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Lifelong affiliates pledge to keep growing

Edna Whalen	JoAnne Henderson

"I just can't imagine life without the FSPA and my affiliation with them." According to Marci Madary, affiliation co-minister, this is a common refrain made by FSPA affiliates. Currently there are 201 women and men who are FSPA affiliates or in the process of becoming one. A number of these have taken the initiative to make a lifetime commitment to the congregation and have become lifelong affiliates.

Covenant and prayer affiliates currently renew their commitment every three to five years. Those who eventually become lifelong affiliates make a lifetime commitment, and do not participate in a renewal ceremony again. Edna Whalen and JoAnne Henderson became lifelong affiliates in the fall of 2003. Their decision to take this step illustrates the reasons lay women and men decide to make this long-term commitment.

Edna Whalen first associated with the FSPA through the Shared Horizons volunteer ministry program in 1992. Her first Shared Horizon experience was in North Carolina working with a migrant community. She became a covenant affiliate in 1994.

Currently, Edna lives with her husband in New Albin, Iowa. They have one adult daughter. Edna has a doctorate degree in Spanish from the University of Iowa. She uses her strong bilingual skills in her ministries. Each year Edna returns to her native country, Panama, where she provides spiritual direction to women of limited means. When she is at home in Iowa, Edna serves as an advocate for Hispanic immigrants. She is also an FSPA prayer partner and commits to a weekly hour of adoration in the Adoration Chapel.

Edna views her decision to become a lifelong affiliate as "a logical step in her spiritual journey." Saying she doesn't expect her life to change drastically with this step, she views this affiliation as "a formal commitment to continue my journey."

To begin the lifelong affiliate process, an individual must be an affiliate for five years and be at least thirty years old. While the individual initiates the process, the decision to proceed is made through consultation with a number of others. The affiliate confers with the affiliation co-ministers, a contact person and his or her companion community. Sister Karen Neuser, affiliation co-minister, stresses that the companion community plays a pivotal role in the discernment process. Companion communities are small faith groups that covenant affiliates interact with. Membership in these communities typically includes a mixture of FSPA members and affiliates.

JoAnne Henderson attended school as a child in Ashland, Wis., and was taught by FSPA. Her relationship with some members eventually led her to become a volunteer at Villa St. Joseph, the FSPA skilled care retirement home. She continues to travel over 250 miles three times a year for a three-week volunteer stint at the Villa. She became an affiliate in 1993, several years after she began as a Villa volunteer. In addition to this, she is active in her Ashland parish, Our Lady of the Lake.

JoAnne recalls that she resisted the idea of becoming a lifelong affiliate because she feared she might fall into a rut if she did not regularly renew her commitment. She says she prayed and talked with several members about the idea before making her decision. Now that she has completed the process she says, "It is such a big part of me now, it is so natural."

In May 2004, JoAnne and her husband will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They have three children and eight grandchildren. She cites her husband's support as crucial to her affiliation commitment. JoAnne also expresses great appreciation for her FSPA companion community, "We talk and share to give strength to each other. I couldn't have done it alone."

Each lifelong affiliate candidate chooses a focus for study in the three areas of prayer, community and ministry. This focus is integrated with the affiliate's spiritual life. Edna's focus on ministry brought forward these thoughts, "Our lives are like journeys, we keep growing. The path is not straight. As one grows in awareness, one changes, becomes more accepting of self and others. One feels a need to serve, to love and to give thanks."

According to Marci, most people take one and one half to two years to complete the process. Since the reflective process is integrated as a part of the affiliate's everyday life, the timing is never the same for two people. "That's what spirituality is," says Sister Karen, "it is not on a timeline."

After completing the process, the affiliate makes a public commitment before other affiliates and FSPA members. JoAnne held her celebration in the Villa St. Joseph Chapel on Oct. 12. Edna's celebration was in Mary of the Angels Chapel on Oct. 18. There are now a total of ten lifelong affiliates, and four other affiliates have begun the process.

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