John Freund, CM
Author
Participating in WYD via a modern miracle
It has been referred to as a "Catholic Woodstock" and a 21st-century version of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Whatever the description, the expectation is that more than one million youth will make a pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland June 26-31 for World Youth Day. The...
GO To Where The Need Is
Do I actively seek and welcome all to the table?
Something we can all agree on about elections
Tuesdays as a day of prayer and fasting for elections USA
Ozanam on systemic change – little known insights
His insights on what we would call today “systemic change” reveal a profoundly deep thinker and critic of a piecemeal approach to serving the poor.
Vincent – balancing basics
After 50 years of priesthood I still struggle with the issues of balancing basics. Having been ordained in 1965 I was quickly exposed to a spirit of activism. I remember being very caught up with the concept of “leaving God for God.” After all, Vincent expressed that...
Who Do We Represent?
It is no secret that we tend to label people very quickly. No doubt there is some utility to labels even if today they are used like arrows of insult. Labels try to identify who we represent. To my mind labels lead a question for followers of Vincent and Louise. "Who...
What must be done – Framing the questions
Seeds of future systemic changes....Father Gregory Gay, during his twelve years as Superior General, consistently invited us to think beyond what we were accustomed to, especially in terms of collaboration for systemic change. Here are the questions that he presented...
St. Vincent, Kevin Spacey and sending the elevator back down
An elevator goes up, goes down. People get on and off. I live in a large Vincentian community facility where at 78 I like to think I am in the mid-range age group of this community (okay maybe upper). It is no surprise that the elevator is crucial for so many of us....
Appreciative Discernment and Vincentians
During the three weeks of the 42nd General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission the delegates will frequently employ a method called Appreciative Discernment (AD) or appreciative inquiry (AI). The material following the definition of AD/AI is adapted from a...
A bishop experiences homelessness for 36 hours
The headline cried "Saskatoon bishop tries out homelessness for 36 hours in charity challenge". It caught my attention. Perhaps because Father Pat Griffin eloquently reminded us recently that Vincent felt the pain for the poor... and they knew that. An undeniable...