STATUTES FOR CONSOLATA LAY MISSIONARIES

IDENTITY AND PURPOSE

1. The "Consolata Lay Missionary" [CLM] is someone who seeks to respond to Christ's call within the context of his own lay vocation and makes the missio ad gentes in the spirit and charism Blessed Joseph Allamano received from God his life-choice. He shares the missionary goal of the Consolata Mission Institute founded by Blessed Allamano.

2. The CLM vocation has its own nature and is complementary to the other vocations in the Church. It embraces the whole period of a person's life and is not limited to a specific period. It must be the object of attentive discernment. It involves direct commitment to the Church's work of evangelization. It involves a style of life and witness that corresponds to this commitment.

3. Sharing the common missionary goal, the charism and spirituality of Blessed Allamano are the ties that bind the CLM to the Consolata Mission Institute [IMC] in a deep sense of mutual affection and cooperation and that creates a spirit of family and communion beneficial to both. Because of these bonds of charism and spirituality, the CLM have a privileged relationship of communion and collaboration with the IMC.

4. The goal which distinguishes the CML in the Church is the evangelization of people through sharing in the charism of Blessed Allamano. This goal is achieved in communion with the Institute Allamano founded and in ways approved by the Church.

5. To achieve this goal with responsibility, proper autonomy and freedom of organization, the CLM constitute an "Association" This association forms, preserves and deepens the life-choice of its members and constitutes a bond of union; it guides, coordinates and gives life to their missionary commitment in a commonality of purpose and family spirit.

6. The Association guarantees each CLM the possibility of fulfilling his missionary vocation with an explicit "missionary mandate." The mandate involves the total, direct, temporary dedication of the CLM to a concrete missionary project either at home or abroad or a permanent, responsible commitment in the mission work of the local community to which the CLM belongs. The Association is autonomous in its supervision of every organizational and operational aspect of the CLM's missionary commitment.

7. To facilitate the achievement of its missionary tasks, the Association should seek official recognition of its legal status - at least from civil authorities - as soon as possible. The Association is conceived of as an international organization composed of national branches.

8. CLM everywhere will be guided by the principles laid out in this document. National branches will determine regulations adapted to the conditions of life and work prevalent in their own area.

BONDS BETWEEN CLM AND IMC

9. The ecclesiology of communion requires respect for the diversity of vocations that exists in the Church and acceptance of the riches this complementarity provides. The vocation of a religious Consolata Missionary and a lay Consolata Missionary are both different and complementary. The bonds which exist between CLM and IMC are not constituted by the fact that CLM belong juridically to the Institute.

10. The CLM and the Consolata Mission Institute are, however, linked by authentic bonds constituted by the fact that they share genuinely and deeply in the spirituality and charism of Blessed Allamano and in a common commitment to the missio ad gentes. These bonds are deep; they are rooted in mutual affection and cooperation, mutual help and effort to achieve a complementarity of vocations. Both are called to grow and strengthen each other in a genuine family spirit and in a communion that benefits each. Like IMC Missionaries, CLM consider the Superior General of the Institute their ultimate point of reference, the guarantor of communion and fidelity to Blessed Allamano's original vision.

11. To guarantee concretely the bonds between the IMC and the CLM, the Institute is appointing certain Consolata Missionaries with the following tasks:
- to guide the CLM in their efforts to make their own, understand and carry out as laymen the charism and spirituality of Blessed Allamano;
- to foster continual reflection on the missio ad gentes and its requirements;
- to collaborate in the formation of new candidates for the Consolata Lay Missionaries;
- to promote among CLM collaboration in concrete IMC missionary endeavors.

12. To strengthen bonds with the IMC, the CML must:
- accept, understand and live the charism of Blessed Joseph Allamano and his spirituality;
- assume the spiritual and missionary attitudes that befit those who bear the name Consolata;
- strive to achieve as individuals and communities our common missionary goals;
- collaborate in missionary work in ways to be determined on a case by case basis in agreement with the IMC.

13. The bonds between the IMC and the CML are built up on a day by day basis, with human relationships of friendship, mutual assistance and edification, shared times of prayer and community life, continuous, sincere dialogue and deep mutual respect.
14. There are certain times during the year when it is especially appropriate to express our bonds of charism and mission: the shared celebration of the feasts of Blessed Joseph Allamano (February 16) and Our Lady the Consolata (June 20).

CLM ORGANIZATION

[The following section contains a series of suggestions. It is up to the CLM themselves to define their structure and organization]

15. The Consolata Lay Missionaries have their own autonomous, organizational structure and direction.

General Level

16. The General Assembly is the supreme CLM authority. It comprises CLM national coordinators and the IMC delegate. It is responsible for:
- analyzing CLM's status based on the reports presented by the national coordinators;
- discussing and making decisions on items, directives and proposals relevant to the life and mission of the CLM;
- examining the Association's financial situation and approving its six-year budget;
- electing of the CLM General Coordinating Board.

17. The CLM General Coordinating Board comprises members designated and elected by the General Assembly and an IMC Delegate appointed by the Superior General. It will meet as often as its work requires.

18. The General Coordinating Board is responsible for:
- governing the association on a general level and representing the CLM juridically;
- coordinating and maintaining contact with CLM National Coordinating Boards for all that concerns the life of the Association and the progress of mission projects;
- promoting study and discussion on items and situations relevant to the life and mission of the CLM on an international level;
- administering the CLM general funds;
- convoking the CLM General Assembly and preparing its agenda.

19. The IMC General Delegate to the CLM is responsible for:
- establishing a liaison between the CLM and the IMC on the General Council level;
- facilitating the implementation of CLM projects - especially those done in collaboration with the IMC on the level of concrete mission projects;
- assisting the CLM on a general level - especially with regard to sharing charism, spirituality and missionary goals.

National Level

20. On the national level, the National Assembly is the highest CLM authority. All members of the Association have the right to take part in the Assembly. The CLM National Coordinating Board will convoke the General Assembly at intervals to be determined by the Assembly itself. The National Assembly is responsible for:
- electing the National Coordinating Board and other eventual members of the board;
- discussing items and problems relevant to the CLM's life and mission;
- examining the National Coordinating Board's work;
- examining the financial situation and approving the budget.

21. The National Coordinating Board is the supervisory organ of the CLM on the national level. It comprises members designated and elected by the Assembly and an IMC Delegate appointed by the Regional Superior with tasks analogous to the IMC General Delegate. The board will meet as its work requires.

22. The National Coordinating Board is responsible for:
- coordinating and ensuring relations between different local CLM communities and maintaining contact with the General Coordinating Board;
- representing juridically and governing the CLM in a given nation;
- supervising, guiding and coordinating CLM local community mission projects;
- administering CLM funds;
- convoking the National Assembly.

Local Level

23. The basic structure of the CLM on the local level is the "local CLM community." Local CLM communities can assume different forms and be differently organized in line with National Regulations as personal and local situations require. The local community is the CLM's fundamental frame of reference. In it one lives one's own faith and commitment to the missio ad gentes; in it one learns, shares and lives with others the charism and spirituality of Blessed Allamano in fraternity and a spirit of family.

24. The local CLM community is guided by a coordinator elected by the members of the community and assisted by an IMC missionary appointed by the Regional Superior with responsibilities analogous to the IMC National Delegate.

25. Within the framework of the local CLM community members will agree on assigning the following responsibilities:
- drawing up and implementing a life plan (projet de vie) for the local CLM community which includes the community's explicit missionary commitment;
- ensuring guidance and spiritual direction;
- guiding discernment: a) for those who would like to make a commitment as a member of the CLM; b) for CLM members who want to be sent to the missions;
- maintaining contact with the CLM National Coordinating Board.

CLM Physical Structures

26. Normally the CLM uses rooms in IMC centers and houses for their meetings and local community activity. The CLM and the IMC will agree on space to be provided for these purposes. This fosters a sharing of life with the missionaries as well as a profound sharing of charism and spirituality. In the event that the CLM thinks it appropriate to use its own independent premises, the National Coordinating Board will study the matter and make the appropriate decisions.

Admission of Members

27. The requirements and method for accepting new members are:
- a personal vocation to live the missio ad gentes in conformity with the charism of Blessed Joseph Allamano;
- a previous period of formation - this can vary in nature and length according to place and circumstance; it should however lead one to human, Christian and missionary growth and direct one towards a vocation choice for the missions;
- with the guidance of another CLM member or an IMC missionary, the individual requesting admission should engage in an appropriate period of discernment;
- the request for admission must be accepted by the local CML coordinating board.

28. Before making any formal commitment, it is especially important that each CLM candidate take part in formation process whose length and content is determined by the CLM National Coordinating Board. The coordinator of the local CLM community and the local IMC Delegate are responsible for guiding this formation process and determining a candidate's fitness before he is admitted to the Association. They must take into consideration the personal circumstances of every individual candidate.

29. An individual officially entering the Association must make an explicit, personal commitment in the form determined by each CLM National Coordinating Board.

Separation of an Individual Member from the Association

30. After an individual member who has prayed and sought the advice of a prudent person, decides that he ought no longer remain in the Association he should inform the local coordinator in writing and seek approval for his decision to leave. From that moment he is free of all the obligations he/she had assumed and no longer enjoys the accompanying rights.

31. If after mature reflection and for serious reasons the local CLM coordinating board decides that an individual ought no longer remain in the Association the local coordinator should inform that individual in writing of the decision to dissolve his/her ties to the association; the individual loses all the rights of the Association and is free of any obligations he assumed.

CLM LIFE PLAN (PROJET DE VIE)

32. Each local CLM community should organize itself and establish a time-table of regular meetings for permanent formation, fraternity and prayer; it should program its concrete missionary commitments according to a life plan (projet de vie) that it draws up annually. Those dimensions of CLM life that must be included in its life plan (projet de vie) are the following:

Permanent Formation

33. CLM members at various levels of the organization should prepare and implement a concrete process of permanent formation that includes adequate content, along with the means and methods to study all aspects of their vocation. Primary responsibility for permanent formation rests with the CLM members themselves. This formation should represent a vital synthesis of academic content, life experience and concrete commitment.

34. Permanent formation in CLM local communities should aim at:
- promoting the personal growth of each individual;
- reinvigorating adherence to the charism and spirituality of Blessed Joseph Allamano;
- fostering growth in one's missio ad gentes identity and in the ability to implement this identity in the concrete style of one's life.

Spirituality

35. Consolata Lay Missionaries are nourished by a spirituality that reflects the life they have chosen. In conformity with their missio ad gentes goals and the spiritual teachings of Blessed Allamano, local communities are responsible for:
- living the values of the Kingdom;
- recognizing the primacy of God in their own life and the quest for holiness;
- making the Bible their own book;
- accepting the presence of Mary as model, guide, inspiration and mother.

36. Over and above the personal spiritual commitment of each CLM member, the local community should adopt appropriate means for supporting, nourishing and making its own spiritual life grow. These could be: regularly scheduled community prayer, community celebration of the Eucharist, days of recollection, retreats, community Lectio Divina, studying, discussing and sharing our missionary spirituality.

Community Life

37. Fraternity and communion in the life of every local CLM community guarantee the effective proclamation of the Gospel and an authentic missionary commitment.

38. According to Blessed Allamano's teaching we are a "family." Each of us is accepted as a brother; each of us is interested in the other; we live the mission in a commonality of purpose; we eschew all forms of individualism and selfishness; we share each other's joys, sufferings and hopes. This is the "soul and life" of the CLM. Each local CLM community will determine its own form of community life and the best way to implement it. We must foster greater sharing and communion between the local CLM and IMC communities.

CLM MISSIONARY COMMITMENT

39. The essential and constituent element of a CLM vocation is commitment to the missio ad gentes. The "Missionary Program" of a local community is especially important: it makes the missionary mandate entrusted to each member concrete.

40. The Missionary Program includes all the dimensions of a local CLM community's missionary commitment: from total and temporary commitment to some concrete mission project at home or abroad to the permanent mission commitment of all its members. The Missionary Program of each local community must:
- provide the framework for a community's discernment to ensure correspondence with its mission commitment;
- be approved, supported and coordinated by the CLM National Coordinating Board;
- be articulated in one or more "concrete missionary activities;"
- be implemented at home or abroad;
- be either autonomous or a collaborative effort with the IMC or some other entity.

41. Each local CLM community should appoint one of its members as "responsible for the program;" he/she will oversee its implementation by:
- defining the missionary activity or work in terms of : goals, duration and CLM personnel involved. In developing a projects close attention should be paid to their practicality and sustainability lest it be necessary to abandon them before completion;
- determining the expense involved in a project;
- inspecting and evaluating projects annually; managing the personnel and cost of a project.

42. It is preferable that projects of a certain size be discussed, taken on and implemented by several local CLM communities - especially if they are neighbors. In this case responsibility for implementation rests with a group made up of representatives of each community; all the communities involved should review the project jointly.

43. The CLM should work towards eventual economic independence. This implies that each local community is expected to support its own missionary activity through contributions from members, fund-raising and the search for public and private grants. The IMC will guide, support and help the CLM achieve this financial independence.

44. With the support of its local communities each CLM National Coordinating Board will make n effort to find the means and methods consonant with the financial situation of its lay missionaries to establish a National Lay Fund. This will help to defray the unforeseen expenses of local community missionary activities in a nation. The fund will be managed directly by the National Coordinating Board.

45. 45. When the missionary activity of a local CLM community is a collaborative effort with other organizations (IMC, dioceses, ecclesiastical or civil institutions) expenses should be equitably distributed. The terms for sharing expenses should be the subject of an agreement to which all involved in the project are party. Expenses should be apportioned on the basis of degree of involvement and responsibility.

46. 46. Over time the responsibility for a concrete mission project may pass from one local community to another - this is especially true with long-term projects. When this happens there should be an agreement between the communities involved that is approved by the National Coordinating Board. In the event that the local communities belong to different nations the approval of both the National Coordinating Boards and the General Coordinating Board as well are required.

47. 47. Entities sustaining the expense of a particular mission activity should periodically review both the progress of the project and the equitable distribution of expenses.

CLM Missionary Projects in collaboration with the IMC

48. When the mission activity of a local CLM community involves direct and temporary collaboration with the IMC either at home or abroad, it must go through the following stages:
- a proposal of temporary and direct collaboration on the part of the CLM in an IMC concrete mission activity; and/or a request for such collaboration from the IMC to the CLM National Coordinating Board
- a period of discernment regarding the CLM members to be directly involved in this collaboration
- adequate formation and immediate preparation for the CLM
- a formal contract ("collaboration agreement") that specifies all the details involved (Cf. no. 52).
- sending the CLM to the project in question
- oversight of the CLM and the activity to which they are committed
- welcome the CLM back into their local CLM community on their return.

49. The various stages of CLM/IMC collaboration listed in the previous paragraph should be overseen by the CLM National Coordinator and the IMC Regional Superiors involved in the project, with the assistance of the CLM National Coordinating Board.

50. Discernment of CLM individuals to be committed to a concrete mission activity is the province of those involved together with the local Coordinating Board assisted by the National Coordinating Board. Each national branch of the CLM will establish criteria (preparation, age, individual maturity) to be followed in this discernment.

51. Preparation for departure of the CLM will take place in two stages:
- the first stage should last at least a year and should be dedicated to preparing the CLM to fit into the specific missionary activity
- the second stage should not last longer than six months and is dedicated to immediate preparations for departure.

52. The "collaboration agreement" should be done in writing; it should be accepted and signed by the CLM members destined for the project, the CLM National Coordinator and the IMC Regional Superiors involved. It should cover the following details:
- the duration of the commitment
- the concrete terms of the collaboration
- assistance and guidance for the CLM involved
- apportionment of financial obligations
- assistance to CLM when their commitment terminates
- anything else that will contribute to the success of the project.

53. Sending the CLM to the missions is an ecclesial event and should be celebrated with the required emphasis and solemnity. The local Church should be involved.

54. Assistance to the CLM for the duration of their agreed collaboration will be managed by the CLM National Coordinating Board from which they came; this will be done in collaboration with the IMC Regional Superiors involved in accordance with the provisions of the contract.

55. The return to one's homeland is the time to recount the works of God and the marvels worked by the Spirit among the peoples. On his/her return, the Consolata Lay Missionary (along with his local community and the CLM National Coordinating Board):
- will review his missionary experience;
- be given financial and moral assistance to facilitate his return (this will be done in accordance with the National Financial Regulations);
- will offer direct assistance to mission promotion;
- once back in local community he/she will embrace its life and mission commitments and will collaborate especially in mission promotion and the formation of other CLM.