There was much energy at the first YearUp task force meeting which took place at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center on June 17th.  Twelve individuals from the local community were gathered at the table to hear Diana Campbell, executive director from YearUp Philadelphia, give an overview of the YearUp program.  Afterwards, community members had the opportunity to share about the works and local projects in which they are involved and then next steps were determined and a second meeting planned.  

   Each person gathered committed themselves to bring other interested persons to the next meeting.  At the meeting, we became aware that there are several opportunities for YearUp to collaborate with the Bridge and the Osborne Clinic from Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Philadelphia YearUp program. presently.  This gathering laid the groundwork for concrete action for the Unemployed/Underemployed Initiative.  Many in the congregation are presently working on this initiative in inventive ways, as evidenced by the recent Community grant requests received.  We encourage and invite you to write and submit a brief explanation of a project or ministry that you are involved in with the unemployed or underemployed. Please let Denise know of your efforts in this area.  

Submitted by: Dr. Linda Dix, Associate

   Pope Francis has written in the Joy of the Gospel, "The sower finds a way to let the word take flesh in a particular situation and bear fruits of new life."  Margaret Madison,  an Associate,  did just that with her $5,000.00 Constance McCullough Award from IRA, and thus our twinning began.  As a result of that shared conversation,  the faculty of St. Francis Primary School and the faculty of Good Counsel School, Moorestown, New Jersey, responded enthusiastically to the cultural exchange that began at that workshop as Peg has described.  The twinning effort was entitled "Weaving Our Lives Together."  

   An authentic relationship resulted from the "linking up" as the Jamaican teachers called it and this has motivated teachers to enter more deeply into the global teaching arena by exploring ways that the human community can come to know and learn from one another and more fully realize what our own truth involves.  We are all in need-in different ways,  through different manifestations,  but together, we search for skills and strategies to educate our young in a world culture which in many ways fails to nurture them. Teachers have shared their best teaching strategies such as teaching challenged readers,  particularly those with English as a second language.  

   Teachers of Good Counsel and St. Francis Schools have shared stories and students have also shared "matters of the heart"  with their friends.  As they have shared,  one teacher,  one student,  one story at a time,  they have proven that strangers can indeed become friends.  All classroom teachers and special subject teachers of both faculties have become involved in the effort across the curriculum. Perceptions of the world and one another's culture also are changing, broadening, and becoming sensitized.  As students share stories and experiences of the classroom and come to understand the ways and traditions of Jamaica,  they are coming to see life as a sacred circle,  affirming every person's place in that global sphere of life.  All persons are important and their dignity needs to be upheld.  These observations can be documented in the keepsake projects which are growing and in learning conflict resolution skills.

    Teachers have also come to see a vast improvement in the quality of student exchanges.  As the students of both schools come to know and respect each other,  work improves, for friends share only their best with each other.  It has better enabled us to reach out with literacy endeavors throughout the world including Haiti,  The Pando of Bolivia with our puzzle Christmas cards, and the  disabled children of Father Ho Lung's centers in Kingston.  We have also reached out to "Camden's Kids"  through Sister Rosemarie Kolmer, OSF, of Camden.

    Click here to read more of this piece

    Click here to read about the history of the Twinning endeavor

   Maureen Avril Chin Fatt was among 37 men and women, representing 27 countries,  welcomed as new citizens of the USA during a ceremony on the USS New Jersey Battleship on July 4, 2014.  Though the weather did not cooperate the spirit of joy and freedom permeated the ceremonial procedures.  In total, throughout the country, 9,000 men and women took The Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America.  Good luck, Avril!

   Hear ye, hear ye!  Now you can listen to library books on CD's thanks to Sister Mary Ellen Keady!  Her audiobook donations make for great listening while your hands are busy, you are on a long drive, or you eyes are tired. The CD's can be used on a computer or a CD player such as a "boom box" or a small personal CD player like the Sony Walkman. The audiobooks are waiting for you on the far left shelf under the windows.  They have become quite popular already so don't wait too long to check one out.

   You can find their titles in our online catalog, http://www.librarything.com/catalog/StElizMH. Just enter the word "audiobooks" in the "Search your library" box in the upper right hand corner of the screen.  It has the words "Search All fields" next to it. If you need help, please ask us!