Sisters of St. Joseph: The Literacy Connection annual celebration

6-11-14 Soundings Update

Our June 11, 2014 issue of Soundings Update is now on our website

This issue focuses on The Literacy Connection's annual celebration of Gratitude and Accomplishment. As Sister Pat Andrews, CSJ, said of adult learners of The Literacy Connection in her reflections during the celebration:
"We recognize and congratulate you – your efforts and desire to speak English, to become more involved in your communities, and, for many, to become United States citizens. You are a gift to us! Your sacrifices, motivation, concern for family, and your abundant JOY are an example for us."

I also want to call your attention to the upcoming events at our Motherhouse. Know you are most welcome to join us...

• June 15, Sun., 11:00am — Sunday Liturgy At Motherhouse with the Catholic Daughters of America – All welcome
• June 18, Wed., 5:30pm – Motherhouse Liturgy
• June 19, Thurs., 7:00pm —Taizé Prayer — Motherhouse
• June 18, Wed., 5:30pm – Motherhouse Liturgy
• June 22, Sun., 10:00am– Motherhouse Liturgy
• June 26, Thurs., 5:30pm – Motherhouse Liturgy

 

Visit the Sisters of St. Joseph Website for our latest news!

You are invited to read our latest issue of Soundings Update at:
 
 
http://www.csjboston.org/news-and-events/soundings-update/soundings/
IN THIS ISSUE: 
Furthering Our CSJ Mission in New Mexico
— by Mary Ellen O’Connell, CSJ

Announcing Volunteers in Mission 2014

Accompaniment and Solidarity: Observers at El Salvador’s Elections— by Judy Swett, CSJA

 

Please note: the Date for Taize Prayer is March 13 [not 20 as listed on page 2] all are welcome!

 

 

Sisters of St. Joseph Prayer and Programs for September

Soundings Update is back. Here is a roundup of a few summer happenings. Here is the link.
http://www.csjboston.org/su-recap-of-summer-12.pdf
As we look forward to autumn events, don't miss the Dates to Remember on page 2.

Know that you are warmly welcome at any of the following events:

Celebrate Taizé Prayer with the Sisters of St. Joseph
Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012
All are invited to Prayer in the spirit of Taizé at 7:00 p.m. offered at the Motherhouse Chapel of the Sisters of St. Joseph, 637 Cambridge St. Brighton, MA. Taizé prayer is a simple form of Christian prayer centered on scripture, silence, and song based on the daily prayer of the 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 invite you to join in praying for unity and love in our world and in our own hearts. Visit www.csjboston.org to learn more. All are welcome. Bring a friend. Call 617.746.2045 for further information.

Four-Part Grief Series
The Women’s Table, a social support & outreach program for women, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, is hosting a 4-part Grief Series to be held on alternate Mondays, September 10^th, September 24^th, Oct. 1^st and Oct. 15^th. Each session will run from 6:30-8:00 p.m. and will be held at 631 Cambridge St., Brighton. To pre-register, please call Mary Rita Weschler at: 617.746.2056 or email: womens.table@csjboston.org. This is a unique opportunity for women to process grief, and to embark on restorative growth and shared wisdom with one another. Feel free to call for more information!

Six-Week Writer’s Workshop

The Women’s Table, a program sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, is hosting a 6-week Writer’s Workshop for women interested in self-exploration through writing. No prior writing experience is necessary, just a desire to learn more about your life. This group will meet on 6 consecutive Thursday mornings: September 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25^th and November 1st, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. at 631 Cambridge St., Brighton. To register, please call Mary Rita Weschler at: 617.746.2056 or email: womens.table @csjboston.org




 

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...and a lot more!

Our January 27, 2010, issue of Soundings Update is now available at http://www.csjboston.org/su-Jan-27-2010.pdf . The full issue of the Winter edition of Soundings is also available on our website. What is pictured above and on the masthead is the January 10 Prayer Vigil hosted by Boston Area Religious Women  in Commemoration of Human Trafficking Awareness Day. There is a brief article about the prayer vigil in this issue of Soundings Update. Articles about this vigil appeared in:

• The Pilot: Brighton prayer vigil marks Human Trafficking Awareness Day
• The Allston Brighton Tab: Human trafficking exists ‘right here, right now’
• a press release and slideshow of the vigil on our website: Boston Area Religious Women Host Prayer Vigil in Commemoration of Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Also: Check out the things that are happening during the next few weeks.

On February 12: WALK IN MY SHOES: A HEALTH ACCESS SIMULATION TM The Experience of Low-Income Health Care Consumers.

This is an experiential workshop designed to give people a concrete idea of what many people experience when they seek medical assistance and don't have health care. The Women’s Table is eager to sponsor this workshop in order:

• to raise awareness of everyday barriers that women & families face when they are uninsured
• to enlist volunteers to 'walk with,' advocate, and companion women and families in need.

This is open to the public but you need to register by February 8. Details are in the link.
There is information about several other opportunities that you can learn about on our website. I'll say more about these in the days ahead but for now I'll just list them:

• The Vows Reflected through the Lens of the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church
• Come to the Sea: A Women's Weekend
• Volunteers in Mission
• Monthly Taize Prayer

Finally: Don't forget to scroll down to read more about the Maxims of the Little Institute, one of our CSSJ founding documents.

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.

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?

A Perfect Saturday Day of Prayer

Yesterday was pure gift. A group of sisters gathered at one of our houses by the ocean in Cohasset for a day of reflection. The group included newer members, the sisters who live with them, sisters from our hospitality house, and members of our Initial Formation Team.

Dorothea, one of our sisters, facilitated our prayer during the day. This picture is of the centerpiece in the room where we gathered. It includes a bible, a statue of Mother St. John Fontbonne, a candle that was brought from a visit toTaize, France, during our 2008 CSSJ Heritage, and scarf that was given to all who participated in the 200th anniversary of MSJF regathering sisters after the French Revolution and beginning the expansion of the Sisters of St. Joseph throughout the world.

The statue has MSJF with one foot forward always ready for the next good thing. I've included a picture that focuses on that part of the statue. The original is a full size statue designed by Mary Southard, CSJ from Illinois and is in the center of the Heritage Center in Lyon France.

More about the day: The day of prayer was really a refreshing opportunity for all who gathered. There was ample time for personal prayer and time to share the state of our heart. We all come from such full ministries. During her introduction, Dorothea invited us to slow down "the frieight train of our restless minds and hearts." This really touched my soul. I realized how full the previous week had been and her words really allowed me to slow down.

The sisters who gathered were so grateful for the time to connect with God and one another in this way. It was a perfect follow-up to Gathering the Daughters. There we were with 65 newer members of the Sisters of St. Joseph from all over the US and Canada as well as those who are part of Formation Teams. At this day of prayer we were with our newer members and some who are on the journey with them in our local Boston Congregation. The balance of the two gatherings was wonderful.

On another note: When I wrote the explanation of the statue of MSJF with one foot forward, it reminded me to mention the article about Sister Anna Mary Kelly that is in today's Boston Globe. She was a woman who, like Mother St. John Fontbonne, always had one foot forward ready for the next new thing. Sister Anna Mary passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 97. This is a link to the article in today's Globe and a couple of other recent articles about her.

From the Boston Globe:

Sister Anna Mary Kelly, at 97; served as dean at Regis College

From The Pilot -- the archdoicesan Catholic newspaper:

Sister Anna Mary Kelly, CSJ, former president of Boston’s Sisters of St. Joseph

From our Boston CSJ website:

We Remember Her As a Gracious, Loving, Wisdom Figure

Taizé prayer & CSJ Associates

Our Associates are having their monthly gathering this week. Associates are women and men who desire to share their faith journeys with the Sisters of St. Joseph. This Saturday some members of our Vocation Team will talk about Taizé prayer with our Associates and will provide an opportunity to experience prayer in the spirit of Taizé.

Since last July, our Vocation Team has been offering Taizé prayer each month. We’ve advertised it on our website, in local papers, parish bulletins, and the Archdiocesan Catholic paper. This simple form of Christian prayer centered on scripture, silence, and song is based on daily prayer of the Taizé Community in France. Participants come from around the Archdiocese of Boston and join with us in this profound prayer experience. This is a picture of how the altar in our Motherhouse chapel was set up for the prayer.
Some of us have had the opportunity to actually visit Taizé in France during October, 2006 and April, 2008 while we were on a pilgrimage to parts of France where the Sisters of St. Joseph began over 350 years ago. Our visit to Taizé was brief but we were able to join in prayer with thousands of young people from all over the world. The come for a week at a time to be part of this powerful experience of ecumenical and multi-lingual prayer.

Our effort to offer this form of prayer at our Motherhouse is still in its beginning stages. However, we have received enthusiastic and positive responses from those who have joined with us.

You can learn more about this and how to participate in our next evening of Taizé prayer at:
http://www.csjboston.org/NEWS_Upcoming_Events.htm