[Oe List ...] The Last Chapter- Charles Hahn

[Richard Alton]

CHARLES F. HAHN: ON ASSIGNMENT AT THE ECUMENICAL INSTITUTE/

INSTITUTE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS: 1964-1986



Charles and Doris Hahn, along with their daughters, Marsha and Shelley
moved to Fifth City in Chicago, August 1964. The first year in Chicago,
Charles spent much of his E.I. life working on pedagogy. He was routinely
assigned to RS-I and PLC teams both in Chicago and across the U.S. Then, at
the end of the summer of 1965, Charles and Doris along with Joe and Carol
Pierce, were assigned to a three-month research trip across the Arab world.
This was the last of a series of such trips undertaken to study the depths
of life in continents around the world.



In September of 1968 the Institute set out to expand its work through
establishing Religious Houses rather than working solely in and through
Chicago. The Hahn family along with two other families from our Chicago
base moved to Los Angeles, CA to join four other families who wanted to be
a part of our life and work. After searching for suitable property, we
chose to establish the Los Angeles House in Santa Monica where Charles
served as Prior until the following summer.



In June, the Hahn's moved back to Chicago to participate in the Summer 69
Academy. The following Spring (1970) Charles travelled to the U.K. where he
and Doris visited families from across England who had attended Religious
Studies I courses held during the earlier part of the year. E.I. courses
followed, along with an invitation from the local Church of England Vicor
to establish a Religious House in Thornaby-on-Tees where Charles became
House Prior. He continued to visit clergy around the U.K. and to set up
courses. In the Summer of 1972, the Thornaby House sponsored "Summer 72”
with participants from across the U.K. In the Fall of 1972 Charles returned
to Chicago where he become Prior of Development Centrum.





In the summer of 1974, the Institute established several coordinating
centers or Nexus around the world in order to spread the work done in
Chicago. Charles was assigned as Prior of the Brussels Nexus, which
coordinated Institute work in Europe and Africa. Charles also served as
Prior of Development Centrum for Africa as well as Europe. He set up
appointments across Europe, especially with Roman Catholic Orders in Rome,
where occasionally an Institute presenter was asked to tell our story at a
national meeting of a Catholic Order. In 1975 Charles went to the opening
of the Kawangware Human Development Project in Nairobi, and often he hosted
members from Africa Houses who came to Europe on Development trips.



In 1976-77 Charles was assigned to Chicago but spent most of his time back
in Europe working in Development. In 1977 Charles was reassigned to
Brussels where he stayed one more year.



In 1978--82 Charles was Prior of Management Centrum at the Chicago Nexus.
And in 82-84 he went to the Bombay Nexus as prior of Research Centrum. That
team did the local planning and set-up for the IERD (International
Exposition of Rural Development) in 1984. The Research team split their
time between planning the event to be held in Delhi and visiting
established rural development projects sponsored by many different groups.
Research Centum evaluated these projects in order to set up visitation
plans for those who came from around the world to Delhi for the actual
meeting in 1982.



In 1982 Charles was again assigned as Prior of Management Centrum at the
Chicago Nexus. And 1984-86 he was assigned to the Houston House, where he
worked in Research. The life and work

of the Institute(s) and the Order: Ecumenical were dear to Charles, not
only until 1986, but for the rest of his life.


In the face of great loss, no words convey the sadness we feel for those
who loved Charles Hahn. Yet we dare to say Death is neither a curse nor a
blessing, an end or a beginning, but only that it is a wondrous,
frightening and redemptive reality. It is a step into the Unknown Unknown.
It is sacred, and it is good.

Even though Death is universal, it is also unique---because every life is
unrepeatable. It arrives in its own time and is always shocking, even when
it is anticipated. It can be painful or peaceful, timely or not, tragic or
strangely welcome, or all of the above at once. We don’t choose the manner
or the moment and can only respond by acknowledging its finality and
trusting what was, is and will be. We go on.


Whether you celebrate death as a Home Going or as a finality that prevents
you from being with your loved one physically, acknowledging death is
important. We accompany you in your grief. We pray for you in your journey.
We hope for your experience of being accompanied by the Divine Spirit. May
it sustain you in your sorrow. Our hearts are with you.


We are grateful for what we learned and how our lives were enriched because
of the unique life of Charles Hahn. We offer here our appreciation for the
contributions he made to the life and work of the Ecumenical Institute/ICA.

-- 
Richard H. T. Alton
One Earth Film Fest ( OEFF)
Green Community Connections
Interfaith Green Network
T: 773.344.7172
richard.alton at gmail.com
**Save the Date! One Earth Film Festival 2021, March *
http:www.oneearthfilmfestival.org

Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2
Won't you be my neighbor?
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