Sharings - FMM USA · 2017-12-31 · Sharings USA Newsletter Volume 34 Number 6 September 2004...

SharingsUSA Newsletter Volume 34 Number 6 September 2004

“Venture together in real authentic coversation, open in vulnerability, breaking free of our egos, to be carried away by the happening of grace.”

(Mary Maher, ssnd)

Sharing Volume 34 Number 6 September 2004 1

PEACE and ALL GOOD

Thank you to each one for your lovingsupport, encouragement and prayers

as I begin my responsibility for Sharings. It is anuneasy task for me, but with your help andtogether we can make a difference. I would bevery happy if you would send any articles, whichrelate to your local churches, communities, min-istries or any other events… You can send themby an email attachment or by a floppy disk.Thanks!

I would like to take this opportunity to expressour gratitude to Rosemarie Higgins for her longservice and self - giving, totally and generously.Rosemarie, especially for the past nine months,you have taught me and prepared me to take upthis task after you and the future tasks. In thename of each sister, I say "thank you".

God bless you.Nga Le, fmm

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS

Our sick sisters, relatives and friends:

Germaine LeBlanc who is critically ill;

Rosemarie Higgins had back surgery;

Paul Petrosky, brother of Mary who is seriously ill.

Marilyn Chiappari, surgery for breast cancer, sis-ter of Sheila patenaude

Please pray in general for other sisters who havehad recent hospitalizations and others facing surgery.

Our deceased sisters, relatives and friends:

We remember with deep gratitude, Rev. LeonMaynard, who was one of our devoted cele-brants at our daily and Sunday Liturgies.

Maggie Tavares younger sister, Anne Foley;

Margaret Robinson aunt of Mary Beth .

EXCERPTS FROM PROVICIAL NOTES:

Sendings:

Carol Ann Kane has been sent by SisterChristiane from the province of East Africa tothe USA Province.

Jackie LaVie has offered herself to help withthe teaching of English in provinces that thatrequest help. While waiting, she is sent toNorth Smithfield in October.

Philo Yapp is sent to the community of 97thStreet.

To Anh Bui and My Hoa Nguyen are sentrespectively to the communities of Millbrookand Cambridge respectively after they pro-nounce their First Vows.

Nancy Cabral, who is presently helping atNorth Smithfield, will leave on Sept. 16th forLondon and for a Franciscan renewalProgram in Canterbury.

Marie-Paule Willem is doing the FranciscanChallenge Program at St. Isadore's in Rome.

Enlarged Provincial Council

The Enlarged Provincial Council will meet atFruit Hill September 23rd -25th. The agendais Study of Mary of the Passion and oursense of belonging and follow up to theprovincial Chapter 2004, especially theProvince Plan.

Welcome:

We welcome Shige Kiyome, Okada Ikukoand Masasko Shingaki. Two are FMM fromJapan and the third sister is from another congregation. They are coming to do a training seminar at the school where Jeanne

Mera is developing a program on peace andnon-violence.

Jeanne Mera, assisted by M.T Plante, gavean account of this program to the ProvincialChapter.

THANK YOU

Dear Sisters,

Your kindness, your hugs and words of sympathyhelped me with my sadness.Thank you so muchfor all the Mass cards, sympathy cards andprayers said for my brother Charles. I know thatGod has taken all this to place him in His presence. Charles' family is very thankful foreverything, my sister Annette and I are grateful.

Much love,Gilberte Belhumeur, Fmm

From the bottom of my heart I thank each one ofyou for your prayers and cards for me during myrecent surgery. Slowly, I am regaining loststrength and walking better each day.

Gratefully,Rosemarie Higgins, fmm

PROVINCIAL CHAPTER 2004

"God's Gift impels us toward God's future."

The USA provincial Chapter opened offi-cially with a roll call. As each Sister'sname was called, she answered"present" and came forth to be anoint-ed by Mary Motte for the work of theChapter. She then received a nametag and a working folder.

There were 89 voting members who wereassigned to one of the eighteen tables, eachsetup with an elected facilitator and a recorder..

Sr. Jean M. Sullivan,RSM, gave an overview ofthe Chapter work and its proceedings.

On the first days, the discussionsfocused on the GeneralChapter Document of 2002,"Disciples Sent inUniversal Mission in theWorld Today", and howthis needed to be incorpo-rated in the USA ProvincePlan for the next 3 years.

Each morning began with Mass at 7:30. Liturgiesfor Mass, Morning Prayer, Marian prayer andEvening prayer gave Chapter members strengthand inspiration for the day's work. Many Sisterswere involved in the preparation and in the par-ticipation as readers, offertory processions, musi-cians and as Eucharistic ministers. CristinaSanchez coordinated all the prayers services.Here are the Sisters involved in the preparationof the various prayer services.

August 18, 2004:

Martha Nguyen, Eucharistic and Evening Prayer.Rosemarie Sullivan, Morning Prayer.

Mary Griffin and Cathy Boudreau preparedMarian Prayer throughout the Chapter.

August 19, 2004:

Betty Keegan, Eucharistic and Evening Prayer.Mary Petrosky had prepared each day's Morning

Prayer. (She was unable to attend theChapter but had planned all the morning

prayes in advance) Each day featured oneof the Gospel women whose picture wasdisplayed and enacted by some of theChapter members.

August 20, 2004:

Joyce Gardella, Eucharistic and Evening Prayer.


August 22, 2004:

Halina Malec and Flavia Mariapagasam,Eucharistic and Evening Prayer. .

August 23, 2004:

Maria Teresa de los Rios, Eucharistic Prayer.Emilie Duchaney, Evening Prayer.

August 24, 2004 - Final Mass

Anne Turbini, Mari Garesché, Yvette Hubert andThao Phi.

Musicians for the Chapter:

Organists: BettyKeegan, MarthaVu and YvetteHubert. Guitarists:To Anh Bui andVirginia Falk.Cantors: MariGaresché andHalina Malec.Flute: Betty Keegan.

Celebrants:

Joyce Gardella was responsible for inviting cele-brants for each day's Liturgy. The followingpriests accepted her invitation: Reverends JohnP. Hogan, ofm, Clyde Walsh, Paul Grennon,Edward T Myers, o.p., Michael Joyce, ofm.

Housing, Transportation and Hospitality:

Mary E. Cook, Pauline Gilmore, RosalieMcNaughton, Philo Yapp and Lois Ann Pereira

Nurses:

Helen Kalogeras and Jackie LaVie. (All strayedwell during the Chapter)


Statutes: review and presentation:

Yen Nguyen and Elizabeth Ann Conyers

Province Plan: review and presentation:

Goska Bukowska and Claire Napoleon withProvincial Council and Provincial Treasurer.

Secretaries during the Chapter:

Sheila Patenaude, Emmanuel Shen and BarbaraDopierala.

The animating Team:

Front: L-R: Mary Motte, Jean M. Sullivan, Thao Phi, and Flavia Mariapragasam.

Back: L-R: Noreen Murray and Lois Ann Pereira.

Communications:

Pat Barrett, Nancy Cabral, Tresi Chacko, LucieKristofik, Nga Le, Rosemarie Higgins.

The communications team of Pat Barrett, NgaLe, Nancy Cabral, Lucy Kristofik and RosemarieHiggins kept both Chapter members and thoseunable to attend the Chapter informed of happenings both by a daily account and slideshow of each day's events

Tellers for the Chapter:

Lucy Kristofik and Loan Nguyen

Photographers for the Chapter:

Anne Turbini, Frances Falk, Lucie Kristofik and Nga Le. Nga also did all the projections.

Videotapers:

Nancy Cabral and Thresi Chacko.

Environment during the Chapter:

Agnes Kozak, ChanNguyen, Carmen Perez,To-Anh Bui, Hoa Nguyen,Connie Russo, Vita MarieRiccardelli

Signs for Hospitality: Mary Ward

Name Tags: Carmen Perez

Exercise during the Chapter:

Eugenia Choi and Jeanne Mera.

Festive Meal and Entertainment:

Gloria Carpinello, Pauline Gilmore, Marie Cinotti,Loan Nguyen, Mary Rose Nguyen, Phi Uong,Vita Marie Riccardelli.

God's Gift Impels us Toward God's Future

Mary Motte's Presentation

Mary Motte gave a comprehen-sive, challenging talk duringwhich she posed somequestions for groupresponse/ discussion.When we consider thecontext of our sending inthe United States we needto ask: " What sort of socie-ty are we becoming throughthe entire range of legal poli-cies we advocate and enact?"

"Are the decisions we are making enabling us tolive all the aspects of religious life, prayer, com-munity, ministry?"

"When we look at places of birth, we count twen-ty-three different nations. This diversity, multi-plied by our different cultures, confronts us tocontinue discovering the deeper meaning inMary of the Passion's vision that our sense ofbelonging and of having the whole world as ourhomeland, are integrally part of our FMM voca-tion. We are called to be truly sisters to eachother. To live this Good News is missionary andenables us to bring it to the people to whom weare sent."

Mary quoted frequently from the GeneralChapter Document of 2002, "Disciples Sent inUniversal Mission in the World Today," to remindus that we are all sent on universal missionthroughout our whole lives.

Mary recalled our provincial Chapter of 2001when we spoke about a "vision of a new world,where people live together in peace, trust, andnonviolence; a world of right relationships recog-nizing the dignity and basic rights of all; a worldwhere technology advances are used to betterthe lives of people and protect creation." Are wenot feeling somewhat insignificant as we consid-er the world we live in today? Shortly after wespoke about a new vision of a new world in2001, we found ourselves immersed in the realityof terrorism."


Another question posed was, "What is our corpo-rate witness as FMM in this USA society? Arewe capable of entering into respectful conversa-tion with one another in a way that listens, ques-tions, and speaks like the Samaritan Womanwho entered into a real conversation with Jesusand who was not afraid to ask questions, tospeak the truth and to make the necessarychanges to proclaim the Good news?"

Mary's final questions were, "Are we convincedabout our life as a Franciscan Missionary ofMary? Are we willing to remain in conversationwith each other? Are we ready to move togetherfrom the darkness, one step at a time, into thefuture? Are we ready to venture together in realauthentic conversation, open in vulnerability,breaking free of our egos, to be carried away bythe happening of grace? (Mary Maher, ssnd)

Are we willing, no matter our age or health, toembrace the fire of God as sisters - that energyof God at the heart of chaos, and to walk together into the unknown future as FranciscanMissionaries of Mary ready to see the new thingsthat God is doing? God is never absent."

Financial Report

Noreen Murray, Trini Castrillon andMarie Verilli ssnd presented the Finance Reportusing a well crafted PowerPoint program, which wasprojected on a large screen.Chapter members were ableto follow visually Noreen's vivavoce account.

Questions and group discussions followed.

Mass of Thanksgiving

Celebrating 100 years of Presence

in the USA

On Saturday, August 21, 2004 we paused to celebrate our 100 years of presence in the USA.

The Eucharistic Liturgy for the Centenary Massat the Cathedral was prepared by Anne Turbini,Mari Garesché, Thao Phi and Yvette Hubert.Readers were Elizabeth Anne Conyers and AlmaDufault; servers were Marie Cinotti and TresiChacko; Cross Bearer, Pauline Gilmore; gifts,Maureen Conway and Ellen Gibbons.

Bishop Robert E. Mulvee was the main celebrantand Fr. Thomas Hartle,ofm, gave the homily.

FMMs processed incarrying significantitems. Nancy Cabralled the procession withthe Logo of theCentenary year, followed by Phi Uongwith a globe of theworld, Gloria Carpinellowith theConstitutions,and JackieLaVie withflowers. Thesecond pro-cession wasall the cele-brants.

On Sunday the Chapter work resumed withsome changes in the schedule. The days forcompleting all the work ahead were rapidlydiminishing.

Celebration of Mary of the Passion

Alma Dufault gave an inspiringpresentation on Mary of thePassion sharing with us herresearch and vast knowl-edge of our Foundress.Her talk has been video-taped.

Nga Le and BarbaraDopierala assisted in thepreparation.


Province Programs and Other Report

Joyce Gardella gave a detailed report on ourSisters at St. Antoine's Residence and thePastoral Care given by our Sisters. (Picture)

Pauline Williams, now licensed as an administra-tor of Assisted Living Residence, reported onevents and the care given to our Sisters.

Rosemarie Higgins gave the Communicationsreport; Yvette Hubert gave the report on the his-tory and current happenings at Bethany RetreatCenter; Alma Dufault the Mission ResourceReport; Halina Malec, the outgoing VocationDirector and Marie Cinotti gave a report on voca-tion promotion effort; Beatrice Costagliola gave areport on the Prenovitiate; Pauline Gilmore, out-going Novice Directress, gave a report on theNovitiate and Elizabeth Ann Conyers, newDirectress of Professed of First Vows, gave areport on this stage of formation.

Statutes- Province Plan

On the last days of the Chapter, Statutes andPolicies were discussed, voted upon and accepted.

The Province Plan was discussed in groups,suggestions for improvement made, edited bythe team of Elizabeth Ann Conyers, Aline Giroux,and Mary Ann Loughlin, voted upon and acceptedunanimously.

Our Future

Jean M. Sullivan used creative means of movingthe Chapter participants into the future. She dis-tributed playing cards with different pictures andnames to each table. Participants drew a card atrandom and then had to find the partner whosecard matched hers. This done, Sisters were sentoff for an Emmaus walk during which eachshared her giftedness and what she saw as achallenge for the future.

Then each Sister was asked to write andaddress a letter to herself in which she made acommitment for action for the next years. Jeanwill mail these letters "sometime in the future".

Next, each Sister, on asmall piece of paper,wrote her name along

with a particulargrace she need-ed. This paperwas rolled andinserted into aballoon, which

was blown up,tied and sent sailing into the room.

Participants batted them about and seizedone, broke it and found the person for whom

she was to pray during the upcoming year.

Closing of Chapter

Mary Motte called for a vote ending the Chapterand it was finished except for the Closing Liturgyto be followed by a celebratory banquet and a

joy-filled entertainment.


Joyce Gardella, Pauline Williams, and Rosemarie Higgins

Yvette Hubert, Alma Dufaul, Halina Malec, and Marie Cinotti

Beatrice Costagliola, Pauline Gilmore, & Elizabeth Ann Conyers

Closing Liturgy

The Closing Liturgy was an intimate celebrationof thanksgiving for our Centenary and Chapter2004. As we did at the Opening Celebration ofour Centenary year, we processed from theCommunity Room into the Chapel singing"Gather Us O God".

Mary Griffinled the proces-sion as crossbearer, fol-lowed by MarySullivan andLois AnnPereira carry-ing the exqui-site quilt that

graced our Chapter Hall during all the sessions.The quilter, Mary Sullivan, made this work of artcommemorating our Centenary. Lucie Kristofik

carried theLogo, AnnTarnaukas theProvince Plan,and Mary AnnLoughlin thecandle.

A particularlypoignantmoment in the

Liturgy was when MariePaul Gobiel and JeanneLetendre, both with walk-ers, flanked by novicesTo Anh Bui and My HoaNguyen carried up thebread and wine.

The main celebrantwas JeromeMassimino, ofm,pastor of Holy NameChurch, Manhattan,NY. Concelebrating

was Frank Sevola, ofm, guardian of St. FrancisCenter, Providence and Bill Beaudin, ofm from

Siena College, NY who gave the homily.

Readers were Joyce Gardella, RosalieMcNaughton, Anne Kelly and RosemarieHiggins.

The Gospelwas that of theVisitation andRosemarie hadthe privilege ofreading the section spokenby Mary, "Mysoul proclaimsthe greatnessof the Lord . . ."

As was done atthe CathedralCelebration, several Sistersprayed the inter-cessions in theirnative language.

Musicians wereEric and MistyCarreiro, AnthonyCabral and StevePaterson whoadded tremen-dously to theLiturgy.

The altar was pre-pared by NoreenMurray and MillieMorrissey whilewe sang "WeCome to YourFeast."

With extendedhands, after theclosing prayer,Sisters blessedthe ProvincePlan.


Pauline Gilmore, PatBarrett and Thao Phiwith red scarfs aloftdanced down thecenter aisle and ledall in a dance reces-sion to the rousingsong, "Alleluia,Raise the Gospel."

Banquet and Entertainment

Another repeat performance was the magnificentbanquet prepared by our gifted Dietary staff atFruit Hill. Connie Russo and her team aided byothers had set the tables in grand style, all ofwhich added to the joyous celebration.

The eveningended in trueFranciscan stylewith a laughterevokingperformance.

FRANCISCAN SISTERS CELEBRATE 100 YEARS

By Evan Blackwell

Ed. Note: Evan Blackwell, a reporter from TheNorth Star interviewed Mary Motte andRosemarie Higgins. Here is his account :

In the courtyard of the Cathedral of Saints Peterand Paul in Providence last Saturday morning, aprocession of over 100 women moved slowly upthe stairs and through the cathedral doors.

The women came from all over the country andall over the world, but many of them had onlytraveled a few miles from North Providence.

They were all sisters of the FranciscanMissionaries of Mary an international religiousorder with five communities located on Fruit HillAvenue. On Saturday, they formally celebrated

100 years of their presence in the United States.Life as a sister consists of living in a multi-cultur-al community setting, helping the poor and marginalized, arid living out a spiritual lifeinspired by Saint Francis of Assisi and theirfounder, Mary of the Passion.

The small communities of anywhere betweenthree to 16 women are located all over theworld, and the sisters are sometimes called tothese places on missions. Locally, the sistershave focused their efforts on such projects as theFruit Hill Day Center for the Elderly.

Sister Mary Motte, the U.S. Provincial, gave thewelcome at the centenary celebration. Also pres-ent at the ceremony were representatives of theFranciscan Friars, as well as Reverend ScottAxford from the Unitarian Universalist Church.Robert E. Mulvee, the Bishop of Providence, wasthe principal celebrant for the occasion.

"Bishop Mulvee in his final remarks was speak-ing about milestones and the origin of that word,"said Sister Rosemarie Higgins, the communica-tions director for the Franciscan Missionaries ofMary, who lives in one of the North Providencecommunities.

"When the stagecoaches had arrived at theirdestination, if they had bells on, that meant itwas a good journey," she said.

"So he made the point that we have that. We'vearrived at our 100 year anniversary with our bellson."

The timing of the centenary was unusual. It fell inthe middle of the Provincial Chapter, a time ofreflection for the sisters.

Every three years, sisters from all over theProvince gather to discuss their role as womencalled "to live the gospel in a certain way," and tothink about how they can better fulfill their mis-sion in the world.

It is also a chance to reflect on changes in socie-ty as a whole. The sisters, who strongly believein the sacredness of life, often discuss how thatrelates to current world events during the


chapter. "We ask ourselves, "what does thatmean in our society?" said Sister Motte, whotraveled from her community in the Bronx for theProvincial Chapter and Centenary celebration.

Discussions are centered around a set of guide-lines called the Province Plan. The communitiesdiscuss the issues, and vote on the plan beforeending the chapter with a closing mass.

The discussions typically go on for several days.This year, the sisters broke up into 12discussion groups, with seven or eight sisters ineach group. Organizers attempt to make thegroups as diverse as they can, putting sisterswho live in the same community in differentgroups whenever possible.

After discussing an issue, one or two membersof the group spoke to the assembly on behalf ofthe others.

"Eventually we come to a convergence aboutwhere we are going to go in the next threeyears," said Sister Higgins. "We can't deal withthe entire world in all its meaning, so we try toget focused on what we are called to be asFranciscan Missionaries of Mary in theUnited States."

Because a lot has happened in the last threeyears, there was much to discuss, issuessuch as globalization, terrorism, and what theProvince Plan refers to as a general "lackof respect for life in the world today."

The sisters take strong positions on some politi-cal issues. They are opposed to the deathpenalty, for example. There was one session thisyear where a few of the sisters focused on thetrafficking of women and children.

"There are a whole list of action steps that canbe taken," said Sister Higgins, "whether it's mak-ing others aware of this situation, writing to ourelected officials, emailing, and whatever it takes to help to rectify this.

"Those who have the skills to be advocates aredoing that," she said, while others make a differ-

ence "by our prayer and our awareness."

Yet the Chapter also tries to focus on "what'sright with the world," says Sister Higgins, "all thebeauty surrounding us, to be able to open oureyes and see the goodness that's there, not tobe focused all the time on everything that's nega-tive or evil."

The sisters plan on adding to the beauty sur-rounding them, now that the chapter is finished.

"We're going to plant a tree to commemorate thechapter during the centenary," saidSister Higgins, who says they have chosen adogwood. "A tree is something that's verylife-giving. as Franciscans, part of our whole spir-ituality is [being] caregivers of creation."

Rosemarie Higgins, fmmNga Le, fmm- Graphics

CELEBRATION OF FIRST VOWS:

Saturday, Sept. 4th, dawned bright and early, inexpectation of an important event in the lives ofour two novices, To Anh Bui and My HoaNguyen. They had finally reached their goal offirst profession of vows.

Friends and relatives had already begun arrivingby plane and car from California, Pennsylvaniaand Michigan. Friday saw a busy kitchen in the


novitiate as delicious egg rolls were beingcooked and final details were being completed.But Saturday did arrive, as noted above, and inour parish Church of Saints John and Paul inCoventry, RI, the pews began being filled withFMM, invited guests, parishioners, and theSisters' families. A beautiful rainbow of colorfilled the front pews as Vietnamese women andtheir children, in their traditional clothing, awaitedthe beginning of the Eucharistic celebration.

Sister Pauline Gilmore, Directress of Novices,welcomed everyone, gave a brief introduction,and the celebration began. Father MichaelMenna, To Anh's spiritual director, was the maincelebrant, and Father Khoa Luat Nguyen, OFM,Sr. Hoa's brother, and four other priests were theconcelebrants.

In place of the priest's homily, Sr. Mary Mottegave a beautiful reflection on the significance ofthis next step forward in the life of Sr. To Anh andSr. Hoa in their life as FMM's, and Father Khoagave the Vietnamese translation for the benefit of some of the guests.

The parish choir outdid themselves, adding somuch to the prayerful beauty of this solemnoccasion. Many parishioners commented after-ward of how deeply touched they were, evenmoved to tears, as these two young womenoffered themselves to God and the Church,trembling at times with emotion.

Following the Mass, the joyous celebration con-tinued in the school auditorium, and it overflowedinto the novitiate afterwards, with songs inVietnamese and English, accompanied on theguitar by To Anh's talented elder brother, the onewho in their home in Vietnam, had trained her toplay the guitar.

Later that evening and the next day departuresbegan and happy memories remained.

Ruth Tamulis, fmm

MARY OF NAZARETH NOVITIATE: W. GREENWICH, RI

Reception into the Novitiate

With the departure of our two novices who hadprofessed their temporary vows, on September5, Cathy Tshitenge and Anna Marie Nebresentered the Novitiate. They were surrounded byfamily and many FMM sisters.

The ceremony began with the song "You areMine" by David Haas. The Pre-Novitiate spokeas one entrusting Cathy and Annie to theNovitiate. Then Psalm 139 was read by twochoirs. After the psalm the Novitiate Communitywelcomed the two to the community.

A "Proclamation of Our Identity" was recited bysides proceeded by a statement of welcome andsupport recited by all the FranciscanMissionaries of Mary present. Then there was areading from John 15:9-19.

At the Rite of Entry both Cathy and Annie wereasked by Sr. Barbara Dopierala Directress ofNovices, "What do you ask?" They in turnresponded "To begin our novitiate and live moreclosely the life of a Franciscan Missionary ofMary in this community……" Sr. Mary Mottethen presented each one with the Constitutions,the Rule and the Tau Cross.

The intercessions were read by the sisters of theNovitiate Community. Taize's Magnificat wassung after the Our Father. After the closingprayer all the sisters rose and sang the AveMaria of the Institute.


Sr. Barbara then announced that Cathy's familywanted to sing a song for us and, with clappinghands as accompaniment, they sang a joyoushymn. Annie's father then got to his feet andmovingly spoke a few words.

Everyone was then invited to the dining roomwhere all dined on delicious fare. The time wasenjoyed by everyone and all were glad to bejoined by one of our new Junior Professed, Sr. To Anh Bui.

Nancy Cabral, fmm

ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL, THE HEARTCENTER EARNS TOP MARKS FOR QUALITY

Widely recognized as a leader in cardiovascularcare, St. Francis is New York State's only spe-cialty designated cardiac center. It not only performs more cardiac procedures than anyother hospital in the Northeast, it is the only hospital in the New York metropolitan areawhose risk-adjusted mortality rates for coronaryartery bypass surgery and cardiac valve surgeryare significantly lower than the statewide averagefor the most recent three-year periods analyzedby the New York State Department of Health.

Moreover, it has been ranked among the bestcardiac specialty programs in the nation, and thesixth best in the Northeast, by U.S. News &World Report, July 28, 2003.

St. Francis is also one of only three hospitals inthe state, and the only hospital on Long Island,to be designated a Cardiac Center of Excellenceby Health Net of the Northeast, one of theregion's largest insurance carriers.

(Submitted by Lois Ann Van Delft, fmm)

WELCOME HOME

We missed you without saying,Though the quiet was quite nice,

We know you come with new ideals,with joy to pay the price.

new horizons spread before you.new life to share with all.

new strength to love each other,according to god's call,

and as you journey forwardwith a new and quiet might.we pray you will be beacons

in a world that needs your light.Rosalina Cabral, fmm

Sisters from Roslyn who were unable to attendthe Chapter welcomed their sisters back andMari Garesché thought this poem appropriate forall the Chapter participants.

STOP TRAFFICKING

Gloria Carpinello and Pat Barrett, gave a presen-tation at the Chapter on Trafficking . Chaptermembers received information regarding websites that give more information. Here is a fol-low-up action that we can take.

Dear Reader of Stop Trafficking,

The August issue is posted on the web. Click theabove link to access it.

Would you also please provide me with thenames of members in your congregation, whowould be able to answer an e-questionnaire thatwill help the Stop Trafficking readership begin toorganize around issues that our members wishto work on within a broader network. You your-self may also wish to respond to that question-naire and are invited to do so. It is not yet readyfor publication, so in the meantime I am request-ing that someone (or several) from your congre-gation be willing to be a contact.You may provide information about contacts forthe questionnaire by completing another shortere-questionnaire that will give you a feel of how


Sharings Is Published At:Franciscan Missionaries Of Mary

Provincial Communications Office399 Fruit Hill Ave No. Providence, RI 02911

Tel.# 401-353-5804 Ext: 130Fax: 401-353-8755

E-Mail: Fmmcom @aol.Com Website: http://www.fmmusa.org

easy it is to respond. To do so, please use thisURL address:

http://www.my3q.com/go.php?url=tieltkjc/69146You need to enter a password, since both ques-tionnaires are not open for public view. The pass-word is: stoptraff

With gratitude,Jean Schafer SDS

Sisters of the Divine SaviorAnti-Trafficking Awareness ProjectStop Trafficking [email protected]

JOIN ONE BILLION VOICES IN PRAYER FOR PEACE!

Twenty-two years ago the United NationsGeneral Assembly set September 21 as the per-manent date for the International Day of Peace.This year's goal is that one billion people aroundthe world will be involved in Peace Day activities.

We ask all who read this, whether attendingMass, at home or at work, to join us, September21, by saying the prayer by Joan D. Chittister,OSB. Stop for a moment of quiet reflection atsome point in your daily routine and be part ofthe one billion people who ask God to help usmake peace prevail on earth.

PRAYER FOR WORLD PEACEby Joan D. Chittister, OSB

Great God, who has told us"Vengeance is mine,"save us from ourselves,save us from the vengeance in ourhearts and the acid in our souls.Save us from our desire to hurt, as wehave been hurt, to punish, as we have beenpunished, to terrorize, as we have been terrorized.

Give us the strength it takesto listen rather than to judge,to trust rather than to fear,to try again and againto make peace even when peace eludes us.

We ask, O God, for the graceto be our best selves.We ask for the visionto be builders of the human communityrather than its destroyers.We ask for the love it takesto bequeath to the children of the worldto come more than the failures of our own making.We ask for the heart it takes to care for all thepeoples of Afghanistan and Iraq, of PalestineAnd Israel as well as for ourselves.Give us the depth of soul, O God,to constrain our might,to resist thetemptations of power,to refuse to attack the attackable,to understand that vengeance begets violence,and to bring peace-not war-wherever we go.

For You, O God, have been merciful to us.For You, O God have been patient with us.For You, O God have been gracious to us.

And so may we be mercifuland patientand graciousand trustingwith these others who you also love.

This we ask through Jesus,the one without vengeance in his heart.This we ask forever and ever. Amen.



Front: L-R: Phi Uong, Philomena Agudo, Frances Milano, Ellen Gibbons.

Back: L-R: Maria Teresa de los Rios, Liliane Alam, Ann Kelly,Anne Turbini.

Front: L-R:Thao Phi, Mary Ann Loughlin, Mary Griffin, and Agnes Kozak.

Back: L-R:Barbara Dopierala, Trinidad Castrillo, Mari Garesche, and Mildred Morrissey.

Front: L-R: Thresikutty Chacko, Margaret Gargan, Eugenia Choi, Lois Ann Van Delft, and Maryann Alukonis.

Back: L-R: Noreen Murray, Emilie Duchaney, Lucie Kristofik.

Front: L-R: Gloria Carpinello, Theresa Arsenault, and Alma Dufault

Back: L-R: Claire Napoleon, Martha Vu, Rosemary Sullivan, and Josepha Chong.

Front: L-R:Connie Russo, Pauline Baris, Aline Giroux, and Chan Nguyen

Back: L-R: Frances Falk, Jacqueline Lavie, and Yvette Hubert.

Front: L-R: Emma Balaguer, Mary Ward, Maureen Conway, and Cristina Sanchez

Back: L-R: Virginia Falk, Loan Nguyen, and Marie Cinotti.


Front: L-R: Theresa Conway, Rosemarie Higgins, Elisa Fernanda, and Patricia Barrett.

Back: L-R: Yen Nguyen, Joel Zarotiadou, Philomena Yapp, and Mary Theresa Plante.

Front: L-R: Emmanuel Shen, Mary Delphine Sullivan, Elizabeth Ann Coyers, and Emilia Palma.

Back: L-R: Vita Marie Riccardelli, and Agnes Begley.

Front: L-R: Rosalie McNaughton, Helen Holowinski, and Mary Cook.

Back: L-R:Carol Flaherty, Malgorzata Bukowska, Mary Rose Nguyen, and Therese Landry.

Front: L-R: Nga Le, Beatrice Costaliola, and Amalia Gandarillas.

Back: L-R: Helen Kalogeras, Pauline Williams, Carmen Perez, and Sheila Patenaude.

Front: L-R: Ana Lina Garcia, Minda Castrillo, Cecile Therese Couture, and Flavia Mariapragasam

Back: L-R: Halina Malec, Nancy Cabral, and Pauline Gilmore

Front: L-R: Ruth Tamulis, Jeanne Mera, Savina D'Agostino, and Conchy Zunzarren

Back: L-R: Ann Tarnauskas, Lois Ann Pereira, Betty Keegan, and Joyce Gardella.

Sharings - FMM USA · 2017-12-31 · Sharings USA Newsletter Volume 34 Number 6 September 2004...

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Transcript of Sharings - FMM USA · 2017-12-31 · Sharings USA Newsletter Volume 34 Number 6 September 2004...