Spirit of the Daughters of Charity

Is there hope for the future of religious life?

2012-01-20T12:36:00.001-05:00

True, I am a very optimistic person, but I really do believe that religious life has a future and a role in the present. The generation of young people in the Church today are often open to the idea of having a vocation. On Christmas day, this past December, there was this story

Young girl joins convent instead of college.

Then there is the January 9th issue of People Magazine. Have you seen it? It has lots of stories of people who have lost lots of weight(I guess for New Year's resolution inspiration) and the celebrity gossip as usual. But on p.110 there is a story of of a very different kind of inspiration! It is called "How Ashley Found Her Calling". It is 4 pages of photos and text about Ashley becoming a nun. Isn't that amazing and a hopeful sign! Young people of this generation are more inclined to do volunteer work and to seek out the spiritual. Just last Thursday we, the Daughters of Charity in my province (region), had a young woman become a postulant.

Amanda receiving the Miraclous Medal.

Last week was also National Vocation Awareness Week. Hopefully, something was done in your area to promote vocations. The week begins each year on the feast of John the Baptist--a prophetic witness reminding us to follow the way of the Christ. A good model to follow!
In Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus address on January 15th, he spoke of the importance of "the testimony and proposal" of another to help someone answer God's call for them "to follow Jesus more closely, giving up forming their own family to dedicate themselves to the great family of the Church." He also spoke of the importance of parents in promoting Church vocations, "who by their genuine faith and joyful married love, show children that it is beautiful and possible to build all your life on the love of God."
What is your vocation? Marriage, single life, religious life, clergy? How was your vocation inspired? How do you, personally, encourge children and your people to not assume their vocation and to take it to prayer? Do we all invite the youth to consider religious life--even if it is a passing thought?
I am very blessed to be a Sister and to live in community with other Daughters of Charity and am connected to a great network of DCS. I rely on them for support and inspiration in prayer and ministry and I offer the same to them. I was blessed to have been around Sisters while growning up-3 different orders. In society these days we need to be more direct about sharing about all the vocations and inviting young people to look at them and take it to prayer. There are many young people who are open to the Holy Spirit and seeking God's call.
Have you found that to be so?

Christmas in Bethlehem at the Creche

2011-12-27T10:49:00.000-05:00

Nativity Icon in Magadan ,Russia where the Daughters of Charity serve.

Christmas is a challenging time for so many people. How do I keep focused on the spiritual when I am surrounded by consumerism? What about dealing with such a variety of expectations individuals have about Christmas and how feelings can easily be hurt? Then there are people who carry a burden connected to Christmas or that rises to the surface at times like that when family is accentuated. It can be easy for us to push being merry when it is an opportunity for healing through the mourning of what is/was missing.

The Nativity is the cornerstone for the Crucifixion--the joy and the suffering closely linked. Yet, we are Resurrection people of faith. It is healing and salvation at the conclusion. Jesus came to proclaim the Good News--something which can be manifested here on earth.

Below is a link to an article about a work of the Daughters of Charity in Bethlehem who run an orphanage in a non-Christian area and culture. It is sad to think of how the children suffer being separated from family. It is also admirable how the mothers chose life despite the personal cost. Check it out:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1682227.php/Bethlehem-s-manger-for-outcast-Palestinian-children-Jan-Uwe-Ronneburger

We have missionary Sisters in Magadan, Russia. One is from here in the U.S. and the others are from Poland (the languages have more similarities). The Sisters minister to the people of the area left behind from the labor camps that had been there. Did you ever read With God in Russia? On the website of the parish are some of the stories of survivors of the labor camps. Just go to the link below.
http://magadancatholic.org/englishpages/repressed.html

The human spirit can be very resilient when it finds love--love at the Creche Orphangae in Bethlehem, love at the Catholic Church in Magadan. Can we include love in your presence?

Online Vocation Discernment Retreat!!

2011-12-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

We, the Daughters of Charity, are one of the sponsoring communities of the federation.

Precious Life and the 'Triduum' of the Daughters of Charity

2011-12-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

On November 20th, my sister went into labor with her twins and she was only 4 months along. My nieces didn't survive the emergency c-section. Thankfully, Kelly, her husband and the rest of the family had plenty of time to spend with Josie and Nadia to say both hello and goodbye. Please pray for Kelly and TJ as they continue to miss having their twin girls. It is amazing how much we already loved those babies that we hadn't even met face-to-face yet!

Josie's feet

Nadia's feet

My nieces died on the feast of the Miraculous Medal.

I have given my other nieces and nephews a miraculous medal when they are baptized. So, I gave Kelly and TJ a mini miraculous medal--the kind that has a pin--for each of the twins. These particular medals were ones that I bought when I was at our mother house. The mother house of the Daughters of Charity is in Paris, France. It is in that chapel that Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine a couple of times. I took the medals I had bought and put them on the chair--believed to be the one Blessed Mother sat on. I did this just because it was a tradition, not because I had a special devotion. However, as I knelt by the chair and prayed for those that would receive these medals, I experienced a special presence that. I believe. was the Blessed Mother.

Jesus' mother suffered the loss of her son and now she has embraced my nieces in heaven. Kelly and TJ have offered the girls totally to God--no greater gift! We miss the girls already!

So, what it the "triduum" of the Daughters of Charity??

Re-enactment of the first Daughters of Charity

DC "triduum"=November 27th is the Feast of the Miraculous Medal, November 28th is the Feast of St. Catherine Laboure and November 29th is the Foundation of the Daughters of Charity (1633).

I contacted many people when my sister first started having problems the other weekend. I also sent updates. I have been greatly touched by the prayers that have been offered for Josie, Nadia, their parents and the rest of my family. I had emails from all over the world! I know Daughters of Charity around the world and also other members of the Vincentian Family from other countries. It is moments like these when I realize how small the world has become.

The personal emails, cards and phone calls from other Daughters of Charity has been a very concrete expression of how we are connected so deeply through our total gift of self to Christ through our bonds as Daughters of Charity. It goes way beyond friendship--a very beautiful thing.

My nieces during their brief time here on earth drew my family closer together in prayer and love. Josie and Nadia also gave so many people the chance to reach out in prayer and love to my family during this time of heartbreak. It is amazing how much we already loved those girls! I was very blessed to have been able to hold them.

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception--when Blessed Mother's life began. Yes, life is so precious. As Daughters of Charity, we consecrate our community today to God under the protection of Our Lady--the only mother of the community. May we be faithful to our call to be servants of those who live in poverty while supporting one another in prayer and community.

Celebrating Saints, Souls, and Seekers

2011-11-02T13:35:00.000-04:00

Artwork by Sr. Ellen LaCapria showing significant holy ones in the Vincentian Family

Hell, Heaven, and Purgatory--that is how my pastor spoke of Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day. When he spoke of Halloween it was that there is a hell and there are scary things in the world. However, God is far more powerful than evil. Yes, there is power with the name of Jesus. How often do we try to do hard things on our own? How long does it take us to call on Jesus?

So we have the day of scary things with the assurance that we are not alone. Then we have a day that helps us look at so many different role models. There are so many people that we know have "made it"! We all have our favorite saints those that resonate with something deep inside us. Today we pray for all those who have died with hope that they have made it to Heaven or will make it to there soon.

So what about us seekers? Do we take these days to reflect on our own lives and our mortality or is it just another commercial holiday celebrating Halloween and ignoring the other days?

October 19th there was an article in the Baltimore Sun "Apathy after hit-and-run strikes a nerve in China". Think story of the Good Samaritan from the scriptures, but replace the victim with a 2 year child who had wandered off from her mother and into the street. More than a dozen pedestrians and motorist passed the already hit bloody child who still lay in the street. Finally, a female trash collector came by and rescued the child--no one would help this woman even to call an ambulance. The child's mother came and the two women got help for the child.
It is hard for me to imagine this to be real! Yet it is--all too real! The article went on to explain that there is no Good Samaritan law to protect helpers from liability--as we have in the U.S. It is sad that we must have a law so people feel safe to help someone else in time of great need. Even without a law, isn't it our duty to help our neighbor?

Here is the explanation that was outlined in the paper:
"Many said they see the country's obsession with prosperity as the main reason for eroding moral standards. 'China as a nation has lost its passion and is beyond hope,' Haowu Yiyi said on Weibo. 'It is a nation that can sell its soul for money.'"

The Chinese culture has traditionally been very group oriented, unlike the individualistic American culture. So, has the seeking of wealth torn out the soul of many Chinese? Can't we say we see that in many Americans? Look at the financil crisis--so much greed!

Yet, no one is beyond hope. We find our hope and strength in Christ! Christ shows us how to live and love one another. If we are truly seeking, He is the Way and can show us the way. We need each other too--we cannot do it alone. As on Halloween, we can walk around full of fear or we can be brave and go forward with purpose and in the company of others.

Let us walk together in the light of Christ!

Day in the Life of Sr. Liz Sjoberg--Daughter of Charity

2011-10-26T14:08:00.001-04:00

Do you know this celebrity from Mount St. Mary's University? She is commonly known as Sr. Liz campus minister. Catholics on Call recently posted an article by Sr. Liz about her life and ministry--check out the link below! While you are at it check out the Catholics on Call website!

http://173.13.199.245/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.catholicsoncall.org/day-life-daughter-charity

Christ's Kingdom made Manifest in Mighty Macs?

2011-10-18T15:45:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of the movie "The Mighty Macs"?? I was invited to a screening of the movie in August and am excited that it is finally being released this week. I highly recommend the movie and on a number of different levels--here is the trailer for it: http://www.themightymacs.com/ There is the basic story line which is a classic one of the underdogs win. This is done with lots of humor which I appreciate and it is a "clean" movie! It is a challenge in this day and age to find an inspiring, fun movie that is also clean. After the screening of the movie we were told it was rated G. I had to stop and think about the movie because it didn't seem like a rated G movie in the classic sense--kiddie animated film. Sure enough, an entertaining movie without foul language, violence and sexual scenes. So will the rating scare off viewers because they will think of it is as a kiddie movie? I sure hope not!

As a vocation director for the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, I also appreciated the subtle theme of "call" woven into the story. In the movie Cathy Rush has only been married a couple of years and there is a young Sister, Sr. Sunday, who ends up getting involved with the team. I don't know if Sr. Sunday was a real person, but I really enjoyed her role in the movie. So, Cathy Rush and Sr. Sunday have both reached the post-honeymoon phase of their vocation. They each want to make a difference with their lives and are searching for a way to do that in the context of their respective vocations. It is clear that both are struggling with their life committment. Through the story they each find their place to give from their gifts, but they don't do it alone. Cathy struggles through this with her husband and Sr. Sunday with her superior. They stick with their commitments and at the same time find their own place in the world--not in isolation, but with gradual understanding and support from loved ones.

We live in such a disposable society. Unfortunately, that includes disposable vows and disposable people. It is not unusual when I am doing a presentation on vocations that one of the first questions is can you quit or a paraphrase of that. A year's posts could be about how people are disposed of--some of my posts do speak of some--trafficked persons, lives lost to abortion, people shunned due to their nationality or their "papers".

This movie holds on to values. It teaches a lesson in perseverence in one's goals and vocation too. It is exciting to see more "clean" movies with good messages making it to the theaters. I haven't seen "The Way" yet, but the trailer looks great--starring Martin Sheen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEqNn_kAh7Q. I heard about another movie on the Christian radio station the other day "Courageous". It is about dad's as heroes and men seeking to get fatherhood right. Here is the trailer to that one--brought tears to my eyes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9VT_NBIVfs

Seeing these movies come out and the excitement around them gives me a shot of hope. There is hope that the world can become a better place through awareness of who we are in God's eyes and who we are called to be for one another no matter our baggage or background. Christ's kingdom can be manifest here on earth if we each do our part. Something as simple as supporting good movies can help expose others to the Gospel and Gospel values.

The "Ruse of the Devil"

2011-10-10T11:47:00.000-04:00

People are tempted by all kinds of things and society today makes many temptations readily available. However, I want to reflect on the "ruse of the devil" for those of us involved in serving others, in Church ministry, in caring for our families and communities----doing lots of good, wonderful things. St. Vincent de Paul saw in St. Louise de Marillac the danger of trying to do too many good things. Here is what he wrote to her:

"Oh! Take great care to preserve it (your health) for the love of Our Lord and His poor members and be careful not to do too much. It is a ruse of the devil, by which he deceives good people, to induce them to do more than they are able, so that they end up not being able to do anything.”(Coste, vol. I, p.92)

Do you know people who burn themselves out doing lots of great things? Are you one of them?

Celebrating a Missionary Spirit on the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

2011-09-27T06:00:00.004-04:00

"The Company (of the Daughters of Charity) is missionary by nature; it strives to retain the flexibility and mobility needed to respond to the calls of the Church in the face of every form of poverty. Like its Founders, the Company tries to reach out to those who are poor wherever they may be and to seek out the most abandoned and neglected. From the very beginning, Saint Vincent and Saint Louise, with the audacious courage of the apostles, sent forth their Daughters on the highways of the world." Constitution 25

Sr. Patty Huffman was recently "sent on mission" to the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands? You ask, "Where is that?" Scroll down. Daughters of Charity are sent on mission by the leadership in response to needs. For Daughters of Charity, like Sr. Patty, to be sent on foreign missions the Sister needs to request it. Foreign missions are a call within a call. The Sisters discerns foreign mission work with the community and then is sent accordingly.

Yes, the Cook Islands are in the area of the star where there is no sign of land from this zooming distance! Our Sisters are on 2 of the islands and it is a 2 hour flight between the 2 on a small plane!

Did you ever watch the movie "Whale Rider"? It is a great movie about the clashes of culture and generations. But anyway, the movie has a special cultural dance--does it look familar with the photo below from the Cook Islands? The dance was also in "Invictus". (The movies didn't include the females.)

So, what are the Daughters of Charity doing in the Cook Islands? Sr. Margaret O'Dwyer (below) has been on mission on the Cook Islands for several years. Sr. Margaret leads a program for inmate rehabilitation focusing on literary and working skills in conjunction with other agencies.The books the women are holding in the photo below were donated by Rotary for the inmate literacy program.

The Sisters have an after-school program for children. Below you see they not only feed the minds.

The Sisters are also very involved in the community. Here Sr. Margaret is visiting a new mother.

Another outreach of the Daughters on the islands is support and care for those with special needs. Some of these disabilities are since birth others are from accidents, aging or health problems like strokes.

Here Sr. Madeline and Sr. Mary are serving at Te Ata o te Ra...

and a home visit.

While St. Vincent still lived, he sent Daughters of Charity from France to Poland and the Congregation of the Mission (our brother community) as far as Madagascar. Most of us won't live in far off lands, but the princples remain the same for home also--to honor the cultures of others, to acknowledge the faith of those we serve, to serve with respect and to be open to being evangelized by those living in poverty.

Take a moment to reflect on those principles and how they exist in your service.

Natural Disasters or a Visit to the Holy City

2011-09-08T15:21:00.002-04:00

Last week while I was away in Rome for a meeting there was an earthquake an a hurricane at home. I sure got the better end of that deal!! Actually, the hurricane was in process at home when I left Rome. I owe great thanks to Delta for quickly rerouting my flight and upgrading my seat!! This is not a product placement! Once home it was only 2 days without electricity--not bad compared with those who went a week.

So, let's get to the time in Rome! Did anyone ever tell you that August is incredibly hot? Well, it is!! However, that didn't put a damper on my visit. It didn't stop all those pilgrims there from WYD either. Have you been to Rome before? If not let me take you on a little tour..

The Catholic Church understands that we need concrete expressions of our faith--just as Christ understood when He gave us the Eucharist. So you go into St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican and you see amazing art work all around you. You have been to art museums right? Somethings are just not to be touched! However, as you enter St. Peter's there is a golden cross on the right which many people touch. Then there is also the statue of St. Joseph--shown above. People line up to touch the feet of this statue. The feet of St. Joseph are slowly disappearing due to the amazing number of hands that have rubbes his feet.

Here is a statue of St. Vincent de Paul inside St. Peter's. St Vincent got a front road seat--ok he is standing, but he is on the lower level of statues on the right shortly after you come in the door. He is right outside the Eucharistic chapel.

St. Louise de Marillac also got a big space in St. Peter's! There is a "chapel" area where the daily Mass is regularly held. She is on the upper level there--larger than life.

This is a photo of the Eucharistic chapel. I was disappointed to find it closed that time. However, I was able to get this photo. When the chapel is open, the gates are open but a curtain blocks the doorway. There are no photos allowed in the chapel because it is truly a place of prayer for pilgrims and not a place for tourists.

I went along the corridor set up on the right side for people to follow to get to the Eucharistic Chapel. There was a group crowded next to some barricades that were in front of this side chapel. I thought they were a tour group just hearing about the painting or something. When I came back later I could get closer to the barricade and check it out and then I saw...

it was the resting place of Blessed John Paul II!

This is the plaza outside St. Peter's--it is huge!! This is actually just like a quarter of the plaza. There is a spot that is marked that you can stand on and when you look at the 3 curved rows of pillars it looks like just row. My grandfather told me about that, so this photo is in his honor!

On a non-religious note, this is the Trevi Fountain. I know that the water isn't actually showing, but all the people are blocking it. There are steps that go down and people through a coin in backwards over their shoulder and wish to return to Rome. Of course there is the mandatory gelato also! That is a kind of Italian ice cream. I actually had one EACH day! Fortunately, I did a lot of walking too!!

This photo is of Casa Maria Immaculata. It is the house of hospitality that the Daughters of Charity run. It is only about a 20 minute walk to St. Peter's. It was a blessing to be with our Sisters there. Their hospitality was amazing despite the language barrier--and the great meals with them!! An added bonus was that some of Daughters on their way to an international heritage sesssion for the coming month stopped by in Rome on their way to the motherhouse in Paris. Right next door is another local community of Daughters of Charity where some of the elderly Sisters live and they provide special hospitality for women with children in need.

Did I mention I was there for a meeting? The meeting was fantastic too, but there is something amazing about being at the Vatican--I was able to go on the Scavi tour too: http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/necropoli/scavi_english.html (virtual tour). Being surrounded by pilgrims from around the world speaking and praying in so many languages is such a spiritual shot in the arm!

Why did Sr. Meg decide to be a Daughter of Charity??

2011-09-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

From Sr. Meg Kymes!

While I was a Vincentian Service Corps volunteer in St. Louis, MO, I felt called to be a Daughter of Charity. From the moment I met them I felt drawn to their joyful spirit. I heard this little voice inside of me say, “You could be happy like that.” At first I was shocked and a little scared. I tried to push the little voice away and say NO! But, the voice got more and more insistent and I had to at least see what was drawing me to the Daughters of Charity.

That was 5 years ago, and today I still feel as called as I was then. Now, I am a Seminary Sister (know to other communities as a novice) in Evansville, IN. Today, looking back it was not just the Daughters joyful spirit that kept me coming back to them during my discernment, but other aspects as well.

There is a saying in the community that states, “If you’ve seen one Daughter of Charity you have seen one Daughter of Charity.” I have found this to be true. Among us you will find we dress the same and many do similar works, but underneath the works and blue and white habits you will find many different personalities, interests, and backgrounds which makes life much more interesting! There is truly room for everyone at the table of Vincent, Louise, and Elizabeth Ann!

I also saw a great openness and flexibility in them; my vocation directress told me over and over, “A Daughter of Charity, if nothing else, is flexible.” Vincent would call this obedience; he told the first Daughters they would go where they don’t want to go and do what they don’t want to do not because of themselves but because of God’s will. While going where we don’t want to go and doing what we don’t want to do seems like a bad thing, it isn’t always. I visit a sister at our retirement home that went from growing up on the streets of Chicago to spending 55 years in Japan. She tells me she wanted to go to China, but God had other plans for her. She stayed in Japan all that time happy to follow God’s will for her. I have found myself in places I never imagined doing things beyond my wildest dreams because of being open to God’s will. I spent last year in New Orleans. Now, I was born in raised in St. Louis and until meeting the Daughters had no intentions of ever leaving St. Louis. However, my last year in New Orleans was one of the happiest times of my life. I fell in love with the city, the culture, and the people. If I was not flexible and open I would have never had that experience like the retired sister who had the opportunity to serve the poor in Japan for 55 years.

Most of all, I was continually drawn back to the Daughters of Charity because their love for the poor. Louise implored us in her Spiritual Testament, “…above all take good care of service of the poor.” Vincent told us, “Let us love God, but let it be with the strength of our arm and the sweat of our brow.” While a relationship with Jesus is central to a Daughter’s life, all of our prayers, daily Mass attendances, spiritual readings, and Rosaries are done to give us the spiritual energy to go out to those living in poverty. Most of the Daughters I have met say what makes a Daughter and true Daughter of Charity is love for the poor. Their eyes light up when they speak about their current ministries or their past experiences of serving those living in poverty.

So, why am I drawn to the Daughters of Charity? I fell in love with the poor and decided to follow Christ’s call to by being given to God, in community for, their service.

By the Sweat of Our Brow and the Strength of Our Arms in New Orleans

2011-08-17T09:29:00.003-04:00

The title of this post comes from our founders prayer that we pray daily:

"Oh God Eternal and All-Powerful, Who filled St. Vincent, St. Louise, and St. Elizabeth Ann with Charity, Listen to our prayer and give us your Love. Following their example, make us discover and serve Jesus Christ, your Son, in the poor and unfortunate. At their school, teach us to love, in the sweat of our brow and the strength of our arms, with humility, simplicity, and charity. By their prayer, deliver our hearts from self-sufficiency and selfishness. Make us remember that we all, one day, will be judged on our Love."

So, that is what we tried to do this past week in New Orleans. The sweat of our brow was not difficult to do since it was around 100 degrees each day outside and hotter, I believe, inside where we were working. I went with a couple of Daughters of Charity and some young women discerning a religious vocation. During the day St. Bernard Project set us up to help rehab houses damaged by Katrina. So that is where the strength or our arms comes in! We spent 3 days at 2 different locations doing "mold remediation". Two This requires scrubbing all studs and rafters with a wire brush, washing them all down with "shockwave" chemical, and finally painting it with white sealant. I think almost all of it is out of my hair now. Two other days were spent "mudding" and sanding sheetrock.

This photo is of our group in its "shockwave" pose. We are outside St. Rita Church where we celebrated the Eucharist each day. We had Liturgy of the Hours each morning before Mass. Then we would come back and get in our grundgy clothes, eat breakfast and head to the site.

Each evening we had evening prayer and a reflection after our refreshing shower and dinner. The evenings touched on how the Daughters of Charity are "Given to God, in community, for the service of Christ in persons who are poor." One night we went to a local house of Daughters of Charity and another night DCs from 2 our local communities came to us. We stayed at the House of Charity--which I wrote about in a previous post---amazing hospitality!

We began the week with a day of retreat on Sunday and ended Friday afternoon by reflecting on where we met Christ during our week. Then we went down to the French Quarter to get pralines and beignets! Oh, we had dinner too!!

The work we did was not exciting--mold remediation, mudding and sanding, but it is life changing for those who will be able to move home finally. We were able to attend a "homecoming" for a family whose house had been completed. We were also able to meet the home owners of the first house we worked on during the week. They brought us red beans and rice and fried chicken for our 2nd lunch!

As I said before it was mighty hot and God blessed a couple of our afternoons with rain. This shower had no lightning! Here is a shot of a couple of us cooling off. We were already soaked with sweat so soaked with rain was much better!

We called the week "Search and Serve." It was a combination of service and discernment for where God is calling each of these young women. It turned out to be a powerful week of community living and joy. Each of us was touched by God during the week through the prayers and our service. God's call is clearer after last week, but it is not the end. Each step in discernment is a step not the end. So now, they all return home and get ready for the next step. Each step taken with prayer, faith and courage.

What is God calling you to do in prayer, faith and courage? Are you willing to take a step--just a step??

The Daughters of Charity Province of St. Louise is a Reality!!

2011-08-01T18:39:00.002-04:00

The new province is officially established! As I wrote about in my last post, it was July 31st. The photo above is Sr. Evelyne Franc our Superioress General who resides at our motherhouse in Paris, France---our chapel there is the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal where Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine Laboure.

Sr. Evelyne Franc installed our Visitatrix ("provincial"-above) before the installation of the provincial council, provincial treasurer, secretary, and director (Vincentian priest from our brother community who serves as spiritual director).

With Sr. Evelyn below is the new provincial council: Sr. Rose Ann Aguilar, Sr.Nora Gatto, Sr.Janet Keim, Sr. Mary Beth Kubera, Sr. Jean Rhoads, Sr. Joanne Vasa, Sr. Mary Walz, and Sr. Mary Catherine Warehime.

The link below is an amateur video of the ceremony that was held during the Eucharistic liturgy--check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErskvH1QiPc

New Daughter of Charity Province!

2011-07-28T12:28:00.003-04:00

On July 31st the Province of St. Louise will be launched at a special Eucharistic liturgy at the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore---America's first cathedral! What a great place to begin the new province. The new province is named after our co-founder, St. Louise de Marillac.

We are reconfiguring 4 current provinces into one larger one in order to better fulfill our mission serving those who live in poverty. The province will consist of over 560 Daughters of Charity. So, how does this better serve those who are poor? We are a mobile community. We often are part of setting up services for the poor and then stepping back once they are established and able to be handed over to the laity.

As a new province we are already set to open a new mission in Greensboro, NC at St. Mary Parish. We will serve with our Vincentian brother community. The community is young and vibrant filled with immigrants from many countries and continents. Several Daughters of Charity have also received new missions within the new province. One such missioning is a Sister who is a lawyer and nurse who is crossing previous provincial boundaries to work for a Catholic advocacy group in Washington, DC. Another Sister who has been on mission with me and is a physician's assistant is being sent to Niagara Falls to serve in a clinic connected to a Catholic hospital.

This weekend will be a great celebration! Some of our Sisters who are on the foreign missions were able to arrange their return visits to coincide with the big celebration. Our international leadership will be attending from our motherhouse in Paris (Chapel of the Miraculous Medal--where Blessed Mother appeared) and from Rome also.

I look forward to great possibilities we will have in our service through greater collaboration. I think the process of bringing us together strengthens the bonds of community and the core of who we are, what we are about, and Whose we are. It has been and will continue to be an opportunity to review our lives in community and use this as a chance to draw closer to Christ together remaining true to our original "charter" set forth by St. Vincent:

"They shall bear in mind that they do not belong to a religious Order because that state is incompatible with the duties of their vocation. Nevertheless, since they are more exposed to the occasions of sin than nuns bound to the cloister, having for monastery only the houses ofthe sick and the place where the Superioress resides; for cell, a hired room; for chapel, the parish church; for cloister, the streets ofthe city; for enclosure, obedience, with an obligation to go nowhere but to the houses of the sick or to places necessary for their service; for grille, the fear of God; for veil holy modesty; making no other profession to ensure their vocation and that, by their constant trust in Divine Providence and the offering they make to God of all that they are and of their service in the person of the poor..."
(CCD X, p.530)

Obviously this photo is a re-enactment of our first Sisters in their habit which was the outfit of the peasant woman of the time--all of us wore a blue dress.

In October 1644, St. Louise went on pilgrimage to Chartres in France. Here is a portion of her reflection in her letter to St. Vincent de Paul upon returning:

"On Monday, Feast of the Dedication of the Church of Chartres, I offered to God the designs of His Providence on the Company of the Daughters of Charity. I offered the said Company entirely to Him, asking Him to destroy it rather than let it be established contrary to His holy will. I asked for it, through the prayers of the Holy Virgin, Mother and Guardian of the said Company, the purity of which it stands in need. Looking upon the Blessed Virgin as the fulfillment of the promises of God to mankind, and seeing the fulfillment of the vow of the Blessed Virgin in the accomplishment of the mystery of the Incarnation, I asked Him for the grace of fidelity for the Company through the merits of the Blood of the Son of God and of Mary. I prayed also that He might be the strong and loving bond that unites the hearts of all the sisters in imitation of the union of the three Divine Persons." (Spiritual Writings, p.122)

Our superioress generals have continued each year in the footsteps of St. Louise to dedicate the "little company" to Blessed Mother. I attended a heritage session at the motherhouse and we like many before me, went to Chartres, to the crypt chapel, and dedicated ourselves and the little company to Blessed Mother.

We have been so blessed since our beginnings in 1633 in Paris and we pray for God's grace as we take another step in Baltimore in 2011!

A Daughter of Charity Helping Students Make Dreams Real

2011-07-07T12:56:00.000-04:00

Sr. Joan, a Daughter of Charity, teaches 8th grade at Mother Seton Academy-- a tuition-free middle school in Baltimore for students surrounded by poverty http://www.mothersetonacademy.org/index.html. She teaches an entrepreneurship class in addition to her regular teaching schedule after school a couple of days a week. The program is called NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship).

Students are trained to prepare a business plan, create a budget and to promote their business through presenting their business. The students compete locally and nationally with other NFTE participants. Sr. Joan has had students win the city-wide competition for the last 2 years who have gone to higher levels of competition. Her students are in middle school, but most of their competition is high school students.

Students take these business proposals seriously and many have been able to put their business plans into action. The businesses vary greatly such as dog treats, scented lotion and lawn care.

In NFTE and in regular classes, Sr. Joan inspires her students to dream and to follow their dreams backed by a solid Catholic education. Her students work hard and they can see the fruit of this work in projects such as NFTE.

NFTE recently sent Sr. Joan and other teachers from the U.S. and around the world to New York for a special event. At this event Sr. Joan and others were presented "Teacher of the Year" awards for their dedication to prepare the business leaders of tomorrow.

Here is her award:

Cool looking isn't it?!

Sr. Marguerite Rutan, Daughter of Charity, is Beatified!

2011-06-23T10:56:00.000-04:00

Sister Marguerite Rutan of France was beatified this past Sunday! She lived during the French Revolution and was a martyr for her faith in Dax, France. Our international website has a nice video about her:
http://www.filles-de-la-charite.org/en/

Here is another great link that has a slideshow, videos and links.
http://cmnewengland.org/2011/06/beatification-of-sister-marguerite-rutan-dc-june-19-2011/

This is a link to the homily about Sr. Marguerite by the director general of the Daughters of Charity--think of him as the spiritual director for the whole of the community.
http://famvin.org/en/2011/06/21/fr-pat-griffins-homily-at-beatification-of-marguerite-rutan-dc/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FamvinEnglish+%28FAMVIN%3A+The+International+Vincentian+Family%29

We celebrate this wonderful occasion, but then what? Do we let her life impact ours? How?

Sister Marguerite took an unpopular stand in her country which she knew could have dangerous consequences. As a woman of faith and integrity, she chose to take a stand in fidelity to the Church in opposition to the leaders of her country. She had opportunities to change her mind many times, yet she didn't. Despite all the persecution going on around her and those dying at the guillotine she remained steadfast and continued her care for the sick and directing the hospital in Dax, France near the birthplace of our founder St. Vincent de Paul. Blessed Marguerite was martyred for the faith April 9, 1794. On June 26 of the same year 4 more Daughters of Charity who were on mission in Arras, France were also martyred.

I would like to think that I could make a heroic choice like that. Just last night at the young adult group I am part of, Bethany--we are on facebook ;-) Someone said we like the idea of big sacrifices, but how about the small ones each day that we are called to make? The inspiration last night was how JP II accepted his aging process and was a witness of faith in suffering. So, how do I do with the daily sacrifices in my life? How do I handle the aggravations of life--say getting stuck in traffic? As Jesus told us in His parables, it is in the small things that we prepare for the big ones.

Maybe a "big" thing won't be asked of me, but there are small things each day that challenge me to respond in faith and love.

Amanda Takes the Leap!

2011-06-03T21:44:00.000-04:00

Now if you want to know about Amanda's leap with the Daughters of Charity, check out her blog:
http://drinkdeeplymydaughter.blogspot.com/

Amanda shared with me about her experience with Sr. Mary Elko while she was in Bolivia. Enjoy!

Sr. Mary Elko was the first Daughter of Charity I ever met outside of the historic holy hills of Emmitsburg, Maryland. By then, I had already known the Daughters for years but only from my years at Mount St Mary's College and retreats at their Emmitsburg Provincial House.

At the time, I was working with the Salesians at an all girls orphanage in a small dairy town in Cochabamba, Bolivia. In addition to that, I was also an aspirant/pre-postulant/candidate of that community. I had been there almost nine months and my mom was there visiting me. She had brought along with her a copy of the “Maryknoll” magazine because their main article was about the missions in Cochabamba. As we flipped through the magazine together, we spotted a picture of an African-American Maryknoll Sister, arms in the air, probably telling a story to the children around her. With her, was another Sister, in a beige habit with a veil, with her hand placed on a sleeping child's forehead, as if measuring her temperature.

I can't remember whether we asked around about her or if the Salesians I worked with flipped through the magazine and saw her picture. Either way, the Sisters I worked with immediately recognized that Sister in the beige habit “That's Hermana Mary!! She runs a shelter in the city for girls and women. A lot of girls here came from there. Oh, really, you need to meet her, Amanda! She's American like you!” So, we made tentative plans to visit her one day during my mom's visit.

A couple of days passed by., but aspirancy was a busy time with chores, prayers, Mass preparation, as well as ministry in the orphanage. One day, I heard the doorbell ring at the convent, where I was living at the time, and heard the loud creak of someone opening the large fence that led to our “parking lot” (aka: the basketball court). I thought it strange since the only person we knew who owned a car was our parish priest, who would be way too busy to be visiting on a week day. I continued whatever it was that I was doing until I heard someone speaking Spanish in an American accent. I looked and there she was – the same Sister with the beige habit I had seen in the magazine!

She was elderly and looked frail but with a smile that was young at heart. She had with her three girls – a five year old, a six year old and a nine year old. The two youngest were sisters and their mother had died of cancer the night before. The oldest, at nine, was a runaway who had been abused by her family. All three had been living at Madre de Dios, that shelter in the city. Sr Mary Elko - “Hermana Mary” - was dropping them off at our orphanage so that they may have a more permanent home.

Hermana Mary and I started talking in English, as I jumped at the chance to do so. She asked more about me – I said I was from Maryland. When she asked which college I attended, I said Mount St. Mary's. “In Emmitsburg?” “The one and only!” “That's where I did my Seminary (novitiate)” “Wait....you're a Daughter of Charity?!” And she indeed was. Now, years later, I wonder what her answer “yes” meant for me, as I had been thinking about the Daughters of Charity as I wrestled with thoughts of leaving aspirancy/pre-postulancy with the Salesians but that's a story meant for another day.

While she was talking with me, she was still holding unto the three girls, wiping the tears of the five-year old and stroking their heads to let them know everything was okay. My mom, a camera nut, caught the whole thing on film. I knew I was in the presence of someone holy. She was well in her eighties and was one of the founding members of the Cochabamba mission...more than fifty years ago. Her dedication to the Bolivian poor is seen superficially in just how long she's stayed there, but more profoundly, it was seen in her utter compassion of the three girls who were moving to our orphanage.

Soon after her visit to our convent, my mom, another Salesian Sister and I went to Madre de Dios. It was certainly in the city, close to the Bus Terminal and the Cancha (South America's largest open-air market). We entered to find a bustling home. People were constantly coming and going as we waited in the hallway for Hermana Mary. We looked at the photos on the wall and I found out that about half of the girls I worked with every day came from this very place.

When Hermana Mary came out to greet us, she showed us around the compound. People of all ages were attracted to her – kids clung to her as we walked around. In the courtyard where the classrooms were, there was a statue of the Miraculous Medal. She took me there and said “you know, the Sister who saw this Blessed Virgin was one of our own Sisters – a Daughter of Charity.” She clasped her own medal of the Miraculous Medal. “Never lose devotion to the Blessed Virgin She brings miracles. I can't say how many she's made for me. I ask for her prayers every day.”

Years later, when I read the biography of Saint Catherine Laboure, the Daughter of Charity who saw the Blessed Virgin, I was reminded of Sr Mary Elko. It wasn't simply because of what she herself had talked about Catherine Laboure, but rather because her utter dedication to the poor and the Blessed Virgin mirrored that of Catherine Laboure. Sr Mary Elko's is truly an example of what the Blessed Virgin told Catherine Laboure: “My child, I particularly love to shed graces upon your Community; I love it very much”

Daughters of Charity serving at the UN?

2011-05-29T17:19:00.000-04:00

Sister Brenda Fritz recently when to the United Nations for an orientation to the work of the NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations). The role of the NGOs is to inform the delegates to the UN as to what is really happening on the ground. Data, statistics and stories are gathered where the people represented by the NGOs serve and the plight of the people shared with governmental officials in order to advocate their case. Many Religious communities are part of NGOs and try to focus on the areas of the UN Millenial goals that most fit their charism.

Here is the link to the Daughter of Charity NGO website that we share with the Congregation of the Mission (our brother community): http://www.cmdcngo.org/dc-page.html The Daughters of Charity in the US are part of a Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul NGO which gathers information from the international reaches of the Daughters of Charity on mission throughout the world. The US Daughters of Charity are also part of the Seton Federation NGO which is made up of communities with connections to Mother Seton.

Below is a photo of Sr. Ligia, Sr. Brenda Fritz, Sr. Angela and Sr. Germaine who works at the UN NGO. Sr. Ligia and Sr. Angela are both Daughters of Charity in the US studying English. Sr. Brenda is director of a child care center in Indiana.

No matter what our ministy is as a Daughter of Charity, we are called to advocate, to be a voice for the voiceless of those who live in poverty and those who live in misery. Hopefully, we can help the people find their own voice. Each year a few Sisters go for an orientation to at the UN to understand the work being done by our NGO.

From Sr. Brenda:

The work of the Vincentian Family @ the united nations is inspiring and energizing. The work of global advocacy is so rooted in catholic social teaching, the vincentian charism, and last but not least, the Gospel. Back in the 1600's, way before social media, vincent was sending his guys to places like Madagascar! Vincent and Louise and Elizabeth Seton were promoters of the reality of the Body of Christ, including everyone at the table. Issues highlighted yesterday during this united nations orientation were multinational mining companies violate human rights of indigenous persons and communities by failing to fully implement the united nations principle of free, prior, informed consent. The bottom line is people are displaced and violently victimized for purposes of greed! Seton Federation, Daughters of Charity, Congregation of the Mission ngo's - God bless your work! And thank you for caring. Sister Brenda Frtz, DC

Make the Connection: Abraham Lincoln and the Daughters of Charity

2011-05-19T14:53:00.000-04:00

Several ministries of the Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul finding their beginnings connected to Abraham Lincoln. Here are 3!

This photo is scanned from a recent Washington Post Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/as-ever-foundlings-and-orphans-get-love-and-care-from-st-anns-/2011/03/21/ABTSQCAB_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend The online version doesn't have the photo. Sr. Mary Bader is director of St. Ann Infant and Maternity Home. Here she is holding the original incorporation document signed by Abraham Lincoln.

The date was March 3, 1863 and just a couple months since the Emancipation Proclamation. There were many abandoned children due to the war and unwed pregnant women. All these years later, St. Ann's called "Home" and no longer called "Asylum" still is true to its original mission. Check out their website: http://www.stanns.org/ and page on their history: http://www.stanns.org/history.jsp. I wish there were more photos of the children on the website because they just steal your heart! However, since they basically all children taken from abusive, neglectful or arrested parents their privacy must be protected. Below is Sr. Josephine Murphy who directed St. Ann's Infant Home for many years on the occasion of her jubilee which she celebrated at the home. Sr. Josephine and in turn Sr. Mary have been tireless advocates for the rights of children rather than the preferences of the parents who have caused incredible suffering to their children.

Recently, I read the article linked here, http://www.thetelegraph.com/articles/nursing-54039-school-hospital.html about the Daughters of Charity in Alton, IL where in 1864 President Abraham Lincoln asked for Daughters of Charity to care for the sick in the prison where Confederate soldiers were being kept. This evolved into a hospital and in 1901 to school of nursing. I also found a postcard of the "modern" hospital from 1937: http://www.cardcow.com/45307/st-josephs-hospital-alton-illinois/

Then there is Providence Hospital in Washington, DC. It is the oldest hospital in Washington, DC still in use (not the same building!). This year Providence Hospital celebrates their 150th anniversary! Here is the link to the history of the hospital http://www.provhosp.org/About_Us/History.htm. It was founded in 1861 and it became a teaching hospital to help deal with the wounded from the Civil War or War Between the States for my southern friends:-)

Back in the USSR! and DCs in the Congo too!

2011-05-10T12:06:00.000-04:00

Vocations to the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul flourished in Eastern Europe with the end of the Cold War. This video was created by a Sister from a Polish province. It takes you on a photo tour of where the Daughters of Charity are located and their ministries.

One of the things I love about being a Daughter of Charity is being part of an international community. We are in over 90 countries around the world. This is incredibly enriching to the community as a whole. In these days of global communication, we are trying better use our international network especially in reaching out to immigrants and trafficked persons.

These links are about the Daughters of Charity in the Republic of Congo. The first video link focuses on the ministry of the Sisters. The second video link is the life of the Sisters in the Congo. The missionary Sisters where the tan and the native Sisters where the blue and white dress with a head scarf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAS_KB-K20E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vejT0ERwc5g&feature=related

Sr. Mary Felice is in the first photo of the Sisters in the first video (shown above still in US). She is my age and from NY. She is a physician and has been ministering in the Congo for a couple of years now. She works with the Dream Project which deals with the AIDS crisis in several countries in Africa. One of the large components of the treatments is to prevent the transmission of AIDS from the mother to her baby. The program, sponsored by the Vincentian Family, has seen very positive results.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

2011-05-04T11:37:00.000-04:00

So, do Daughters of Charity have any fun?? Well, certainly! After Holy Week and Easter celebrations, my local community decided to go do something fun together. So, we went to see the Baltimore Orioles play against the Boston Redsox. *Just so you know--the O's won! Granted we had seats in the nosebleed section and had good exercise walking back from the car, but we had a great time! I had taken a short video of the other 3 Sisters singing at the 7th inning stretch, but the sound didn't come out. You can take my word for it that they did a great job singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy". Do they sing Country Boy at other ballparks or is that just a Baltimore thing? I know only in Baltimore would the french fry stand have a shaker of Old Bay Seasoning to put on your fries!

A new favorite game of mine is Rummikub--basically Rummy on tiles which you can rearrange to your advantage once they are put down. The other night 3 of us played. We played 3 games and wouldn't you know that each of us one a round! It definitely wasn't on purpose since the game does bring out competitiveness.

Any fun games, movies or books you recommend??

JP II, we love you!

2011-05-03T10:54:00.002-04:00

I first met Pope John Paul II when I was in 4th grade. I was new to practicing my Catholic faith and going to a Catholic School. I must admit that the definition of my meeting him is very loose here! I was at the Eucharistic celebration he had at the National Mall in DC. We all wore yellow shirts that said "Welcome" in English and Polish. I was far away at the Mass, but he drove by later on the street standing up through the roof of the limo--yes it was before the days of the popemobile. He spoke to me (and a mass of humanity) at World Youth Day in Toronto. As we sat on the airfield that day and JP II refered to his being an old man now, one of the youth yelled out that he wasn't old. JP II responded to him saying yes he is old but that he loves the young. That is so true! He had a ways of reaching out--as the photo above shows. He was a man of great principle and love. He stood firmly in the teaching of the Church with his arms open wide.

I was in Rome in 2004 for the beatification of Sister Rosalie Rendu (a Daughter of Charity following the French Revolution). By that time Pope John Paul II was very frail and it took great effort for him to have the Mass. He came nearby in the popemobile. He had to cancel his audience with us since he wasn't up to it. In this age of spending all kinds of money to remain young or at least young looking, John Paul the Great taught us how to age with dignity, how to be light for others despite disease and diminishment.

Ah, yes, the photo at the top is fun, but this one is holinesss in action! May we each age and endure our infirmities as gracefully as he did! Here is a link to Pope Bendedict XVI's homily for the beatification: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20110501_beatificazione-gpii_en.html

What were writings, quotes or experiences of John Paul the Great that touched you?

So, why does Amanda want to be a Daughter of Charity?

2011-04-26T09:57:00.000-04:00

Recently I asked Amanda, a very serious discerner with the Daughters of Charity, for suggestions for topics for my blog. She recommended having our newest members write something about themselves. So, I decided to ask Amanda to write something! What follows is from Amanda:

Hi, I'm Amanda and I'm in the process of applying for prepostulancy with the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

When I was 17 and first discerning religious life, I never would have imagined that I would be here. But alas, here I am. The Daughters of Charity weren't what I was looking for, at first. If you had asked me five years ago what kind of community I was looking for (if I ultimately decided religious life was for me), I would have told you that I wanted one without a habit, preferably American and focused primarily on foreign mission.
The Daughters of Charity are a French community with a modified habit with a focus on serving the poor, not necessarily foreign mission. Go figure. But God always sends us curve balls.

So then, why do I want to be a Daughter of Charity? I've been searching for a long time, even an extended period with the Salesians when I was a volunteer with them in Bolivia. But I like to think I've found it here.

The Daughters love the poor. I know that sounds very general. To illustrate my point, I could give you a list of various Sisters and tell you their dedication to the poor. But I could go on and on and on.....so, I will save that for another post.

Bl. Rosalie Rendu, one of the great although often forgotten Daughters of Charity saints, said once “I have never prayed so well as I have in the streets”. (If you have the chance, read about her!). St Vincent de Paul said, when founding the Daughters, that the Sisters will leave the chapel during prayer time if ever a poor person knocks on their door and that they would be “leaving God for God” - that is, they would be leaving the God in the chapel for the God in the poor. And I think that says it all.

They are down-to-earth Sisters not afraid to be themselves. I've met about thirty Sisters at the very least and lived in two different houses. I've met Sisters who are young and old, introverted and extroverted, bookworms and sports fans, social workers, teachers, and nurses, converts and cradle Catholics, thinkers and feelers. The point is they're all different. Yet they all have this gravitation and love towards the mission – serving Christ in the poor – and their community. That overcomes all their differences and allows them to embrace them with joy.

They are saints. They are saints not only because of their utter holiness but also their bravery. St. Louise was the first founder of a religious community that lived and worked outside the convent – what courage that must have taken! Bl. Rosalie Rendu almost got herself killed when she crossed a barricade during one of the crazy revolutions in France, while shots were fired all around her, in order to serve the wounded on the other side. The four martyrs of Arras were guillotined because of their refusal to sign an allegiance that would contradict their beliefs and the mission. It was a bravery for the love of Christ but for the love of the poor, in which they found Christ. I am convinced that the Sisters today exemplify that very spirit – they carry it in them - and many are saints themselves.

A Daughter of Charity, to me, is someone unafraid to be herself, someone committed to Christ both in her prayer and in her actions with the poor, someone with a love for the Church, someone who follows in the 400 year old footsteps of the founders but with modern shoes, and someone who lives out joy in her community and her work. And I couldn't ask for anything more than being one of them.

Saint Louise said “I want all of you to become saints...in order to do this, dear Sisters, we must have continually before our eyes our model, which is the exemplary life of Jesus Christ. We are called to imitate this life, not only as Christians, but as persons chosen by God to serve Him in the person of the poor”. (Saint Louise to Sister Anne Hardemont, 29 August 1648, L. 217, SW 260-61)

To all those out there discerning, I do not want to say that the Daughters of Charity are the best community out there – because not only is there no “best” when all are loving and serving Christ, but what may be for me may not be for you – but if the Daughters catch your eye somehow, if any of what I have said “sounds like you”, don't be afraid to “jump” and take the next step by emailing, asking questions, going on retreats, reading about the Daughters.....because you never know when you just may have found God's call for you.

Paz,
Amanda

Willing to Take a Bullet?

2011-04-13T10:26:00.000-04:00

40 Days for Life is taking place all over the country during this season of Lent. Monday I was praying the rosary outside a clinic. I was the only pray-er there unlike other times that I have participated. Many cars passed while I walked up and down a section of sidewalk near our sign. A car passed by and the male driver was, I would guess, in his late 20's. As he drove passed he formed his hand in the shape of a gun like how kids play cops and robbers. Then he pulled his imaginary trigger while pointing at me. I was surprised by this gesture, but not at all fearful.

However, as I continued to pray I reflected on this. Even though this guy was really just gesturing to express his opinion, what would my reaction be if it was for real? Christ willingly gave His life for my sake through His passion and death. It made me stop and think how brave I would be in the face of giving my life. What do I care about that strongly? What would you give your life for?

Virtual Visit to the Seton Shrine

2011-04-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

Have you seen the new video about the Seton Shrine? It includes clips from the Seton Legacy video among other clips. Check it out!

Truckers Against Human Trafficking

2011-04-11T10:18:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I received an e-newsletter from Samaritan Women in Maryland. This organization seeks to help females become free from addiction, prostitution and being trafficked. One of the links in the newsletter was from Truckers Against Human Trafficking: http://vimeo.com/21392891. The purpose of the video is to increase awareness about trafficking of persons for truck drivers, but it is eye opening for all of us. I encourage you to watch the video. Persons who are trafficked are "invisible" in our society. If we pay more attention to what is happening to those around us and are aware of what is going on--then they have the chance to be saved as the two teen girls in the video were if we have the courage to act.

The National Hotline number is 1-888-373-7888--call in an suspicions and give as many details as you can!

Today the scriptures are about Susanna being falsely accused and the woman Jesus saved from being stoned after being caught in adultery. It is so appropriate to this topic. The women and teens (male and female) who are involved in prostitution didn't get there because that is what they dreamed of doing when they grew up. Something terrible has brought each one of them to this point. We can follow Jesus' example of loving compassion and reach out in a simple but life changing way--life changing for all involved!

Let us keep our eyes and hearts open to those with whom we avoid eye contact. They are also God's children who stand in great need of love.

Daughter of Charity Jokester Goes to God

2011-04-07T12:02:00.001-04:00

Sr. Helen Marie Palermo, DC died at the age of 101 on March 30th. She had only been in retirement for 5 years! That remebrances of her said, "Sister Helen Marie is remembered as a jokester with a sense of humor. Her 4 foot 10 inch frame made her 'a bundle of joy'. She was a devoted servant of God and showed her praise through her music and songs. True to her mission and the spirit of the Daughters of Charity, Sister Helen Marie lived simply and joyfully."

Sr. Helen Marie taught for 38 years from primary students up to high school. She then went into pastoral care ministry for the next 37 years. Can you imagine that! She retired to Emmitsburg at age 96. The photo above is from her 80th jubilee (anniversary) in 2009.

Since I just had my 43rd birthday, it is a challenge to imagine having my 80th jubilee let alone birthday! Sr. Helen Marie is such a good model of the fruit of faith, prayer, love and service--with a good dose of humor too! So lessons I learned from Sr. Helen Marie--

1. Be faithful to prayer and reflection on my own and with my community
2. Treasure the people with whom I work
3. Keep my love for community fresh
4. Use humor to bring joy to every day things and to keep things in perspective
5. Enjoy music to keep a spring in one's step
6. Eat plain chicken in your older years to help you live to be 101!

Sometimes I get wrapped up in what needs to be done. Sr. Helen Marie's life reminds me that there is much joy to find with people if I don't get my nose stuck in my "to-do"list. Thanks, Sr. Helen Marie, for the beauty of the life you lived and the smiles that come to our faces when we think of you!

Ready to say "YES"

2011-03-25T11:34:00.001-04:00

March 25th, the feast of the Annunciation to Our Lady who would become the Mother of God. Would you have been so brave to say "yes" with so little information? It would have been overwhelming had she known what she was getting into. Yet, once she said "yes" she had all the graces she needed as she went along to meet the events in her life with faith and love. She stayed close to God through all she "pondered in her heart". She wasn't just going through the motions of being a good Jewish woman. She opened her heart in love and trust to God not just at the Annunciation, but many times after that also.

Today, the Daughters of Charity around the world are renewing their annual simple vows. At 5:30 tonight my local community will have Eucharist in our chapel where we will each renew our vows--poverty, chastity (really celibacy since we are all called to live chastely), obedience and service of those who live in poverty. It is hard to believe that I am 18 years vocation!! I made my annual vows for the first time in 1998, 13 years ago. It is interesting how each year the "yes" is a little different. Each year I am in a different "place" physically, spiritually or emotionally and so my "yes" reflects that too.

The picture above is from the crypt chapel in Chartres in France. Each year the worldwide leader of the the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul makes a pilgrimage to Chartres in the footsteps of St. Louise de Marillac, our foundress, to dedicate the community to Blessed Mother. Below is what St. Louise wrote to St. Vincent before and then after the pilgrimage.

"I beg you most humbly to allow me to make a pilgrimage to Chartres during your absence so that I may entrust all our needs and the suggestions I have made to you to the care of the Blessed Virgin. The time has surely come for me to reflect on myself in the sight of God. I must tell you that I am convinced that the good of our little Company requires it." Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac p.120

"On Monday, Feast of the Dedication of the Church of Chartres, I offered to God the designs of His Providence on the Company ofthe Daughters of Charity. I offered the said Company entirely to Him, asking Him to destroy it rather than let it be established contrary to His holy will. I asked for it, through the
prayers of the Holy Virgin, Mother and Guardian of the said Company, the purity of which it stands in need. Looking upon the Blessed Virgin as the fulfilhnellt of the promises of God to mankilld, and seeing the
fulfillment of the vow of the Blessed Virgin in the accomplishment of the mystery of the Incarnation, I asked Him for the grace of fidelity forthe Company through the merits of the Blood of the Son of God and of
Mary. I prayed also that He might be the strong and loving bond that unites the hearts of all the sisters in imitation of the union of the three Divine Persons." Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac p.122

I pray that as we celebrate this feast day and renew our vows that our hearts and therefore the "little company" may also be renewed in our serving Christ in those who live in poverty with humility, simplicity and charity.

Is it Lent on the inside?

2011-03-11T12:46:00.008-05:00

"I gave myself to God to accept the designs of His Providence if He willed me to continue, for the remainder of Lent, in a state of interior abandonment and even affliction so as to honor the sufferings of Jesus Christ which the Church places before our eyes."

St. Louise de Marillac, Foundress of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, SW p. 701

We often as children about what they are "doing" for Lent or what they are giving up etc. Hopefully, as we have aged our understanding of the purpose of Lent and our "doing" or "not doing" during this season has also matured.

It is easy to lose focus of the why for our various sacrifices and practices. Why do we partake in our Lenten sacrifices and mortifications. Why do we give alms (money for those in need) and why do we go to Stations of the Cross, Taize prayer or the similar?

Are we changing interiorly? Are we growing in relationship with Christ? Or as St. Louise, in her early years, are we trying to earn our way to heaven by our actions. Sure Christ calls us to follow His ways and example in our way of living, but He has already won our salvation.

All my devotions, prayers, sacrifices, acts of charity and justice are to unite my life more closely to that of Christ. The fruit of a good Lent is that within me, deep inside, I have become more and more connected to Christ, more and more Christ-like in my love and actions.

So, why did you make the choices you did for Lent? Is the primary focus growing closer to Christ or is it more about losing weight or some other way of being more healthy? Those sure are nice by-products of some of our choices for Lent!

I pray that as we travel through these 40 days, we may grow in holiness as St. Louise did over the years. May our interior spiritual lives give us the strength and courage we need during those stormy and uncertain times we are sure to encounter.

Here is a link to a Lenten calendar--check it out!

http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/fast-pray-give

Are you responsible for violence in the Congo?

2011-02-21T15:29:00.011-05:00

The United Nations Organization Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) – began its mission on 1 July 2010. The new mission has been authorized to use all necessary means to the protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence and to support the Government of the DRC in its stabilization and peace consolidation efforts.

SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME??
Yes, we are at the source of the conflict!

Many of us purchase electronic products for both personal and professional use. There is an important connection between consumer electronic products and violent conflict in Congo. Mass atrocities continue to persist in eastern Congo as myriad armed groups, including the Congolese national army, battle for control over natural resource reserves and prey off local populations. This ongoing war is exacerbating regional instability, giving rise to some of the most heinous violence and sexual abuse in human history, and displacing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.

Congolese mines are often controlled by armed groups and militias. These groups smuggle the minerals out of the country to smelting companies on other continents, which means the origin of the minerals can often be masked even from the company commissioning the product. Even though Congo's president announced a ban on all artisanal mining in eastern Congo last August, the ruling has not been enforced by the country's national military and has even negatively affected the citizens who work in the mines as a main source of income.
The primary minerals extracted from eastern Congo are essential to the electronics devices we use and depend on every day. These minerals are central to the technologies that have allowed our culture to thrive and that drive our businesses, our communications infrastructure, our social engagement, and our national security.

WHAT CAN YOU DO??

The Enough Project (http://www.enoughproject.com/) has developed a ranking system in an effort to provide consumers with the information they need to purchase responsibly and to encourage companies to continue to move forward in good faith.
According to Raise Hope for Congo more than 5.4 million people have died from the continuous wars that ravage the Congo. The organization urges people to tell companies that they want conflict free products. Go to the website, raisehopeforcongo.org, to send a message to the 21 major manufacturers of electronic devices urging them to use minerals in their products that are not mined in conflict.

PRAY!

Christ our Peace, our hearts are heavy with grief as we hear of the sufferings of our sisters and brothers in the Democratic Republic of Congo who suffer again from armed conflicts which destroy the peace, safety and very existence of hundreds of thousands of your children. May our hearts and those of all involved in these conflicts heed the words “no more war” and choose instead to work together for a just society where all share in the many gifts of nature and ethnic richness of the Congolese nation. Inspire and move our hearts and minds to act for peace and justice, calling others to be peacemakers and helpers in responding to the needs of the people of Congo. We ask this in your name and through your befriending Spirit, Amen. (from Education for Justice website)

This information is from the Sisters of Charity Federation February Action Alert

"Lacy" and No Cagney

2011-02-10T13:42:00.006-05:00

“There is no act of charity that is not accompanied by justice...”
St. Vincent de Paul, June 17, 1640

In Bayou la Batre, a small fishing town located 40 miles south of Mobile, Ala., where the population consists of many Laotian, Cambodian and Vietnamese families, you will find Sr. Mary Ellen Lacy, D.C., helping those with legal problems caused by the Gulf Coast Oil Spill.
As a Staff Attorney for Legal Services Alabama (LSA), she opened a satellite office in the Bayou to serve people who cannot independently navigate the Gulf Coast Oil Spill claims process and people who suffer from other legal predicaments, such as eviction and/or insurmountable debts in the aftermath of the BP Oil Spill. At present, she advocates for approximately 46 individuals and various causes.
Sr. Mary Ellen believes her ministry is a timely response to the needs of today’s poor. She states, “As a Daughter of Charity, I go places where others may not go and I do what others may not do. Most importantly, I encounter Jesus every day in these struggling people who are poor. I am grateful. I go to bed knowing that I have tried to serve Him and I wake up knowing that I get to try again. Isn’t that awesome?”
Lack of adequate housing, domestic violence and consumer debt were already major issues in this area prior to the oil spill. With the sudden eradication of the Bayou’s main commerce, the prevalence and intensity of these issues have escalated and residents must learn to live on the edge because the “have nots” have even less. The presence of Legal Services Alabama, which serves only those living in poverty, gives the local fishermen, crabbers and shrimpers another alternative to hiring transient attorneys who have no relationship with or long-term concern for the community. LSA does not take a fee or a percentage of the claim paid.
Sr. Mary Ellen states, “The impoverished person’s limited access to legal justice is a glaring systemic disparity, which fosters national poverty. For the poor, justice is not blind. Rather, it has turned them a blind eye, as well as a deaf ear. When they muster the courage to stand up and request justice from BP, Social Security or in any court of law, the poor need someone to stand beside them to fortify their resolve and amplify their voice. My ministry enables me to do just that. With each success, the cry for equal access to justice is heard and systemic change is happening — one case at a time — and I thank Jesus for that.”

Caption: A laptop computer enables Sr. Mary Ellen to work on the road, as she assists victims of the oil spill in filing their claims.

This article comes from "Vision and Voice" , A Daughter of Charity magazine

Cooking Up Charity in New Orleans

2011-02-03T12:58:00.006-05:00

Sr. Renee Rose (a Daughter of Charity), Sr. Monica (Sister of Charity of Cincinnati) and Sr. Claire (Sister of Charity of New York) are the first members of the House of Charity in New Orleans. There are many volunteers who come to New Orleans to continue to help with rebuilding. The House of Charity seeks to support the volunteers who work with Catholic Charities Helping Hands, the St. Bernard Project and others.

The House of Charity can host 15 volunteers--let's hear it for air mattresses! The Sisters provide breakfast and then at the end of the day, a hot dinner. Important to the whole experience is the time and place for group reflection and individual prayer.

Now you look at Sr. Renee with her soup pot--reminds me of how our Sisters began. Our first Sisters would go out to visit the sick and bring their soup pots along with them to serve the sick poor. Sr. Renee is a woman of great hospitality and a welcoming heart. In all her humbleness and simplicity you would never know she had been CEO of hospitals and the administrator of a major social service organization of the Daughters of Charity in Chicago. The virtues we seek as Daughters of Charity are humility, simplicity and charity. I think Sr. Renee is a great model for me to follow. She is comfortable at the head of the board table and she is comfortable stirring the stew for the hungry volunteers. She gives glory to God through her cheerful disposition in all she does. That is a fine example to follow!

Marching on Washington DC and Storming Heaven

2011-01-25T16:26:00.010-05:00

Here is a photo I took of a portion of the 30,000 people, mostly young people, at the Verizon Center. It was a great program with music, uplifting testimonies, the rosary and the greatest prayer of all--the Eucharist! It was a super experience. I hadn't been to the Verizon event previously. It has gotten so big that there was a parallel event at the DC Armory.

I am 42 now and have gotten discouraged at times wondering if things will really change regarding abortion. I hadn't been to the March for several years for various reasons and I was encouraged by changes that I saw. For one the Verizon event was so wrapped in prayer! When we got to the Mall, the talks by the politicians were "shout out"s to their states and encouraging words for all those involved. It wasn't a time to go on about every topic on the politicians agenda nor was it a time of bashing other people--at least all that I heard. Another difference I appreciated was the signs of life rather than death. The signage that people carried showed live babies within the womb and already born accompanied by a message. Only once did I see a gruesome picture and that was on the side of a truck. I think "40 Days for Life" through its events has tried to promote the signs showing life rather than death.

I was at a wonderful college student conference this past weekend (FOCUS-Fellowship of Catholic University Students). Many of the students were staying over for the March for Life on Monday. Others couldn't and felt bad. It was a good opportunity to remind them that there are many ways to advocate for the unborn and the March is just one of those ways.

Tonight at the State of the Union Address, there will be some Republicans sitting on the Democrat side and some Democrats sitting on the Republican side. An action I find very encouraging--a sign of hope. So, if our politicians can come together for the good of the citizens of the United States, then yes miracles can happen! We have a new wave of young people who are ready with fresh ways to advocate for the newborn and to give the rest of us renewed hope that the lives of the unborn will soon be protected by our law.

Let us continue to storm heaven!

State of the Union on Abortion

2011-01-21T10:52:00.004-05:00

I received the information below in a recent email from Maryland Right to Life. It is so striking that I think it needs to be shared especially as many people head to Washington, DC on Monday.

"Maryland Abortion Rate Declines Slightly; Abortion Still Far from Rare
The infamous mantra since the 1990s has been “safe, legal, and rare.” However, recent statistics, even from pro-abortion sources, continue to disprove the mantra.

New York City made the headlines recently when it was announced that over 40 percent of all pregnancies in the city ends in induced abortion.

New data recently released by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, formerly the research arm of Planned Parenthood, show that in 2008, Maryland moved from third to fourth place in terms of abortion rate (the number of abortions per 1,000 women age 15 to 44). Maryland‘s abortion rate ranks fifth if Washington, D.C., is considered.

There were 34,290 abortions in Maryland in 2008 and a total of 34 abortion providers in Maryland. Its abortion rate was 29, about 48 percent higher than the national abortion rate of 19.6.

The number of abortions actually increased Maryland since 2005 (the year of the last Guttmacher report), but the abortion rate declined from 31.5 to 29. The number of abortion providers also declined; in 2005 there were 41.

The 2005 report howed only New York and New Jersey with higher abortion rates than Maryland. In the 2008 report, Delaware surpassed all three states as its abortion rate shot up 39 percent, from 28.8 to 40.

Maryland was one of 23 states with a declining abortion rate, possibly due in part to the decline in the number of abortion providers. The abortion rate increased in 26 states and remained the same on one.

Maryland‘s high abortion rate is not surprising considering the lack of protective laws in Maryland, where abortions can be performed on demand with no consideration for the impact on the life of the unborn or the woman.

Maryland also has a relatively dense population, so most women are able to obtain an abortion nearby. Maryland’s large racial minority population also is a factor in Maryland’s high abortion rate, as abortion rates tend to be significantly higher among Black and Hispanic women."

Check out this website to find out more about your state: http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/ What are you doing to help protect the unborn?

Wisdom in the 'Hood

2011-01-21T10:37:00.004-05:00

Wisdom is much sought out. We have people we seek out for advice regarding our studies or work. There are others we go to for relationship or spiritual issues. So, if you are considering the possibility of being a Sister, then seek wisdom from those who have experience.

Sr. Liz decided to share some wisdom from our Sisters-- advice that would be helpful to those beginning the journey of discerning a vocation as a Sister. This video is a small gathering of those voices of experience.

I invite you to check out our other videos on our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/daughtersofcharityus

What dream did God give you?

2011-01-07T16:31:00.007-05:00

Is this not the best t-shirt for vocations? January 9th-15th is National Vocation Awareness Week. These days, it is always national something day, week or month. So, how can this week be different? Can we encourage each baptized person--each child of God--to stop and ask the question that comes from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"? What is God's dream for me that was planted deep within me? Maybe it was planted just before my first cell split into 2. God's dream for me is inseparable from my own "finding myself", from my finding joy here on earth.

So often when we talk about vocation it is just about being a priest or being a sister or brother. But there are other lifestyle vocations in the Church! What about the vocation of marriage? Do we encourage young people to take their marriage decisions to prayer and to discern that choice? What about the vocation to the single life? I don't mean being single because a person can't find a date. I mean that conviction that one is meant to remain single to fully live out one's dream.

In society these days dreams are often lost except the dream of being rich and popular. Those are not dreams God plants within us. They may be by-products or means of God's dream, but not the core.

So, during this week, may we be dream-seekers. May we each seek the dream which God has given us and which is woven into our being through our gifts, skills, personality and faith.

My becoming a Daughter of Charity was not about choosing a job or roommates. I was following a dream that God was revealing to me in so many ways---a dream to grow in holiness through ministry, supported through faith-filled women and lifted daily in prayer. It is a dream for which I have no regrets for following--only joyful gratitude!

Models of the Path of Peace

2011-01-01T18:26:00.009-05:00

What a week of feast days this is! January 1st-Mary Mother of God, January 2nd-Epiphany, January 3rd-Holy Name of Jesus, January 4th-our American foundress, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and others to follow the rest of the week! What an inspiring was to start a new year. As Daughters of Charity, throughout the world we are in retreat December 31st each year and on the 1st we have a special consecration. We consecrate this year to the glory of God as modeled by Blessed Mother. I will share just a couple of lines:

"Help us to move forward, during this year, along the pathway of poverty, purity and simplicity in the joy of community. Only then will we be able to witness to your Kingdom of justice, and collaborate in the building up of a world of love and peace."

January 1st was also the 25th World Day of Prayer for Peace. Pope Benedict XVI's message for the day was "Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace." In the last section of his message, he writes, "Peace is a gift of God and at the same time a task which is never fully completed...peace is the result of a process of purification and of cultural, moral and spiritual elevation involving each individual and people, a process in which human dignity is fully respected." That is a great challenge for each of us around the world--love God and respect others totally and selflessly. Hate and fear is stirred up so easily toward strangers. I suppose part of the process for creating the path to peace is to be willing to walk and talk with strangers or perceived enemies. That is where we can find the "common ground" encouraged and nurtured by Cardinal Bernardin. I suppose that saying about "walking a mile in someone else's shoes" is the way of understanding and compassion--the way to peace.

This is not a peace of luke-warmness and the least common-denominator, but of drawing each other to greater wholeness and holiness. How inspiring is my life and how I live it? How about yours? Is Christ shining through our broken humanity? I hope He is and that each day Christ's light might shine a little more brightly in your and my life.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T21:33:00.004-05:00

Today we celebrate Christmas and tomorrow the feast of the Holy Family. We have the great gift of Jesus Christ coming into the world and the gift and model His family is to us. We could reflect on this as being chronological, but I think there is something else here. Christmas is "the most wonderful time of the year" as the song goes. We praise God for the gift of Jesus Christ and we have spend many hours with family and friends celebrating, wrapping and giving gifts.

The season has such high expectations of joy while so many people mourn the loss of loved ones and others grieve the suffering they experienced within their families. I find it ironic that this joyous time is also one which surfaces so much personal pain for individuals. Maybe that really is a gift of Christmas--I know that sounds terrible. But maybe celebrating the gift of Christ is an opportunity for healing in our lives. Maybe it is a chance to have great compassion with those we know have lost loved ones and to be sensitive to those whose families have been a cross to them. Jesus came to heal us from all our sufferings and to save us from sin--the pain we cause one another through our sinfulness. Yes, Christmas is a great time to reach out in love to others!

Then there is the Holy Family piece. Yes, it would have been nice to have had Blessed Mother and St. Joseph for our parents! Yet, only Jesus got that blessing. On the cross Jesus told John "Behold your mother." The love of the Holy Family is not limited to their immediate family, but offered to each of us. As Church, we are called to be family to one another in love and compassion to bring Christ's healing and forgiveness--to follow the model of the Holy Family. We often forget the sufferings they endured and glamorize the life of Jesus' family.

So, while we spend time having fun this holiday season, let us keep our hearts open and attentive to those in God's family (and probably our own) who are in need of healing and forgiveness--including ourselves.

FYI the painting above is by Sr. Lucialam Nguyen, a Daughter of Charity on mission in CA.

Moving Beyond Ourselves in Advent

2010-12-14T09:39:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it is the 3rd Week of Advent already!! It is a rich time of reflecting on our life and faith. The superior general of the Daughters of Charity and the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), Fr. Greg Gay, wrote an Advent letter to the entire Vincentian Family entitled, "Christmas: A Story of Living Without Frontiers." You can read it at http://cmglobal.org/en/blog/curia-general/superior-general/advent-letter/2010/11/22/. Sr. Sharon Horace, DC created a video to reflect her reality on mission on the border of Texas and Mexico. You can find it on her blog http://dcfrontera.blogspot.com/2010/12/blog-post.html.

In my local community, the other Sisters and I were sharing on some Advent reflections we read from a book for our weekly spiritual sharing. One of Fr. McCullen's reflections was on Advent and community life. This seemed like an odd combination to me. However, as I read and reflected I understood. Christ came to be present to others in love and gentleness, drawing others to Himself. He was also able to challenge in love--except the hypocrites whom He was quite tough on! So, in my living of community, Christ can continue to be incarnated among us. This makes me pause and think about how I live and how I bring Christ not just to ministry, but to our common life in community. I pray that during this Advent that I may grow in love and compassion and that I might gently invite others to do the same--to be as Christ taught us.

Daughter of Charity "Triduum"

2010-11-24T14:51:00.007-05:00

November 27th-29th are special feast days for the over 19,000 Daughters of Charity around the world.

November 27th is the celebration of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. I was at the motherhouse for this celebration last year where the apparitions to St. Catherine occured. Here is the crowd waiting to get into the next Mass in the alley. I took the photo from my bedroon!There was a continual string of Masses several with bishops. It was amazing to experience the devotion of the French people to the Blessed Mother!!

November 28th is the feast of St. Catherine Laboure. She lived a quiet humble life taking care of elderly men. During her lifetime it wasn't know who Blessed appeared to except it was one of the many Sisters in the "seminary"/novitiate. Catherine was asked directly as the years passed if she was "the one", but she always found away to avoid answering the question. Her identity was not revealed until after her death. For Catherine, her experience was not about her, but about promoting prayer among the common people---which it has done!

Here is a link to our motherhouse site where you can see a video showing the chapel and the special art in the "alley". There are also links to the "Gift of the Medal" and "History of the Medal". http://www.filles-de-la-charite.org/en/

On November 29th is the feast of the Founding of the Daughters of Charity by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac--1633, almost 200 years before St. Catherine. The photo above includes a re-enactment of the first Daughters of Charity dressed as they would have. There is a great speech that St. Vincent gives in the movie "Monsieur Vincent". It is not actually his words, but SO captures his spiritual way. In the movie St. Vincent de Paul is giving advice to Sister Jean who is going on her first visit to the poor. He says:

"You will find that charity is a heavy burden to carry, heavier than the kettle of soup and the basket of bread. But you must keep your gentleness and your smile. Giving soup and bread isn't all; that the rich can do. You are the little servant of the poor, the maid of charity, always smiling and in good humor. They are your masters, terribly sensitive and exacting as you will see, but the uglier and dirtier they are, the more unjust and bitter, the more you must give them your love. It is only because of your love, only your love, that the poor will forgive you the bread you give them."

It is awesome to be connected to such great saints! Their example and writings continue to challenge me to grow closer to Christ in prayer and through those living in poverty. To meet the many saints of the Vincentian family go to: http://famvin.org/wiki/Category:Saints_and_Blesseds_of_the_Vincentian_Family

Please pray for the Daughters of Charity around the world as we celebrate these special days. Especially pray for our Sisters in Haiti as they fight the cholera epidemic.

A Daughter of Charity for 75 Years!

2010-11-01T12:43:00.008-04:00

"This is what Yahweh asks of you, to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

This is not the motto for the Daughters of Charity, but it is a close 2nd! October 16th I attended a jubilee (anniversary) celebration for Daughters celebrating various years of vocation. However, I was very struck by Sr. Agnes Teresa that day.

Sr. Agnes Teresa celebrated 75 years as a Daughter of Charity. Yes, 75 years of vocation--not life. She is 94 years old. This photo has not been doctored! This photo was taken when she was telling all her invited guests that they should go see the video down in the shrine museum of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and be inspired.

Sr. Agnes Teresa is lovingly call Sr. A. T. As I listened at Mass to Fr. Steve describe her past ministries--I was AMAZED! Let me just share a little of what I heard:
Sr. Agnes Teresa's degrees prepared her well "...As administrator of Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Sisters Hospital in Waterville, Maine, St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester and previous to those posts Sister Agnes Teresa was also administrator of Jenkins Memorial, assistant administrator in five other hospitals, director of nursing in several hospitals: published works on "pain management" and hospice care; taught in primary schools for five years as a young Sister; was appointed business manager at St. Vincent's Hospital in Bridgeport; pastoral minister in Providence Hospital and worked with the volunteer services in the same hospital and also found time to be proficient in music, art, sewing and some languages."

Sr. AT is such a humble person that I had no idea she served as an administrator in healthcare for so many years. I asked around afterwards and heard other Sisters speak of Sr. AT's great leadership and intelligence. Yet, she blends in with the other Sisters, not needing to stand out as any better than anyone else. What a great example of humility! She used her great gifts for the good of others and for the glory of God without ever holding it over others.

I pray that on reflecting on her life that I can follow Christ more closely and humbly use my gifts for God's glory without needing anything in return. May you also be inspired!

Clean Water Access Awareness Day

2010-10-12T12:46:00.013-04:00

Water is one of those things most of us take for granted. We don't think twice about turning on the faucet or being able to get a clean drink of water. However, around the world there is a clean water crisis.

Here are some interesting facts shared by the Vincentian blog action team. For more details about each fact go to : http://famvin.org/en/archive/startling-facts-about-water?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FamvinEnglish+%28FAMVIN%3A+The+International+Vincentian+Family%29

1. Unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation kills more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.
2. More people have access to a cell phone than to a toilet.
3. Every day, women and children in Africa walk a combined total of 109 million hours to get water.
4. It takes 6.3 gallons of water to produce just one hamburger.
5. The average American uses 159 gallons of water every day – more than 15 times the average person in the developing world.

The United Nations has declared access to clean water a human right. There are many organizations working on making access to clean water a reality. A project of our Sisters in Kenya is to help the people install a local well, so that there is clean water available locally.

Another modern dynamic is the selling of bottled water. This promotes water being a commodity rather than as people having a right to access. Companies set up bottling of water and using the local water, they sell it back to the locals. In some developing countries, water sources have been sold to companies and taken from the local people only to have the water sold to them.

My community, the Daughters of Charity, has made a commitment to avoid using any bottled water. This is 2 fold in purpose. First, it reduces the profits made by companies which use and sell water at great profits that which should be accessible at a reasonable price to all people. Secondly, our landfills are full of the plastic disposible bottles. It takes a little more planning, but we can use reusable water bottles and fill them up from the faucet (some need filters).

For more information on this blog action day on water, go to: blogactionday.change.org

Here is a video about emergence and effect of bottled water in our society. I recommend the one on "The Story of Stuff" also.

Value of All Life

2010-10-12T09:46:00.015-04:00

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Sr. Lucille Baker. She had been in a serious car accident about a month ago, but her body wasn't strong enough to heal since she had open heart surgery 6 weeks before the accident.

I was on mission with Sr. Lucille in Macon, GA. I taught in the Catholic elementary school and she worked at Mother and Child Ministries. This ministry was a pro-life ministry that supported women with young children. It is now part of Family Advancement Ministries. Sr. Lucille's responsibility was the parent education component. She would set up classes for the women with people from the community. Classes include budgeting, nutrition, GED preparation, computer skills, banking, and various other things. The ministry has done so much to help improve the lives of the children whose mothers "chose life".

In September Sr. Liz Sjoberg and Sr. Carol Durkin participated in Catoctin Pregnancy Center's Run for Life and both "placed" in their age categories.

And last week week I participated in 40 Days for Life by praying outside a clinic. This was such a prayerful experience. We were on the sidewalk on the outside perimeter of the parking lot, just a silent prayerful presence with signs present offering free help. Unlike some other experiences I have had, this one was very respectful of the women who find themselves in a desperate situation without support.

So, what is the point of my varied thoughts here? It is so easy to cherish and miss those we love--as I experience the loss of Sr. Lucille. Then there are the lives of those we will never meet. How much am I willing to do to support the coming to life of a child I don't know? Do I turn my back on the child and mother once the child is born? Sr. Lucille's ministry in Macon is a good example of not only being charitable in a time of crisis, but also acting justly by helping the mother, and therefore the child, have the tools to better their lives.

Cardinal Bernardin called us to have a "seamless garment" view of respect for life. God created all life as sacred and that sacredness remains since we are made in God's own likeness. Sometimes that is difficult to remember when I deal with a challenging person whose views greatly oppose my own. Or sometimes I am quick to judge a person by his/her situation without ever trying to understand the life and experience that has brought that person to this moment.

I pray that I may be more of a beatitude person each day living out Matt. 25 (whatever you did for the least of these you did for me) and not fall into the trap judgement. Wouldn't it be heaven on earth if we all could do that?

Gathering for Daughters Under 61 Years Old

2010-10-01T13:30:00.006-04:00

So, how did a gathering come to be for those under 61 years old? Not 60, but 61! It turns out when the retreat and workshop were first announced some of the Sisters signed up and were 60 at the time and once the retreat drew closer--they had turned 60!

We are getting one step closer to bringing together four the Daughter of Charity Provinces in the United States. This summer 71 of the sisters from the Emmitsburg, Evansville, St. Louis, and Albany provinces gathered for retreat and a workshop. The gathering was a wonderful time of prayer, sharing, and fun. The photo was taken after the retreat and workshop day in the Basilica of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg Maryland where we sang one of the little company's favorite songs--Ubi Caritas. As you can tell from the photo, individuals weren't quite ready for this shot. Despite the existence of email, several cameras were used to take photos and one shot is never enough;-)

I chose this photo because it captures the joy we share as Daughters of Charity in this unposed moment. Many Sisters didn't know other participants before this gathering since they are from different provinces and parts of the United States. However, something much deeper and profound binds us together. Yes, it is the joy of giving ourselves completely to God, in community and serving Christ in those living in poverty!

Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

2010-09-27T09:21:00.002-04:00

Happy Feast of St. Vincent de Paul!!
This year we celebrate the 350th anniversary of the deaths of St. Vincent and St. Louise de Marillac. They lived amazing lives seeking Christ in the most vulnerable of society. The icon above is good to take to prayer. I have had sharing with a small group after reflecting on it in prayer and it is something how we are each touched differently in prayer.

He is the patron saint of charities and a number of other things. He and St. Louise laid the ground work for our current social services programs. Vincent had a spectacular way with connecting those who were rich with the service of those who were poor. Vincent believed that he met Christ in serving those in need as Matthew 25 tells us.

In the Pope's homily for this past Sunday, as found at CNA, regarding charity as connected to the gospel for the day he spoke of St. Vincent:
Concluding, the Pope pointed to several saintly examples of charity. Recalling the "happy coincidence" of Monday's celebration of the Feast of the patron of Catholic charitable organizations, St. Vincent de Paul, and the 350th anniversary of his death, Pope Benedict said that this saint "touched with his own hand the strong contrast between the richest and the poorest."
He also remembered the influence of St. Louise of Marillac, with whom St. Vincent founded the "Daughters of Charity," the first women's congregation to live out their vocation outside of the convent and among the sick and needy of the world.

May St. Vincent bless us in Christ today as we seek to follow his good example in living a Catholic Christian life in challenging times. May we be creative, as he was, in creating solutions to seemingly impossible problems or bringing changes to to the status quo so ingrained into society.

40 Days for Life

2010-09-22T11:59:00.005-04:00

40 Days for Life is going on in our parish here in Baltimore. It began last night with a special prayer service and candlelight procession to the abortion clinic nearby. 40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that seeks to end abortion through a three-pronged program:
1. Prayer and fasting
2. Constant vigil
3. Community outreach

Today, September 22nd is the first day and it concludes on October 31st. 40 Days for Life is going on in 238 locations in the US, Canada, Australia, England, Northern Ireland and Denmark. The US locations are marked below.

Check out their website: http://www.40daysforlife.com/ to find out what is going on in your area and what this peaceful and prayerful campaign is all about and get involved!

Centennial of St. Louis Province

2010-09-22T11:29:00.009-04:00

This year the Daughters of Charity celebrate 100 years as a province in St. Louis. They created a special calendar to spotlight their life together and in service. I want to share a couple of the photos with you.

Here is Sr. Hilary Ross. She ministered in Carville, LA and worked on finding the treatment that kept Hansen's Disease under control. There is a PBS documentary film about Carville, the cure for leprosy and the reintergration of those suffering from Hansen's disease back into society. It is called "Triumph at Carville: A Tale of Leprosy in America."

Below is Sr. Mary William Sullivan who was serving at Marillac Center in Chicago when she met Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shown with the children is Sr. Mary Virginia Clark participating at a Mass held on Mexico at a dump where people were living. She ministered in El Paso and would go on Sundays to the dump across the border to be with the people there.

Here is a link to the Centennial Mass Celebration at the Cathedral in St. Louis: http://famvin.org/en/archive/the-calling-of-a-vincentian Just scroll down and it is on the right.

Triumph of the Cross

2010-09-14T14:01:00.007-04:00

Today is the beautiful celebration of the Exultation or the Triumph of the Cross. The cross is so central to our faith as Catholic Christians!

This past Sunday I headed to vacation where the Vincentian confreres have a beach house that we use. One of the other cars was in a serious car accident on their way up. Three of the four were taken to the trauma center in Atlantic City about an hour from where we are.

That night I went to the hospital to see the Sisters and I was hesitant about going in to see them not knowing what to expect. The first room I went in I was greeted with such happiness and relief that we had come. Even though she was immobilized, her neck and back will continue to be that way for some time, she was concerned for the emotional well being of the driver and the injuries of the others without talking about her own pain. Of course she did fill us in about herself when we asked, but that was not her primary concern--the concern was for the others.

Isn't that what the Triumph of the Cross is about? That love triumphs over all suffering? Isn't that what Christ taught us while up on that cross?

Out of the three Sisters in the hospital, I have only lived with one of them. However, I was struck by my great love for each of them as I visited. These are not relationships based on friendship or family membership. I love these women in a special way through our common bond of giving our lives to Christ, together, for the service of those living in poverty. I am amazed how deep this bond is within my heart.

As Catholic Christians, we are united in Christ. This unity must change how we love---we are called to love as Christ did. No suffering, persecution, calamity, car accident... can separate us from the love of Christ and the love of others. The present suffering of these Sisters is an opportunity for them--as they witness their love and concern for others despite their own pain. It is also an opportunity for the rest of us. I have witnessed great love, compassion, thoughtfulness and gentleness in these days following the accident.

It is a reminder for me why I love being a Daughter of Charity--why I find these women so special--and how they draw me to holiness, to be more like Christ. It is hard for me to explain how deeply I have been touched through the interactions with these Sisters from feeding one ice chips to hearing of concern for the health of another Sister.

As Vincentians, we believe that God is in the events. I find that it is important to pause in the midst of all this and ask myself "Where am I finding Christ in this experience? How is Christ present to us here and now?" Yes, I have found Christ these days in the sufferings of my Sisters. I pray their suffering doesn't last much longer and that we will be able to bring them home soon. Please pray for everyone involved in the accident, not just our Sisters.

Origins of the Daughters of Charity

2010-09-08T22:09:00.005-04:00

The Daughters of Charity have unique origins and a unique place in the Church today as a Society of Apostolic Life. Recently, Fr. Benito Martinez, CM wrote a great article explaining how the Daughters came to be. It is an amazing compact history of the beginning of the Daughters of Charity. I hope you find it insightful! Click on the link below.

I hope that I successfully got the article connected here! I would like to get it put in the gadget/widget area--anyone know how to do that?

The link below seems a little moody. You might get the pdf straight away or it might say you can't have access and shows a link below--click on the next link and it will let you download it. Let me know if you want it and you can't get it!
Martìnez-The joint influence of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac.pdf

Daughter of Charity Still Serving After Katrina

2010-09-07T10:55:00.003-04:00

Throughout the centuries Daughters of Charity around the world have reached out to help victims of natural and other disasters. In keeping with this tradition, Sr. Marilyn Moore, Daughter of Charity at Providence Hospital, used a mobile clinic to reach out to the Katrina Victims in Golf Coast’s Boyou La Batre. Remebering the 5 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Mobile’s Press Register tells the story of how Sr. Marilyn and the entire Providence Hospital Outreach Center is still walking side by side with the hurricane victims as they continue to rebuild their lives. To read more go to: http://173.13.199.245/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://blog.al.com/living-press-register/2010/08/a_ministry_of_caring.html

Contributed by Sr. Theresa Sullivan

Daughter of Charity Vocation-Come and See Retreats

2010-08-26T13:48:00.003-04:00

Interested in checking out if the Daughters of Charity are for you? Maybe you know someone who feels called by God to make a radical gift of self to Christ. This retreat will help sort that out a bit in a setting of prayer.

Our theme for the Emmitsburg retreat will be "Christ the True Treasure". If you are interested in coming to any of the retreats you can contact us at the above places. If you are in my "neighborhood" and would like to come to the Emmitsburg retreat you can contact me at larocksrd@doc.org or call 410-646-2074.

Feel free to pass on the info if you know someone else that may be considering that total gift of self to Jesus Christ. More info about the Daughters of Charity can be found at http://www.daughters-of-charity.com/ and there is lots of good info about all the branches of the Vincentian Family at http://www.famvin.org/. Check it out!

New Daughter of Charity Postulant

2010-08-23T13:57:00.002-04:00

Whitney Kimmet officially became a Daughter of Charity postulant on August 19th at a simple prayer service in Bladensburg, MD. She is ministering at Elizabeth Seton High School. This step in the process of becoming a Daughter of Charity lasts for 1 year and then will be the seminary (novitiate). Whitney met the Daughters of Charity through bulletin announcements for a "Come and See"/vocation discernment retreat. We have several of them a year across the country. I need to get them posted for you!

2 More American Daughters of Charity!

2010-08-16T16:12:00.008-04:00

Two more say “yes!” After completing a year of postulancy, on August 15th, Sister Meg Kymes and Sister Renée Trahant moved into that next step of the formation process of being a Daughter of Charity, seminary (novitiate). This part of their formation will last 18-22 months. After completing a five day retreat they were officially received into the community during the Mass celebrating Mary’s Assumption. They joined Sr. Ellen Reilly, already in the seminary and their directress, Sr. Margaret McDonnell, at the Daughter of Charity Seminary in Evansville,

Indiana.

Contributed by Sr. Theresa Sullivan, DC

Stop Human Trafficking!

2010-08-16T13:52:00.004-04:00

Are you interested in doing something concrete to stop the trafficking of people?? Below is a link to an informative newsletter. On the website is a petition for Hilton hotels to help end the abuse of child prostitution. Check it out and let your opinion be heard! The newletter also found at the website is full of testimonies and information. This edition includes the recent UN report which includes trafficking. Take a look!

Here is the link:

Stop Trafficking Newsletter

Sr. Pat Connolly's Vocation Podcast

2010-08-05T11:03:00.008-04:00

De Paul University has been doing a series of podcasts for their Office of Mission and Values. Here is the link: http://mission.depaul.edu/podcast/scarchive.asp Included in the series is an audio sharing by Sr. Pat Connolly, DC of her vocation story. Sr. Pat Connolly is currently working at the United Nations with the Daughter of Charity NGO (non-governmental organization). The purpose of our NGO is to encourage governments which are part of the U.N. to understand the situation of those living in dire poverty and dangerous situations and to take action. Since we have Daughters of Charity throughout the world, we are able to provide first hand information from areas of great distress. Here is a link to the NGO website of the Daughters of Charity and our brother community, the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians): http://www.cmdcngo.org/become-involved.html .

Here is the audio clip of Sr. Pat!---Ok so I'm learning how to embed a podcast and this will take some experimentation. So, click on the link to get to the podcast. Once there you will see a list. Click on Sr. Pat's.

Two Daughters of Charity Sent on Mission!

2010-08-04T10:58:00.005-04:00

During our provincial meetings in July, 2 Daughters of Charity were sent on mission. The top photo is Sr. Salvatrice Murphy being sent on mission for the first time from the Basilica of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, MD. She is missioned to the local community just across the creek and will serve as a licensed social worker at Seton Center.

Here is Sr. Jean Widener being sent on mission from Mater Dei in Evansville, Indiana. Sr. Jean is a teacher and will teach at a Catholic school in Evansville.

Many Daughters of Charity were gathered at both locations and joined in on the wonderful celebrations in gratitude for these 2 wonderful vocations with which we have been blessed by the Lord. We pray that they may continue to grow closer to Christ and that they are continually renewed in their first enthusiasm and that this great step in faith that they have taken may boost each of us in our vocation also.

2010 Crab Feast!

2010-07-12T13:25:00.005-04:00

Enjoy eating crabs? It is quite foreign for many Americans, but from those of us from the Maryland (and other places) it is quite a treat! We had a provincial meeting this past weekend and an extremely generous anonymous donor treated us to crabs! Thank you--whoever you are!

So, it is only fitting that there will be a crab feast to benefit the elderly, retired Daughters of Charity and the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Are you interested in attending? Can you taste the Old Bay seasoning just thinking about it? For those non-crab eaters there will be plenty of other food also

Maryland Crab Feast
Saturday, September 11, 2010
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Live entertainment
Tombola, 50/50 drawings, and more!
FOR ONLY $65 PER PERSON
(persons age 21 and over please)

Please join us for a wonderful afternoon of food and fun for a good cause!

For more information, call 301-447-7080 or go to www.setonshrine.org.

International MIssion Help Needed

2010-06-15T18:46:00.008-04:00

Sr. Felicia, director of the Daughters of Charity International Project Services recently sent out a special letter to all the Daughters in the United States asking for "something extra" to help out with seeking funds for special international projects in which the Daughters are involved. She also asked us to let friends and family know of the great need there is during this time of challenge with the issues of the present economic situation. Here are some photos she sent and below you will find a note from her and some information about a number of projects. Check it out!

We need YOUR HELP to witness Christ’s love for our brothers and sisters in the developing world, by supporting the needs submitted by Daughters so we can:

In Eritrea, ship vital medicines worth over $7 million dollars to three Daughters of Charity Clinics, at a cost of $180,000.
In Colombia, bring education to hundreds of vulnerable children through a specialized teacher training program at a cost of $64,000 over 3 years.

In Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania, provide life-giving medicines, treatment, and nutrition for a mother or child suffering with HIV/AIDS for about $700 for an entire year.

In Poland, empower the homeless with food, clothing and health care for $24,000.

In Burkina Faso, the Daughters’ newest implantation, purchase a vehicle to aid Sisters in their medical and pastoral ministry for $40,000.

In India, help the Sisters train lay leaders, with a program that costs $39,000.

In Tanzania, support an alternative Christian Rite of Passage for over 200 young girls who are saying “no” to the practice of Female Genital Mutilation, for only $15,000.

In Rwanda, sponsor a year-long program of professional training for adults, at a cost of only $7,000.

And, so we can support many other life-changing projects!

In addition to considering a personal donation, I am asking you to do “something extra” by passing on this request for help to your friends, family, acquaintances and to anyone you believe could and would partner with the Daughters ministering in resource-poor countries. IPS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; 100% of every donation goes directly and securely to the Daughters of Charity projects. Visit the IPS website at http://www.daughtersips.org/ for details. Together we can help bring food, water, education and healthcare – hope and joy – to those in dire circumstances. With many helping hands, we can and will make the difference. God’s abundant blessings on you!

With my deepest gratitude,
Sister Felicia Mazzola, D.C
Director
Daughters of Charity International Project Services

50 Years of Service as a Daughter of Charity

2010-06-11T15:16:00.009-04:00

Sister Sharon Richardt, D.C. and 3 other Daughters of Charity celebrated their Golden Jubilee on June 5, 2010 in Evansville Indiana. The “over the top” experience included dinner, and the Mass of Corpus Christi followed by a reception. Sister Sharon had prepared a DVD
to thank family and friends for their support through the years. The photo here is Sr. Sharon with her family and some close friends.

I asked Sr. Sharon for some of her reflections about the day and this is what she sent me. The "..." are her own.

I guess I have thought of a golden Jubilee
as being for older people. But I don’t feel
very old…and those fifty years that have
just sped by…like a gift that I have given
my Lord and one that I am very happy to
celebrate. I think I will not take the next
50 for granted but will walk hand in hand
very deliberately.

When I began to realize that it really had been
50 years since I entered the Daughters, I had
a hard time accounting for all of them…they
have just sped by. However, as I greeted each of the
guests at the dinner, mass, and reception, the
memories began to mark the years. I was glad
that I could give each person a little card that
read: “I ask God to be the heart of your heart”
(St. Vincent de Paul)

Sr. Sharon began her ministry as a Daughter of Charity as a nurse. She later went into hospital administration. She served for a number of years as the Vice President of Mission within the hospital setting. During that time she also directed retreats and served as a spiritual director. Sr. Sharon currently serves as a councillor on the leadership team (council) of her province.

Sr. Sharon belongs to a different province than I, but in April, I had my annual retreat (8 silent days) with Sr. Sharon. I like to pray with my dreams as I believe they are "God's forgotten language" as a book I read is entitled. Sr. Sharon reflected with me on my dreams and art work too and so beautifully incorporated scripture into our sharings each day. I have found her to be a joyful person who seems just seems to glow.

Feast of Corpus Christi

2010-06-08T12:31:00.003-04:00

As you know this past Sunday was the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. I thought it odd that we need a feast day to celebrate something we celebrate everytime we attend the Eucharist. But isn't that really the point--that we take for granted what we encounter often?

Having dinner is an important part of my day and nourishes me to be healthy and to have energy. Yet, it becomes an ordinary part of my routine without much thought unless it is my turn to cook and I am trying to decide what to make. However, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter dinners are special times of celebration. Those meals are enriched by the occasion. I don't get too excited about regular dinners unless of course we are having mac and cheese or something chocolate for dessert.

What a blessing it is that the Church has this feast in order to wake us up out of our routine and remind us how blessed we are to be nourished by the Eucharist. The other day I read a prayer and it spoke of "becoming what we receive". I pray that through the great blessing of daily Eucharist that I may become more Christ-like and that I better share what I have received.

Vincentian Confrere Named Bishop

2010-06-05T17:32:00.003-04:00

We are very blessed to have one of our Vincentian confreres named as bishop!

"Pope Benedict XVI has named the president of Catholic University in Washington, Father David OConnell, to become the next bishop of Trenton, New Jersey. The Trenton Diocese serves 119 parishes in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. Father David OConnell 55 years old, will serve as coadjutor of the central New Jersey diocese until the pope accepts the resignation of Bishop John Smith. Smith must submit his resignation when he turns 75 on June 23. It’s not known when the pope will accept the resignation."---Excerpted from www.famvin.org

Our Lady's Hospice, Thigio, Kenya

2010-06-04T12:44:00.007-04:00

Our Lady’s Hospice, Thigio, Kenya

On May 24 Our Lady’s Hospice officially opened in this rural village about 40 minutes from Nairobi. The nine-bed facility, which is the third residential hospice in Kenya, is the response of the Daughters of Charity to the suffering of the dying sick poor. Because healthcare is expensive, so many people are too poor, to see a doctor, be admitted to a hospital, or procure medicine. Illnesses, like cancer, go untreated and unrelieved. When patients come to Our Lady’s Hospice, they are welcomed as special guests, have a comfortable bed, eat good food, and receive the medicine they need to make their last days more peaceful and more pain-free.

The cost for a day is 400 shillings (@$4 U.S.). Even this small amount is too much for some families. This does not deter their coming. We believe donors will help. The Daughters and the staff are ready to accept whomever God sends our way. For some patients coming to Our Lady’s Hospice is a blessing at the end of a life of deprivation. They can now die with dignity with their families and friends around them. May 24th was the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians. It is our hope that all who come (patients, families and friends) will come to appreciate the hospice as a place of peace, prayer and hope.

Contributed by Sr. Catherine Madigan, DC a missionary in Kenya

My Country, 'tis of Thee

2010-05-31T16:05:00.004-04:00

"My country,' tis of thee..." How often do we hear those words sung? This memorial day take a few extra minutes to sing and pray these words. Pray for the many people who have sacrificed their lives so America may come one step closer to being the country we are "called" to be. Then pray that you and I may have the courage to be God's instrument in bringing our country, our world one step closer to what we are "called" to be.

My country,' tis of thee,

sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;

Liberty: Lord, help me to understand what this word means, Guide my thoughts words and actions that they may be liberating in the true sense of the word.

land where my fathers died,

land of the pilgrims' pride,

from every mountainside let freedom ring!

The Ring of Freedom: True freedom: What would that sound like echoing through our land? What would that feel like? What can I do help create or enhance the notes of freedom around me?

My native country, thee,

land of the noble free, thy name I love;

Land of the noble free: Who are the people I walked by yesterday? Who did I talk to? Are they free? Are they fearful of deportation, of being abused, of being exploited? Are they victims of human trafficking? Do they have access to food, healthcare, education? Are they free?

I love thy rocks and rills,

thy woods and templed hills;

my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.

I love thy rocks: Stop, look and listen: Do you see the beauty of creation unfold around you? The Sunset, the flower, the child's laughs, the graduates pride, the newly weds love, the sisters reaching out in love, the smile of someone enjoying the day. Wow what a symphony we are gifted with each day. Cease the moment.

Let music swell the breeze,

and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;

let mortal tongues awake;

let all that breathe partake;

let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Awake! Partake! Are my eyes open to see the glories of this blessed land, these blessed people around me? Let in the sweetness of the morning air. Let it stir your soul to praise.

Our fathers' God, to thee,

author of liberty, to thee we sing;

Author of Liberty; God willed that we and all those around us be truly free. Allow him to share this gift with us. Be his instrument in sharing it with others.

long may our land be bright

with freedom's holy light;

protect us by thy might, great God, our King.

Protect: For centuries American's have turned to God to lead and protect us. For centuries Americans have given their lives to be God's instruments in pursuing freedom. Continue to pray that the author of Liberty will help us to know what freedom truly is and how to pursue it according to his will.

Reflection by Sr. Theresa Sullivan, DC

Story of the Pre-Born

2010-05-16T18:49:00.003-04:00

Have you ever been to Chicago's museum of Science and Industry? I just went and I was amazed at their terrific display of babies from 28 days after conception to 37 weeks in utero. There must have been 30. I imagine they were miscarriages or still-births. Each display had a sign telling what was new at that stage of development. There was also a short video showing the life of the pre-born from conception until birth. I was very impressed! If you ever get to Chicago, go to this museum. The display is in the "You" section in a separate room to the side. It was a true celebration of the gift of life!

New St. Vincent de Paul Documentary

2010-05-08T18:20:00.003-04:00

De Paul University recently released a new documentary about St. Vincent de Paul. The 64 minute movie was shown on CatholicTV to celebrate the feast of St. Vincent. Vincent's collaborator, Louise de Marillac, also gets some good screen time. There is a trailer on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=z09a627Atto. Check it out! The video is very well done.

Virtual Vincentian Gathering

2010-04-15T00:02:00.005-04:00

There will be a virtual conference on systemic change to combat poverty. Check out this site for details: http://virtualvins.net/ Join in for the information and to give your own input!

The Vincentian Family officially includes the Daughters of Charity, the Sisters of Charity, the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), the Vincent de Paul Society, and the Ladies of Charity to name a few. It can include you too if you desire to serve Christ in the persons living in poverty and marginalized by society. Check it out!

Event Details
Date: April 24, 2010
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Schedule:Hour 1: Local groups meet to view CJ Willie’s presentation, “Perspectives on Systemic Change in North America”
Hour 2: Groups in various locations watch Gene Smith moderate an online discussion with a panel of 5 participants
Impressions from Last Year’s Gathering
View a series of short video interviews with participants from across the Family as they talk about their experiences at the Detroit Gathering of April 2009.

I'm sorry to say I will miss the "virtual gathering" since I will still be in my annual retreat!

Also, if you want to do something concrete to help someone work their way out of poverty in Haiti go to www.zafen.org to make a donation or loan money through micro-financing through the Vincentina Family organization.

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

2010-04-07T21:41:00.001-04:00

Here is a great way to break the cycle of poverty for some individuals in Haiti! Zafen meaning "our business". It is a new micro-financing project of the Vincentian Family. Below you can watch a video by Fr. Robert Maloney, former superior general of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) and the Daughters of Charity, that explains the program and the new website. You can sponsor a child's tuition, make a donation or finance a small loan that can make a huge difference in some one's life! For more information go to http://www.zafen.org/ The program was inaugurated April 1, 2010 so the bugs are still being worked out of the website.

What does holiness look like?

2010-04-01T16:07:00.003-04:00

What is holiness? There are so many examples of holiness in our midst and they often look different from one another. ABC's 20/20 is doing a show on miracles attributed to the intercession of JP II. There is the life of Mother Teresa whose story many people are familar. What about Sr. Dorothy Stang?

Sr. Dorothy was a missionary to Brazil. As she ministered to the poor farmers in the rain forest she found that their land rights were ignored and their land taken from them by rich farmers and ranchers. These rich farmers and ranchers also clear the rain forest for their mega farms and ranches and the wood is sold. There are huge tracts of land now without living vegetation. Sr. Dorothy in her solidarity with the poor farmers whose land was being taken without legal repercussions, spoke up for their rights. To make a long story short, a price was put on her head and she was killed. Today in Brazil Sr. Leonora Brunetto finds herself in a similar situation. She has received death threats as the people in the area have also. Since 1988 1,200 activists, small farmers, judges, priests and others have been killed because of their efforts to preserve the rain forest.

So where does the holiness fit in? If you google Leonora Brunetto you can find the main article about her. In it she says, "I cannot lie and say I'm not scared. But at the same time I know God is with us."

In different times we hold up different models as examples of holiness. In our present time, we find holiness in people such as JPII, Mother Teresa and Sr. Dorothy Stang. They are people so grounded in prayer and their relationship with Christ that action must flow from them. They were each able to stand up strong about the rights and dignity of all people despite the opposition all around them.

St. Louise de Marillac, co-founder of the Daughters of Charity, died in 1660--this is the 350th anniversary of her death. Yet, she wasn't canonized until 1934. I believe it is because she is a saint for this present time. She was a great leader and changed the face of social work forever--all this because Christ was the center of her life.

Through this season of Lent and into Easter, have we grown in holiness? Have we centered are life more on Christ? Do we reach out more to those in need as Christ did? Especially those considered outcasts of mainstream society? If not, the blessing is we still have today, tomorrow and the next days to work on it!

The Daughters of Charity in Haiti

2010-01-30T15:26:00.002-05:00

There is a great deal of suffering in Haiti as we all have heard. Here is a photo from MSNBC of a small boy at a water station having a joyful moment. It is amazing how generous people around the world have been during this recent crisis in Haiti. Haiti had been suffering greatly even before the earthquake which the world generally ignored.

I watched an interview last week with former presidents G. Bush and Clinton. Bush said part of their job was to be sure that people did not forget about the needs in Haiti after the great media coverage ends. That will be a challenge since we quickly forget about those suffering who are far removed from us. We often only pay attention to the suffering within our family or in our small circle of interaction.

As a Daughter of Charity, I feel my circle of concern and attention has been greatly broadened and that it continues to grow. I don't just mean by knowing what is happening in other countries where a crisis is happening such as in Haiti. There is a concern for the stranger that moves me and drew me to the Daughters.

I am in Chicago studying for this year and when the weather grew cold, I saw someone covered up with a tarp and other layers in a old store doorway with his(?) grocery cart of belongings in front. I went home and found out where the shelters in the area are. I haven't seen that person again, but I still carry that concern. I know that he would have been unlikely to go to a shelter anyway because of my conversations with other homeless people who express feeling unsafe at a shelter where the few belongings they have are often stolen.

Even when there is nothing I can do, I am amazed how important expressing the care and concern is for people who feel invisible and forgotten. I have learned a lot about walking in other people's shoes through my experiences with those who are poor. It has made me a much more compassionate person with everyone in my life. Love for others is much more powerful than we often give it credit. Jesus tried to teach us that and we are still trying to learn. We truly meet Christ in those who suffer.

Here are a couple of photos that we recently received with a community update about Haiti:

This photo is a woman who had a baby at the tent next to that of the Sisters.

We have 31 Daughters of Charity in Haiti (previous to the earthquake). One Sister died in the earthquake while attending a class. The Sisters are living in tents like the rest of the people and doing their best to serve in the midst of their own losses. There are teams of Daughters that have been sent and will be sent to Haiti to help. Most of the Sisters going are nurses. See the link below to read more details about the Daughters presently serving in Haiti. http://famvin.org/en/archive/daughters-of-charity-serving-in-haiti?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FamvinEnglish+%28FAMVIN%3A+The+International+Vincentian+Family%29

Primitive Spirit of the Daughters of Charity

2010-01-18T17:10:00.001-05:00

From the minds of our founders...I have had great exposure to St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac's own writings during my time in the Vincentian Integration Experience. There is nothing like hearing about the spirit of the Daughters of Charity straight from the founders!

The Daughters of Charity were originally the "girls" of the parish charity groups. They served as servants to the Ladies of the Charities in caring for those who were poor. Part of our original name was "Servants of the Sick Poor". Throughout history even from the beginning our service focused on those who were poor whether the ministry was education (regular and catechetical), feeding the hungry, caring for orphans, nursing the sick, or social service related. Since we are a Society of Apostolic Life (not religous nuns) our focus is the ministry. Our path to holiness is through serving Christ found in the person of the poor, supported through our common life of prayer and community, and free to do so through our annual vows.

Our virtues are those of humility, simplicity and charity. As the first Daughters were country girls without any pretense or airs, we continue to aim to be straight forward in what we say and do. We continue to seek the attitude of servant. We celebrate the uniqueness of each Sister in the community. It amazes me what a great variety of women we have in the community. I refer to us as full of characters. We have a variety of opinions and views. However, we take our faith in Christ and service to those who are poor seriously and that is the greatest uniting factor possible!

I recently interviewed Sr. Louise Sullivan, DC. She translated the letters and spiritual writings of St. Louise de Marillac into English. She is quite a St. Louise expert! I have posted the 2 segments of the interview about St. Louise de Marillac on YouTube. Here are the links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et1Js-vAd-M
Louise de M's gift to the church
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZnXrk8W0JI
Louise and friendships

Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

2010-01-04T20:40:00.004-05:00

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton! It is the ending of the bicentennial for when she came to Emmitsburg and started her community and the beginning of the bicentennial celebration for her school. Mother Seton has had a lasting impact on Catholic education in the United States.

These days when the cost of tuition has made a Catholic education unavailable to so many children--I wonder what Mother Seton would do to again make Catholic education an option for all children.

As a Daughter of Charity and a teacher it grieves me greatly that those who live in poverty are basically excluded from getting a Catholic education. Sure there are scholarships or grants for some, but for the majority it is not a possibility. Education is such a great tool for escaping poverty!

I pray that through the intercession of Elizabeth Ann Seton by Catholics, Catholic educators, and all supporters of Catholic schools that what she made possible in her day we can do today.

If you would like to know more about her life here is a link http://vinformation.famvin.org/history/seton-legacy-timeline/. This takes you to the Vincentian Family website and a great timeline for Mother Seton.

Have a blessed new year full of great possibilities! May you believe that God is with you each moment--even in the hard times!

p.s. There is a new 30 minute video out about Elizabeth Ann Seton, "The Seton Legacy", in honor of her bicentennial. Here is the link if you are interested: http://www.setonshrine.org/shop/shop.htm

Field Trip to Bahai Temple- Ecumenism

2009-10-20T22:03:00.005-04:00

Last Sunday a group of us went to the Baha'i Temple here in Chicago. It made me think deeply about where I find God and where God is. First a little about the Baha'i faith. As you can see the structure is beautiful. I picked up a very nice brochure about the principles of their religion. They are:

Elimination of all forms of prejudice
Equality between men and women
Harmony of science and religion
World peace upheld by a world government
Spiritual solutions to economic problems
Universal education

These principles look much like those found in Catholic Social Teaching. Imagine the changes that could be brought about to make the world a better place for all people if we sought solutions together rather than fight over our differences--at times myths of one faith or congregation about another.

The inside of the temple, the only one on this continent was a very quiet and peaceful prayer space. A place where many people find the quiet and peace they need.

As a Catholic Christian, I appreciate the gift that is shared at the temple yet I felt a longing to be in the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It is so much part of my daily life and as the constitutions of the Daughters of Charity says,"The Sisters are conscious of the vital importance of the Eucharist, center of their life and mission and an indispensable meeting each day with Christ and their brothers and sisters" (C 19b).

Even though the Eucharist is a powerful, essential part of my life where I connect with God--it is not the only place. I find God in the scriptures. I find God in my interactions with others. As a Vincentian, I believe that Christ is present in a special way in those who are poor. I also believe God is present in other faiths. Each faith is made up of humans and so will be filled with human frailty, but do we judge God's love and presence by the sinfulness of some?

The Holy Land is sacred to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. It has been fought over for centuries! I think it is fitting that the most sacred piece of land is claimed by us all. Maybe there is a message buried in there for us all if we but open our hearts to those who seem so different from ourselves.

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of faith You have given me. Thank You for the gift of Yourself in the Eucharist. Thank You for speaking to the many nations in so many ways. I pray that we may see Your hand working and that we may become unified in Your love for humanity. May we respond to Your call that all persons be respected and honored as Your children. Amen.

Visioning for the Mission Celebration

2009-10-05T21:01:00.002-04:00

The end of September 4 provinces of the Daughters of Charity from the United States met in St. Louis to "Vision" for our future. It was a wonderful gathering of many Daughters as you will see from the video. The days ended with a Eucharistic celebration on Sunday, September 27th--the feast of St. Vincent de Paul, our founder (along with St. Louise de Marillac). It is exciting to look at the future and how God is calling us to meet the new needs of those who are poor. In honor of St. Vincent we had a special collection of socks and shoes for those who are poor in the St. Louis area. Since we have a number of Daughters of Charity in the St. Louis area they will take care of distributing the goodies. As you will see there are 2 over-flowing tables.

We sat at tables that were mixed up so we wouldn't know everyone. I was touched by the great unity we all experienced. No matter where we live in the U.S. or around the world, we are still strongly united in our mission of serving Christ in those who are poor. It is amazing that since our founding in 1633 that our identity is still so strong! Those days served as a great boost to one's vocation and excitement about the future!

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's Bicentennial

2009-09-01T09:54:00.005-04:00

July 31st-August 2 was the big celebration in Emmitsburg, MD for the celebration of 200 years since Mother Seton began her little community. The video below shows highlights from the weekend. Friday night was a wonderful celebration of the history of the Sisters and Daughters of Charity! It was a powerful prayer connecting the beginning, the past, the present, and a sense of the call for the future. If you look at the clip that shows three women dressed in the black bonnet and dress walking down the aisle side by side--I'm the short one in the middle! There were a number of special Masses during the weekend. The biggest one was noon on Sunday. There were students from Seton Keough High School, Elizabeth Seton High School (music and singing), Mother Seton Academy, and Mother Seton School. As you will see from the clip there were many priests, a couple bishops, and a cardinal celebrating the Mass. The basilica was so full another large room was set up with video screens so everyone could fully participate.

Sr. Liz Sjoberg interviewed the Sisters in her local community (where she lives) and asked about their thoughts about celebrating Mother Seton's bicentennial. Enjoy her "Sr. Liz Investigates" video!

The weekend for me was a powerful witness of how the vocation, the call, of one woman could have such a great impact on a nation and so many lives. It is a wonderful feeling knowing that I am part of Mother Seton's legacy. As a Daughter of Charity, I am a member of a prayerful group of women who seek to serve the poor and support one another through our community living---something we have done in the U.S. for 200 years, internationally through St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac for 376 years.

I see many young people searching for their place in the world. It is very exciting to witness how many are praying about what God desires for their lives. This generation of young people is so much more open to letting Christ work in and be a daily part of life. It is a terrific time to see this new life and energy in the Church! I can't wait to see what God works through the Church and our community in these years to come!

Sr. Cecilla makes her vows for the 1st Time!

2009-08-24T14:29:00.016-04:00

Sr. Cecillia Tsao made her vows for the first time August 22nd on the feast of the Queenship of Mary. She will renew them on March 25th, on the feast of the Annunciation, when all the Daughters of Charity renew their vows. She is a medical doctor serving those who are poor at a clinic in Baltimore.

The Daughters of Charity are not nuns--one difference is that we make annual vows. Here is a link to a Daughter of Charity explaining our vows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp7zUSmPqPQ&feature=PlayList&p=AE9E007D252D5165&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

Annual Retreat

2009-08-20T10:38:00.004-04:00

Each year I get time to visit my family, have a vacation and have a retreat. I have just returned from my annual 8-day retreat. I hope everyone enjoys my halo while it lasts! It is truly a gift to have these days of quiet to reflect on my life and my relationship with God. When I first came to the community, I thought I could never make it through 8 days of silence. However, now I relish the time of quiet. There are 3 different types of retreats possible. The most common type is the preached retreat. This is where a retreat director gives a talk to a large group for a period of time each day. Individuals may sign up to visit with the director to talk or if it is a priest to have confession. We also had several sessions available to us for the sacrament of Reconciliation. Then there is the guided retreat. In a guided retreat, the group is about 10 people. The group meets altogether each day for a short presentation by the retreat director and maybe some sharing by the group. Those attending this retreat may sign up to visit the retreat director individually. Then, there is the directed retreat. This is the one I now like to make. In a directed retreat, the director may have up to about 6 directees. Each day of the retreat the director meets one-one to with each directee. In addition to time with the retreat director we have liturgy of the hours together and Eucharistic liturgy also each day. A couple of days we can pray the rosary together and there are opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration--usually we call it Exposition.

I feel amazingly blessed to have this gift of retreat! As Daughters of Charity we seek to be contemplatives in action. Our annual retreat is a way to make sure we don't lose that contemplative side in the midst of the busyness of service of the poor. Each month we are strongly encourage to take a day of retreat. Usually this is done privately, but sometimes a local community (the Sisters with whom you live) will plan a retreat together. Globally, the Daughters of Charity are in retreat on December 31st as we reflect on the past year and the new one to come.

I pray that each of you can find some quiet time in which to center your life more deeply in Christ. I know most people don't have the wonderful opportunity for a long retreat. It would be great if everyone did! However, there are little ways to find some quiet. Sometimes, it could be as simple as not turning the radio on when you are in the car alone, take a couple of quiet minutes when you get up or go to bed, read the gospel of the day and ask God that it may speak to you personally. We need to seek those small opportunities to keep us growing closer to Christ each day--not just maintance!

Daughters of Charity in March 2009

2009-04-13T11:21:00.005-04:00

March was an exciting month for the Daughters in the Emmitsburg Province! March 15th we had Sr. Elizabeth Ann (Liz) Sjoberg's "sending on mission". Here she is signing on the dotted line in the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Basilica.

Then on March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation we renewed our vows. This is the 200th anniversary of Mother Seton's vows made at St. Mary's on Paca St. in Baltimore (where her she lived for a year and St. Mary's Seminary had been located). Archbishop O'Brien celebrated Mass for about 36 of the Daughters of Charity in the small downstairs chapel on Paca St. It was a powerful experience renewing my vows in the same space that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton first made her own vows. In all my years renewing my annual vows, this is the first time I have done it with so many Daughters. I was very touched by the experience. What a great boost for my vocation!

Daughter of Charity Novitiate: Day in the Life

2009-03-12T12:49:00.004-04:00

Sr. Liz is supporting vocations through her creative video skills! She has created a video featuring herself and other seminary sisters (novices). I can't seem to upload videos today, so I will put the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-HTpU7wnng. Sr. Liz will be sent on mission March 15th--the feast of St. Louise de Marillac, our foundress. She will then begin a new phase of her religious vocation out on mission.

Daughters of Charity will send a new sister on Mission

2009-02-10T16:20:00.004-05:00

March 15th is the big day for Sr. Elizabeth Ann "Liz" Sjoberg! She has finished her intensive prep time (seminary/novitiate) and will now be "sent on mission". Here is a photo of Sr. Liz with her amazing parents:

We are very blessed with such a great religious vocation! She has created a short video using the Founders Prayer we pray everyday with the community. She did a great job! I hope you enjoy watching it and that it gives you a good sense of the charism/personality of the Daughters of Charity.

A New Daughter of Charity!

2009-01-14T13:59:00.005-05:00

The Daughters of Charity welcomed a new Sister on January 11 at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Seton! Sr. Salvatrice signed on the dotted line! She will now enter the seminary (not THE seminary). We call our novitiate the seminary. The Daughters of Charity are the first community of non-cloistered Sisters. We are a Society of Apostolic Life. Terminology for the Daughters is often different from other communities so that back in the 1600s we could remain outside the cloister in order to serve the poor.

Sr. Salvatrice will leave in a couple days for Evansville, Indiana where our seminary is currently located. She will be there for a year and a half. It is a time of intensive prayer, study, and reflection. Her studies will include that of the Church, the heritage of the DCs, the vows (we make 4 annual vows), spirit of the community, and personal development. Once a week Sr. Salvatrice will have an apostolic day (service). She will leave Evansville for a period of about 6 weeks for an extended apostolic experience "on mission" with a local community of Daughters of Charity. Then she will be "sent on mission"once her seminary experience is over. She is sent forth in the name of the community. She is not only serving in her name, but also that of the Daughters of Charity and the Church. Our mission to serve Christ in the poor is a corporate mission, one we accomplish together. Sr. Salvatrice will not make her vows for the first time (first time since she will redo them every year) for another 5-7 years. So, there is the basic process once a woman signs on! I pray that many women have the courage to take that step in faith to follow the call of Christ in this radical way!

Roe vs. Wade Anniversary

2009-01-07T15:35:00.003-05:00

We are coming up on another anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade case. Recently, we have become aware of the Freedom of Choice Act which abortion advocates are pushing. Thankfully, it is extremely controversial and as an NPR columnist wrote, "FOCA has as much chance of passage as the 0-10 Detroit Lions have of winning the next Super Bowl." However, I believe it is a great opportunity for us to raise our voices and make some noise! You can get the fact sheet and other information at the United States Council of Catholic Bishops website:
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/FOCA/FOCA_FactSheet08.pdf

As we prepare for our first African-American president to take office, I can't help but be amazed about how far we have moved forward since slavery in our country in recognizing the equality of people no matter the color of their skin. There has been such significant progress in civil rights. One day the rights of the pre-born will be fully valued in the eyes of the law also. The young people will look back and be horrified that the pre-born were not considered human just as we wonder how slavery could have been tolerated. It won't likely happen in my lifetime. But, then again if you talk to older African Americans who experienced life without civil rights, they will repeat what a great surprise it is to witness a black man becoming President of the United States in their lifetime. All things are possible through Christ--right? Right!

The photo to the right is St. Gianna Berretta Molla. She is the partron saint of mothers, preborn children, and physicians. She is part of the Vincentian Family--a member of the Vincent de Paul Society in Italy. She died shortly after the birth of her fourth child. To read about her go to: http://famvin.org/wiki/Gianna_Berretta_Molla

So, keep up the prayers for the preborn, but also make your voice heard with your senators and representatives!

New Year for the Daughters of Charity

2008-12-30T15:10:00.002-05:00

December 31st is a worldwide day of retreat for the Daughters of Charity. It is a day to review the past year and prepare our hearts for the next year. There is something about being in retreat--together, but separate--with 19,000 other women who share your values and life vocation! The anticipation of Mother Seton's big feast day on January 4th causes me to take to prayer how I personally and we, the Daughters of Charity, are called to be pioneers and prophets.

January 4th we celebrate the opening of the bicentennial year for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. In 1809 Mother Seton moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland from Baltimore, MD. It is in Emmitsburg that she began her community that was the seed for the presence of 6 communities in the U.S.

Mother Seton really lived an amazing life! She was a woman of great courage and faith. She was a pioneer of her time--not just because she lived in a rural area either. She saw how important education was for all the children and found a way to educate the poor girls that otherwise would not have been able to attend school. Today we are still seeking ways to educate persons who are poor to help them rise up out of poverty. She was quite the prophet of her day--promoting change for those most in need.

Her faith was rock solid! She experienced great loss in her life and was ostracized by others close to her because of her conversion to Catholicism. Yet, she didn't waver. She stood strong and moved forward in faith and conviction. What a great example to follow!

I hope through the many bicentennial events this year that we will be inspired to holiness and to be prophetic people who aren't afraid to try new things!

Here are a couple websites you can go to to check out events for the year: http://www.setonlegacy.org/ (Emmitsburg, MD) and www.setonbicentennial.org (New York area).

60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

2008-12-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

This year is the 40th anniversary of many things--including my birth! However, one particular anniversary that I want to point out is the 60th anniversary of the United Nations creating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Here is the link to see what the rights are: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

There are many NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in the UN. The Daughters of Charity here in the U.S. belong to 2 different NGOs. We are part to the Charity Federation NGO. Here is the link to the latest newsletter: http://famvin.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/newsletter-december-2008.pdf And we are also part of a the International Daughter of Charity NGO which began recently. Many religious communities are involved in an NGO at the UN. It is a way to promote/advocate for systemic change in addition to charitable works. The work of NGOs at the UN "comprises a number of activities, including information dissemination, awareness raising, development education, policy advocacy, joint operational projects, and providing technical expertise and collaborating with UN agencies, programmes and funds (www.un-ngls.org/ngorelations.htm)."

One issue that has been promoted by the UN and by the Charity Federation has been access to clean water for all people. We have a hard time here in the US of "getting" that there are many people who must walk long distances to obtain water and even then it is not clean water. Many projects have begun to build wells in the areas where people are in need of water. Our use of bottled water as a convenience is transforming water into a commodity. Eventually, the commodity is available to those who have money and those without money don't get access. Examples have been sited in other countries where a soda (and water) bottling company uses a great deal of water while the surrounding people didn't have access to clean water. We have decided to avoid using bottled water so as not to promote it as a commodity, but also to be more earth friendly by avoiding more plastic. Let's hear it for your water bottle!

Amnesty International has put out a music video to celebrate the anniversary of the Univeral Declaration of Human Rights. It is a great video! I wonder if it was really recorded with the UN audience! Enjoy!

Fr. Greg's Advent letter--“And there was no room for them.”

2008-12-10T12:07:00.000-05:00

Fr. Greg Gay is the Superior General for the entire Vincentian Family (Ladies of Charity, Vincent de Paul Society, Daughters of Charity...) Each year he writes a special Advent reflection. The theme of the reflection is “And there was no room for them.” Follow the link below to read the reflection. I found it beautiful!

http://famvin.org/en/archive/advent-letter-of-the-superior-general-2

Money Well Spent for Christmas

2008-12-09T15:11:00.000-05:00

This is a great video about Christmas!

Seal of the Daughters of Charity

2008-12-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

The original seal for the Daughters of Charity was:

It was used by St. Louise de Marillac to seal her letters. It is from here that we have our motto, "The Charity of Christ Crucified Urges Us." We use various versions of the seal today:

Looking at more than one version it is easier to see the important elements!