Annual Meeting of the MID Board 1997
The annual Board Meeting of MID was held at Snowmass Abbey in Colorado form October 10-13, 1996. Action was taken and proposed on several issues:
(1) Plans for a Buddhist Commentary on the Rule of Benedict
Patrick Henry, of St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN,. will be editor of the book. There will be a Preface by Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB and articles by Joseph Goldstein of Insight Meditation Center, Norman Fisher, Judith Simmer-Brown of Naropa and possibly others. There is the possibility of having the writers hosted at New Harmony, IN and invite lay and monastic dialogue concerning insights and practices in the Rule of Benedict.
(2) To Foster Educational Exchange with Tibetan Monastics
The program for the next two years will: a) sponsor monks and nuns to learn English, healthcare and computer science in India through DIM in the Bangalore area, and (b) to hold off on an invitation to monasteries in the US in order to give the India program a chance to develop.
(3) MID approves collaboration with the International Monastic Dialogue Bulletin published in Belgium. The Board will disseminate copies through the USA Contact persons and Advisors. Material from the Bulletin will be integrated with the MID Bulletin. The International Bulletin will be advertised in the MID Bulletin.
(4) The Board also tried to establish a priority of issues for planning for the next several years. After much discussion, the Board decided on the following issues: (A) To reflect on the Gethsemani Encounter and further the dialogue around the mystery of suffering and the Cross; (B) To sustain our dialogue with Tibetan Buddists and broaden our dialogue with Buddhists of the Zen and Theravaden Traditions and to extend our dialogue to Hindu (especially Ramanakrishna Vedanta Societies) and Islamic traditions; (C) To emphasize the Christian meditation practice of lectio divina and contemplation in the dialogue with Eastern meditation traditions; and (D) To train our Board, Contact Persons, Superiors, lay collaborators and young scholars on East-West dialogue issues and practices.
(5) The Board discussed but did not make any amendments to our 1993 Mission Statement. That Statement is given here for the purpose of information: Monostatic Interreligious Dialogue is a Board of approximately 15 members elected from the 189 Benedictine and Cistercian communities of North American Board for East-West Dialogue, it was established by the Benedictine Confederation in 1978 to assume a leading role in the dialogue between Christianity and the great religions of the East, in cooperation with all others engaged in this dialogue.
(6) Contact Persons’ Workshop for 1999
The Board will survey Contact Persons to see what topics or needs surface to design a program for training and formation. The topic will be approved by the 1998 Board Meeting. Schuyler, NE was approved as a site. The dates will be the weekend after July 4th, 1999.
(7) The Board moved to obtain a board member who would foster collaborations with Eastern Christian Monastics. Bishop Nicholas Sanra was recommended by Archbishop Rembert Weakland and was unanimously elected to the Boards as an Advisor for a five year term.
(8) Benedictine Internet
Bro. Aaron Raverty, OSB of St. John Collegeville was appointed to serve as MID representative on the Benedictine Internet Committee. There was also discussion regarding the possibility of putting the MID Bulletin on the internet rather than printing and mailing it. Br. Aaron will investigate this possibility and refer the matter to the Board at its next meeting.
(9) Loyola In-Service
Fr Julian von Duerbeck made a report on the Institute formation/training model of adeo for possible inclusion of a few contact persons at their programs (every three years). The Institute model might be borrowed by MID to sponsor training for contact persons.
(10) Tibetan Recommendations from H.H. the Dalai Lama
Wayne Teasdale, an Advisor of the Board, gave a report from H.H. the Dalai Lama requesting our continual support. He said that a meeting like that at the Gethsemani Encounter should continue often and for a number of days.
(11) NCCB Involvement in Dialogue
John Borelli, the Secretary for the Bishops’ Committee on Interreligious Dialogue and an Advisor to the Board, gave a review of the American Bishops in dialogue. This report will be found in this issue of the Bulletin.
(12) World Parliament of Religions 1999
Wayne Teasdale also gave a report on the World Parliament of Religions that will be held in South Africa in 1999. The Board recommended that South Africa n monasteries represent us.
(13) Intra-Monastic Dialogue in Asia
The Board agreed to collaborate with AIM to assist with dialogue with Eastern Religions through Christian Monasteries in Asia. Fr Jasques Cote, OSB, who is a member of the MID Board and was just recently appointed Secretary General of AIM International at the Rome office, will relay this manner.
(14) The book Blessed Simplicity by Raimundo Panikkar, which was the result of an interreligious dialogue symposium sponsored by MID, is now out of print. Gene Gollogly of Continuum Publications which just published The Gethsemani Encounter, will research the copyright and study the possibility of republishing this book.
(15) New Members and Advisors
Fr. William Skudlarek, OSB of the Benedictine Priory of Tokyo, which is a foundation of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, was elected as a member of the Board, as well as Abbot Leo Ryska, OSB of St. Vincent’s Abbey and Sr. Rita, OCSO of Wrentham Abbey. Also Bishop Joseph Gerry, OSB, Fr Dan Ward, OSB, Fr. Bernard de Give, OSB and Ms Katherine Olson were elected as Advisors for a term of five years.
(16) Next Board Meeting will be held October 9-12, 1998 (Columbus Weekend) at the Benedictine Abbey of Notre-Dame du lac in Quebec, Canada.
(1) Plans for a Buddhist Commentary on the Rule of Benedict
Patrick Henry, of St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN,. will be editor of the book. There will be a Preface by Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB and articles by Joseph Goldstein of Insight Meditation Center, Norman Fisher, Judith Simmer-Brown of Naropa and possibly others. There is the possibility of having the writers hosted at New Harmony, IN and invite lay and monastic dialogue concerning insights and practices in the Rule of Benedict.
(2) To Foster Educational Exchange with Tibetan Monastics
The program for the next two years will: a) sponsor monks and nuns to learn English, healthcare and computer science in India through DIM in the Bangalore area, and (b) to hold off on an invitation to monasteries in the US in order to give the India program a chance to develop.
(3) MID approves collaboration with the International Monastic Dialogue Bulletin published in Belgium. The Board will disseminate copies through the USA Contact persons and Advisors. Material from the Bulletin will be integrated with the MID Bulletin. The International Bulletin will be advertised in the MID Bulletin.
(4) The Board also tried to establish a priority of issues for planning for the next several years. After much discussion, the Board decided on the following issues: (A) To reflect on the Gethsemani Encounter and further the dialogue around the mystery of suffering and the Cross; (B) To sustain our dialogue with Tibetan Buddists and broaden our dialogue with Buddhists of the Zen and Theravaden Traditions and to extend our dialogue to Hindu (especially Ramanakrishna Vedanta Societies) and Islamic traditions; (C) To emphasize the Christian meditation practice of lectio divina and contemplation in the dialogue with Eastern meditation traditions; and (D) To train our Board, Contact Persons, Superiors, lay collaborators and young scholars on East-West dialogue issues and practices.
(5) The Board discussed but did not make any amendments to our 1993 Mission Statement. That Statement is given here for the purpose of information: Monostatic Interreligious Dialogue is a Board of approximately 15 members elected from the 189 Benedictine and Cistercian communities of North American Board for East-West Dialogue, it was established by the Benedictine Confederation in 1978 to assume a leading role in the dialogue between Christianity and the great religions of the East, in cooperation with all others engaged in this dialogue.
(6) Contact Persons’ Workshop for 1999
The Board will survey Contact Persons to see what topics or needs surface to design a program for training and formation. The topic will be approved by the 1998 Board Meeting. Schuyler, NE was approved as a site. The dates will be the weekend after July 4th, 1999.
(7) The Board moved to obtain a board member who would foster collaborations with Eastern Christian Monastics. Bishop Nicholas Sanra was recommended by Archbishop Rembert Weakland and was unanimously elected to the Boards as an Advisor for a five year term.
(8) Benedictine Internet
Bro. Aaron Raverty, OSB of St. John Collegeville was appointed to serve as MID representative on the Benedictine Internet Committee. There was also discussion regarding the possibility of putting the MID Bulletin on the internet rather than printing and mailing it. Br. Aaron will investigate this possibility and refer the matter to the Board at its next meeting.
(9) Loyola In-Service
Fr Julian von Duerbeck made a report on the Institute formation/training model of adeo for possible inclusion of a few contact persons at their programs (every three years). The Institute model might be borrowed by MID to sponsor training for contact persons.
(10) Tibetan Recommendations from H.H. the Dalai Lama
Wayne Teasdale, an Advisor of the Board, gave a report from H.H. the Dalai Lama requesting our continual support. He said that a meeting like that at the Gethsemani Encounter should continue often and for a number of days.
(11) NCCB Involvement in Dialogue
John Borelli, the Secretary for the Bishops’ Committee on Interreligious Dialogue and an Advisor to the Board, gave a review of the American Bishops in dialogue. This report will be found in this issue of the Bulletin.
(12) World Parliament of Religions 1999
Wayne Teasdale also gave a report on the World Parliament of Religions that will be held in South Africa in 1999. The Board recommended that South Africa n monasteries represent us.
(13) Intra-Monastic Dialogue in Asia
The Board agreed to collaborate with AIM to assist with dialogue with Eastern Religions through Christian Monasteries in Asia. Fr Jasques Cote, OSB, who is a member of the MID Board and was just recently appointed Secretary General of AIM International at the Rome office, will relay this manner.
(14) The book Blessed Simplicity by Raimundo Panikkar, which was the result of an interreligious dialogue symposium sponsored by MID, is now out of print. Gene Gollogly of Continuum Publications which just published The Gethsemani Encounter, will research the copyright and study the possibility of republishing this book.
(15) New Members and Advisors
Fr. William Skudlarek, OSB of the Benedictine Priory of Tokyo, which is a foundation of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, was elected as a member of the Board, as well as Abbot Leo Ryska, OSB of St. Vincent’s Abbey and Sr. Rita, OCSO of Wrentham Abbey. Also Bishop Joseph Gerry, OSB, Fr Dan Ward, OSB, Fr. Bernard de Give, OSB and Ms Katherine Olson were elected as Advisors for a term of five years.
(16) Next Board Meeting will be held October 9-12, 1998 (Columbus Weekend) at the Benedictine Abbey of Notre-Dame du lac in Quebec, Canada.
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Sr. Mary Margaret Funk, OSB, was the executive director of the MID board from 1989-2004. She was prioress at Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, Indiana and is the author of a number of books, including Thoughts Matter and Islam Is . . ..