Sr. Catherine Murphy: a Sister of St. Joseph; a Woman of the Church

On Christmas Eve, one week ago today, a woman of deep fidelity and courage went home to God. Although she is at peace, we all mourn the loss of Sister A. Catherine Murphy, CSJ, known also as Sister Flavia. The Boston Globe worked with us on an obituary which appeared in the Monday, December 28 issue. Just click on the underlined words to follow the link.

Reflections on her life shared at Sister Catherine's vigil wake service are also available on our website at http://www.csjboston.org/memory20.htm

The memories shared in these two articles barely scratch the surface of the impact this Sister of St. Joseph had on so many people. I recall the time when I was asked by the congregation to study for my masters degree at the University of Notre Dame. Unknown to me, it was a time when an alarming number of sisters had gone to Notre Dame but not completed thier degree. So I was a bit shocked and saddened when, initially, I was not accepted into the program. Sister A. Catherine was president of our congregation at the time. She was shocked but hardly saddened -- she was emboldened! She picked up the phone; called Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, then president of Notre Dame, and told him she had recommended me to study and she expected me to be accepted. I went to Notre Dame because she believed in me. I completed my degree at Notre Dame because she believed in me.

It was at this time that I also began writing music based on Fr. Jean-Pierre Medialle's Maxims of the Little Insititute [one of the founding documents of the Sisters of St. Joseph] because Sister A. Catherine believed in my creative abilities. At her Funeral Liturgy I sang "Quietly Await" one of my songs based on Maxim 84. As I sang, I knew in my soul that this was a moment of pure grace. I'm not exaggerating when I humbly admit that Catherine was praying though me in that moment. I wondered if anyone else noticed. I received my answer as we left the chapel and literally dozens of people commented on the song. At the time I couldn't speak. I've sung this song at hundreds of liturgies; but this time was different.

I tell these personal stories of Sister A. Catherine Murphy because they are small examples of the many sisters, students, family, and friends in whom she believed. Not only was she president during these transformative years of my life; she founded Fontbonne Academy where I went to high school. She taught us to be our best selves. She was a true Sister of St. Joseph; a true woman of the Church.

Did you know Sister A. Catherine Murphy? Do you have a story of how she touched your life? Please in the comments section of this post!

Happy New Year...

Happy Christmas from the Sisters of St. Joseph

The Christmas issue of Soundings Update is now available on our website. This is the cresch that is placed near the altar in the front of our Motherhouse chapel.

Happy Christmas to all our readers!

Boston Area Religious Women Host Prayer Vigil in Commemoration of Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Boston Area Religious Women
Host Prayer Vigil in Commemoration of

Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Boston, MA:

Local Catholic Sisters representing sixteen congregations in the Greater Boston area will gather on

Sunday, January 10, 2010, from 1:00-1:30pm

at 637 Cambridge St. Brighton, MA,

to commemorate

the third annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

A resolution passed by the US Senate on June 22, 2007 has forever marked January 11th as a day of awareness and vigilance for the countless victims of Human Trafficking across the globe.

Participants are invited to gather outside the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph, for a prayer vigil to raise awareness and pray for an end to human trafficking. All who are concerned about human trafficking are invited to join in this prayer vigil which is coordinated by the Anti-Trafficking Coalition of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious [LCWR] – Boston Unit.
Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery. While many call it a hidden crime, it exits right here, right now in the Boston area. The goal of the Anti-Trafficking Coalition [ATC] is to raise awareness of the reality of human trafficking both locally and globally and to alert concerned people of good will about how individuals can make a difference in eradicating human trafficking.

Roman Catholic women religious have been key leaders in the national and international movement to stop human trafficking. In the past two years the Boston area ATC has sponsored two symposia attended by well over 200 participants who want to be part of the initiative to end this crime against humanity. Another symposium addressing the issue of Human Trafficking is planned for April, 2010.

The prayer vigil is free and open to the public.

When:

Sunday, January 10, 2010 1:00-1:30pm

Where:

637 Cambridge Street, Brighton, MA,
We will gather in the Chapel of the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse

and proceed outside for the vigil.

###
The Boston Unit of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious includes sixteen Congregations representing over a thousand women religious in the greater Boston area. Members of LCWR are Catholic women religious who are leaders of their orders in the United States. The conference has approximately 1500 members, who represent about 95 percent of the 67,000 women religious in the United States. The conference develops leadership, promotes collaboration within church and society, and serves as a voice for systemic change. Visit their website at http://www.lcwr.org/.

To Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation

At the beginning of each new year the pope issues a message for January 1, World Peace Day. The statement comes out a few weeks before the new year. This year's message came out yesterday. The title is powerful: "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation." He goes on to speak of the concerns shared by those environmentalists who are worried about the effects of climate change.

I keep trying to pick out one part that sort of says it all. However, the whole thing is really worth reading and praying with as we approach the second decade of this millenium.

You can follow the link in the title above but I'll just quote this one part: from paragraph 7:

Sad to say, it is all too evident that large numbers of people in different countries and areas of our planet are experiencing increased hardship because of the negligence or refusal of many others to exercise responsible stewardship over the environment. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council reminded us that “God has destined the earth and everything it contains for all peoples and nations”. The goods of creation belong to humanity as a whole. Yet the current pace of environmental exploitation is seriously endangering the supply of certain natural resources not only for the present generation, but above all for generations yet to come. It is not hard to see that environmental degradation is often due to the lack of far-sighted official policies or to the pursuit of myopic economic interests, which then, tragically, become a serious threat to creation. To combat this phenomenon, economic activity needs to consider the fact that “every economic decision has a moral consequence” and thus show increased respect for the environment.

Two things jump out at me as I read the whole document. First: It's amazing that this comes right in the middle of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. Second: It reminds me of much of what Sisters of St. Joseph speak of when we refer to "the Dear Neighbor without distinction." As our CSSJ Federation website states: "Sisters of St. Joseph and associates today view all of creation as the Dear Neighbor. This has led many congregations to include a deeper appreciation of the universe story and the care of Planet Earth in their vision statements and actions for justice."

About a year ago the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph issued a statement about climate change. Here are a couple of excerpts:

As U. S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates, “We live and work that all may be One.” We are concerned for all of God’s Creation and our Sisters and Brothers everywhere. Pope John Paul II wrote, “Faced with the widespread destruction of the environment, people everywhere are coming to understand that we cannot continue to use the goods of the Earth as we have in the past. …a new ecological awareness is beginning to emerge.” (The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility, December 1989)

We recognize that what we do to Earth, we do to ourselves! Therefore, as the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates, we commit ourselves to support all LIFE on Earth.

There is much more to this statement. Check out the full text on the "Earth Watch" page of our website for more.

Being and Becoming Sisters of the Neighborhood of Boston and Beyond

This week our archdiocesan newspaper, The Pilot, has a special section titled "Women Religious/Vocations." We have an ad and an article in this section. If you have access to a hard copy of the issue, our ad is on page 6 and the article on page 7. However The Pilot does not seem to include their special sections on their website. So I've posted the ad, the article, and the accompanying pictures here.

Since 1873, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston have listened to the call and remained true to the dream of our foundresses “to undertake all the spiritual and corporal works of mercy of which women are capable.” In 1650, Father Jean Pierre Médaille advised six women who became the first Sisters of St. Joseph to “divide the city.” They were to go out into the various districts, discern the needs of the people who lived there, and respond to those needs. Today, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, share this mission with more than 13,000 Sisters of St. Joseph and 5,000 Associates in over 50 countries throughout the world.

As “sisters of the neighborhood,” we have served the people of greater Boston in countless ways for over 135 years. With excellence tempered by gentleness we make every effort to be faithful to our roots and meet the needs of people and seek to do whatever is possible for women to do. An ever-deepening fidelity to our founding spirit and mission calls us to be among the people of God in many and varied ministries. We serve as educators, lawyers, nurses, family therapists, social workers, health professionals, patient advocates, spiritual directors, parish ministers, hospital chaplains, campus ministers, theologians, psychologists, physical therapists, technology specialists, companions for those in need, advocates for the poor and marginalized, administrators, secretaries, artists, authors, musicians, poets and a multitude of other professions.

We are ordinary women doing ordinary things with an extraordinary vision rooted in the profound love of God and all God’s people. We desire to reach out to the “Dear Neighbor” without distinction enabling her/him to be embraced by God’s active, inclusive love. Our mission and the needs of the people have also brought us to places outside the Boston area including New Mexico and Peru. As a community of vowed apostolic women with a contemplative stance toward life, we seek to serve with “a generous heart.” We go wherever there is a need.

Recently we took a corporate stance decrying modern day slavery, the trafficking of women and children. Compelled by the gospel of Jesus, we are working to raise consciousness about this evil and to move people to action that will eradicate this sin against humanity. This past year, we also initiated “The Women’s Table.” Just as our earliest Sisters and Associates gathered around the hearth in Le Puy, France, so “The Women’s Table” strives to be a hub that promotes hospitality and connections among women, through circles of prayer, support groups, advocacy, networking, workshops, educational enrichment, and skill development. – all with an emphasis on empowerment of women from all walks of life.

Today, the tradition of loving service that began in 17th century France and continued in Boston in 1873 sustains us as we live into the twenty-first century. In community and prayerful contemplation we listen to this Spirit and move always toward profound love of God and love of neighbor without distinction.

Through our mission, ministry, and the witness of our lives we work to bring harmony to a dissonant world and unity where there is alienation. “We believe in both the possibility and the power of reconciliation and seek to let God bring about unity in our lives and in the lives of our sisters and brothers.”

Together with our Associates we embrace:
Gracious hospitality
Love and service of the Dear Neighbor without distinction
Peaceful resolution of conflict and
Care for all God’s creation.

Dec. 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe; Our Lady of the Americas

Saturday, December 12, is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our Lady of the Americas. Each time we bring groups to Mexico the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the core of our experience. Each time the Benedictine Sisters of Guadalupana share the story of the Virgin. We also visit the people of Mexico who live her message.

When we visit these people who are very very poor, they don't ask for money, they don't ask for gifts, they ask only that we tell the story of their reality to the people in our part of the Americas.

The English translation of the words around the mandala are: "Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Have I not placed you on my lap? Who else do you need? Do not grieve or worry about anything." These are the words that are printed under the tilma [cloak] of Juan Diego where it is displayed in the basilica.

I call this the "Tu Madre" Mandala. When I first created this mandala, it was made into note cards and sold in the Sisters of St. Joseph Ministry of the Arts catalogue. On the back of the note cards I wrote this explanation of the mandala:

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to the Mestizo peasant, Juan Diego, in 1531 on Mount Tepeyac. She came, not to the center of power, but to the periphery of a society which had been oppressed and stripped of their indigenous culture, religion and dignity.

The "Tu Madre" mandala combines indigenous symbols of hope, resurrection and transformation from both the Aztec, "Piedra del Sol" and the Mayan Pyramids of Xochicalco with the traditional image of the tilma of Juan Diego.

The Virgin wears the blue-green of divinity and her dress is the color of earth. Her head tilts in a listening, contemplative glance that radiates concern and compassion. Her hands are clasped in a gesture of offering. The black band indicates the expectancy of new life for within her dwells hope for salvation.
The Guadalupe event marks the beginning of a new era. Its universal message is not just for Mexicans.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is Mother of the Americas – south, north, central. Our Mexican sisters and brothers ask that we walk with those whose lives are lived on the periphery. They ask that we be open to the struggle of the marginalized even when it's painful.

I would also like to share this brief prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe in case anyone would like to pray with it on the occasion of her feast. It's adapted from a book called: A Retreat with Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego, by Virgilio Elizondo and Friends – St. Anthony’s Messenger Press, 1998. I highly recommend the book as a resource for prayer and for learning the story of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Lady of Guadalupe, we come before you to ask that you hear our prayer.
Help us to be life-givers by proclaiming your message of salvation to all people.
Fill our hearts with your compassion and your love.
Give hope to those who suffer because of ignorance, poverty and injustice.

Kind and gracious Mother, just as one day in Tepeyac, you recreated an oppressed culture with beauty and with dignity; grant us the grace to engender consolation for your people in these days of alienation and division.

Just as you encouraged Juan Diego to be your collaborator and ambassador in a new creation, a new alternative, grant us the grace to be agents of reconciliation and proclaimers of the Good News of your Son.

Bless us with courage to serve, creativity to open new vistas, and generosity and enthusiasm in contributing to the faith lives of those with whom we live or to whom we are sent. Give us a desire to be transformed followers of your Son and help us give birth to a more just and reconciled family and society.

You are invited to read general information about our pilgrimage to Mexico and how you can be part of this experience at http://www.westonpriory.org/mexico/index.html

You can also watch a video about the experience at http://wprioryvision.wordpress.com/2008/04/25/mexico-experience-part-1/

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Advent...a time to ‘quietly await’ the coming of our God

Our December 9 issue of Soundings Update is now available on our website at http://www.csjboston.org/su-Dec9-2009.pdf

There’s no doubt about it. No matter how much we try to slow down during the Advent/Christmas Season, there is still much to do and many places to be. There are quite a few dates to remember during Advent, Christmas, and into January. Also in this issue are some opportunities for “alternative Christmas shopping.” Our Mission Advancement Office has cards available for gift-giving. Dear Neighbor Gift Store is offering some special shopping days before Christmas. As we live this Advent, may we take time to "quietly await" the coming of our God.

On another note: Today is actually the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception -- otherwise called a Holy Day. There are several places where Jean-Pierre Medaille, SJ. speaks about Mary in earliest documents of the Sisters of St. Joseph. In the Reglements or the original "rule" that dates back to the mid-seventeenth century he writes about the goal of the Sisters of St. Joseph. About Mary he writes: [bear in mind that this is an English translation of a 17th century French document]

In honor of the glorious Virgin Mary,
who is completely filled with
and obedient to grace,
they will live a life of perfect fidelity to all the movements of this same grace...

This reminds me of the maxim about which I based a song a few years back:

May your quietly await the movement of grace and when it
comes move gently with humility, fidelity, and courage. [based on #84 Maxims of
the Little Institute]

May this be our prayer for one another as we continue to live this Advent season.

Praying through Advent

Since posting links to Advent Reflections last week, some of our sisters have sent additional links to wonderful Advent resources. One is called "Reflect Emmanuel" and comes from Emmanuel College's Campus Ministry Department. What I like about it is that contributors range from the president of the college to members of the class of 2013.



This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend time at Weston Priory in Weston, VT. The prayer of the community is, as always, food for the soul. There was light gentle snow all day Saturday. It was like living in a real life Currier & Ives-type setting in the village of Weston. Here are a few pictures in and around the Priory. What a contrast to the July days we spent there at the time of the Feast of St. Benedict! Each season has its own special personality. What a gift!
If you haven't been able to take time apart during this Advent Season, maybe you'd like to consider something after December 25 -- which is, by the way, still the Christmas Season! Visit our Retreat Center website and read about what's being offered during and right after the Christmas Season.

• Day of Prayer - 9:00-3:30: December 27: Chaos to Grace: For Women in Recovery
• Private or Directed Retreat: December 29-January 1, 2010
• Private or Directed Weekend Retreat: January 8-10, 2010
  

Soundings Update: November 25, 2009

Read our Thanksgiving issue of Soundings Update at: http://www.csjboston.org/su-Nov-25-2009.pdf

In this issue read about:

• Annual gathering of the CSSJ Federation Leadership Assembly
• Celebrating the Feast of Mother St. John Fontbonne -- You can view pictures of Fontbonne Academy's celebration of this feast on their "Recent Events" page

Advent with the Sisters of St. Joseph and more

Advent begins this evening. A friend of mine who is a Sister of St. Jospeh of Carondelet-Albany Province sent the link to this wonderful page with Advent daily reflections, resources, and links to other Advent sites. Although as one with a degree in Liturgical Theology, I look forward to the Paschal Triduum each year, Advent is still my favorite Liturgical Season. Even though I love to shop, I make an effort to complete my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving in order to really attempt to slow down -- at least a little bit -- and really "be" with the spirit of this season. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm never totally successful at this. But I really do try!

If you're in the greater Boston area, our Retreat Center is offering two mornings of prayer during Advent:

• December 3, 2009: PLACED ALONGSIDE MARY
• December 17, 2009: ADVENT PERSONS OF HOPE: ZECHARIAH, ELIZABETH, MARY
  And two weekends of prayer:
• December 4 - 6: ALL CREATION EAGERLY AWAITS THE COMING OF EMMANUEL
• December 11 - 13, 2009: QUIET ADVENT WEEKEND

A few weeks ago I subscribed a site called 3-Minute Retreat from Loyola Press. Loyola Press is also offering an Online Advent Retreat. So if you're unable to get to the St. Joseph Retreat Center with it's spectacular views of the rocky New England Coast, maybe you can make time for this online retreat from the comfort of your own home.

...And there's one more resource with Advent Reflections that just came into my email box. It's a site with Advent Reflections from the Sisters of Notre Dame in California. This icon of "Our Lady of the New Advent" accompanies the main page for the reflections.

Happy Advent!

"...a generous heart" from Medaille's Maxim 54

It's Thanksgiving! We just celebrated evening prayer in our local community. Doris Klein, CSA, has written, "Gratitude is expansive, leading us outward beyond ourselves." That's the kind of gratitude to which Jean-Pierre Medaille, SJ, called the first Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates in the Maxims of the Little Institute and continues to call us each and every day.

In Maxim 53 he writes, "Keep an open and free heart...." and in Maxim 54, "...declare with a generous heart never to yield to anything that would be against God's will." It's not as if I went out and searched for these Maxims for this blog post. The reality is that these Maxims seem to have found me. They've been surfacing in my prayer over the past week or so. I delight in the images of fulness and abundance at Thanksgiving. I've posed a few pictures I took in Vermont, New Hampshire, and one in New Mexico [at the top] that speak of Thanksgiving's abundance.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stop Trafficking Newsletter

Just in case you're not familiar with the Stop Trafficking Newsletter I thought I'd mention it. It's a free online subscription and it comes out monthly. As the site explains:

The Stop Trafficking newsletter, hosted by the STOP ENSLAVEMENT web domain, serves as a forum for exchange among religious congregations and their collaborating organizations:

• to promote awareness re. human trafficking;

• to exchange best practices in advocacy for and empowerment of survivors of human trafficking;

• to recommend actions to counter human trafficking.

Last winter the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston took a corporate stance against human trafficking so we are listed on the website. You can read our corporate stance at http://www.csjboston.org/PEACE.htm . We are part of an Anti-Trafficking Coalition composed of religious congregations in the Boston area. I've spoken about this group in several previous blog posts.

You can read the Stop Trafficking Newsletter and subscribe to it at http://www.stopenslavement.org/index.html

Sisters of St. Joseph: Deep Listening

Our latest issue of Soundings Update is available on our website at http://www.csjboston.org/su_Nov-11-2009.pdf . In addition to an article about the LCWR Region I autumn meeting, there are some important upcoming dates that may interest.

Of most immediate interest is Taizé Prayer at our Motherhouse Chapel on November 19, at 7:00pm. If you are in the area, know that you are most welcome to participate.

I also invite you to read a great online article titled "Experience, Service, Reflection in a Boston neighborhood." It's about Jesuit Volunteer Ministry at Casserly House, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Sisters of St. Joseph Retreat Center

Yesterday's work day was pure gift. I had a meeting at our retreat center with two of the staff members. Our purpose was to discuss the possiblities of social media networking for the retreat center. This is an area that is growing so fast that most of us are unable to keep up. St. Joseph Retreat Center on the beautiful rocky New England coast is celebrating its 35th year and realizes this kind of networking is one more way to spread the message of the varied spiritual opportunties offered there.

Facebook, Twitter, and Blogging are only the beginning. But it's how people, organizations, and all kinds of groups are connecting. As Sisters of St. Joseph, we see relationship at the heart of mission. Central to that mission for 360 years is that we "move always toward profound love of God and love of neighbor without distinction." [Consensus Statement, Sisters of St. Jospeh] Once again, I guess one never knows where this phrase "without distinction" will bring us. It seems to be bringing some of us into the new frontier of social media networking.

The gift of yesterday was not only the interest and enthusiasm of the staff members, not only the delicious brocolli soup the retreat center chef had prepared for lunch, but also the spectacular ocean views that surround the St. Joseph Retreat Center. I've posted a few here. You can visit the St. Jospeh Retreat Center for more pictures, views of the beauty of the place, and a full listing of the retreats, days and mornings of prayer, and other spiritual programs offered there.

Welcoming the Neighbor without distinction at Halloween

Last night was Halloween. While I’m not into the whole sinister climate that sometimes surrounds the evening, I must say I really enjoy the delight in little children’s eyes as they go house to house proclaiming, “trick-or-treat.” We live in one of those destination neighborhoods where families from all over the area drop off their kids. Even the parents in the neighborhood dress up.

It may not be the what Jean-Pierre Médaille and the first Sisters of St. Joseph had in mind when they spoke of reaching out to the Dear Neighbor without distinction, but it certainly is an opportunity to be neighbors and welcome the every kind of neighbor. There were wizards and winged creatures, princesses and pirates, transformers, superheroes, and even a human ketchup bottle!

A part of me wonders what happened to all hallowed eve when my mother dressed me up as Joan of Arc in a cardboard suit of armor all painted silver. I could barely move! Although it’s not the same as it was “back in the day,” it’s good to know there are still neighborhoods where young and old can feel welcome to use their imagination and enjoy the wonder of being a child.

Soundings and Soundings Update now online

The latest issue of Soundings and Soundings Update are now available online at the following links:
http://www.csjboston.org/SOUNDINGS.htm
The theme of this year's Soundings is all about the Core Values of the Sisters of St. Joseph. This first issue focuses on Gracious Hospitality. It's 20 pages long so may take a bit of time to download. But it's worth the wait.

http://www.csjboston.org/su-Oct-28-2009.pdf
Soundings Update reports on two recent events. Our October 17 Congregation Gathering which I already wrote about and a talk given our Vocation Coordinator and another sister at a local college. The title of the article: Are Brothers Nuns? Unraveling Stereotypes of Religious Life offers a glimpse into the experience.

Climate Change: A Matter of Faith for Sisters of St. Joseph and all Christians

There’s an often quoted prayer that begins "Christ has no hands but our hands, to do His work today, He has no feet but our feet to lead us in His way." Today I’m blogging about Climate Change from the perspective of faith. I’m blogging about this because as a Catholic and as a Sister of St. Joseph, my commitment to the teaching of the Church and to the spirituality of my congregation calls impels me to this. Almost two years ago the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph issued a statement about climate change that in part reads:

As the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph andAssociates, “we live and work that all may be One.” We are concerned for all of God’s creation and our sisters and brothers everywhere. Earth, which reflects God’s glory, is in great peril. We accept scientific evidence that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its February 2007 report states: “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level.” We accept our responsibility to find solutions to this devastation of Earth, and to act accordingly and immediately.

Pope John Paul II wrote, “Faced with the widespread destruction of the environment, people everywhere are coming to understand that we cannot continue to use the goods of the Earth as we have in the past . . . a new ecological awareness is beginning to emerge.”(The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility, Dec. 1989)

Climate change is a global issue which affects all creation. The United States alone adds almost six billion tons of carbon dioxide every year to the atmosphere. This seriously contributes to climate change. All creation suffers the consequences.

Our Church reminds us: “The consequences of climate change . . . will impact first and foremost the poorest and weakest who, even if they are among the least responsible for global warming, are the most vulnerable because they have limited resources or live in areas of greater risk.” (Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Vatican Representative to the United Nations, May 10, 2007)

I don’t claim to be an expert on climate change. But this Saturday, October 24 a group called 350.org is coordinating the most widespread day of environmental action in history. Over 4,000 events are planned in 170 countries -- to call for a solution to the climate crisis: reducing the level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere
below 350 parts per million. 350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis—the
solutions that science and justice demand. The mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.

I’m really just learning the details of this event. The 350.org message--that those
three digits are the most important number on the planet--has spread rapidly
in the 18 months since scientists first published the finding that 350 parts per million (ppm) is the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Now, activists on every continent are preparing for the most widespread day of climate action ever, a global event designed to send a charge into this December's United Nations
Climate Meetings in Copenhagen.

As Sisters of St. Joseph part of our mission is to reach out to the Dear Neighbor without distinction. There are many ways to enflesh “without distinction.” When
a woman in our neighborhood was in the hospital a few months ago, we reached
out by assuring her of our prayers, visiting and sending cards. This is how we
usually think of reaching out to the neighbor. But “without distinction”
means lots of things – being attentive to the marginalized, the underserved, the
outcast is a big part of it. But when we broaden our horizons a bit, our prayer
and action for the Dear Neighbor without distinction becomes the whole Earth and
all that sustains life among us.

It’s out of this understanding that realizing how our consumption of Earth’s resources is affecting the Dear Neighbor without distinction. While the values Jesus taught remain the same, the needs have expanded. Suddenly the whole issue of Climate Change becomes a matter of faith. If Jesus were around to witness what’s going on in terms of Climate change today, I wonder what he’d do.

Sisters of St. Joseph Stand Up to End Poverty Now

Each year we have several Congregational Gatherings. All sisters are encouraged to participate. Topics cover a wide range. Sometimes there is a speaker who offers input. Other times we share from our own collective wisdom. In all cases there is time for communal prayer, shared reflection, and Eucharist. One of these gatherings took place last Saturday. Delores Clerico, SSJ, from the Philadelphia congregation shared with us about our Trinitarian spirituality. I took four pages of typed notes and will be merciful in not repeating them in their entirety. I’ll mention a couple of points Delores made:

The Core of Trinitarian Spirituality is that we are people who are seized by, for, with love. The Triune God is the one who seizes us. Delores invited us to reflect on just who is this God who seizes us? Everything we say falls short. We know God through lived experience of God. Images of God come from stories of our lives. As Christians we have a common experience of God centered on the person of Christ Jesus. Jesus welcomed everyone from the margins. He lived what he preached.

Most of her presentation focused on what Jean Pierre Médaille, SJ, in the Règlements, calls “The Goal of the Association.” Médaille encourages us to know ourselves as swept up in movements which bring us into union with the Uncreated Trinity and to be responsive to the attempts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph [the Created Trinity] to make it their own.

Delores concluded her presentation saying: “Our spirituality is very practical and very challenging because it’s lived in the ordinary moments of each day. That’s why I like to call it the work of unioning love. The use of “ing” suggests that it’s always in process; always going on. Love is a choice. We have a choice to either do the work of unioning love or not. And we never know how we’re going to be in the moment. We bring a contemplative stance. We can’t predict how the work of unioning love will happen."

In the afternoon before the business of updates, the 175 sisters present joined over 116 million people throughout the world for the Global Day of Action against extreme poverty sponsored by
sponsored by the ONE Campaign, a grassroots campaign of 2 million people committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases. You can learn more about this campaign to end poverty at you can learn more about this campaign to end poverty at http://www.one.org/us/

Sisters of St. Joseph Retreat Center -- 35 years of prayer by the sea

Our retreat center is celebrating its 35th Anniversary this year. It seems like yesterday when this beautiful house with spectacular views of the rocky New England coast transitioned from a vacation house to St. Joseph Retreat Center.

There is an article in the Cohasset Mariner, the local Cohasset newspaper where the retreat center is located, that speaks of the transition and about what's going on at the retreat center now.

Sisters of St. Joseph Literacy Connection Helps Immigrants Connect

Today's Allston-Brighton Tab has a great article about The Literacy Connection. This is one of the ministries of the Sisters of St. Joseph. The title of the article is: Saint Joseph’s Literacy Connection helps immigrants Connect
Just click the link to read the article. I could say more but the article speaks for itself.

Take Action: Tell the U.S. it's Time to Act on Climate Change

For the Sisters of St. Joseph around the world this may be Founders' Day. But believe it or not I just discovered that it's also "Blog Action Day '09 Climate Change" If you have your own blog you can register it at this site. Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. This year's focus is Climate Change. Blog Action Day 2009 will be one of the largest-ever social change events on the web.

This Blog Action Day site explains that more than any other country, action taken by the United States to limit greenhouse gases and build a clean energy economy is needed to achieve a sustainable solution to our global climate crisis. This December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to negotiate a global response to climate change. As a world leader in greenhouse gas pollution as well as clean energy technology, the United States needs to take bold action by implementing comprehensive clean energy policies to curb emissions.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner and President Barack Obama has said that climate change is an urgent threat, and now is the time for him to lead the United States in confronting the climate crisis. This is a chance for people around the world and in the United States to join together in telling President Obama that we want him to lead the United States in taking bold and significant action to reduce greenhouse gasses. Time is running out, and our planet can't afford to wait.

Sisters of St. Joseph speak about reaching out to the Dear Neighbor without distinction. Advocating for a sustainable solution to our global climate crisis really stretches our awareness of the "Dear Neighbor without distinction." The entire planet is our Dear Neighbor. What better way to celebrate Founders' Day!

Soundings Update October 14, 2009

Our latest issue of Soundings Update is available on our website at http://www.csjboston.org/su-Oct-14-2009.pdf

I've been told that the links in the pdf file are not active. You can find the sites mentioned in the Casserly House article at the links That follow:

• Casserly House
• DA gives seized money to Roslindale outreach group

Sisters of St. Joseph Worldwide Celebrate Founders' Day

October 15 is the 359th world-wide anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph. So during the next week, I’m going to try to offer a little about our beginnings.

The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston share a common origin with over 13,000 Sisters of St. Joseph in over 50 countries throughout the world who trace their roots to LePuy, France in 1650. The Sisters of Saint Joseph were among the first Catholic communities to be founded by ordinary women. They were not cloistered and worked to support themselves especially by making lace, a common trade in that region of France. The community grew and flourished among the people of France.

One of the earliest documents of our Congregation is called The Règlements – that’s French for “Rule.” Jean-Pierre Médaille, SJ, the Jesuit priest who was a spiritual guide for our first six sisters wrote The Règlements.

Here’s how it begins: This association is established to provide for many young women or widows not called to the cloister or who have no means to enter it, and who, nevertheless, wish to live chastely in the world.

A bit later The Règlements say: The number in the association [meaning each individual place where sisters live] will ordinarily be thee, it may however increase to six….They will try to have a little house for their association…in places where there will be a number of people called to this new way of life…they may set up diverse houses and associations dependent on one Superior. In keeping with religious moderation, their clothing, dress, and standard of living will be appropriate to their social class and the background from which they come.

There are six virtues that Medaille outlines for the congregation. In 21st century language these are:

The Inclusive Love of God
The Outpouring love of Christ
The Communal Love of the Spirit
The Zeal of Jesus marked by humble self-emptying love [also called anéantissment in our earliest documents]
The Fidelity of Mary
The Cordial Charity of Joseph
All grounded in relationship with God and neighbor without distinction.

These core virtues offer a lifetime of reflection. Do any one of them speak to your heart at this moment in your life?

Sisters of St. Joseph Worldwide Celebrate Founders' day

October 15 is the 359th world-wide anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph. So during the next week, I’m going to try to offer a little about our beginnings.

The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston share a common origin with over 13,000 Sisters of St. Joseph in over 50 countries throughout the world who trace their roots to LePuy, France in 1650. The Sisters of Saint Joseph were among the first Catholic communities to be founded by ordinary women. They were not cloistered and worked to support themselves especially by making lace, a common trade in that region of France. The community grew and flourished among the people of France.

One of the earliest documents of our Congregation is called The Règlements – that’s French for “Rule.” Jean-Pierre Médaille, SJ, the Jesuit priest who was a spiritual guide for our first six sisters wrote The Règlements.

Here’s how begins: This association is established to provide for many young women or widows not called to the cloister or who have no means to enter it, and who, nevertheless, wish to live chastely in the world.

A bit later The Règlements say: The number in the association [meaning each individual place where sisters live] will ordinarily be three, it may however increase to six….They will try to have a little house for their association…in places where there will be a number of people called to this new way of life…they may set up diverse houses and associations dependent on one Superior. In keeping with religious moderation, their clothing, dress, and standard of living will be appropriate to their social class and the background from which they come.

This helps to understand why we do not wear habits and why so many sisters live in smaller convent groupings.

There are six virtues that Medaille outlines for the congregation. In 21st century language these are:

The Inclusive Love of God
The Outpouring love of Christ
The Communal Love of the Spirit
The Zeal of Jesus marked by humble self-emptying love [also called anéantissment in our earliest documents]
The Fidelity of Mary
The Cordial Charity of Joseph All grounded in relationship with God and neighbor without distinction.

These core virtues offer a lifetime of reflection. Do any one of them resonate in your heart at this moment in your life?

H. Res 441 Honors Catholic Sisters in U.S.

I should have posted this resolution over a week ago. In my June 5, 2009, post I mentioned H.Res. 411 and asked that you write to support it. Well, many folks must have done just that! On September 22, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution honoring Catholic Sisters in the United States. The resolution was introduced by Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, and co-sponsored by 67 members of both parties.

The full text may seem a bit long but reading it really offers a positive message about Catholic Sisters and the Women&Spirit exhibit.

Here is the full text of the US House of Representatives Resolution honoring Catholic Sisters:

Whereas the social, cultural, and political contributions of Catholic sisters have played a vital role in shaping life in the United States

Whereas such women have joined in unique forms of intentional communitarian life dedicated to prayer and service since the very beginnings of our Nation’s history, fearlessly and often sacrificially committing their personal lives to teaching, healing, and social action;

Whereas the first Catholic sisters to live and work in the United States were nine Ursuline Sisters, who journeyed from France to New Orleans in 1727;

Whereas at least nine sisters from the United States have been martyred since 1980 while working for social justice and human rights overseas;

Whereas Maura Clark, MM, Ita Ford, MM, and Dorothy Kazel, OSU were martyred in El Salvador in 1980;

Whereas Joel Kolmer, ASC, Shirley Kolmer, ASC, Kathleen McGuire, ASC, Agnes Mueller, ASC, and Barbara Ann Muttra, ASC were martyred in Liberia in 1992;

Whereas Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN was martyred in Brazil in 2005;

Whereas Catholic sisters established the Nation’s largest private school system and founded more than 110 United States colleges and universities, educating millions of young people in the United States;

Whereas there were approximately 32,000 Catholic sisters in the United States who taught 400,000 children in 2,000 parochial schools by 1880, and there were 180,000 Catholic sisters who taught nearly 4,500,000 children by 1965;

Whereas today, there are approximately 59,000 Catholic sisters in the United States;
Whereas Catholic sisters participated in the opening of the West, traveling vast distances to minister in remote locations, setting up schools and hospitals, and working among native populations on distant reservations;

Whereas more than 600 sisters from 21 different religious communities nursed both Union and Confederate soldiers alike during the Civil War;

Whereas Catholic sisters cared for afflicted populations during the epidemics of cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, smallpox, tuberculosis, and influenza during the 19th and early 20th centuries;

Whereas Catholic sisters built and established hospitals, orphanages, and charitable institutions that have served millions of people, managing organizations long before similar positions were open to women;

Whereas approximately one in six hospital patients in the United States were treated in a Catholic facility;

Whereas Catholic sisters have been among the first to stand with the underprivileged, to work and educate among the poor and underserved, and to facilitate leadership through opportunity and example;

Whereas Catholic sisters continue to provide shelter, food, and basic human needs to the economically or socially disadvantaged and advocate relentlessly for the fair and equal treatment of all persons;

Whereas Catholic sisters work for the eradication of poverty and racism and for the promotion of nonviolence, equality, and democracy in principle and in action;

Whereas the humanitarian work of Catholic sisters with communities in crisis and refuge throughout the world positions them as activists and diplomats of peace and justice for the some of the most at risk populations; and

Whereas the Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America Traveling Exhibit is sponsored by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in association with Cincinnati Museum Center and will open on May 16, 2009, in Cincinnati, Ohio:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives—honors and commends Catholic sisters for their humble service and courageous sacrifice throughout the history of this Nation; and supports the goals of the Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America Traveling Exhibit, a project sponsored by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in association with Cincinnati Museum Center and established to recognize the historical contributions of Catholic sisters in the United States.
Attest Clerk

NCNWR [Communicators for Women Religious] in San Francisco

I've arrived in San Francisco for the annual conference of the National Communicators Network for Women Religious. The conference starts this afternoon and yesterday we had a chance to visit Muir Woods. It was spectacular. I've posted a couple of picture but they don't do justice to the beauty of the place.


The other scene that captured my attention was the sea lions that gather near Pier 39 on Fisherman's Wharf. Take a look.

Communicators for Sisters of St. Joseph Congregations and other congregations from all over the country are arriving as I write. It's a group where most everyone know each other and we really enjoy getting together. I'll try to write more about the conference as the next few days unfold.

Terry's Walk to Support Melanoma Research

I'm not apt to post on this blog twice in one day. But I want to share some pictures of Terry's Walk to support the Melanoma Foundation of New England. It poured. We were losing hope of it clearing but just before the walk was to begin it cleared enough to do the walk. Here are some pictures I took.

The pictures are as follows:
- Joanne and Judy with Terry's husband Jim
- Kelly and Rayanne, Terry's daughters

- Kelly with Jim and a representative from the New England Melanoma Foundation announcing winners of the raffle prizes. We didn't win!
- Rayanne organizing the walkers prior to the walk.

Probably because of the rain, their were not as many walkers as last year the amount raised was lower. It's still possible to donate online at: http://www.firstgiving.com/joannegallagher
Rain or shine, the need is still as great.

National Communicators Network for Women Religious [NCNWR]

Tomorrow I'm headed to the annual conference of the National Communicators Network for Women Religious [NCNWR]. We are celebrating our 15th anniversary this year. It hardly seems possible. When I joined NCNWR it was about six years old and the 10th anniversary seems like yesterday. I've never been to San Francisco so an leaving a day early and plan to visit Muir Woods, home of the giant redwoods just outside San Francisco, the day before the conference begins.

There is much to do before I leave for California. Today I'll be walking in "Terry's Walk" to benefit the Melanoma Foundation of New England. You can read all about it at this site: http://www.firstgiving.com/joannegallagher . I'm quite happy that I've actually exceeded my fundraising goal for this walk. The family who created this walk were very supportive to Archbishop Williams High School during my time there as Campus Minister. Most of my sponsors are either connected to "Archies" in some way or have been touched by Melanoma in their personal lives. Their generosity is a real tribute to the O'Neill Family. It's pouring out at the moment so I'm praying that this walk does not become a swim or a wade as we gather at the Cape Cod Canal for this walk.

I was Campus Minister at Archbishop Williams High School for 15 years. Brother Bill Drinan, CFX, who hired me to begin the Campus Ministry Department, passed away this week. It was somewhat sudden. He was a man of deep faith, gentle strength, and tireless commitment to the

service of Catholic education. He served on the Board of the Corporation for Sponsored Ministries of the Sisters of St. Joseph and our Mount St. Joseph Academy board for many years. Archbishop Williams High School, Xavarian High, and St. John's Prep, the three schools where he spent most of his years in ministry, were well represented at the funeral. The Boston Globe carried an article about him on the day of his funeral. Just click the link. I wish I had a picture of the 1000+ Prep students who formed an honor guard as the funeral procession drove into The Prep. It was impressive.

I have just returned to the Board of Trustees for Fontbonne Academy. This Sunday is Fontbonne's open house. I wish I could be there but will be in the air headed for California. I stopped there the other day to pick up some trustee materials and was delighted at what I saw. It was about 3:30 p.m. and all around the spacious lawns were circles of students. When I asked the Campus Minister what was going on, she explained it was part of the Little Sister/Big Sister program. The life and energy that permeated the picture perfect autumn afternoon was invigorating. As an alumna of Fontbonne, I am proud to be able to serve on the board again.

A Sister of St. Joseph Professes Final Vows and Soundings Update

Last Saturday one of our sisters professed Final Vows. Last Thursday, two days before her vow liturgy, Sister Pat led a midday prayer service at our health care center in Framingham. You can click on this link: http://www.csjboston.org/su-Sept-30-2009.pdf to read an article about this prayer service in the latest issue of Soundings Update
I selected the picture at the left for this blog post because when Pat professed First Vows three years ago the image of seeds growing and spreading where they will was central to that celebration. The dandelion puff is actually from our side yard this past spring.

As I reflect on Pat's journey, I've prayed with these passages from The Constitution of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston:

• Membership in our Congregation is the relationship which results from each woman's response to the Lord and the decision of the Congregation and the Church to accept the religious profession which she makes as a Sister of Saint Joseph of Boston.

• Membership requires a dynamic fideltiy to the purpose for which the Spirit brought our Congregation into existence in the Church and to the charism with which we are gifted.


• ...we, the Congregation, open ourselves to her influence and to the Spirit speaking in her, just as she undertakes continuing conversion into membership. Together we enter into a process of change that carries our past into the promise of the future.

As I ponder these words, I realize that not only has Pat become more fully the woman God calls her to be but we, in turn, have indeed been influenced for the better by her presence among us.

A Sister of St. Joseph Professes Final Vows and U.S. House Praises American Nuns

Tomorrow, one of our newer members will profess final vows as a Sister of St. Joseph. I’ll be posting more on this in the days ahead. However earlier this week, I received this blog from "Musings of a Discerning Woman" and thought it was interesting in light of Sister Pat's Final Vows. The sister described in this post is professing First Vows. As Sister Pat prepares for Final Vows as a Sister of St. Jospeh, I'm inpsired by quote on her invitation and on the cover of her program:"Live out your life with one desire only: to be always what God wants you to be, in nature, grace, and glory, for time and eternity." This is Maxim 73 of the Maxims of the Little Institute written over 350 years ago by Fr. Jean-Pierre Medaille, SJ. This priest was the spiritual companion for our first sisters and wrote these 100 Maxims for our sisters.

It's nice that in the same week as Pat professes Final Vows, the the U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously for a resolution (H Res. #441) praising American nuns for the work they have done in this country over centuries. The lead sponsor of the resolution was Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH). There is a lot written about this in various places online. I had written about this bill in on June 5, 2009 when I spoke of the Women & Spirit exibit.

Here is the text of the resolution that passed last Tuesday:

• Whereas today, there are approximately 59,000 Catholic sisters in the United States;
  Whereas Catholic sisters participated in the opening of the West, traveling vast distances to minister in remote locations, setting up schools and hospitals, and working among native populations on distant reservations;
  Whereas more than 600 sisters from 21 different religious communities nursed both Union and Confederate soldiers alike during the Civil War;
  Whereas Catholic sisters cared for afflicted populations during the epidemics of cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, smallpox, tuberculosis, and influenza during the 19th and early 20th centuries;Whereas Catholic sisters built and established hospitals, orphanages, and charitable institutions that have served millions of people, managing organizations long before similar positions were open to women;
  Whereas approximately one in six hospital patients in the United States were treated in a Catholic facility;
  Whereas Catholic sisters have been among the first to stand with the underprivileged, to work and educate among the poor and underserved, and to facilitate leadership through opportunity and example;
  Whereas Catholic sisters continue to provide shelter, food, and basic human needs to the economically or socially disadvantaged and advocate relentlessly for the fair and equal treatment of all persons;
  Whereas Catholic sisters work for the eradication of poverty and racism and for the promotion of nonviolence, equality, and democracy in principle and in action;Whereas the humanitarian work of Catholic sisters with communities in crisis and refuge throughout the world positions them as activists and diplomats of peace and justice for the some of the most at risk populations; andWhereas the Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America Traveling Exhibit is sponsored by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in association with Cincinnati Museum Center and will open on May 16, 2009, in Cincinnati, Ohio:
  Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
  (1) honors and commends Catholic sisters for their humble service and courageous sacrifice throughout the history of this Nation; and
  (2) supports the goals of the Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America Traveling Exhibit, a project sponsored by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in association with Cincinnati Museum Center and established to recognize the historical contributions of Catholic sisters in the United States.

Thank you Rep. Marcy Kaptur and all who brought this resolution to life.

Autumn: A busy time for Sisters of St. Jospeh

The latest issue of Soundings Update is available on our website at: http://www.csjboston.org/su-Sept-16-2009.pdf . This issue doesn't have any articles. There is so much going on during the next six weeks that I needed to devote the issue to listing those dates. If you are in the Boston area, know that you are most welcome at Taize Prayer and our evening liturgies. We welcome our Dear Neighbors to join us in prayer during these times. The issue also advertises a weekend coming up called: Come to the Sea: A Women's Weekend. All the dates for Taize Prayer and more on the Women's Weekend can be found on our website. http://www.csjboston.org/NEWS_Upcoming_Events.htm

Perhaps the most important happening in the near future is the Profession of Final Vows of one of our sisters. It's been a real privilege to journey with Sister Pat as she prepares for this day. Last October, she and I participated in a pilgrimage/retreat to Mexico. It was an immersion experience in the spirituality, life, and culture of the Mexican people. I've written about this before and you can learn about it at: http://www.westonpriory.org/mexico/index.html. I'll certainly be writing about her profession of vows in the near future. Many of the women who were part of our Mexico pilgrimage retreat are coming to her Final Vow Liturgy. It will be great to see them again.

A few weeks ago a sister-friend of mine sent me the link to a new blog. I linked it to my blog but want highlight it in this post.

• St.Joseph's Worker New Orleans is a new venture of the Congregation of St. Joseph. The St. Joseph Worker Program is a one year volunteer experience for women who are passionate about social change. St. Joseph Workers (SJWs) commit to the values of justice, leadership, spirituality, and living simply in intentional community. The SJWs are sponsored by the Congregation of St.Joseph. With the opening of the new SJW house in New Orleans, the program now boasts a nationwide presence!

Just for the record -- the sunflowers at in this post are all from our Motherhouse garden. The sister who cultivates this piece of the garden told me that she didn't even plant sunflower seeds this year. They just wanted to come. Isn't it amazing what the earth knows about where and how to grow?