Reflections

Reflections on the Bragg Creek Conference

By Jim Noonan, Ottawa, ON (Corpus-NCR)

Corpus Canada conferences are always uplifting events, and the recent (September 14-16) conference in Bragg Creek, Alberta was no exception. Some 65 people attended, from many parts of Canada, with all provinces from Ontario west to British Columbia represented.

The usual spirit of warmth and friendship was present - even after serious disagreements some of us had on email prior to the conference. And even though our resource person, Janet Malone, was unable to get a flight to Calgary because of the disruption caused by the terrorist attacks of September 11, we still used the “open space” process she was to coordinate to help us reach decisions and plans for action. In this we were ably guided by Corpus Team member Art Menu during the three days of the conference.

As a National Coordinating Team (NCT) member from Ontario, I was pleased to meet many Corpus members from Western Canada, and especially those from the host province of Alberta. I was impressed by the number from Alberta who attended the conference and are active in local Corpus groups. As often happens in the region where the conference is held, new people agreed to join the National Coordinating Team, this time to represent both the Calgary and Edmonton regions. I look forward to seeing more of them, and to hearing on the internet from them and from other Corpus members I met at the conference.

The Shea-Noonan motion, which was discussed at length on the internet prior to the conference, was passed with some important changes approved by the NCT at its meetings before and during the conference. These changes showed how the wisdom of the large group can prevail when members meet in person to work out difficulties. The motion no longer recommends a split in Corpus Canada, but became a motion of clarification that read in its first part: “Corpus Canada will continue to pursue its historical aims and objectives that emphasize reforms in the Roman Catholic Church, in such areas as optional celibacy, a married clergy, women priests, and small faith communities.”

The second part of the motion was changed after input from members of Xristos to read: “Xristos Community Society (XCS) will operate independently of Corpus Canada, and pursue the aims of XCS as stated in the XCS constitution, using whatever means XCS deems appropriate.” Both parts of the motion received consensus from the NCT and from the AGM.

As mentioned, the NCT met in Bragg Creek several times before and during the conference to work out the agenda for the AGM.. Besides the long meeting at Chuck and Mary McLellan’s on Friday afternoon, it held brief meetings in a quiet nook of the large log Seniors’ Community Centre where the conference was held, on Saturday morning, Saturday evening, and again on Sunday morning. It even had a meeting on Sunday afternoon following the AGM, during the closing barbecue at the McLellans’, in which it became literally a standing committee - it met with everyone standing in the middle of the backyard - so that new and previous members could get acquainted and plan for future meetings.

Thanks are due especially to Chuck McLellan and his organizing committee for the conference; they did a splendid job, and made everyone feel welcome. The liturgies and prayers were beautifully done and made more prayerful by some fine music led by Natalie Manzer of Corpus Calgary. The social events on Saturday evening, with their combination of contra dancing and a concert by Calgary’s Sunday Night Band, were entirely appropriate for the group and the location of the conference.

I am personally grateful to Dave and Adele Pogue for billeting me at their home in Calgary and driving me to and from the conference, and to Chuck and Mary for taking me into their home for two days after the conference. Their kindness in showing me around sunny Southern Alberta is most appreciated; I even had a tennis match with Chuck and, for those who know of his skill only by hearsay, I can attest that he is indeed an excellent player. He also organizes tennis tournaments at the Bragg Creek tennis club, so I suggest that for the next Corpus conference he organize an all Corpus Canada tournament.

That next conference will be held in Southern Ontario, and Joe Cashen, our Team member from Mississauga, has agreed to organize it. I look forward to assisting Joe and others with the conference, and to seeing Corpus members from every province at that one. It will be a great opportunity to meet Corpus friends again, and for Corpus Canada to make inroads in the Toronto area, which has had few Corpus members to date, even though Toronto has the greatest number of married and non-clerical priests of any city in Canada outside Quebec.

The exact location for that conference has not yet been decided. But wherever it is held, let us pray that it be as successful and stimulating as the Bragg Creek conference of 2001.