Vocation: Sister Disciples Of The Divine Master

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A Pauline Centenary Pastoral Tool

PAULINE SPIRITUALITY AND MISSION, n. 6 ***

THE COLLABORATION OF WOMEN IN THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH: IN THE MIND OF JAMES ALBERIONE

The Pauline Family is part of this universal Church, and we share our services with the Church through our apostolate. Here we will briefly reflect on the involvement of women in the life of the Pauline Family.

I. JAMES ALBERIONE'S THOUGHTS ON WOMEN RELIGIOUS IN GENERAL

For the sisters, as far back as 1911, James Alberione began writing a book, "Woman Associated with Priestly Zeal", to show how much a woman can do in collaboration with the priest. He explains in particular what she can do in the field of the apostolate of the press and in the social and pastoral apostolate. This possibility is particularly great if we speak of a woman consecrated to God, a sister (AD 109). In a society almost entirely dominated by men, Father James called on women to have their own share of responsibility and participation in the community life of society and of the Church. Father James Alberione encouraged the sisters to "go and preach according to your nature, according to what a woman, a sister can do". Thus he opened the avenue to women to have a fully proportioned share in decision-making and to overcome discrimination against them. It is a mission reminiscent of that of Mary beside Jesus. Mary, Mother of Jesus, is beside him, not only in the hidden life, but also in the sorrowful life and then in the life of glory.

Again Fr. Alberione exhorts, "Your mission must be looked at from that point of view, at its highest peak. Everything that feeds the Christian life is a function of grace and merit." Father James gave to the sisters the noble mission of emulating Jesus' liberated attitudes and relationship with women. Jesus refused to conform to the effort of the sexist culture of his time which tried to constrict women to secondary roles, as illustrated in the story of Mary and Martha.(Luke 10:38) Jesus treated women with the same respect as he treated men, freely sharing with them his new understanding of spiritual reality. Father Alberione's attitude towards the role of sisters reflected this kind of thinking. In the physical order, man is incomplete without a woman, for although he may be strong, he lacks a woman's grace; though he may have intelligence, a woman has a heart, together they complete each other (AD 49).

II. THE FEMININE CONGREGATIONS IN THE PAULINE FAMILY

Fr. James Alberione, founder of the Pauline Family, founded not only Institutes for men but also for women. He founded four feminine congregations.

Daughters of Saint Paul

The first of these Congregations is the Daughters of St. Paul. Father James Alberione founded the Congregation of the Daughters of St Paul in 1915 in order that they might be apostles consecrated in the Church for the proclamation of the Gospel through the media of social communications. In bringing to realization this charism, the Holy Spirit involved in a unique way Sister Thecla Merlo, Mother and co-foundress of the Institute and a true woman associated with priestly zeal, who collaborated in the work of the Founder with fidelity and wisdom. Father James began his theology of women's liberation by inviting them to full participation in the apostolate of the media as women.

Sister Disciples of the Divine Master

Father Alberione founded another Congregation of women who would serve the Church through their apostolate in association with priests and in the Pauline Family. Through his personal experiences, and through reading books so as to absorb the spirit of the liturgy, he was very capable of preparing the liturgical ceremonies in a manner which was both suitable and beautiful (AD 72). With this in mind, he founded the Congregation of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master in 1924 with an exclusively liturgical orientation (AD 74). Though liturgy comprehends the whole prayer life of the Church and of all Christians, it tends to get fossilized along with the culture in which the liturgical forms are elaborated.

Father James envisaged a Congregation ideally constituted to keep the liturgy alive and meaningful as befits a praying community, to provide unity through Eucharistic adoration, missionary solidarity and affirmation through contemplative and apostolic life.

To the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master he wrote, "Therefore, you will continue your work, your prayer for priests in the active ministry, for sick priests, for deceased priests. You will have a special share in the fruits of the Masses, prayers and apostolate of the priests."

Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd

Father James Alberione founded another religious Congregation of women. It seems that he was not satisfied with one or two Congregations, but hungered for more to serve God in different fields of the church. In 1938 he founded the Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd as collaborators with pastors (AD 82). He told them, "There was a moment when I was tempted not to give a rule to the Pastorelle, except that of looking always at Jesus the Good Shepherd and living like him."

The mission of the sisters is to live and work in the outskirts of the city, in parishes, to be at the disposal of the people of God, with no count of the cost of personal energy, no limitation of time and space. The mission of the sisters is a pastoral way to be in the world, a call from Christ to be at his side, to share his mission, to announce the good news to children, youth and laborers, to set them free from psychological and social bondage, to heal through human and religious values. The sisters especially nourished a particular love for those who are poor, the lonely, the sick, and the aged. He began to pray for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1908 (AD 46) and considered the pastoral spirit a great treasure. He wrote, also this treasure of the Pauline Family matured and was obtained like the others: through the action and light of Jesus Host and through the assignments given to him and carried out in obedience. (AD 82).

Sisters of Mary Queen of Apostles

After the foundation of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Fr. Alberione founded another Congregation of women. His desire for another women's Congregation grew stronger and he continued to give to the Church more women through the apostolate of promoting vocations, with the motto " all vocations for all apostolates". Fr. Alberione founded the Apostoline Sisters, Institute of the Sisters of Mary Queen of Apostles, in 1957 with the mission of praying and promoting vocations.

These female congregations have long served the Church and are continuing to serve in their own specific apostolates. Each Institute has its own specific apostolate but all work towards one goal, that is, to serve the Lord through their specific mission.

III. THOUGHTS FROM ALBERIONE'S BOOK "WOMEN ASSOCIATED TO THE PRIESTLY ZEAL"

In the book "Woman Associated to Priestly Zeal", Fr. Alberione expressed his ideas in the manner then possible at that time. However, he did not restrict himself to this, he shed light on the apostolate of the woman working in union with and under the direction of the apostolate of the priest.

If this is the mission of women, it follows that priests and women meet in the same vocation, that they ought to work in the same field. In a disorderly manner, depending on taste, without anyone regulating and directing the work? No, the army of women must have its captain in the priest. The priest has been established by God to save souls: and he is answerable to it together with women. It is, however, the task of the priest to guide his army to victory. In his book, Fr. Alberione affirms the value of the collaboration of women with the priest. Like St Paul, he upholds the dignity and role of women in the Church.

The following affirmations are highlighted by Blessed James Alberione in the book of "Woman Associated with Priestly Zeal" and are of great value:

• The man--woman relationship is not achieved only in marriage in as much as it can be and should be achieved also in an apostolic association between women and priests.

• Pastoral work ought to be renewed by adopting the collaboration of woman, as the first and most important means for achieving the salvation of man.

• The Pauline Family therefore is challenged to uphold the dignity of women in the pastoral apostolate by letting them get involve in this ministry, and women are challenged to live according to the dignity that the Lord had given them.

The Sister Disciples of the Divine Master have the privilege to possess this dimension of the apostolate and to be associated in the ministry of the priests. We are encouraged to do it with faith and love as our first sisters had done it. Even though the road they trod was difficult, and they encountered many hardships in their journey, they were women with great courage and faith who persevered until the end. Likewise, we are to be women of the Gospel, women with a spirit of mission; women who love to serve the Lord with the spirit of sacrifices.

Here exists the strong bond that unites the priest and woman: the common vocation, and here is the obligation of the priest of a careful and prudent direction to woman in the choice of means. Here we find the duty of the woman to be humble, docile to the advice of the priest.

CONCLUSION

The awareness that women, with their own gifts and tasks, have their own specific vocation has increased and been deepened in the years following the Council, and has found its fundamental inspiration in the Gospel and the Church's history. In fact, for the believer, the Gospel, namely, the word and example of Jesus Christ, remains the necessary and decisive point of reference. In no other moment in history is this fact more fruitful and innovative.

It is necessary to reflect on the contribution that woman can make to the Church and to humanity by reason of the strength and dedication natural to her. This is the reason the Pauline Family was not intended for men alone. The Lord willed that it be composed of women also. Within the great variety of different and complementary gifts that enrich ecclesial life, many important possibilities are open to women. In our world today, women are taking active roles in the life of the church and in our societies. Let us be thankful for the many contributions women have made in the life of the Church and its mission.

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