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Questions and Answers
About Secular Institutes
The USCSI, initiated in 1972, was established according to its 1976 statutes by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Rome. Its purposes are to make the vocation to consecrated secularity known within the Church, to exchange ideas with other secular institutes and national conference and groups, to assist groups aspiring to become a secular institute, and to do research. The USCSI has an executive committee, holds an annual meeting and includes 27 institutes in the USA as members.
A secular institute is an institute of consecrated life which includes a commitment to the evangelical counsels and is canonically erected of Diocesan or Pontifical right by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Members strive for personal holiness and the sanctification of people in the secular environs by communicating "as leaven" the Gospel message and social justice practices according to a particular charism and spirituality. The larger number of members in secular institutes are lay, though some members belong to secular institutes for priests or single deacons.
The evangelical commitment in secular institutes comprises a consecration or dedication, which includes the evangelical counsels of celibate chastity, poverty, and obedience by vows, by another form of sacred bond, or according their constitution. Members live their commitment within the secular environment or "marketplace."
Poverty calls the consecrated secular member to have a positive relationship with material things while not becoming attached to them. It recommends the application of social practices for the poor, the homeless and the disadvantaged. Poverty implies discerning what necessary and practical in daily living and what to do with the superfluous. Members are self-supporting and provide for all of their expenses in daily living and retirement.
Obedience concerns discerning and implementing the will of God amid daily activities and in a lifestyle within the secular environs. It has to do with being faithful to the institute's spirituality, prayer life, and constitution. The member is expected to be faithful to Church laws and to the Magisterium.
Chastity is lived in the celibate state and places the member in the condition of being a friend to all people within the secular sphere of society.
The major reason for secular institutes' existence is their secular nature. Before, during, and after formative phases, the member remains within the temporal realities of society. The lay member usually lives alone in an apartment; other members may be in near proximity dispersed throughout the country. A few members live in residence with each other. Even though the consecrated secular members make an evangelical commitment and/or a total dedication to God, they remain members of the laity.
Usually there is an initial preparatory stage in secular institutes lasting from three months to a year. During this stage the aspirant and the institute have opportunities to learn about other. An initial formation stage lasts from three to five years before the first dedication, commitment (or incorporation). Each candidate has a sponsor to facilitate, guide and assess progress in the lifestyle of the institute. Then the candidate and/or member implements a program designed deepen prayer life, spirituality and to assume the charism of the institute. They study scripture, theology and put into practice the evangelical counsels while remaining in the secular world involved in their usual occupation, social activities and politics. The temporary formative stage continues for five to seven years with a renewal of the special consecration each year before a definitive or permanent dedication. The structured program of formation continues during this time.
The apostolate in secular institutes includes the entire lifestyle of the member in their occupation (usually within public or private secular areas) or service to others within the context of a secular environment and in their relationships with family, friends and colleagues. This lifestyle includes prayer, spiritual reading, meditation and participation in the daily Eucharist. Secular institutes strive to be the "light and leaven" for spreading Gospel values and social justice practices within secular society, in social activities and politics.
Members in secular institutes meet other members locally, regionally and nationally, usually for days of recollection and retreats. Also, they tend to meet socially and at national conferences. There exists a strong communion among members of an institute.
The characteristic of a hiddenness or discretion occurs with about half of the membership in secular institutes. Some lay members do not mention their consecration in an institute to other people or groups in society because they do not wish "to be set apart" from them. However, these members are expected to be known to their bishops and other officials within the Church.
Although in the early 1900's there were groups living a secular institute lifestyle, it was not until 1947, when Pius XII issued the Apostolic Constitution Provida Mater Ecclesia that some groups living the secular institute life were canonically erected to be a secular institute of diocesan or pontifical right. The motu proprio Primo Feliciter issued in 1948 by Pius XII expanded upon the secular nature of the institutes.
There has been a steady increase in the number of canonically erected secular institutes from the time of their inception in 1947 to the present day. There were approximately forty secular institutes canonically erected by 1950, which has grown to nearly 200 in 1997. Along with the increase in the number of institutes, there has been a consistent increase in the number of members worldwide.
The vocation to consecrated secularity in an institute is often made known by personal contact, pamphlets or other published literature, vocation promotion through a member or through vocation days and by articles published in national magazines and in vocation materials sponsored by the Church. Drafted by Helen St. Denis
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