Epitaph

Remembrance Day arrives tomorrow and with it many thoughts of lives lived, and lives lost. This poem is so lovely, it simply had to be shared. Perhaps you already know it - if not, I think you will find it resonates so deeply - as within it contains such beauty.

Poem shared by Sister Ann Marshall, csj

Epitaph - By Merrit Malloy

When I die
Give what’s left of me away
To children
And old men that wait to die.

And if you need to cry,
Cry for your brother
Walking the street beside you.
And when you need me,
Put your arms
Around anyone
And give them
What you need to give to me.

I want to leave you something,
Something better
Than words
Or sounds.

Look for me
In the people I’ve known
Or loved,
And if you cannot give me away,
At least let me live on in your eyes
And not your mind.

You can love me most
By letting
Hands touch hands,
By letting bodies touch bodies,
And by letting go
Of children
That need to be free.

Love doesn’t die,
People do.
So, when all that’s left of me
Is love,
Give me away.

Header photo: UNSPLASH Luigi Boccardo

Remembrance Day 2021

Sister Mary Boere Remembers…

Every Remembrance Day I pause and remember what the Canadian soldiers did for Holland. That country and its people are forever grateful to Canada, and Canadians. I visited one of the cemeteries where soldiers lay row upon row. The cemeteries are well kept. At that time, I was told that classes of school children attended to sections of the cemetery and kept them weeded and looking beautiful.

Being born in 1937, I have a lot of childhood memories of the war especially the later years of 1943-45 as do other Sisters, when we were school aged.  Mind you, we had to be educated during the winter of 1944 by a minister of our village who would come to our home twice a week to teach us our reading and math. I have vivid memories of that time. Another scary event occurred when the railroad behind our house was bombed. For the longest, time, whenever I heard airplanes go over our head, something fearful triggered in me.

In our evening prayers tonight, the first prayer was powerful,

“You laid down your life that we might live; be present to those on battlefields.” 

These words certainly convey a concrete image, especially when we know that wars and strife and battlefields still rage in the world’s countries. We remember them all in prayer.

-Sister Mary Boere, csj

In April 2019, Canada’s Parliament proclaimed May 5th ‘Dutch Heritage Day’ after receiving unanimous support for the motion. This day honours the sacrifices that Canadians made during the Second World War in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation, while also recognizing the contributions made to Canada by those of Dutch heritage. The day itself, May 5th, was chosen as it is Liberation Day in the Netherlands, further reinforcing the ties between the two nations.

Every May since 1953, the Canadian Tulip Festival has celebrated the Dutch-Canadian connection.

In gratitude for helping liberate the Netherlands during World War II in 1945, Princess Juliana presented 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada. Since then, the tulip has been a symbol of friendship between the Netherlands and Canada. The Dutch royal family still annually presents 20,000 tulip bulbs to Canada.

Listening Loudly

Unsplash photo/Nick Fewings

To borrow the invitation from a hearing aid company, is it time for Canada to “Listen”?

To what are we called to listen in light of the hundreds of unmarked graves discovered on the grounds of former residential schools? The unmasking of this reality suggests that the general public has been deafened and deliberately prevented from hearing the voices of the Indigenous peoples of this land. This needs to stop.

It is interesting to note how “listening” seems to be a theme that is emerging on several fronts:

Pope Francis leads a meeting with representatives of bishops' conferences from around the world at the Vatican Oct. 9, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

““Those of us who have benefited from colonization have a responsibility to address the system that has enriched us by stealing the land and lives of Indigenous Peoples. The first steps in this process are to listen deeply to what Indigenous Peoples are saying to us, to open ourselves to be transformed by their words, and to act based on what they are telling us to address injustices.” ”
— These are the words of Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice Deborah McGregor, an Anishinaabe from Whitefish River First Nation, Birch Island, Ontario.

From just these few examples, we can appreciate that listening is absolutely necessary for a nation, for a Church, to move toward reconciliation and transformation.

So, let’s listen up with open minds and hearts and see if what we hear moves us to genuine action for a better Canada, a reformed Church, and a personal transformation.

-Sister Kathleen Lichti

Sharing in the Beginnings of a New Life in Canada

November 1st will be a day of remembrance for both Sister Kitty and I.

Like elders in families, it was important to accompany our guests to the driveway of our home, as they went on their way this morning to begin their new life in Canada.  It was amazing to see that there was still some stuff that needed to fit into the car along with the parents and 2 young boys full of energy at what was awaiting them a few short blocks away. 

Their journey to Canada began back in mid-August when they got word that they could leave Afghanistan as soon as there was room on an outgoing plane.  With some delays, they were finally inside the gates of the airport and felt safe as they waited 4 more days to be called forward to board the plane with over 1,000 people all sitting on the floor in silence, praying and hoping that the flight would soon begin.  Silence overshadowed any expression of excitement as they all were fearing for their lives and the waiting seem to take forever. On August 27th after 4 days in Kuwait, the family boarded a commercial plane with a flight path to Toronto Pearson.  After landing safely, the family was asked to quarantine for another 2 weeks with only 10 minutes allowed outdoors once a day during this time.

The New Canadian Centre in Peterborough, a settlement agency that works with the Canadian Government to assist Government sponsored refugees is responsible for this family.  Temporary housing was offered in one of the hotels so that the family could get vaccinated and begin looking for permanent housing etc. as well as beginning the journey of learning about Canada and what would be required of them. 

Sister Kitty and I received a phone call in mid-October asking if we could assist with a 4 day stay for the family because the hotel rooms in the city were all pre-booked due to a weekend hockey tournament.  When the 4 days ended, New Canadian Centre asked about them staying with us until the 1st of November when they would be moving into their own apartment.  Offering short term hospitality to refugees was “why we moved back to Ontario in August 2020” – so we were delighted to assist with this request!

As the days went by, the family became more comfortable with us, and it was nice to hear giggles and laughter coming from the two little boys in the basement apartment.  Mom wanted to learn some English while she was with us – and came up to the dining room to learn the days of the week; the denominations of money; the alphabet; the months of the year.  It was evident that she is eager to learn English and is anxious to begin her classes sometime in November.  The children were busy and went to the park nearby often to play soccer and play on the swings.  Dad can speak English and hopes to get registered in the Community College and learn a trade so that he can support his family.

One of the things we learned is that – leaving family members and all of the life they knew was a huge sacrifice yet as the days unfolded here in Canada there seemed to be nothing that could change their hope of providing a safe life for their children and no obstacle was going to stop them going forward.

                   May those who live with us uprooted from their homeland,

                   find a new home in our country where their history is respected,

                   their gifts and graces celebrated, and their fear lessened.

                   May we be their home and the ones who open our hearts in welcome.

-Sister Ann MacDonald, csj