Chapter Commitment Statement
A Chapter, in Franciscan terms, is a legislative body made up of representatives from the congregation which meets every four years.
Functions of the general chapter include examining the life of the congregation in light of the gospel, the call of the church, the call of Francis, and the charism of the congregation as well as giving the congregation new impetus to meet the demands of its mission. The Chapter Steering Committee prepares the agenda, organizes reports, and elects Congregational leaders.
A new Chapter Commitment Statement is the product of this formal gathering. It outlines themes for action to be taken over the subsequent four years and seeks to describe how the mission can best be incarnated within the spirit of the times.
The quadrennial Clinton Franciscan chapter is similar to that of many congregations of men and women religious worldwide and embodies the fundamental nature of community life: shared responsibility and mutual commitment. It culminates four years of preparation: study, prayer and dialogue.
What follows is the current Chapter Commitment Statement of the Clinton Franciscans, issued in 2008
2008 Chapter Commitment Statement
Called to conversion and transformation, we will grow intentionally in our knowledge and experience of Franciscan spirituality and contemplation. To live our corporate mission of active nonviolence and peacemaking and to answer our prophetic Franciscan call to be messengers of God's peace, WE WILL ...
- Live more fully as sisters and brothers with each other and with creation;
- Be accountable to one another as an expression of our common life;
- Study, discuss, and experience various modes of common prayer;
- Expand and extend our Clinton Franciscan family;
- Integrate our personal and communal Franciscan spirituality with our mission of active nonviolence and peacemaking;
- Allocate resources to the Center for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking to facilitate coordination, collaboration, integration, and internal and external communication;
- Initiate the formation of experimental peace communities and/or ministries;
- Respond to the gospel call by relating as sister and brother with persons who are economically poor and/or marginalized;Care for our earth by practicing and promoting conservation, mindful consumption, and by working toward a sustainable way of living.
Affirmed: July 22, 2008, The Canticle, Clinton, Iowa
