Fr. Harry Winter
Growth and Renewal: Oblate Renewal Group Expands
An Oblate-led fellowship quietly reaches 100 members, uniting Christians across traditions through prayer, reflection, and shared mission.
The Five Ways Fellowship, a renewal group rooted in evangelization, ecumenism, and dialogue, recently welcomed its 100th member. With members spread across the USA, the Fellowship is helping rebuild Christianity from the bottom up.
The Fellowship identifies five distinct ways of living the Christian faith—Catholic, evangelical/charismatic, reformed/Vatican II, fundamentalist, and liberal—all of which are present in today’s Church. Nearly all members report that one aligns strongly with their convictions, another feels secondary, and one they find hard to embrace. There are no dues or meetings. The only requirement is to receive a monthly e-letter for prayer and, when possible, action. Feedback is welcome and often enriches the shared reflections.
The group draws inspiration from Madeleine Delbrel, a French Catholic laywoman compared to Dorothy Day. Fr. Louie LOUGEN, former Superior General, recently shared Pope Francis’ praise of Delbrel. Around the same time, a member in Georgetown, MA, helped edit Madeleine Delbrel: A Life Beyond Boundaries by Charles F. Mann.
Fr. Jim Brobst, regional councilor, responded to the November e-letter: “Thanks for getting the article about Madeleine Delbrel posted; I was not aware of her before—a great example for Oblates.” One member in St. Paul, MN was inspired by Delbrel to found a sewing initiative for Somali women. Her husband supports the ministry, which serves Muslim women adjusting to life in the U.S. Another member wrote after the February e-letter, “I will pray for Father Rolheiser. His attitude seems so positive.” His weekly columns are often featured in the e-letters. The superior of the Poor Clares in North Andover, MA recently praised his January 27 column, noting, “We have many of his books and find them very helpful.”
A married couple in Buffalo, NY regularly contributes comments and questions. Each e-letter includes updates from the Mission-Unity-Dialogue website: www.harrywinter.org, and often opens with joyful anecdotes from children—gathered from the Joyful Noise-letter and Fr. Gilmond Boucher’s writings.
Colleen Dulle of America magazine recently reflected on Delbrel’s words during her own crisis of faith: “Unless you take this little book of the Gospel in your hand with the determination of a person who is holding onto his very last hope, you will neither be able to figure it out nor receive its message.” That fierce trust in the Gospel helped her—and helps many—find hope in barren times.
Back issues of the e-letter, dating back to April 2015, are available on the website under the “Five Ways” tab.