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 our spirit our service prairie retreat grow with us  lifetime membershipforms of associationvolunteer» applicationshare in the mission CHMNet |
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Alternate Forms of AssociationThree Ways to Search and Serve When prophets project the future of religious life in the Catholic Church, they can only agree that religious communities will continue to change and adapt to the needs of both Church and society. They will also expand opportunities for membership, developing various alternate forms of affiliation in a 21st century Church increasingly dependent on the gifts and talents of lay women and men in all areas of ministry. The Congregation of the Humility of Mary has three alternate (non-vowed) ways to participate in the Humility charism of search and service: 1. CHM Associates: Catch the Humility Spirit! CHM Associates are people called to live the CHM mission within the context of their contemporary lives. They are women and men, young and old, married and single. They are teachers, business professionals, musicians, social workers, homemakers and retirees from a variety of professions. Most are Catholic but some are not. Their common bond is the deep connection they have with the Humility spirit that characterizes members of the congregation. All recognize how important it is to keep growing in their spiritual life. And at their deepest core, they feel called to work toward economic, social and political justice but without vows and with their own gifts wherever they live and work. The CHM Associate Program offers a support system . . . a spiritual lifeline . . . a connection to the ongoing task of searching and serving. 2. The Visitation Program: A Time to Grow 
In the spirit of Mary of Nazareth who went for three months to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, the Sisters of Humility have created the Visitation Program -- an opportunity for mature women to deepen their spirituality and personal growth by living and working as members of the Humility community for a limited time, usually one year. This innovative program is open to women who do not seek vowed membership but who wish to enrich their own spiritual life and their service to the wider Christian community by participating in prayer, community life, ministry, and spiritual development and study. Participants live with members of the Humility community in Davenport or Des Moines, Iowa for the 12 months of the programThere is no age requirement but applicants must be mature women - single, widowed or divorced - with a yearning for greater spiritual and personal growth. In a spirit of hospitality, we open our hearts and doors in a special way to those who wish to commit the time to rediscover and reclaim “the sacred within.” 3. New Hope Community: Love One Another 
New Hope Community, an intentional CHM community in the River Bend neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa, is a witness to all of the importance of a daily rhythm of prayer, community and working for justice.Members of the community include both vowed and non-vowed individuals who commit one year at a time to live together as did the early Christians – breaking bread, sharing with those in need, praying daily and living simply. Other persons (extended community members) are in solidarity with the CHM mission and occasionally join core members for prayer, reflection, fellowship and service in the neighborhood. The people of New Hope Community know, however, that changing society starts in your own neighborhood – one day at a time. Located in apartments managed by Anawim Housing (affordable housing for low-income families, elderly persons, and immigrants from many countries), the five core members of the New Hope group keep their doors – and their hearts – open to all. Learn more about CHM programs. |