The Congregation of St. James

A Religious Rule and Constitution for Common Life
Of Brothers, Priests, Deacons and others


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"YOUR CULTURE, WHICH SHOWS THE LASTING GENIOUS AND DIGNITY OF YOUR RACE, MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO DISAPPEAR"      + -- Words of the Late Great Pope John Paul II, -- +      DEFENCE OF THE RIGHTS OF ABORIGINIES, November 29, 1986
LATEST UPDATE:

WHAT IS NEW ON THIS SITE?

May 15, 2009: Visit me at one of my public apperances. I am at a different parish almost each weekend in the NYC/NJ region, and travel to other states from time to time. click the underline above and see my current schedule posted on the hawkdancer.com web site.

May 5, 2009 Hawk Dancer Forum: Join my new Hawk Dancer Forum. This is to discuss the novels and up coming books, things found on my two web sites, and also Inculturation issues. You can introduce a topic, or comment on discussions already in progress. Sign in is simple and you will recieve a confirmation notice in your email box before your forum account is activated.

May 2, 2009: New Search engines for students and professionals are located at the bottom of my "Parish Book Exhibits" page. You can searh my two web sites, or look for literaly hundreds of book titles related to you research needs and desires. Clergy, seminarians and Religious will find these search engins particularly usefull, though just about any subject can be looked up that has books printed on the topic.

April 26: Photos of some churches that helped inspire my two novels.

April 24: The music video "Stand By Me" produced by an organization called Playing for change is embeded at the bottom of this page.



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Google Book Search
     Take a peek inside my two novels. Google Book Search allows visitors to read selections of books before deciding whether to buy.

     The big blue button above with the gray background peeks inside HAWK DANCER.
     The big blue button below with the RED background lets you read portions of CLOUDBURST, the second book I wrote.

These are the novels that helped inspire the writing of the Jamian Rule.
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Native American Heritage Day

H.J. Res. 62 was originally passed by the House of Representatives on November 13, 2007. The bill was passed with technical adjustments by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate on September 22, 2008. Then, on September 26, 2008, the House of Representatives unanimously voted to pass the legislation again, this time including the adjustments from the Senate. The legislation was signed into public law by the President on October 8, 2008.

Read the Bill about the new Native American Heritage Day law and holiday.
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The Jamians
History of the Order


This is the rule of life of the Friars found in the two novels, Hawk Dancer, and Cloudburst by Bro. Joshua Seidl, SSP. They were founded, according to the books, as a foundation of mostly Native American Catholics to serve in accordance to traditions and culture of Native Americans. The Order was founded during World War II in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan just outside a zoned community known as the Village of Birch Clump.
        The Congregation of St. James does not currently exist as an official religious order, congregation or society within the Catholic Church. The Rule and Constitution I prepared, with plenty of inspiration from others for nearly 40 years, could, however become a reality should the Holy Spirit so inspire persons to come forth and make it happen.
        Native Catholics do not have a strong permanent voice in the American, Canadian or Mexican Church. A number of Bishops or pastors have encouraged a stronger Native voice and action within their dioceses or parishes. Quite a number of excellent Native administered programs by and for Native Catholics have come about. However, all of these programs are at risk with the change over of Shepherds and Pastors. A Native Congregation with a powerful Lay Association admitted into two or more diocese has a realistic potential of receiving Pontifical recognition and thus establishing a permanent Native Voice on par with the larger, dominant non-Native Catholic mission and ministry and active Church life. A call for Aboriginal seminary or religious formation programs have been encouraged by Pope John Paul II.
        The novel, Hawk Dancer, demonstrates this potential in a very positive way. The companion novel, Cloud Burst continues the momentum drawing heavily on Vatican II documents and several dozen Papal pronouncements encouraging and developing greater inculturation, justice and peace.

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SYNODUS EPISCOPORUM BULLETIN
of the Commission for information
of the
SPECIAL ASSEMBLY FOR AMERICA
OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
16 November-12 December 1997

Books, DVDs, Vatican archieves H. Exc. Rev. Msgr. Toribio TICONA PORCO , Bishop Prelate of Corocoro.

     "They wanted to reduce us to nothing 500 years ago, but they did not succeed".
     "We have roots which they cannot kill, since something will always spring up".

     These expressions are the voice of some people from a culture based on a living rock in the Andes. They are the manifestation of people who wish to last as a culture with their own "aymara"identity and they rise in challenge against any system which tries to dominate them.
     The ancestral basis of the "aymara" millenarian "ayllu", that is its strength is acquired only within the community and not outside it. The community is the protecting center of individual and social life.
     Thus, whenever a member of the community gets ill, everybody is sorry. Whenever they build a house, the other members give material help. Whenever there is a feast, everybody must go to rejoice, at least to greet each other. For this reason, a feast is the maximum expression of the community unit in joy and in sharing.
     Experience has taught me that God is the catechist of the world and reaches all His children He created, whom He cannot forget and to whom He teaches His catechism even to those who live in distant lands, where no missionary has ever reached. God catechizes in a mysterious way with the alphabet of the stars, beauty of creation and through the discoveries of man.
     We native bishops dream of our parishes as being natural "communities of communities" with their own pastoral agents who identify themselves in their culture, love their brothers and sisters and who, in addition to the ordained ministers, we have other ministers of the Word, Teachers, Promoters of natural health, civil Promoters, Promoters for women and native religious women without disregarding the value of missionary men and women who will always have a place among us. Of course, all this is under the authority of JACHA TATA , the Holy Father Pope John Paul II.
     From these principles of a missionary, inculturated , paschal and local Church and these native communities of which I am part through my blood and pastoral activity, I suggest some concrete proposals:
Medicine Wheel 1) let’s study in-depth our inculturation efforts among the indigenous people and Afro-American people, even as an answer to the growing globalization which threatens the social and cultural identity.
2) Let’s denounce the current and historical taking away of land from the legitimate owners and the destruction of their crop. Let’s try to recover them as an integral pastoral commitment.
3) Let’s make sure that the indigenous Catholics become their own promoters and evangelizers.
4) May the Virgin of Copacabana, and the Virgin of Guadalupe, who is the Patron of America and the Star of the New Evangelization, help us to bear witness of our faith in the living Jesus Christ in such a complex world of today.

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The mailbox above can work only with Doteasy.com smartmail accounts.

This web site was launched on June 6, 2007 at 8:15 a.m. New York Time

Gaa win daa-aangoshkigaazo ahaw enaabiyaan gaa-inaabid.

Termination & Relocation
Freedom of Religion

        Our current society, which includes the membership make up of our Churches, has made great progress in defining and expanding the concept Seal of the Congregation of St. James of freedom for all, equal rights and, chiefly through various faith communities’ efforts, we have seen considerable progress in the realm of justice and peace.
        To continue to advance these works, as it applies to inculturation and Aboriginal issues within the Churches, it pays well to examine what luggage we carry and what kinds of thinking and behaviors we have inherited through history. Most of us living today are strongly affected by the thinking, general social policy and actions that brought about the American Indian Termination and Relocation acts of law from 1948 through 1971, and the American Indian Freedom of Religion Law of August 11, 1978 and subsequent laws and court hearings since then seeking understanding of this freedom, and how to better enforce and protect this freedom.
        The philosophy behind the Termination and Relocation policies were taught in all of our elementary and secondary schools, parochial, other forms of private schools and in the public schools. College and university students, not excluding seminarians and those in other programs of Religious Life formation were also taught to believe that the immoral termination of the United States official recognition of Native American sovereignty and treaties was for the benefit of the Indigenous Peoples of this land and for the country at large. The forcible or coerced relocation of several hundred thousands of Native People to work in specially targeted metropolitan centers was also touted as a best deal and final solution to America’s so called Indian Problem.
        Those who grew up in the 1940’s through the mid 1970’s were bombarded with the assimilation policy of that era. The teachings did not stop with the call for Natives to assimilate into Euro-American culture, but continued the older government and Church policies that insisted on the destruction of Native cultures and languages. Non-Native school children grew up with the teaching that anything of Native inheritance, language, faith, and yes, even the family graves, must be forgotten about or despised as something that held them back as a people.
        The children of the Termination and Relocation era that became Priests and Religious Brothers or Sisters are now the senior directors and policy makers of their respective dioceses, seminaries and houses of Religious formation. The majority of them, I believe, would not consciously or willfully impose or wish to continue the inhumane and immoral policies of those days. Yet, the debris of those years resides in everyone alive today, hidden or otherwise. Native American candidates to the priesthood and to Religious Life and other avenues of official ministry within the mainline Churches are still, by and large, expected to abandon or at best, give second place to their culture with regards to Church affairs, general Church life and policy.
        I think most of this expectation today is somewhat subconscious and not fully realized. Perhaps that of itself is some improvement. To the contrary of those older policies or mindsets, today’s leaders of religious and priestly formation express the modern concepts of inculturation and the promotion of Indigenous culture within the Church. However, our current systems of formation by and large lack even the most basic information to know how to begin to foster vocations within the Indigenous conscriptions, or even a greater feeling of full participatory membership as Indigenous within the Churches. Inculturation demands address of the relationship of Church and local culture within all aspects of life, not just the clearly defined programs of the institutional organs of the Church; (e.g. not limited to only Sunday services and organizations within given parishes, or the seminary structuring.)
        State education is beginning to recognize and develop academic course work to include the Indigenous accounting of American History and cultural information. The majority of schools that once embraced racial stereotypical sports mascots have divested themselves of these harmful symbols and teachings. More schools need to follow suit, but the pattern is now set and the remaining hold outs will more than likely follow suit. I predict that as these generations of school children take their place in society as adults that they will demand paid professional sports team corporations make the same changes.
        In like manner, constructive pressure has been placed on the Churches to give the same whole-life attention and considerations within their sphere of influence, which is considerably large and far reaching. By default and with all proper expectation, the average Euro-American vocation to ministry formation, be it seminary or other forms of professional ministry training, will be conducted almost entirely within their cultural context. This is not so for Native Americans at this time. Americans of African, Asian and Latino heritage have also been expected to make a total or near total separation from their cultural environment in order to pursuer ordained ministry, religious life, or other forms of professional Church service appointment. Yet, these later groups have been able to develop some partial, complete or near total formation programs within their particular cultural community settings within the past thirty years.
        Excellent, but very limited formation programming has been developed for Native Americans interested in the Clerical or Religious ministries of the main line Churches. There is the Sioux Spiritual Center in North Dakota and the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre near Espanola, Ontario. There are other organizations that have given supportive contribution towards greater cultural respect and environmental opportunities, though professional ministry formation is not their founding purpose: members of the Tekakwitha Conference, certainly will offer what they can in support of ministry development. The same applies to a growing number of colleges and university that offer Native American course study programs.
        Praiseworthy and generous as these organizations are, none of them are designed for or intended to be a fully emerged, full term form of ministry development, such as from candidacy through formation to ordination or comparable commissioning of clerical or professed lay ministers. The design of the yet to be instituted Congregation of St. James is but one option or plan of action that can help propel Native Ministry among Native People within a truly Native Church. More so, that these ministers whose primary ministerial environment would perhaps be within Native context, are fully recognized and prepared to assist within the whole life of their respective religious denomination and within an ecumenical frame regardless of the local cultural make up of any given parish or other Church setting anyplace in the USA (or world wide as the case might be).
        The American Indian Freedom of Religion act became law on August 11, 1978. There has been and continues today several court hearings attempting to define the fine points of how to define, protect, and unfortunately in some cases to limit this freedom. A broader reaching plan is needed within the Churches to promote Native American religious freedom, its expression and acceptance in the general society and within our respective Church circles. Education is of prime importance. Stronger localized, regional and national organizations are developing, and more need to develop. The ever growing, changing and healthy splintering of existing circles of concern and influence reflect that there are more than 800 nations, languages, tribal divisions or governments and so forth. No singular organization could possibly represent all concerns and groups or interests. Local autonomy is essential, and larger organizations can avail themselves to be of service to the hundreds of local conscriptions.

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Vatican

Stillness: Video honoring Veterans; a short story by Bro. Joshua

The full screen view is spectacular

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Vatican

Why is there a need for a Religious congregation such as the Congregation of St. James?

1. The Congregation of St. James would represent and serve Indigenous People in accordance with the customs and traditions of Native protocol and culture.

2. The (Order) Congregation of St. James would be made up of Indigenous People and directed by Indigenous People. (Non-Indigenous may also apply, but are focused to the norms of Indigenous ways.)

3. "Special attention needs to be given to vocations among indigenous peoples: they need a formation which takes account of their culture. While receiving a proper theological and pastoral formation for their future ministry, these candidates for the priesthood should not be uprooted from their own culture."
--The late Great Pope John Paul II.

4. Current seminaries and religious formation houses seldom if ever accommodate Indigenous culture and communities in their configuration.

5. The Priests and Brothers of the Josephite religious congregation fulfill the unique conditions of African-Americans. I feel the Congregation of St. James can do this for Native People.

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Search both of my sights, Hawkdancer.com & St James.com.

Use the above search engin for things on Mass, Inculturation, St. Paul, Pauline, and many more topics dealing with Native American & Church concerns.

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Vatican

Beaded Trinity
Beaded Trinity, by Bro. Joshua
By: Bro. Joshua


        This is a symbolic rendition of the Holy Trinity, the Three Persons in One God-head. The white or silver circle over and behind the head is Grandfather of all Creation, also known as God the Father. There are three visible v-shaped points on the circle and one assumed point not seen that stand for the 4 cardinal points of creation. (West, North, East, South).
        The Thunderbird outline is used in this piece of art for the Holy Spirit. The number of lines representing feathers from the wing is for levels of Wisdom and Knowledge. The low swoop of the wings is active creation.
        The head is Jesus, Son of God. The deer head within his head is a symbol of Good News – the Gospel. The red and green coloring of His face represents healing; He is the Divine Physician.
        I do not know who made the original pattern which was a single pencil line drawing the human and deer head. I added the hair and filled it in with beads and the surrounding symbols. The original work in beads has been given to a Catholic Bishop who has gone to great lengths to support and assist Native Concerns Ministry in his diocese.

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Vatican



ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II
TO THE ABORIGINES
AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS
IN "BLATHERSKITE PARK"
Alice Springs (Australia), 29 November 1986

(12.) The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ speaks all languages. It esteems and embraces all cultures. It supports them in everything human and, when necessary, it purifies them. Always and everywhere the Gospel uplifts and enriches cultures with the revealed message of a loving and merciful God.

That Gospel now invites you to become, through and through, Aboriginal Christians. It meets your deepest desires. You do not have to be people divided into two parts, as though an Aboriginal had to borrow the faith and life of Christianity, like a hat or a pair of shoes, from someone else who owns them. Jesus calls you to accept his words and his values into your own culture. To develop in this way will make you more than ever truly Aboriginal.

The old ways can draw new life and strength from the Gospel. The message of Jesus Christ can lift up your lives to new heights, reinforce all your positive values and add many others, which only the Gospel in its originality proposes. Take this Gospel into your own language and way of speaking; let its spirit penetrate your communities and determine your behaviour towards each other, let it bring new strength to your stories and your ceremonies. Let the Gospel come into your hearts and renew your personal lives. The Church invites you to express the living word of Jesus in ways that speak to your Aboriginal minds and hearts. All over the world people worship God and read his word in their own language, and colour the great signs and symbols of religion with touches of their own traditions. Why should you be different from them in this regard, why should you not be allowed the happiness of being with God and each other in Aboriginal fashion?

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Vatican



Today's non-Native Gospel leader must study the new sciences of understanding and cultural awareness. For non can enter the indigenous circle of life unless they are willing to give the mutual embrace that is the mark of true inculturation, and be able to prove that they come as brothers and sisters. This requires great skills in communication, and moulding such knowledge for true Pauline application.

Pope John Paul II said, "This is especially important among the indigenous peoples, in order that 'the seeds of the Word' found in their culture may come to their fullness in Christ."
A section from the definition paper on inculturation. The full text can be found via the page link at the bottom of this page.

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Vatican



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Site Index
HOME Home page, Congregation of St. James
Concept General concept and purpose
Rule Rule and constitution
Inculturation What is Inculturation?
Membership Associates in Native Ministries
Resources Research resources (Hawk Dancer web site)
Essays Complete listing of essays
Audio / Video Videos & audio clips
Art to frame down load art for your office or home
Book Exhibit SSP's Parish Book Exhibit Program
Church Photos 3 Churches inspiring the novels
H.D. Forum: Join the Forum on inculturation issues.
Contact us Postal address, email, phone


PURPOSE OF THIS WEB SITE:

The purpose of this web site is to demonstrate positive possibilities via inculturation to promote indigenous cultures within the Catholic and other main line Christian churches.
     Any Seminary or Religious congregation already in existence who has or desires to foster vocations among Indigenous populations may find the concepts contained in this web site useful information. It is my hope that these pages and the various links and resources provided here will be beneficial.

     For visitors to this site seeking a vocation: No such Order or Religious Congregation has been established, (yet). I am certain you will find several pages of this website generaly useful in your discernment process or in learning more about Religious Life and the life of Priests, Sisters and Brothers. You may email me with questions, but please to not email me about joining this Congregation of St. James to become a priest or Brother Friar; I have not started a new Order or Congregation.
    An exception is for persons already involved with Native American Ministries who would like to become associate members. This is a very simple form of association of professional and semi-professional persons who can share thier ideas and experiences and be supportive of on another's particular mission or pastoral conditions, obsticles and successes. See the Membership page for details.
    The Rule and Constitution as it appears on these pages are aligned with general norms of the Catholic Church. No attempt has (yet) been been made to establish a full-scale Friary or Convent style of Religious Community. I pray and look forward that this will come about.

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I take you to another web site St. Pauls Tube
SOCIETY OF ST. PAUL presents a Pauline alternative to YouTube in time to celebrate the YEAR OF ST PAUL.



The following photo is obviously a touch up job. I doubt the our Holy Father knows of the book. However, I hope a bit of light humor will help convey the idea that Inculturation is part of the Church's mission; and of particular interest to media ministry.

Acceptable?

Christian Radio . Christian Radio Ave Maria web radio Click, start radio programing, reduce radio window and you can continue reading these pages or go on to other computer work while listening to this excellent Catholic radio station.

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Save direct from the Publisher• Order Bro. Joshua's novels straight from PUBLISH AMERICA or from any major bookseller such as Barnes & Nobel or Amazon:

Click here for ordering links and more information.
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Job, by Joshua
Deacon Job




The constitutions of the Society of St. Paul states that our apostolate shall promote indigenous culture. It is difficult to know how one should go about such a sacred decision, but we have made some excellent headway. I am very proud to point out the research and resource page of this site and my other web site (Hawk Dancer) jointly holds. I have a list of recommended books produced by the Society of St. Paul in the United States, Canada and in Australia – countries that are courageously tackling the difficulties of inculturation and true justice and peace.

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Let’s denounce the current and historical taking away of land from the legitimate owners and the destruction of their crop. Let’s try to recover them as an integral pastoral commitment.



I will take you to another web site Hawk Dancer, the novel
The author's home web site.

Books, DVDs, Vatican archieves Research Materials
Books & DVDs for research on inculturation in accord with Native American concerns. This link goes to Bro. Joshua's home site.


Eh?
A self-portrait of the Author of Hawk Dancer.


Gibwanasi Namishkid, by Bro. Joshua
Drawing by Joshua Seidl, SSP
"Abbot Jacob Hawk Dancer" for the novel:
HAWK DANCER

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HOME Home page, Complete Index
Rule Rule and constitution
Essays Complete listing of essays
More See the Home Page

List of Essays
Salom Elekum Liturgy & the sign of peace
File 13 Great resolutions that are ignored
Our Lady of Guadalupe Model of Missionaries
OLG Español Auto Translation of the above
Devolution of Borders Doing away with colonial borders
Pope & Natives Commentary on May 13, 2007 speech in Brazil
Women & Children Commentary: Vat.doc. Women, Children in the streets
What is a Brother The vocation of Religious Brotherhood
More to come? Thanks for visiting