Jubilee Hope

These recent weeks have produced a whirlwind of unsettling news. Tariffs being announced,  delayed and then re-announced, natural resources being claimed for other countries benefits, national geographical lines of allocation seen as arbitrary, employment In manufacturing swinging in nets of insecurity.

Yet in spite of all of this there is an aura of hope around us, as citizens of Canada pull together to claim a deeper identity, and as provinces strive to create new trade agreements. For some of us this aura of hope is resonating with our faith and particularly in this year in the call for a Jubilee.

Pope Francis designated 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope way before most of these uncertainties listed above took shape. Diocesan offices have quickly pulled together resources, planned pilgrimages to historic churches and organized trips to Rome. What strikes me with the greatest intensity is the underlying principle of a Jubilee year.

“The term Jubilee reflects an older Jewish tradition where every fiftieth year the land was to lie fallow, debts were forgiven and slaves were freed. Holy Year Jubilees are now celebrated every 25 years unless a special occasion warranted an extraordinary year be proclaimed as with the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016.”  (info from London Diocese website)

With each Jubilee, advocacy groups focus on the forgiveness of debt. This year a number of groups have come together under the banner Turn Debt into Hope.

I cite a couple of resources that explain this opportunity far better than I. Here is a wonderful video by Development and Peace:

On March 18th a webinar From Ecological Debt to Ecological Hope was presented by ORCIE (Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology).  Guest speakers were Journalist Elton Bozzetto, Sr. Nilva Dal Bello, CSJ Brazil & Dr. Sue Wilson, CSJ Canada, with Sasquia Antunez Pineda, ORCIE Advocacy and Communications Officer. Learn more with ORCIE’s new position paper: Linking Ecological Debt to Global Financial Exploitation. A shorter executive summary is available.

 Let’s continue to look for the signs of hope in our world.

-Sister Loretta Manzara CSJ

A Jubilee Celebration

A Jubilee Celebration in London

A Jubilee is the anniversary of when a Sister entered or professed vows in her religious community. We have a big celebration each year for Sisters celebrating their various year anniversaries.

A sunny late September afternoon was the ideal setting to honor our Jubilarians of 50, 60 and 70 years of faith-filled service to God and the dear neighbor. Friends and family members joined our Sisters for the celebration of the eucharist, followed by a festive dinner.

Throughout their lives, our five jubilarians embraced a wide variety of ministries.  These works include education, health care, outreach to seniors in nursing homes, retreat work, service to the poor and hungry. Other endeavors entail ministry to people in Peru, Nairobi, Yellowknife and Northwest Territories.

In this season of thanksgiving, we are grateful to God for bringing us together to celebrate and rejoice in the faith commitment and dedication of Sisters Maureen Meloche, Theresa Piva, Mary Sharon Kennedy, Diane Naud and Teresa Ryan.     

-Sister Jean Moylan, CSJ

Header Image: Laura Allen @spammerlaw / Unsplash | Photos: Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada

Charism Connection

Associate Pin-crafted by artist, Marg Maheu CSJ Associate from Sarnia

In the Associate pin, pictured left, the heart is surrounded by deep roots, representing being rooted in God’s love; the tree symbolizes all creation (including humankind); the bridge in the centre expresses the desire of Associates/Companions to connect neighbour with neighbour and neighbour with God.

Recently, on Saturday June 17, 2023 some of the Sisters and Associates of the London Community of the Sisters of St. Joseph (CSJ) gathered with family and friends to welcome four new Associate members.

Associates are lay women and men who form small communities to be contemplatives together and to share in a common mission, one of transformation in and through love.

In the morning, the candidates and team met to step back and prepare to take this final step towards full Associate membership.  

The Charism Connection Ceremony, held in the afternoon, was a joyful celebration.  This celebration is held as new candidates become ready to connect to journeying alongside the Sisters after a process of study and discernment.  

The Sisters and the Associates are drawn together by God's call to live by a Charism of 'unity and reconciliation'.   We recognize the oneness of ourselves, others, and all of creation with God.  We live this out in our everyday lives and in our ministries. We are enriched by regularly coming together in sacred spaces to share our experiences of God working in our lives.  Our practice of sharing the State of the Heart and the Order of the House keeps us on the path originally given to our CSJ ancestors.  

We Associates are nourished by living life in communion with God and the Sisters who give us strength to live counter-culturally in the world.  We are Eucharist for each other, and we are grateful.

-Jean Bowden, Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph

Interested in becoming an Associate or Companion? More info here.

Celebrating 100 Years with Sister Olga

Olga’s birthday cake with edible flowers

On April 20, 2023, our dining room was set in festive array to celebrate Sister Olga’s 100th birthday. The tables were adorned with white tablecloths and yellow roses. Nearby, on a long table stood an impressive display of congratulatory framed messages from Pope Francis, Governor General Mary Simon, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Being born and raised in Edmonton, the Alberta government agencies also sent official greetings to Sr. Olga.

Special guests included members of Sister’s family from Edmonton and Mississauga.  It was beautiful to see Olga engaged in lively conversation with two of her young great- grand nieces. In addition, close friends and our sisters filled the dining room as the party continued throughout the afternoon.

Heartwarming pictures of Sister Olga as well as accompanying documents, indicated the life of love and service that was hers. The photos attested to Sister  being a woman of love in action. As a young woman, she was a teacher and loved sports and many other activities. Sometime later, she joined the air force and served on the East Coast.  Before entering the Sisters of St. Joseph, in 1959, Olga earned a degree in psychology which later led to a doctorate.  This enabled her as a woman of great faith and compassion to pour out her love in varied service throughout her many years in ministry.  Included in her postings were teaching and counselling at Brescia College, St. Joseph’s School of Nursing London, Faro Yukon, McKenzie Diocese YK, and healing ministry among Indigenous peoples.

Sister’s final seventeen years of ministry were at London Psych Hospital where she ministered to vulnerable people in need of a healing presence and as Carl Rogers taught, with “unconditional positive regard”. This Sr. Olga did with gentleness, peace, and joy.  How wonderful to gather and praise our newest centenarian.

Congratulations, Sister Olga!

  -Sister Jean Moylan