Associates

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.

It All Started With A Dream

There is evidence from many sources about the importance and significance of dreams. In 1999 two Pembroke associates, Susan and Richard Schmaltz, retired educators, had an experience that changed their lives and ultimately the lives of many when Susan had a dream that they were to go to Guatemala. She didn’t know why, but as the dreams persisted Susan was certain that they must go. With the support and encouragement of Richard, the Pembroke Sisters, associates and many other people they were able to follow the compelling message of Susan’s dream. This inspiring story has been written and published by Susan in her book, “Beyond Belief.”

The Schmaltzes began their work in Guatemala with Richard leading teams to build houses and Susan developing preschools and training teachers. In the evenings they would make lunches which they handed to the homeless as they walked the streets. They partnered with Safe Passage, an organization working with the poor at the Guatemala City dump, where Susan established a daycare program. Eventually they developed a non-governmental organization called Oneness Through Service, which was changed in 2017 to Planting Seeds International.

The educational programs based on the Planting Seeds Methodology created by Susan grew beyond Guatemala City dump. Teams of volunteers from the Ottawa Valley, among them many associates, Marjorie FitzPatrick, a Sister of St. Joseph, family and friends from other parts of Canada and the United States joined the Schmaltzes. They helped establish schools by building furniture for 23 classrooms, painting, creating learning activities, setting up a Teacher Training Centre, and one group undertook the planning, engineering, and funding for digging a well and bringing water to the mountain village of Sacala, where one of the preschool programs had been established.

Planting Seeds Methodology, an alternative approach to the rote learning used in Guatemala schools, is a child-centered, hands-on, activity-based learning philosophy and methodology that encourages the students to be creative, to become critical thinkers and decision makers. Respect and love for self and care about others is its essence, recognizing everyone’s value and goodness. In 2014 following several years of continued success the methodology was accredited by the Guatemala Department of Education to teach children from preschool to grade six.

That same year Richard and Susan made the decision to retire to Canada. After a time of discernment and searching, the Schmaltzes passed the torch on to two young volunteers who had worked with them since 2006. Shannon Moyle from Ottawa and Maclane Phillips from Chicago became co-executive directors of Planting Seeds International.

Pictured from left, Mac and Shannon in Guatemala

On December 12, 2021, a 20-year anniversary event was held in the Conference Room of The Best Western in Pembroke where supporters, Sisters and associates gathered to hear Shannon Moyle share experiences that happened over the course of the year, telling of successes and future plans.

20th Anniversary event in Pembroke, ON

Through a PowerPoint presentation she highlighted school and community activities and initiatives depicting children, teachers, youth and parents in the various programs operated by Planting Seeds International. Shannon’s love and passion for what she does shone through in her words:

“Every time I see the Ottawa Valley crew I get re-energized. I think what we have to be really, really grateful for is the fact that we’re all here together, 20 years later. It really warms my heart. We can’t all change the world, but we can be that person for somebody else, where they know they can count on you. They know they can come to you and trust you to be that one person. What else can we ask for.” (Pembroke Observer)

It is a daunting task to attempt to tell this story because there is so much more to it than recorded here. I hope their dream has inspired you.

-Grace McGuire, Associate

For more information and inquiries re: Beyond Belief please visit: www.plantingseedsinternational.org 

Connecting Globally Inspired Us Locally

Many Associates of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London are actively supporting global partners in developing countries. Our support ranges from participating in short-term exposure trips to promoting and volunteering at fund-raising events.

Our global involvement inspires us to consider ways we can share from the abundance in our lives. We recognize the privileges we have in Canada with our access to education, health care, employment, clean and abundant water, civic rights, and peaceful communities. We can hope to see our dreams for our children and grandchildren come to fruition. In return we want to express the love of our dear neighbour in ways that alleviate the hardships of poverty.

Along this “camino” of walking with the poor, we take the extra steps and go deeper with questions about what creates and sustains poverty. From there we take action, we lobby, we join solidarity groups, we turn out for events, we weave patterns of “unifying love”.

We have witnessed the transformative potential of micro enterprise support in programs that specifically assist women in Peru, Haiti, Guatemala, and Malawi. We lobby for indigenous rights and environmental protection.

When we consume, we remember the legacy of the lace makers and we choose first to consume fair trade products in loving solidarity. In writing this article I challenged myself to “walk the talk”. I read with interest an article in our London Free Press that Catholic schools in London are doing research on whether the uniforms their students are wearing are made from fair trade practices. I wore 3 different uniforms as a student at a convent in Montreal; my youngest child wore a uniform in her last year at Catholic Central High School in London. I find this initiative to be something I wholeheartedly support. I hope the Catholic School board will find a way to visually stamp each uniform with the guarantee of fair trade practices so that anyone who purchases or wears a uniform will be participating in a local action for global change. It is time to write my letter showing my support and suggesting that idea.

We are all called continuously to “walk the talk” and our Associate voices are growing in unity.

The Associates support these NGOs in Southwestern Ontario