In the January issue of Gifts & Tasks, I asked the question, Can mixed age communities thrive?
Following is a partial response I received from Lay Marianist, Patricia Rooney, who is a member of Ascension Parish in Dayton, OH and 70 years old.
I've said to myself for many years with great vehemence that I do not want to end up in an old people's ghetto. Yet I do find myself reaching out to holy people who God puts into my life who are close to my age. There are frustrations that go a long with aging that you sometimes need to identify with people your own age. Although we do appreciate the ease of explaining our needs, our fears, our wants to people close to us in age, I believe the Marianist community as envisioned by Fr. Chaminade included so much more than just people who were defined by being in the same age range. We are truly challenged to make the charism ever alive and new.
Now I'd like to hear from the "under 40" generation.
Topic #2: Lent
I've been thinking lately about various Lenten practices - what's helpful, what's not. Is it better to give things up or doing something proactive to deepen one's faith or make our world a better place. Often the "giving up" part is primarily a prompt to remember to be more mindful of a commitment to do something positive. For example: be more charitable in my words, be more generous with my time or money, work more diligently on a justice cause, or pray more intensely. Click here for Busted Halo's Lenten basics or click on the video below for a modern musical take on Lent.
Peace, Susan Vogt Regional Rep. for N. America, Asia, Australia, Ireland | 
VIA LATINA - ONLINE