News from our US Sisters and Associates
From Our Leadership Team:
On December 3rd, the Sisters at Villa Maria Convent held an Advent Reflection Day, during which they prayed, had quiet time and shared what helps them make meaning in Advent. While we didn’t have as lovely a setting in which to do so, we took time during our December 16-17 meeting to ponder our calls this Advent, using the prayer service prepared by Associate Jan Fournier.
Much of our meeting was devoted to issues of housing and healthcare. We were happy to learn of the General Council’s decision to establish the Congregation de Notre-Dame as a Laudato Sí Community, becoming part of a world-wide initiative “to inspire and mobilize the Catholic community to care for our common home and achieve climate and ecological justice.”
Congregation de Notre-Dame INVITATION GROUP
Since April of this year, some Sisters and Associates have met several times to consider how best to proceed with “vocation ministry” in our province. We have come to recognize that the form this ministry should take among us is not recruitment to a specific lifestyle, but accompaniment of those who are discerning the direction their lives will take. We see this as an urgent need, particularly for young adults.
At the same time, each of us has found that being a vowed Congregatrion de Notre-Dame member or an Associate is a precious and fulfilling way of living as a Christian, and we hope others will join us in doing so. So, we have no intention of being shy to speak of our experiences!
One of our more challenging tasks has been naming ourselves as a group in a way that expresses this expanded sense of our mission. “Vocation committee” doesn’t do so, and we thought that Invitation-to-Discern-What-Direction-Your-Life-Will-Take Group was a bit too long; hence the name: CND Invitation Group.
As you may know, every year we receive the names of individuals who have completed a survey indicating interest in religious life and possibly our congregation through Visions Network. Although some of these people are unlikely to pursue this interest, we have decided as a group to be sure that all of them receive a response that invites them to engage further. We’ll do so using a new account–askcnd@cnd-m.org–where we can see the requests and respond directly from the account.
This is a beginning, and we hope to hear from young (and not-so-young) adults with no interest in religious life but who are looking for companionship on their spiritual journeys. Who knows where that quest will lead them? Please help us by sharing the address with those who may be interested, and feel free to write to us yourself!
In other developments, we’re encouraged to hear that CND Sisters will be participating in World Youth Day in Lisbon next summer, and we are hoping to become a sponsor of the on-line A Nun’s Life Ministry, which embraces our goals. Check out https://anunslife.org/
Maco Cassetta, Jean Cooper, Eileen Dorney, Kathleen Dorney, Peggy Doyle, Mary Anne Foley, Mary Jo Hoag, Judy Laffey, Cathy Molloy, Ann Perrin, Ann Marie Strileckis
ASSOCIATE RELATIONSHIP
Associates in Connecticut collected warm winter clothing, coats and socks for women, men, and children in Ukraine. Money was also donated to help defray the cost of shipping. This special winter clothing drive was sponsored by St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Church in New Haven, Connecticut. Parishioners collaborated with the Knights of Columbus in their area to ship the winter clothing to Ukraine.
Associates Judi and Janice once again volunteered to make blankets for the homeless. Winter is a difficult time for our homeless as they try to find shelter and having these blankets help them survive. What a wonderful way of showing “love to a stranger”!
“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” — Mother Teresa
The Providence, RI CND Associates and Friends held their 29th annual Advent retreat at Associate on Sunday, Dec 4th. Following a simple soup and bread meal, we gathered to share our Advent reflections, led by Associate Gwen Hofmann via Zoom from South Carolina. After the mini retreat, we attended the RI Civic Chorale & Orchestra’s production of Handel’s Messiah at the nearby St. James Church. Associate Judith Sheridan Laffey was a member of the chorale. Associate Bonnie Cotter created this collage of our day together. (By Sue Dunn)