• Climate Change
• Mining
• Water
• Indigenous Justice

JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation) is an expression of the mission of the Congregation of Notre Dame, Visitation Province. It was established to facilitate and enhance our stated commitments “to be more of a transformative presence in the heart of our world” and “to be more visible in our stances taken for justice, peace and the protection of creation.” After a re-structuring in 2001, we committed ourselves to “cultivate right relationship with the whole of the sacred community…” That work began immediately, moving through education and action processes and, ultimately, envisioning the establishment of a Centre for Peace, Justice and Ecology. This Centre would express the CND commitment to “challenge unjust structures, and to take corporate action…” By February 2006 a meeting in Ottawa was convened as a “Think Tank on Right Relationship.” Participants from across the country expressed their desire to strengthen partnerships with groups dealing with human rights (e.g. the right to adequate housing, clean water, a living wage,) and ecological integrity (e.g. preservation of species; resistance to genetically modified foods; issues related to climate change, land usage, etc.) It was decided that to maximize our gifts and capacities in these areas, we would seek to hire a lay coordinator and open an office that would address these issues. In December 2006, twenty sisters, friends and associates of the Congregation of Notre Dame, Visitation Province, met to bless the opening of the Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation at the Baycrest Residence, Ottawa. Joe Gunn was hired as JPIC Coordinator. The work of JPIC is guided by five Sisters (including a representative/link to the Provincial Leadership Team) and two CND Associates. In January 2009, Monica Lambton assumed the duties of Coordinator and the JPIC office moved to Montreal. After 15 years of service, Monica's work with Visitation Province came to completion. The JPIC Core Committee and the Province Leadership Team are in the process of exploring the next steps for the JPIC Office as the mission continues.

JPIC Works 2006-2021

Marguerite Bourgeoys came to Ville-Marie, what is today known as Montreal, in 1653. In her new home, she started the first school and formed a community of women, the Congregation of Notre Dame. When Visitation Province established the JPIC Office, the sisters had already been involved for many years in social justice and environmental justice activities. The work of the office endeavored to capture the spirit of Marguerite and the experience and wisdom gained in the many years of the Community. We understand that what we are about today is a continuation of Marguerite’s ministry. We know from experience that a liberating education leads us all to action for conversion and change in a world that is in constant need of our helpful presence.  

God is not satisfied if we preserve the love we owe our neighbor; we must preserve our neighbor in the love he ought to have for us. (Marguerite Bourgeoys)

  Today, the word that we might use for what Marguerite says above is solidarity. The 2016 Chapter Direction for the Congregation of Notre Dame named ways that we could pursue Marguerite’s vision in going out to the peripheries, caring for our common home and making and living inculturality, making space for others to feel at home with us. The JPIC part in this has called us to persistence. The issues we address today are the same ones that have been with us for decades. In the spirit of solidarity, of making it easy for our neighbour, we must not give up.  

Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

Wake up, humanity! There is no more time. Martyred Honduran activist Berta Caceras in her 2015 Goldman Prize Acceptance Speech

  See how we have been persistent and what is new! Click on the following:

• Climate Change
• Mining
• Water
• Indigenous Justice

Climate Change

Years of action on the issue (including an international delegation to the People’s Climate March in 2014), came to a peak with the adoption of the 2015 Corporate Stance on Climate Change. Marches, petitions, meetings with MP’s, educational events and much more followed. A highlight was the presentation of the dance event, ‘Hope in Action through the Arts’ at the 2016 World Social Forum. Most recently we have been advocating for Canada to stay on track with its carbon reduction commitments and supporting the new faith based action oriented initiatives - the Global Catholic Climate Movement Canada, For the Love of Creation and Sacred People, Sacred Earth.

Mining

In June of 2005, a Parliamentary Subcommittee tabled a report, “Mining in Developing Countries – Corporate Social Responsibility” which received unanimous support among legislators. The report called for accountability from companies in terms of the social and environmental impacts of their actions. (http://www.miningwatch.ca/updir/FAAE_Rpt14-e.pdf) CND sisters are living in communities directly affected by the mines in Honduras and Guatemala. The JPIC Office has been active in trying to call attention to the situation through extensive work to advocate for the Canadian Government to implement the Report recommendations. We began with two different letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Leadership Team of the Congregation of Notre-Dame to request the establishment of clearly defined standards of corporate accountability. We continue with widespread advocacy on this issue including supporting private member's bill, number C-300, participating in the Development and Peace Campaign that resulted in over 152,000 petitions presented to the government, and in many other campaigns. Most recently we have joined the current CORE (Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Business Enterprise) Campaign: https://www.kairoscanada.org/what-we-do/ecological-justice/open4justice

Water

In 2019 the Leadership of Visitation Province announced its commitment to lead the Community in the process of becoming a Blue Community, following the project of the Council of Canadian which encourages municipalities, educational and religious institutions, churches and other communities to support the idea of a water commons framework, recognizing that water is a shared resource for all. We are preparing projects to fulfill the criteria while we continue to raise awareness and promote the spirituality of water with Sisters and Associates through regular content in our weekly newsletter. Blue Community Connecting with Water Map Click on the blue water drops to see the water bodies special to CND Sisters and Associates and to read their stories of connection.

Indigenous Justice

  Our Response to TRC Calls to Action Responding to the Truth and Reconciliation 94 Calls to Action   It is our wish that as a Province we strengthen our commitment to supporting the national work of Reconciliation with First Nations by responding to Call to Action #48. This is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendation that speaks directly to church and religious communities. In accepting this responsibility, we will be following the example of other Canadian religious communities, the CCCB and Canadian national churches. JPIC will be leading us on the journey of readiness. We invite all Sisters and Associates to commit to what they can in the opportunities to learn, to lead and to support Reconciliation that will be shared over the coming months. We look forward to the tools and resources from JPIC that will help us deepen our commitment to the chapter directions of interculturality, going to the peripheries and caring for our common home with the justice recommendations of the TRC. Visitation Province Leadership Team Statement following the recent discovery at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation The sisters and associates of Visitation Province live coast to coast across the country. We join with the many faith communities who have expressed deep sorrow upon hearing the news of the recent discovery of the graves of at least 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. It is shocking to see this stark presence of so much suffering. More than 10 years ago, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report clearly identified this as an issue and requested funding to help search for answers concerning children at the schools who never returned home. And long before that, there were stories shared by family members, community leaders, former students and others who were deeply concerned. As a community, we have recently committed to a heightened and more earnest effort to respond to Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We promised to listen, to be present, to accompany and to repair. In the light of this recent news, we can see that we must push ourselves to go even further. In the words of Bishop Mark MacDonald from the April 7, 2021 webinar, Canada, the Churches & Bill C-15: “There are very few things for the Church that is more important than what we have before us today.” We pledge to deepen and go further in our responsibility as allies to Indigenous peoples seeking justice, particularly paying attention to the work of Amnesty International, Ten Ways to be a Genuine Ally to Indigenous communities https://www.amnesty.org.au/10-ways-to-be-an-ally-to-indigenous-communities/. We give thanks for elders, leaders, activists and artists who are helping us find our way. Catherine Walker, CND JPIC Liaison