Sisters of St. Joseph - Sponsored Ministries Convocation



click image above to access a brief slide presentation of the Convocation



  Last evening was the Ninth Annual Convocation of the Ministries of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston. This is a gathering of trustees, directors, administrators, and mission effectiveness facilitators from our corporately sponsored ministries and four other ministries of our congregation -- there are twelve in all. Of course you can learn about these ministries at: http://www.csjboston.org/  Just go to the part that says "What We Do" and follow the links. There were over 100 who gathered. The highlight of the evening was a video that combined a short overview of each of the ministries. Often times our trustees know a lot about the ministry which they serve but may not know a lot about our other ministries. The focus of the video and the prayer for the evening was "Who is my Neighbor?" There was a palpable feeling of awe when the video ended. So often we go about doing and being the active inclusive love of God and we don't stop and take time to look beyond... Even those who are familiar with our ministries were brought to tears at the opportunity to see all these ministries brought together in a 35 minute presentation that captured the essence of our spirit and spirituality.







Sisters of St Joseph - Soundings Update 9-29-10

The September 29 issue of Soundings Update is on our website at http://www.csjboston.org/su-Sept-29-2010.pdf

Our Associate Program is beginning it's 25th anniversary year and there is a nice article about their first meeting of the season. Be sure to check out page 2 where there is a prayer written in the spirit of Jean-Pierre Medaille, SJ. Next Wednesday, October 6, 2010, is his 400th birthday. Check back later this week for another prayer service for this birthday. I'm still in the process of preparing it for next week's staff prayer.

The picture at the top left is a depiction of Fr. Medaille that is part of a larger picture. This painting is in the Archives of the Sisters of St. Joseph in LePuy, France. When we visited there, our guide explained that it was actually painted long after Jean-Pierre Medaille, SJ, and the first Sisters of St. Joseph were officially recognized by the Bishop of LePuy, Henri deMaupas [October 15, 1650] The second photo is of the full painting that is in the archives. You can see Fr. Medaille in context in this picture. Once again...remember...this was painted many years [I don't want to give the date and not be accurate] after the actual event that it depicts.

Communicators for Religious Women meet in Denver

This week is the 16th Annual Conference for the National Communicators for Women Religious. We just arrived this afternoon. All year long we're meeting via email, facebook, our listserve, and conference calls. So it's really helpful and important to have this time together to reflect on our ministry and learn new skills to enhance the work we do.

The opening session is in a few minutes. There are quite a few people here for the first time. It's exciting to see the organization growing in this way. There are also some whose ministries have changed and they can't be here this year. They've made wonderful contributions to the organization over the years and they are missed.

You can learn more about NCNWR on our website.

I can barely believe that I just took this picture from the hotel room window. So far it's all I've seen of Denver but it's pretty impressive.

Taizé Prayer with the Sisters of St. Joseph



Candles surround the sanctuary area

 Tonight, Taizé Prayer, which is offered monthly at our Motherhouse, began its third year. All are invited to Prayer in the spirit of Taizé. It's a wonderful opportunity to pause and pray after a busy day. 

 

Sisters Margaret and Pat
light dozens of candles in preparation
for each evening of Taizé Prayer

 A number of our sisters and associates have visited Taizé in France and experienced the spirit of this prayer first hand. We try, as much as possible, to be faithful to that spirit. The natural lighting in our chapel offers a perfect setting for this prayer and when additional candles are added it really gives a sense of the Taizé experience.  



Taizé prayer is a simple form of Christian prayer centered on scripture, silence, and song based on the daily prayer of the ecumenical religious community in Taizé, France. As women of the Church rooted in the Gospel whose mission is to deepen relationships with God and neighbor, the Sisters of St. Joseph offer this prayer as a way to join in praying for unity and love in our world and in our own hearts.

During Taizé Prayer

The next evening for Taizé Prayer will be Thursday, October 14. If you are in the area, consider joining us. The combination of simple repetative song, silence, and scripture offers an oasis of contemplation in the midst of our very active lives.

Soundings Update Sisters of St. Joseph



The way we were!

 The  September 15 Soundings Update is available on our website. Featured in this issue are the sisters who entered in 1960. I particularly enjoyed their pictures from when they received the habit 49 years ago.

There is also a slide show of the Jubilee liturgy and celebration available at http://www.csjboston.org/Jub2010/index.htm

The other news worth noting in this issue of Soundings Update is what's called "Community Dialogues." These dialogues are actually going on in neighborhoods all over the city of Boston. The Women's Table, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, is collaborating with two other groups in the area to host one of these neighborhood dialogues. You can read about it at: http://www.ywcaboston.org/dialogues/
Click on this thumnail below to view the flyer that Mary Rita, who coordinates The Women's Table, is distributing to local groups.

If you live or work in the Allston-Brighton area consider partipating in these dialogues.



The Perfect Weekend

Beach in Moultonbourough on an inlet
of Lake Winnipesaukee

Although New Hampshire isn't that far away, I don't go there that often. Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Lake Winnipesaukee area with some friends. The weather was magnificent. Here are a few pictures. It was quite a change of pace and offered some wonderful opportunity for rest and relaxation!

Beach near where we stayed in  Moultonbourough

We visited a place called "Castle in the Clouds."

The views were spectacular.

Falls of Song on the road up to
Castle in the Clouds

View of lake winnipesaukee from
Castle in the Clouds -- breathtaking!

We fed the giant trout near Castle in the Clouds
but the ducks were right there wanting lunch too!

Sisters of St. Joseph Worldwide

This post is really my effort at exploring the possibility of adding pdf files to my blog without going to another website. If it works you will be able to click the link below for access to a map of CSSJs world-wide. This was created by Sister Baya a couple of years ago and we used it in the first issue of "Together in Mission" a world-wide newsletter about Sisters of St. Joseph around the world.



I'd be really grateful for feedback on this. Does the link work for you? Did you know Sisters of St. Joseph were in so many places around the world?

Sisters of St. Joseph Summer Soundings Update

After a much needed summer break, Soundings Update is back.The summer issue of Soundings Update is available at http://www.csjboston.org/su-Summer-2010.pdf

On our website you can also view a pdf version of the summer issue of our printed magazine, Soundings, which is published four times a year. That file is a bit large so be patient while it downloads. If you have trouble downloading either of these, you may need to update your Adobe reader. It's free and simple. Just follow the prompts.

If you have not had a chance to visit this blog over the summer, be sure to scroll down and see a few summer happenings.

As we move toward Labor Day let us remember all who are unemployed or under-employed. Happy September!