CND Associate Relationship Newsletter Visitation East January 2021
It was a “St. Marguerite Visitation Spirituality” at its best. A pre-arranged meeting was held on Dec. 28, 2020 at MacGillivray Health Care Centre with Sisters Catherine MacPhee (age 105) and Sister Mary Cecilia MacDonald (age 98). These Sisters were in excellent health and spirit. Thank you to the staff for the wonderful care of our CND Sisters.
Human Rights Day was December 10th
Clean water is a right. The Human Right to Water and Sanitation (HRWAS) was recognized by the UN General Assembly in July 2010. It often seems to happen, we tend to remain unaware of situations that do not directly touch our own lives. How grateful are we for the clean water we can access every day? The water that keeps us healthy, keeps us clean, cooks our food and disposes of waste? How much do we ever consider the continuous water cycle – the rain, the snow, the melting ice, water that changes to vapour and comes back again as moisture? It’s not “new” water-it’s recycled water!
JPIC Core Committee
The tentative theme for the first issue of the Vivencia Journal (blog) is “Celebrating the first 40 years of Associate Relationship.” Sr. Maureen met with Jacqueline and Bill Fehlner via Zoom and they decided to go ahead with a province-wide, online Journal based on Encuentro and Vivencia. Encuentro is a Spanish word that means the meeting of two (or more) people who come together to share from their heart a part of themselves that enables a deep understanding and connection between them. Vivencia, another Spanish word, means telling our story, our lived experience of how we have been called to meet and grow in love. Several CND Sisters and Associates have participated in this undertaking. The goal for a launch date is the Feast of Epiphany, January 6th, 2021, “A Time of New Beginnings.”
Greetings From The Woodstock Associates , December 2020
What an unusual year!
Our group didn’t meet many times due to the COVID pandemic. We had a Zoom Meeting on November 15,2020 to complete the Reflection discussion for the CND General Chapter. There were 7 of us on that call in the photo above. During this pandemic year, St Gertrude’s Church decided to plant 2 trees in the vacant space where the Convent was located to commemorate the many years of the CND Sisters service in the parish and the 100th Anniversary of the Catholic Women’s League in Canada. We invited Sr. Eleanor McCloskey, our honorary Woodstock Sister, to join us for this special celebration. She provided a Blessing for the occasion. You can see that everyone socially distanced and wore masks. The Annual Skiff Lake Associate Retreat was rescheduled out of an abundance of caution until 2021 due to the COVID pandemic. Marjorie tells us 2020 marked many milestones in the Ross family. Her husband Ray, an Associate turned 65, Helen (Ray’s mother) who is an Associate for 35 years celebrated her 90 birthday, and in July, Ray and Marjorie celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary. Marjorie finished her 6 year CND Associate Coordinator position at the end of July 2020. Congratulations to everyone.
Submitted by Marjorie Allison Ross
Description of Associates Retreat Summerside, PEI
Our CND Associates Retreat was held December 2nd at Marguerite Bourgeoys Centre, Covid 19 style. Our retreat was facilitated by Austina Garnhum and attended by 7 associates along with Sr. Joan Marie Chaisson. Austina chose the topic Gratitude. She began with Psalm 100 for an opening prayer with all of us reciting the antiphon, “It is good to give God thanks and praise”. Following are the many good examples she stressed to us using many of her own life experiences.
Finding God in all things can create many good surprises for us
The attitude of having a grateful spirit helps rescue us from being negative
Stop and think – The only gift you have is – Now
Making use of a mantra – make up your own.
Don't be afraid to look at character defects with gratitude.
Using a camera to capture 3 things you are grateful for reflection.
We must try to monitor our inner dialogue.
Try to see all life as a gratitude.
Always recognize what is value.
Gratitude gives us a higher sense of self worth.
It helps us acknowledge others.
Gratitude is a discipline, a choice we make.
Try to avoid taking anything for granted.
Have a prayerful life.
Practice supports life.
Look: Use your senses with nature and people.
Go: Take your blessings to others for human connection.
Cultivate gratitude using the psalms.
Psalm 118 outlines something we might do. Austina offered us time to go to the Chapel to do some personal reflections. She encouraged us to keep a daily journal – a thought or so a day to reflect on at a later time.
Upon returning as a group there was time for us to willingly share any thoughts or ideas. All Associates shared and expressed their thanks to Austina for a great retreat. Austina then discussed the " Prayerful Hand " as an Awareness Exam. She encouraged us to do this practice at the end of each day. Psalms of Gratitude are: #s 136, 117, 100, 139, 42, 56 , 23, 27, 37 and 145. She named certain books we might be interested in: Eyes of the Holy Spirit, Sleeping with Bread, Box of Butterflies, Silver Linings by Janet Landry. At the end Sister Joan Marie thanked Austina for her wonderful presentation with a gift. Upon leaving each Associate picked up their new 2021 calendar and a beautiful Christmas ornament.
Submitted by Louise Doiron