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 eleven Apostles, and two women disciples all receiving the Holy Spirit. In many ways it is an image of communal life. We are together with one another and the Holy Spirit is with us. Sometimes it may be difficult to see the action of the Holy Spirit due to the various needs and concerns of communal life. We are not alone, however. We are in the community of faith, the Church, and among our brothers in community as well as with others who share our spirituality or collaborate with us. We have all been given the gifts of the Holy Spirit who guides us in our discernment and action.
Communal discernment offers us an opportunity to recognize where God is guiding us today. Part of discernment is gathering information and being in dialogue with God and one another. We have opportunities to learn from others outside of our communities which broadens our view and maybe even challenges it. The 2026 CMSM National Assembly, which will focus on communal life today, offers such an opportunity to learn from others and discern more deeply how the Holy Spirit is calling us today. We hope that you will be able to join us July 20-23 in Phoenix, Arizona.
| Frank Donio, SAC
Executive Director |
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This is an excerpt from the May 2026 Items of Note. Items of Note is a monthly email for CMSM members and partners. If you are not receiving Items of Note once a month via email, please email contact@cmsm.org.
