Conference explores Clare as an exemplar of leadership

Introduced as a colorful Franciscan, a compassionate and energetic woman, and as joy-filled and full of life, Ramona Miller, OSF, was the speaker for the 19th annual FSPA Sponsorship Conference on Oct. 31. Sister Ramona, a member of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minn., is a member of the Franciscan pilgrimage staff and has conducted many pilgrimages to Assisi. She wrote In the Footsteps of St. Clare and co-authored Prayer with Clare of Assisi. She was invited to the sponsorship conference to speak about Clare of Assisi as an exemplar of leadership.

“What do you mean, Clare for leaders?” Sister Ramona started. “For those of us who love Clare, we know she has a message for leaders and many of her attributes can help leaders succeed.”

Sister Ramona introduced Clare as contemplative, a learner, a voice of authority, reflective and one who empowers. These, according to Sister Ramona, are attributes of Clare that will help leaders in Franciscan institutions succeed.

Sister Ramona said, “Leaders inspire with their vision and I am going to be speaking about how Clare of Assisi inspired others with her vision.” This vision, according to Sister Ramona, is not the vision from physical eyesight, but from the “heart-sight.” It’s the kind of vision leaders have—inspiring with the vision from the eyes of their hearts.

“This is a vision that generates enthusiasm in others for a same purpose,” explained Sister Ramona. “Clare had the ability to gain a shared commitment.”

The essence of Clare as a learner and voice of authority are two attributes Sister Ramona focused on in helping leaders succeed today.

“An example we have of Clare as a lifelong learner we get from a particular incident that happened at San Damiano,” explained Sister Ramona. “We learn about her call for ongoing education that she provided for her sisters through dedicated preachers.” Sister Ramona explained that when Pope Gregory IX forbade the preachers to go to the monastery, Clare instructed all of the friars to leave. But it was not only preaching that friars provided; it was the bringing of the food to the monastery. So Clare was staging a hunger strike by instructing them all to go away.

Clare obviously had influence because when the pope heard this, he allowed the preachers to return. According to Sister Ramona, that story has a lot of power because it shows Clare’s insistence on the value of ongoing solid education for the women who lived in the monastery. It also shows Clare was a person of influence who could negotiate in very creative ways.

Sister Ramona asked leaders present to consider what their own desire and plan is for ongoing learning? “How do you continue to educate yourself?” asked Sister Ramona. “To be a good leader we must constantly be learning.”

After a brief time for reflection on leaders as constant learners, Sister Ramona presented Clare as a person of authority—as a very young woman starting a new way of life. Leaders, according to Sister Ramona, find that persons either blame them for not having all the answers or reject them because the answers are not what the person wants to hear. Clare, as a person of authority, wrote in her form of life, “The elected abbess strives to preside over the others by her virtues and holy behavior more than her office so that ruled by her example the sisters may obey her more out of love than out of fear.”

Sister Ramona offered this challenge for leaders, “Walk that creative line, a living line, that by our virtue speaks a message if we are in conflict with the higher authority our lives and our vision are so right that they indeed speak for themselves and we don’t have to be defensive about what we are about. It must be about others and not us,” said Sister Ramona, “and there, we will find the power to influence others.”

Sister Ramona concluded by asking leaders to resonate with Clare’s qualities—that leaders, too, be persons who by their lives hold up a symbol of hope. “We want the text from Clare to serve as a summation of her vision: ‘The Lord himself not only has set us an example and mirror for others but also for our own (co workers) who the Lord has called to our way of life (to our institutions) so that they in turn will be a mirror and example to those living in the world. Since therefore if we have lived according to the form of life given to us we shall, by very little effort, leave ours a noble example and gain in the prize of eternal happiness.’”

Finally, Sister Ramona asked several questions: How do we inspire our vision? How do we gain a shared commitment? How do we build a community? “This is,” said Sister Ramona, “. . . for you to work on.” Another highlight of the Sponsorship Conference is the presentation of the Christian Mission Award. This year’s award was presented to the Franciscan Spirituality Center.

According to Sister Jean Moore, “The FSPA Christian Mission Award is granted to a person, group, organization or institution that strives to carry out the Catholic, Franciscan values." In a video presentation, the award recognized the Franciscan Spirituality Center under the leadership of Director Vince Hatt. The video highlighted the center’s dedication to those seeking wholeness and its steady evolution both fiscally and physically—all while keeping programming at the core of what it does and offering new and innovative ways to reach out to the community.

“It is an honor to recognize this professional, dedicated staff, who in the spirit of Francis and Clare offer programs, processes, prayer and personal presence to all on their sacred journeys as co-creators of a just and peaceful world,” said Sister Jean. The Franciscan Spirituality Center received $1,000 for keeping alive the values of Clare and Francis.

At the conclusion of the conference, the audience was treated to reflections from pilgrims who recently returned from Assisi. Each pilgrim selected a Franciscan value that he or she will bring back to his or her institution.