California Region

Mission Advancement Egram

January 29, 2021
ONE HEART. ONE HOPE. ONE MISSION. 
MESSAGE FROM MISSION ADVANCEMENT
...lights in the darkness
Dear Friends,

As many readers may have experienced or heard, we had a powerful windstorm last week, and as a fire prevention measure, Southern California Edison initiated power shutoffs.  What an experience of darkness--depending on flashlights and candles, extracting power from a laptop to keep a phone functioning, monitoring a freezer!

Spiritual images of darkness and light came to my mind, and then the Spirit used a conversation with one of our loyal donors to enlighten me.

We have learned that federal stimulus payments are on the horizon, and some have already received them. This donor said very simply, “I cannot keep this stimulus money—I need to share it with you.” Even in the literal and figurative darkness of a pandemic, isolation, social unrest, and economic volatility, there ARE lights in the darkness. As Jesus taught in Matthew 5, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God.”

With this in mind, I want to offer the heartfelt gratitude of the Sisters of Notre Dame to you, our partners, lights in the darkness. Your encouragement and spiritual and financial support make an impact on those entrusted to our care--in education, health care, spiritual development, pastoral outreach and social services. Thank you for generously and loyally embracing our mission of sharing God’s love and care with those in need. You ARE lights in the contemporary darkness, and with trust in God’s provident care, we offer our prayer for you and your loved ones.

Blessings always,
Director of Mission Advancement Services | 805-402-8623
UGANDA UPDATES,
...good newsbytes from Buseesa
Sr. Colette Theobald sent a brief update on the pump water system project: “The water project was supposed to be completed by January 15, but they have now moved the deadline to February 5. We await the storage tank, solar panels, and pump. Election uncertainty here caused delays in transportation, but now movement has started up again” Thank you again to those who have invested in this life-changing improvement that will benefit everyone at St. Julie's Mission and hundreds of neighboring villagers!

More students have returned to St. Julie's for the start of a new academic year! Different grades have been returning in phases following the COVID lockdown that eased in October.

The phonics books donated by Notre Dame Elementary (Chardon, Ohio) arrived! Special thanks to the Notre Dame Elementary students and to DHL for shipping the books.
NUN RUN 2021 IS HERE!
...in the words of St. Julie Billiart, "to heaven on foot" 
We are walking from California to Rome in our virtual Nun Run from January 30 through February 6, 2021. Run, walk, donate, and support the Sisters of Notre Dame. Our local and international outreach impacts thousands through your support! Registration is open through Feb. 5. Be sure to visit www.nun.run for our virtual community service fair and a list of our generous business sponsors. Team awards will be determined as of noon on Feb. 5.
As of noon today, we offer special gratitude to these spirited groups!

Fundraising Teams
FIRST PLACE: Knights of Columbus Council 8072 - St. Jude & St. Max
SECOND PLACE: Horan Siblings & Friends
THIRD PLACE: Los Angeles Star Steppers

Individual Fundraisers
FIRST PLACE: Running Robbins
SECOND PLACE: The Megaffin Marathoners
THIRD PLACE: Maria Tarn

Walker/Runner Participant Teams
FIRST PLACE: La Reina High School & Middle School
SECOND PLACE: Los Angeles Star Steppers
THIRD PLACE: Horan Siblings & Friends
FOURTH PLACE: SND Associates & Friends
FIFTH PLACE: St. John's Seminary
If you need a little motivation,
from Sr. Val Roxburgh
who is working out
for the Nun Run and maybe,
just maybe, the Olympics???
Find out more at www.nun.run. 

And a heartfelt thank you to our walkers, runners, donors, volunteers and cheerleaders. Many hands, many hearts, AND many feet work miracles!
FROM THE CALIFORNIA GRAPEVINE
Sr. Jolisa Lazaro, SND Associate Prudiel Libatique and Sr. Jane Marie McHugh share some levity at an earlier community event.
Click here to check out the winter edition of Vision & Challenge, featuring
  • Celebrating 20 years of SND Associates
  • Thanking Sr. Joann Schlarbaum
  • The SND partnership with Christus Ministries
and much more! It will be included in the next edition of the SND USA magazine which should be arriving in your mailbox very soon.
On Wednesday, February 3, Notre Dame Academy
will highlight their
drawing students with an opening reception
for their new exhibit,
“Women Artists Inspire Young Women Artists.” 

Check out their work at vpaatnda.org
Jan. 31 through Feb. 6 is Catholic Schools Week, and so the SNDs salute these local schools where we currently minister:

CAMARILLO
St. John's Seminary
COMPTON
Our Lady of Victory
EAGLE ROCK
St. Dominic
LONG BEACH
St. Athanasius
LOS ANGELES
Notre Dame Academy Schools
of Los Angeles
OXNARD
Our Lady of Guadalupe
RESEDA
St. Catherine of Siena
THOUSAND OAKS
La Reina High School & Middle School
Notre Dame Learning Center Preschool
Any other year, the drama and music department at La Reina High School would be transforming the school gym for the winter musical. Amid the pandemic, the drama department took creativity to new heights, installing an outdoor stage! Last weekend, the Regent Performers presented a unique, live, socially distanced show, The Marvelous Wonderettes. The audience sat in their cars, with sound available through car radios.
This smash Off-Broadway hit hightlights the 1958 Springfield High School prom, with four girls whose hopes and dreams are as big as their crinoline skirts!
Since the pandemic started, La Reina has hosted 20 blood drives, bringing healing to hundreds of lives. Donated plasma helps patients battling COVID 19, and donors receive complimentary antibody testing.


La Reina High School & Middle School will be sponsoring blood drives on Saturday, Jan. 30 between 9:00 am. and 1:00 p.m.
and from 8:00 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Feb. 6 as part of the Nun Run. Appointments are recommended. Click on this link or call 805.543.4290 to make an appointment today!
Sr. Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND, has recently published A Love Affair with God: Twelve Traits. G. K. Chesterton advised, “Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.” Remarkably, God loves you with a passionate, crazy love and craves your love in return. Throughout your sojourn on earth, God entices you in various ways, pursues you, and even demands your love! God created you for love, and your final destiny is everlasting union with this divine Lover. Human beings exhibit certain characteristics toward a person they deeply love, for example, constantly thinking of the beloved and delighting in being together. When you are involved in an intimate relationship with God, these same characteristics hold true for both God and you. In "A Love Affair with God," twelve of these traits are explained. It is available through Amazon.

The University Series goes virtual! This multi-parish adult education program during Lent offers a variety of enriching presentations to nurture faith. It will be held via Zoom from Feb. 18 through Mar. 26. Read more.