How Was the Cultural Audit Developed?
Participants at an interdisciplinary dialogue on the mission confronting U.S. religious saw the need for the audit, so that religious communities would recognize the impact of the dominant U.S. culture and consider the implications for their interaction with persons from various cultures in ministry and for new members in their communities. The results of that series of dialogues are contained in Reflection & Dialogue: What MISSION confronts religious life today?
In June 2000 a planning group representing the sponsors of the Center–Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and Catholic Theological Union–decided that the project should be undertaken. Robert Schreiter, CPpS, from CTU agreed to be the project consultant. The Center’s Program Advisory Committee suggested the formation of a group with background in cultural questions to help define the parameters of the instrument and give feedback as the work progressed. The team working with Robert Schreiter were:
Frances Cunningham, OSF, World Mission Office, Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Eleanor Doidge, LoB, Catholic Theological Union
Barbara Kraemer, OSF, Center for the Study of Religious Life
Teresita Nuval, Asian American Ethnic Ministries Office, Archdiocese of Chicago
James Schuerman, St. Francis Seminary, Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Rudy Vela, SM, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio
Charles Walter, MCCJ, writer, Chicago Center for Global Ministries
Jose Rodriguez, OFM, coordinator, CTU Student.
Eric H.F. Law was a consultant for the process and exercises in the audit. Some of the exercises are included in his books. Clarence Williams, CPpS, also served as a consultant on the content of the audit.
The audit was designed to be carried out by communities at different levels: leadership, formation communities, local community meetings, provincial/regional gatherings. Therefore, pilot testing was done by five groups of religious, some monocultural and some multicultural:
Sisters of Mercy, Merion, PA, group of sisters
Missionary Sisters of the Most Blessed Trinity, group of sisters
Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, leadership team
Marianists (Society of Mary), formation team
School Sisters of Notre Dame, Mankato Province, provincial assembly.
Once the pilot testing was completed by the end of January 2002, the contact persons for the pilot groups met with the local team for evaluation. Then the writer made the necessary revisions. Editing took place over the summer, with publication in October 2002.
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