A MEMORABLE VISIT

This summer I had an experience that I never imagined would come my way. For two weeks in July I had the marvelous opportunity of visiting the Northwest Territories (NWT). I was the eager guest of Sister Maggie in her cozy rented house on the banks of Hay River for which the town is named. Untouched by the forest fires are wooded areas that surround her home. Maggie is an avid gardener, and her variety of vegetables and bright flower plots attest to her creativity.  

Following a smooth flight, Sisters Maggie and Diane who have ministered in the North for decades, met me at the airport. After an enjoyable lunch with Sister Diane, in her Yellowknife apartment, Maggie and I set off for the five-hour drive to Hay River. Along the way, I had my first sight of a bison herd that was resting and grazing on the side of the road.  As we drove along the McKenzie Highway, I noticed stark evidence of past fires in the region. Thus began my introduction to the North.

Sister Maggie and Sister Loretta, 11:00 PM, Great Slave Lake, NWT 2023.

During my visit, Maggie, was the perfect hostess and tour guide.  Because of our travels, Fort Simpson, Fort Resolution, Fort Smith and Enterprise are no longer just names of which I have heard the Sisters speak.  They are localities I visited and was welcomed by people who call these places home.  As we travelled around the countryside, I was introduced to black bears and more bison. At one point, a magnificent caribou bounded across the road in front of us. Maggie who was always on the lookout as she drove, was able to stop in time for us to admire all these marvelous creatures as they made their way around or beside us.

The highlight of my trip was spending time with Maggie and accompanying her as she went about her daily ministries.  When at home, we sorted bundles of recycling, gardened, played with Ts’udaa, her entertaining cat, or just sat in the back yard and watched the antics of the birds and squirrels.

It was intriguing to look out the window at midnight and be able to enjoy the sight of God’s creation in the natural light of the summer sun not quite set. Unfortunately, because it was never really dark, the famous Northern Lights were not apparent in the night sky.

All too soon, two unforgettable weeks flew past, and it was time to bid farewell to Maggie and head for home. Because of the recent outbreak of a forest fire near Yellowknife, I had to rearrange my flight plans and fly to Yellowknife rather than having Maggie drive me. In Yellowknife, I bid farewell to Sister Diane and Linda and continued my memorable journey homeward.

I am grateful to my community for providing a wonderful opportunity to expand my horizons and visit the Land of the Midnight Sun.

-Sister Loretta Hagen, CSJ

Header image: Unsplash/Alexis Mette; all other images Sister Loretta Hagen.

Memories of World War II and the Red Cross

Relaxing during our summer evening meals at the cottage often leads to interesting discussions.  Recently, we four vacationers were discussing the state of the war in Ukraine and other world hot spots.  Sister D’s thoughts soon turned to her experience of World War ll through the eyes of a young girl in a family of nine who endured the travails of the war in the Netherlands.  They lived in a rural setting, not far from the city of Makkum.

She spoke of hearing the drone of enemy planes overhead and wondered what that might mean.  Although being surrounded with worry, her parents provided safety from fear. “Our Dutch world was upset but going to school remained a priority.” One day as the children set out to walk to the local school, they were turned back because the school building was needed for emergency care of the wounded. Puzzled, they trudged the seven-kilometer journey home.

Sister D continued her story, Sometimes, gunshots were heard regularly in the city but not out in the country where we lived. From time to time, a large airplane with a visible Canadian Red Cross sign would fly over the farm fields. How excited we were when they dropped large crates of oranges and canvas bags of supplies into the fields.  The farmers would quickly collect the items and deliver them to the city schools.  I’ll never forget the pretty green skirt I once received.  We also gratefully received our treasured orange wrapped in soft tissue, and excitedly ate it, savoring every morsel. Even the peel was not wasted. We would put a piece of it in our pockets so we could enjoy its sweet smell.  To this day, the Dutch people have never forgotten the bravery of the pilots and generosity of Canadians who made those wonderful sky drops that filled our hearts with excitement and gratitude.

After the war, in 1951 when I was fourteen, my family moved to Canada.  I remember being on a train from Halifax to Montreal. Looking out the windows, we were amazed at the size of Canada with its vast crops, soaring mountains, and rolling hills.  We were awed at the beauty surrounding us on all sides, especially the tumbling waterfalls that seemed to pop out of nowhere.

Ever since those war years, The Canadian Red Cross has meant a lot to me; I longed to work for them.  As the years passed, I had an opportunity to do so and was hired as a registered nursing assistant to attend to the sick and elderly in their homes.  At last, I was fulfilling my dream to express deep appreciation to The Canadian Red Cross. Proudly, I carried my Red Cross bag from client to client.  Still today, this great organization continues their outreach to help where help is needed most”.

Those of us listening at the dinner table were moved deeply by having one of our Sisters share her war experience.  May Canada remain a welcoming land and may countries at war soon experience peace.

-Sister Jean Moylan, CSJ

Meeting with Friends

The train sped through lush countryside, fields promising harvests, backyards strewn with bicycles, swimming pools and childrens’ toys. I was heading home to London from a rich experience of three days of singing with my friends. For many, many years I have been a member of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. These friends enrich me with new hymn texts, melodies, and sheer joy.

We are a group of congregational song practitioners who live from the stance that the holy act of singing together shapes faith, heals brokenness, transforms lives, and renews peace. The Society’s mission is to encourage, promote and enliven congregational singing in the United States and Canada.

Gathered in Montreal, this month at McGill University, we renewed friendships, made new ones, told stories of congregational perseverance through the years of covid, laughed together and praised God for the gift song.

Image: Unsplash/David Beale

About 230 of us sang through three evening hymn festivals, attended various sectionals of our choice, and began each day with sung prayer in multiple languages.

Inspired by Indigenous presenters such as Kenny Wallace, who presently lives among the Munsee Delaware nation, who shared gospel songs that  helped him claim his original heritage of Choctaw. And Jonathan Maracle, from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory near Belleville, Ontario who shared his songs rich with cultural roots of the First Nations people of North America. His mission is that of healing through song.

Both engaged us in a deeper understanding of how land, and language offer solid roots for claiming one’s inner freedom.

So many of the presentations this year opened our hearts to further ways of living inclusively, praying inclusively, and gathering inclusively.

-Sister Loretta Manzara, csj

You may wish to check out this promotional video:

Images: Unsplash//Michael Maasen

London Diocese's Linda Staudt Appointment

London Diocese’s Linda Staudt Appointment: Voting Participant at Synod in Rome

Read the article in the Windsor Star https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/windsors-staudt-selected-by-pope-francis-for-prominent-role

Last week in early July, I heard a loud crash and realized that another woman had broken a glass ceiling! Linda Staudt of London Diocese was selected by Pope Francis as a voting participant at the upcoming Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of Rome in October 2023. Ms. Staudt will be one of only seven lay people from North America to participate in the Synod which will listen to what has been gleaned in previous synodality diocesan meetings throughout the world. Participants will assist in refining where the Spirit and People of God are leading the faithful at this time through mutual communion, participation, and mission.

Bishop Ronald Fabbro of London Diocese nominated Linda for her leadership and participation in the diocesan synodality discussions, and as chairwoman and lead writer of the Synod Synthesis Team for the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario and presented the Ontario Synthesis to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022.  For years, she has been a leader in Catholic education.

Prior to her retirement following eight years as Director of Education, London District Catholic School Board, Ms. Staudt was a teacher and administrator in her Windsor hometown.  She took a keen interest in sports and is, herself, a member of the Windsor-Essex Sports Hall of Fame for her excellence as a track athlete.

As Ms. Staudt prepares for her upcoming trip and participation at the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, we accompany her and all the participants with our prayers.  We shower them with abundant blessings at this opportune moment as they read the signs of the time, seek the movement of the Holy Spirit, and listen to the faithful throughout the world. Let us “be a mission-oriented Church that forms disciples of Jesus.”1

-Sister Jean Moylan, csj

1.Introduction: Conversations in the Diocese of London for A Listening Church

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Header Image: Unsplash, Francesco Maria Achille; Linda Staudt PHOTO BY DAN JANISSE /Windsor Star

Who Do You Say I AM?

Isn’t it interesting that puzzling questions, spiritual and otherwise, pop into our heads while relaxing on vacation? While our bodies relax our minds are set free to ‘wonder’ where they will. 

On the shore of Lake Ontario, we found ourselves pondering once again whether ‘my God is your God?’ A question not easily unpacked. Is our image of God fashioned by our own experiences and coloured by our own temperaments? On a natural level, this is not so surprising, as siblings often describe their parents with unique variations. As in all relationships, our sense of God is very personal, quite different.

As humans, we do not see things clearly but only in fragments as attested to by Paul in his message to the Corinthians,

“…we see now only dimly…”

(1 Cor. 13:12). 

It is not surprising then, that each of us forms our own image of God. 

Would you consider it farfetched if we turned from quoting scripture to the Indian folktale “The Blind Men and the Elephant”? 

In this tale, images of an elephant are formed from each blind man's limited perspective of the elephant. Upon overhearing their differing viewpoints, the Rajah points out how each one has only a limited perception of what an elephant is. He emphasizes, “The  elephant is a very large animal," … "Each man touched only one part. Perhaps if you put the parts together, you will see the truth.” The Rajah's advice holds wisdom for us as we ponder our image of God. It's no time to think small.

Summertime offers us an opportunity to be still and know that God is God. In the stillness we may hear

"I am who I am".

We see dimly now but trust that one day we will see face to face and know God fully as we are known. 

-Sister Loretta Hagen, CSJ; Sister Magdalena Vogt, CPS; Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ

Header image: Unsplash/Sean Oulashin