Storytelling, continued from page 9
of disagreement. This kind of relationship-building
is exactly what is required within our community to
bring about the new creation of the Missionaries of the
Precious Blood.
The Missionaries and Companions of the Precious
Blood are a diverse group. Coming from differing
backgrounds, serving in a wide array of ministries and
with varying lengths of experience in the community,
this group possesses a wealth of stories. The New
Creation Commission is a fairly representative cross-
section of the wider community, and as a member
of the Commission, I consider myself blessed to be
part of the story-sharing that flows whenever we
gather. Our conversations before, during, and after
meetings are rich with both reminiscences and recent
stories about each one’s personal experiences with the
c.pp.s., about our shared call to respond to the cry of
the blood, and about the many different forms that
response has taken. Those with a longer history in the
community share remembrances of the priests and
brothers who influenced their lives and who are long
gone, and they relate their experiences of change in
the community over the years, from one American
province to three, then to two. Like many stories, these
personal recollections of community history contain
both joy and pain. In the stories told by younger
commission members, lines between the provinces
have become blurred or nonexistent, as they tell of
their common formation experience and of many
ministries shared between the provinces.
Through these conversations, Commission
members have formed close bonds, appreciating each
other’s strengths while acknowledging our differences.
In this experience, we recognized that the telling of
stories would be a crucial part of the new creation
and that we should get people talking to each other.
Every person in the c.pp.s.. family—priest, brother or
Companion—has a personal story of how they came to
be associated with the community and how Precious
Blood spirituality has influenced their life. By sharing
these experiences with someone from the next city or
on the other side of the country, we discover how our
stories complement each other, and the physical and
the psychological distance between us is diminished.
The process of connecting people is underway.
At the Provincial Assemblies in the spring, the
10 • The New Wine Press • November 2018
new creation process was kicked off when those in
attendance had the opportunity to express hopes and
fears and dreams. Participants spoke of their own
experiences and about how they imagine building
a new future together as one province. As a follow
up to the assemblies, the provincial directors in July
invited everyone to continue the conversation in an
activity that reached across geographical, cultural,
generational, and historical boundaries to let people
share their stories. In this outreach activity, everyone
was asked to contact other members or Companions
whom they may have never met or whom they had
not seen in a long time. There were no stipulated
instructions for the visits and no one was required
to report back. People were just encouraged to share
and listen to each other’s stories—stories of their
ministry, of their experiences with the Missionaries
of the Precious Blood, of their hopes and dreams
for the future. For some of us this assignment was
a stretch beyond our comfort zones, but we were
rewarded with new or renewed relationships. If you
haven’t made contact yet, it’s not too late to reach out
and build another connection that will enrich the
Precious Blood family.
This telling of our stories continues in gatherings
around the country from October through February.
This year’s Companion retreats are planned for
members as well, with the hope that everyone in the
Community will be able to attend one of the get-
togethers and spend time in conversation with others
in the C.PP.S. family. Some of us may meet face to face
with our summer contact, and everyone will have the
chance to build new relationships.
The new creation of the Precious Blood
Community in the United States will be built upon the
relationships of all its members, relationships that are
in turn built upon our conversations, the telling of our
stories, and the sharing of ourselves. The community
will be enriched as its members seek out opportunities
to share stories with each other. Each person should
believe that his or her own story is worth telling and
should feel safe in the telling, even as we listen with
our heart while others tell theirs. Sharing in this way,
we will realize we’re not so far apart and our visions for
the new creation will begin to coalesce.