Memories of World War II and the Red Cross

Relaxing during our summer evening meals at the cottage often leads to interesting discussions.  Recently, we four vacationers were discussing the state of the war in Ukraine and other world hot spots.  Sister D’s thoughts soon turned to her experience of World War ll through the eyes of a young girl in a family of nine who endured the travails of the war in the Netherlands.  They lived in a rural setting, not far from the city of Makkum.

She spoke of hearing the drone of enemy planes overhead and wondered what that might mean.  Although being surrounded with worry, her parents provided safety from fear. “Our Dutch world was upset but going to school remained a priority.” One day as the children set out to walk to the local school, they were turned back because the school building was needed for emergency care of the wounded. Puzzled, they trudged the seven-kilometer journey home.

Sister D continued her story, Sometimes, gunshots were heard regularly in the city but not out in the country where we lived. From time to time, a large airplane with a visible Canadian Red Cross sign would fly over the farm fields. How excited we were when they dropped large crates of oranges and canvas bags of supplies into the fields.  The farmers would quickly collect the items and deliver them to the city schools.  I’ll never forget the pretty green skirt I once received.  We also gratefully received our treasured orange wrapped in soft tissue, and excitedly ate it, savoring every morsel. Even the peel was not wasted. We would put a piece of it in our pockets so we could enjoy its sweet smell.  To this day, the Dutch people have never forgotten the bravery of the pilots and generosity of Canadians who made those wonderful sky drops that filled our hearts with excitement and gratitude.

After the war, in 1951 when I was fourteen, my family moved to Canada.  I remember being on a train from Halifax to Montreal. Looking out the windows, we were amazed at the size of Canada with its vast crops, soaring mountains, and rolling hills.  We were awed at the beauty surrounding us on all sides, especially the tumbling waterfalls that seemed to pop out of nowhere.

Ever since those war years, The Canadian Red Cross has meant a lot to me; I longed to work for them.  As the years passed, I had an opportunity to do so and was hired as a registered nursing assistant to attend to the sick and elderly in their homes.  At last, I was fulfilling my dream to express deep appreciation to The Canadian Red Cross. Proudly, I carried my Red Cross bag from client to client.  Still today, this great organization continues their outreach to help where help is needed most”.

Those of us listening at the dinner table were moved deeply by having one of our Sisters share her war experience.  May Canada remain a welcoming land and may countries at war soon experience peace.

-Sister Jean Moylan, CSJ

Meeting with Friends

The train sped through lush countryside, fields promising harvests, backyards strewn with bicycles, swimming pools and childrens’ toys. I was heading home to London from a rich experience of three days of singing with my friends. For many, many years I have been a member of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. These friends enrich me with new hymn texts, melodies, and sheer joy.

We are a group of congregational song practitioners who live from the stance that the holy act of singing together shapes faith, heals brokenness, transforms lives, and renews peace. The Society’s mission is to encourage, promote and enliven congregational singing in the United States and Canada.

Gathered in Montreal, this month at McGill University, we renewed friendships, made new ones, told stories of congregational perseverance through the years of covid, laughed together and praised God for the gift song.

Image: Unsplash/David Beale

About 230 of us sang through three evening hymn festivals, attended various sectionals of our choice, and began each day with sung prayer in multiple languages.

Inspired by Indigenous presenters such as Kenny Wallace, who presently lives among the Munsee Delaware nation, who shared gospel songs that  helped him claim his original heritage of Choctaw. And Jonathan Maracle, from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory near Belleville, Ontario who shared his songs rich with cultural roots of the First Nations people of North America. His mission is that of healing through song.

Both engaged us in a deeper understanding of how land, and language offer solid roots for claiming one’s inner freedom.

So many of the presentations this year opened our hearts to further ways of living inclusively, praying inclusively, and gathering inclusively.

-Sister Loretta Manzara, csj

You may wish to check out this promotional video:

Images: Unsplash//Michael Maasen