Material goods destined for mission

10. To what ends are we devoting our money? Appraisals; pathways for deliberation and action. To a greater or lesser extent, the setting up and the maintenance of our apostolic works involve the use of sites, facilities, and payment of personnel and other services that presuppose money. Projects in education, a field in which the Institute is heavily involved, require special installations and services, although situations vary greatly from one country to another.

I think that when we are reflecting on this area of our lives, we should do so in a more precise way. Sometimes I hear people say that ministries would not be possible without money, that our mission cannot be realized without economic resources. Put it those terms, the statement seems self-evident, and we do not go more deeply into its content and see that it is based on a mistaken notion. We really need to look at this matter more closely and objectively, with reference to the mission that the Institute feels itself being called to today. Words can confuse us, and we can fill them with very different meanings.

Our earliest Marist days come to mind. Marcellin, starting out without money or property, undertook projects for his parish church. He began communities in LaValla, at the Hermitage, and elsewhere. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, penniless, got involved in a host of charitable works. I am familiar with the "The Community of San Egidio" in Rome, an association that brings together a considerable number of lay people, most of them quite young. It is a community very committed to ecumenism, projects for justice and solidarity (it succeeded in bringing peace to Mozambique), providing food for the poor and helping bring hope throughout the city. It is a community deeply committed to evangelization, and yet it has no inherited wealth, and I don't think its bank accounts are yielding it any big payoffs.

I am afraid that we are continuing to play games with words, without getting to the heart of things by seeking and being attentive to what God is asking of us. We do need money to realize our mission, and yet there is this paradox: the growth of means and economic nest eggs in our Provinces usually does not go hand in hand with the vitality of our charism.

11. In quite a few countries, it is standard for us to be the owners of educational institutions. It seems that ownership gives us a free and independent hand in running them. However, in the long run, this way of doing things ties us down to those institutions - at times, even to buildings - and adds to the burden of our economic obligations. At the time of our founding, Father Champagnat's criteria were somewhat different and they were more than adequate.

12. It seems to me that some requests that come to the General Council simply prolong and enlarge works that ought to be redirected. We continue expanding projects that later on justify increased funding for additional risks and responsibilities. We are trapped in a vicious circle from which we have no exit strategy. We design state-of-the-art facilities to satisfy the desires of family organizations and to provide top-of-the-line services to attract more people. Doing so, however, demands more personnel as well as increased budget outlays for maintenance. Ordinarily, these needs used to be financed by raising student tuition and school fees, and increasing enrollment numbers. Later on, such new facilities would then require improvements to keep up with the times, and more guaranteed collateral. Why go through all that?

I have spoken several times about the topic of our works. Once, at a meeting I had with some Brothers, I told them that I receive a good number of invitations to attend festivities for schools celebrating their 50th, 75th, or 100th Anniversary. But - few and far between are the invitations I receive to "baptize" sites and communities in harmony with the calls of our 19th General Chapter and the inclination of today's Religious Institutes to "refound."

In this whole consideration about means and investing to provide a "quality" education, the key expressions are our mission and the recipients of our efforts. In no way should prestige or competition win out due to dwindling numbers of students. Nor should we acquiesce to a select group of families who lobby for lots of fluff and frills in our academic programs, so that students who can only afford an "ordinary" education get left out in the cold.

I think we need to reflect a bit more on how we use and where we direct our own possessions, as well as on how we make use of material means in our mission. And we should undertake this analysis with more frequent reference to our Constitutions and the guidelines of our General Chapters, in order to judge our plans, budgets, and balance sheets in light of the Gospel. In that same light, we need to single out superfluous or nonessential expenditures, and account for what we spend in terms of the values that we hold dear.

There are those who express their fear - and they are quite up-front about it - that this way of looking at things amounts to little more than "economic populism," and "a lack of discipline and understanding concerning the complex economic issues behind certain projects." In addition, there are those who are afraid that the standards and perspectives being proposed are not very compatible with the effective and responsible management of the works and apostolic ministries in education that we are being asked to direct these days. As far as I am concerned, there is no need to confuse the issues and feed unfounded fears.

We undertake to discern the appropriateness of plans and projects from a Gospel perspective. Then, once decisions have been reached, the necessary resources are made available to implement them. Naturally, to be credible, we need to assign the essential funding and resources necessary for projects that advance our primary goals and objectives. Buildings, services, economic support - by all means. But here again, our own possessions and what we are striving to accomplish in our mission need to express what we are and what we are trying to do.

13. Our reflection on this theme ought to take us in two directions:

·         When we begin apostolic works, let us try to leave behind the "man-made" logic that only sees as "viable" projects with strong economic backing. Let us remember "our origins" and the prophetic dimension of our lives and work as Brothers.

·         When we mull over the use of our material goods and works, buildings, facilities, etc, let us apply the axiom that "the greatest support is earmarked for priority goals." And let us remember also, concerning the "style" of the installations that we are referring to, that the debate over the relationship between "educational means and ends," and "economic resources vs. educational effectiveness" is an ongoing one. One can find many defenders of the "effectiveness" side who nevertheless make a strong case for "moderation" with regard to the allocation of means and resources.

Experience is demonstrating that the quality and funding of facilities has little direct bearing on a "quality education." A quality education seems to be much more closely tied in with the capacity of educators to promote positive relationships among everyone involved in the educational process. Indeed, this, achievable without great financial input, is at the very heart of our Marist way of educating.

14. Some suggestions concerning our works. I understand that we can be in agreement about theory and general principles. Difficulties arise when it comes to putting things into practice. To illustrate this point, I will offer you some criteria and suggestions. I hope you will find them helpful.

·         Communities should be separate legal entities from our educational centers. There are Provinces where this is already the case. Others are moving in that direction. Still others are not affected because their Brothers are working in schools that the Institute does not own.

·         Our mission plans should help transform our schools, leading them to greater solidarity.

·         The development of our works should respond to genuine needs, and not be swayed by social pressures and a desire to outdo the competition.

·         Innovate, try a new way of examining and evaluating your works.

·         Avoid raising the cost of education, directly and indirectly.

·         Steer clear of promoting activities such as class trips and social functions that are beyond the means of poorer students in your midst.

·         Make the facilities in your schools and your sports fields available for use by those unable to pay for them.

·         Avoid the negative publicity that can be generated by the construction of lavish and imposing buildings.

·         Promote the creation or increase of schools for the common people, in collaboration with other institutions.

·         When making new plans, involve the laity and the local community that will be directly affected.

In concrete terms, aren't we giving the perception that we are investing large sums of money on big schools, to the benefit of a segment of society already privileged and well-off?