News from Blessed Sacrament Province
Photo: CNDs at Executive House helping to prepare province Christmas card mailing
Community Celebration: St. Martin de Porres Academy School, New Haven CT.
On the feast of St Martin de Porres, November 3, 2023, community leaders, donors, friends (which included the neighbors), graduates, students, teachers and staff gathered to celebrate and give thanks for the construction of a new parking lot, basketball court and soccer field. A true metaphor for a changing church presence and mission.
Quite a few of our graduates from high schools took part in the celebrations, as well as one who is a freshman at Yale!
There was such a spirit of community, among the adults who were united in their passion for the success of our school and among the students and adults as they rejoiced in what they were creating together.
Sisters Mary Anne Foley, Bea Baker and Ann Perrin were present. The CND has not only given their support through grants and scholarships, but through the person of Sr. Ann who works there two days a week. The spirit of Marguerite Bourgeoys is present in this vision of educating the whole child through college, giving them access they would not otherwise re-ceive.
A Christmas Reflection
Shortly after his birth in Bethlehem, Jesus was forced into exile with his parents because of Herod’s vendetta against him. It was no longer safe for them in their own country. All artistic renditions of this event show them making the trek on a donkey with their meager possessions piled high on his back. They made their way to Egypt.
Images from the Israeli-Hamas War, showed dozens of pre-mature babies sleeping together in beds. There was no longer fuel for their incubators. The babies were wrapped in thermal blankets and put close together for warmth. They were like this for weeks. Eventually, they were allowed to be moved to the Egyptian border where they were met with ambulances and portable incubators. Some died before they reached safety.
After Jesus and his parents fled to Egypt, there was a slaughter in Bethlehem ordered by Herod of young boys under two years old. Innocent children caught in a power play by a despot.
The babies who made it into Egypt are receiving the best of care. Their brothers and sisters and cousins left behind in Gaza are dying by the hundreds in the bombings. The babies in the Kibbutz which was attacked October 7th were slaughtered mercilessly.
Mothers on both sides are mourning their lost children and children are bereft without parents. The world rightfully is stirred by the death or kidnapping of a sin-gle child.
Yet we continue to use war as a solution to human problems and land conflicts, and children continue to die.
In World War II, 1.5 million military personnel were killed, and 38 million civilians died in the war. In Vietnam, there were 4 million combatants and 2 million civilian deaths. In the post 9-11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 7 thousand Americans died and 500,000 civilians in both countries.
Mothers on both sides mourned their sons and daughters.
We are approaching the celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace. Of course, we pray for peace, but we must also, as followers of Jesus, make choices for peace in everyday life and stop supporting war in any country. We long for the coming of the One who will make all wars cease, as promised by the prophet Isaiah.
by Sr. Patricia McCarthy, CND
“He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will
not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4