LCG NEWS! — Spring 2005

Greetings LCG members, candidates, and friends:

This issue of the newsletter begins a new chapter in our history as a Cistercian lay associate program and a new format as LCG News. The LCG Advisory Committee decided to use LCG instead of LCGA as an abbreviation for our community. It will avoid any confusion with a
"sports organization."

It is with much joy and gratitude for the blessings and guidance of the Holy Spirit that we continue to grow and reflect in our lives the values and practices of the Cistercian tradition. It is the hope that with the implementation of the new structures and guidelines-which the Advisory
Committee has developed, along with our new identity, that our community of Lay Cistercians will be strengthen in fervor and commitment.

We welcome four new LCG members who have recently completed a period of discernment and formation to become members of our Lay Cistercian community. They are: Jim Duncan of Shoreham, Vermont, Mary Guilbert of Columbus, Ohio, and Jackie Halstead and Randall Harris both of Abilene, Texas. Please remember them in your prayers.

As many of you may know, the Third International Encounter of Lay Cistercians is being held in Clairvaux, France from June 1-7. Michael Brown and I will be representing LCG and Gethsemani at the meeting. There have been very substantial contributions received from Fr.
Damien, abbot of Gethsemani Abbey, and several LCG members, thus far, to support the expenses for two members attending the Encounter. However, it was necessary to obtain a small loan to cover the total costs. We are still accepting contributions from the LCG membership.
Thank you to all who responded to a prior request for funds. It is greatly appreciated. [If you have any questions regarding this matter, please e-mail me at LCG@aol.com.]

The new LCG website should be accessible very soon. A new LCG member, Mary Guilbert, has been working very diligently with WebWork Ohio to develop the website. The new site will be more functional, contain more resources, and make it possible for more interaction
among LCG members via a "Members Only" page that will contain a LCG forum feature. The newsletter will be posted on the site, which will reduce expenses. A paper copy will still be mailed to those who request it.

As we continue to grow in community and nourish the Cistercian life that we are called to live in the context of our lay lives, we need to enhance efforts in connecting with each other and share our experiences both within our local/regional group communities and among the larger network of our membership. We are being formed by the Holy Spirit who works through each of us and among us. Therefore, LCG members and candidates are invited to submit material for the newsletter and for the LCG website, such as, personal reflections, book reviews, articles, poems, homilies, journal entries, etc.

Peace and blessings to all!
Mike Johnson
 

LCG Advisory Committee Met in March

A full day work session was completed by the Advisory Committee during their March 12, 2005 meeting at Gethsemani. The Committee finalized and approved mentoring guidelines and a curriculum of formation for candidates who participate in the one year required period of discernment and initial formation. Bob Siegel of the LCG Midland, Michigan group will serve as coordinator of mentors. He will prepare and provide resource binders for LCG mentors. The Committee also discussed legal issues that might effect LCG in the future. A tax exempt status (501-3C) status will be pursued. A LCG member who is an attorney is being consulted
regarding these issues. The next meeting of the Advisory Committee will be on Friday afternoon, September 16, 2005, before the beginning of the LCG 2005 Retreat at Gethsemani.

Conversi: An On-Line Community of Lay Cistercians

In order to meet the needs of individuals who feel a calling to live a lay Cistercian lifestyle but who are unable to participate in existing lay associate groups, the Associates of the Iowa Cistercians (AIC) is offering an opportunity to become a member of an on-line community of lay Cistercians. The community will be known as Conversi and is open to English speaking adult Christians. The
size of the Conversi community will be limited to 25 individuals at this time. If you currently are a member of a lay associate group, do not apply for membership. To learn more about Conversi or to apply for membership, visit the community at http://conversi.org or e-mail Linda Harrington at: I.s.harrington@woddnet.att.net.

Third International Meeting of Lay Cistercians To Be Held at Clairvaux, France

The lay associate group of La Grange of St. Bernard of Clairvaux is hosting the third meeting of Lay Cistercians in Clairvaux, France from June 1-7, 2005. The second international meeting was held at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit at Conyers, Georgia in May 2002. Lay Cistercians from Europe, Africa, and North and South America will again be joined by several Cistercian monks and
nuns, including the abbot general, Dom Bernardo Olivera, to continue the dialogue on topics of Lay Cistercian life and the relationship between the Lay Cistercian communities and the Cistercian Order (O.C.S.O.). The meeting will include visits to the site of the Abbey of Clairvaux (used now as a prison) and to the Abbey of Citeaux on the last day of the international meeting for a concluding liturgy and celebration. The international planning committee has made preparations for an inspirational experience of prayer, discussion, and community among all participants. Michael Brown of Louisville and Mike Johnson of Oxford, OH will attend the international meeting representing the LCG community. Please pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be present during the meeting and for safe travels of all participants. The LCG community and the community of Gethsemani Abbey will be remembered in prayer during the Clairvaux meeting.