Back: Ron Bruns, Stephen Synnott, Bernie Porter rscj, Mark Freeman; Front: Helen Harrington, Yuka Arita rscj, Genelle Stock, Ana María Uribe rscj
IFC at the Vatican
The International Finance Commission (IFC) met at the Mother House from 12th to 16th May 2014. With new members and lay advisors in attendance, they had a rich resource of perspective and background on which to base their reflections and debates. It was a great joy for them to be together at the Papal audience on Wednesday morning, as this gave them an additional sense of our context in the Church as they reviewed the financial agenda of the Society.
Here are some of their reflections after the meeting:
For me attending our international meetings is always a gift and this meeting in particular was very life-giving. This was not only because of the topics we addressed, but also for the variety of people attending the meeting and the sense of participation and contribution of each one. Once again I feel that lay people’s contribution is a great gift in the life of our “little Society”.
The 5-day IFC meeting this year made me feel the sense of belongingness to ONE BODY as the Society of the Sacred Heart in our searching together for the better future in this globalized world where the gaps in many aspects are getting bigger and bigger. The meeting was enriched even more by collaboration with our lay provincial treasurers and consultants who have been working with us and caring for us, so that we may live out the triple fidelities, namely: the fidelity to the members of the Society, fidelity to its mission, and fidelity to the call to live in solidarity with those who lack the necessities of life.
It is very different to work for the Society than working for a business. With the Society it is to work for community, not just the stewardship of assets. I feel this meeting has helped me to get a better picture of the ‘whole community’ of the International congregation.
The meeting and interactions we had opened my mind to the similarity of dilemmas faced by the Global North and South, and not just the differences.
Presentations by Mark and Helen were the highlights of the week. They brought together significant amount of data collected from the provinces of the Society and presented these in the context of the future of the Society. I thought that the information was very enlightening, particularly the report which was presented in a regionalized context.
This was the first time that the International Finance Commission of the Society had more lay persons present than RSCJ. For me, the meeting was truly about sharing a sense of stewardship among ourselves and in the wider International context.
Thank you for involving me in the entire week, I really found it a helpful process in getting to better know the Society, as well as collaborating with the Members of the IFC.
Reflecting on the IFC meeting each year is one of joy as it always surprises me how much information is digested, discussion, debated and also reflected upon in such a short time. The changes through the years to the IFC membership has helped to increase the knowledge that the General Treasurer is able to draw upon when studying the issues and demands that the Society faces in the future. Thank you for allowing those not part of the IFC to attend and gain a better and deeper understanding of the Society to assist us in the work that we undertake for the Society.