News from Visitation Province
International Women’s Day, March 8 is a global day to recognize and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day honours women's accomplishments around the entire world and calls us to continued action in achieving women’s equity.
The United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day in 1975, which had been proclaimed International Women's Year. Two years later, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as an official UN holiday for women's rights and world peace. Since then, the day has been recognized in much of the world. Each year a theme is chosen focusing on a topic around women’s rights or related issues. This year’s international theme is #Embrace Equity. The Government of Canada chose to express this theme as Every Woman Counts to remind us that all women, of all ages and walks of life, need to have a place in every aspect of Canadian society.
Eleanor McCloskey for JPIC
LCWR Occasional Papers
I look forward to receiving Occasional Papers from LCWR, thanks to our leadership team’s provision of this resource for us.
I experience a sense of union, communion even, as I read the stories offered by so many smart and wise, generous and joyful women. Their stories are our stories; dreams, hopes, joys, surprises, accomplishments, struggles, and openness to embracing change. In the Winter 2023 edition, I have been totally captivated by the interview with Guy Consolmagno, sj. An astronomer, familiar with explorations throughout the wide universe, is sharing his conviction and understanding that God is bigger than we can imagine! “No matter how big you try to make God, God is going to be bigger,” he says. And further on, he offers, “…we could have had a universe that was very logical, but ugly – one where everything functions… Instead, it is beautiful… God creates in a way that is elegant and beautiful.” Eleanor McCloskey, CND
The letter below was printed in the Montreal Gazette on Saturday, February 25th. Eleanor McCloskey for JPIC
Seeking asylum is a human right
Re: “Prioritize Roxham Rd. with Biden, Legault urges Trudeau”
If those fleeing the conditions in their own countries could ask for refuge at our borders without being sent back to the United States, where they might not be welcome, I’m sure they would do so.
Human beings have a right to ask for asylum, as per Article 14 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Those who arrive need a safe place. Yes, at the moment the situation is overwhelming in Quebec. But we can do it. To ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the
U.S. President Joe Biden to close Roxham Rd. is inhumane. Those who arrive seeking refuge need help in the beginning, but very soon, if given a chance, they contribute to Canada in good ways.
Maura McGrath, CND
Video Recommendation
Contemplative Ecology was the theme chosen by John McCarthy, SJ for the first of his two presentations for the Jesuits of Canada on the Climate Crisis. He shared through story and images his experiences growing up in NL, his career as a scientist and his ministries and life as a Jesuit including his own approach to contemplative ecology in terms of prayer. You can view the 90-minute video which includes his presentation and some Q&As from viewers at https://youtu.be/C2BdA36EG80.
Kathy Kelly, Associate