GSN 260 February 2013.pub

Good Shepherd News
CongregationofOurLadyofCharityoftheGoodShepherd
GSN 260
February 2013
TheCongregationalChapterPlanningCommitteemeetsin
Rome,Generalate-January23–Feb1st
MembersoftheCCPC
Fromlefttoright,Standing:
ElaineBasinger,JositaCorera,
BridgitKanjirakattu,Judy
Mannix,MargaretLynch,
FloraNwawiraNijiraini,
ElieneBarros,JudeEllen
Golumbieski,MarieHé lè ne
Halligon,LuzMariaChacon,
AnneDalton,Ms.Jill
McCorquodale.(Facilitator)
Absent:PatriciaFawkner
(facilitator)
fromlefttoright,Sitting:
AsuncionQuiroz,SusanChia,
AliciaAndres,Laurine
RennickandTeresaSymons
WHAT IS INSIDE
TheCongregationalChapterPlanningCommittee
meetsinRomeGeneralate-January23–Feb
Page1-2
NewsFromHoms-WelcomingthesyrianchildreninRoueisset-Expandingourtent:StAntoine
Dispensary-provinceofLebanon/Syria
Page2-5
ApostolicExperienceinJakarta
ReservedAreaonthecongregationalWebsite
TheStoryofDomoNewen-Bolivia/Chile
GSAssociatesDayofPrayer-NewYork
Page6-8
Journeyofenrichment—GreatBritain,
Philippines,Bolivia/Chile
Page9-11
NewsfromArgentina,Formator’sSession
TheProcessPlanningCommitteemeeting
Rome
Page12-14
LetteroftheCongregationalChapterPlanning
Committee
DearSistersandMissionPartners,
GreetingsfromRome!
We,theCongregationalChapterPlanningCommittee,
heldoursecondmeetinginRomefrom23rdJanuary
to1stFebruary2013.Ourtaskwastolistenattentivelytothemovementofcongregationduringthepast
threeandahalfyearsanddiscerntogetherthetheme
andlogofortheforthcomingCongregationalChapter
of2015.
WespenttheCirstdayreconnectingwitheachother.
WealsolistenedtotheChairpersonsoftheCICAand
ICAs,aboutthedevelopmentthathasbeentaking
placewithregardtotheplanningoftheseevents.
Fromthere,wemovedontolistentotheCLTand
theirexperiencesofvisitingthedifferentUnits–the
growthaswellasthechallengesandhopesforthe
future.Contd.Onpage2
February 2013
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LetteroftheCongregationalPlanningCommittee
We were then joined by some of our sisters and mission partners who shared
their experiences of living out the 2009 Chapter Threads. During this time, we
also had a conversation on Good Shepherd Partnership, using the statistics
gathered by the congregation. We agreed that our mission is indeed enriched
because of our partnership. At the same time, we recognized that each Unit had
a different understanding of partnership. Together we explored the life and
energy that broke forth in living each of the threads.
We looked at the stumbling blocks that inhibit new direction along with the newness that is emerging as we move forward together as a congregation.
We recognized the fast paced, changing reality of our world today and acknowledged that our familiar ways of being in mission may not be sufCicient to move us through the current chaos into the future. Isaiah’s words,“NowIamrevealingnewthingstoyou,thingshiddenandunknowntoyou,createdjustnow,thisverymoment”(Is 48:6,7) demand that we be ready to move as the Spirit invites, daring to go to the margins where those, whose voices are not yet heard by others, are calling us.
This sharing, as well as the suggestions given by the different Units, paved the way for us to create
the chapter theme, logo and the preparation process for CICA and ICAs. We prepared a booklet
which you will receive in the near future to help in your personal and communal reClection.
We hope that our work together will move us all forward, energized by the Spirit in taking risks for
mission.
The Members of the Congregational Chapter Planning Committee
NewsFromHoms
ProvinceofLebanon/Syria
Lovecastsoutfear…
Despite the heavy burden of the war and
the many challenges our people face – especially the Christians who have left everything: family, friends, homes and property
– they have come seeking safety in the
Heart of the Church. They all place their
trust in God, hoping and Cirmly believing
that He alone can save them.
Many of them gathered to celebrate the
baptism of a little two-year old girl. The
most moving aspect of it was the presence
of elderly people who moved here to celebrate with the whole family.
Their wish is that the next celebration will
be held in their own town, which they Cled
because of insecurity.
On the feast of St. Barbara 150 children
came together to celebrate. The next day,
many parents and friends from neighbouring villages came for Mass, followed by a
Baptism
Feast of St. Barbara
party, in an effort to put aside the atmosphere of war
and terrible violence.
We thank the Lord for his protection and his presence
with us. We ask him for peace for our dear country,
Syria, and we pray that the Church will continue to be
the Heart of God in the midst of our world, bringing it
hope and joy.
For our congregation, we long for vocations to continue our mission of love, especially among the poorest
of the poor.
Sister Georgina Habache
February 2013
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WelcomingtheSyrianchildreninRoueisset–Jdeideh
ProvinceofLebanon/Syria
ChildrenfromSyriacametoLebanonasrefugees
WordscannotdescribetheterriblesufferingoftheSyrian
refugees.
The magnitude of the tragedy is reClected in the eyes of
the people we meet who are always seeking security, a
hopethat,“allwillsooncometoanend.”
Allorganizations,congregations,andallpeopleof
goodwillhavebecomemobilizedtobeinsolidaritywith
them.
IntheregionofRoueisset–Jdeidehtherearenoaccurate
records of the number of people coming to settle in the
region.Buttherearecertainlythousands:bigand small,
women and children, with or without their husbands or
fathers,withelderlypeople.Theneedsareenormousand
varied.
ThechildrenaretheCirstvictims.Theypaythepricewith
theirhealth,theirsafety,theirfutureandalsowiththe
impactofemotionaltrauma.Theyareexposedtothe
dangersofabuseofallkinds,physical,psychological,and
evensexual.
Manywereforcedtoleaveschoolandotherswereplaced
in public schools. However these have disappointing resultsbecauseofthedifferenceinthecurriculaofLebanon
andSyria.
Thesisters,togetherwiththeteamoflayprofessionals
Good Shepherd News
GSN 260
andvolunteersattheSocialCentreof
Roueisset,havemobilisedthemselves
tohelpreducethesufferingalittleby
creatingrecreationalspaceforallthe
Syrianchildrefugees,whilealsohelpingthemtointegratewiththeirLebanesepeers.Tutoringprogrammes
havebeenestablishedtohelpthechildrencatchuptothelevelofLebanese
schools,andpsychologicalandeducationalprogrammeshavebeensetup
forparentsandchildren.
Sophia is a ten-year old, who arrived
with absolutely no knowledge of
French, while most subjects are
taught through French in public
schools in the Lebanon. After four
months he can decipher letters well,
he can write and he can count up to
Cifty. His smile is a great reward for
theteam.
St. Anthony’s Health Centre and the
Social Centre have been working togethertodistributefoodandanoraks
tothefamiliesandchildren.
We continue to pray that all the
events which are destroying Syria,
bothasacountryandasapeople,will
sooncometoanend.
PersonneloftheGoodShepherdsocial
centre.
CommunicationsCoordinator
Casa Generalizia, Suore del Buon Pastore, Via Raffaello Sardiello 20- 00165 Roma, Italia.
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
February 2013
3
Expandingourtent:SaintAntoineDispensary
ProvinceofLebanon/Syria
From the beginning, our mission in the suburbs of
Beirut has responded to the emergencies of local
people who call for help. This mission now includes
two main sections: one medical and one social. 35
competent doctors, with different specializations, are
working non-stop.
The goal is to provide high quality care to the poorest part of the population who could not normally
afford it. Two major hospitals in Beirut, Hotel-Dieu
de France and the American Hospital, recognizing
the seriousness of the work and the real needs on the
ground, periodically send their students
there for internship and help.
With regard to the medical section, people
can have access to different types of exams
and consultations: dental, ophthalmological
and psychiatric visits, blood tests, medications, etc..
As for the social section, 3 social workers
are always available to listen to those who
come for a consultation, granting them respect and attention.
Thereareneedsofdifferentnature...hereare
someexamples:
Traumatized women that are entrusted to specialists (psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists) who are able to support them.
Sr. Hannan (right) visiting the refugees
Once a week, a small team (including a doctor)
moves to visit the newly arrived families, in order
to welcome them, advise and listen to them, and
eventually see whether there are any emergencies ...
Every 15 days, different medical and social sessions are given to women by specialists.
Distribution of nappies for children, the bedridden and elderly people.
Occasional distribution of food and clothing.
Every 15 days, 40 refugee children enjoy a day of
activities or an outing in order to discover Lebanon, its territory and its cultural heritage. During
these activities, a meal or a snack is always provided.
Sr Georgette (left )visiting the newly arrived refugees
Continuedonpage5
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brothersorsons.
“Y”wasanAsianmigrantwoman.Shecametosee
agynaecologist.Aftertheconsultation,thedoctor
senthertoanursewhogavehersomemedicines.
“Y”ranoutfuriously,becauseshedidnotgetwhat
shewantedfromthedoctor,namelyhelptodoan
abortion.Shedidnotwanttohearanythingorlisten to anybody. She just wanted to be given help
inordertogetridofherchild.Sheleftthecentre
veryangry,sooneofthesistersranafterhertryingtocalmherdownandhelpherCindasolution
to this situation. In Cive minutes time we had to
dealwithtwoverypainfulcasesattheclinic.People do not come here just to get health care or
medicaltreatments,butalsotobelistenedtoand
guided.
TheLebaneseMinistryofHealthhastheintention
toencouragetheestablishmentofcentreslikeour
dispensary, because it recognizes the importance
oftheirrole,especiallyinacountrywheremedical
services are extremely expensive. The Ministry
hasorganizedanationalmeetinginordertothank
the managers of various medical centres and to
promoteanewcollaborativeproject.
The celebration, which took place at the UNESCO
ofCice in Beirut, in the presence of many guests,
has been broadcast on various local channels.
Such collaboration would enable the poorest to
haveeasieraccesstohealthcare.
MayJesustheGoodShepherd,theFriendofthose
who are lost and misguided, always show us His
Heart full of compassion and His loving gaze, in
order for us to continue the journey in the footsteps
of
St.
Mary
Euphrasia.
Sr.GeorgetteTannoury
Refugeechildrenenjoyingadayofactivities
Everydayourcentrereceivesbetween100and
110people,mostofwhomarerefugeesfromIraq
andothercountries.
Inrecentmonths,Syrianshavearrivedinlarge
numbers.
Thecentredidnothaveenoughspace,butthanks
tothegoodrelationshipswehavewiththecityofCicials, we managed to have six more well
equipped rooms.Amongour staff, the centre is affectionatelycalled"thelostpeoplecentre".
Inshort,thiscentrecarriesoutanunusualjobina
deeply impoverished area. It offers a high quality
service to anyone,regardless of their race or religion.
“X” came here to see a doctor for a red, swollen
and hard breast which made her suffer terribly.
Wepresumeditwasanadvancedcancer.Thedoctor asked her to have a mammogram. After the
consultation,weunderstoodthat“X”wasarefugee
who had recently arrived and who had been brutallybeatenbyherson.AtypicalcaseofArabfamily, like many others we often come across to,
where women are subordinate to men: husbands,
ApostolicExperienceinJakarta
Province of Indonesia
By Theresia Anita Yuniastu —Novice
Fromfeartocourage.
and children, such as human trafCicking, violence
against women and children, as well as gender issues. On other days I do house-visiting of the students of Santa Maria Fatima of Good Shepherd
Schoolwhofaceproblemsinthefamily.
Beingindirectcontactwiththefamily,theyare
touchedandalsoIambetterabletounderstandthe
familysituation.
Continuedonpage6
I am in Jakarta Provincialate community for my
threemonthsapostolicexeperience.Everyweekend
I go to the satellite house in Tangerang GSSWC
(Good Shepherd Service for Women and Children).
Everything is a new experience for me! In keeping
withourCongregationalDirection,Ilearnedhowto
respondtosituationsofinjusticesufferedbywomen
February 2013
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ApostolicExperienceinJakarta
Province of Indonesia
By Theresia Anita Yuniastu —Novice
Fromfeartocourage.
Ialsotrainmyselftobecourageousandvisitplaces
whereIhaveneverbeen,aswellastolearntocommunicateandrelatewithpeoplewhomIhavenever
met before. These experiences motivate me to continuestrivingtodefeatmyfeelingsoffear.
Fromlearningtopracticing
OnceaweekIvisitthemigrant’sdetentioncentrein
Bambu Apus. It is a shelter for illegal migrants and
thosedeportedfromabroadwhowillbesentbackto
their homelands. Most of them are young girls/
women between the ages 15 to 30 years. Some of
themsufferfromdepressionorstress.Themajority
have been domestic workers in Syria, Saudi Arabia,
and Malaysia. Not infrequently they suffer from
shortcomingssuchasnotreceivingasalaryorbeing
treatedlikeslaves.AtthisshelterIteachthemcooking,sewing,handicraftanddoBiblestudy.Theyeagerly take part in these activities. These activities
helpthemtoCindrelieffromtheirstress.Theshelter
isrunbytheGovernmenttohelpthedeportedworkersundergotheprocessoftheirreturn.
IalsoattendthemonthlymeetingheldbyGSSWCfor
singlemothers,accompanythechildrenbyproviding
activitiessuchasdrawing,handicraft,etc.whiletheir
mothersreceiveinput,skills,attendseminars,which
canstrengthenandencouragethemtosupporttheir
familylife.GSSWCalsoassistswomenvictimsofdomestic violence, repatriation of victims or potential
victimsofhumantrafCicking.
Accompaniedbytheteamcomprisingofbothsisters
and lay partners, I am very grateful to be able to
experiencethiswork.Iamincreasinglychallengedto
boldly Cight for the weak, the dignity and worth of
thehumanperson.ThroughthemIaminvitedtobea
voiceforpeaceandjusticeinaspiritofcompassion
and reconciliation. Finally, wherever I will be sent,
hopefullyIwillalwayslovinglyvoicepeaceandjustice.
Novice
Reserved Area on the congregational Website
http://www.buonpastoreint.org/reserved-area
ToaccessthereservedAreapleaseuseyourGSSWEBEmail
UserNameandPasswordasshownonthephotoabove.
For reasons of security and convenience,weinvitesistersto
create a Gssweb account, so as to
accessthesedocuments
more easily. The individual passwordtoyouremail(Email
Gssweb) will now be used to accessthesedocuments.Thisis
partofourprocesstosimplifyaccesstoreserveddocuments
onthesite.
Togetagsswebaccount,justsend
a written request to the following
address:[email protected]
andincludethenameofyourunit.
Wehaveawaitinglist.
IwishtothanksisterMoniqueTarabeh,Graphicdesigner(provinceofLebanon/Syria)forthe
Iconsshehasdesignedforthispage(ReservedArea)andformanyotherbeautifulbannersand
logosondifferentpagesofoursite.
Ithankherforbeingalwaysavailabletohelpmeandtoputhertalentsattheserviceofthe
Congregation.
Sr. MF Mestry
February 2013
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TheStoryofDomoNeweninTemuco
“InsilencegreatthoughtsariseandgreatWorksaccomplished.”
“DomoNewen”,ahouseforMapuchewomen,is
aworkoftheGoodShepherdinTemuco,Chile.
Sistersandlaycollaboratorsworktogetherfor
the defense of the human rights of indigenous
women and heads of households, promoting
their personhood as women of their own culture.
“Domo Newen” comes from the original language of Mapuche and means “woman’s
strength.”FromitsbeginningsinApril2007,up
to now, our house is a place of encounter betweenMapuchewomenandnon-Mapuches,an
encounter of cultures and of life. We have
helpedmorethan90womenaged17to70.Besides having a place for formation and skill
training,theytrytosavetheirculturalidentity
andstrengthentheirleadershipcapacities.
We aim to be a Congregation in communion
withthelaitywhoarebearersoflife,whoprovide direct services, establishing networks,
praying with a vision of liberty, promoting
compassionate and healing relationships in
harmonywithnature,whichcallsustopersonal and social transformation with the sentiments of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
Our visionistopromotetheintegralevangelization of women, children, youth and families
thattheycanbecometheprotagonistsoftransformingtheirownrealities.Weworktoenable
theindigenouswomenhavetheirhumanrights
and their culture restored. This we try to do
throughwelcomingthem,providingskilltrain-
ing for their reintegration and forming networks for their personal and social transformation.
Our area of network is to promote economic
justiceprovidingincentivesthatwillenablethe
womentodependontoolstheycanusetosustain their economic needs and save their culture. So we help them to create products
throughweavingwhichiscommoninthearea.
They can now fashion bags, scarves, mufClers,
caps,vestsandcenterpieces.Theycanalsocrochet using natural wool or dyed with natural
products.
AtthesametimeworkisdoneinsidetheMapucheGoldsmithFactorylikenecklaces,bracelets,andrings.Weconstantlysupporttheuse
ofMapuchesymbols.
We are also promoting alternative medicine
using the natural means recovered from the
experience of their people in relationship to
nature. Through this practice, it is hoped that
they can provide other possibilities to their
communitiesandtosocietyingeneral.
Wearestrengtheningtheexerciseoftheircitizenshipaswomentoexpandandmakemore
effectivetheirinCluence,whereactionscan
havegreaterimpact.
Allthesewedotogetherwithaspiritualaccompaniment,throughlife-sharingandsharingour
cosmovisionbyindicatingthetranscendentaspectsoflifeasawayofaccompanyingthem.
Sr.EmaHormazabalLara,Director
Sr.ElbaCornejoPizarro,Coordinator
February 2013
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YEAROFFAITHPRESENTATIONFOR30thANNIVERSARY
Sr.M.FrancisLomeo
RGS-Presenter
DottyPhair,CaseyMcNamara,Alberta,
RosemaryCummins
OnSaturday,January19th,atVillaSt.Francisin
Peekskill, NY, the Good Shepherd Associates
heldaspecialDayofPrayerwithSr.M.Francis
Lomeo,RGStoreClectandpraytogetheraround
thetheme“TheYearofFaith.”Thisisaspecial
year not only for the Church, but for our Good
Shepherd Associates who are celebrating the
30th Anniversary of their founding in the NY
Province.
ThisdayisbutoneofseveraleventstheAssociates have planned this year to commemorate
this anniversary and to give thanks to God for
alltheblessingsoftheseyearsoflifetogether.
Sr.Fran’stalkanddiscussioncenteredarounda
prayergivenbyPopeBenedictXVIasheopened
the“YearofFaith”inOctober2012,the50thAnniversaryoftheopeningoftheSecondVatican
Council.TheprayerofthePope:
“MAYEVERYCHRISTIANREDISCOVERTHEBEAUTYOF
Discussion-GeriHigham,NormanLarsen,
M.AnnCarlomusto,M.CatherineFinnegan
edbyFr.CharlesReinbold.Theintentionwas
forallourAssociates,livinganddeceased.
A delicious lunch was served, including many
homemade goodies made by group members,
and we were nurtured by the opportunity for
catching up with one another and renewing
friendships,aswellasbywelcomingsomenew
membersandfriendstothecelebration.
After lunch, there was time given for solitary
and/orgroupreClectionaroundScripturereferencesandfocusquestionsprovided.Whenwe
cametogetherforlargegroupdiscussion,members shared from very deep and profound
“wells” in terms of graces, struggles, learnings
anddesiresthatspoketotheirhearts.
Wearegratefultohavehadanotherdayof
sharing,andcelebratingthegiftofoneanother
asAssociatesandFriendsgracedbyGodover
these30years.
BEINGREBORNINTHELOVEOFGODANDLIVINGAS
GOD’SCHILDREN”
The talk focused on the two central aspects of
thisprayer:recognizingandgrowinginintimacywithGod,whodesiresustoexperiencemore
deeply God’s faith in us and our call to live as
“God’s beloved” and, from this experience, to
extend this relationship to others. By participatinginJesus’ownmissionasServant–amissionofjusticeforallpeoples,weshowwhatit
means“toliveasGod’schildren.”
Followingthepresentation,Masswascelebrat-
Discussion-Lynda Bradley, Jody Cole
February 2013
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Journeyofenrichment
ProvinceofGreatBritain
Sisters’ enthusiasm andeagerness to get this collaborativeeffortofftheground.Ittranspiredthat
thereferringbody,‘ThePoppyGroup,’lostitsgovernmentfunding,andso,aftersixmonthsofactive
waiting and hoping, sadly the whole venture had
to be closed. It was very disappointing especially
forthetwoSistersconcerned.
WiththebeneCitofhindsightwecanacknowledge
nowthatperhapsitwasprovidentialthattheprojectdidnotmaterialise.Inourjointeagernessand
enthusiasm ‘to do something together’ important
preparatory steps would have beneCitted from
moretimetodiscernpracticalresourcesandpersonnel(Sisters)whocouldtaketheprojectintoa
futurewithpromise.Additionally,itwassetupat
a time of change in both Leadership teams. The
Sistersappointed,whilstgoodandcapablepeople,
found the situation challenging in ways they did
not anticipate. Valuable lessons were learned by
the Sisters concerned and by members of both
leadership teams. Despite the disappointment, all
areinagreementthatweareopentoworkingtogetherinthefutureshouldanappropriateopportunityarise.
Since May 2010, RGS and OLC Leadership teams
have met 2-3 times per year. We have had long
and earnest discussions about such matters as
careoftheelderly,andmissionandministries.In
oursharedCharismweliveoutourmissionwithinthesameculturalcontextandexperiencesimilardifCiculties.Asgovernmentlegislation,within
theBritishIsles,hasincreasinglyintrudedonour
lives we have had to face the same challenges in
termsofourministries.
AnotherareaofmutualconcernwasSafeguarding
ofChildrenandVulnerableAdultsandtheneedto
be aligned with an approved Safeguarding Commission in accordance with the ‘One Church Approach’setupbytheHierarchyandNationalCatholicSafeguardingCommission.RGSProvincialand
teamdidalotofbackgroundworkonthewayforward,intermsofsafeguarding,soOLCleadership
team beneCitted from all our sharing and have
nowformedpartofanewCommissioncomprising
threemalereligiousordersandOLC’sandRGS.All
membersofthisnewCommissionsharethesame
valuesandsimilarcharisms.
Continuedonpage10
OLCANDRGSLEADERSHIPTEAMSAT
OLCPROVINCIALATEASCOT
Our journey of enrichment goes back many years
butwebegantofocusmorespeciCicallyonwaysof
comingtogetherandgettingtoknowoneanother
better from around 2007. There had been an exchangeofvisitsbetweenOLCandRGSLeadership
teams, and also organised trips from the South
andMidlandstovisitRGSSistersinBlackley,Manchester. The general consensus from these meetingswas“wehavesomuchincommon”and“they
arejustlikeus!”Allofthiswasseenandundertakenasa‘gettingtoknowyou’exercise.
Early in 2010 Sr. Charlotte Cassidy (OLC Provincial) received a request from Sr. Anne Josephine
Carr(RGSProvincial)foraSistertohelpwithsetting up a ministry for trafCicked women to help
thembacktoworkandintegrateintosociety.The
RGS appointed was a part time Chaplain to HollowayWomen’sPrisoninLondon,andhadexperienceoftheneedofprovisionforthesewomenin
thenextsteptowardsindependence.
TheRGSSistershadahouseinKentwhichseemed
ideallysituatedforaministryofthisnature.Itwas
anticipated that referrals would be made by an
organisation called ‘The Poppy Group’. It was believed Cinancial maintenance for women would
alsocomethroughthisgroup.Therewasgreatenthusiasmallroundasjointmeetingswereheld.An
OLC Sister volunteered and was appointed to the
project together with an RGS Sister. Other Sisters
volunteeredtohelpoutwithtimeoffforholidays
andretreats.Unfortunately,daysandweekswent
bywithnoreferralswhichtookitstollonthetwo
February 2013
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JourneyofEnrichment
ProvinceofGreatBritain
Continuedfrompage9
Communitylivingandlifestylesfeaturedinseveral discussions as we continued to look to the future. Some of the Good Shepherd Sisters here in
the U.K. live in what is termed ‘single living’ for
mission.Ononevisitawholemorningwasgiven
tosharingabouthowthiswayoflivingcommunity life evolved. This was followed by another
meetingatFinchleywhereweagaindiscussedthe
principles and rationale underpinning this development in religious life. Two of the Leadership
team took OLC Sisters to visit the various Clats/
apartments,allwithinreachofeachother,nearto
thechurch,amenities,shops,publictransportetc.,
here was community – not under one roof but
nevertheless community - alive and well and
wherethezealofSt.MaryEuphrasiaCindsexpression in a variety of ministries on a daily basis.
SomeSistersliveinasemi-independentsheltered
housingcomplexalongsidelaypeopleofdiffering
faithsornone.ThislifestyleenablesSisterstolive
out their fourth vow in age/energy appropriate
apostolicinvolvementsinthewidercommunity.
When we meet, it is not just ‘all business and no
play!’ Whilst we discuss and share on topics of
mutual interest, a very important part of the day
istoshareamealandenjoyeachother’scompany.Witheachmeetingthereisagrowingsenseof
ease, openness and trust with each other and a
readiness to be of help and support in whatever
waysarepossible.
We have taken whatever opportunities there are
aswellascreatingnewwaystomeet,suchasattending our respective Chapters and sharing in
other sessions/assemblies. Of particular signiCicanceisasessioninAngersontheSpiritualityof
St. John Eudes. This was attended by Sister Josephine Collier-OLC, Sr. Helen Warburton-RGS, and
Mrs. Janet Kean-RGS Associate. Two sessions
werearranged,oneatBlackley(RGS)andtheother at Southampton (OLC) to share the fruits of
whatwasexperiencedatAngers.
Thepictureswillspeakforthemselves!
Sr. Anne Josephine Carr (RGS,CLT) gave a day’s
input on St. Mary Euphrasia at the OLC ProvincialateinAscotwhichwasverymuchappreciated
byallwhoattended.TheSistersspokeofSister’s
presentationon“TheGeneralate”asclear,honest
andcandidandsaiditwasarevelationtoseveral
Sisters some of whom had carried many miscon-
ceptions of St. Mary Euphrasia and how the Good
Shepherd Sisters came to be. One RGS Sister, impressedbydeepsharingonanOLCministryinBirmingham, arranged to spend a day there and
spokeafterwardsofhowwelcomeshefeltandthe
impactmadeonherbythevisionoftheSisters,the
commitmentofthestaffandthewayinwhichthey
identiCiedwiththeOLCSisters;herewasanalternativetosendingwomentoprison.
Another important sharing between both LeadershipteamswasontheOLCJuridicalNormswhich
resulted in a very lively discussion, the general
consensus of which was that our coming together
isorganic–wehavetogrowtogether–thistakes
time, and we will continue with goodwill and
growingtrustonourjourneyofenrichmentinthe
spirit of St. John Eudes and St. Mary Euphrasia.
Godaloneknowsthe‘bigpicture’andwhatthefuture holds for OLC Sisters and RGS Sisters. The
most recent experience of ‘togetherness’ was attendance by OLC and RGS Sisters at a Christmas
Carol Service at Holloway Women’s Prison where
an RGS and OLC Sister are Chaplains. The women’s Service was greatly appreciated by all who
attended.Andsoourjourneycontinuesinaspirit
offaith,hope,mutualtrust,respectandsensitivity
to the workings of the Holy Spirit in each Sister
andinourtwocongregations.
SrRoseNeilson,RGS ProvinceofGreatBritain
February 2013
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JourneyofEnrichment
OLCsvisitthePhilippines
Sr.FlorenceKisilu,provinceleaderoftheSistersofOurLadyofCharity(OLC)fromKenyaandSr.TrifaDe
Souza,(OLC)wereinthePhilippinesrecently.
AmongthosetheyvisitedwerethetwotemporaryprofessedOLCswhoareinthecountryfortheirtheologicalstudies.EnrolledattheInstituteofFormationandReligiousStudies,Srs.EmilianaandFelisterhavebeen
heresinceJune.
Earlier,thetwostudentswereinThailand,fortheirexposuretotheapostolateoftheGoodShepherdSisters
inthecountry.WhileinthePhilippines,Sr.FlorenceandSr.TriffaalsovisitedBaguio,Tahanan,Maryridge,
CGSTagaytay,BahayPastulanandmetthesistersinthecommunitiesat1043-EuphrasianCommunity,
HeartofMaryVilla,St.BridgetSchool,ProvincialateandGSCwheretheystayedwhileinManila.
ThevisithasbeenabeautifulexperienceforbothGoodShepherdSistersandSistersofOurLadyofCharity
especiallyaswegothroughtheJourneyofEnrichment.
ProvinciadeBoliviaChile
JOURNEYOFENRICHMENT
Wegreatlyappreciatethatthisgreatcontent
enabledustodelvedeeplyintoourspirituality.Wehavetakenthetimetocontemplate
andenjoytextsofferedtousbytheJourney
ofRenrichment.Wehavestudiedthematerialattentivelyandwithopenheart,andwe
were"touched"bythem.TheSpirituality
CenterGoodShepherdBolivia/Chiledevelopedwitheachtheme,reClectionsformonthlycommunitydaysof
reClection.WewereinspiredbySaintMaryEuphrasiaassheremindsus:"Theretreathelpsusacquirenew
strengthtotakeuptheworkwithrenewedvigor."
Wemadeusedofaprogramthatconsistedof4periodswithinthespiritualjourneywithSt.JohnEudes.Each
ofushadtheopportunitytoliveandsavoreverymoment,andthequestionshelpeddeepenourReception,
PraiseandThanksgiving,andtoadvancetheexperienceofforgivenessandofourcommitmenttoJesus.The
endofeachdayofthemonthlyretreatculminatedwiththecommunitysharingourexperiences.Thisenabled
ustoenrichandgrowtogetherthroughmomentstolistenandcontemplatetogether.
Howbeautifulitisthatthewholecongregationisunitedinthiscommonexperience!Wearecalledtobe
shepherds,toshowsolidaritywiththesufferingworld,toenClameourapostoliczealandsaytotheLord:
"HereIam.",readyforthemission,globalsolidarity,opentonetworking,asthePastorgivinghislifeforthe
sheepbymakinguseofallpossiblemeans.
CommunicationCenter-ProvinceBolivia/Chile
CentrodeComunicación-ProvinciaBolivia/Chile
February 2013
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NewsfromArgentina/Uraguay
Sr. Vilma and Beatriz Ferreiro Ghitti Silver Jubilee of Sr. Hna. Liliana Molina
Sr. Luz Marina prepares her dissertation
RECOGNITIONBYTHELOCALAUTHORITIES
Within the period of 2011-2012 the apostolic work of our Congregation received a special award
from the municipal authorities of Paysandú (URUGUAY). We are dedicated to helping families by
sheltering a group of girls at risk because their mothers spend their days in modest jobs since they
live very poorly.
While they are in our programs (outside school hours in different schools), they receive tutoring
classes in crafts, knitting, singing, catechesis, etc..,
It is a modest work, however it has drawn attention not only to the Church but also to local authorities giving us local recognition, in front of the Basilica of the city. The award consisted of a bust of the
historical hero of this city (Gen. Leandro Gomez).
Being a country famous for its a-typical secularism in Latin America, the country has had a very positive impact on the socio-ecclesial arena. It should be added that this work does not receive government assistance.
ONGOINGFORMATION
Always continuing with unrest and hope for our on-going formation, we enjoyed a beautiful
"Reconciliation Workshop" taught by Sister Luz MarinaValencia, in two sessions, so it could be presented to all members of the Province. Sister Luz well known to us and is of the Congregation of Sisters Santa Teresa.
With real admirable simplicity and clarity, we instilled in us infused concepts proper to the interior
life of the consecrated life. We believe the sessions have left a deep imprint on us and will help us to
live our spirituality. We thank the Province and Sr. Luz Marina for this rare opportunity for a true
review of our interior life.
SILVERJUBILEE
After the Cirst annual meeting (1 May 2012), one of two we do annually in the Province of ArgentinaUruguay, in order to continue our work of renewal, we celebrated with joy and excitement the Silver
Jubilee of our beloved Sister Liliana Molina. She was accompanied by friends and family. Attached
please Cind a photograph of the celebration.
Province of Argentine Uraguay
HnaBeatrizFerreiro
February 2013
GSN 260
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Formator'sprogram-Module2-Chile4thFebruaryto4thMarch2013
It is with joy and happiness we
meet again at the Formators’ Sessionsforthesecondmoduleofthe
Holistic Process in Malloco-Chile.
HerewehavesharedhowGodhas
been working in our lives.
Through the Sacred Space God
invites us to renew ourselves in
the second holistic module. We
have experienced a holistic new
way of living religious life; as we
continue our process of transformationinfaithandhopeweknow
that a different religious life is
possibleinourCongregation.
WebeganwiththeliturgycelebrationinthelightoftheGospelof
thevine,thebranchesandhowto
achievethefruitstomaintaina
closerrelationshipwithGodand
creation.Ourexperiencewasone
ofembracingwhoweareand
whatwedoinordertobesignsof
lifeandhope.
In the Cirst Module the dance of
the arch invited us to begin together a new story of the formationinAmerica,nowinthesecond Module we began with the
same dance remembering our sacred story and bringing to mind
ourjourneyduringtheyear2012.
In this warm weather where the
temperature of the heart is high,
we began the sharing of our sacredspace,lightingacandleinour
midst,alightthatremindsuswhy
wearehere.Whatishappeningin
the religious life of Our Lady of
Charity and the Good Shepherd?
Werecalledthatweareeachholy
ground and part of the universe.
The symbols of our sacred space
speak to us of a transformative
process,aspiralthatinvitesusto
journey from the inside out, and
asinthediversityofcolors,freely
seeking our connections in the
diversity of experiences in our
units.
Atthebeginningofthesession
wereceivedtheletterfromSr.
BrigidLawlor,theCongregationalLeader,whoinvitesustobeco
-creatorsoflife,toaccompanyin
theprocessofformation,those
whoarediscerningGod'scall.To
becreativeinoureffortsto
changeandrestructure,toreviewformationplansandto
dreamasregionnewwaysofformation.
We are invited to strengthen the
walk we took in 2012; together
we can do many things with the
hope of growing and make our
missionmoredynamic.Thechallenge that arises for us is to follow this transformative process
in the different units, allowing
thepoweroftheSpirittoencourageustogiveourbest.
We had some time to share the
journey of the different units in
this transformative process of
religious lifein the Americas, we
recognizethesmallstepsthatare
takingplaceintheunitsandalso
tenderly embrace our own vulnerability in which we recognize
our need to continue empowering each other in the holistic
model.
“The story of Nova was very meaningful for us all, as it touched our
own hearts in gently enlightening
ways.Itspoketousofourneedto
let go of things. We needto come
withopenheartstoGod,toletgoof
our own agendas, biases, comfort
zones, and routines. Although, we
realizelettinggoofthemisnoteasy.
We each have a little light inside of
us that needs to shine and just to
knowthatwedonothavetobethe
brightest little light is a good place
tostartlettinggo.Throughthepersonal sacred space we can all come
to this knowledge in a loving way
withGod,thushelpingustobecome
the light God created us each to be.
Weneedtohaveanopenheartthat
is willing to listen deeply, inside the
self.Itisthenwecandialoguewith
others with a willingness to be surprised.Tosurrenderthelossofour
former ways of self is to be transformedintowhowearetobeinthis
moment with God. Connected to
everyone around us and to contribute to their light by allowing our
own little light to shine with theirs
and together we become as one big
lightshiningforourCosmicGod.
Perhaps some of us have had our
own ‘Moses’ experience with God
through our own need to come full
circle in letting go. To empty self
enough to receive the grace of the
presentmomentfromtheGodwhom
weknowasIAM,isthentobetruly
self aware in our own response to
the newness of God’s holistic message.”
(BárbaraWellsCanadáInglés-
RBP)
On February 8 we celebrated the
feastoftheHeartofMary,andour
threesistersofOurLadyofCharity who renewed their vows, Sisters Cruz Celia, Veronica and Teresa,andaresharingwithusthis
transformative process in formation.
Contd.Onpage14
February 2013
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Calendar2013
TheProcessPlanningCommittee–GeneralateRome
GoodShepherdNews
While each unit is encouraged to
send articles anytime during the
year, we have planned that there
arespecificeditionswheneachunit
isaskedtosubmitanarticlesothat
attheendofthe yearall theunits
have been part of Good Shepherd
News.
Pleasesendarticlesonor
beforethe5thofeachmonth.
Hereisthesuggestedschedule:
January
Commissions,CLT,
Bolivia/Chile,Indonesia
February
Argentina/Uruguay,Lebanon/
Syria,Mexico,SouthAfrica
March
Belgium/France/
Magyarorszá g,Nederland
Mid-NorthAmerica,Egypt/Sudan
April
Philippines,Portugal,Peru,
Australia&Aoteraoa/N.Zealand
May
Spain,Angola/Mozambique,
ColomboVé né zolana/Cuba
June
CentralAmerica,Northeast
Asia
July
EastAsia,WestAfrica,
(Sé né galBurkinafaso)TheIsles,
August
Italia/Malta,Singapore/
Malaysia,Deutschland/Albania
September
NewYork,Canada,
Ecuador
October
SudestedeAmericaLatina,SriLanka/
Pakistan
November
Japan,GreatBritain,
OW sterreich/Schweiz/CzechRep
December
India/Nepal,,Ireland,
Congo/Kenya
Members of the committee with
Srs Brigid Lawlor and Angela Fahy
Congregational Leaders of RGS and OLC
The faithful interpreters for the
PPC Meeting
TheProcessPlanningCommitteehelditslastmeetinginthe
GeneralateRomefromFebruary4to10
Othernewswillfollow.
Contdfrompage13-Formatorssession
Chile
“WiththeHeartofMary,IthankGodforHis
eternallovethataccompaniesandsustains
meinthiscalltobeabearerofhope,witness
andinstrumentofcompassionintheworld.
Thistransformationenvironmentinvitesme
tocontinuetheprocessofopeningandlisteningtotheRuah.WerenewedourvowswiththeSistersoftheGood
Shepherd,withwhomwesharetheco-learningofourlivestodayinthis
connectionwithlifethatmovesamongusinChile,buildingastoryofrelationship,opennessandrelationtoliveaqualitylifeandrevealtothe
worldthatGodisunityindiversity”(TeresaFerná ndez-NSC)
WeendedtheCirstweekgatheringourexperiencewithatimeoftransformativecontemplation.
GoodShepherdNews
Specialthankstothefollowingforthetranslations
andproofreading
AdrianaPeré z,Mexico;GracielaMendez,Argentina;Mary-James
Wilson,Phillipines;NicoleBastien,Canada;NarcisaVivanco,Ecuador;EthnaMcDermott,OW sterreich/Schweiz/CzechRep;Claire
Alessandri,MartaCeballos,AnaMariaQuiroz,PatriziaMaturano,
Generalate;MarieHé lè neHalligon,ClaudineFargeix,BFMN;
RosarioOrtiz,Españ a;AngelicaGuzman,Bolivia/Chile
February 2013
GSN 260
14