St. Joe’s Café: Honoring Treasured Volunteers

A warm, mid-July afternoon was the day chosen for the Sisters of St. Joseph and staff to pay tribute to the dedicated volunteers of our St. Joe’s Café.  The Sisters’ residence dining room was a cacophony of voices as the men and women greeted each other, and rejoiced in being together to celebrate, share stories and be part of an endeavor that offers hospitality, community, and meals to London’s lonely, hungry and most in need.

Tracey Morton-Sader, our hospitality centre coordinator, along with the team of Jamie, Larry, Nadine, and Fifi invited some 90+ volunteers that support our St. Joe’s Café to join us for a celebration of their incredible work with us.  Tracey led the proceedings with immense thanks to the volunteers for their collaborative work that makes St. Joe’s the welcoming place that it is. 

Sister Margo Ritchie, our Congregational Leader, addressed the group:

“When I am at meetings with our partners and say that we have about 100 volunteers, their eyes pop a bit. It is a truism to say that without you, we could not do it. And what is it you do?  Besides preparing meals, chatting with guests, problem solving, diffusing some heated situations, waiting on tables, doing dishes, which itself is more than enough.  You do this: you help people stay in their housing by providing food support; you help people (and perhaps yourselves) know that they belong; you offer hope by your consistent welcoming presence.”

Amid the joy and laughter of the afternoon, delicious food and treats were shared. Some volunteers tried their hand at games, while others engaged in conversation and catching up on what has been happening in their lives. A special joy was evident as Sisters greeted volunteers who had worked alongside each other for many years. 

The work of volunteers and people dedicated to justice and good works is as necessary these days, as it always has been. As we Sisters age and step back from the front line of duty, I think of the words of Colonel John McRae in his poem, “Flanders’ Fields.”  With two words changed, he penned,

“to you from aging hands we toss the torch; be yours to hold it high.”  

It is heartening to see that our works are continued through generous volunteers who embrace tending the dear neighbor wherever she/he/they might be.

Sister Jean Moylan, csj

Image: Unsplash/Dave Lowe

London Diocese's Linda Staudt Appointment

London Diocese’s Linda Staudt Appointment: Voting Participant at Synod in Rome

Read the article in the Windsor Star https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/windsors-staudt-selected-by-pope-francis-for-prominent-role

Last week in early July, I heard a loud crash and realized that another woman had broken a glass ceiling! Linda Staudt of London Diocese was selected by Pope Francis as a voting participant at the upcoming Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of Rome in October 2023. Ms. Staudt will be one of only seven lay people from North America to participate in the Synod which will listen to what has been gleaned in previous synodality diocesan meetings throughout the world. Participants will assist in refining where the Spirit and People of God are leading the faithful at this time through mutual communion, participation, and mission.

Bishop Ronald Fabbro of London Diocese nominated Linda for her leadership and participation in the diocesan synodality discussions, and as chairwoman and lead writer of the Synod Synthesis Team for the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario and presented the Ontario Synthesis to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022.  For years, she has been a leader in Catholic education.

Prior to her retirement following eight years as Director of Education, London District Catholic School Board, Ms. Staudt was a teacher and administrator in her Windsor hometown.  She took a keen interest in sports and is, herself, a member of the Windsor-Essex Sports Hall of Fame for her excellence as a track athlete.

As Ms. Staudt prepares for her upcoming trip and participation at the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, we accompany her and all the participants with our prayers.  We shower them with abundant blessings at this opportune moment as they read the signs of the time, seek the movement of the Holy Spirit, and listen to the faithful throughout the world. Let us “be a mission-oriented Church that forms disciples of Jesus.”1

-Sister Jean Moylan, csj

1.Introduction: Conversations in the Diocese of London for A Listening Church

Header Image: Unsplash, Francesco Maria Achille; Linda Staudt PHOTO BY DAN JANISSE /Windsor Star

 

Who Do You Say I AM?

Isn’t it interesting that puzzling questions, spiritual and otherwise, pop into our heads while relaxing on vacation? While our bodies relax our minds are set free to ‘wonder’ where they will. 

On the shore of Lake Ontario, we found ourselves pondering once again whether ‘my God is your God?’ A question not easily unpacked. Is our image of God fashioned by our own experiences and coloured by our own temperaments? On a natural level, this is not so surprising, as siblings often describe their parents with unique variations. As in all relationships, our sense of God is very personal, quite different.

As humans, we do not see things clearly but only in fragments as attested to by Paul in his message to the Corinthians,

“…we see now only dimly…”

(1 Cor. 13:12). 

It is not surprising then, that each of us forms our own image of God. 

Would you consider it farfetched if we turned from quoting scripture to the Indian folktale “The Blind Men and the Elephant”? 

In this tale, images of an elephant are formed from each blind man's limited perspective of the elephant. Upon overhearing their differing viewpoints, the Rajah points out how each one has only a limited perception of what an elephant is. He emphasizes, “The  elephant is a very large animal," … "Each man touched only one part. Perhaps if you put the parts together, you will see the truth.” The Rajah's advice holds wisdom for us as we ponder our image of God. It's no time to think small.

Summertime offers us an opportunity to be still and know that God is God. In the stillness we may hear

"I am who I am".

We see dimly now but trust that one day we will see face to face and know God fully as we are known. 

-Sister Loretta Hagen, CSJ; Sister Magdalena Vogt, CPS; Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ

Header image: Unsplash/Sean Oulashin

Cheer Up the Lonely Day

Who knew there was a “National Cheer Up the Lonely Day”? I certainly didn’t until just recently. It originated in Detroit Michigan by quiet & kind Francis Pesek. His idea was to have such a day to remind people specifically to be kind to the lonely. One man with one idea that caught on. Now, on July 11th every year, this day is celebrated in the USA and many other countries.  One might ask, why only the lonely? Well you have to start somewhere! National Cheer Up the Lonely Day encourages us to bring joy and cheer into the lives of those who are struggling with loneliness. 

The Campaign to End Loneliness states “Loneliness can affect anyone. Experiences of loneliness can vary, but its effects can be profound and wide-ranging. It is considered by many to be one of the largest public health challenges we face.”

  • In 2022, 49.63% of adults (25.99 million people) in the UK reported feeling lonely occasionally, sometimes, often, or always [1]

  • Approximately 7.1% of people in Great Britain (3.83 million) experience chronic loneliness, meaning they feel lonely ‘often or always’ [2].

  • This has risen from 6% (3.24 million) in 2020, indicating that there has not been a return to pre-pandemic levels of loneliness [2].

Types of loneliness

  • Emotional loneliness – 'the absence of meaningful relationships'

  • Social loneliness – a 'perceived deficit in the quality of social connections'

  • Existential loneliness – a 'feeling of fundamental separateness from others and the wider world.'

Please be kind to someone today even if they are not lonely. Heck, I’ll go out on a limb here & suggest we be kind to everyone every day!

-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate

Header Image: Unsplash/Ante Hamersmit

REFERENCES: [1] Campaign to End Loneliness with Dr Heather McClelland (2023) Analysis of quarterly report data provided by the ONS from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey for Jan-Dec 2022 using a representative sample of people aged 16 and over in Great Britain. Note: an average of 2,625 participants engaged with the ONS Opinions during each wave of the Lifestyle Survey over this period.

[2] Campaign to End Loneliness, The State of Loneliness 2023: ONS Data on loneliness in Britain (2023).