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SOCIETY OF OUR LADY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
STATUTES OF THE
DIOCESAN PUBLIC CLERICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE FAITHFUL

I. INTRODUCTION The communion of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful, of Our Lady's Society, has as its model and source the communion of God as Trinity, the unity of the Son to the Father in the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is itself the means to achieve this communion: united to the Son, in the Spirit's bond of love, we are one with our Father. In the very mystery of this communion the Church shines forth as a people made one in the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Public Clerical Association of the Faithful shall be called the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. The headquarters for the Diocesan Clerical Association of the Faithful (henceforth referred to as "the Association") will be the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.A. It is aggregated to the Priest's Society of Apostolic Life of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (cf. C. 302). II. PURPOSES A. General Each member in the Diocesan Public Clerical Association of the Faithful of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity is called to the apostolic life of the Church in the world to honor and glorify the Triune God, to exalt His Majesty and to manifest His Greatness. B. Specific We dedicate ourselves as deacons and lay faithful of the Diocesan Public Clerical Association of the Faithful of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity to serving on Ecclesial Teams comprised or priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful. We unite with them in carrying out the pastoral, missionary and ecumenical works of Our Lady's Society. We strive to bring the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, serving in the spirit of the Gospel. We desire to serve in the sanctification of the world to glorify God the Father in Christ led by the Holy Spirit. Seeking the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs, we order them according to the plan of God, continuing the redemptive work of Jesus Christ for the salvation of all by renewing the whole temporal order (by the regeneration and anointing of the Holy Spirit who unites and likens us to Jesus Christ). II. MEMBERSHIP OF THE ASSOCIATION A. Admissions

  1. An application, screening and admission process is to be established by the General Servant of the Association and his Council for those seeking membership as permanent deacons and married and single laity in the Association. Regional processes, and the responsibility to execute them, are delegated to the Regional Councils of the Association by the General Council of the Association. The General Servant of the Association and his Council will serve the members of the Association directly in newly developing regions where Regional Servants of the Association and Councils have not yet formed.
  2. Upon the successful completion of the application and acceptance by the respective Servant of the Association and his Council, the candidate will be admitted to the Society as a member-in-training for a year. The length of training may be extended by the appropriate Servant of the Association and his Council with the advice of the Ecclesial Team responsible for formation.
  3. Each member-in-training shall complete the prescribed period of training. Members-in-training who complete the training and are accepted to full committed membership in the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful by the General Servant of the Association and his Council are then eligible to vote on Society issues.
  4. The placement of the member-in-training shall be determined by the respective Servant of the Association and his Council. Placement is part of a planned program responding to the calling and vocation of the member-in-training in collaboration with the Regional Servant of the Association and his Council and the Ecclesial Team leader.
  5. Corporate members may be given in the Association by the respective Servant of the Association and Council or the Team Leader with the approval of the respective Servant of the Association.
  6. Once a permanent married deacon or a lay person becomes a committed member, the person retains this membership until leaving the Society, changing membership status, or until dismissed by the General Servant of the Association and his Council, or the Regional Servant of the Association and his Council.

B. Types of Membership
  1. Permanent Married Deacons: Those who are permanent married deacons, their spouses and their families who are contractually covenanted to the Association of the Society of Our Lady. The deacons and their spouses are active voting members.
  2. Definite Members: Those who have lived a contractual covenant in the Association of the Society of Our Lady for at least three years of committed membership. They are active voting members.
  3. Committed Members: Those who have completed their initial formation and have contractually covenanted themselves to the Society for a period of at least one year. They are active voting members.
  4. Members in Training: Those who have completed their application and have received favorable acceptance for formation by their respective regional Servant of the Association and his Council. They are placed in a planned formation in their region.
  5. Corporate members: Those permanent married deacons or laity who serve the Society on special projects. They may participate in Society functions and meetings as approved by the appropriate Council of the Association. They are passive, non-voting members. They are to receive proper and continuing formation in the spirituality of the Society of Our Lady and their apostolates.
  6. Associate members: Those persons who contribute to the Society materially, spiritually or through limited volunteer service.
  7. Missionaries of Mercy: Those who offer their sufferings, prayers and friendship for the missions of the Society.
  8. Members-on-leave: Those committed or definitive members of the Society who have asked for and received from the respective Council of the Association a leave of absence for one year. At the end of this time, the respective Servant of the Association and his Council will contact the Member-on-leave, review the person's status and may then reinstate the person at the appropriate level of membership or lengthen the period of leave on a yearly basis.

C. Dismissal of Members The General Servant of the Association may dismiss a member with a unanimous vote of his Council. Grounds for dismissal include immoral conduct, public scandal, schism and heresy, excommunication, or blatant disregard for the Statutes of the Society. Members receiving notice of dismissal by the General Council of the Association may appeal to the Board of Conciliation of the Association of the Society of Our Lady. D. Formation of Members Plan of Formation: Fulfillment of the vocations are to be achieved by an active plan of formation administered by the priest assigned by the General Priest Servant for spiritual direction and formation in every Region, and by a member of the Association appointed by the respective Servant of the Association and his Council. The wide guidance and support of the priests on the Ecclesial Teams is sought regarding all the content of this formation. Woven into the fabric of our on-going formation are the underlying principles of fidelity to participation in Society apostolates and the humble application of the concept of subsidiarity. In addition to spiritual, vocational and ecclesial team training, the plan should provide for ongoing study of such subjects as: the moral and social teachings of the Church, world history, cultures, current conditions and the human sciences. The integral formation of the members of the Association should include the following components:
  1. Human Formation: The human formation of the members of the Society is to be well-rounded and adapted to the natural abilities and circumstances of each participant. It shall bring them to be aware of their true manhood and womanhood and of their human dignity, respect and integrity. It brings about a balance and depth to each personality as the members in Christ, growing in friendship, brotherhood and family spirit to oneness with Our Father and Jesus. The program of human formation will be in need of continual development through the prayerful balancing and spontaneity - of the temporal and the divine.
  2. Faith Formation: This formation stems from the desire of each member to be formed in the interior life of divine wisdom and love. Interior purification frees the person to seek ardently and then respond to the will of a loving Father. Members will learn how to observe, evaluate and do all things in the living light of faith. Being formed as disciples of Jesus and Mary, they measure life by the standard of the Gospels.
  3. Vocational Formation: Christian formation as a continual process of growth is mandated to all believers by Jesus: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser... He who abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:1, 5). The fundamental objective of the formation of the Lay Faithful is an ever-clearer discovery of one's vocation and the ever-greater willingness to live it so as to fulfill one's mission. From all eternity, God has though of us and has loved us as unique persons. As the Good Shepherd he has called each of us by name. However, it is in the gradual, day-by-day unfolding of our lives that God's eternal plan is revealed to us. Thus, formation will always involve: a receptive listening to the Word of God and fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church, fervent and constant prayer, recourse to a wise and loving spiritual guide, faithful discernment of the gifts and talents given by God, reading the signs of the times, as well as insight into the diverse social and historic situations in which we live. Formation will also include opportunities for Christian service: to know and do what God wills - especially by living out one's sacraments of baptism, confirmation and matrimony.
  4. Spiritual Formation: Those appointed for formation bring members of the Society to live a Marian Trinitarian spirituality that reaches to profound union with the mystery of the Triune God. Formation is developed through discipleship of Mary, to discipleship of Jesus, to union with the Most Holy Trinity. This formation in relationships and discipleship is central to the life of each member fulfilling the call to holiness. All members will be formed to witness the spirit of the evangelical counsels in accordance with their state in life.
  5. Formation on Ecclesial Teams: Ecclesial team formation trains each member in a deep knowledge and love of each vocation, stressing the distinction and complementarity of ordained life, religious life and lay life, in imitation of Our Lady in all relationships.
  6. Mission Formation: a. The gift and outpouring of ourselves and our faith is witnessed in continuing the mission of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The deacons and lay members of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful sent into mission need preparation and formation according to their state of life, the teachings of Church on mission and the needs of the mission themselves. b. New members shall be made familiar with the universal teachings and norms of the Church concerning missionary activity. They shall be led to view themselves as joined to Christ in the mission of Church and the mystery of salvation. c. They shall obtain a general knowledge of the culture and religion, past and present, of the groups to whom they reach out. The universality of the Church and the diversity of nations shall be stressed in training. Thus, the laity and deacons will be made ready to serve God's people. d. As much as possible, formation will be provided in the lands where the missions are served. This formation will include history, social structures, customs, language, moral values, political systems and general traditions of the people. In addition, this practical knowledge will be supplemented by training in effective methods of pastoral care, specialized ministry, catechetical teaching and evangelization. e. The Mission Formators shall see to it that the members in training are given special formation in those works of the apostolate in which they will serve in a diocesan mission under the direction of the local ordinary (cf. C.311). f. All persons serving in missions, even temporarily, shall receive proper and continuing formation. Such formation is undertaken for all members by the Ecclesial Team leader, in collaboration with the Ecclesial Team for formation.
E. Specific Mission The Society of Our Lady exists to serve Christ and the universal Church through service of the local Church and obedience to the will of the local Ordinary. The apostolic works that we undertake reflect that desire to serve the Bishops (cf. C.311). Ministries of the Ecclesial Teams of Our Lady's Society include:
  • Addiction: through health care and rehabilitation programs.
  • Catechetics: in teaching children and adults the beautiful truths of our faith and preparing new teachers to further the work.
  • Communication: developing programs to utilize all media to support and spread our faith.
  • Ecumenism: welcoming and honoring persons of faith in various religions while sharing the truths of our own.
  • Education: building schools in the finest traditions of education, enlivened by Our Lady's example. We place particular emphasis on the Montessori method and on international students.
  • Evangelization: to bring about a new Evangelization.
  • Marriage and Family Life: providing counseling and support for troubled marriages and unwed mothers; and providing preparation and enrichment.
  • Medicine: this healing ministry - giving preventive and corrective health care in all areas.
  • Migrants: traveling with the migrant streams to lend dignity and aid to any area of their need, as a Pilgrim People of God.
  • Military: working within to sanctify the armed forces as a peace force.
  • Parishes: renewing and revitalizing parishes and building basic Christian communities.
  • Prisons: visiting and serving offenders in their imprisonment and participating in genuine rehabilitation of offenders.
  • Refugees: bringing to their lives all human rights.
  • Socio-Economic Needs: working for justice and dignity for all workers.
  • Youth: developing program for volunteers, for participation in mission and for transition to Christian adulthood. They also are to collaborate with the pastoral, ecumenical and mission ministries of the local Church in accord with the directives and leadership of the local Ordinary.

IV. JURIDICAL STRUCTURE OF THE ASSOCIATION A. Leadership 1. General Servant of the Association: The General Servant of the Association is to be a permanent married deacon (cf. c.317.3). He directs the permanent married deacons and the married and single laity of the Society in the development and fulfillment of their vocations. He is to be a definitive member. The General Priest Servant appoints him from a list of three candidates who receive the highest number of votes cast by members of the Association at their Chapter at the International General Assembly. He is to serve for three years. He may serve only two terms. The duties of the General Servant of the Association are the following: a. Serves on the General Council of the Association; b. Accepts personal responsibility and authority in execution of the decisions of the General Council of the Association on behalf of the development of permanent married deacons and lay members; c. Calls a meeting of the General Council of the Association once a month and special meetings; d. Presides over the meetings of the General Council of the Association; e. Appoints the formation Director for the permanent deacons and the single and married laity with deliberative vote of the General Council of the Association; f. Assumes responsibility for the formation needs and missions of the permanent deacons and laity of the Society; he strives to complement the spiritual formation of the members by the Priest Servant and the priests who lead the Ecclesial Teams; he directs the gifts of the permanent deacons and laity with discernment and prudent charity; g. Together with the General Priest Servant, appoints the person for Ecclesial Team Formation, the Administrator of Goods and the Treasure; h. Implements the instruction and decrees regarding the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful issued by the Holy See for permanent deacons and laity.
2. First, Second and Third Assistants. The first, second and third assistants serve as voting members of the General Council of the Association. They serve for three years and are elected by the Chapter of the Association by a majority vote. They may be re-elected once. a. The first assistant is given the responsibility of the General Servant of the Association during time periods that the General Servant is unable to execute his duties due to extended travel, illness, transition or resignation. b. The second assistant is given the General Servant of the Association responsibilities if neither the General Servant nor the first assistant is able to serve. c. Duties of the assistants are: to attend the meetings of the General Council of the Association; to carefully attend to the life of the permanent deacons and laity of the Society; to witness solidarity wit the Joint Council and the Regional Councils and the General Council of the Association. 3. Administrator of Goods. The Administrator of Goods is committed to witnessing the goals and priorities of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity; he should wisely use the resources given the resources given the General Council of the Association, should be diligent in the management of these resources and seek to improve his skills. He shall be appointed by the General Priest Servant and the General Servant of the Association. He serves for a term of four years. The duties of the Administrator of Goods are: a. To create an annual overall budget for the administration and expenses of the General Council of the Association, formation and other programs' b. To review and receive financial statements of the Ecclesial Teams, their missions and apostolates. c. To designate a plan for dispersing funding for regular approved expenses; d. To assure that each person accepted for membership signs a declaration of renunciation of remuneration from the Society for any services rendered; e. To approve all withdrawals from the General Fund of the Association beyond those designated as regular; f. To review the Treasurer's report monthly; g. To plan for future needs and establish the directions needed to meet those needs.
4. Treasurer of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful The treasurer of the Association witnesses the goals and priorities of the Society of Our Lady with regard to material resources. He should b experienced in keeping accounts. He is appointed by the General Priest Servant and the General Servant of the Association and his Council for a term of four years. The duties of the Treasurer are to: a. Record all moneys of the General Council of the Association. b. Distribute funds as authorized by the Administrator of Goods; c. Pay bills and keep accounts of all financial transactions of the General Council of the Association; d. Submit a monthly report to the General Council of the Association; e. Submit a yearly general report at the Assembly.
5. General Council of the Association The General Council of the Association consists of the General Servant of the Association, his three assistants and the General Priest Servant as an ex-officio member. a. The purpose of the General Council of the Association is to guide and nurture the members of the married diaconate and the married and single laity. The General Council of the Association will establish guidelines, screening and qualifications in the process of application for membership, and will serve each member in whatever type of membership they choose. b. The General Council of the Association will share in programming for Ecclesial Team orientation and formation. It will assign permanent deacons and lay personnel on Ecclesial Teams in full and responsive cooperation with the Ecclesial Team Leaders. The General Council of the Association will assess requests for reassignments on various teams in collaboration with the Regional Council and the Ecclesial Team Leaders. The General Council of the Association will serve on the Joint Council of the Society and will facilitate the complementarity of vocations in decisions and actions. The General Council of the Association will administer the General Fund of the Association, for the administration expenses of the General Council of the Association and for the needs of the permanent married deacons and laity in formation. c. The General Fund of the Association will have a yearly budget which is reported to the Joint council.
6. Regional Councils of the Association The General Council of the Association shall establish administrative structures for the regions according to the same pattern of the General Council of the Association. The Regional Council offices will be established and appointments will be selected according to the statutes and subject to the review of the General Council of the Association. 7. Regional Elections a. Elections for the Regional Councils, Regional Administrators of Goods and Regional Treasurers of the Association are to be held at the Chapter meetings of the Association. Each Ecclesial Team of the Region shall submit nominees for the Regional Servant of the Association two months prior to the Chapter meetings. The appointment of the Regional Servant of the Association will be made from the three nominees receiving the highest number of votes at the Chapter meeting of the Association. The names of the three are submitted to the Regional Priest Servant and he will choose the Regional Servant of the Association from these three. The Regional Servant's three assistants shall be chosen by majority vote at the Chapter meeting, and may include the nominees which were not chosen for regional servant of the Association. b. Terms of service for the Regional Councils of the Association are for three years. They may be re-elected once only to consecutive terms. Absent members may vote by proxy. c. In the event that a General Council member is unable to complete his term of service, the member shall be replaced by a new appointment of the General Servant of the Association. In the case of a Regional Council member, the Regional Servant of the Association would appoint a replacement. A new election will then take place at the chapter meeting.
8. The Regional Servant of the Association and his Council shall establish a Board of Conciliation for their Region. They are to deliberate and decide concerning the appeal of the members regarding their membership in the Association. The Board shall consist of three definitive members of the Association. They will serve for five years.
V. JURIDICAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE ASSOCIATION WITH THE PRIEST SOCIETY OF APOSTOLIC LIFE A. The General Priest Servant
  1. The General Priest Servant is, ex-officio, the head of the Public Association of the Faithful. He authors and signs both the contractual and renewal covenants for all the members of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. All financial responsibilities and temporal needs for all Association members will be placed in the Covenant Contract between each member, member family and the Society. Such agreements are to define the rights and responsibilities of both.
  2. He is to appoint a priest of the Priests' Society of Apostolic Life or Our Lady's Society from each region to be the spiritual director and formator for the Association. These directors are directly accountable to the General Priest Servant.
  3. The General Priest Servant makes the necessary application with the local ordinary and the permanent diaconate office of the appropriate diocese for those called to the permanent diaconate in Our Lady's Society.
  4. The General Priest Servant chooses the General Servant of the Association from the three candidates who received the highest number of votes in the General Chapter of the Association.
  5. The General Priest Servant, in erecting apostolic houses for the Priests' Society of Apostolic Life, is thus authorized to erect apostolic houses for the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful, in conjunction with the priests; houses (cf. c. 312.2).

B. Regional Priest Servants
  1. The Regional Priest Servant and his Council, along with the Regional Servant of the Association and his Council, are to see to the needs of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful in their respective region.
  2. The Regional Priest Servant and his Council provide to the Association mission assistance to the works of the apostolate in each diocese under the local Ordinary in their region.
  3. The Regional Priest Servants are to obtain the written consent of the Bishop of the diocese for the valid erection of a branch of the Association in a diocese where there are no priests of the Society of Our Lady present (cf. c. 312.2).
  4. The Regional Priest Servant in his region chooses the Regional Servant of the Association from the three candidates who receive the highest number of votes in the Regional Chapter of the Association.
  5. The Regional Priest Servant is to give a yearly report to the local ordinary, the General Servant of the Association and the General Priest Servant.
  6. The Regional Priest Servant and the Regional Servant of the Association will be provided budget reports and the accounting of the material and financial resources by the Association's Administrator of Goods and the Treasurer.

C. Joint Council Meetings
  1. The General Priest Servant of the Priests' Society of Apostolic Life and the General Council of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful will meet twice a year. These meetings will facilitate coordination and implementation of ministries, promote the living of the mutual complementarity of vocations which characterizes the Society of Our Lady and assures a just and equal aggregation to all the members.
  2. The Regional Priests' Council of the Priests' Society of Apostolic Life will meet four times each year with the Regional Council of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful. The Regional Priest Servant will call and lead these meetings. They will discern and decide on matters of membership, personnel, spirituality, formation, community life, missions and apostolate.

VI. STATUTES The changing of the statutes requires the approval of the Ordinary of the diocese where the headquarters of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful is located, upon recommendation of a two thirds majority of the laity at an international assembly, as communicated to the General Priest Servant.

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