life-after-RC

Ferrago for now

Happy new year, dear readers. I wish you the choicest blessings in 2013. It's time for a new thread, and I think it's best to be sure that we help the Legion and RC Movement with transparency, which is a integral part of honesty. There are some new apostolates that we should keep track of -- some above board with the RC affiliation, others less so.

The Cana Family Institute has been launched to help families, and goodness knows the family can always use help. It seems to be an offshoot of Familia, which is in a no-man's land of affiliation that few can understand at present. I found the bullet points interesting, though, considering the history most of us have endured with the Legion:

1. Assisting parents in developing a strong family structure.

2. Promoting unity in thought word and action between spouses.

3. Helping parents to motivate young people towards religious, moral, psychological and social maturity.

4. Fostering the awareness of the need for Christ and the Church in daily life.

5. Promoting access to the teachings of the Church concerning marriage and family life.

Ah well. We've been through the marriage tension created through Legionary advice -- both in the confessional and in spiritual direction. There is the wedge between spouses, not to mention the abuse of trust when LC's and 3gf's discuss vocations with the children. I hope that these things are cleared up when the CCI is invited to help your families.

For some reason, members of RC are promoting a retreat offered through Fr Philippe, which looks wonderful: 

The Marriage Renewal Weekend with Father Jacques Philippe is quickly approaching.  Rooms are still available.  If you are interested in taking your prayer life and marriage to the next level, please register for the weekend retreat in March.  In addition to local couples, we have couples from Michigan and Mexico who will be attending.

Even if they are co-sponsors, it could be harmless, but one should always keep an eye out.

Fr Bartunek has a new book out, co-authored with Dan Burke, which looks wonderful. Ironically, it's on spiritual direction, which has been an Achilles Heel for decades in the Legion. There is no mention that Fr Bartunek is a Legionary priest (that I can see on the link) or that Mr Burke was closely associated with the Movement. If they have left, it would be helpful to readers to know where they stand, especially since the Vatican report on the group specifically pointed out that spiritual direction was problematic in this group. The book may be solid, but transparency shouldn't be a problem as related to a topic that is founded on ... transparency.

Questions remain about Walking With Purpose and Endow, but perhaps readers can clear things up.

Finally, prayers are in order for Fr Alvaro, who is undergoing medical testing in CT.  A medical crisis is a frightening thing, and God's grace is all-powerful. Those who can should lift him up, to show our sincere love for a brother in Christ. We must show how authentic faith is expressed, apart from those who have used it to deceive and manipulate others. In the end, we are all beggars before God.

ADDENDUM: Btw, a friend and I are leading a study group using this program, which is wonderful. Highly recommended!

No one is indispensible

In a recent comment, it was noted that Pinecrest Academy [a K-12 school in Atlanta with a shrinking population] will host eight members of the Movement dedicated to offering spiritual direction to the student body. With this ongoing unreformed reform allowed by the Church, it is hard for many to trust the hierarchy, since it would seem that the well-being of the flock isn't always the priority. "Neptune" followed with this insight:

The reason it is hard to figure out or make sense of the Church is the wake of LC/RC is because people do not want to believe that the whole purpose of the mess is to invert the person and the Church,

LC turns everthing inside out--tradition shows Christ dragging souls out of hades. The LC teaches people they will drag others to Heaven (alas, they cannot drag themselves into Heaven, so note that no one can drag another.

LC inverts the internal forum and makes people dependent on feedback--not a well-formed conscience but on constant external feedback (that's why they need so many counselors).

People who had been sucked into the LC/RC have the worst time with this simple key because it requires them to admit they were wrong. That's hard to do.  Especially for smart people.

Even if they get to the point of admitting the error, they don't want to admit that they spent so much of their life abetting this evil institution. It's OK. Christ can drag people out of Hades, so He can drag you out of that hell, too.

This last point is the worst of their inversions. Christ says: sine Mihi nihil potestas. The corollary is that without Christ you can only do evil - like drag people to hell. I say this to illustrate the demonic trick of the LC/RC inversion. First, they put you on a quest for perfection. Second, they deform you to be reliant on them and not Christ. Third, they make progress your work alone (not Christ's). Fourth, they trick you to think you are Christ.

Obviously, that's the error of Eden played out into a system and process. To undo this chain of errors is difficult on the psyche of a person who had noble intent all along. But, that's what the mess is.

It's been repeated often in this forum that the only way out of this Movement is on your knees. Only by finding the humility to embrace the humiliation of having been suckered by MM can one being to change his or her perspective. Since pride was such an important element in our formation ("you are the elites, the world depends on your fidelity!") we are more wired than most to reject the notion that we fell for a cult (and a paederast, and a charlatan, and a liar).

Humility is Christ-like; thinking that the world needs a particular person (other than Christ) or group (other than Holy Mother Church herself) is prideful and wrong. Judas tried to tip God's hand with his own recipe for salvation, and it didn't end well. Nothing is indispensible but the Blood of Christ.

The essence of the Legion remains

That is naturally the question a man would ask himself at this point in Legionary history, as does this fellow:

In two days I am going to begin a month of Ignatian spiritual exercises to prepare to make my perpetual profession in the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ. It is in some ways a similar experience.

But why would anyone join the Legion, much less dedicate their entire life to it at this time? A fundamental rule when diving is never jump into unknown water, but isn’t joining the Legion at the moment doing just that? I do not presume to speak for others, and I can only answer from my own experience, for this is all I have, but for me, the water could not be clearer.

Ok, clarity of thought, firmness of purpose, dedication of spirit follows -- but to what enterprise? What is this man joining that he sees so clearly?

It seemed to me at the time that God had made the Legion in answer to my prayers, and the Legion that I met in 2004 is still very much the Legion that I will profess perpetual vows with in 2012. Of course we have walked and continue to walk a path of purification, but it is not a case of changing essentials, but rather of pruning back unruly shoots so that the original may be seen in all its beauty.

Unruly shoots?! Jesus, Mary and Joseph, is that what this is? This beggars belief, in that a man poised to take a vow to the Legion posits that the essence of the Congregation has not changed, that he loves that essence, and that the darkness that has been unearthed is attributed to mere "unruly shoots." Good heavens.

Remember: those "shoots" have borne sodomy, paedophilia, incest, duplicity, misrepresentation, manipulation, fraud, drug abuse, scandal, subterfuge, bullying, extortion, bigamy, neglect, and sacrilege -- have I missed anything?  And the man from whom both the Congregation and the "shoots" sprang was found "devoid of religious sentiment." And apart from this fecund sourse no charism has been or will be found. And such residual essence is ok with a man about to offer his life?   

I will post the entire entry below the fold, because perhaps when the Legion rethinks the post -- and how tone deaf and appalling its content -- it will be removed. I want it here for posterity. Friends, redouble your spiritual efforts, for only prayer and fasting can uproot such a toxic plant before which ostensibly thoughtful Catholics lay their cloaks in homage -- offering lives, children and material support. Bizarre!

Charism by committee; narrative by decree

The first is a direct response to Nicole Winfield's piece on the precandidacy, bearing deep regrets and promising reform.

Margarita [Martinez] will work with a team of 15 consecrated women in Oxford.  Some will be with the Immaculate Conception students on a regular basis, while others will be working with them at school and in the various apostolic projects.

Of the IC program improvements, Margarita said she believes “we have found the balance of a protected environment to meet the requirements of growth in friendship with Christ, prayer, knowledge and appreciation of a vocation to consecration and life, combined with an experience of engagement in an external school community.  We believe this environment will provide a balance for students to mature socially and in human virtue, while offering solid spiritual formation.”

The second item may be more of a coincidence, but it also seems to be a response longer in the making. It is a letter from papal delegate Cardinal dePaolis, who has regained his serenity after having been "distracted" by the problems with the women:

This part of our responsibilities, particularly the feminine branch, has demanded much time and attention and has distracted us more than a little from the problems of the Legion.  It has been a tiring and complex journey which has had its painful moments.

He uses all the typical Legion jargon, besides serentity, the Lord is with them, the need for docility, responsibility and perseverence, etc. but then we arrive at his impression:

In this work, we have become aware of another beautiful reality of great relevance and meaning: the reality of the first and second degrees of Regnum Christi.  Up until now, this reality has received little and insufficient attention.  The visits that my counselors and I have made to Mexico, Spain, Brazil and Chile, as well as Italy, have helped us witness this beautiful, hopeful reality with our own eyes.

It is to be presumed that those who have lost their faith, those who were maligned as enemies of the Church, those who are spiritually and physically abused, and those who were thrown aside as unfit for their ranks are not part of the "beautiful reality." Of course -- since they were marginalised and silenced, shunned and dismissed, how could their narratives mesh with that beautiful reality? That's the essence of a cult: One person gets to drive the narrative. He is writer, creative director, editor, and producer. That which doesn't fit disappears like foam on the waves.

Curious, though, is the existing members' absorption with "charism."

On the journey that we are carrying out, each group is advancing along its own path, seeking a more clear and precise identity.  The Legionaries are committed to revising the Constitutions, as an institute of priests and religious; the consecrated men and women, having accepted and enacted, at least in part, the principle of proper autonomy, are preparing to revise their own Statutes as an association of faithful consecrated in Regnum Christi.  At the same time, in some territories similar activities have been organized among members of the first and second degrees to reflect on the mission and spirit of the Movement.  In fact, the lay members of the first and second degrees feel a necessity to revise their own statute and reformulate it in a more precise and up-to-date way.  But these are realities that are called to work together, since they participate in a common charism.  As each group is carrying out the journey in search of its own identity, it seems necessary to formulate a common platform regarding the charism and some norms that would regulate reciprocal relations in the life of the Church and in the apostolate according to the identity proper to each group.  It has become clear that this is an important issue upon which all interested parties must reflect under the guidance of the Pontifical Delegate and of his counselors.  Furthermore, we have noticed that this theme has presented itself in the right moment for the journey that each group is already carrying out. 

In particular, the general report of the Central Commission of the Legionaries for the revision of the Constitutions mentions, among other things, that some communities and territories desire to continue reflecting on the contents of the first theme of reflection, regarding the nature and purpose of the Congregation, its “charism”.

Seems like it's hard to proceed with an identity crisis -- although it doesn't stop them from recruiting, ordaining and "consecrated" new members. Curious, that.

But, as noted previously, LC and RC make no sense apart from one another:

  In these last two months, this Commission has sought to identify the best way to confront the reflection upon the fourth and fifth parts of the constitutional text, regarding government and administration of the Congregation.  For various historical and canonical reasons, the current text exclusively refers to the religious Congregation.  It has become clear that it is impossible to properly and completely consider the government, apostolate and administration of the Legion of Christ without also taking the broader reality of Regnum Christi into account.  Nor is it possible, on the other hand, to think of the reality of Regnum Christi without referring to the Legion.  A glance at the apostolate and administration of works and apostolic initiatives makes this evident. 

For this reason, it seemed opportune to specifically address this theme in a meeting that was convoked convened for this purpose in Rome, which took place on June 19.  The general director of the Legion with his counselors took part as well as the newly named leadership* of the consecrated men and women.  The Pontifical Delegate presided.  There was a general agreement on the central issue. 

The results of the reflections on the Constitutions clearly show that almost all Legionaries of Christ recognize and appreciate the profound unity which exists between the Congregation and the Regnum Christi Movement.  In fact, they see it as one charismatic reality that includes religious, consecrated members and lay members in the first and second degrees.  They all recognize a common origin and the fact that they share the same purpose and mission, and live the same spirituality, each according to the state and condition in life to which God has called him.  

The Methodology binds them together -- for better or worse. That is essential when parishes consider whether or not to invite the RC apostolates into their embrace, because to invite the one implies that the influence of the other is there as well. And neither has found an identity, much less a legitimate reform -- because the two (identity and reform) are inseparable.

Furthermore, it has been recognized that consecrated life in the Regnum Christi Movement is a gift for the Church and for each of those that have consecrated their lives to the Lord and to the service of their brothers and sisters.  This is a good reality which must appreciated and protected so that it may be purified and thus develop for  the good of the Church and the world.

Because the concerns of the 77 women who signed the letter to him are inconsequential: a gift is a gift.

This is why their letter was copied to Nicole Winfield. If it weren't leaked to the press, those women and their stories wouldn't exist. Their suffering wouldn't exist. Nothing would exist but the "beautiful reality," the "gift."

And what of the joint mission of this group, foundering without an identity?

For this reason, we have become aware that it is necessary to reflect on the diverse components of Regnum Christi in light of its history, its identity, its common spirit and mission and the particular role that corresponds to each part in the whole. 

We are not creating something new.  Instead, we are seeking to interpret and renew what already exists in light of the recognition that the Church has given when it approved that Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ and its Constitutions (1983), and, subsequently, the Regnum Christi Movement and its Statutes (2004).

It is NOTHING NEW. It is historically, spirituallly, and psychologically bound to the Founder. The group founded on lies, subterfuge and collaboration with corrupt members of the hierarchy stands as "approved" for all eternity -- and that MUST BE the foundation.

Reflecting on this, we have decided to organize a brief but intense period of joint reflection between Legionaries of Christ and the other members of Regnum Christi.  For this reflection, it will be necessary to prepare the draft of a text and afterwards, to reflect on it together.  One could say that we are seeking to elaborate a “general statute” or a “fundamental norm”, or a “rule” common to all the members of Regnum Christi, including Legionaries.  The text in question will guide the reflection. 

This is what is meant by "charism by committee." Given the Founder, the history, the current membership purged of troublemakers (those who are not part of the "beautiful reality") and the leadership's penchant for providing the Holy Spirit as a rubber stamp for their Chosen Narrative (TM) we will have another total whitewash, complete with extensive spiritual vocabulary -- sprinkled with regrets and sincerity -- poised and ready to lead the Church in the New Evangelisation. God help us.

UPDATE: there is an [older] piece written by Fr Matthew Green, who is in process of leaving the Legion, and part of his lengthy justification is the duplicity at the heart of the Congregation:

P. Maciel was a duplicitous man with a mask of holiness covering deep personal and psychological problems. In the words of the pope, wearing a life "adventurous, underused, and twisted" (it says in the interview book Light of the World). It was "a life devoid of scruples and true religious feeling" (statement of May 1, 2010) and this (according to the Vatican statement ) has had a profound impact on life, rules and constitution of the congregation. In addition, the Legionaries have learned a fake version of the history of the congregation. Ways of acting and thinking that we thought were holy and good, have to be reconsidered and modified. Finally, the Legion is not what we thought. In a sense, what we met in her was presented under false pretenses.

UPDATE II: Speaking of the legacy of lies, I was told that the current 3gf's have explained to those who ask that the Totus Tuus group that broke away was unhappy with the reforms that were taking place, and preferred to live the old, unadulterated Macielism that those who choose to stay have rejected. Not surprising in the least. Part of the Chosen Narrative (TM).

Abuse in precandidacy

Nicole Winfield has published another article on the Legion situation. This one covers the abuses in the Precandidacy (PC) program in Rhode Island.

Former PCs have posted their stories on the 49 Weeks blog.

 

(Posted by Deirdre Mundy at Giselle's request.)

Corrected with proper location for PC. Sorry for the mistake! -DM

Counting the cost

Literally. This heart-rending account of an ex-3gf uses numbers to illustrate her experience, including:

0 – the number of consecrated who called me and wrote me to see how I was doing once I got home from Mexico. That is also the number of events they invited me to. I tried to start a Regnum Christi group at my college so they would include me, but after crying at one retreat, I never came back. My former directress, Pilar, did all that she could to help me, but I was bound by my Promises of Charity not to speak badly of my spiritual guide, even though I was being psychologically destroyed

and:

150 – the number of Aspirin I took on Sept. 11, 2003 when I could no longer bear the thought that happiness could never be mine as I was not good enough to be consecrated.

I heard that ten of the fourteen graduates of the pre-candidacy high school will go on to become 3gf's in the Regnum Christi Movement. While this testifies to the successful captation that still exists (and the refusal of their parents to consider their long-term wellfare) perhaps someone in these families could bring the 49 Weeks blog to their attention. Everything may look rosy at present, but the testimonies compiled there reveal a "salting of the fields" approach to souls. Those who remain inside become increasingly dead, and those who escape take years to even BEGIN recovery.

That is the fruit of the Legion; that is the devastation they wreak in God's own vineyard. These brave women deserve a hearing, not to mention your prayers and support. Just because the hierarchy doesn't seem to care doesn't hobble us from doing the right thing.

The Marxist angle

An astute reader found an even more astute article here, which brilliantly shows how the Legion methodology reflects the methodology of the Communist Party. Please read the whole thing, but this is the most salient portion:

“[His] life has become so intertwined with the Party that his friendships, his associations, perhaps his very career or job, can be blasted by an expulsion. It is not that this threatening aspect is important to him at the time. He could never commit the sacrilege that Comrade X has committed; and the Party is fully justified in dealing summarily with those who endanger the cause of the future. Nevertheless, a gulf is created between him and the world around him. The image of burned bridges is apt. … Commitment creates in turn a deep sense of separation from ordinary people, a sort of inner mark of Cain.”

Now and then a trainee will give senior apparatchiks grounds for unease. As Meyer puts it: “‘He has personal problems’ is the nearest Communists ever come to admitting that perhaps there are some fortresses Bolsheviks cannot conquer.” Some, yes; but on the whole, amazingly few. Meyer gives a fairly flabbergasting account of how one comrade known to him was hauled before the relevant Party tribunal because of his homosexual tastes. Back then, Communists had no qualms about “homophobic” attitudes, and they assured Comrade H that his continued Party membership depended upon abandoning his blackmailable practices.

“There was not a trace of resentment or anger [in Comrade H] against the Party. What private hell he went through in the next two days I do not know; but when I met with him again 48 hours later, he had made his decision – for the Party. I knew him and worked with him over the next seven years. From every indication, he completely transformed his life. When I last saw him he was married to a very charming woman and was the father of two children, and he rose steadily in Party responsibility.”

Nobody knew better than Meyer’s fellow Party minders the absolute contempt – which the cadre member must at all costs internalize – for ordinary human nature. Contrasting this contempt with Kant’s Golden Rule about treating individuals as ends rather than as the means to ends, Meyer writes: “The whole of Communist training … drives towards the acceptance of the revolution as the end to which all things and all persons must be strictly subordinated as means … The good or evil in any situation is determined by whether it helps the revolution or impedes it.” And to bring about this happy outcome, no chance must be lost to keep the rank-and-file as purposelessly busy as possible. In this, as in so much else, those who run the Legionaries of Christ have proven remarkably devoted students of Marxist-Leninist praxis.

Indubitably Meyer, if he had lived to learn of the L.C.’s horrors, would have been appalled. But whether such horrors would have been altogether unimaginable to him, we may legitimately wonder. As he of all people knew: place any purely human organization “beyond good and evil” – to coin a phrase – and, sooner rather than later, that organization will become a cash-cow for the Maciels of this world. No-one who has read The Molding of Communists can retain a particle of doubt on this score.

L.C. hierarchy who continue to defend the indefensible evoke Boxer in Animal Farm, who greets every official outrage with the stoic words “If Napoleon says it, it must be right” and “I will work harder.”

I don't know who R.J.Stove is, but he's made his point well, that being that -- in the end -- a cult is a cult is a cult. The only quibble I have is his reference to "the sheer diabolical creativity." Technically, the devil doesn't create. He can copy creation with his mawkish duplicity, but there is nothing new in his work. Evil is evil is evil. Well done!

Legionary discernment

A couple telling posts from the Regnum Christi blog reveal the usual mixture of shallow discernment and fear that comprises the vocational decisions made by members of the Movement. First the track meet "parable:"

I’m a sprinter out to beat my best time and finish strong. But just as I rounded my first curve I hit something, hard. I found myself, and every other runner, sprawled out on the ground. There were hurdles in the middle of our race! Everyone was totally perplexed. Some runners got up quicker than others and continued on. Others just sat there bewildered, nursing their banged-up shins or scraped knees. Still others simply got up, dusted themselves off and walked off the track. This was not what they signed up for...

The takeaway for her was that maybe she wasn't a sprinter after all, but was really called to be a hurdler -- perish the thought that she should analyse what hurdles were in her path, and why. [This is as opposed to the young lady who spent time with the Missionaries of Charity, admired their work, and discerned it was not for her -- was she "walking off the track? Clearly not.] It also manages to imply that good Christians should accept all hurdles as the plan of God, and deal with them, and those who "walk off the track" [i.e. leave the Movement?] are pansy lightweights: Those who love Christ enough will stay! 

Then we have this:

Life in the trenches can be difficult. The daily grind, the struggles of married life and raising kids, the "ordinary" schedule of school, work, cooking, carpools and errands, etc…can wear you down. Sometimes, you may feel the urge to jump out of the trench and run away from the battle, but you will find that the cross outside of the trench is actually far worse. Embrace your identity, embrace your vocation with a loving and enthusiastic spirit…God notices and he will bless this fidelity both now and into eternity!

In any other setting, a nice pep talk like this, grounded in a quote by Saint Francis de Sales, would be nice, but as with anything stemming from a Legionary, there are ripples of meaning that are not exactly Salesian. There is the fear factor, that reminds the member that no matter how bad life is inside, it's only worse outside.

Then there's the command to be enthusiastic about your vocation, with a dollop of quietism: this is where you are, so this is where God wants you to be. STET. That is standard RC-think, a variation on the theme: since you're sitting in that chair, listening to this talk, and called to this retreat, voila! you must be called to the Movement.

Ignoring urges is dangerous, for discerning where to serve the Church is not the same as the vow that nails you to your spouse and the life that entails. Any mother dreams of escape every now and then as the laundry piles up and the kids run you down -- but of course you cannot leave (for long!)

But not one single member of RC (the target audience) is in a vocation subject to vows. He doesn't explicitly say that the post is about remaining faithful to RC, but what else could he mean, especially in a blog that is meant to provide encouragement to the members, who are stumbling over hurdles and wondering if they're meant to stay?

This is unfortunate, especially when read by people who have been well-trained to submit to superiors, who will reveal God's will concerning their vocations. It's  meant to continue the "steady, monotonous thrumming" that has been a part of spiritual direction from the start. And it could never be confused with Salesian thought, nor with the finer tradition of guiding souls. Pity, that.

ADDENDUM: Phew, I had a moment and just read the comments below that last thread linked (with the Narnia quote). Those are powerful little testaments to the manipulation inside. That was Sept. 2009, and very little has changed. Do read them if you have the time.

Fr Garza's explanation to the exPC's

POST FROM FACEBOOK PC GROUP

Hey Everyone!!

I just wanted to write for those who were not able to make it up to the reunion. It was an amazing weekend. It was really wonderful to see so many people and catch up to see where everyone is at. It was really beautiful and reveling to see and feel the changes that have been taking place with the norms, the whole attitude, and environment in general. The atmosphere was very relaxed. Everyone was able to come as they are and where they are in life and just enjoy time together. The vibe I felt in the PC and Greenville (and from talking to people) is that everything was more relaxed natural and there is a lot less tension and stiffness about the norms. Everyone is just more open and warm.

Below i just summed up what Caroline and Fr Luis Garza said to us in the conferences so that those who would like to know can be filled in:

Jill thank you for posting the updates on the PC. It was great to have the talk with Caroline. She was very gracious and open about what went on within the PC and her experience and point of view. She opened up about how it was hard for her to ask the PCs to live norms that she was not convinced of. She told us that she was vocalizing and making known hardships that PCs and their families were having and things that she thought should have been changed. For some time she was told that things were the way they should be, but finally after some time, they saw the need to re-evaluate the norms. She apologized several times to everyone for any hurt they had experienced as PCs or their families by anything they were asked to do and for pain they have experienced after. She explained she did everything out of love and never intended to hurt anyone. Caroline also expressed her relief that she would no longer be a director as the last years have been very hard on her with a lot of anger from parents and members fall on her. She (and all the consecrated) are very willing and ask you to talk to them if you have any concerns or questions or want to talk about anything at all. Diana Hardy apologized as well and humbly explained that we are all human and make mistakes.

I sat in on the conference with Fr. Luis and I will now sum up what he explained to us: He started in 1998 explaining that he started to notice that Fr. Maciel was distracted and not as ambitious as he normally was about projects or concerns of the movement. He admitted that Fr. maciel was living a lavish life around this time for example, driving fancy cars and staying at luxurious hotels. Fr. Luis picked up on these changes in Fr. maciel but was unsure of the reasons for them. A couple years later they started to see signs of dementia. Fr luis then described how the Vatican asked Fr maciel to lead a more private life out of public ministry and Fr Luis did not understand and to a point did not believe it at the time and the church did not give a reason. When he did find out he explained that they didn’t know how to break the news. they were coming up with plans to tell everyone but they didn’t see a right or best way to go about it. he explained how you have to be prudent in making public someone’s sins. they were working for a while to figure out how to do this. they were not trying to hide it from people. In the end the news broke before they were prepared. He also explained how the cardinal is very thorough in all the changes and evaluations he is doing… which causes the process to be slow, but this is good. They have been working a lot to change the "culture" of the movement as he put it. Our formation centers and apostolate centers were too similar and not fit for what each group needed. He listed some problems of the movement that they are working to fix such as an arrogance of the movement, the stiffness of norms, and changing to work more with families as a whole instead of working individually with boys girls men and women etc.

I hope this helps... Im happy to talk to anyone who wants. I wrote this as best I could from what i remembered.

Love you all!!

I apologise for so many PC threads. While I won't close any for comments, I'll note on the three previous threads that we'll try to congregate here.

FTR, the three related threads include a link to the comment given by a woman planning a PC reunion (which wouldn't allow any negativity), an exPC Facebook group which has a series of testimonies, and a link to a blog which has a serialised account of one exPC's experiences. I'll send readers to this thread for one single conversation, given the wounds now revealed among exPC's and the obstinacy of the Legion/3gf leadership in acknowledging them in a honourable and mature fashion. (We're only human doesn't cut it.)

Making school plans

Parents always need to stay one step ahead, and even though the 2011-12 school year hasn't ended, we're all mulling over the options for next year. With the changes in the Movement, some schools are closing, others combining, and others staying the course. Where will we place our children, we wonder...?

Before anyone considers a boarding school under the watchful eye of Legionaries or 3gf's, kindly consider this testimony of a girl who went to the pre-candidacy in RI. I'll pull just a few segments, beginning when she came home (hoping to return). The bold is my own:

I woke up the next morning a different person.  I had left home as bubbly, happy, irrepressible, irresponsible 14-year-old.  I came back a much older, sadder, more serious, and shyer 16-year-old.  I was coming back to a different family, too -- I now had a younger brother.  Everything seemed weird and different -- like it wasn't at all the family I had left, but a new family I was going to have to adjust to...

[If my parents yelled at me or criticised me} I could clearly see that their anger was more about what was going on in their own lives than it was about  me.  They weren't saying calculated things to "test" me.  They were just doing their thing, and sometimes they weren't as gentle as they could have been.  It no longer bothered me.  I realized that I had had a lot more "harshness" from my formators than I had ever had from my family.  Besides, I had changed overnight from the girl who dissolved into tears over everything.  I felt like I had no feelings at all.  I felt annoyed when people looked for an emotional connection with me, trying to share feelings or hug me.  I didn't want to be touched anymore.  And my feelings were a shameful thing I didn't want to share...

Pretty soon even I was able to recognize that I was deeply depressed.  The only emotion I felt was a deep misery and loneliness.  I called up the one former classmate whose number I had.  She was very understanding.  "When does it get better?" I asked.  "I'll let you know," she said.  She told me of others who had turned to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain after going home.  I was shocked...

The other person [who saved me] was my little brother.  It was so different to have someone who needed me.  No longer was I "forming myself" just for the sake of forming myself.  I had to smile even if I felt sad, not because it was the right thing to do, but because Joseph needed a smile from me.  I had to leap up and help, not because I had been assigned to help, but because he needed help right then and couldn't wait.  He was generous with smiles, appreciation, and hugs.  I didn't feel comfortable hugging anyone but him, but he reintroduced me to the world of touch and it was so comforting.

This is a young woman who came home, only to find that she had been lied to -- she wouldn't be invited back, although she worked hard on the things they told her that would enable her to stay. Imagine the ones who stayed. Read it and see what you can do to make healthy decisions for your children, and bring this information to light for others.

ADDENDUM: I'll add a few more excerpts, below.