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.

Sisters of St. Joseph: Living the Dream Dinner

Join us at the first annual

Living the Dream dinner

Celebrating 140 years of service by

The Sisters of Saint Joseph

of Boston

Proceeds from this event

will directly support

the retired and infirmed.

Save the Date: March 27, 2014

Dinner at the Seaport Hotel, Boston, 5:30-9:00 PM

Register online at:

Living the Dream Dinner

 

 

For more information, please contact Carol McKean at

781.925.3459 or livingthedream@csjboston.org

Learn more about the Sisters of Saint Joseph at

www.csjboston.org

 

What American Nuns Built

There is a well written article the February 24 issue of the Boston Sunday Globe.
The title is: 
What American nuns builtThe online version is already available at:
[ http://bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/02/24/what-american-nuns-built-what-american-nuns-built/IvaMKcoK8a4jDb9lqiVOrI/story.html ]http://bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/02/24/what-american-nuns-built-what-american-nuns-built/IvaMKcoK8a4jDb9lqiVOrI/story.html

Some will recognize our sisters and others from back in the early 1960s. As a child and teenager, I recall this kind of picture being on the front page each year when Cardinal Cushing had "Baseball Day" for all the sisters in our archdiocese. I'm sure The Globe has quite a treasure trove of these kinds of pictures.

When you read the article, perhaps you will wonder, as do I, how many pictures they have of the amazing work of sisters that is so well discussed in this article.

Maxim Monday: Be attentive to the Holy Spirit

Likewise, be very faithful to the grace of the Holy Spirit, listening attentively, obeying promptly and entirely, attributing to the Holy Spirit, as is indeed just, the honor resulting from the success of your good actions. Maxims of the Little Institute, 15

As I explained in a recent blog post, 800 leaders of religious communities of women from all over the world are meeting this week in Rome. The focus of the presentations is the close unity between the mystical and prophetic dimension of consecrated life. Maxim 15 speaks to this same reality. In her revised second edition of Love’s Design, Marcia Allen, CSJ, writes this about Maxim 15:

This maxim calls me to discernment – that attentive listening to the world around and within me. The Holy Spirit draws and allures me and my response is one of entire self-giving.

Is this not another way of considering the interplay between the mystical and prophetic dimension of religious life?

Sisters of St. Joseph - Soundings and Soundings Update

The latest issue of Soundings Update is available on our Boston CSJ website. The feature article is about our Associates Annual Retreat at our Retreat Center in Cohasset. The facilitator of the retreat was Sister Lorry Villemarie, SSJ, a Sister of St. Joseph of Springfield, MA, who wrote a book titled, The Labyrinth Experience: An Educator's Resource 

This issue of Soundings Update also has information about our Volunteers in Mission opportunity that is happening this summer. All the details about Volunteers in Mission are also available at our website.

The program is from June 12-19, 2010 and is a wonderful opportunity for for women, college age and older, who desire an experience of ministry, community living, and prayer.

In addition, the Spring 2010 issue of Soundings is also available online. The focus of this issue is our CSJ Core Value, peaceful resolution of conflict. The graphic at the left accompanies one of the articles.

Maxim Monday: Utterly for God, in God, according to God

Be utterly given to God by a holy self-surrender, utterly for God by a love pure and completely unselfish, utterly in God by a continuing effort to be more conscious of his presence, utterly according to God by a will, a life and everything conformed to him. Maxims of the Little Institute, #24

When I considered a maxim for Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum, there were plenty to choose from. Many speak of Christ Jesus' passion and the cross. But I chose Maxim 24 because it seems to go right to the heart of the contemplative message of the Paschal Triduum.

The Paschal Triduum -- one feast of three days -- is the most important of our Catholic holy days and the center of our liturgical year. So I guess a brief reflection on Maxim 24 -- a maxim that expresses CSSJ spirituality in a nutshell -- is appropriate for this week.

"Utterly for God...utterly in God...utterly according to God." This is the self-emptying of Jesus in Philippians 2:1-11. That word "utterly" is gripping, and the way Medaille repeats it never ceases to draw me deeper and deeper into the core of God's unioning love.

Inspiring Exhibit: Nuns Go Places Where Few Dare to Go

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the exhibit, Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America, which is now showing at the Smithsonian. What a wonderful experience! Today a member of NCNWR sent an article about the exhibit to our member listserve. The article is titled Nuns Go Places Where Few Dare to Go and appeared in The Tablet which is the diocesan paper of Brooklyn and Queens, New York. Although I do not know Father Eugene Hemrick who wrote this article, I am most grateful for his words -- especially the last sentence:

"As I exited the exhibit, I felt a deep sense of pride in the spirit of our nuns, which affirmed my belief that nuns are not only praying communities, but also down-to-earth, devoted women who bring God to places where few dare to venture."

If you haven't had a chance to visit this exhibit, I highly recommend trying to get there. When it leaves the Smithsonian on April 24 it will travel to several other locations listed on the Women & Spirit website.

Whether you are able to visit or not, there's a great educational resource on the exhibit website. While it's aim is for use in classrooms, I found that reading it before I visited deepened my experience at the exhbit. I'm still praying that it comes to Boston sometime in the future.

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 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?

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