Soundings Update & CSSJ Federation Gathering the Daughters 2014

http://www.csjboston.org/news-and-events/soundings-update/soundings/
Check out our latest issue of Soundings Update.

Read about a Good Friday interfaith procession of the cross and the CSSJ Federation Gathering the Daughters 2014. 
While you're there, check our website for liturgies and other events at which all are welcome.

Younger nuns envision a future much smaller, but still bright

This week I'm participating in a course at Boston College with Sandra Schneiders, IHM, entitled,
"Religious Life: A Vocation in and for the People of God." 

Last week Catholic sisters in their 20s, 30s, and 40s met across the country in Belmont California. The focus of that conference was "Mission and Ministry in the 21st  Century. Here is one of several news articles about the conference: Catholic San Francisco. 

And in Concordia, Kansas...very much the heartland of our country, during these two weeks, Sisters of St. Joseph from across the country have been gathering for a workshop/retreat titled "Bearers of the Tradition, Phase 3. These sisters are deepening their awareness of our mission and charism.

  

Just think about it, these events are happening from "sea to shining sea" and places in between. This has to be the Spirit alive in and among vowed women religious today.

Join the Sisters of St. Joseph at the Paschal Triduum - and more

There's so much to share from just this past week. Our latest edition of Soundings Update is available at: http://www.csjboston.org/su-Mar-27-13.pdf

Join us for our Triduum Liturgies this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

the Paschal Triduum

      March 28– 5:30pm:

           Holy Thursday – Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper

      March 29      Good Friday

       12:00-3:00pm Silent Peace Vigil —

           outside the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse

           637 Cambridge Street, Brighton, MA 02135

          All welcome to come and stay for a while. Bring friends!  

                                  5:30pm – Celebration of the Lord's Passion

 

March 30 – 7:00pm:  Easter Vigil

Early this morning, I came across this 4 minute YouTube Video interview with one of our Sisters of St. Joseph from Concordia, KS. The title is:

Sr Julie Christensen, CSJ - an "Allstar" Sister

http://www.youtube.com/user/vocationculture

It's worth watching. 

2 News Stories: Lawyer becoming a nun & Hotels, sex trade, super bowl

In the past few days, there have been two articles related to Sisters of St. Joseph on which I'd like to comment. The first is titled: Young lawyer fights for social justice on her way to becoming a nun . It is about Alison, a young women in New Orleans, who will be entering the Sisters of St. Joseph novitiate in a few months. It has special interest to me because I spent a day with Alison when I went to the NCNWR [National Communicators Conference for Women Religious] Conference there in September. We visited a number of the places named in the article. Here are a couple of pictures to supplement the article. 

This sign marks the Treme section mentioned in the article

We visited St. Augustine's Church where Alison worships

...and this is Sr. Lory, mentioned in the article. She passed away recently.
I took this picture at the Literacy Center where she was working in September, 2011

The second news article is yet another story from a St. Louis newspaper yesterday afternoon titled: St. Louis Area Hotels Enlisted to Fight Sex Trade . Once again it mentions the Sisters of St. Joseph, our work with the Millennium Hotel and the ever-widening effect of the efforts of women religious to stop human trafficking. The article is mainly about St. Louis, But my guess is that if Kim and NIX happened to be located in Boston, it wouldn't be much different.

As the Super Bowl approaches, let's continue to do whatever we can. No matter how small it seems, every little bit does make a difference!



Why I became a sister

January 9-14 is National Vocation Awareness Week. In the interest of "being and acting as one family of St. Joseph," I would like to share a link to some vocation stories posted on the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden website.

Why I became a sister

enjoy!

If you are a teacher or minister in a parish, there are also quite a few websites with resources for personal, parish, or classroom use:

http://www.vocationnetwork.org/ 

http://archstl.org/vocations/page/national-vocation-awareness-week

http://www.usccb.org/news/2011/11-241.cfm

Searching for more in life?

Are you searching for something more in your life?

Do you have a desire to serve the Church?

Have you thought about becoming a Sister, Brother or Religious Priest?

Would you like to learn more about religious life?

If so, you are cordially invited to attend

An Evening of Prayer and Conversation on Religious Life on October 18th

In response to the questions above there is a great opportunity coming up at our Motherhouse on October 18. It is hosted by the Archdiocesan Delegate for Religious who is a Sister of St. Joseph.

Here are the details:

An Evening of Prayer and Conversation

For Men and Women Interested in Religious Life

October 18, 2011

6:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse

637 Cambridge St.

Brighton, MA 02135

Sponsored by

Archdiocese of Boston Delegate for Religious

Phone: 617-746-5637

Sr_Marian_Batho@rcab.org

Web site: www.bostoncatholic.org

Program will begin with Registration at 6:00 p.m. and include:

• Welcome
• Supper
• Opening Prayer and Introductions
• Witness Talks – “How I Heard God Calling My Name”
• Conversation
• Prayer
• Concluding Prayer
• Departure at 9:30 p.m.

Also, our October 12, 2011, issue of Soundings Update is available at http://www.csjboston.org/SOUNDINGS.htm . In this issue read about

• Our October 2 celebration of our CSJ Boston Founders' Day
• a wonderful collaborative effort on the part of our Advancement Office with several of our ministries, the Allston and Brighton Boards of Trade

Sisters of Saint Joseph: Collaboration Locally and Globally

This week's issue of The Pilot has a special section on Vocations. If you have access to a hard copy of this edition, there is an article about the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston on pages 5-6. the title is Sisters of Saint Joseph: Collaboration Locally and Globally.

Unfortunately The Pilot does not post their special sections on their website. So our webweaver has posted the article on our website at http://www.csjboston.org/pr-vim2011.htm

The article tells a little about Taize prayer that is offered each month at our Motherhouse and about our Volunteer in Mission program which will happen at the end of June.

Sisters of St. Joseph - Soundings Update 3-2-11



"We hold this treasure in earthen vessels"

 The March 2, 2011, issue of Soundings Update is available at http://www.csjboston.org/su-March-2-2011.pdf
Read about

• St. Michael's College students who stayed at our Hospitality House during a service immersion program.
• An evening of prayer and conversation for Women and Men interested in Religious Life
• Many Dates to Remember...mark you calendars and know you are welcome at many of the events listed.

National Vocations Awareness Week

Sunday, January 9, marked the beginning of National Vocations Awareness Week. Are you asking yourself, "What is God calling me to at this time in life?" Do you know others asking this question? The Catholic Religious Vocation Network has great online resources. As the website explains:

With so many options, it's not easy to discern the best path to live out your Christian calling. Vocation Match was designed to narrow your search. You'll be asked a series of questions that will help you gain insight into your vocation and match you with compatible religious organizations. You may go through the Match, receive your results, and remain in complete control of who, if anyone, is sent your profile.

Vision Magazine's digital edition of the 2011 Vocation Guide is also available at:

http://www.digitalvocationguide.org/vision/2011guide#pg1

The Sisters of St. Joseph information begins on page 164 with a brief explanation of the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph. It continues with contact information for most of the 16 congregations of Sisters of St. Joseph in the United States. We also have an ad on page 16. You are invited to explore these resources and share them with others.

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.

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.