A survey of the RVM sisters' attitudes toward prayer services in view of liturgical renewal in communities

• Main Author: Ubaldo, Maria Marilyn, RVM
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Nuns; Prayer meetings; Religious of the Virgin Mary; Religious Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/242
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study sought to describe the RVM Sisters attitudes toward prayer services, as component of liturgical renewal in communities. Grounded by Vatican II SC no. 16 and affirmed by PCP II no. 169, the five areas of Foundational Concepts on Liturgy (FCL) were established. These areas are: liturgical theology, liturgical spirituality, pastoral liturgy, Ignacian charism (the context of the study) and liturgical inculturation. A 93 items questionnaire was developed through three major stages: the development of the survey material, the administration of survey material and treatment of data results. There were 117 respondents of the survey and they were classified into 4 clustered groupings. Group 1 is the temporary professed Sisters (19 or 16 %). Group 2 is the perpetually professed Sisters (27 or 23%). Group 3 is the silver jubilarian Sisters (31 or 27 %) and group 4 is the golden jubilarian Sisters (40 or 34 %). The respondents reached an 83.7 % satisfactorily agreeable to the FCL items. Item #88 which states that they cherish the Ignacian values as special gift we have as RVMs garnered the highest percentage of 93 %. Item # 10 which the lowest (67 %) states that they do not aim to make the world more enjoyable to live in. The dominant area preferred by the Sisters is Ignacian charism with 82.0 average mean followed by liturgical theology, pastoral liturgy, liturgical inculturation and lastly liturgical spirituality (with giving joy as the least item.) Groups 1, 2, 3 are highest in liturgical theology while group 4 is highest in Ignacian vi charism. In mean ranking, when taken as a group, the golden jubilarians have the highest mean rank, followed by silver jubilarians and temporary professed. The perpetually professed scored the lowest general mean rank. The golden jubilarians, at their age are still very much active and participative in prayer services as shown by their group mean score of 84.0 while group 2 who is the energetic work force group of the congregation is low in their participation of prayer services. When the mean score areas are taken separately, group 3 emerged as the well integrated among the four groups because they are the number 1 in mean ranking.. This study finds the temporary professed Sisters (Group 1) to be high in liturgical theology and liturgical inculturation therefore they are possible good liturgists in the future. Because of their overall lowest mean scores, the perpetually professed Sisters (Group 2) need to undergo the renewal program of the old/new perpetually professed (NPPS/OPPS). They have to be given more space for prayer and lessen their work load in order to be renewed. The silver jubilarians (group 3) are the best liturgy leaders because of their spiritual maturity and have hurdled the developmental stages proclaimed by Levinson.. The golden jubilarians (group 4) need to maintain their interest in liturgy by having their own liturgists trained with the rites of the elderly. Liturgical spirituality is a need to be addressed by all the groups.