The Major Superiors of the Priests of the Sacred Heart have been meeting at the Generalate in Rome since November 28. Today they were joined by the secretaries of the various entities who are there from December 1-7 for a workshop. In the morning each group had its own program but in the afternoon they came together for shared training sessions on juridical procedures.
Not just an administrator
The secretaries’ workshop opened with three people sharing their personal experience of the job: Fr. Pedro Iglesias Curto (general secretary), Br. Frank Presto (provincial secretary of the US Province) and Katerina Bactler-Großmann (provincial secretary of Germany).
“I feel very humble speaking to you since most of the secretaries here have a lot more experience than me,” said Fr. Pedro. He succeeded Fr. Heru Ismadi as general secretary only four months ago.
As is often the case, the request to be secretary came as a surprise to Fr. Pedro. Administration is a task to which few priests and religious aspire. “It is easy to just think ‘somebody has to do it,’ and accept it, hoping that it won’t last too long” he said. “It is what I thought.
“But there is a spirituality to the work of the secretary. Don’t look at the other things that you could be doing, such as pastoral ministry. There is no contrast between administration and pastoral ministry.”
Both, he emphasized, are a way to live the Dehonian charism and to minister to people, often one’s own confreres at very challenging or sensitive times in their lives.
“We have a great responsibility.”
What are the skills needed?
Br. Frank spoke about some of the specifics of his work and the skills that are helpful for a secretary, such as a working knowledge of canon law as it applies to religious institutes, a strong knowledge of the Rule of Life, good communication skills (the secretary often “ghost writes” letters for the superior) and the ability to plan events such as council meetings and election assemblies.
He reminded his fellow secretaries that “This is a ministry of service to your entity, to the Congregation and to the entire Church. Don’t let anyone downplay your service –– ever!”
Katherina comes to the job of provincial secretary from a very different background than Fr. Pedro or Br. Frank. She is not an SCJ, not even a religious. But her tasks are similar to those of Br. Frank. She too highlighted the importance of communication and organizational skills as well as the ability to plan meetings and events.
“Most important is a commitment to being discreet,” she said.
From a Catholic background Katherina said that she was familiar with the traditions of the Church but it took her awhile to learn the inner workings of a religious community, in particular, the Dehonians. In doing so, she has gained an appreciation for the community.
“I very much appreciate the way that SCJs’ skills are rooted in their spirituality,” she said. “They may be trained priests and even theologians, but at the same time they can be teachers, economists and development workers. I think that it gives them a better understanding of people and their concerns and needs.”
Photos!
Click here to access photo albums from the Major Superiors Meeting.
Click here to go to Dehonians Worldwide where all photos from the days are being posted.
