News from Congrégation de Notre-Dame Associates (East Canada)
Sister Maureen Baldwin and Sister Karen Kelly, members of our new Visitation Province Leadership Team, have been appointed liaisons to the Provincial Council for the Associate Co-coordinators.
Maureen, who made profession in 1988, hails originally from Sydney, Cape Breton. Maureen began her teaching career in Fredericton, NB, before moving to Toronto, ON, to become a professor of pastoral theology at Regis College, the Jesuit graduate school at the University of Toronto. Maureen has also been very active in congregational and diocesan committees while working with the homeless and marginalized. Maureen remains in Toronto while she embarks on her new role on the leadership team.
Karen who made profession in 1995, is originally from Guysborough, Nova Scotia. Karen has been a high school physics teacher for the last 27 years, starting her career in teaching at Notre Dame Academy, Staten Island, NY, where she spent six years. She has taught the last 21 years in a public high school in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where she was also actively involved in parish and diocesan ministry. She has also been on many congregational committees. She has just moved to Bedford, Nova Scotia from Fredericton, as part of her new position on the Province Council.
Anna Rowley, Coordinator, Central Office of Associate Relationship, met, via zoom, with Visitation Province Coordinators and Provincial Leadership Team Liaisons on November 12, 2021 to inform us what the 40th Anniversary of Associate Relationship Planning Committee and the Sustainability Committee have been planning and working on. Well, after hearing Anna’s report, I must say both of these committees have been and still are very busy. The 40th Anniversay committee has produced a Prayer, a Prayer Service, and a list of 40 Social Justice Actions with important International Dates. Anna advised there would be bulletins sent electronically throughout the Anniversary year starting December 1st, 2021.These bulletins will give us a chance to get to know each other a bit better throughout the Congregation. Sr. Joan Mahoney, CND, will present a talk on Associate Relationship December 1, 2021.
Anna shared a bit on “bringing the Chapter home”. Each region will look at how they will live out the General Chapter Orientation 2021-2026.
The Sustainability Committee (USA), was created in 2017. They have been planning another series of Zoom gatherings that will reflect on the Orientation 2021-2026. It will be a three or four part series over 1 ½ years or 2 years. The 1st part of the series has a tentative date of January 30, 2022 and the topic is Marguerite Bourgeoys and the Orientation 2021-2016, facilitated by Associate Alana Forrester.
Teresa McKerral, West Coordinator, thanked Anna for her report and time spent with us during our Coordinators’ Fall Meeting.
Visitation Province Coordinators were pleased to have a visit with Dominik Tremblay-Perron, Head of the Social Justice Action Network of the Congregation de Notre Dame on November 12, 2021. She brought the theme of discrimination, racism and anti-colonialism to our meeting. She introduced virtually to the Coordinators, two consultants who will assist her in this task namely Benigne Kangaj and Jeanne Marie Rugira.
The goals of the project are:
To learn about discrimination, racism, and anticolonialism;
To assess whether the Congregation could do a better job of avoiding discriminatory or colonial biases;
And, if the opportunity arises, how does the Congregation contribute to the positioning on certain actions related to these social justice issues.
Dominik’s presentation there was time for reflection and sharing among the coordinators. The Coordinators and Liaison Sisters were very pleased with this introduction.
Spiritual Input
The Visitation Province Associate Coordinators were blessed to have Alana Forrester, a Congregation de Notre-Dame Associate from Toronto and Beyond, facilitate Spiritual Reflection for the Fall Coordinators’ Meeting.
This Spiritual Reflection enhanced team building among the members of the group which included the Provincial Leadership Team liaison sisters and coordinators.
Focussing our intention on God, through the practice of “Holy Listening” each person became aware of their own gifts of the Holy Spirit while recognizing the gifts of others. By acknowledging the gifts of all in a community, a foundation of hope is established to encourage one another to build a better world.
Through prayer, poetry, song, music, reflection and sharing, Alana addressed continuing the charism of Marguerite Bourgeoys and Congregation de Notre-Dame by living Visitation and Pentecost with one another and the world. We hope for a better world by influencing social justice issues thorough liberating education to “dream the impossible, do the possible.”
The sisters and coordinators were grateful to Alana for her direction, compassion, time, knowledge, gentleness and insights.
Guided Meditation: “A Compass for times of uncertainty”
Explorers and sailors have used signs from nature and compasses to give them direction as they set out and continue on a journey, noting landmarks and sometimes making signposts. They study the conditions of the earth, watch the stars, the clouds and the swell of the sea. They make maps so that they can return again, or for those who will come after them.
We, too, have a compass within our body to guide us. We are wonderfully made! Come with me and walk the points of a compass.
Standing: facing North, pause, take some time to ground yourself. Be still. Breathe. Be thankful for whatever tension you were able to release. Ask Jesus, Mary and Marguerite Bourgeoys to walk with you through this day.
Turning to your right, face East: As day breaks, or the sun rises where you live, open your eyes. Draw in the light and let the sunshine warm your skin.
Embraced by Love, and touched by the Son, send some of that warmth out to someone you know. The Spirit dwells in your physical being.
Turning again, face South: “You are wonderfully made.” Listen for the Heartbeat of God. Our emotions and feelings are a gift to be explore gently, one at a time. Breathe in kindness toward yourself and send kindness to someone in need of it. The Spirit uses your body with all its many feelings to make you aware and to lead you to a new place of being still within.
Continue walking West: Face a land of new beginnings, a time of new learning, of new experiences. Ask for courage and the grace to walk forward into something new or different.
Listen for the heartbeat of Marguerite Bourgeoys in the unknown, joining your heart and hands with hers. Call to mind the words Mary spoke to her long ago: “Go, I will not abandon you.” And Jesus’ words to his disciples: “Be not afraid…. Follow me.”
Return to the North point of the compass. Breathe in stillness, notice the beauty that is within you and surrounds you. Breathe in peace.
Rooted in Jesus Christ, let up pray:
Let us begin afresh and step into a new day. Present to the moment.
Conclude with praying Psalm 139.
The Importance of Storytelling
VIVENCIA JOURNAL REPORT
The Vivencia Journal is one of the projects that the Visitation Province Coordinators have undertaken to celebrate the upcoming 40th Anniversary of Associate Relationship.
Where does the name come from and why?
In my conversations with the Congregation de Notre Dame’s Spanish-speaking Sisters and Associates I was reminded of two words with powerful meanings: Encuentro and Vivencia. For me personally, these words connect me to one of our Orientations: Live Interculturality. 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, also a Spanish word, means telling our story, our lived experience. In the context of the Vivencia Journal, it relates to how Sisters and Associates have been called to come together, live our charism, and grow in love and service.
What has been the response from the readership?
Feedback has come from both people connected to the Congregation as well as others who have no religious affiliation, yet have been touched and inspired by the sharing of the authors. Comments have included appreciation for collecting the vignettes of Associate Relationship history as well as gratitude to the authors for their contributions. Some people have asked if these stories will be published in book form. Authors have been deeply touched in the process of writing and by the feedback they have received from their sharing of special moments. The editors have also been touched by the generosity of the people willing to tell us about their journey. It is very much a team effort.
If you have not had a chance to read the Vivencia Journal yet, please check it out at https://vivencia19812021.wordpress.com/