The campus of Our Lady of the Lake University in Mundelein, Illinois is where the seminary for the archdiocese of Chicago is located. The road which winds around a lake at the center of the property is a little more than three miles long and studded with beautiful oaks, hickory, maple and stately pine trees.
I was there last week with forty-five other members of my province who were able to be present for our tri-annual meetings called the provincial chapter.
It was good to see old friends and to hear of what’s happening in their lives. Some of them struggle with cancer, addictions, and the complaints of aging. Still, they are a confident and faith filled group trying to maintain focus in an American church wounded by scandal and division.
We Resurrectionists realize that the Catholic Church we serve has been wounded and degraded before by ugly clericalism and debauchery. But, we don’t hide from what needs to be done. We came together to pray for the people we serve and to pray for each other. There was a significant feeling of “were-all-in-this-together.” I saw no discouragement but a readiness to respond to whatever we can still do as Resurrectionists for our American church.
One man stood up at a meeting to testify to the power of Our Lord Jesus in lifting him up out of an addiction. He asked us to consider asking for help if any of us have a similar problem. It is likely that we do and we will remember that man’s powerful witness as an encouragement to do something for the sake of the church and for our own sake.