We Write for Rights - #Write4Rights #W4R20

Sister Olga, faithfully writing at 97 years of age

The Sisters of St. Joseph have been friends of Amnesty International for decades.  We’ve delighted in the annual visit of its well-known former Secretary General for Canada, Alex Neve, and his workers throughout the last fifteen years. Besides contributing monetary donations, Amnesty’s yearly Write for Rights initiative is an advocacy opportunity we’ve embraced since 2012.  This year was no different.

On the appointed December 10th, a group of our senior Sisters armed with pen and paper wrote 140 letters to various leaders throughout the world, pleading for amnesty and justice for their people who have been illegally incarcerated for standing up for human rights and justice in their countries.

140letters~ in the mail!

We read the cases of six specific men and women whose lives have been disrupted due to their support of others whose water, lands, and forests have been devastated and razed by companies seeking to advance their own financial largesse. The fact that our letters matter is evidenced by the success that has resulted for victims through the pressures our writing has exerted on various countries’ leaders.

I sensed a blessing descend upon our home as Sisters wrote impassioned pleas to repressive governments to right the wrongs of advocates unjustly treated for working on behalf of humanity.  There is no better way to live these Advent weeks than to raise our voices against injustices.  It is a powerful practice in preparing the way of the Lord.

-Sister Jean Moylan

National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas is celebrated on the National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples, December 12th. A feast commemorating a religious event in the 16th century is now intertwined with our growing awareness of Indigenous peoples throughout the world – their strength, resilience, and rightful place in society. In the film The Condor and the Eagle we see such strength and resilience as four Indigenous leaders make a trans-continental journey from the Canadian plains to the heart of the Amazonian jungle. Their purpose - to unite the peoples of North and South America and deepen the meaning of "Climate Justice."  

At the heart of the journey is the indigenous prophecy “When the eagle of the North and the condor of the South fly together, Indigenous peoples will unite the human family.”  This underlies the amazing story, as we watch a shift of identity. Once forgotten voices rise to become strong communities with power to bring change to their world.

The experience of Juan Diego filled him with hope and belief in the spiritual protection offered through his extraordinary experience.

With the struggle and dialogue of Indigenous people in Canada, new hope is rising. This month the Liberal government of Canada introduced legislation to begin the process of bringing Canadian law into alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). Lots of hard work and dialogue lie ahead, but the shift has begun.

www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberals-introduce-undrip-legislation-1.5826523

As we remember the Indigenous saint of the South, we celebrate yet one more step in the North to live into reconciliation.

-Sister Loretta Manzara, csj

Third Sunday of Advent

“The spirit of God is upon me… and has sent me to bring good news…”

How our world longs for Good News: refreshment in the midst of COVID-19 and ease from the burden of worry and loneliness. News of a vaccine is pending and we have our arms ready. But our world also longs for relief from financial constraints and from the negativity of politicians and media. Our world longs for unity, for the peace of compassionate understanding, for hope amidst unjust criticism and oppressive structures. Front-line workers need relief and support against the anti-vaxxers, the conspiracy theorists, and merchants who fail to protect against price gouging and lapsed safety protocols. Into this world, the Saviour is coming. Who will bring the message of healing, forgiveness and hope? Who will stand in solidarity with those tired of waiting; with those drowning in COVID- fatigue? Who will call the people to patience and compassion?

We wait in hope; we live in the in-between time of no vaccine, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. We just don’t know how long the tunnel is, and it is dark! Who will wait with patience and compassion and hope? Our charism of reconciling love calls us to wait, and to stir the embers of hope in those suffering from fatigue, loneliness and isolation. Our prayer today is for a restoration of hope, and our action today may be the renewing smile and the gesture of solidarity as simple as touching an elbow. We wait in hope, in patience and in stillness. We wait … knowing our God waits with us, walks alongside us into the wilderness and beyond. “Rejoice… pray… give thanks… hold fast… the One who calls is faithful… and will do this.”

-Sister Helen Russell, csj

A Labour of Love

Amina and her 3 boys

Amina and her three boys, Abdulahi, 13, Abdihakin, 12, and Abdihamid, 8, arrived in Canada, October 20, 2017.  For the first couple of days they lived with the Sisters of St. Joseph in Hamilton before moving into a 2 bedroom apartment. In a Zoom interview with the family I learned a little about their adjustments to Canada.

Q. Where did you live before coming to Canada?

We lived in Camp Kakuma, in Kenya with thousands of other refugees in tents and we went to school in the Camp. (Camp Kakuma is considered one of the largest refugee camps in the world according to statistics published in 2019)

Q. What do you miss most about Kakuma?

All three boys said emphatically, we miss our friends!  We used to play a lot of tag, hide and seek, and soccer.  After we finish our education we will go back to Kenya for a visit to reconnect with our friends.

Q. What do you like about your home in Canada?

All agreed it is so comfortable here. In Kakuma we didn’t have so much stuff.  We had to walk to get water.

Q. Have you played hockey yet?

I love hockey but I find it hard to control the stick, said Abdulahi.  Basketball was the most popular sport with all three boys’ because we can play it at the park with our friends. Abdihakin spoke most enthusiastically about sports. He is involved with track and field and a Checkers Club.  He has travelled on tournaments. Snow is especially fun for Abdihamid as he likes to go sledding.  All three liked snow ball fights. We have many friends who live in this neighbourhood. Drawing is a passion for Abdulahi. 

Authentic Canadian Poutine

Q. What is your favorite Canadian food? Poutine was the loud answer. Abdihamid immediately added pancakes with syrup, and burgers.  “It is all nice food.”

Q. Are you looking forward to Christmas and the holidays? The family is Muslim and celebrates Eid, so Christmas is not too familiar to them. However, Amina said that the boys are open to presents just the same.

I asked Amina, What do you find most difficult living in Canada? To which she warmly replied, “I don’t find anything difficult because of you people.  All you people on the Refugee Committee are so wonderful.  You reached out in help each time I or the children needed help. You are our friends in this new country.”

Amina is referring to the Sisters of St. Joseph Refugee Committee that has been supporting refugees seeking asylum in Canada for many years.

Assisting refugees is a labour of love and demanding, but the joy and determination that each of our families has shown makes the work so fulfilling. It also makes us very aware of how fortunate we are to live in Canada – COVID or not.

-Sister Ann Marshall, csj