Seventy join order's associate program

Associates are lay men and women ages 18 and up who commit to living the charisms of a certain religious order. For CSJ Associates, this means focusing on unity and reconciliation.

"We get married people, retired people, young people who would not enter religious life," explained program co-director Sister Monica Murphy, CSJ. She noted that while associates don't take vows as clergy or women religious do, they do "add a spiritual dimension" to their daily lives.

Why they join

Mrs. O'Neil was a Sister of St. Joseph herself for six years but left the order and later decided to become an associate.

"It's a like desire," she said of her inner urge to join the group. "You're with people who support the same spiritual desires you have."

A teacher for 30 years, Mrs. O'Neil said being an associate has given a new dimension to her life. She used the example of having a difficult student: Living the charisms of unity and reconciliation helps her in dealing with such students and having conferences with their parents.

Specialty

Associates meet monthly to pray and share together. Mrs. O'Neil noted that the group may also read a book on spirituality or listen to a guest speaker. In addition, associates attend an annual retreat and do volunteer work to support the CSJs, from golf tournaments to ziti dinners.

There are groups in the Albany, Amsterdam and "north country" areas, as well as in Syracuse, Utica/Rome and Binghamton. Every year, a commitment ceremony allows associates to renew their commitment and new ones to join.

Getting together

"It was wonderful to hear [people] saying, `Our spiritual life is so tied into the spiritual life of the Sisters of St. Joseph. I do [my job] with the vision of unity and reconciliation,'" she explained.

This year's commitment ceremony was held May 20 at St. Joseph's Provincial House in Latham. Sister Monica said that the CSJ Associates program is not only "growing by leaps and bounds," but may represent the future of vocations.

"Everybody doesn't want to join religious life," she stated. "I think there will be temporary vocations -- and why not have this program they can move into? Maybe vocations are not dying out; maybe they're just changing."

(For more information on the CSJ Associates, email [email protected] or [email protected], or call Sister Dorothy Bunal at 315-593-8150.)

(05-24-01) [[In-content Ad]]