News from Blessed Sacrament Province – November 2023
From Our Leadership Team:
At our November 18-19 meeting, we studied and approved the 2024 budgets for the Members’ Support, Apostolic Activity and Plant funds. They have been submitted to the General Council for their approval. We are most grateful to those who are responsible for their careful preparation and clear presentations. We also accepted their recommendations for Apostolic Advisory Fund donations for the current year; these included some recommended by Sisters.
In other news:
Sister Libby Osgood has come to the States for part of her sabbatical from the University of Prince Edward Island. She plans to stay through May. Welcome, Libby!
Sr. Maco Cassetta will be joining Sr. Ann Marie Strileckis in leading Vocation Ministry initiatives in the province.
Transforming Grace: The Work Of Transformative Justice November 2023- November 2024
Over the next 12 months, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is calling on its member congregations to look at the 2024 US national election campaign through the lens of transformative justice. Grounded in contemplation, the process of transformative justice involves learning the skills and practices that will lead to decision-making and action that results in right relationship with Earth and all human persons.
LCWR has asked for teams of elected leaders, justice promoters, and communicators to collaborate in creating plans for this initiative. We are grateful that Katherine and Sisters Nancy Downing and Jaculyn Hanrahan will participate for our province, and we look forward to hearing from them after their December meeting.
Associate Relationship
Co-Coordinators visit north Carolina
The weekend of October 27th to 29th Co-Coordinators Donna and Maria visited the Hayesville, North Carolina Associates, their first visit since Covid-19 started. The journey was long—from Atlanta International Airport by the Metra train to North Springs, Atlanta, to Hayesville. But the views from the road were spectacular, and the beautiful fall foliage, a reminder of God’s gift of creation, invited us to take a deep breath and just cherish the beauty and peace. The hospitality from the Associates was amazing. Sandy offered us shelter, and Jean drove them to and the airport.
On Saturday everyone gathered for a retreat on “The Gifts of Visitation.” We prayed, we played, and did chair yoga. It was a time of getting to know one another, being present with each other and celebrating the joyous occasion of welcoming Mariela as an associate. After the retreat, we attended Mass together and then the associates hosted a Harvest Dinner in the parish hall. It was really a visitation moment for everyone.
Local group Leaders Meet
On November 11, 2023, Associates local group leaders met via zoom to dialogue on some of the highlights from the September 2023 Associates “State of the Union Address.” This year we want to continue to build our associate relationships by being more mindful and intentional on connecting with other associates. Being able to meet in person is a gift of visitation. But the group leaders were also asked to encourage those in their groups to try to connect with zoom groups. (Currently, we have three of these) and to reach out to those Associates that cannot participate because of personal challenges.
The basis of building a strong associate relationship is to gather to share our stories, to reconnect, to remember our commitment to Associate Relationship and why we made that commitment. In order to invite others to Associate Relationship we need to know what we are inviting them to. We have a wide variety of talents and gifts among our associates, and sharing them makes our associate relationship stronger and vibrant.
In a beautiful simple ritual on December 2nd, all the Sisters at Villa Maria Convent in The Bronx received the Sacrament of Anointing from Fr. Fred Pellegrini and Sr. Patricia Flattery.
Marguerite’s experiment of an uncloistered community in France simply never got underway. In the poverty, danger, insecurity and promise of the Canadian wilderness, in that moment in history and in the place where the needs of the Gospel called imperatively for new structures to meet new needs, she succeeded. Will the breakthrough we hope for take place in the polished and urban milieus where we raise the questions [of transformation of structures] or in some other place that leaves no choice but to [live] and teach the Gospel by our lives? Is it true that the future rises on the margins of the Church where some women and men of faith see only frontiers?
Paraphrase of Mary Virgina Cotter, CND, “Marguerite Bourgeoys and the Dynamics of Change,”
Review for Religious Sept/Oct 1983 by Maryann Calabrese, CND