Susan Vogt, our past editor of Gifts and Tasks, was recently honored by the Salesian Guild of Catholics in Communications in Greater Cincinnati.

Many of you know Susan as an energetic and talented person in our Marianist Family who has inspired and mentored many of us to get involved in Marianist activities especially around family issues and "living lightly" on the planet.

Susan has used her wisdom and voice as an author and speaker for many groups beyond our Marianist world. She is committed to enriching marriages, inspiring parents, deepening faith lives, and encouraging simple, sustainable living. She has published five books, and earned other prestegious awards from the Association of Catholic Publishers and the Catholic Press Association.

In addition to being the past editor of this newsletter, she has served as editor of the USCCB website "For Your Marriage," and her writing has been featured in numerous national Catholic publications.

Since 1994, the Salesian Guild has annually awarded the Distinguished Communicator of the Year to a Catholic Communicator who exemplifies the Guild's core values of integrity, professionalism, fellowship and idealism.

We are very proud that Susan has received this well-deserved recognition and want to shout our CONGRATULATIONS to her!

To learn more about Susan and this award go to: https://salesianguild.com/distinguished-communicator-of-the-year-award.

As Marianists, we value people above ideas, relationships over “being right”. My experience with the synodal process has felt very Marianist. The Roman Catholic Church is beautifully, extravagantly diverse in every possible way. And while I usually think that my perspective is “right” or more evolved, I know that is untrue. But it can seem so as often my deepest conversations are with people who look a lot like me, grew up a lot like me and have a lot of privileges like me. 

I have been so excited about our dear Pope literally inviting the entire global Catholic (and others) communities to share what we think, what our experiences are AND how can the Church more fully respond to us.

Wow! That literally has never happened before. So, I became a synod cheerleader. I talked about the synod and the process ad nauseam. I even participated (either as a participant or facilitator) in 6 listening sessions. It was so good to move out of my echo chamber and really listen to the others in the small groups. 

Beyond the details, I heard a great love of our Church that extended from a profound love of Jesus and deep commitment to being authentic disciples. As each person shared their individual joys or pains in reference to the Church, my heart was softened and my righteous desire to change the doctrines of the Church to suit my “right” perspective also softened. We are one big family. We, the people, are the Church. So while my hope is still that the teachings of the Church will expand and become truly more inclusive, this experience of the Body of Christ reminds me that it’s not about me. It’s about we.

The Catholic Church does evolve slowly and prudently. And this time, we have a voice in that process. I pray that I will have the virtue of patience with myself and my Church. My hope is that this is just the beginning of a new way of being church - being a synodal, listening church. I remind myself to trust that the Spirit is moving and that I don’t need to be right.

Last month IO-MLC, in cooperation with MLC-NA, offered two Zoom Synod Listening Sessions for our Marianist Laity worldwide. The Pope initiated this process mainly through local dioceses, but also opened it to congregations of vowed religious and Associations of the Faithful, like IO-MLC.

As you can imagine, the enthusiasm for the process is dependent on the local bishop. So the effort given to the Listening Process in each diocese varies, though the Vatican has developed MANY resources to support the efforts being done throughout the world. Anyone who belongs to a parish, or a religious congregation, or an Association of the Faithful can initiate Listening Sessions and create a report for the bishops and Vatican officers to use as background for the world bishops as they convene their next Synod in 2023 about creating a Church that is built on “Fraternity for All.”

Jen Morin-Williamson from OH and I, from KS, facilitated the two Listening Sessions via Zoom, on Sundays, February 13 and 20. In the two sessions we hosted a total of 33 different people from several different countries:

When asked at the beginning of each session why they chose to attend, most mentioned that they had not heard much, if anything, about the Synod process at their parish levels and they wanted to participate in something like this. The few who had heard about the Synod process and may have also participated at their parish level, but wanted to participate in the Marianist discussions because the report would go directly to the Vatican rather than through the local bishop.

To read some of the quotes of the participants, read on...

On this Feast of the Annunciation to Mary, this feast day of our Marianist Family, we celebrate Mary in her open and responsive heart to the words she heard from the Angel Gabriel. We celebrate her Fiat, her “Yes,” to God’s affirming presence to humanity.

As we hear the account of the Annunciation to Mary, let us listen to these words anew as if announced to us in our living the Marianist Charism and in the midst of all the good projects before us...

(and I add...Let us embrace our Mission as Marianists to bring Jesus to the waiting world. Marceta)

Gifts and Tasks is published on the 4th Friday of each month. We need local and national news, stories, reflections, and photos. Please send submissions and ideas for next month's issue to Marceta Reilly by the previous Sunday.

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