News from Visitation Province
A Special Visit
Last Sunday afternoon, we were graced by a special visit with Sister Yoko Ikeda, a member of the congregational leadership team and Sister Akiko Usui who made her final vows two years ago. Sister Akiko arrived in Montreal on March 17th and in a few days will be heading to Charlottetown, PEI, to share life and ministry with Sister Sue Kidd and the Sisters of the Congregation on the Island.
The afternoon was very special. Our time together was deeply touched by the Mystery of God’s call, the richness of interculturality, fun with language and lots of laughter! We prayed Vespers in communion with the indigenous delegation meeting with Pope Francis.
Welcome Yoko and Akiko! We look forward to your return!
The Sisters of de Sève Residence
On March 6, 2022, Kingston Sisters and Associates were blessed to learn about UNANIMA INTERNATIONAL, a non-governmental organization at the United Nations, from Alice, a Kingston Associate. Alice described the NGO as an organization of Catholic Sisters Congregations, advocating at the United Nations on behalf of women, children, migrants, refugees, indigenous, homeless/displaced and the environment. In short, it advocates for systemic change to achieve a more just world. Currently, the NGO consists of 22 Women Congregations who represent 25,000 individual Sisters and working in 85 countries.
Alice shared much of its history, development as well as past and current issues on which it focused. Alice also shared how worthwhile her own experiences as a volunteer for two years were. The Congregation de Notre-Dame formally joined in 2015 although many sisters had volunteered before that. Each member Congregation elects a Director to sit on the UNANIMA INTERNATIONAL Board of Directors, thus providing a direct link within and among member Congregations and its New York Office. Currently, Sister Patricia Flattery is the CND Representative.
In her conclusion, Alice seemed delighted in stating that the Mission of UNANIMA INTERNATIONAL is somewhat barefaced about its intent: to influence policy makers and decision makers to listen to the voices of the voiceless at not only the grassroots level but also at the Global level.
Mary Myers, Associate
On Friday, March 25th some ladies in Stratford, PEI, gathered at Sr. Anne H. MacDonald apartment to pray together the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the conversion of Russia.
Anne H. MacDonald, CND
Book – Five Little Indians by Michelle Good (Harper Perennial 2020). This novel has been an award-winner (I counted ten awards and prizes) and this weekend it was voted the winner on the annual CBC Canada Reads. Michelle Good is a Cree writer, a lawyer, who lives in Saskatchewan. With her stories in this book, she attempts to help us understand why survivors have had such a difficult and daunting journey making their way in the world we non-indigenous people navigate with less trouble. Often, we expect them to be able to do as we do. Memories may be submerged, but sounds, smells, other kinds of reminders surface unexpectedly, affecting decisions and behaviours. Five young people are presented to us in these stories; Kenny, Lucy, Howie, Clara and Maisie. They remained friends through the years as their paths crossed in different ways after they left school in the place they knew as The Mission. It’s fiction full of reality; non-judgmental and leading us to a compassionate depth of understanding.
Eleanor McCloskey, CND