Spotlight

It is with great pleasure that we re-introduce to you the current President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rev. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. Fr. Sebastian is the Provincial of the Western Province of the Passionist Community and until last December, was also President of Stauros International. Sebastian's support, encouragement, leadership and friendship have been invaluable. His term as Provincial, and therefore, as a member of the Board of Directors of Stauros, terminates in June. We want to take this opportunity to extend our very heartfelt appreciation to him and to offer him our very best wishes and prayers. While we will miss his leadership, we know we can continue to count on his support of the mission of Stauros.

"This is my second appearance in the NOTEBOOK. I welcome the opportunity as I leave the corporate structure and the office of President of Stauros, U.S.A.

"Early on I was an admirer of Stauros, from a distance. I was not part of its activities and Congresses until the early 80's. At that point, I left my relatively many (18) years of teaching moral theology in a seminary setting, and became part of the administrative team of the Passionists of Holy Cross Province. At about that time, Flavian Dougherty, founder and first Director of Stauros, U.S.A., moved his office to Chicago, where I have been since 1968, giving me the opportunity of greater involvement.

"My post-ordination life as a Passionist has been divided between teaching and administration, with the usual pastoral ministry of a priest accompanying them. An interesting development I have noted during this trajectory of my life has been the way I have brought to bear the central concern of Stauros - suffering in the lives of those with disabilities - upon my own understanding of the ways of moral theology. Habitually interested in the method to use in reflecting theologically on how God bears on human behavior, experience and character, I have gradually come to see that suffering, a fundamental human experience touching everyone1s life, suggests its own method to moral theology. It can engender in us a particular outreach to God as Savior and Redeemer that corresponds closely with the particular disability afflicting us at a given time. And so the concern of Stauros to address suffering became my particular concern, too, helping me appreciate a new way of reflecting on how we best approach God out of our human condition.

"Suffering as a springboard to God is good Christian theology. It appeals to my commitment as a Passionist. It speaks to my experience, and presumably the experience of the readers of this NOTEBOOK, as real and authentic.

"I am happy to find my path converging with that coming out of the grounds where Stauros finds its habitat and roots. I hope that the future allows me to continue in this direction."