In the last quarter of the twentieth century, an intense awareness was awakening in the church as to the importance of social justice. Questions were being raised concerning the morality of nuclear war, racism, violence against women, the pollution of the environment, and systemic poverty. Benedictine women felt called to articulate their vision of a just and peaceful world for all, and to acknowledge their obligation to promote this vision by word and example.
Although prayer for justice and stewardship was considered essential, the women also experienced God calling them to prophetic words and actions. Sister Johnette Putnam of the writing committee commented, We were deep into the period of social justice concerns. We wanted to address how the Benedictine charism, tradition, and historical examples could be brought to bear on the problems confronting the larger society. She identified this document as prophetic:
It addressed to the church and society a Gospel response to these concerns. I think it did raise consciousness among our members and gave to those who were in the social justice ministry a leg to stand on because it was from those within the tradition approving these ministries for justice and peace and calling for response out of a sound Benedictine rationale.(1)
Another member of the committee, Sister Mary Elizabeth Mason, summarized the significant points of this document as:
the frequent mention of materialism - an insidious and pervasive temptation for American monastics; monastic witness to simplicity; preferential option for the marginalized; moderation/balance in our lifestyle; community resources/investments wisely administered; consciousness-raising and value clarification for ourselves.(2)
She also noted that this document was timely for two reasons. First, as Americans we needed to acknowledge the rich resources of our continent and our responsibility of faithful stewardship. Secondly, apostolic communities were clarifying their positions on evangelical poverty. Thus, it was timely for monastic women to articulate the cenobitic understanding of poverty and of such other terms as goods and neediness and stewardship as significant, even revolutionary.(3)
Not every community was ready to enter into the social justice arena at this
time. Many were still reeling from internal combustion over such concerns as
the modification of the habit, revisions of the Liturgy of the Hours, daily
Mass requirement, and retirement needs of an aging population. Some did not
have the energy to encounter the problems of the wider world. Sister Christine
Vladimiroff wrote that when this document was written in 1980:
Most monasteries were not intensely aware of the crisis of the environment,
pollution, and ecology as a system. Progress through technology was seen as
a solution, rather than a respect for the whole ecosystem of which we are a
part and not necessarily the center.(4)
Because communities were at various levels of awareness and involvement in social justice issues, the committee worked to keep the spirituality focus and not get overly technical or detailed. She noted that key organizing points were the foci of contemplative vision and community, thus laying a foundation for further study and action for communities.
Sister Mary Lou Kownacki recalled that Benedictine women were hoping for a corporate Benedictine vision with this docu-ment. Yet there was a problem trying to stay on the cutting edge . . . without frightening people into paralysis. She feels that many of the challenges of this document still have not been addressed by Benedictines. (5)
At the Conference meeting in June, 1980, at Saint Joseph, Minnesota, the writing committee and prioresses finalized the document. Special guests and consultant-reactors were invited to this meeting. Mother Gertrud Link, OSB, from the Roman Generalate of the Tutzing Missionary Benedictines brought an international perspective to the dialogue. Other participants were Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, and Sister Mary Evelyn Jegen, SND, both authorities on issues of peace and ecology. A letter to the Conference from President Joan Chittister, November 28, 1980, indicates the high regard given to this latest document:
Because they were touched by the consciousness and concern shown by American Benedictine Prioresses in the adoption of Upon This Tradition III: Of All Good Gifts, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton and Sister Mary Evelyn Jegen, as President and National Coordinator of Pax Christi USA, asked for the right to publish an abridged version of it in their Stewardship Papers, Issue #4. The other presidents and I felt that since the audience would be different and since our purpose in publishing these documents is to effect social change as well as to develop a library of our own studies, the fact that this publication would pre-date our own release was inconsequential. . . . As Benedictine prioresses we would have the opportunity to make a special contribution to the movement toward world stewardship.
In January, 1987, The CONFERENCE CALL reported that Upon This Tradition I, II, and III had been translated into French, German and Spanish for distribution to monasteries of Benedictine women at the International Symposium of Monastic Life for Women to be held in Rome in October 1987.
NOTES
(1) Johnette Putnam, OSB (Mount Saint Scholastica, Atchison, Kansas), response to editor's questionnaire of June 10, 2000.
(2) Mary Elizabeth Mason, OSB (Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck, North Dakota), response to editor's questionnaire of June 10, 2000.
(3) Ibid.
(4) Christine Vladimiroff, OSB, (Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, Erie, Pennsylvania), response to editor's questionnaire of June 10, 2000.
(5) Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB, (Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, Erie, Pennsylvania), response to editor's questionnaire of June, 10, 2000.
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