Archive of Kusenberger Lectures

Dr. Anne Walsh—Coordinator of Partnership in Mission, Redemptorist Conference of North America. 

“Enlarging the Tent: an Invitation to Growth for our Charism"

The charism embodied and expressed by a founder or founding community has often “spun out” and seeds have been planted for the foundation of not just one, but often many, religious communities. In addition, these communities have welcomed lay missionaries, associates, co-workers and other lay partners who share the spirit, the spirituality, the outlook and the mission of the founder and those who have followed in their footsteps.

Through bringing together stories and theology, the participants in this session will explore the dream and the vision of what it means to be and to live as and in charismatic families. We will explore the possibilities that open to all if we have the courage and fidelity to walk this road, enlarging the tent through embracing this unfolding reality. We will delve into the theology and ecclesiology underlying this movement in the Church and, using examples drawn from various charismatic families around the world, expand our awareness of the great potential of this movement for mission.

Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso,
O.M.I. Superior General

 “May We Understand Well What We Are! A Shared Charism in a Charismatic Family”

This 2024 Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies Public Lecture takes an overview of the evolution and expansion of the charism expressed in the life of St. Eugene de Mazenod. We will see the movement and incarnation of the Holy Spirit alive in the varied ways we live our shared charism. We will further examine how to engage our charism in response to contemporary missionary and ecclesial challenges. These challenges encourage us to maintain creative fidelity while imagining expanded possibilities for complementarity among the different forms of life in our charismatic family.