Dear Friends and Alumni of the Holy Cross Associates Program,

We write to you today to share the outcome of the 2006 Provincial Chapter and to begin a dialogue regarding the future of the Holy Cross Associates program. The Provincial Chapter is the highest decision-making body in the Province, meeting once every three years to review the various works of the Province and make recommendations concerning those works to the Provincial Administration. It is composed of 47 elected and ex officio delegates who meet for two weeks, in various committees and as a whole, to examine all the work that the Province has been doing for the past three years along with the future plans of each apostolate. This is the context for the following legislation passed by the Chapter.

While recognizing the tremendous contribution to life and work of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the Indiana Province of the Priests of Holy Cross has decided that the Holy Cross Associates program should be discontinued after the 2006-2007 programmatic year - while honoring the commitments of our incoming domestic and overseas volunteers - and that all future recruitment should be ceased at this time. While choosing to discontinue the Holy Cross Associates program, the Provincial Chapter strongly stressed the importance of and its support for lay collaboration in the mission of Holy Cross and has charged the current HCA staff along with the Provincial Administration with investigating and proposing a new vision for a program of lay association.

The Province has fully committed itself to re-envisioning a program of lay collaboration and has retained the current staff to collaborate in the design of this future program. The Province will be deciding in the coming months how best to go about re-envisioning this program, and will likely employ a broad group of people aided at retaining the very best aspects of the Associates program, while matching them with the diverse needs of the Congregation and changing nature of the volunteer landscape. It is the Provincial Administration's goal to establish this committee this fall.

We understand that this decision may come as a surprise to you and recognize that change is rarely easily achieved. Although this is a difficult decision, it is one that holds out hope for a brighter future of a stronger, re-energized program of lay collaboration with Holy Cross. It is our sincere hope to examine the Associates program and work to create a re-envisioned program of lay collaboration. We greatly value your continued commitment to Holy Cross and hope to engage you in exploring potential concepts for our program. While the configuration of the re-envisioned program has yet to be discussed, we will do our best to address any questions or concerns you may have regarding this decision. Please do not hesitate to contact us. Though we have not yet discussed a mechanism for collecting input on the re-envisioned program, we encourage you to express your thoughts and ideas in writing (email or letter vs. phone call), so that we have accurate records of them at the appropriate time in the planning process.

Again, know of our gratitude for your service to and with the Congregation of Holy Cross. You are in our thoughts and prayers as we finalize preparations for the orientation of our 2006-2007 Associates.

God bless,

Stephen Holte, Interim Director

Ms. Kristin Heath, Chair HCA Advisory Board

Fr. Anthony Szakaly, CSC, Assistant Provincial of the Indiana Province

Stephen Holte
Interim Director
Holy Cross Associates
Moreau Seminary
Notre Dame, IN 46556-0668
574.631.8016
574.631.9233 fax
holte.1@nd.edu
holycrossassociates.nd.edu