Monday, 24 October 2005
Time: 12:30 to 13:30, including questions For the last four years we have been on a journey together. Many of you have been with us for the last four years, and some have joined us along the way. My assignment for this talk is to describe the journey, the road we have traveled together since the First International Encounter in October of 2001.
If you travel along a road, it is helpful to have a map, to start at the beginning, to go step-by-step, and to follow an itinerary. Along the way there are many things to see and do, and there is much to learn. We welcome other travelers as they join us. And we meet a few bumps in the road as we travel. The end of one journey is the beginning of the next. We are ending the journey from the meeting of 2001, and we are starting on the road to the next Encounter.
The Road Map—Proposals to the Director General from the First Encounter
At the First International Meeting of the AMM, October 22-26, 2001, our Final Document made five proposals to the Director General. For example, the fourth proposal was to hold this second Encounter. These proposals have guided us like a road map for the last four years. They are not absolute or specific, but they have pointed out to us the way we should follow.
As a guide for this Encounter and to orient your thoughts about how to plan for the future, you need to understand how the AMM came to set out on this particular road. You need a little of the interesting history that expresses who we are.
Mary founded the AMM, and we must let her lead us. Our journey is an expedition. We are traveling into the future, so we do not really know exactly what road we will travel. We only know the road after we have walked on it. We are not our own guides on the journey. Mary is our guide. She directs us to her Son with the familiar words, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2: 5)
The Road We Travel—Why We Made “Proposals”
As an example of what makes the AMM unique, let me explain the reason why our meeting in 2001 made “proposals” to the Director General. It is a result of who we are as the Association of the Miraculous Medal. When our small group of leaders wrote our international statutes in 1998, we made no provision for a structured form of governance. Internationally, we have only a Director General. On the national level there are national statutes—approved by the Director General. They determine particular membership and governance of the AMM in a country. And they provide for selection of the leader of the AMM in a country, a leader who reports to the Director General.
Our statutes are what canon lawyers call an “essential document.” They describe only the minimum. That leaves us free and flexible. We can do anything that is not forbidden in the statutes. I believe our statutes should remain “essential.” It makes our statutes most effective, and this is for three reasons.
- The AMM belongs to the Virgin Mary. She founded us and gave us our mission. We must not put up obstacles to the good she is doing, not even unintentional obstacles. She does not need any rules, and she does not impose anything on us by force. It is not right for us to impose too much on one another.
- We have a long tradition of local autonomy in the AMM. Before our statutes of 1998 there were no Particular Members of the International AMM officially registered in a country, and the Church gave no official international recognition to the AMM in a country. There was only the Director General and the National Directors. Under the old statutes any local organization of the AMM had no officially recognized status in the universal Church. The recognition came only as a result of the 1998 international statutes. With those new statutes we have stronger unity and a clearer connection with the official Church. But that is no reason to impose additional structures, because they would restrict what we can do and prevent us from responding to the needs we find in our area. By keeping our statutes “essential,” we can adapt ourselves to any time and any particular culture. Our “essential” international statutes do not remove your local autonomy, and your approved national statutes actually protect your local autonomy.
- By the grace of God the Director General is a good person, a pastor of the AMM. He listens to us and does what he can to encourage us and make us effective. He does not lay burdens on us. Rather than write extra statutes, we can trust him to do what is best.
What does this have to do with “proposals”? When you read our statutes, you see that they do not provide for Assemblies where we can make laws for ourselves or impose rules and restrictions on ourselves. In fact, as I said, we are free to do anything that is not forbidden. Although the statutes do not provide for Assemblies, they also do not forbid us to have meetings, or Encounters. So, we have chosen to come together like this. When we do so, we can make proposals to the Director General. He has no legal obligation to follow them, but he can choose to follow them, and as circumstances change, he is free to change and improve what we have proposed.
The Beginning of the Road—the Mandate for Coordination
That may be more than you wanted to know. But now you have heard the background, the story of why and how we made proposals to the Director General. The first proposal was:
To create an organized international structure for the Association.
The vote was 65 in favor out of 68 votes. The international statutes do not describe an international structure. Therefore, we are free to choose our structure. We can create whatever we want, we can experiment, we can change it, and the statutes do not interfere with the process. We do not have to change the statutes at all.
When I voted for the proposal, I scarcely knew what it meant for me personally. However, soon after the meeting, Father Maloney was in touch with me. Since 1999 he had chosen me to speak for the AMM at Vincentian Family meetings. After the Encounter in 2001, Father Maloney and I worked out a job description. Then he named me to the position of International Coordinator.
We chose the term “Coordinator,” because I have no authority from the statutes. My authority was simply a delegation by the Director General. And it has worked out well. As a coordinator, my work is to promote communication among the countries where the AMM exists. I could not command the Association to do anything, and I believe it would not have been wise for me to do so. Remember our tradition of local autonomy. We have managed our own affairs for about 100 years, and there is no need to take away our freedom. On the other hand, we can learn from each other and help each other. That is what coordination is. And that is what we have been able to do.
The job description says that the International Coordinator is to work with a coordinating council representing different countries and including a priest, a sister, and a lay person. The Director General discussed possible council members with me, then he approached Father Janusz Zwolinski, Sister Marie Yonide, and Miss Martha Tapia, and they agreed to serve.
The role of the Council includes helping the International Coordinator to coordinate, animate, and inform the Association, and to assist him in presenting formation materials for the Association throughout the world.
The Stages of the Journey—Meetings of the Coordinating Council
Each meeting of the Coordinating Council marked a stage of our journey. According to the job description, the Council should meet at least once a year. We met in July of 2002, April of 2003, February of 2004, and February of 2005. We will also meet on Saturday, the day after this Encounter. There are three advantages to having our annual meeting in February.
- February is one of the least expensive times to travel. The weather in Paris is usually miserable, and Rome can be cold. But there are more important things than the weather.
- We can hold our Council meeting immediately after the Vincentian Family leadership meeting, also held in February. The AMM is an important part of the Vincentian Family—we may be the largest branch of the Family. Through the International Coordinator we have participated in eight of the eleven Vincentian Family leadership meetings.
- Two of us may represent the AMM at the Vincentian Family leadership meeting. Besides myself, Martha Tapia has been our other representative, and like me, she has to travel a great distance. By having the council meeting in February we can minimize expenses by making only a single journey.
When we held our first Coordinating Council meeting we had a particular vision for the future of the AMM. This vision stayed with us and emerged as a common theme through all our meetings.
• A deeper apostolic engagement for the AMM.
• Bringing about doctrinal, Marian, and Vincentian formation of the members through accessible materials in the vernacular language.
• A respect for the Association's unique identity.
• Expansion of the Association, especially into countries where it does not yet exist but where the other branches of the Vincentian Family are already present.
Over the last four years, two other issues arose during our discussions, and they will be part of our discussions during this Encounter.
• Can we find a simple formula to finance the expenses of the Association at the international level?
• How can we become more conscious within the Association that the apparitions to Catherine Labouré contain an invitation to form groups of youth?
Let us linger at a few of these special points along our journey of the last four years. I will explain a few of the things we did and what we learned.
The Itinerary—A Plan for the AMM
At our first Coordinating Council meeting we reviewed the entire Final Document of our First International Encounter and developed a plan for the International AMM. I know you will be disappointed, but I am not going to read it to you, point by point. Instead, it is presented as a written outline. The outline lists each item from the Final Document, where the AMM should address it, and what has been produced or will be produced to fulfill the plan.
Joining the Journey—Growth of the Association
The Association has enjoyed the approval of the Holy See for around 100 years. However, with Vatican Council II and the New Code of Canon Law, there was a need and a call for renewal of the Association. This led a few of the leaders of the Association in countries where it was larger and more established to develop our current Statutes of 1998. By the time of our First International Encounter in 2001 there were about 7 countries with approved statutes. Now there are at least 14 countries on four continents with approved statutes, and 8 more in the process of approval. Our expedition is growing.
You might ask why approval of statutes is important. Under Canon Law the Association of the Miraculous Medal is an international association of the Christian Faithful, approved by the Holy See. In a country or region, the association becomes a part of the international AMM through its statutes, approved by the Director General. Through approved national statutes, this affiliation with the international AMM removes any need for approval by a bishop or a national Episcopal Conference. On the other hand, without statutes the association has no standing in the universal Church.
The size of the AMM in a nation varies from over 300,000 in the USA headquartered in Perryville and a similar number in Philadelphia , down to less than 100 in areas of the world where the Association is new.
The greatest testimony to the growth of the AMM is this meeting with so many present here from every corner of the world.
Lessons along the Way—Formation
Two of the proposals to the Director General from the First International Encounter had to do with formation. They were Number 2 and Number 5. People clearly wanted formation materials. They needed to know more about the AMM, its spirituality, and its apostolate, and its organization. And the result of formation and catechesis is that we better understand the journey and the road we are traveling.
A problem we face as an international association is how to communicate and share the catechesis with our members all over the world. This problem becomes especially complicated because we have no funds. Here is how we solved the problem. The solution has two parts.
- First, we decided to communicate not with everyone, but only with the leaders of the AMM in the different countries. Then the leaders could use whatever means were suitable to communicate with the members in their care.
- Second, we chose to communicate using the Internet because it is available everywhere. While not all members have access to the Internet, it is not asking too much for the leaders to use the Internet.
There are three possible sources for formation materials. Thus far we have used two of them.
First, we have published the talks given at the last International Encounter and the Vincentian Month 2002. This is a total of 14 papers. They are available in English, French, and Spanish.
Second, we have published a series of catecheses, or popular formation essays about various themes. There are 18 papers in this category. Most are available in English, French, and Spanish. At least 10 more papers have been proposed, but they are not yet written. They include an essay and questions for discussion.
Third, some formation materials are available to anyone who looks for them, but the International Coordinator does not publish them and the web site does not link to them. These materials are available from the publications of the AMM in varioius countries. For example, the formation materials from Spain are outstanding. The AMM in the USA and in France publish newsletters or magazines. Perryville's newsletter is available on the Internet at www.amm.org. Newsletters from the other locations of the AMM are available only in printed form. The Association in Perryville and Philadelphia also post various short reflections on their web sites. For more than five years in Perryville I published Sunday homilies, another kind of formation, on the AMM web site.
The first two types of formation documents are published on the AMM International web site. They may be read as web pages or downloaded in Microsoft Word. Once a leader of the Association downloads a formation paper, he or she is free to adapt it to the local needs of the Association. If, for some reason, a paper is not available in your language, I apologize. My only suggestion is that you, or someone you know, would be so kind as to translate it and send a copy by email to the International Coordinator. You will be offering a real service to the rest of the AMM.
One small bump on the road of our journey has been translation of the formation materials. Most of them, but not all, are available in the three languages we use.
Sightseeing—Other Events along the Road
Following the suggestion of Father Maloney, the Council has addressed the question of the place of the young in the Association. The young are people from about 18 to 35 years of age. The young should become an integral part of the Association. Here is what we suggested for bringing the young closer to the AMM.
• The apostolate of the home visit can be an effective means to join them to the Association.
• We can easily invite the young that do not participate in any group, offering them a space, while presenting the association to them under its proper characteristics: an inclusive Association, open to all and for all.
• A catechesis on the theme of youth was proposed.
• In welcoming to the young, the Association has no intention to interfere at all nor to replace the other branches of the Vincentian Family in their efforts of forming and involving the young. It is especially important to honor the Vincentian Marian Youth, since they were also established by Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. We should collaborate with them and should not interfere with them or attempt to replace them.
The Council also discussed financial support for the establishment of new groups working in a country. We have not established a fund to support operation of the Association in a country. We can establish a fund to help towards the necessary material required to begin (medals, booklets, insignia, etc.). This fund would be supported through donations. The fund has not yet been established at this time.
And in 2004 the AMM participated in the CM General Assembly as part of the Vincentian Family. The purpose of the participation was to encourage collaboration.
Bumps in the Road—Financial Issues for the AMM
Not everything in the AMM is spiritual. Some things cost money. Certainly our apostolates cost money. All of us are dedicated to directing as much of our resources as possible to the service of our Lady and to helping her needy children. On the other hand, you cannot spend everything on the apostolate. You and your families must also have food, clothing, and shelter.
Coming to an International Encounter is expensive, and we cannot afford to do it every year. Furthermore, this meeting must pay for itself whenever we do it. I am grateful for the sacrifices you make to come here. Some of you cannot afford to come, and donors have paid part or all of your expenses. Please pray for these people.
The AMM in every country needs funds. At the same time, the international services cost something. I assure you that we in international leadership try to minimize expenses. Thus, we do not usually travel to national or regional meetings of the AMM or the Vincentian Family. We do not have expensive publications but communicate by email and through our web site.
Besides our meetings in 2001 and 2005, one of the international expenses is the Coordinating Council. And each year we have our council meeting. We try to do it at a time when travel is less expensive. Still, last year travel expenses were more than US$2,700 for the council meeting in February. Some of the Council members need computers and internet connections, and they may not have them.
Another expense is the web site. Besides the cost of the computer equipment and operations, there is the webmaster. She is not a volunteer. She works for the Association in Perryville and when she is working for the international AMM she is not working at her regular duties. Her time working on the international web site had a value of a little more than US$2,800 last year.
At several of our council meetings we have proposed a simple way to pay for the international services of the AMM. The annual expenses I just described are about US$6,000 per year. This amount works out to only about one cent per registered member of the AMM. How much is one cent for every registered member in your country? Is it a great sacrifice? Will it injure your apostolate? Would you be willing to accept an assessment of one cent per member? Would you be willing to contribute more? It would be appreciated if you could.
We announced this program early this year. The general curia of the Congregation of the Mission agreed to receive and hold the funds. I may be mistaken, but I do not believe anyone has paid the assessment for 2005. Up to now, the AMM in Perryville has been quietly paying the international expenses. That may be generous, but it is not fair to you. It does not give you the opportunity to share in being responsible for the AMM in the world.
You might say that one cent per member is so little that it amounts to nothing for the AMM in your country. You may have only 300 members registered. Your assessment is only US$3 or €3. The amount is not as important as what it means. It means that you are participating in the international AMM. It becomes your AMM. It is a sign that we are all sharing in our AMM.
The Road Not Taken—Revise the Statutes
The third proposal to the Director General was to revise the international statutes of the AMM. This proposal received less support than the other four proposals—25 yes votes, 8 no votes, and 35 (the majority) abstaining from voting. I believe the proposal arose from a misunderstanding of the statutes that came from one of the speakers at the first Encounter. A second speaker at the Encounter understood the statutes and encouraged us to keep them as long as they served us well.
The Director General, the Council, and I discussed this proposal. We all agreed that the statutes were working well and we did not need to change them at this time. It is a road we did not travel for the last four years. And I still believe that we do not need to take it. Our statutes are working very well.
The Road Ahead
You have heard about international structure, growth of the AMM, formation, and the statutes. That covers the five proposals to the Director General. You also heard reports on youth, other activities, and finances.
That is a summary of the road traveled by the AMM since the First International Encounter, in 2001. It has been an interesting and enjoyable journey.
In July of this year my provincial transferred me from the AMM to another ministry. It seemed best to the Director General and to me that someone else begin to serve as International Coordinator. Fr. Benjamín Romo has been named as the new International Coordinator. He has experience and energy. He is a man of prayer, a true son of St. Vincent , and an apostle of Mary. The AMM is in good hands.
What will be on the road ahead?
As I said in the beginning, this Encounter is simply a meeting. There are no rules we must follow. This is not an Assembly. It is simply a meeting. We can do what we want, and we can propose whatever we wish to the Director General. We are free to propose our future direction. It could be an entirely new road. That is up to you. In the next four days you can begin to discover the road you will follow from this point onward.
It is likely that we will continue on the present road. Where does it lead? The Coordinating Council members have another year, more or less, in their terms. The Director General may renew some of the terms, but it is also an opportunity to bring in someone new with fresh ideas, so that we can move forward.
Where do you want to go?
In the time that remains, I welcome your questions. Thank you.
Spanish: Crear una estructura organizativa internacional para la Asociación.
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