May 25, 2005

Burbank, Illinois

The following is a report compiled from deliberations at the April and May meetings of the PLT-elect.

Representatives from each province reviewed their respective plans for celebrating their histories. In Canada, members of the PLT will travel to four regions of the province in June to conduct an open-ended ritual centered on the theme of resurrection. Brother Rice Province has asked each of its communities to plan a celebration. Prayer services are being sent to all communities which will allow members on June 18 to join with the brothers and Edmund Rice colleagues in the Chicago area who will be gathering in Joliet for a special Mass and dinner. The Eastern American Province has invited Brothers and Edmund Rice colleagues to "Heritage Day" on June 18 in New Rochelle. A program of prayer, historical reflection, and storytelling will conclude with a picnic celebration.

Manila Conference

The PLT elected Brian Walsh, Dan Casey, and Kevin Griffith to accompany Hugh O’Neill and Nick Morris to the Leadership Conference of the Congregation to be held in Manila, the Philippines, January 15-25, 2006.

The meeting will take place at the Redemptorist Renewal Center at Picture Rocks in Tucson, Arizona, beginning with registration between 3 and 5 PM on November 11, 2005, and continuing until noon on November 14. Participants must arrive in time to register and plan to depart after noon on November 14.

The themes of the meeting will be Heart-Centered Spirituality and Visioning for the Future of Restructuring.

The objectives of the meeting will be sharing the PLT's vision & goals and gathering feedback for the Manila conference.

The PLT agreed the name of the restructured province will be Edmund Rice Christian Brothers North America. In bylaws and in other legal and formal settings, "a province of the Congregation of Christian Brothers" will be added to this name.

Web Site

Edmund Rice Christian Brothers North America will inaugurate a web site on July 1. The purpose of the site will be to facilitate communication among the brothers of North America and others in the Edmund Rice Network.

Mark Murphy, Dermot Bray, and Nick Morris will serve on a committee to search for a Province Center. They will use the criteria announced in the recent letter from the PLT, and others from the province will be asked to serve on the committee.

The PLT accepted the recommendation of the Implementation Committee that the committee be dissolved since it had completed its mission. The PLT wishes to thank the committee members Dave Lucas, Kieran Murphy, and Jim Moffett for its quick response to the Cornwall mandate and for presenting the new PLT with valuable foundation work. The team also thanks Dave McMahon for his assistance to both the Implementation Committee and the PLT. Dave worked with both groups in note taking, organizing meetings, preparing documents, and countless other valuable areas.

The PLT will gather again on July 1, 2005, in Vancouver, BC. This meeting will begin with a ritual and celebration of the new province, continue with a three-day retreat, and close with a four-day working session.