News from Visitation Province (Canada)
Enjoying a beautiful Spring day in Montreal
Sr. Dorothy Maher was out for a walk in the glorious sunshine on the grounds of Résidence Bon-Secours. It was her first time outside since last Autumn! She and Sr. Monica McKenna were happy to meet old friends on their stroll, from other floors, whom they haven't seen for quite some time. Monica is taking a break enjoying some refreshments.
World Water Day (March 22)
At Andrews of Charlottetown, we celebrated World Water Day by a special prayer service: “Let Justice Flow Like Water” (www. Church World Service.org). The huge globe at the centre of our table reminded us that our planet is mostly blue (as our astronauts praised its beauty). We thanked God for the wonderful gift of water as we listened to it being poured. We rejoiced at the joy and life it brings us. We prayed for those who do not have good drinking water and who have to walk miles for water. Our prayer concluded with: “Water, which can make the desert a garden and reminds us that we are called to be alive, to be part of God’s abundant harvest, – we give you thanks!”
Réjeanne Bourque, CND
Interculturality
Once again, the Sustainability Committee, chaired by Carole Lombardo, organized a get-together for sisters and associates of U.S. and Canada. Anna Rowley was our capable host for the ZOOM on Sunday, March 21, with 44 participants.
Our opening song was “O Spirit, Guide Me” by Sara Thomsen; Regina Smith offered the prayer for the General Chapter. Karen Volpe gave us an overview of what we mean by interculturality. “Interculturality is a journey,” she said. “Jesus was on this journey, as was the early church. Jesus grew in his own understanding of the inclusivity and radical equality of God’s reign.”
Katherine Holmquist spoke to us on “What does it mean to live a Pentecost spirituality?”
We had two “breakout” opportunities to share on the richness of today’s input.
The presentation concluded with a colorful collage of photographs of sisters and associates from events of recent years. (Prepared by Karen Volpe). We experienced a happy recollection, memories of joy in good times together in the Congregation of Notre Dame!
Eleanor McCloskey, CND
A Call to Allyship: Seeking Ways to Honour Indigenous Rights
A webinar to further our commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples is offered by JEM (Joint Ecological Ministry) on April 7th at 2:pm Eastern. This gathering is an opportunity to continue our discussion on ways to build reconciliation as Catholic communities honoring Indigenous peoples' rights. I will be participating; I hope you will join me. You can register here:
Monica Lambton, JPIC Coordinator
Visitation Province signed on to UN Statement
2020 was the 75th Anniversary year for the United Nations. Sr. Patricia Flattery, CND NGO Representative to the UN has been working with other religious communities on the statement, "A Faith-Based Vision for the UN at 75 and Beyond." It lays out four core themes on how the UN can better contribute to a just and peaceful future. It finishes with a listing of four commitments, ending with: "We keep faith that a better UN and a better world are possible, if only we are willing to build them through collaboration across nations, faiths, cultures, and generations." The statement was being circulated for support and Visitation Province has signed on. You can view the full Statement here:
https://jcor2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/FBO-statement-for-UN75_ENG_24-Aug-2020.pdf
JPIC Core Committee