Thank you for agreeing to serve as a member of one of the Assembly working groups. Your participation will be important as we move from the initial ideas and themes of the Assembly toward deeper discernment and, ultimately, potential proposals for the 2027 Provincial Chapter.

Before getting into the details of the working groups, I want to say a few words about our life and our existence. Our mission as Passionists is to keep alive the memory of the Passion of Christ. That single mission is carried out in a great variety of ways, and all of them complement the apostolic works of Holy Cross Province. None of these ministries stands above another. There is no hierarchy in which one is more important than the rest. Each is simply a different way of keeping the memory of the Cross alive among God's people.

And when we are most authentic in this mission, it isn't about us changing others as much as it is about the truth and wisdom of the Cross changing ourselves. This Mission-in-Reverse is the real gift that we receive from God. This is the kenosis, the self-emptying that we profess: "He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave." In a most paradoxical way, as we do the work, we find that we are the ones being changed.

With this in mind, I invite you into this next phase of the Assembly's work.

The Working Group Member Guide [PDF] provides additional context for the working groups, the strategic questions and areas for exploration for each working group, the common process we will use, and some suggestions for beginning your work.

We want to highlight two things as you prepare to begin:

First, this work depends on broad participation.
The Province's capacity for change, growth, creativity, and renewal is directly connected to how many people are willing and able to participate meaningfully. We don't want the work to fall primarily on the same people who already carry multiple committees and responsibilities.

The working groups will be strongest, and our vision for the Province will be broader, when they include a diversity of voices, experiences, gifts, and perspectives. Your own experience and perspective are an important part of that diversity.

Second, good process and deep passion belong together.
As one participant aptly emphasized during the August 10 Post-Assembly meeting, we want to nourish and expand the things we are passionate about that connect to the work we are doing. The Working Group Member Guide offers a framework to help the working groups listen, learn, connect, imagine, and discern, but the process is meant to serve the discernment, not replace it.

We hope you will bring to the working group what you care deeply about:  your experiences, hopes, concerns, questions, and dreams for the future of the Passionist Family. When something generates particular energy or excitement, don't be afraid to pause and explore it. Some of the most important possibilities may emerge from the things people feel most compelled to pursue.

Throughout the process, we want to ask not only "What are we learning?" but also "What are we becoming increasingly passionate about?" and "What do we now feel compelled to explore further?"

Your role is not simply to complete an assignment or produce a proposal. It is to participate in a process of listening, learning, imagining, and discernment—and to help the working group discover where the Spirit may be leading us.

Thank you again for your willingness to participate in this important work. We look forward to seeing what emerges as we enter this next phase of preparing for the Chapter together.

With gratitude,

Fr. David Colhour, CP, and The Provincial Leadership Team