in the world . We might go out in a blaze of glory — actively engaging in ministries that reflect our charism of renewal and our spirituality of reconciliation — and maybe even start new ministries . But unless we embrace the reality that we need to create something new , we will cease to be relevant . The Nobel laureate , Bob Dylan , put the question like this : Are we busy being born or busy dying ?
So , what are we creating ? We are creating a new community of priests , brothers , Companions — women and men who are imbued with the spirituality of the blood of Christ and seek to live the spirituality in their daily lives . We are creating safe places where reconciliation and renewal rule the day through healing and truth circles . These places are called “ Mission Houses ,” and they will be places where members and Companions will live in community , pray and eat together , and open their doors to the world , especially the remnants of the world who feel forsaken and forgotten .
We are creating a community where three or four Precious Blood people will go to the fringes , go where others dare not or cannot go , and establish a presence that will be welcoming as they live in solidarity with those for whom hope has worn thin . It will mean that we say goodbye to some parishes and faith communities that have been served by Precious Blood priests and brothers for many years . But in many of these places the spirituality of the blood of Christ will continue to be central to the life of these parishes because of the presence of Companions who will make certain renewal and reconciliation remain hallmarks of parish life .
We have called our three members living at St . Agnes Parish in Los Angeles to be intentional in their community and ministry to reflect how a mission house in the model of St . Gaspar responds to the signs of these times . I can see a mission house at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in San Francisco where several Precious Blood people minister among the poor , the homeless , youth , and other marginalized groups within the city .
Yes , we have some places that we already call mission houses , but it is not enough to call a place where to or three members live together a mission house . The members must be intentional in their desire to model their community and mission after the vision of St . Gaspar . During this coming year as we prepare for the Community Life Symposium , this will be one of the key ingredients of our evolution into a new creation . In the words of the 2013 General Assembly challenge , we will “ engage in a series of significant guided conversations about what it means to live authentically and what it means to live a simple lifestyle .”
We will dialogue about Gaspar ’ s vision of a mission house and we will seek to incorporate the values and essential ingredients in that vision into a lived reality . Gaspar Mission House in Kansas City , Schaefer Mission House in Liberty , Sonnino Mission House in Berkeley will not just be places where members live under the same roof . Rather , the members will be intentional in their living together . These will not be “ closed ” houses or “ private ” dwellings ; they will be places where others will gather who are seeking to find community , a listening heart , a challenging word , hospitality , and hope .
Also , as part of this year ’ s dialogue among members and companions , one of the mandates from the 2013 General Assembly is “ to deepen our commitment to working towards the fullest participation possible of lay associates in our communal life , spirituality , and apostolic work .” The Companion movement continues to grow not just in numbers but also in a deepening commitment to living out the spirituality of the Precious Blood in our lives . Ours is an incarnational spirituality and it must be lived or else it will atrophy and be of no use in a world that is crying out for reconciliation .
We will dialogue about continuing to develop Precious Blood Renewal Center ( pbrc ) into a place of refuge , refreshment , reconciliation , and renewal . Because of the requests we receive for larger groups and the lack of space available , leadership believes it is necessary to remodel Stukenborg Mission House into a larger conference space for day groups . During my first-term as provincial , in response to the General Assembly ’ s call to develop a new ministry or expand a present ministry , the provincial council proposed expanding the ministry of renewal at Precious Blood Center . The members expressed a reluctance to build a new building on our property at Liberty . But the requests continue and our space remains limited . At our August gathering of members , at least three priests expressed a desire to work in the ministry of renewal at pbrc in the future .
Leadership is now proposing making Schaefer Mission House a residence for members and transforming Stukenborg Mission House into a space for large groups to gather for renewal . This will be an expensive proposition , but as Father Ron Will reminded us in his column in last month ’ s New Wine Press , when we are committed to living out our charism , when we are good stewards of the resources we have been given , we are blessed beyond measure . In commemoration of the Holy Year of Mercy , we dedicated the Reconciliation continued on page 9
4 • The New Wine Press • December 2016