Mourning a Beloved Monarch

Thanks to the excellent reporting of the CBC, I spent the last ten days taking in the events of the death and days of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.  From the announcement of her death in Balmoral, through the days of visitation in Scotland and four days in Westminster Hall, to the funeral at Westminster Abbey and final farewell ceremony in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, I was glued to the tv.  I sat mesmerized as millions of adoring people spent hours being present on the city streets and as millions more watched through media coverage.

Just as the public mourned, I also mourned the passing of an exemplary sovereign from the little sofa in my room.  My earliest memory of Her Majesty occurred when I was nine-year old.  I watched with eager interest as my older sister created a beautiful scrapbook of the 1953 coronation of a young Queen Elizabeth II.  Who was this beautiful woman?  From that moment onward, I followed her interesting life in the media, read books about her and the royal family and dabbled in the history of former kings and queens.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip traveled throughout the world, strengthening the Commonwealth, which included at least 40 trips to Canada.  Wherever she and the prince spent time, they created a positive impact for good. I always admired the Queen’s easy smile, calm manner, sense of humor, love of animals, and knowledge of the people where she visited.

Being a woman with historical knowledge, Queen Elizabeth was well versed in Britain’s grasp for power. In former times, the country was known for its strong navy and as the old saying states, “Britain ruled the waves”. Thus, they inserted themselves into many lands, including Canada where land was taken, treaties were entered into with native peoples, and treasures were traded for trinkets.

Today, after witnessing the pomp and circumstance of the past week and knowing that England is admired for its great displays of wealth and grandeur, I think of the grievances of past behavior. In contrast to former exploitation, our recent monarchs have been exemplary in their peace making and execution of duty.  Past exploits leave today’s people carrying inherited grief and shame for what was done throughout conquering centuries. Much truth and reconciliation needs to happen.  In Canada, this initiative is beginning to occur.  King Charles III will no doubt embrace the call to truth and reconciliation just as our beloved Queen Elizabeth II executed her duty sowing seeds of peace and harmony.

-Sister Jean Moylan, csj

National Day of Service and Remembrance

Image: Unsplash/Julien Maculan

Most people remember exactly where they were on September 11, 2001 as the first of a series of planes crashed into the World Trade Centre, the South Tower, the Pentagon and Shanksville P.A. Since then, Americans gather to remember the 3000 innocent victims. They honour and give thanks as well to the countless Police, Firefighters and Volunteers who rushed toward the disaster areas to selflessly offer their help.

Today we are invited to reflect not only on the 9-11 event and their consequences but also on the atrocities that continue to occur throughout the world and perhaps in our own neighbourhoods. A quick glance at any newspaper will draw our attention to a long list: poverty, homelessness, hunger, stabbings, war, tragic deaths. Some days it is overwhelming, I turn off the TV, close the paper and sit quietly listening.

“Listening to God, to the Universe, to the world’s pulse, we trust that healing and whole making energies are released in ourselves and the planet.”

— Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada

What is my role in eliminating such pain where I live? How can I be of service?  Then the Spirit nudges me to recall the bravery of those who have gone before me doing good, volunteering, visit the sick, praying with a friend, smile at people along the way; simple actions but with great potential to brighten a day. I can follow their lead.  Scripture tells me to” feed the hungry”, “cloth the naked”.  I can do that!  Some very wise women encourage me when they say, “Listening to God, to the Universe, to the world’s pulse, we trust that healing and whole making energies are released in ourselves and the planet”.  I believe them and find renewed energy.

What helps you to remain hopeful and helpful?

-Maureen Condon is an Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph

Public Statement from Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada on Ontario’s More Beds, Better Care Act.

Public Statement from Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada on Ontario’s More Beds, Better Care Act.

August 30, 2022

The congregations within the Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada have a significant history of direct involvement in the ownership and administration of hospitals and long-term care centres. While we are no longer directly involved, we know the issues are complex, and the solutions must be systemic. Therefore, we highlight three interconnected points:

We are concerned about the way the Ontario government’s More Beds, Better Care Act allows hospitals to place seniors, who no longer need hospital-level treatment, in a long-term care home not of their choosing, possibly in other communities, while they wait for their preferred home. First, the government has short-circuited the democratic process by closing off key avenues for public input on these issues. Second, this legislation ignores the critical role family members are currently playing to care for patients in struggling hospital and long-term care settings.  Third, the legislation increases the hardship on seniors in community who are currently on waiting lists for long-term care centres and will be forced to wait longer.

A better way forward, one which addresses the systemic nature of the problem, can be found in Bringing LTC Home, a research report from the National Institute on Ageing (NIA). This report indicates that, with thousands of Ontarians on wait lists for long-term care homes, the best solutions are not to be found in directing hospital patients to long-term care homes they don’t want, but in addressing root causes by supporting Ontarians to age well in their homes for as long as possible.  The NIA notes that, currently, close to 90% of public funding for long-term care goes to institutionalizing people rather than caring for their in their homes as most would prefer.  To cover the costs of enabling people to age well in place, the NIA suggests a national long-term care insurance program as well as further improvements to the Guaranteed Income Supplement program.  These should be key components of a health care plan rooted in provincial-federal cooperation.

In the Ontario government’s recent budget, the intended increases to the health care budget are so small that, in effect, inflation and population growth will mean a significant erosion in health care spending per person in the next few years. No doubt this was a driving force behind Bill 124’s sharp limiting of wage growth for health care workers.  But Bill 124 has contributed to the troublesome trends of nurses leaving the public system and hospitals becoming increasingly reliant on temp agency nursing, which is not financially sustainable and results in public dollars flowing to private agencies.

The expedition of the accreditation of nurses trained in other countries can be an important piece of a wider plan for human resources health care.  But this must be part of an overall plan to strengthen and modernize a properly funded health care sector, and this plan should emerge from a transparent process grounded in substantial public input.

Finally, Ontario has been over-reliant on hospitals and especially emergency departments to respond to issues that are better addressed through prevention and strong community health services.  Increased funding to address the social determinants of health would ease the strain on the health care system.  Likewise, new models for family-doctor practices and increased funding for outpatient clinics, mental health services, and home care are some of the essential elements of a well-rounded health care plan.

We recognize this is a challenging time for the health care sector.  We urge the Ontario government to initiate a wide public consultation to surface the most promising models for moving forward; models which will give all people in Ontario good and timely access to a full range of health services.