Spiritan Missionary News
Lay Spiritans: an expanded vision
For a number of years, in an increasing number of countries, lay people have been expressing an interest in our Spiritan family. Some are drawn by our way of life, others by our spirituality, others by the work we do, still others by a combination of all three. One result is that we now have women members in our Spiritan family. Lay people and professed Spiritans are in a way being pushed towards each other as companions who find mutual enrichment on their common journey.
Lay Spiritan Associates exist in each of the four North American Provinces: U.S. East and West, Quebec and TransCanada. Dermot and Deirdre McLoughlin became the first Lay Spiritans in TransCanada in 1975, forming the nucleus of a Toronto-based group that developed around them until they moved to Sioux Lookout in Northern Ontario in 1997. With the relocation of two of the Toronto families, the TransCanada group currently consists of six couples divided into two clusters, a Toronto/Hamilton grouping and a more dispersed Winnipeg/ Sioux Lookout grouping.
Lay Spiritans undertake to work within the Spiritan Congregation in
the building of God's kingdom of Love, Justice and Peace. Committed
to personal prayer, community and the defence of the weak and
marginalized, they engage in a wide variety of Justice and Peace
activities through their involvement with the First Nations people of
Canada, development and peace, racism issues, education, medical
ethics, conflict resolution, refugees and immigrants. 
The
lay Spiritans belong to various Spiritan committees and join with
the professed Spiritans on spiritual, social and decision-making
occasions. Their everyday world of family, work and civic interaction
is a unique site of lay ministry and witness which benefits from the
vision they bring and the choices they make in their family,
professional and social lives. They do not come empty-handed, in fact
they bring valuable experience, talents and skills to the
Congregation. They support or take responsibility for specific
Spiritan works, initiate new areas of ministry, and bring a Spiritan
spirituality to areas of secular life which they can access more
easily than the professed Spiritans.
One day in my English class for New Canadians
we were discussing the different ways we use the future tense: 'We
will, we are going to, tomorrowÉ' I went on and on and sensed
they were getting more and more uncomfortable. Finally one woman said
to me, 'Anne, I don't talk about the future.'The whole class chorused
their agreement. 'I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. Maybe
I'll be dead.' Other students said,'We can talk about the past, but
if you want to talk about the future, you have to say In shallah
before you say anything. You have to say God willing.' The class was
mostly Muslim.
Anne MacGregor O'Neill
Toronto
Much of my past few years has been spent in communities north of the road system with the First Nations people, the Ojibway and Cree. There has been much sadness and tragedy in their lives. Many a time I have sat with the families of suicide victims. I have felt helpless and completely powerless and often asked myself, "What am I doing here? Am I being intrusive? Should I leave?" Yet each time I know I am where I should be, and the fact that I am an older woman makes it even more important that I stay. If someone talks, you sit still and listen, if someone holds your hand or weeps on your shoulder, these are silent words. Listen, enter into the pain and wait.
Deirdre McLoughlin
Sioux Lookout, Ontario
The witness of the Spiritan confreres of TransCanada and my fellow lay Spiritans, the warm welcome I always receive, the sense of belonging to an international, multicultural global community, the insights shared during our regular home liturgies, the life of our founders - all these things continually call me to try harder to live up to the Spiritan charism.
Joy Warner
Hamilton, Ontario
