Orthodoxy are all masterfully presented.

 

Oblates of the 1990's who used Gideon Goosen's Bringing Churches Together, and Oblates of the 1970's, who used Robert McAfee Brown's The Ecumenical Revolution, can now find a successor to these works.
 

 
 

Editor:

Harry Winter, O.M.I. St. Rose of Lima Church 500 Parker Avenue Buffalo, NY 14216

Telephone (716) 834-6688; fax (716) 834-6689 E-mail srlomi@acsmetro.com website: www.buffomi.org/