A Reflection for this Week, May 3 - June 7 by Sr. Mary Jo Radey, Sault Ste. Marie

All CSJ’s and the friends of CSJ’s are called to celebrate, for we are in the midst of “our week”!  Two of the deepest aspects of our Spirituality in the Little Design of Jean Pierre Medaille are celebrated on the Church calendar, beginning with Holy Trinity Sunday and concluding with Corpus Christi Sunday. 

Father Medaille held that the two Trinities of Father/Son/Spirit and Jesus/Mary/Joseph were a call for us to be mindful of the relational quality of our call and in our prayer. 

Our consecration to the Blessed Trinity and to the Holy Family deepens our sensitivity to the dear neighbour in the living out of our charism of unity.  We strive to live out the core values of our spirituality by

~seeking a profound desire to respond to all that the Creator wishes to accomplish in and through us during our lifetime

~a heartfelt recognition of the self-emptying love of the Son in becoming one with us and a desire to learn from his profound humility

~a longing to be filled with the power of the Spirit and so become for the sake of others, the congregation of God’s great love

~to learn from Mary’s faith and her ability to recognize the prompts of the Holy Spirit, always to say “Yes” to God

~to share in the burning zeal of Jesus for the glory of God and the service of the dear neighbour

~to see in Joseph an example of loving care and gracious concern that he showed toward Jesus and Mary. He is our guide in practicing charity and hospitality towards the dear neighbour.

The image of the Eucharist is a central mystery of faith for Medaille in his Little Design, especially as he offered The Eucharistic Letter to his founding group.  The call to see the Divine in the most simple, daily and ordinary of parts of our life is to understand the gift of God in the bread that we eat in the Eucharist.  The reminder of how we are nourished by God, how union is possible for all people with God and with our dear neighbour is found in the hiddenness of the Incarnate God in the Bread and the Wine.

This week where we are reminded of these mystical elements of who and what we are as Sisters of St. Joseph is powerful in the midst of these times. As Pope Francis encourages a “culture of encounter”, he is speaking our language as CSJ’s!  Let us use this time to bring our passion and heart to a world that is hurting so much!!   

Additional Statements of Support

Each day there is more outpouring of grief, concern, and dismay over the news of the Indigenous students remains found at Kamloops residential school.

Statement of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops:

On behalf of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), I express our deepest sorrow for the heartrending loss of the children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. The news of the recent discovery is shocking. It rekindles trauma in numerous communities across this land. Honouring the dignity of the lost little ones demands that the truth be brought to light. This tragedy profoundly impacts Indigenous communities, with whom many people across this land and throughout the world now stand in solidarity. As we see ever more clearly the pain and suffering of the past, the Bishops of Canada pledge to continue walking side by side with Indigenous Peoples in the present, seeking greater healing and reconciliation for the future. We lift up prayers to the Lord for the children who have lost their lives and pledge our close accompaniment of Indigenous families and communities. May our Creator God bless all of us with consolation and hope. + Richard Gagnon Archbishop of Winnipeg and President of the Canadian

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Message from St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick:

Message to Community – Campus Flags Lowered to Commemorate Discovery of Children’s Bodies at Former Residential School We have lowered the flags on our campus to commemorate and honour the 215 Indigenous children whose remains have been discovered at the site of a former residential school in British Columbia. This step is being taken by many levels of government and institutions across the country, including at the Peace Tower in Ottawa. The discovery of the site of these undocumented deaths was announced Thursday. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation had previously estimated there were 51 deaths of children at that school and there is now evidence of many more. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission established that 3,200 children died while at Residential Schools, with estimates as high as 6,000, and recommendations from the TRC Calls to Action deal with missing children. It is important that society faces the true depth of these horrific events which continue to impact individuals, families, and communities to this day. Discoveries such as this one in British Columbia remind us of the work that must be done through education, collaboration, and action. At STU, we are committed to continuing to work together with our Senate Committee on Reconciliation, our Indigenous Student Services team, our Student Reconciliation Committee, and Indigenous communities and leaders to achieve progress towards reconciliation as a university community and society. Please remember that student services at STU remain available to all students. Do not hesitate to contact Student Mental Health Services, Indigenous Students Services, or any of our support services should you require them.

Dawn Russell President and Vice-Chancellor

Bishop Fabbro's Statement on the Tragic Discovery at the Former Kamloops Residential School

May 31, 2021

• I am shocked and profoundly saddened by the horrifying discovery of the remains of at least 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation.
  
  When the operation of residential schools was delegated by the federal government to several Christian faith-based groups, there were many failures in fulfilling Christ's mission of bringing the good news of the kingdom of God and helping the oppressed, including failures of the Catholic Church.
  
  The presence of the graves of these innocent ones sheds light on a clear failure of those responsible in not embracing the Gospel values of love, mercy, justice and compassion, and for forgetting their commitment to respect the dignity of all people. These lost innocent ones are another reason why we must continue to learn from these failings and work with Indigenous communities towards the healing called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
  
  Yesterday, a memorial was placed at St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica in London as part of a nation-wide commemoration of the lost children. I visited the memorial today to pray, asking God to bring comfort to the families of the deceased and all survivors of the residential school system. We will continue to pray for the families of these children and survivors and commit ourselves to playing a constructive role in the journey towards healing and reconciliation.
  
  Most Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, CSB
  Bishop of London

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Living History Centre of Le Puy Goes Online

For several years the Board of the International Centre has wanted to bring the Living History Centre to as many people as possible, especially those who may never be able to visit Le Puy in person. With the new website, the Living History Centre is now posted in PowerPoint at the following address:

https://www.centreinternationalssj.org/livinghistory-lepuy

The Centre tells the story of the Sisters of St Joseph within the context of French and Church history since 1550.

Pentecost Message from Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle

In a previous post, we introduced our readers to Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle. The members of this group emphasize the work of reconciliation between the Indigenous people and the Catholic Church. They try to combat racism in all forms especially that towards the Indigenous of Canada.   

We Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada form a Federation to empower one another in the passionate living of our charism of active and inclusive love. Urged by God’s spirit we respond to the evolving reality of our world, bringing healing and hope to all creation. This Pentecost statement from Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle is one of the ways we listen to the Spirit in our evolving reality.  

A quote from the message:

“Moved by this Spirit and prompted by his Holiness Pope Francis we are sent to go boldly into our families and communities, into our educational, health, and social institutions, and even into the world of politics to bring the power of unity and love that are the true fruits of the presence of the Spirit of God. We are called to do the difficult work of justice and reconciliation, “to build a better kind of politics, one aimed at the service of the Common Good”. [i] The Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle sees in the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples a framework to guide our work toward this goal. In language that is embraced by the international community this declaration helps us to concretize the goal set before us by Pope Francis when he stated, “it is essential to show special care for indigenous communities and their cultural traditions. They are not merely one minority among others, but should be the principal dialogue partners, especially when large projects affecting their lands are proposed.”[ii] With the boldness that is asked of us, we members of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle pledge to do what we can to help our Catholic community to increase awareness of the significance.”

For the full text click: Pentecost Message.

[i] Pope Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship, October 3, 2020 (#154)

[ii] Pope Francis. Encyclical Letter Laudato si: On Care for Our Common Home, May 24, 2015 (#146)