The call to religious brotherhood - "a state of life complete in itself" (Perfectae Caritatis 10) - is a call to grow to the full potential of our manhood.   We draw on our personal gifts, accept our limitations and avail of the opportunities to choose life in order to grow to maturity as balanced and integrated persons.

The gospel vision of life in its radical vowed form is at the heart of religious life giving it meaning and direction.  Any serious diminishment in living the gospel vision whether in our personal lives, as communities or in our ministries leads to death rather than life.

There are signs of that death in our congregational story.  Such signs include undue severity of discipline, harshness in community life, child abuse, an addiction to success, canonizing work to the neglect of our basic human needs for intimacy, leisure and love.  Today we have been made painfully aware of these aspects of our sinful history.

We acknowledge and accept the truth of our fragility.  Our eyes have been opened to our deficiencies in the areas of psychosexual development and the affective dimensions of our lives.  We accept that these aspects of our congregational life which do not foster human growth need to be addressed.