Gaa win daa-aangoshkigaazo ahaw enaabiyaan gaa-inaabid.

The Congregation
and Inculturation

        Inculturation is the mutual embrace between local indigenous cultures and the Churches at large that promotes indigenous cultures within the local churches, the Church at large and within the general secular society. The Congregation of St. James originated as the fictional Religious Order of Native American Friars (sometimes called monks) in my two novels, Hawk Dancer and its follow up companion, Cloudburst.
        CSJ, the initials for the Congregation of St. James, came about in the story’s time frame in the 1940’s. It is billed as the only religious order adhering to indigenous cultural norms and values in the world. My use of and purpose for the fictional Congregation of St. James demonstrates the positive potential that cam be obtained if there were formation programs of ministry established for the mainline Christian Churches here in the USA and Canada. OSJ happens to be a Catholic based proposed entity because I am a Catholic and so it is easier for me to write from that familiar base; but the principles can be applied to many religious denominations.
        Native Americans who considered ordained Christian ministry in those days were expected to reject or turn against their cultural heritage in order to enter seminary, religious life formation and as a pre-requisite for eventual ordination. This is still a conviction in most ethnic foundations of ministry formation, though progress against these archaic, ignorant and racist norms is gaining. There were even a few, though very rare, exceptions back in the 40’s and even in the mid or late 19th century.

Annotated references

        CSJ’s concept is heavily notated and influenced by the writings and speeches of the late great Pope John Paul II, and from other post Vatican II documents originating from the Pontifical Institute of Justice and Peace, documented meetings and papers filed from major inter-faith dialogues, documents issued by or on the behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and from a variety of Bishops who are the Ordinaries of diocese with pronounced Indigenous populations.
        A sampling of these papers can be viewed via the links I provide on my Research and Resource page.

Plausibility of a Native Order?

        It is very conceivable that such an order could develop. The currently fictional Congregation of Native American Franciscan Friars of St. James is not the first time anyone came up with the idea for an American Indian Catholic religious order or religious congregation. The expressed thoughts from an Anishinabe (Ojibwe) Capuchin Franciscan that the American Church needed an Ojibwe Capuchin order influenced my decision to fold the Letter of St. James into the Rule of St. Francis. The name, Congregation of St. James appears for the first time in my second novel, Cloudburst, as the first novel in which the Native American monastery was established, but the order never formally named by me, the author.
        Others have attempted and are still attempting to establish Catholic religious congregations for religious sisters, brothers and priests. One such congregation of diocesan rite was established in Upstate New York’s Ogdensburg Diocese. I am not aware that any Natives ever joined the congregation, and the last I heard there was but one Euro-American Brother remaining in vows, and he served as a secretary in the Chancellery. Several other people expressed serious interest to have Native American membership ministry societies of various sorts for local and for national Native American ministry concerns.
        Read the rule and constitutions on these pages and you can easily envision the possibilities.

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Why is there a need for a Religious congregation such as the Congregation of St. James?

1. The Congregation of St. James would represent and serve Indigenous People in accordance with the customs and traditions of Native protocol and culture.

2. The (Order) Congregation of St. James would be made up of Indigenous People and directed by Indigenous People. (Non-Indigenous may also apply, but are focused to the norms of Indigenous ways.)

3"Special attention needs to be given to vocations among indigenous peoples: they need a formation which takes account of their culture. While receiving a proper theological and pastoral formation for their future ministry, these candidates for the priesthood should not be uprooted from their own culture."
--The late Great Pope John Paul II.

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Search both of my sights, Hawkdancer.com & St James.com.

Use the above search engin for things on Mass, Inculturation, St. Paul, Pauline, and many more topics dealing with Native American & Church concerns.