IHM Governance CommitteeIHM Governance Committee

Governance Committee Membership17 Sisters

• Liaison:• Rita James Murphy

• Co-Chairs:• Donna Kelley• Jeannine O’Kane

• Secretary: • Margaret Shields

• Members:• Ruth Bolarte• Elaine deChantal Brookes• Paula Buley• Maryan Chappetto

• Mary T. Dooley• Patricia Fadden• Elizabeth Goltman• Rose Harlan• Margie Langer• Annette Pelletier• Janet Purcell• Margaret Reinking• Nancy Rivera• Regina Ryan

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Order of the Presentation

•Background

•Recommendations on Election Process

•Recommendations on Leadership Styles

•Recommendations on Governance at the Regional Level

•Recommendations on Regional Meetings

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Background

• The committee •Reviewed the Chapter in Canon Law concerning

Religious Congregations

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Committee Readings

• Transformational Leadership• Pope Francis: Why He Leads the Way He Leads• Envisioning the Future of Religious Life as a

Pioneer Community

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Background

Each meeting began with contemplative silence and a contemplative dialogue on the assigned readings.

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Background

•Reviewed and collated all table responses

•Divided the table responses into four topics: • Election Process•Regional Superiors •Regional Meetings • Leadership Styles

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Background

•Divided into three sub-committees: •Election Process •Governance at the Regional Level •Regional Meetings

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Background

• To broaden understanding of governance of other communities, we developed a structured interview.

•We interviewed sisters from 12 different Congregations.

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Background

• Discussed interview results

•Categorized data according to each sub-committee’s topic

•After prayer and contemplative dialogue, sub-committees met separately

• Each group returned to the full meeting and recapped what transpired

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Recommendations

Election Process

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• Reviewed information from 12 communities • Focused on the election processes• Selected and adapted several concepts to present

Background Information

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Studied:

• The Government section in Faithful Witness• General Chapters: A Guide for Facilitators,

Planners and Participants

Background Information

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Suggested Plan 1

To devise a new process for the election of the General Administration that will include

the discernment and nomination of candidates.

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Rationale

In pre-chapter table discussions, the delegates requested that a method be created to allow them to discern the leadership qualities in sisters.

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• Pope Francis states, “We are invited to promote a generative, not simply administrative, dynamic to embrace the spiritual events present in our communities and in the world. . .” (Rejoice #12).

• Prophetic witness requires the constant and passionate search for God’s will, for self-giving, for unfailing communion in the Church, for the practice of spiritual discernment and love of the truth (Vita Consecrata #84).

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What could this look like?A Possible Model

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In advance of Chapter 2023, there should be opportunities for educating sisters in dimensions of

leadership in the 21st century

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Prayerful discernment for self-nominating for leadership or inviting other Sisters to consider leadership

Phase

1

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Recipients of 15 nominations enter into prayerful discernment with other discerners. Sisters decide whether they will continue in the process or withdraw their names.

Phase

2

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Phase

3

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Within pre-chapter and chapter meetings, Chapter delegates become more familiar with nominees via table discussions. Table sharing of names and straw balloting further narrow the number of nominees.

Phase

4

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Remaining nominees share their vision of leadership with the Chapter delegates within a forum designed for prayerful and deep listening. Finally, the Chapter delegates vote.

Nomination ProcessPhase

1

Phase

2 Discernment Period

Delegate Reflection and Discussion Phase

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Chapter Delegates VotePhase

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Year-long Education for entire Congregation.

Recommendation

The Governance Committee recommends for Chapter voting that the General Administration form and empower a task force to devise a new process for the election of the General Administration that will include the discernment and nomination of candidates and the narrowing of the list of nominees.

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Suggested Plan 2

To re-evaluate the placement of the Chapter of Elections and consider moving it to the Chapter of Affairs.

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Rationale

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• Proposal from Local communities

• Pre-chapter table responses

• Allows delegates to discern better qualities and skills of the nominees

Rationale

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• Allows delegates to familiarize themselves with the framework/vision of the nominees

• “A guideline which is helpful… to a … group in relation to timing is the proposal that discernment and elections take place once the broad directions for the years ahead are becoming clear” (McHenry et al., 2014).

Recommendation

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The Governance Committee recommends for Chapter voting that the current placement of the Chapter of Elections be evaluated and the possibility of moving it to the Chapter of Affairs be studied.

Recommendation

Election of Chapter 2023 Delegates

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Recommendation

The Governance Committee recommends for Chapter voting that the election of delegates for Chapter 2023 would provide for two levels of participation: supportive member and voting member/delegate.

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That personal discernment with election by communal affirmation be the method for the election of voting members/delegates for Chapter 2023. The General Administration will determine the percentage for election.

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Recommendation

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Recommendations

Leadership:

Individual and Communal

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Suggested Plan 3

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That all Sisters foster and incorporate elements of Servant and Transformational leadership in order to encourage greater participation and more collaboration on the local level of the congregation.

• The Sister in Government

• FW163 Every sister shall accept the responsibility for the welfare of the Congregation in accordance with the principles of collegiality, subsidiarity, and decentralization.

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Rationale

•Responses from pre-chapter table discussions asked for an exploration of new structures and redesign of leadership roles and governance:• to revitalize local community, promote individual

responsibility • to allow for more participation from the community• to ensure that each sister has value and voice in the

Congregation.

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Rationale

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“Leaders have to be about fostering relationships -among the members, between themselves and their members and with other groups as well. Co-laboring is not optional” (Levo, 2015, p 120).

• “Religious life is at its best and is prophetic when it has been able to be free enough to let go of structures that are no longer allowing it to stand firm and tall, but rather are actually constraining it and binding it in some way” (Saffiotti, 2015, p 146).

Rationale

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Servant Leader

• Leader

• Servant

• Shares power

• Puts the needs of others first

• Helps others develop and use their gifts

Transformational Leadership

• Contemplative practices

• Relational

• Communal discernment

• Articulates a vision

• Inspires others

• Engages others

• Makes difficult decisions

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A Transformed Community of the 21st Century

• Local communities view themselves as a team of leaders so that God’s design for each local community might become visible.

• The local assembly is redesigned to include contemplative listening, corporate examination of life, and to initiate and discuss directives and/or ideas from Regional meetings.

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The Local Assembly

FW 155.1 The sisters shall assemble

• to consider ways and means to strengthen and deepen the religious spirit…

• to provide the opportunity for sisters to examine together their lives in community and to contribute suggestions openly…

• to discuss…directives from higher assemblies and … RCA41

A Transformed Community of the 21st Century

• Local communities view themselves as a team of leaders so that God’s design for each local community might become visible.

• The local assembly is redesigned to include contemplative listening, corporate examination of life, and to initiate and discuss directives and/or ideas from Regional meetings.

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A Possible Model of Local Assembly

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Assimilation of a

21st Mindset

Transformational

Leadership

Contemplative

Prayer

Education via Discussion of

Articles

Communal Examination of Life

Discuss Ideas from Community

and Regional Meetings

Recommendation

The Governance Committee recommends for Chapter Voting that all Sisters respond anew to our Charism of Love, Creative Hope and Fidelity through a personal commitment to learn and practice Servant and Transformational leadership on the local level.

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Training on Leadership and Communication be provided for all sisters

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Suggested Plan 4

Rationale

•Pre-chapter table discussions requested training on leadership and communication skills be provided for all sisters to enhance shared responsibility, increase authentic communication and challenge complacency.

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Recommendation

The Governance Committee recommends for chapter voting that a committee be formed of sisters who would be willing to work as a team to develop a

program in Leadership and Communication training for all sisters.

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