The VPs for Mission for Our Lady of Lourdes, Camden, NJ, St. Anthony's, St. Petersburg, FL, and St. Joseph's, Tampa, FL, hospitals visited St. Elizabeth Motherhouse and the sisters in Allegany over the weekend of April 26 - 27. 

  Sr. Maureen Shaughnessy, SC, Sr. Mary McNally, OSF, and Arlene McGannon spent much of Friday touring Allegany with Sr. Pat Shirley, OSF, a councilor on the leadership team, and former director of Mission effectiveness at St. Joseph's Hospital. 

   The tour began at the Motherhouse, where the Vice Presidents viewed the 150th Anniversary video, spent time with the sisters in the healthcare facility during morning activities, and viewed the newly renovated building. 

   After lunch, the Mission VPs, Sr. Pat Shirley, Ellen Winger, and Denise Bunk-Hatch on a visit to St. Bonaventure University, where they met with Br. Ed Coughlin, OFM, the Vice President for Mission at the university, Dennis Frank, the university's archivist, and Paul Spaeth, the director of Friedsam Memorial Library, who gave the group a tour of the library's rare books collection. 

   Despite some rain Friday afternoon, the group enjoyed a visit to Canticle Farm (www.canticlefarm.org), a sponsored ministry of the Franciscan Sisters.

By: Michele Dolyk, OSF 

 

   Oh to be in Rome on the Canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII!  However, at 4 a.m., Lucy and I had the best seats to observe such a historic and significant event!  It truly was awesome and, for me, a sign of true unity in the Church. 

   I was especially touched when Pope Francis went over and embraced Pope Emeritus Benedict - recognizing that Pope Benedict actually started the process to raise these two men to sainthood. As I continued to reflect on both of our two new saints I began to think of the poor backgrounds they came from, which gave them that sense of being pastoral - having that sense of humanity - which endeared so many people to them and to God. 

   Both of the Popes went through some difficult times and yet they lived in profound communion with God. They both had a firm faith and an active prayer life which enabled them to face some of the difficult times of the 21st century.  It was through these times of uncertainty and turmoil that they confidently led the Church into the third millennium.

   With great humility, generosity and joy both Popes truly lived the radical demands of the Gospel, which Pope John XXIII urged us not to be afraid of, but to embrace. 

   This is truly a Franciscan invitation to grow in a deeper relationship to God and His people. Not only were the lives of St. John Paul II and St. John XXIII  been an example to me but also the example of Gospel living of Pope Francis. We are truly blessed to experience the Spirit of God working in and through Pope Francis to unify the Church as well as challenge it to truly be a Church of the Gospel. This gives me great hope!

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Do you have a reflection on these two new Saints that you would like to share? We will feature additional reflections in our next edition of the newsletter, and we would love to hear from you! Please send your thoughts to Denise Bunk-Hatch, communications director, at [email protected]. 

 

 From: Sr. Jean Thompson, OSF, Vicar for Religious, Diocese of Buffalo

 

   I am forwarding this message from Claire Rung who is the Executive Producer of Daybreak TV Productions in the Diocese of Buffalo.  As indicated below she has been asked to produce a 20 minute segment of a documentary about the role of faith in girls' education for a National TV network.   

   Perhaps some of your Sisters are in Ministries, or perhaps you are acquainted with someone who would be a significant example of what Claire is seeking.  If you wish to suggest someone, please contact Claire directly at Daybreak Productions (contact information below or [email protected].)   It would be wonderful if the Ministry of Women Religious could be connected with this project.

   Thanks for considering this request.

Jean

 

 

   Ten years ago, the Council on Foreign Relations released a report that stated that a single year of primary education correlated with a 10-20% increase in women's wages later in life. The return on investment in a year of secondary education is even higher. An extra year of a woman's education has been shown to reduce the risk that her children will die in infancy. Girls' education results in smaller families, helping women to devote more resources to individual children. When girls and women are educated, both the girls and the world benefit.

   The role of faith and religion in women's lives is complex, and ranges from the horrific to the inspired. While religion can look like the experiences of Malala Yousafzai, shot by a Talibani for her activism for girls' education in Pakistan, it can also move someone like Katie Meyler, a Pentecostal woman from New Jersey, to find her life's purpose in helping girls in Liberia to read. The documentary, The Beauty of Their Dreams, asks how faith inspires a person to action, changing the course of lives in the process. As with any documentary, we can only say what we hope to learn, and understand. With The Beauty of Their Dreams, we ultimately ask if faith is inherently anti-woman-or does faith have a more nuanced and positive role in women's lives?

    For more information, please contact 

Claire A. Rung

Executive Producer

Daybreak TV Productions

Diocese of Buffalo

795 Main St. Buffalo, NY

(716)847-8734

www.daybreaktv.org

 

Held at River's Edge

May 7- Next edition e-newsletter

May 21 - Second May edition e-newsletter