An ad hoc committee of the sick and retired directorate is studying retirement programs developed by other religious communities and working on a proposal for a workshop for Holy Name Province friars who are transitioning into retirement. The workshop will reflect a developmental approach in which a friar’s life is seen as a continuum – with successive stages building on the ones before them.
In this context, retirement is not seen as the lamentable “end of the line” for a friar, but rather as an active part of life in which he takes the initiative in shaping. A healthily discerned retirement can provide a friar with the opportunity to draw sustenance and fulfillment. At the same time, he can know he is continuing to contribute significantly to his local community – as well as the Province, Order, Church and the world.
The ad hoc committee dealing with retirement issues convened in Butler on Aug. 13. The group consists of sick and retired directorate members Francis Soucy, Kevin Kriso and John Leonard. James Kelly participated as a representative of the wellness subcommittee.