Dear Parishioners,

American Catholic Nuns (II) – Last weekend I promised an update on the process (the what), motivation (the why) and funding (the how much) of the two Vatican
sponsored “investigations” of our American nuns which are currently underway.
Process (the what) – Described as a visitation “to evaluate the quality of life” of active (as opposed to cloistered) women religious in the U.S., this first evaluation consists of
four phases.

Phase One: An “Apostolic Visitator”, Mother Mary Clare Millea, an American nun who lives in Rome and is Superior General of her own Order, has contacted 127 of the Superiors of Women’s Orders either one on one, or by phone either here or in Rome.

Discussions to surface hopes and concerns have run about 50 minutes and have been open and friendly. Included in each conversation has been a request for volunteer sisters to serve on teams for upcoming onsite visitations. Acceptance of this invitation requires the taking of an oath of fidelity and a further oath of complete secrecy.

Phase Two: A thirty-six page questionnaire has been sent to all local superiors to be filled out and returned by mid-November. The questionnaire asks for statistical data, essay style responses to any hopes and concerns and submission of
the Orders’ Constitution, a list of property owned and the most recent financial audit.

Interesting questions include: What are the procedures for dealing with civil disobedience and criminal activity? What is the process for responding to
sisters who publically dissent from Church teaching, discipline or Congregational decisions? What recent initiatives have you made to attract new members? Do your sisters participate in the Eucharist according to approved liturgical norms? Do
sisters offer reflections in place of homilies by priest or deacon? How does your manner of dress bear witness to your consecration?

Phase Three: A number of communities will be selected for on-site visits, apparently based on their answers to the questionnaire, the interview with Superiors, or anecdotal information received from Bishops or other interested parties.

Phase Four: Mother Mary Clare Millea will compile a report of the “Apostolic Visitation” and submit it to Rome by mid 2011. It will be confidential and its contents and conclusions will not be shared with any of the communities under discussion, nor with their leadership teams nor Major Superiors.

The second “investigation”, a doctrinal assessment directed at the Leadership Conference of Women Religious is either more straight forward or more vague. A summer letter from the Vatican raised questions around the issues of ordination of women, homosexuality, and that Jesus is the only way to salvation. The Leadership Conference has had one meeting with the appointed “investigators” (Bishop
Leonard Blair of Toledo and Msgr. Charles Brown from the Vatican). They plan to meet in the fall with a response to the concerns expressed.

Motivation (the why) – The announced motivation seems innocent and straightforward. According to Mother Millea, “it is an opportunity for us to reevaluate ourselves, to
make our reality known and also to be challenged to live authentically who we say we are” Others point out this is the first time ever that all the congregations of an entire nation have been “investigated”; Church historians say an “apostolic visitation” is usually ordered when a particular community has gone seriously astray, like the visitation of American seminaries in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal and the current investigation of the “Legionnaires of Christ”. Still others complain that the reason and the process more clearly resembles a grand jury indictment where there is reasonable
suspicion of serious wrong doing coupled with secret proceedings. Right or wrong, the suspicion remains that all this is a smoke screen to get sisters back in the habit, back in
the convent and back in line.

Funding (how much) – Last summer a Vatican letter to the heads of U.S. congregations suggested that those communities selected for on-site visits pay for the costs of
visitation teams. More recently the Vatican projected the cost of the three year study at 1.1 million and asked that U.S. Bishops help offset the expenses. In a July interview Mother Millea said the U.S. Conference of Bishops would not be funding this effort and “anyone who has contributed has not wanted their name to be publicized”.

Finally, here’s what I would hope for. First of all, more transparency and less secrecy would be a benefit for all around. After all, I can’t put a shred of evaluation in an
employee’s file without the employee having full access to it. Secondly, I trust the Vatican statements and those of Mother Millea come true and that this proves to support and enhance the life and work of all our sisters. Thirdly, I hope these two
“investigations” become the cause for the Vatican and ourselves to celebrate and give public thanks for the holy and heroic ministry of our sisters. Lastly, what I do not expect or hope for is a huge increase in religious vocations. The amazing increase of vocations in the post war Church is unparalleled in all of Church history; the teaching of Vatican
II about the sacredness of marriage and the call for lay vocations to ministry is clearly a success. Then too, the size of Catholic families is no longer as large, at the same time as a broad choice of careers and lay ministry for women has demolished the tradition of “marriage or convent!!” Just ask the countless women doctors, soldiers, CEO’s, college
presidents and politicians. I think the vocation to religious life remains precious but no longer stands as a solitary choice.

What to do – I have two suggestions: read over the statement of appreciation and support in today’s fold-out and consider signing it at one of the tables hosted by our Women of Magdala; remember on the weekend of December 13 there is the annual Religious Retirement collection which goes primarily to communities of women religious in need of elder care and retirement funds.

Your Pastor,
Brian T. Joyce