November 7, 2012
[The following is an adaptation of a reflection I shared at a gathering of the Chief Administrators of Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools on November 1, 2012. The reflection is on the experience of participating in Xaverian Assembly 2012 in Brugge, Belgium]
As educators, we know that context matters.
For me, the location in Brugge was a key to the Xaverian Assembly 2012. We walked some of the cobbled streets those first Brothers walked, worshipped in a beautiful church where they worshipped. The Brothers' first house on Ezelstraat is now occupied by squatters – now, there's a lesson in Xaverian humility. The location helped connect us to the past, the influences on Ryken's personal spirituality, and his vision for his "band of brothers."
Among the invitees, I think I was one of the newest to things Xaverian. Perhaps my invitation came from the wish to have both old and new points of view as part of the dialogue about their charism. I am keenly aware of the responsibility of leading a school that is part of a tradition going back almost 175 years. At Good Counsel, we have not had any Xaverian Brothers on staff for several years and prior to the assembly my contact with the Brothers had been slender: Br. Richard Mazza, Br. Conal Owens, and the late Br. Jim Kelly on our board. Br. Bill Griffin and Br. Mike McCarthy, GC Class of '62, stopping in on a visit home from Haiti.
The rest of what I knew came from the sometimes uproarious and always affectionate stories of my veteran faculty who had worked many years alongside the Brothers, tales of Ivo, Greg Turlick, Charles Wintergerst. Being with the Brothers and my fellow Collaborators in Xaverian education for a week helped me grow in understanding of what it might mean to be Xaverian and why that might matter.
As educators, we know that when sound theory and sound practice intersect, we see powerful teaching and learning.
The "theory" element of Xaverian Assembly 2012 came from the copious documents distributed for our reflection: 14th Century Flemish mystical theologian Jan van Ruusbroec; the Founder's own writings (in keeping with Pope John Paul II's call for religious congregations to get in touch with the spirituality of their founders); a 50th anniversary interview with Br. Victor Kazadi of the Congo; Br. Art Caliman's reflections from the last assembly. That was the "theory" part.
The "practice" element of Xaverian Assembly 2012 was found in sharing: morning and evening prayer; personal stories offered by our keynote speakers each morning; small group discussions that followed. I learned to appreciate how genuineness, simplicity, and fraternity are such big parts of what is so compelling about the Xaverian lifestyle. The Brothers come across as regular guys; they just happen to do remarkable things. We heard stories of the Brothers' perseverance, their love for one another in community life, their uncompromising commitment to those pushed to the margins.
I felt anguish at some of what I saw and heard. The challenges facing the Brothers are substantial. Yet, I did not come away discouraged. Rather, as a collaborator in Xaverian ministry, I was inspired. The men we were with are holy. The way they talk about their vocation and their ministry says they know they are loved by God. Their commitment to the work they do and why they do it, their desire to edify one another in a life of community, their prayerfulness – all serve as powerful witness to something that was talked about a lot – what it means to choose the path of both Martha and Mary.
In a Church where I see frequent reminders of hierarchical structures, I saw a remarkable lack of pretention in being a Xaverian Brother. Conviction and passion? Yes. A desire for prestige or power? No. Br. Louis, with his thick New York accent, has lived for years in remote northwest Kenya. Br. Victor is survivor of the Mobuto regime and its devastating impact on the number of Brothers. There they were, speaking up for the Brothers of today and the future to maintain their edge as advocates for the poor and marginalized. Their example is inspiring. My hope is to make real progress in educating my school community about the story of plodding and persistent Theodore James Ryken and to be faithful to his vision. I feel like a "guardian of the flame," responsible for something precious, something that our world and, in particular, our young people in the XBSS high schools, can learn from.
In addition to being inspired, I was baffled that the beautiful charism of the Xaverian Brothers has not attracted more vocations. In these times, the simplicity and humility and intentionally non-hierarchical nature of the Brothers must surely appeal to some who seek to serve the poor and marginalized and to live a prayerful and supportive community life. I wonder whether bold actions, begun and nurtured within the captive audience of our school communities, might yet yield new vocations. Those of us in the schools certainly have opportunities to build on the ways we already make use of the five Xaverian values and to go deeper and help young men and women in "falling in love with the service of God."
Personally, I left Brugge challenged in my own life and leadership. For all my reading in advance, it took being there and watching and listening and sharing to begin to "get" some of the distinct nuances of being Xaverian. I had not appreciated the importance of being approachable and available. I had not thought much about the type of poverty of spirit that isolates and marginalizes many of the young people who walk the halls here at school. I had not attended to always paying attention to what goes on in the common and everyday.
It was a powerful formative experience. There is much to be done. The way ahead for our network of schools is going to be in serious, honest engagement with the question of what it means to be Xaverian.