Celebrating Mother St. John Fontbonne

Love in the Underground

Mother St. John’s Anniversary of Death, November 22

Most of us are stunned with the recent results of the U.S. election.  For us Canadians, it is almost unbelievable that such a majority of Americans, our friends and allies, could choose Donald Trump over an excellent, integrous and forward-looking candidate like Kamala Harris.  How could this happen?

I won’t join the hordes of pundits who are trying to analyze what the Democrats did wrong, or what the Republicans did right.  What interests me, is just what is going on world-wide that makes this happening understandable?

The world’s pulse shows us a global shift to the far right, politically.  Many countries have had elections in the recent months and nearly all have opted to oust the incumbent, and choose someone farther to the right, more conservative, a party or an individual who promises to “make America great again”, “fix what is broken”, or “restore common sense” and make things stable the way they used to be.

People everywhere are experiencing chaos on many levels: floods, hurricanes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, wildfires; housing crises, rising interest rates, economic instability, political polarization and upheaval of many kinds. Even the Catholic Church is experiencing the revolt of some Bishops and rebellion against Pope Francis’ leadership. Chaos seems to reign.

This is a scary moment to be alive. Folks are looking for something, someone, who can restore some order and stability. And so, they reach for someone who looks like a strong leader, who seems very sure of him/herself, confident and unafraid.  So they vote for an apparently strong leader, one whom they think will take charge, get a grip on things and bring them back to “normal”, i.e. the known, the secure, the stable. Of course, we all want stability and predictability. 

However, that impulse will not give us what we are looking for if that leader takes us in the wrong direction. Going back is not the way forward.  Helping us to ruin the environment even faster than at our current rate, will not bring us more stable global temperatures.  Deporting our countrymates, bullying other nations, reacting with force will not bring about peace.  Manipulating the markets for our own profit, will not produce economic stability.  These actions proceed from fear and end up producing more fear. “He who lives by the sword will die by the sword.”

Species that survive as the world evolves are not those that cling to their old ways of behaving, but those that adapt, change, and find new ways of doing things.  These species are not acting out of fear, but out of an urgency to survive.  Those that survive are not the majority, but they are the ones that make it to the next stage in the evolutionary process.

The earth and the universe proceed from Love and thrive on love.  When fear is the major dynamic at work, we need to counter that fear with creativity, bonding, mutual assistance, i.e. love, hope, trust, and gentle confidence.  In this war of world-views, “moving with love” is our way forward.  During the Second World War, thousands of people refused to cooperate with the Reich, by quietly working underground, harboring Jews, forging false documents to create new identities for them, carrying messages to the allied forces, and generally reaching across the divide, to do good, to be who they believed they were and wanted to be into the future. In time, that underground swell helped to carry the day.  Today we are called to be the underground, cooperating with the universe in its evolution into Love:  under the lies, to speak truth; under the hatred, to spread love, under the bullying to stand up for the undocumented, or the minorities, under the vociferous far-right of some versions of Christianity, to live the Gospel truth of love, compassion, inclusion and sharing.  It’s not glamorous.  It’s not big screen, but it is effective.  And it is Gospel. 

Mother St.John Fontbonne

Mother St. John and her Sisters lived through the reign of terror of the French Revolution.  Their moment in history took them there.  Our moment in history takes us here, now.  Will we react with fear, or keep on “moving with love”?

-Sister Mary Diesbourg, csj

An Anniversary Celebration in Le Puy

SISTER MARY DIESBOURG SHARES HER JOURNEY TO FRANCE

October 17, 2024 was the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the International Centre-St. Joseph in Le Puy, France. 

One of the magic moments that stands out for me, and remains in my recurring memories, is our first view of Le Puy as we approached the town on route 88, in the waning sunlight of early evening. By that time, we had been awake for about 32 hours or more and were struggling to keep our heads up and our eyes open.  Yet, as we saw the outline of the Le Puy skyline, we all gasped and drew in our breath, deeply moved by the gently rolling hills of that ancient volcanic area, with the statue of Notre Dame de France piercing the evening sky.  It was beautiful, and felt like a welcome, a homecoming. 

Sisters Josette, Sheila, and Mary

Sister Josette, of the Erie, Pennsylvania Congregation, Sister Sheila of the Philadelphia SSJ’s, and myself, (pictured above), had agreed to meet in the Lyon airport, so we could share a taxi for the 2-hour drive from there to Le Puy.  While we had driven those roads many times during our years at the Centre, at this stage in our lives we were reluctant to trust ourselves to renting a vehicle, and navigating the roads and traffic, which we were sure had changed significantly since our departure, 20 years ago.  That was a wise choice. 

The second moment was that after our arrival at the Ibis Hotel, just down the street from the Centre, we got checked in, dropped our luggage in our rooms, and went to the dining room for a quick bite of supper before heading straight for bed and a good long sleep.  However, much to our surprise, we had just placed our orders, when Olga, from the Centre arrived and announced: “You can’t eat  here.  We are all waiting for you at the Centre. We have supper for you there.  Come with me”.  After quick apologies to the dining room staff, we made our exit somewhat reluctantly, not really feeling ready to meet the Board members at the Centre and linger over a meal!  Olga whisked us away, and when we arrived at the Centre, we were welcomed with applause, cheers and much ado.  To say we were surprised, is an understatement.  Never in our years at the Centre, had we received such accolades!  We were abashed, touched and deeply moved. We quickly saw that as the “first team”, we had acquired a kind of aura that was new to us, and certainly embarrassing.  There followed a lovely dinner, with lots of conversation and sharing of memories.  

When, a few hours later, we were taken back to the hotel, it was with new energy, deeply touched hearts, and gratitude for all that had been, and for all that was yet to be in these next few days. 

The following day was a free day for us in Le Puy.  The Board was involved in their meeting, and the celebration day was to be the 17th.  So, free for the day, we set out to walk up to the Cathedral.  The many stairs took us a while to navigate, necessitating many stops for breath, but we got there, and once again experienced the awe-inspiring beauty of that ancient church.  There we prayed before the Black Madonna, and paused at the Healing Stone, entrusting to Notre Dame du Puy all the intentions that we had been entrusted with.  We lit candles and put intentions onto the list for the pilgrims setting out from there on the Camino.  It was precious time and recalled to us the millions of pilgrims who travel there each year, hoping to start out on a path of deeper discovery in their lives. 

From the Cathedral, we went to Martine’s lace shop. We first met Martine in the fall of 2004, shortly after we first arrived.  Preparing to have our first program that summer, we wanted to ask a lace maker to make lace in the background, while we told the story of our early Sisters making lace to support themselves and teaching women to make lace to help keep themselves and their families out of poverty.  I had found Martine outside her shop one day, quietly making lace, and asked her if she would be willing to make lace for us while we told the story of our Congregations’ beginnings.  She most graciously agreed, telling us that although she had known the local Sisters from her childhood, she had no idea we had been lace-makers too.  So began a long and beautiful friendship with us and with all the Sisters, Associates, and coworkers who visited Le Puy afterwards.   

As we entered her shop this time, Martine was moved to tears seeing us again and was deeply touched by our gift to her of a beautiful wall-hanging, hand-stitched by Sister Pat McKeon, and featuring an Inuk on a sled, lit by the midnight sun. We offered it to her, in gratitude for her for her great hospitality to our many Canadian Sisters, Associates, and co-workers who had visited her shop. Martine wept at the beauty of the hanging, its intricate stitch work, and its significance, coming from Canada.  She plans to hang it in her bedroom. 

The celebration itself was well documented, with its speeches, tributes, prayer service and elegant luncheon.  The Board had done much to ensure a lovely celebration, and Olga and Eluiza overlooked no detail in the planning.  For me, the highlights were the moments of reconnecting, with neighbours, former Board members, many of whom had been extremely helpful to us in our first days and years in Le Puy.  Those threads of connection remain strong, including those with some of the Sisters, and neighbours who are no longer with us.  We are still one. 

Of the speeches that were given, the theme that reached out to me was when Father Chamaly, former pastor of Les Carmes, the parish we attended, spoke of how our presence, the Centre, and its many international guests had widened the vision of the parishioners, helping them to envision and experience a bigger world.  The Mayor of Aiguilhe and the delegate of the Bishop also spoke of the broader vision brought to the tiny town of Le Puy by our presence and that of our global programs. That felt like something worthwhile to have been about. 

Globally, we are all experiencing the declining numbers of Religious and the increasing role of lay persons in all aspects of what we saw as “our mission”.  Truth be told, the mission is that of Jesus, “that all may be one”: love of God, love of neighbour without distinction.  This is at the heart of the Gospel, and so not intended as our property at all.  From the beginning, Father Medaille saw our collaboration with “all persons of good will” as essential to our mission and our existence.  The woman protestant minister, a Biblical scholar, who spoke to the Global Coordinating Group about the Eucharistic Letter, spoke of self-emptying, or anéantissement, as really being, “making room for the other”, not taking up all the room and attention for yourself.  It seems to me that our call at this moment in time is to make room for the laity, to let them take on responsibility for much of what we have called our mission.   

Will the Centre survive into the future?  We do not know.  As we interacted with our neighbours, with Martine, with the parishioners, with Board members and even the staff of the hotel where we stayed, I could not help thinking that if there is to be a future for Centre International St. Joseph, we need to “make room for the other” and take up less room for ourselves. 

-Sister Mary Diesbourg, CSJ

World Day for Consecrated Life: What’s to Celebrate?

By now, the World Day for Consecrated Life, celebrated on February 2nd each year is not news.  In fact, many people, Catholics included, don’t have any lived experience of any women or men currently living that life, and so the day probably does not have much meaning for them.  Gone are the days when most young Catholics had Sisters for teachers, or when parents and children met or worked with Sisters in Catholic hospitals.  Today there are still some Sisters working in various ministries, here and abroad: pastoral ministers in parishes, hospitals and long term care facilities, or helping out in soup kitchens, or on the missions, but that day-to-day knowledge and experience of sisters, brothers and religious clergy is just no longer our reality here in Canada.  To make matters worse, the horrendous stories of physical, emotional, cultural, and sexual abuse by clergy and religious in the residential schools have done much to destroy any positive images many had of religious and religion in general.  So, what’s to celebrate?

Image: Unsplash/Juan Domenech

Well, I think it is no mistake that this Feast is celebrated on February 2nd, Candlemas Day, a feast for blessing and lighting candles.  We don’t use candles much anymore either, yet their tiny, warm and flickering glow changes the atmosphere in any setting.  We might light a candle to celebrate a birthday, to help us focus for a time of meditation, to create a memorial for a tragic event, or to give mood to a particular setting.  We light candles for all our Eucharistic liturgies.  The truth is that candles, fragile and unusual as they are, do have meaning and purpose.  Of course, the paschal candle is THE Candle, as it reminds us of Christ, the light of life, the Risen One, whose resurrection gives us the promise of eternal life and teaches the reality that apparent death is not the end, but merely a transition to new life in even greater fullness. 

So, as we celebrate today this flickering candle that is religious life, I asked some of the Sisters in my local community what they could most celebrate about their experience of Consecrated Life lived these 50, 60 and 70 years or more.  Their responses sounded like this:

• “I was a nurse before I entered the community, but after I became a Sister I found that my relationship with patients was different.  Many felt they could trust me in a different way, that I cared for more than their physical well-being.  It was very touching to me and fulfilling at the same time.”

• “I think the wonderful relationships I have had, the people I have met through my various ministries, and the feeling that I have been helpful to some individuals and have grown through their influence on me.  That is a great gift.”

• “For me I think the greatest blessing has been living in community.  We get the loving support, the witness, and the challenge of so many wonderful women. And we have a lot of fun together too.”

• “I have been called to do things I never would have thought myself capable of and have received the grace to grow into many new ministries and challenges.  Living Religious Life has stretched me!”

• “This life has constantly provided me with the opportunities to grow in my relationship with God, with others and with myself.  I had the opportunity to get the help I needed and that has made all the difference.” 

• “Community constantly calls us to further growth, in prayer, in loving relationships, in awareness and active responsibility in issues of justice and human rights.  We take very seriously our responsibility to help society become a better place.”

• “I am just so grateful that God called me to this life!  It has been a blessing to me in more ways than I can name.”

….and on and on and on.

Image: Unsplash/BBC Creative @bethbapchurch

Each of us is a little, fragile candle, shedding a small light and warmth in its immediate circle. “If everyone lit just one little candle, what a bright world this would be.”  That old song carries much truth.  So, let’s celebrate this wonderful gift that Religious Life is and has been for many centuries.  Celebrate those Religious who have gone before us and on whose shoulders we stand. Celebrate our parents who passed on to us the gift of faith and our first lived experience of a faith-filled community in our homes.  Celebrate our teachers, clergy, friends who encouraged us, challenged us and supported us along the journey.  Celebrate all those, in whatever walk of life, who are lighting their own little candles.  Celebrate those who at this moment are receiving a call to a consecrated life and perhaps have not yet said yes.  We cannot know what might come next for Consecrated Life here in the western world, except that this gift to the persons called to it, to those whose lives they influence, to the Church and to the world, will not die.  It will continue to flicker, and to burn quietly, warmly and glowingly until the time is right for it to flare forth. 

-Sister Mary Diesbourg, a Sister of St. Joseph since 1961

The purpose of the day is "to help the entire Church to esteem ever more greatly the witness of those persons who have chosen to follow Christ by means of the practice of the evangelical counsels" as well as "to be a suitable occasion for consecrated persons to renew their commitment and rekindle the fervour which should inspire their offering of themselves to the Lord" (Saint John Paul II, 1997).

Read Pope Francis’ message on World Day for Consecrated Life.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Fifth Sunday of Lent

“I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; …I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live…” Ezek. 37: 12,14.

 “If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

 “I am the Resurrection and the Life.  Whoever believes in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”  John 11: 25-26

Image: Unsplash

The message for this 5th Sunday of Lent holds up to us two promises: the coming of the indwelling, life-giving Spirit, and the eternal life that Spirit assures.  In the first reading, Ezekiel prophesies both the future gift of the Spirit and the resurrection to come.  Paul speaks to the early Christians living that promise in their now reality and assuring them of the life to come.  Then Jesus, raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, demonstrates the truth of his power over death, and speaks clearly that He is the Resurrection, and that all who live in him, will never die. 

Image: Unsplash/Paul Keiffer

We have heard and read these passages so often that sometimes they don’t really sink in.  Like Martha, we know and believe that we will “rise again at the resurrection on the last day”.  But do we realize that the life we will experience when that day comes is not a new life, to be given to us as a reward for living a good life here.  It is, in truth, the fullness of the very life we are living NOW, the life of the Godhead received at our Baptism.  The miracle is that by God’s free, deliberate, and loving gift, God infused the very life of the Trinity into us when, in the waters of Baptism, we were buried with Christ and rose to be a totally new kind of human.  We are now not just the wonderful stardust of the evolutionary process, but an even more amazing creature: I dare to say, the “God-dust” of a new creation, a human imbued with the very life of the Godhead.  That’s a bigger big bang than the first one! So, all our lives, from our Baptism on, our “graves are being opened” and we are rising from the dead by the power of the Spirit who has been given to us.  However, like Lazarus when he first came out of the tomb, we are alive, and yet we are still “bound” by the limits of our mortality and need to be unbound and “let go” in order to live this new life to the full.  Little by little we need to allow God and life to unbind us, to set us free and thus to reveal the wonder of the new creation that we are.  

Image: Unsplash/Pisit Heng

So, I ask: What is the unbinding that is taking place in my life this lent?  Could it be letting go of resentments?  Changing attitudes of discrimination, judgment, or non-inclusion? Seeking comfort or pleasure a little less avidly? or reaching out to unbind someone else who needs to be set free?  Whatever that unbinding might be, I invite Jesus, to come and awaken me.  Show me where I am asleep, still bound, or not letting go.  Come Jesus, call out to me, as you did to Lazarus, “come out”, so that I may live more fully the Trinitarian life planted in me at my Baptism so long ago.   

-Sister Mary Diesbourg, CSJ