Young Religious
Supporting Religious in the Early Years
At the request of CMSM members, programming is being developed for and with younger religious, focusing on those within five years of final vows or ordination. The planning team – younger religious, CMSM’s executive director, and CMSM staff – is developing events and resources to strengthen life and ministry of religious during the early years, build fraternity across community, and develop skills for ministry and leadership.
Priority Areas
- Fraternal support across community and by area of apostolic ministry
- Joys and challenges of religious life
- Healthy transition from formation to apostolic ministry
- Intergenerational living
- Developing leadership skills
Northern California Young Religious Day of Reflection – May 21, 2022
Vowed Religious Men (who have made final vows 10 years or less) are invited for a day of fellowship and prayer, in collaboration with The Conference of Major Superiors of Men. Join to meet other young religious men in our region at Santa Clara University to reflect on our ministry in the past year and discern how God is calling us, through our charism, to be on mission in the year ahead.
CMSM National Assembly 2022 – Young Religious Gathering
Join other young religious (made final vows 10 years or less) from across the nation as we explore the practical implementation of co-responsibility. The Young Religious Track of the Assembly will reflect on how we live out co-responsibility among our religious communities, among fellow men’s religious communities, and among the baptized in our sponsored ministries.
Fratelli Tutti: Dialogue & Friendship in Religious Life
May 12, 2021
Pope Francis’ encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, offers a straightforward, yet challenging, set of expectations for building community that go beyond mere tolerance to love.
His Holiness defines social friendship as “a love capable of transcending borders.” In calling for genuine love, he notes, “Our love for others, for who they are, moves us to seek the best for their lives. Only by cultivating this way of relating to one another will we make possible a social friendship that excludes no one and a fraternity that is open to all.”
In an online conversation, facilitated by Rev. Ryan Richardson, LC, our reflectors consider what this friendship actually looks like in our own religious communities and common challenges for community life.
Very Rev. Bradley Vanden Branden, O.Praem
Bro. Chris Patiño, FSC
Rev. Rich Gula, PSS
Religious Life and Ministry in this Moment
August 2020
Most Reverend Elias Lorenzo, OSB, auxiliary bishop of Newark and past Abbot President of the American-Cassinese Congregation, was our keynote presenter for A Conversation for Young Religious: Religious Life and Ministry in this Moment, which was held online following CMSM’s National Assembly.