GOAL

To acquire a theological understanding of the concept and roles of “founders”, “charisms”, and how these are expressed in the Constitutions, Rules and Statutes of an institute of consecrated life or an ecclesial movement or association.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion, students will be able to:

Objective 1: demonstrate understanding of the process and significance of the founding evangelical inspirations which were recognized as charisms, and are expressed and interpreted in an institute’s Constitutions and Rules

Objective 2: describe the significance of the charism of an institute for the Church and for all those who are involved in its mission and spirituality

Objective 3 - for members of institutes of consecrated life: 

identify, articulate, and deepen their own participation in the charism of their institute as consecrated members

Objective 3 - for non-vowed members of charismatic families: 

identify, articulate, and deepen their own participation in the charism of their charismatic family

Objective 3 - for those with no affiliation to a particular charismatic family: 

understand and appreciate the role and different expressions of charisms in the Church and the participation of laity and clergy in them

COURSE CONTENT

 1/ An Introduction to Charism

·       “Charism” in the New Testament 

·       The relationship between hierarchy and charism in the church

·       The charism as applied to consecrated life since Vatican 2

·       The charism of a founder and the founding generation

·       The charism of a congregation or institute of consecrated life

·       The relationship between charism and spirituality

 2/ The founding event: the person or persons who are the founding figures 

·       A person who perceives a call to live a particular Gospel lifestyle at the service of the church 

·       Others identify with the same lifestyle and service and discern a vocation to join the founder

·       The formation of an evangelical community

·       At the service of the Church and in communion with the Church through approbation

·       Examples of this process in various forms of consecrated life: Benedict, Francis of Assisi, Ignatius Loyola, Eugene de Mazenod, Brother Roger of Taizé, Chiara Lubich 

 3/ How the charism of the community of the participating students emerged 

·       Students (or group of students of the same institute) will be assisted to identify and study the key documents connected with the foundation process of their institutes.

·       For the Oblate and Mazenodian family students: a documentary study of the foundation process in Eugene de Mazenod

 4/ Constitutions and Rules

·       The Gospel charism of the founders expressed in a Rule of Life

·       The Gospel charism of the Institute expressed in a Rule of Life

·       A historical perspective from Pachomius to the 20th century

·       The Constitutions and Rules of an Institute in Canon Law today

 5/ A study of the development of the Constitutions and Rules of the institutes of the participating students.

·       The Rule(s) of the Founders and their role in the vision of the Founders.

·       The history and development of the Rules until Vatican 2

 6/ The spiritual and traditional patrimony of an institute of consecrated life as an expression of charism

·       The traditions and external expressions of the “family” formed around the charism

·       The particular “family spirit”

·       The spiritual expressions and their development 

·       Saints and models who continue to inspire in their example of living the charism

·       Creative fidelity to the patrimony in the 21st century

 7/ General Chapters as custodians and interpreters of the charism

·       The role of Chapters in the Institute and as a response to the changing needs of the world

·       General Chapters as ecclesial events

·       A study of the important chapters in the history of the Institute

 8/ A study of the present Constitutions and Rules as an expression of the charism, mission, traditions, spirituality, and particular spirit of the Institute

·       The constitutive articles which define the charism and its mission today

·       The expressions of consecrated life

·       Community

 9/ A study of the present Constitutions and Rules with regard to the preservation and handing on of the charism

·       Formation

·       Leadership

 10/ Ecclesial Movements

 11/ Associations and Fraternities with a charism

 12/ Lay participation in the charism and mission of an institute

·       The role of the laity in the Church since Vatican 2

·       The relationship between the lay vocation and that of the charism and mission of the institute

·       Expressions of belonging and association with the institute

 13/ For students seeking academic credit: A final summing-up paper presenting the Founder, charism, and its expression in a chosen Institute or Association.

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 N.B. All required reading material will be made available online.