Leap!

Q: What does the Buddhist writer, Pema Chodron, and a group whose subtitle is more solidarity, more care and more joy have in common?

A: They both use the term, the leap, to describe what they see as necessary in our culture.

Pema Chodron is speaking of a leap in consciousness, in the way we see ourselves as the human and more than human community. The LEAP organisers also see a shift in consciousness expressed in real and concrete action toward becoming this community characterised by solidarity, care and joy.

One of these shifts is the vivid emergence of a movement called Blue Community which aims to have water firmly embedded as a human right. At a very tangible level it means refusing to drink bottled water when it has no meaning beyond us being lulled into the idea of bottled water as a need. More significantly though, being part of the Blue Community movement means working at a policy level to see that clean water is possible for every community and also that water is not to be sold for profit but is rather to stay as a common good shared by all.

The Council of Canadians in conjunction with CUPE [Canadian Union of Public Employees] are taking the initiative to lead a global movement assuring the rights of all to clean potable water and sanitation. In the tag phrase of the LEAP movement, on this eve of 2018, what could give more solidarity, care and joy than that.

Let’s make it happen!

Margo Ritchie, CSJ

A Sister of St. Joseph … What Me?!

Why not you? Are you a single Roman Catholic woman seeking “more” in your life? Are you sensing a call that you can’t quite name? Have you ever considered religious life?

The Sisters of St. Joseph founded in Le Puy, France in 1650 arrived in Canada in 1851. Across the centuries these women of prayer have served God in their neighbour, living the Gospel in numerous ways always “listening” to the needs in an evolving Church and society. Today, we continue, “reading the signs of our times” in order to best serve where the world’s unmet needs arise. Today you will find Sisters of St. Joseph across the globe still serving the poor, the sick and most vulnerable with love and respect, still educating in a variety of settings, welcoming refugees, supporting seniors, teaching meditation and prayer to children, simply “listening” to people’s hearts and stories, providing spiritual accompaniment. We care for the environment in response to the call of the Church in our day. Sisters are active in interfaith and ecumenical prayer and dialogue. Sisters of St. Joseph initiate, lead and participate with others in vital social justice initiatives, such as addressing child poverty, protecting water sources for life, supporting life at every stage and in every way, reaching out to prevent human trafficking and caring for those caught in the trap, injustice and agony of modern slavery. Sisters of St. Joseph in their being, becoming and actions attempt to be the “real presence of Christ” in the contemporary world. We are all called to wholeness and holiness. Each of us has many gifts to bring. Perhaps your gifts are gifts that harmonize with the spirit, spirituality and mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Through the unifying love of Christ, Sisters of St. Joseph are animated by a life of prayer and a contemplative spirit in all times and places. We live with simplicity and compassion, nurture community, caring for God’s creation. We minister with active, inclusive love bringing healing and hope in God’s beautiful but broken world. We are “ordinary women, doing ordinary things for the extraordinary love of God”. Could this be you?

We invite you to take a look under the tab, “Becoming a Sister” on this website where there is new material inviting and guiding discernment of call and outlining the various stages of formation in the “making of a Sister of St. Joseph”.  Consider reading this part of our website .. You may be surprised by God or you may know a woman who may be interested. The invitation is to a life of love, a life of joy, a life of hope lived for God and others. A Sister of St. Joseph … what me? Why not?

Mary Rowell, CSJ
Vocation Director

Sex Trafficking

This is a topic that’s difficult to talk about.

As a father with a beautiful daughter of my own, just reading the words “sex trafficking” is enough to turn my stomach.

But I beg you not to turn away. Every single day, innocent and vulnerable Canadian girls are lured into Canada’s rapidly growing underground world of sexual slavery. It’s a psychological game played by master manipulators and the effects are long lasting and deeply damaging.

If you’re having a hard time believing this could happen in Canada, please watch Amy’s story here to see how easy it is to become a victim.

Amy was just like any girl you know – a regular teenager who liked to talk on the phone and hang out with her friends. But like some girls her age, she was gripped with low self-esteem.

Amy yearned for love and approval. She met Ryan and he changed her life, but in the worst way possible. His once kind and thoughtful actions turned into demands and violent threats once he ensnared her in the world of sex trafficking.

These predators are slick manipulators. They understand that many girls can struggle with body image, self-esteem and self-identity. These girls are then vulnerable to luring and falling for a false sense of affection.

Sex trafficking in Canada is primarily a domestic problem. Some 90 per cent of victims are female and most are Canadian girls as young as 13, and on average 17. Police have identified Toronto as a major trafficking hub and estimate the number of victims could be in the thousands. These girls come from all over the country and are from every background. In the last four years, Covenant House has seen a 300-per cent increase in our caseload for victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking.

As a Catholic agency, Covenant House follows the church’s values in our work with the most vulnerable, recognizing the value of each person. Since opening our doors in 1982, we have welcomed almost 95,000 homeless and trafficked young people, ages 16 to 24, from all parts of Ontario, Canada and the world.

When a youth enters our doors, we make a covenant to support them every step of the way to independence. We achieve this with the support of our donors, volunteers and through sector partnerships, however, it mustn’t end there. Broad collaboration amongst community members is essential for ensuring our young people, and victims of sex trafficking in particular, truly receive the wraparound support they need to recover.

In Amy’s case, she had the courage to leave her trafficker on her own and seek out the support she needed to rebuild her life but we can all, as full members of our community, help victims while preventing greater victimization.

We cannot, as people, flourish in isolation and as Pope John Paul II said, “…a community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings.”

It is only together as a community that we can create a home of love and compassion and effectively combat this devastating crime which touches us all.

Please help us raise awareness by educating others about this issue. If you suspect someone is being trafficked or groomed for trafficking, alert your local police.

Guest Bloger Bruce Rivers
Executive Director, Covenant House Toronto

"We Are Not Your Incompetent Children"

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that Canadians educate themselves about the history of aboriginal people in our Country. Alicia Elliot, a writer from the Six Nations Community located near Brantford, Ontario and author of a forthcoming book: A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, gives us a good starting place in “Finding a Way” published in the January 6, 2018 edition of The Globe and Mail. I lived and worked for many years among the Dene and Metis of the Northwest Territories yet this article caused me to realize that I have failed to fully understand how aboriginal people were left on the sideline as Canada unilaterally made decisions about land ownership, independence, and governance, decisions which had an enormous impact on their lives.

The author describes the frustration, weariness and mistrust among our indigenous population with the many changes to the bureaucracy dealing with aboriginal issues.  Changes have been cosmetic rather than substantive and have failed to alleviate underlying issues.  There are signs of progress:  Universities, school boards, CBC, The Globe and Mail, have invested in educating us.  The Federal Government has initiated many initiatives to right past wrongs, including the division of INAC (Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada) in August 2017.  Yet despite its laudable goals, the replacement of INAC was imposed without consultation or involvement of aboriginal organizations. Once again there is denial and lack of consent.

Ms. Elliot compares the “consent and denial” of sexual exploitation highlighted in the “Me Too” movement to the history of indigenous people in our Country.   The author cites concrete examples of the Canadian Government overriding the rights of our 634 First Nations in Canada.  First Nations have been prevented from making meaningful changes in their communities, establishing self-determination, and forging their own futures. The article references land grabs, exploitation of natural resources, and imposition of colonial government.  But it is Elliot’s account of the Six Nations history which makes real for me the injustice of Canada’s actions, provides knowledge of a history I was never taught, and gives insight which renders the anger and frustration of our indigenous population understandable.

I congratulate Alicia Elliot for her article and The Globe and Mail for publishing it.  I recommend that this article be widely disseminated.  You may access it through the link given below.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/indigenous-memo-to-canada-were-not-your-incompetent-children/article37511319/?click=sf_globe

Engaging South Sudan

From January 13-28, 2018, three Sisters of St. Joseph will be travelling from London to South Sudan with Canadian Aid to South Sudan (CASS), led by Jane Roy and her husband, Glen Pearson. Sisters Joan Atkinson, Joan Driscoll and Teresa Ryan will be with eight other members of CASS, some of whom have been to Africa previously.  The youngest of the group is a thirteen-year-old girl who will be accompanied by her mother.

The purpose of the journey is to support the people of the Awell area, letting them know that they have not been forgotten by the world as they struggle with the effects of civil strife, poverty and food shortage following several years of civil strife.

The CASS group will stay in a Catholic mission run by the Camboni Missionaries.  From there, they plan to visit schools, health clinics and small enterprise groups along the way.  They also hope to interact with their hosts, praying and celebrating together.

South Sudan is a landlocked country in North Eastern Africa which gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. It has a population of 13,000,000, the median age being 17.1 years.  Since 2013, South Sudan has experienced civil war caused mainly by tensions between the two main tribes, the Dinka and the Nuer peoples over political and economic power.  Despite vast oil reserves, the country is poverty stricken.  However, the CASS visitors will not see military conflict but rather will witness the impact of food shortage caused by years of war.

Regarding the effects of war and exploitation on people and their lands, Pope Francis, in “Laudato Si” states, “The human environment and natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation.  In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet”.  Chapter 5 #48.  Witnessing such deterioration and degradation will be evident to the group as they visit the Awell area and reach out to them in their need.

We here at home, stand in prayer and solidarity with our Sisters and their companions of Canadian Aid to South Sudan as they undertake their long journey to be a solace and healing presence with the South Sudanese. May we continue to look for ways to be ambassadors of peace.

Jean Moylan, CSJ