In the tradition of my own religious community, the Pallottines, our patroness is Mary, Queen of Apostles, whose feast day is the day before Pentecost. The image commissioned by St. Vincent Pallotti, the founder of my community, is of the Cenacle, the Upper Room, at Pentecost. It depicts Mary, the

“And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:15-16) In leadership and in community life, we sometimes lose the presence of Jesus walking with us, accompanying us. It is not purposeful.

Last week, we had our New Leader Workshop. Some of the leaders were major superiors and some were councilors. They were from jurisdictions large and small, from monastic communities to societies of apostolic life. Those gathered were a microcosm of CMSM. The concerns and issues, though, were similar, which is true

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the traditional disciplines of Lent, but we as men religious often do these practices either individually or communally at various times throughout the year. In some ways, they are built into the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. What can we do in the