The Australian branch of Christian Life Community gathered in Melbourne and online to mark 50 years in Australia. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
The group is part of the 25,000-strong international association of Christian laity that draws its inspiration from the teachings of Ignatius of Loyola.
The “CLC at 50: Our Past, Our Present, Our Future” gathering, held on July 17-19, was one of prayer and reflection, with the final day considering where the next generation might take the CLC.
Almost half of CLC Australia’s membership turned up for at least part of the gathering, said the president, Michael Walker. He said CLC Australia is in good shape after 50 years.
“We are a human organisation, which means there is a bit of untidiness, but we are nonetheless in good health,” Dr Walker said.
“We’ve had a great five decades to get us to this point, starting out as just a handful of people who accepted invitations from the Jesuits to come and see.
“We always need to remember to keep our focus on formation — a work that’s never done.”
National formation working group leader Kay Hooper has been part of CLC Australia since its inception and spoke about its place within the broader global context of the Catholic Church’s current direction, particularly in relation to synodality.
“Pope Francis used that term synodality to describe the way of being Church,” Ms Hooper said.
“It calls all baptised to a shared journey of listening to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. It requires ongoing practice of discernment by the community of the baptised, animated and guided by the Holy Spirit. “
The internal “engine” of the community remains Ignatian spirituality, which she defined as “guided by a profound discernment of God’s will”.
“It is this that guides followers of Ignatian spirituality to make decisions based on what God wants of them, particularly that specific call to the service to which God calls them.
“The CLC way of life is shaped by the features of Ignatian Christology: austere and simple, in solidarity with the poor and the outcasts of society, integrating contemplation and action, in all things living lives of love and service within the Church, always in a spirit of discernment.”
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CLC Australia celebrates 50 years of Ignatian-inspired life and love (Melbourne Catholic)
