Seeds of Hope Women of Solidarity, Celebration and Service
Newsletter/Autumn 2018
Autumn greetings from Seeds of Hope!
The season of harvest and thanksgiving is an ideal time to reflect on the
process of growth and abundance which has characterized our Seeds of
Hope journey in recent times. In this edition of our newsletter we are
eager to share a variety of experiences which have marked our life
together as an intentional community committed to solidarity and justice.
In particular, we will be highlighting how nurturing the seeds of our identity
over time has brought forth a deeper communal vision and fruitfulness of
mission.
As women committed to deep listening, we seek out and draw inspiration
from spaces of spiritual exploration and awakening. During one of our
annual retreats we received the instructions: “Allow yourself to be fully
released from the old way of doing things and bask in the energy of self-
renewal. Believe colourful new beginnings want to emerge for you”. The
time spent with this wonderful invitation
elicited artful surprises of divine energy
which we include here.
Most recently, we have been harvesting
the fruits of a long time friendship with
Hearts-Links which has evolved into a
dynamic relationship of collaboration.
Through this collaboration we have
been able to continue supporting
women in their desire to have an encounter of solidarity with the people of
Peru through the establishment of a bursary for the Heart Links’ Solidarity
Trip and by facilitating a retreat experience for their participants. Finally,
as we celebrate with grateful hearts the new moments of our unfolding
journey and “with our feet firmly planted in the soil of so many hearts both
near and far” we leave you with some member updates and snapshots
from the Seeds’ photo album. ¡Qué viva el Perú! ¡Qué viva el Canadá!
May the Spirit of solidarity be upon us all.
Vision and Mission
We are women who
express passion for
justice in many ways in
our world.
We are women who
nurture and support
one another’s hopes
and dreams through
gatherings of deep
listening.
We are women who
encourage the work and
aspirations of our sister
communities in Canada
and Peru.
We are women who
value connection,
solidarity and the
importance of face-to-
face dialogue.
We are women who
celebrate each person’s
uniqueness and how
that informs what each
does.
We are women daring to
reach out with our gifts
in the world.
We are women who
create reflective space.
Supported by:
Ursuline Sisters of
Chatham
Living our Spirituality ~ The members of Seeds of Hope community hold as a sacred gift our
yearly retreats. During recent times we have used artistic expressions to delve into the Divine in our lives. These spaces allow us to articulate a deeper understanding of our identity as has been expressed by Dianna Hardy in her poem Seeds of Hope:
Daring to reach out with our gifts To heal a wounded world There lies a seed of hope inside my heart Held safely deep within
~ it holds the dreams of who I am
And cradles the beginnings of rebirth.
Waiting… in protection of the darkness,
Anticipating the blossoming
~ a time when sacred restlessness,
dares to push through
that which holds the future to make itself manifest.
We are seeds, planted into the world
to gift humankind’s journey throughout time
with the singular beauty
each is meant to offer,
while nurtured in the loving presence
and care of those around.
We hold one another
In the sacred time and space we’re borne into
Drawing sustenance from a ground, that’s fertile
with admiration and respect.
And then graced with new courage, we share our uniqueness
to be in the world... a seed of hope. … We are seeds, planted into the world to gift humankind’s journey throughout time with the singular beauty each is meant to offer, Daring to reach out with our gifts and to BE in the world…. A seed of hope. To Be in the world... a seed of hope.
Seeds of Hope
Growing Together in Solidarity
Preparing for the Journey
In early May, the Seeds of Hope community and the women planning to go to Peru with
Heart-Links met at Brescia University College for a day of retreat in preparation for their
visit. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. We entered into a meditative reflection and
sharing regarding ‘Mutuality as the Key to Solidarity’ which led to much interaction. We had a
delicious lunch together after which we were free to wander outside and think on what we
had heard. After our check out and closing prayer we concluded with a blessing upon the
program participants as they looked forward to the experience in Peru.
Highlights from the Participant trip of 2018
“My time in Peru was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. For someone who’s only beginning to explore the world, and has lived a life of privilege, it was truly eye-opening. The people in Peru are generous, vibrant and passionate. I was honored to learn about their culture, food, traditions and programs from the people who are doing that work every day. In many ways, it felt like home. The way that people live, the choices they make and how they build their lives is so relatable. In another world, I can see making the same choices, living the same lives. It was so powerful to realize that we are all one people, and that only oppression sets us apart. Everyone I met in Peru was kind and open. When I struggled with sickness, I was offered fresh Anise tea, homemade soup and Cocao sugar. When I was cold, I was given a winter coat and hat to wear. When I needed time to myself to rest and recuperate, I was given it without judgement. They were so proud to show the work they had been doing in their communities, and I understand why. It’s important work, and the people who are doing it are strong leaders in their community. I can’t wait to go back and learn more in the coming years.”
“The Solidarity Trip to Peru was a
nourishing experience for my soul.
The opportunity to get to know in
person the different Heart-Links’
projects, interact and share
experiences with the communities,
their people and hard workers has
shown me what human beings can
do in community and their great
creativity. Their passion and effort
to improve their communities even
in adversity is a clear example of
resiliency.
The interaction with our Peruvian
and Canadian friends through this
Solidarity Trip reminds both nations that we share this world together and we have brothers
and sisters in other parts who care and are willing to put their shoulders together to support
each other and celebrate their achievements in time. I want to express my gratitude to Heart-
Links and Seeds of Hope for this wonderful experience.”
Member News… What have we been harvesting lately?
While the communal experience within Seeds of Hope over the years has been fluid and ever changing, what does remain constant is the faithful participation of a core group of lay women Sheila Horrell, Dianna Hardy, Lina Bowden, Paula Papel along with Ursuline sisters Pauline Maheux, May O’Hanlon, Noreen Allossery-Walsh. In recent times, our members have been active bringing to life their dreams in a variety of ways. In 2008/2009 I was excited to go to Peru with Seeds of Hope and was accompanied by the
women of the Lay Community. Over the next 12 years (except for the year of the last El Nino event), I have had the privilege of bringing groups of Canadians down to Chiclayo, the Zana Valley and Cajamarca to introduce them to friends who are partners in the work of Heart-Links. The Canadians have little idea of the complexities of life in such poverty, but are always amazed by the resilience and courage, intelligence and persistence of the Peruvians – especially the women! It's a real eye opener for many of them and they return to Canada with a much better understanding of their part in making the world a more just place for all.
I am always amazed by the deep sense of community that imbues life in Peru. This sense of community has led many of our partners to delve deeper into the sources of the problems and engage the leaders – municipal, district and federal – in being a part of the solution. One of the other things that always inspires me is the depth of the rituals these women use to begin their work – whether it is personal gatherings or conferences for others. It reminds me that all work is work of the spirit, and unless we engage that aspect of ourselves, we miss the point of our connections. Seeing this happen, especially with the Leadership School, is evidence of the strength of leading from the heart, a new way of influencing the minds and hearts of the community. As facilitator, I witness the connections that are made and see the mutuality that helps bring our world together. It is a privilege. (Sheila Horrell)
On June 9, I attended Convocation at Athabasca University in Alberta to graduate with my Bachelor of General Studies, Arts and Sciences designation. I enrolled at Athabasca late in 2007 and chose to study part time for my degree through a decade of change. In 2007, I sold my home in an effort to become more mobile for a job search and began studying for a degree in hopes of improving employment prospects. Studying part time allowed me to continue in a job search, take a year to train for a second career (Conestoga College for Career Development Practitioner Certificate-2012), work part time and finally full time in my new chosen career. Through that
time, my studies flowed from a linguistic and cultural anthropology focus to psychology. Being able to attend university and graduating with a Bachelor degree has been a life long goal and I feel excited and accomplished for having persisted through some challenging times and into a new direction. The journey has been interesting and extremely worthwhile and I am grateful to Seeds of Hope for their encouragement and friendship all along the way. (Dianna Hardy)
Through a partnership with Heart Links, our family foundation,
Cambia, has been supporting a two year project to help build the
future leaders for Centre St. Angela and the district of Jose Leonardo
Ortiz. During my visit to Chiclayo in the fall of 2016, the leadership
team at the Centre identified the development of leaders as an
important need for the future of the Centre. There are so many youth
leaders who have been involved.
This project allows the leadership team time and resources to
develop formalized training modules that give these youth the skills
needed to be the future leaders of the Centre or within the community. (Lina Bowden)
Along life's path appear certain interstitial moments where we
find ourselves living tentatively -- fluidly organic spaces between
what has already been solidly accomplished and that which is
still beckoning to us from the horizon, with sombre trepidation or
scintillating with promise, for the journey yet to be travelled.
My son's departure to university this autumn (striking out on his
own burgeoning life path) has been the catalyst for my own
interstitial times --shoving me squarely along that very bumpy
transition road. At heart (and mind also), the challenge for me is
no longer where I need to lead my son, rather where I need to lead myself.
Such transitions are nothing if not challenging; however, within these fluctuating spaces
reside definitive sparks of hope: Hope for further career prospects with the help of project
management courses I am taking. Hope for a successful hand-over of the Cinema Politica
project (which Seeds of Hope supported over the last few years) in order to pass the torch on
to the next awareness-building, consciousness-raising community-minded
organization. Hope for more soul-filling, vibrantly-voiced "choral" spaces and those
intentionally diversified opportunities for connecting with others, personably, living in that very
moment...
As Emily Dickinson so vividly wrote: "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul,
and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all." So as we experience these
interstitial moments at different points in our lives, may these transition times be ever life-
giving and hope-filled for us all. (Paula Papel)
As the future unfolds and with our feet firmly planted in the soil of so many
hearts both near and far…we journey on with justice and solidarity.
Rich harvest blessings to all!
SEEDS of HOPE welcomes and is open
to new members. Donations to support
cross cultural experiences in Peru for
Canadian women can be sent c/o:
Chatham Ursuline Charities
Villa Angela, 20 Merici Way, Chatham, Ontario, N7L 3L8 For more information:
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