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The Anawim Community of Frenchville, PA, a Catholic religious community established in 1982, grew out of the Young People Who Care, Inc. Mission that was established in 1976 by Sr. Therese Dush, who was a Sister of Mercy of the Erie Diocese at that time. (For more information about Young People Who Care, Inc. go to www.ypwcministries.org). From the mission program of Young People Who Care, many young people came to experience the joys of living lives rooted in prayer and service of others. Some of the long term volunteers living with Sr. Therese and ministering to the needs of the poor began to feel called to making this life a permanent commitment. Bishop Murphy, the Bishop of the Diocese of Erie, made a pastoral visit and saw the unique spirit and charism lived by Sr. Therese and the volunteers. He recommended that Sr. Therese pursue the founding of a new religious community for the Diocese of Erie because he saw what a unique gift this community was to the Church and the people of God. The Anawim Community (Anawim means “the poor ones of God” or the “little ones”) received temporary approbation of the Catholic Church in 1982. It received its final approbation in1994 under Bishop Donald Trautman. Its members make private vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and seek to live out the message of the Gospel through living the Beatitudes and making themselves available to the needs of the poor. The members of the Anawim Community are responsible for the ministries of Young People Who Care. The Anawim Community’s story is one of love for the poor and trust in God to provide for the needs of the Community and its ministries.
1 Week - 3 Months – ANAWIM VOLUNTEERS
Requirements:
- Women or men at least 18 years of age
- Average intelligence and have good physical and emotional health
- Equivalent of a high school education
- Affective maturity (i.e. a sound self-concept)
- Ability to have healthy relationships
- Ability to make responsible decisions
- Open and cooperative with prayerful Christian environment
- Willing to serve, pray, and grow while living within the Spirit and Charism of the Anawim Community
- Formal application, two letters of recommendation, personal or telephone interview
- Must have a negative criminal background check and current child abuse clearance report
Short Term Volunteer Experiences with the Anawim Community are available. Volunteers spend 1 week to 3 months living in community with the Anawim Community members and joining them in their ministries. Volunteers experience the day to day life of the Anawim Community and are invited into living their spirit and charism of prayer, simplicity, hospitality, and service. At the completion of their volunteer time, short term volunteers are given the opportunity to reflect upon and evaluate their experience. Many short term volunteers return frequently and some choose to become long-term volunteers. After their time of service, they “Dance Out” and many choose to become Associate Members and maintain their connection to the Anawim Community as Associates.
3 Months - ANAWIM VOLUNTEERS
Requirements:
- Women or men at least 18 years of age
- Average intelligence and have good physical and emotional health
- Equivalent of a high school education
- Affective maturity (i.e. a sound self-concept)
- Ability to have healthy relationships
- Ability to make responsible decisions
- Open and cooperative with prayerful Christian environment
- Willing to serve, pray, and grow while living within the Spirit and Charism of the Anawim Community
- Formal application, two letters of recommendation, personal or telephone interview
- Must have a negative criminal background check and current child abuse clearance report
Long-term volunteer experiences with the Anawim Community are available. Volunteers can spend from 3 months to a year or longer living in community with the Anawim Community members and joining in their ministries. This opportunity provides volunteers with an immersion experience in living a life of prayer, simplicity, hospitality, and service to those in need.
After a period of orientation, direct experience of the prayer life and ministries of the Anawim Community, and discernment of one ’s gifts and call from God, the long-term volunteer is placed in a specific ministry and given an area of responsibility for the remainder of their volunteer time. A commitment ceremony allows the volunteer to state their intentions to be a part of the Anawim Community for a specific period of time as a lay member and they receive a Lay Member Anawim cross to wear as a sign of their commitment.
Current ministries include direct services to those in need in their homes (home repairs, visitations, yard work, painting, respite care, transportation to medical appointments etc.), youth retreats, adult retreats, homeless shelter for women and children, pro-life offices that meet the needs of pregnant women and families with infants, free medical and dental clinic for the low income uninsured, and other services that meet the needs of people who fall between the cracks of other service agencies.
This long-term volunteer opportunity provides for the experience of living day to day within a religious community and sharing in all aspects of prayer and community life. It is ideal for those desiring to give of themselves for a long period of time and who want to experience living in Christian community. Volunteers receive ongoing formation in the Spirit and Charism of the Anawim Community, community life, and have many educational opportunities available in the areas of spirituality and their particular ministry. Some long-term volunteers choose to extend their volunteer time, others “Dance Out,” and others discern being called to the vowed life within the Anawim Community. Many who “Dance Out” continue their connection to the Anawim Community as Associate Members.
Discernment
Discernment is the process of making decisions in light of seeking God’s will. The Anawim Community makes its decisions using a prayerful discernment process. Individual volunteers, lay members, and vowed members are encouraged to make decisions in regards to ministry, volunteer commitment time, levels of membership with the Anawim Community after a time of prayerful discernment. Instruction and formation on the prayerful discernment process for major and minor decisions is taught as part of the formation program for both lay and vowed members.
The Anawim Community offers a special Discernment Weekend Retreat yearly for anyone who wants to learn the process of prayerful discernment. Consider attending this year’s retreat:
Discernment Retreat - Discerning God's Will in Your Life ~ July 11-14, 2013
Arrival: 6pm Thursday, Supper Departure: Sunday Free will offering
Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to prayerfully discern God’s will in their lives. It is especially suited for those in the process of discerning their vocational call, choice of profession, job change, relationships, or other important life issues. The weekend will provide conferences, opportunity for personal silent reflection, private conferences, and group sharing. The discernment process learned this weekend will serve participants well throughout their whole life as they face many choices and life decisions. Please contact us if you are interested in participating in this Discernment Weekend or seeking more information about our Community. Brochures are available. www.bethanyretreatcenter.org
Spirit & Charism of the Anawim Community:
Prayer, Hospitality, Simplicity and Service
Prayer: The Anawim Community responds to the invitation of God to fasting and prayer, both private and communal, growing in love and appreciation of the Sacred Liturgy, Sacred Scripture, the Prayer of Christians, and the desert experience - “Poustinia”, which means a quiet, lonely place that people wish to enter to find the God that dwells within them. To go into poustinia means to listen to God. These are the sources from which prayer can be taken into the marketplace. A spirit of quiet developed through prayer of the heart pervades our surroundings. Prayer is the very foundation of the life of the men and women who commit to live in this community.
Community Prayer: Daily Eucharist, Prayer of Christians, Days of Recollection, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Hour once a month as a prayer for peace and for priests, celebration of the liturgical year with a special emphasis on Holy Week and Easter, special feasts of the Anawim Community on August 15 and December 8, novenas to the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Mother, and to St. Therese, patroness of the Missions.
Private Prayer: One hour in solitude each day for Scripture, personal devotion, private prayer; annual retreat of no less than six days (required for vowed members and recommended for lay members); poustinia day once every 6 weeks.
Hospitality: The Anawim Community is called to create a place where all feel welcomed, where people can come together to share at all levels. Each person is received in a spirit of joy and peace so as to create an atmosphere of hope and dignity - - each is received as Christ. Hospitality begins within the community by anticipating and providing for the needs of our brothers and sisters within community. Community hospitality calls for a “hospitality of the heart”, having room in one’s heart for each person one meets as being an image of God. This openness to others extends beyond the community to include all people and is expressed by always having an open circle, an extra place at the table, and a bed ready, always in anticipation of the unexpected guest.
Simplicity: The Anawim Community accepts responsibility for the stewardship of the earth, reverencing all goods as gifts from God who is Creator, and thus the members of the community are committed to a lifestyle of simplicity and stewardship. Anawim members acknowledge dependence upon God for basic needs of life and therefore accept remuneration for services but do not require a definite salary. Simplicity and stewardship are practiced in daily life through: simple dress, balanced and simple meals, avoidance of processed foods, modern conveniences are used in moderation, conservation of resources, recycling, productive use of the land through growing of food, and responsible use and care of resources.
Service: The members of the Anawim Community, while living a life of prayer, hospitality, and simplicity, act as people of service in the marketplace. Members are also active in works of peace and justice, emergency services, advocacy, and empowerment of the poor and disadvantaged. The call to a ministry may surface from outside the Community by way of invitation or recognized need, or within the Community member(s). This call is prayerfully discerned and decisions are made collegially before entering a new area of ministry. The individual member is involved in the discernment process of their ministry within the community.
Current ministries include:
- Direct social services to those in need in their homes (home repairs, visitations, yard work, painting, respite care, transportation to medical appointments etc.)
- Youth retreats and weekend or week long service programs for high school and college students
- Adult retreats and spiritual direction
- Homeless shelter for women and children
- Pro-life offices that meet the needs of pregnant women and families with infants – education, counseling, emergency formula, baby furniture, baby and maternity clothing, all supplies for taking care of infants, car seats etc.
- Free medical and dental clinic for the low income uninsured
- Other services that meet the needs of people who fall between the cracks of other service agencies.
Community Life
The Book of Acts gives the model for community life. We see the early disciples of Christ living, praying and breaking bread together.
"The joy of their oneness in Christ was transmitted to others and their number grew."
"The community of believers was of one heart and one mind, sharing all among themselves and bearing witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." .
The Anawim Community recognizes Christ as the center of their communal life while seeing each person as special and lovable as the Body of Christ. As members of the same body, the Anawim members and volunteers support one another through shared lives and through prayer. They take as their example, Christ, who accepted and loved the individual where he or she was found, while challenging the individual thus creating an avenue for growth towards wholeness.
The Anawim Community members (vowed, lay, and volunteers) live together in community and share in a life of prayer and service according to the spirit and charism of the Anawim Community. The Anawim live a life of prayer, hospitality, simplicity, and service, with the Beatitudes as the root and foundation of all. A supportive environment is created as members seek to live out the Gospel values in daily life. The members image the life of Christ as they live together, sharing common values and goals, and working together to create the Kingdom of God on earth. The members’ day is a balance of prayer, time in community, solitude, recreation, and service of others.
Though we all have different gifts, it is the same Spirit and the same God who accomplishes them in everyone. Together we are all the body of Christ, though the body has many members.
Education
The members of the Anawim Community have many educational opportunities available to them according to their individual needs and interests. The spiritual opportunities through the Adult Retreat Center programs and retreats are made available to members as scheduling allows. Retreats on contemplative prayer, prayerful discernment, Ignatian spirituality, liturgical seasonal retreats, and various other thematic retreats are regular offerings. Educational workshops occur throughout the year on topics pertinent to the various ministries.
Commitment Renewal
After a period of orientation, direct experience of the prayer life and ministries of the Anawim Community, and discernment of one’s gifts and call from God, the long-term volunteer is placed in a specific ministry and given an area of responsibility for the remainder of their volunteer time. A commitment ceremony allows the volunteer to state their intentions to be a part of the Anawim Community for a specific period of time as a lay member and they receive a Lay Member Anawim cross to wear as a sign of their commitment.
Vowed Membership
The vowed members of the Anawim Community make private vows of the Evangelical Counsels (poverty, chastity, and obedience) for one year which are renewed annually for at least five years before permanent vows in the Community.
Requirements:
- Women or men at least 20 years of age
- Average intelligence and have good physical and emotional health
- The equivalent of a high school education
- Affective maturity (i.e. a sound self-concept)
- The ability to have healthy relationships
- The ability to make responsible decisions
- Must have spent one year as a volunteer in the community before requesting entrance to vowed membership
Entrance: Once accepted as a candidate, the member is accepted in an entrance ceremony held on a Feast of Mary. The Community and the person’s family are invited to be present. During the ceremony, the new member receives the Anawim Cross, a copy of the Rule, and the title of Sister or Brother.
Initial Formation: The candidate enters a two year individualized formation program in preparation for vows. During the first year the candidate is relieved of major ministry responsibilities within the community to allow for concentrated time for prayer and study. The following elements are included: the Spirit and Charism of the Anawim Community, Catholic doctrine, prayer, historical and biblical development of the Anawim, the Evangelical Counsels, the Beatitudes and other pertinent topics. The second year of formation is focused on deepening of prayer life, discernment for ministry, return to active ministry, and further preparation for professing vows.
Profession of Vows: The novice professes private vows for one or two years in a liturgical celebration in the presence of the Community and family on a feast of Mary. Vows can be renewed annually for minimum of 4 years and a maximum of 6 years before requesting final vows. Continuing formation occurs during these years and after final vows are professed, as formation is a lifelong process.
Lay Membership
Lay Members of the Anawim Community are women and men who seek to embrace a life of poverty of spirit and singleness of heart. Having received orientation and having lived the spirit and charism of the Anawim Community for at least 3 months as a volunteer, they may make private covenant promises in the presence of the Community. They commit themselves to embrace the spirit and charism, way of life and ministry as a lay member. If, after at least one year, they discern they are being called into a deeper, longer, and possible life commitment, they may request to enter a formation program and discernment process for possible vowed membership. Those who make a private covenant promise may renew this if they wish to continue in the community as a lay member but do not feel called to the vowed life.
Associate Membership
Anawim Associates come together twice a year with the intention of experiencing Christian Community, sharing prayer, and providing ministry at the grassroots with people who are similarly committed to living out the Gospel values in the spirit of the Beatitudes. They support the Anawim Community throughout the year through their prayers. They gather in the spring for a weekend of sharing in the Anawim Community's ministries and in the late summer for a spiritual renewal weekend. Members share a commitment to the spirit and charism of the Anawim Community and live out these values in the marketplace in their own homes and communities throughout the country. Many Anawim Associates have been past volunteers, family members, retreatants, and any who have come to know the Anawim Community and desire to maintain a spiritual connection to the Anawim Community.
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