What does your communal life of prayer, fraternity, and ministry look like? How often does the leadership team reflect on it in its meetings or the community as a whole? Many other items of concern fill our meeting agendas, but experience shows that good reflection and action on the overall health of community life can be quite fruitful and can help minimize other types of problems.
As mentioned during the fraternity panel discussion at our 2025 National Assembly, we have opened a yearlong reflection and discussion on various aspects of community life. This is in response to several areas identified in our 2023 survey of major superiors such as challenges in community life, individualism, intergenerationality, and interculturality. We are also aware of the connection between good community life and vocation promotion and perseverance as well with overall wellness and a healthy spiritual and apostolic life of members.
During our regional meetings this fall, we will engage in facilitated conversations on community life. Our Winter Leadership Gathering, January 26-29, 2026, which also features a daylong retreat following it, will have case studies and spiritual reflections related to this topic. Registration is now open for this event.
Finally, the theme of our 2026 National Assembly in Phoenix, July 21-23, is One in Christ: Communal Life Today.
We hope that you will engage in these conversations and programs that can assist in enhancing communal life.
In prayerful solidarity,
Frank Donio, SAC
Executive Director
This is an excerpt from the October 2025 Items of Note. Items of Note is a monthly email for CMSM members and partners. If you are not receiving Items of Note once a month via email, please email contact@cmsm.org.