February e-designs

Upcoming

Feb. 14 – St. Valentine’s

Feb. 17 – President’s day

Feb. 20 – World Day of Social Justice

Feb. 21 – Religious Education Congress

Feb. 26 – Ash Wednesday

Border Trip Success!

Our 17 St. Joseph Worker Program volunteers from New York, St. Paul and Los Angeles completed their goal to insert a spirit of loving service with our dear neighbors in Matamoros, Mexico. Our days were filled with focused service–organizing donations at the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, TX and/or distributing basic necessities to the 2000 refugees living in the tent city across the Rio Grande river. Inspired by Sister Norma Pimentel, her volunteers and children spent time together in Gospel loving. We fed the hungry, clothed the naked and welcomed the stranger in a spirit of love and joy.

A special gratitude to Our Lady of San Juan del Valle church where we prayed at the National Shrine and were housed at the Basilica Hotel.

Meeting Racism/White Privilege

CSJ Sisters Donna Gibbs, Ingrid Honore-Lallande and Angela Faustina offered a workshop on racism and white privilege at St. Thomas School Auditorium in San Francisco, CA. Sisters and associates praised the presenting team for opening up this serious and contemporary issue, giving us new awareness of personal attitudes, as well as desire and effort for personal change.

Presentation Learning Center 20th Anniversary Celebration

On Saturday, January 11, 2020 the Presentation Learning Center in Watts, CA celebrated its 20th Anniversary. The morning began with a special liturgy followed by the recognition of all those involved in serving the Learning Center both past and present. PBVM Sisters Jane Bonar, and Catherine Burke, the co-founders of the Learning Center, called the volunteers by name and gave them special gifts of appreciation including hand-made scarves knitted by the students. Several religious communities have been involved in teaching at the center since the beginning. Sisters Jane and Catherine presented them with an icon depicting the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary acknowledging their support and willingness to have the CSJs serve at the Learning Center.

MSMU Welcome Home Celebration

Mount Saint Mary’s University celebrated the reopening to the Chalon campus in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, January 15th after the closure due to the Getty Fire last October. President Ann McElaney-Johnson presented certificates of appreciation to members of the Los Angeles Fire and Police departments, who received standing ovations of gratitude from all gathered. Father Paul Sustayka of St. Martin of Tours offered the blessing and members of the Mount community were invited to place a rock around a newly planted tree.

From LePuy to France: A blog by Sister Darlene Kawulok, CSJ

Sister Darlene Kawulok, decided to return to writing with the beginning of the liturgical season of Advent, which marks the beginning of Christianity’s New Year. “This New Year, I am praying that I become aware of the presence of Christ that is all around me, all the time.” Sister Darlene, has been a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet since 1977. She holds a Doctorate degree in Ministry and is an Associate Professor at St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles, CA. Her blog is published every Friday.