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Minutes of the last planning meeting for Franciscans Downtown follow this memo. (Should open
in any Wordpad or any word processor, but let me know if you have trouble opening it.)
Thank you
Leo Jacoby
on behalf of Franciscans Downtown
==========================
ACTION ITEMS
1) Next planning meeting, Thursday, September 11, 9:30-11am. All are welcome. Enclosed
minutes report the August 21 meeting.
2) Do you want some experience hosting at the storefront?
∙
take one of two openings (below);
∙
assist Fr. Placid, Fr. Finian, so two persons are available;
∙
offer to extend hours pass the norm (M-F 10am-5pm; Sat 10am-2pm);
∙
identify future dates you are available or how often you would like to help.
If you would like to help, email a reply or contact Fr. Placid directly: [email protected] Cell:
201-663-1652 / Room in Manitowoc: 920-682-3109
September
T 2 Fr. Finian
W 3 Fr. Placid
H 4 Fr. Placid
F 5 Therese & Christine Hytry
S 6 Therese & Christine Hytry
M 8 Fr. Placid
T 9 Fr. Finian
W 10 Fr. Placid
H 11 Fr. Placid
F 12 Fr. Placid
S 13 Fr. Placid
3) Do you support any of these program ideas? When at least four persons support the idea
they will be asked to agree on date & time of first meeting and frequency (if a series), and then
help spread the word. Reply with your interests.
A.
Discussion of articles or a book about or by Pope Francis
B.
Discussion of writings by Richard Rohr, perhaps starting with his latest book, Eager to
Love
C.
Discussion of a popular book (like The Shack) evening time led by Patricia
D.
Poetry Reading, including local poets
E.
Other program idea (will need support of others before you help set date and time)
=======================
FRANCISCANS DOWNTOWN
MINUTES OF MEETING AT 1000 MAIN ST, AUGUST 21, 2014, 9:30-11:10am
AT MEETING: Patricia Benoit; Joanne Chase; Ed Clussman; Sr. Bernetta Ekedahl; Sr.
Barbara; Sr. Rose Grabowski; Therese Hintz; Richard Hoffmann, OFS; Ed Horgan; Leo Jacoby;
Betty Kovac; Gene La Rose; Lois Lawler; Jackie Osowski; Bob & Marlene Stroik; Fr. Placid
Stroik; DROPPED IN: Shannon Benner; Tim Garland; Allan Norman; REGRETS: Walter Clark;
Rick Giese; Matthew Lepak; Christine Petersen; Bonnie Quimby; Ray Stroik.
Prior to the meeting Ed Clussman shared a map directory of downtown Stevens Point businesses
as they were known fifty years ago. The present location (1000 Main St) had been a men’s store
(Andrews and Parkinsons) and a hardware store before that.
After brief introductions Fr. Placid led the group in the Peace Prayer. Words of the prayer echo
themes of a “ministry of presence”– to be among the people in the unfolding of their lives.
That was the mission understanding when Fr. John, the Provincial, last February, approved Fr.
Placid’s idea to inquire about opening a storefront in Stevens Point. Funds were approved for the
initial lease with the expectation of eventual local fund raising to support the mission.
Fr. Placid contacted other Franciscans; family members helped dust the space and move in
donated estate furniture and tables and chairs purchased at UW-SP Surplus.
Leo commented that the number of days since opening June 1 is about the same as the number of
persons who have visited here. Today’s gathering with over a dozen persons gets closer to the
space’s capacity and would be nice to see on a regular basis. On the other hand God may
measure success differently; a single encounter with a person who comes to lay down a heavy
burden is full of grace.
Lois confirmed the value of this place to facilitate listening to our human stories at a deeper
level than is our custom.
Ed Horgan thought the enterprise is interesting but difficult as most people expect you to be
selling something. In response to Ed’s report “I haven’t done much” Fr. Placid shared
reflections of Ronald Rolheiser and a German theologian (Gerhard Lohfink, see note in
appendix) that the church ought not to panic in efforts to re-evangelize. Most persons who
encountered Jesus came did not enlist in a band of followers or become regular “church goers.”
Yet their life was changed. God’s grace unfolds uniquely in each person and there should be no
undue pressure to conform to social and cultural expectations.
Jackie at first wondered if people would feel pushed into religion here, but the choice of movies
and sign seem to indicate a broader intention.
Patricia suggested that extending hours past 5pm may catch younger persons and persons who
are working and not available during the day. Offering movies at night and an occasional simple
community meal (free food!) can also attract people.
She offered to host a book discussion on a popular book, such as “The Shack.” Trained as a
counselor she could also facilitate a program such as “Bridges Out of Poverty” which helps
people examine various assumptions and ways of thinking among different economic
circumstances about time, work, dependency on others and other topics.
Gene asked if all churches, in addition to Catholic parishes, have been contacted yet. Fr. Placid
said that is a goal and some initial contact has been made with Rev. Susan Zencka at Frame
Memorial Presbyterian Church and Mother Jane Johnson at Church of the Intercession, both
downtown churches.
Patricia understands the name “Franciscans Downtown” is not just for Catholics (she is not);
and Ed identified himself as a Lutheran. Bob thought the name “Franciscans Downtown” should
recede as a prominent ID of the place and he likes “Placid’s Place” as a more generic alternative.
Ed disagreed that “Franciscans” is too narrow–they are everywhere and accepted across
denominational lines. Fr. Placid offered an example of a name used by Franciscans who started a
center for women in Green Bay calling it “Wellsprings” to suggest its mission.
Leo agreed a name would ideally echo the mission of a place or project. If the mission is not
clear, consensus on a name will be difficult. There may have been some happenstance on the
choice of “Franciscans Downtown” since the existing sign on the building is “Andrews
Downtown.” (Some may have thought three of the letters in “Andrews” could be salvaged to
spell “Franciscans”.) The name “Franciscans Downtown” does reflect who conceived and is
sponsoring the storefront. Its usage in publicity can recede when specific programs are promoted.
In business terms the landlord, Tim Schertz, calls this venue a “destination location” [retailer
(catalog, store, or website) from whom customers, attracted by its ambience, price, and/or
variety, will make a special effort to buy.] It’s not the name itself, but multiple reasons for
coming that will determine people realizing the capacity of the space. Patricia echoed the need
for a buffet of offerings.
Lois offered two more examples of possible programs: the writing table she set up invites
people to tell their stories in writing–a group interested in autobiography could meet; a
discussion of “Books That Changed My Life” is another topic.
Ed Horgan recalled that the project at St. Stephen’s former convent where “Place of Peace”
found a temporary home had similar ambitions to offer hospitality to a variety of groups
including AA and a Buddhist prayer group. Leo agreed to some similarities but that aim
remained a “dream” since neither the deanery nor the parish extended any such commitment to
the convent building. Ed participates in a prayer group that meets at Arby’s. A variety of prayer
and other groups might find appealing to use, or even rent, space on either level here.
Patricia mentioned that she gets regular notices on her phone of events occurring in the area.
http://www.stevenspointarea.com/mobile/ and http://eventful.com/ are examples of online
posting that might help with publicity, at least for persons who use their phone for this purpose.
Current hours mostly match downtown business hours (M-F, 10am-5pm; Sat. 10am-2pm) but
can be extended with more volunteers, or for events, such as the movie being offered at 6pm as
well as 1pm. Will people feel comfortable coming in the evening when it is dark? Some thought
they would as downtown Stevens Point is relatively safe.
Bob stressed the need for advertising and suggested that submitting a block of bulletin
announcements, such as a 10-week schedule of movies or other events, will make it easier for
churches to contribute publicity notices.
Persons who sent their regrets that they could not attend this meeting include Walter Clark who
sent some ideas to Fr. Placid, such as seeking university students to help design a website,
interior design and other marketing strategies.
In a final reflection on the name of the enterprise Fr. Placid shared one inspiration to call it
“Tertullian’s Place,” whose life and theology written in the early church (2nd Century) reflect
the mission envisioned for this location. (See note in appendix for more on Tertullian.)
Jackie said offers to help host the space should be accepted soon, or volunteers will find other
outlets for their time. In this regard see this note:
Placid provided forms to take home and submit more ideas for
A) Programs (Music, Discussions, Movies, Poetry... others):
1) Name of the Program
2) What day of the week
3) What time of day
4) Leader of the program
5) Stipends? Volunteers
6) Free Will Offerings Donations
B) Publicity for the programs:
1) To Whom?
2) Who does the publicity
C) Lower Level - Quiet Space; Reflection Room; Meditation Area:
1) For Whom?
2) Publicity to invite people to use the space.
You may submit responses anytime to Fr. Placid. You may also check out a website-in-progress
at: franciscans.mixxt.info
At the end of the meeting Nathan Vine stopped in for a photo and interview to insert in
Monday’s Stevens Pont Journal (cf. front page, August 25.)
Corrections and additions can be sent to Leo Jacoby ([email protected]) or shared at the next
meeting.
=============================
Appendix (These theology notes were not part of the meeting)
* The German theologian Fr. Placid referred to is Gerhard Lohfink, a biblical theologian and
author of many books who was a New Testament Professor on the Catholic Theological Faculty
at the University of Tubingen (1976-1986). At that point he resigned his professorship and
moved to Munich, Germany in order that he could live and work within the context of the
Catholic Integrated Community, practicing with others what it meant to live as a
contrast-society. In Jesus and Community (1984) he makes the case that in a day riddled with
individualism, it has always been God’s intention to work through a visible, tangible, concrete
community that lives as a contrast-society in the world, for the sake of the world, and which
attracts non-believers by living what it preaches and by being different without being narrowly
sectarian. Also wrote: Work of God Goes on (The Bible for Christian life) with Linda M.
Maloney (1987); Does God Need the Church? Toward a Theology of the People of God. (1999);
Jesus of Nazareth: What He Wanted, Who He Was with Linda M. Maloney (2012)
* * on Tertullian (and Richard Rohr)
The human soul (everything human) is naturally Christian. To proclaim the Gospel message in
dialogue with the culture of the time as Tertullian did we need to refute a false duality between
sacred and secular. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in
you?" The contradiction between sacred and profane is overcome, because Christ came to
sanctify man and his entire life, to make it sacred again and to unite it with God.**
Fr. Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher bearing witness to the universal
awakening within Christian mysticism and the Perennial Tradition. He is a Franciscan priest of
the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fr. Richard's teaching is grounded in the Franciscan alternative
orthodoxy—practices of contemplation and lived kenosis (self-emptying), expressing itself in
radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized. Here is an excerpt of Rohr in
which he cites Tertullian:
“By the fourth century Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman Empire, which
left us needing to agree on its transcendent truth claims (for example, Jesus is God, God is
Trinity, Mary is a virgin, etc.) instead of experiencing the very “practical steps” of human
enlightenment, the central message of our own transformation into “the divine nature” (2 Peter
1:14), and bringing about a “new creation” on this earth (Galatians 6:15). It became theory over
practice.
“We henceforth concentrated on how to worship Jesus as one united empire instead of following
Jesus in any practical ways (even though he never once said “worship me” but often said “follow
me”). The emperors, not popes or bishops, convened the next few councils of the church, and
their concerns were usually not the healing of the masses but a united empire; and surely not
Jesus clear teaching on nonviolence, simplicity of lifestyle, and healing those on the edge, which
would have derailed the urgent concerns of an empire, as we see to this day.
“Our Christian preoccupation with metaphysics and the future became the avoiding of the
“physics” itself and the present. Endless theorizing, and the taking of sides, opinions about
which we could be right or wrong, trumped and toppled the universally available gift of the
Divine Indwelling, the real “incarnation” which still has the power to change the world.
“As Tertullian, sometimes called the first Western Theologian (ad 166-225), said, “Caro salutis
cardo,” the flesh is the hinge on which salvation swings and the axis on which it hangs. When
Christianity loses its material/physical/earthly interests, it has very little to say about how God
actually loves the world into wholeness. In endless arguing about the Spirit, we too often
avoided both body and soul. Now we suffer the consequences of a bodily addicted and too
often soulless society, while still arguing the abstractions of theology and liturgy, and paying out
an always available Holy Spirit to the very few who meet all the requirements.”
–Richard Rohr, Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
Another Rohr reference to Tertullian can be found in A Lever and a Place to Stand: The
Contemplative Stance, the Active Prayer. “Tertullian [...a precursor of St. Francis?] around the
year 200 writes: ‘If anyone is worried by his family possessions, we advise him, as do many
biblical texts, to scorn worldly things. There can be no better exhortation to the abandonment of
wealth than the example of our Jesus who had no material possessions. He always defended the
poor and He always condemned the rich.’”
Rohr goes on to write
“How did we lose that free position? The church at this point is a nonimperial church, and is still
countercultural. After that AD 313 change of structural position, Christianity will increasingly
accept and even defend the dominant social order, especially in regard to war and money.
Morality becomes individualized into largely sexual morality. It slowly loses its free and
alternative vantage point, which is probably why what we now call “religious life” began and
flourished after 313. People went to the edges of the church and took vows of poverty, living in
satellites that became “little churches,” without ever formally leaving the big Church. But it has
always been a delicate act, as you see in the lives of almost all founders and foundresses.
“....I remember when our novice master told us, almost whispering, ‘You know we
Franciscans are really communists! But don’t tell anybody because that is bad in America.’
“If you look at texts in the hundred years period preceding 313, it is unthinkable that a
Christian would fight in the army. The army is killing Christians; we are at the bottom. By the
year 400, entire army has become Christian, and we are now killing the pagans. In a
two-hundred-year period, we go from being almost complete outsiders to pretty much directing
the inside! Once you are inside you have to defend your power.”