Life in Community

Our institute has a pronounced family character. It is oriented on the Christian family, ultimately on the innertrinitarian family life and on the Nazareth family. This character leaves its mark on the community as a whole and in its parts. The whole community is a large family made up of smaller families.

Our family’s origin lies in the fatherhood of the living God who chose us in Christ Jesus to be his children, who unites us in the Holy Spirit, and who leads us as a Father and shepherd in a sacred history.

By our belonging to the family, our founder is given to us as a father and we receive the fatherhood of those who govern in the name of the institute. This belonging gives us a new title under which we can call Mary our Mother and Educator. As sons of this family we are brothers to one another. The Sion Shrine is our spiritual home and the place where true family spirit is educated.

In deep solidarity in, with, and for one another we strive for the ideal of a communion of mission, life, and hearts; in this way we become a living shrine for others — built of living stones, held together by the power of love.

Brotherly love urges us to be loyal and respectful to one another; it means taking the initiative in showing trust and asking pardon. It finds an expression in arms extended in welcome, in selfless service, and in vigilant co-responsibility. Family love does not disclose the weaknesses and mistakes of confreres to persons outside the community; it forms an atmosphere of joy. Our community life is carried by a spirit of prayer and sacrifice and constant readiness to educate and to be educated.

By building up our community as a family of God, we want to make an important contribution towards realizing the ideal of the new community in the natural family, in the Church, and in society.