UNITY, the community of the Society of Our

UNITY, Through Conversion

A community of servants

Mary Cottingham South Texas Catholic

“There is no unity without conversion. Religious life reminds us that at the centre of every quest for unity, and thus of every ecumenical effort, there is first and foremost a conversion of heart, which involves asking for and granting forgiveness. It consists, for the most part, in a conversion of our own gaze: trying to see each other in God, and also being able to see ourselves from the other’s point of view: namely, it presents a twofold challenge linked to the quest for unity, both within the religious communities and among the Christians belonging to different traditions.”

– Pope Francis

How does a relatively young society based on Marian-Trinitarian communion thrive in a world so divided? According to their website solt.net, the community of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) are brought together to work as a team in areas of “deepest apostolic need.”

More than sixty years ago, the community’s founder, Father James H. Flanagan, sought a profound and radical expression of union and communion. He believed that forming a society of apostles in prayer, graced friendships, and service could serve as religious family teams more effectively. These SOLT disciples of Jesus through Mary live a Trinitarian communion and now serve as priests, brothers, sisters, consecrated single and married people, and whole families in different areas of the United States, Central America, Mexico, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, China, and Australia.

SOLT Sister Mary Rachel Craig surrounded by her nieces and nephews after making her Final Profession. Sister Rachel is from Robstown and she is assigned to Benque Viejo in Belize.

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The recent SOLT Regional Assembly is just such an example of their community life. One-hundred and eighty SOLTs attended the annual event. The joyous occasion was chock full of celebrations: first profession of promises of Brother Gregory Rice, first vows of Sisters Mary Ignatius and Sister Gianna Marie, the perpetual vows of Sister Mary Rachel and a lay commitment from Donna Spence from Phoenix. Both brothers and sisters renewed their promises.

There were also talks on St. Joseph during Pope Francis’ “Year of St. Joseph,” presented by Matthew Moore, Sister Caritas Wendt and Father Brady Williams.

The actual opening of the weeklong regional chapter began with Mass on July 12. But events before and after were included as part of the assembly.

Father Peter Marsalek, general priest servant for the SOLTs in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, says living and working in community is central to the SOLT mission.

According to Father Marsalek, sin is the number one cause of disunity between God and man. Another cause of disunity, primarily among God’s people, is presumption and lack of communication. People try interpreting the motives and intentions of others and inevitably get things wrong. “Sometimes it’s easier for people to carry on a conversation inside their head instead of speaking with the other person: why did this person do this …? It must be because they meant that … therefore, they think ... So, we’re just basically building more walls instead of bridges,” Father Marsalek explained. “It’s also a kind of lack of charity. I am presuming ill will on your part based on what you’re doing.”

Many challenges come into play in community life, the workplace, or the house where people live together, even in the SOLT community.

Donna Spence from Phoenix, AZ makes her lay commitment to SOLT.

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Sisters Mary Ignatius Skipper from Arizona and Gianna Marie Short from California make their First Vows to SOLT on July 13. Sister Ignatius is assigned to Our Lady’s Montessori School in Kansas City. Sister Gianna is assigned to Most Holy Redeemer School in Detroit.

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“Servant leader” is a term instituted by their founder, Father Flanagan. “I think it was meant to be a reminder to leaders that any authentic exercise of authority is called in the Church to be a ministry of service because that is ultimately what Jesus did. He came to serve and to give His life,” Father Marsalek said. “But the buck has to stop somewhere. Someone still must make decisions. For a member, the general priest servant is still the superior and therefore an authority that should be respected and followed.”

In the SOLT community, every house has a delegated house servant, the immediate person in charge, who will try to resolve such issues as personality problems and so forth. Above them is the regional priest servant and then finally the general priest servant. If the matter can’t be handled at the local level, it is brought to the regional level first, and then finally to the general level if need be.

“The most-weighty matters happen in our general chapter which occurs every five years. It’s probably when people get most passionate about different matters, because for us our general chapter within the community is the highest authority, apart from the Bishop of Corpus Christi of course. But within the community itself, our general chapter is obviously very important because it is the instrument through which changes to our Constitution can be made, and that relates to our very way of life,” Father Marsalek added. “Once the community votes on these matters, it still must be approved by the bishop.

“We still need to be obedient, need to listen and to make sure that our promise of obedience really has some teeth to it, because the whole religious life, in the profession of the evangelical councils, the whole principle is an imitation of Jesus who is poor, chaste and obedient. In the promise of obedience, you’re exchanging your own will for the will of God as communicated through your superior, so that your decisions aren’t clouded with self-interest,” Father Marsalek said. “You are saying I trust the process. I trust that God is working through my superiors, even though they’re human beings – even though they make mistakes. But I still trust that God is the one who is working through them.

“We can be pretty quick to judgment – to interpret bad intentions, with respect to what other people do, and in many cases, without even knowing all the facts or what’s involved. I have experienced that myself. Due to my position in the community, there are times when I make decisions, based on factors I cannot reveal. It could be based on confidentiality or protecting the good name of people.

“Even in prayer, in your relationship with God, you don’t get all the answers to your daily questions. You simply must do the best you can with what you have. And I don’t think any of us get it right all the time. I’m certainly in that boat, but I think there’s an element of trust in that, too, especially when you’re working with the church. It takes humility, discernment and prudence.

“For us religious, we make our final profession on a particular day, but every single day, you must decide to live it, and I think it’s the same way with living in communion with people and being resolved to be reconciled with people. It’s not a one-time event. It’s something that you have to continue to work on,” he said. “Communion among members and with others is an ideal and a challenge.

During the Renewal of Promises for SOLT brothers in the front row, from left, are Brother Andrew Rowedder from Maryland, Brother Joseph Spears from Kentucky, Brother Uriel Lopez from Arizona, Brother Adam Schmitzer from Ohio, and Brother David Snow from Maryland. They will all continue their studies and formation at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

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“The source of communion and the source of love is really found in the Most Holy Trinity. I think that for Christians to be in communion with one another, we need to be in communion with God. He is the source of all truth and the source of all love.”

Father Marsalek said that to have an authentic relationship with God means one must be willing to be in communion with other people, to be reconciled with other people and to essentially get over any obstacle that keeps one from achieving that goal.

“Unity with God is a gift to us that we’re then called to live and share with each other. Look at everything God has done for us to bridge the distance between the infinite and the finite to reconcile us from the consequence of sin. Jesus dying on the cross is a manifestation of the depth of God’s love for us in that way. Those are infinite gaps. The finite gaps are what we wind up with in our relationships with one another. They are all infinitely less than what God bridged in our relationship with Him.

“If God has forgiven and reconciled us, then we must be able to forgive and be reconciled with one another,” he said. “We need God’s help in all of these things. The great mission of Jesus Christ is one of reconciliation and of restoring communion in the family of God.”

SOLT priests, religious brothers and sisters and laity in the Diocese of Corpus Christi serve as religious educators, instructors and pastors. They give talks on various religious subjects and minister to Young Catholic Adults. They also serve on Healing, Marian and Ignatian retreats at Our Lady of Corpus Christi, which is also the world headquarters of the international community. They have a gift shop and a rosary garden. To learn more about upcoming events visit ourladyofcorpuschristi.org. To learn more about SOLT visit solt.net.

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Brother Gregory Rice makes his First Promises on July 11. His family and General SOLT Servants join him after the ceremony. Pictured, from left, are Sister Megan Mary Thibodeau, SOLT (General Sister Servant), his mother Carol Rice, Brother Gregory, Sister Christine Rice, who is in her postulancy at St. Anthony Convent in Robstown, his father Greg Rice, and Father Peter Marsalek, SOLT (General Priest Servant).

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