Sue Rambow, Comox

Today I wish to share with you our experience of Vatican II. Together with Andre and Mary-Catherine Ruel who are present here this evening. Ralph and I have lived in an intentional Catholic Community, called Emmaus, with economic sharing for the past 38 years, including building a centre for outreach.

The early disciples when they experienced THE CALL of Jesus, left their former ways to live a new way. We have been the recipients of the call of Vatican II, shepherded to us by Bishop Remi De Roo. His legacy to us has been the implementation of formation programs within the diocese, that radically altered our understanding of Church and what it means to authentically live out the gospel message, both personally and communally. We experienced a vibrant, exciting, inspiring new way of Church, led and mentored by a courageous Bishop, who had a vision that included: a preferential option for the poor, diversity, ecumenism, the value of community, need for intergenerational relationships, and who encouraged the role of women, and taught us a new understanding of the gospel message.

SPIRITUAL SEARCH

After the cultural upheaval of the 60’s and early 70’s, and personally riding on the back of 10 months of extensive international travel (including a bus trip from London to Kathamandu) my husband and I settled down to raise a family in the Comox Valley. Thus began our quest, searching for meaningful ways to integrate our faith in terms of the inequalities and injustices we had encountered first hand in our travels.

Remi, fresh with the vision of Vatican II, was bishop of our diocese. It was during the Council that the Church of the North encountered the Bishops from the Church of the South. They shared the struggles of their peoples; liberation theology was their needs at that time. In response, the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops established the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, to address the international issues of injustice in our times.

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

Development and Peace, supported and encouraged by Bishop Remi, was a significant influence in our diocese. We became educated in social analysis, and we were involved in major annual fundraising appeals. National, political initiatives, on behalf of global justice were also supported through Fall Action Programs and Share Lent Annual Programs. Global South presenters visited our parish presenting stories of their struggles for justice.

For 31 years we worked on these programs with People of God from different parishes and it was a beautiful time of deep caring community, collaborative actions and solidarity. These exposures challenged us to simplify.

ECONOMIC SHARING

We experienced a further call to embrace the Gospel where actions on behalf of justice became integral to our living out our faith. How to do this in the First World context? As families with young children we still needed to raise and educate them with opportunities for their futures. Our final decision was influenced by the Bishops radical document called From Words to Action.

We decided to live an alternative model of community, particularly with commitment to regularly shared prayer. We set up a legal commitment whereby we co-owned half of each others properties, shared gardens and workshop, and also built the extra suite for service. Our families have experienced sharing our lives in solidarity with people with disabilities, numerous refugee families, the elderly, and an array of people and organizations who use the community centre. We were family oriented and intergenerational in our activities. Our gifts of leadership were shared within the Church, locally, diocesanally, and nationally. Participation in our local Church was all inclusive.

ESTABLISH L’ARCHE COMOX VALLEY

One member of our community, Lock Mawhinney supported by his wife, Joanne, and Andre and Mary-Catherine, envisioned a different call to establish L’Arche Comox Valley. Approved by the Bishop and greatly supported by our local Church, it took from 1983 to 2000, to open the first home, ‘Jubilee House’. Now there is the ‘I Belong Centre’ with six living suites and work is well underway to build cluster housing for 14 people with disabilities.

RETREAT WORK

Many retreats were hosted over the years. In particular, Remi was committed to attending the annual Faith and Sharing Retreats at Bethlehem Centre. As the kids danced, and we did Gospel skits, prayed through creative liturgies and laughed and cried, and shared meals, Remi was apt to say, “THIS IS CHURCH.”

CHRISTIAN LIFE COMMUNITY

Remi discerned the need for his people to be nourished and sustained in their faith journey as they worked in often contentious areas of social justice. Hence, the Prayer Companion Program was initiated with training workshops presented by Jesuit mentors. Remi personally invited seven members of our community to complete the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius in Everyday Life. It was a 1-year retreat, with spiritual direction – a transformative experience.

Through the Prayer Companion training we met Father John English, sj who later invited our Emmaus group, to become part of the international of Ignatian based Christian Life communities. We still participate in this movement, presently hosting two new Christian Life communities, all whom have completed Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius.

JUSTICE ACTION WITHIN CANADA

Within Canada and locally, many complex issues were demanding attention. To help educate his people and to help us understand how to act and advocate on an immense number of issues, Bishop Remi invited Sister Marie Zarowny, ssa, to set up the Office of Social Justice in the diocese. We tackled diverse issues: world hunger, immigration, native land claims, unemployment, global debt, refugees, corporate responsibility and trade issues.

ECUMENISM

It was an exhilarating time. Our experience of being Christians involved working with many diverse groups, as we collectively addressed human rights abuses in South Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. We had collaborate relationships with TEN DAYS FOR WORLD DEVELOPMENT, the inter-church community for human rights in Latin America, Kairos, and locally with the film festival society and fair trade group.

REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP

When Remi established the Master Agreement process for sponsoring refugees within the diocese we found a very tangible way to respond to global suffering. Emmaus Community, first using the Diocesan Master Agreement, then later using Groups of Five Sponsorship, have sponsored and lived with families from, Vietnam, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Central America, Kosovo, Syria, through to our Ukrainian family of last year.
Anecdote: Pearl asked if I would share some anecdotes about Bishop Remi. Every year the Faith and Sharing Retreat hosted a week long family retreat, at Bethlehem Centre. One time when we were all gathered in the Chapel I had occasion to return to the residences – this impression stays with me forever, in the washroom block, nearby, I saw our Bishop, on his hands and knees, scrubbing the floor of the washroom block.

Our humble Shepherd who gave us the legacy of Vatican II.