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News
Public Statement on Gun Violence in Texas and Ohio
The violent attacks and loss of life in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH last weekend leave us shocked and saddened. We pray for the victims and their families and for all the people who are suffering because of these senseless and hateful acts.
We join our voices with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which once again has called for stronger measures to address gun violence. LCWR has spoken out against those who incite anger and fear, which too often results in mass killings. We too commit ourselves to action on behalf of all who are threatened by pervasive gun violence. One step has been to participate in shareholder resolutions that ask weapons manufacturers to identify ways they could limit fatal shootings and avoid negative impacts on human rights.
We pray for those whose thoughts turn to acts of violence, that they will recognize the evil of that choice and their freedom to choose instead the way of peace and respect for the life of every human being.
We share the following “Prayer for Peace:”
Philippians 4:4-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
Sometimes words are not enough
to express the language of our hearts,
sometimes minds are filled
with prayers without expression.
Sometimes there are not enough
spare moments in each day,
sometimes regret is all
we have as our confession.
Sometimes faith is not enough
but in the presence of your peace,
sometimes prayer can be
a quiet conversation.
Sometimes words are not enough
to express the anguish on our hearts,
sometimes prayers are answered
that remain unspoken.
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary
U.S.-Ontario Province Leadership Team
Mary Breiling, SNJM
Maureen Delaney, SNJM
Guadalupe Guajardo, SNJM
Margaret Kennedy, SNJM
Mary Rita Rohde, SNJM
What It’s Like to Accompany Migrants at the U.S. Border
By Mary Becker, SNJM and Mary Ondreyco, SNJM
Two Holy Names Sisters are among the many volunteers who have been serving guests of Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas. They recently returned and shared their experiences in this report.
Annunciation House has been accompanying migrant, homeless and economically vulnerable peoples of the border since 1978. Recently with the influx of people from Latin America, Annunciation House has set up nine centers to continue this outreach and support. The people of El Paso have responded generously by providing daily meals, laundry service, transportation to bus stations or airport, translation services and clothes and food donations. Through the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Annunciation House asked for religious Sisters and people affiliated with their communities to volunteer and help at the various centers. Many responded to this request. The Sisters of Loretto have provided housing for volunteers at their El Convento residence.
Ruben Garcia, the executive director of Annunciation House, has a working relationship with ICE. When the immigrants and asylum seekers are released daily from the Sub-Stations or Detention Centers, Ruben is notified and ICE buses then bring people to the Centers. The majority of people who arrive at our Center, Nazareth House, are fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries. They come with the clothes on their backs, worn shoes, hungry, thirsty, often carrying a baby or with young children prone to illness. Through all this they arrive with inner strength, hope, a desire to live in peace and to work and support their families.
All the guests had documents received from ICE that are their current ID. With these documents they can travel legally and are given a hearing date – usually within two weeks – where they need to appear in a federal court as part of the asylum process. At that hearing, depending on the judge, they could be allowed to continue the asylum process or they might be deported.
We realize that the immigration issue in the U.S. is a very complex issue and we continue to read and discuss articles that help us to better understand this reality. Several articles we recommend are: “Moving ‘Beyond the Wall’: Immigration panel talks moral, practical solutions” (National Catholic Reporter, Feb.5, 2019) and these links to two articles: “The Ethics of Trump’s Border Wall” by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin (New York Times, Jan. 30, 2019) and “Trump Does His Divisive El Paso Number” by Roger Cohen (New York Times, Feb. 8, 2019).
The receiving centers have 24-hour coverage by a site coordinator (7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.) and by volunteers during the day and through the night. We worked the 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. shift each day and each of us took one night shift from 10:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m.
During the day shift many things happened:
- ICE officials brought those released from the processing centers to Nazareth House. Most days, two busloads of people arrived and the center accommodated up to 50 new arrivals along with the 40 or 50 others waiting for their departures to sponsors in various states.
- Spanish-speaking volunteers helped with the intake procedure as well as welcoming the guests who weren’t quite sure where they were and who was helping them in this next step of the process. Water, snacks or a meal were provided and each new arrival was helped to select a change of gently used, clean clothing. Towels, toiletries, sheets, pillows and blankets were provided, and all enjoyed a hot refreshing shower.
- Most meals were provided by El Paso volunteers but on several occasions we, the day volunteers, cooked and prepared the lunch or dinner for around 100 people. We always asked some of our guests to help us with the meal preparation, the serving of the meal and then the clean-up of the many pots and pans. The guests loved working with us in these activities.
- Volunteers also aided in the general maintenance of the center – folding clean sheets, checking rooms, preparing snack bags for all traveling by bus or plane to their new locales and helping with medical needs or emergencies. (Nursing experience would have been helpful here!)
Before the volunteer time with Annunciation House, Mary O. participated in Capacitar workshops (holistic wellness practices) with people in Juarez and El Paso. Capacitar leaders have been working at the border for more than 10 years, and around 95 people participated in these workshops. The SNJM Ministry Fund provided funding for these workshops and for the planning of future workshops in border areas in El Paso and central and southern California.
On returning home and reflecting on our experiences, we are very grateful to the Holy Names community for your support, prayer and encouragement. We carried some of your donations with us and these enabled us to buy fresh salad, fruit and meat for the meals that we prepared for our guests. But most of all, we are grateful for the memories of the children and families, our guests, who left behind the violence and poverty of their home countries (as our own ancestors did) to start a new life here in the U.S., bringing with them much hope, spirit, determination and initiative.
Both Marys helping with serving dinner.
Guests in prayer.
Mary O. organizes clothing for guests’ travel.
Mary O. and guests clean up the kitchen.
Mary B and Sr. Alicia, SL, locate a guest’s family.
Cathy Olds, OP and Mary O. prepare intake packets.
Volunteers, Mary O. and Mary B. prepare dinner.
Honoring Our Commitment to Stand Against Human Trafficking
By Mary Annette Dworshak, SNJM
As we approach the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita on Feb. 8, I struggle with the reality of global human trafficking. According to a September 2017 report from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Walk Free Foundation: “An estimated 24.9 million victims are trapped in modern-day slavery. Of these, 16 million (64%) were exploited for labor, 4.8 million (19%) were sexually exploited, and 4.1 million (17%) were exploited in state-imposed forced labor.”
The numbers are staggering. The reality is dehumanizing. In 2014, Pope Francis directly identified the immorality of human trafficking: “The human person ought never to be sold or bought as if he or she were a commodity. Whoever uses human persons in this way and exploits them, even if indirectly, becomes an accomplice of injustice.”
As a teacher of Contemporary Problems to high school seniors at Holy Names Academy in Seattle, WA, what can I do? In 2004 the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary adopted our corporate stand against human trafficking in which we promised to “educate ourselves and others regarding the magnitude, causes and consequences of this abuse, both wherever we are missioned and throughout the world.” We committed ourselves to work in collaboration to “advocate for policies and programs that address the prevention of trafficking or provide alternatives to women and children in danger of being trafficked.”
Fifteen years later, I wonder “What have I done?” Although I have not provided shelter to those trafficked in India or provided job skills training to survivors in Nigeria, as a member of our SNJM Justice Networks, I have collaborated with others to promote awareness about human trafficking, not only within our own community but in our schools in Lesotho, Manitoba, and the United States. Every year some of my students have participated in the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center’s Just Video contest in which they have dramatically and effectively educated others about the tragic reality of human trafficking right here in Seattle along the I-5 corridor.
Sometimes a few of my students or colleagues have joined some of us on the First Sunday of the month for the IPJC Anti-Trafficking Vigil across the street from Seattle’s Westlake Center. After prayer, we stand holding our signs answering questions of the curious, listening to the stories of those who have been trafficked, or smiling at those who give us a “thumbs up” as they walk or drive by.
A few years ago, when the Sisters of the Holy Names focused on the issue of fracking and the Keystone XL Pipeline, I invited my students to research the impact of fracking upon water and the environment. We also explored the reality of the promise of the oil boom along with the impact on the economy of the surrounding area and the workers who moved there. The Jan. 28, 2019 issue of TIME reported on women who have been bought and sold in oil patch trafficking. Windie Jo Lazenko tells her own story, which prompted her to assist other trafficked victims.
Just last week in class, I assigned this topic to my students: “Two years ago the Sophomore Social Justice Committee studied human trafficking. What have you done about human trafficking since 2017?” I heard students respond, “I haven’t done too much; I am more conscious of where I shop and what I buy; I advise younger women to be more aware of their surroundings and social media; I have researched more about Fast Fashion and am concerned about labor trafficking, as well as sex trafficking.” What these comments say to me is that there are ways to work on stopping the demand through the lens of labor trafficking, as well as sex trafficking.
There are ways in which each of us can make deliberate choices to refuse to be accomplices of injustice harming all of us in our common home.
Sister Mary Annette Dworshak teaches religion and serves as Peace and Justice Coordinator at Holy Names Academy in Seattle, WA.
Thankful for the Gift of Holy Names Sisters
By Julie Tilghman, SNJM Associate
My name is Julie Tilghman, and I am one of the campus ministers at Holy Names Academy in Seattle. I began my ministry at Holy Names in the fall of 2005, and have been an Associate for almost two years. In my current role, I teach World Cultures to ninth graders, and help develop student life programs related to the spiritual life and social justice work of our school.
In recent years, the work that has most animated my spirit is leading our Charism Committee, a dedicated group of 14 teachers who help plan our Charism Week in November, our biannual personnel retreats and our quarterly Charism lunches. Since first walking through the doors of HNA in 2005, I have developed a profound admiration for the work of the Holy Names Sisters. As my Jesuit pastor likes to quip: “The Holy Names Sisters are doing the work that the Jesuits talk about.” The SNJM Charism and work of the Sisters is directly connected to the life and ministry of Jesus and Mary; the Sisters are a direct reflection of the core Gospel values. The Sisters’ dedication to developing the whole person is evident throughout Holy Names, and serves as a guiding light in the ministry of our faculty and staff.
A peak spiritual and professional experience of my 21-year career took place in 2017, when I traveled to Montreal for the “Pilgrimage of the Heart” with Sister Lorna Cooney, SNJM. Alongside 23 other SNJM school representatives, we visited the sacred sites of Blessed Mother Marie Rose’s life. My mind and heart were illumined by the richness of the SNJM tradition. Our group hailed from eight different schools, each of us honoring Mother Marie Rose’s legacy by educating young women of diverse backgrounds, in unique yet common ways. The sense of sisterhood that we felt was surely animated by the spirit of Mother Marie Rose, as our hearts burned with a renewed passion for our unique ministries in the SNJM schools.
I am grateful each day for the gift of the Holy Names Sisters in my life. As a teacher, campus minister, SNJM Associate and a mother of two, I feel profoundly blessed to count myself as a member of this beautiful community.
Public Statement in Support of DACA Dreamers
While we understand that Congress has several other tasks to attend to this session, because the window of opportunity is limited to six months, we urge Congress to take steps immediately to pass the bipartisan Dream Act of 2017. The Dreamers are integral to our society as members of our families, our neighbors, our students and friends. How can we stand by and watch them be expelled, banished to countries foreign to them? They are talented teachers in our schools, competent and compassionate caregivers in our retirement communities, our colleagues and employees. It is impossible to imagine our schools, local hotels, restaurants and businesses, our healthcare systems, armed services and first responders in emergencies without their leadership and skilled commitment.
Will we simply turn our heads in the face of another blatant decision supporting racism?
We strongly encourage all people committed to justice and respect for and love of neighbor to contact your congresspersons to urge them to ensure that the Dream Act of 2017 becomes law, write letters to editors and also join with others in prayer services and in local demonstrations in support of the 800,000 Dreamers and the Dream Act of 2017.
A Statement of Support for Immigrants and Asylum Seekers
The Sisters of the Holy Names of the U.S.-Ontario Province stand with the caravan of immigrants and asylum seekers from Central America coming to our U.S. border. We are appalled by President Trump’s inflammatory remarks concerning these families forced from their homes by extraordinary violence from gangs, insecurity and corruption in their countries. Families cannot live in this total fear without the hope of safety or sufficient income or a peaceful life.
We ask the U.S. Congress to challenge the president to uphold the values our country has practiced for generations of welcoming immigrants and sheltering asylum seekers. It is a human right to seek asylum. The president’s comments about these immigrants are disrespectful and often not true, i.e., saying these refugees include terrorists from the Middle East and that they are invading our country.
Now the administration is sending 5,200 troops to our southern border to stop this caravan of immigrants and asylum seekers. One retired military officer has declared that the military is deployed for war, not for assisting in apprehending immigrants. Why is the U.S. Congress letting the president basically declare war on families seeking to enter the U.S. to save their lives and to live in peace?
We urge the administration to withdraw all military troops from our border and to manage refugee arrivals humanely and in a manner that respects their dignity and rights under U.S. and international law. Specifically we ask:
- Allow immigrants approaching our border to ask for protection in the U.S. and to be processed in a timely manner.
- Ensure that asylum seekers have access to legal counsel and receive a fair resolution to their claim.
- Guarantee that parents and children stay together while they seek asylum.
We must remember that the great majority of U.S. citizens’ ancestors have been immigrants. We want these current immigrants to have the same opportunity that our ancestors had.
For those of us who are Christians, we are reminded that Jesus clearly said we are to “welcome the stranger.” In today’s world, the strangers among us certainly include immigrants and refugees.
We urge all people of good will to contact your U.S. Congressional leaders to use their influence to stop our president’s current fear mongering and instead to allow immigrants and asylum seekers to cross the border and be humanely treated according to the laws of our country.
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary
U.S.-Ontario Province Leadership Team
Mary Breiling, SNJM
Guadalupe Guajardo, SNJM
Mary Rita Rohde, SNJM
Day of Service Honors Blessed Marie Rose
Groups of Sisters, Associates, ministry partners, alumni, students, collaborators and friends planned activities on and around the SNJM Day of Service and Justice designated by the Congregational Leadership Team on Oct. 6, ranging from quiet prayers to advocacy for the needs of society and the Earth.
In Seattle, WA, 13 Sisters and Associates gathered with members of other religious congregations, Holy Names Academy students and others to participate in an anti-human trafficking vigil held in downtown Seattle, organized each month by the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center.
Members of Holy Redeemer Parish and students at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, OR joined 19 Sisters who volunteered to cut fabric pieces for infant clothes, blankets and bibs. Mary Murphy, a St. Mary’s alumna and Holy Redeemer parishioner, sews the pieces for Mother & Child, formerly Birthright, a nonprofit that assists women and children in need. Meanwhile, Sisters Joan Flynn and Cathy Beckley joined a rally calling for an end to the contract between a regional Oregon prison and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On the feast day, Sisters and Associates from the Yakima Mission Centre helped out at a food bank in Toppenish, WA. Every Saturday a lunch is served to people experiencing homelessness.
In the Mid-Atlantic region, members of the congregation gathered to pray and write letters to legislators. Six members shared a prayer and read from Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical before heading for the Long Branch tributary to the Anacostia River to work on cleaning up the water before it flows into the Chesapeake Bay.
Sisters, Associates and students at Holy Names schools in the Bay Area joined forces for several service projects as well as community-building activities. Holy Names University students played Blessed Marie Rose trivia and wrote cards to retired Sisters in the South Bay. On Oct. 5, students, alumni, staff and volunteers at HNU including Sisters Carol Nicklas and Carol Sellman worked alongside Holy Names High School students to clean up the area around Lake Merritt where the first Holy Names Sisters lived when they arrived in California 150 years ago.
Holy Names High School celebrated Rose Week, with a special Mass on Oct. 3 that included an invitation for students to write their prayer intentions and place them in bowl to be taken to the altar. A celebration was held after Mass with a birthday cake for Blessed Marie Rose.
Sisters in an assisted living center in Campbell, CA celebrated Blessed Marie Rose’s feast day with a prayer service created by Sister Aileen Carissimi. And on the other side of the country, in Albany, NY, a group of Holy Names Sisters, Associates and friends gathered in the former provincial administration building on Oct. 6 to celebrate with prayer and lunch.
Sister Kay Burton decided to honor Blessed Marie Rose by joining a community group in cleaning trash and mowing the grounds of the Jonestown City Park in Jonestown, MS. The Holy Names Sisters have deep ties with the people in the area, where Holy Names health and education ministries date back to the 1980s.
Albany, NY celebrates Mother Marie Rose.
L-R: Theresa Cecilia Lowe, SNJM, Marilyn Marx, SNJM, Bea Hall, SNJM and Shannon Lenet, Associate.
Albany Sisters celebrate feast day of Blessed Marie Rose.
Albany Sisters celebrate feast day of Blessed Marie Rose.
L-R: Mary Smith Galmore, City Clerk, Carlos Miles, Destiny Miles, Kay Burton, SNJM, Jamarjay Ewings, Andrew Magsby and Carrie Brooks.
Mid-Atlantic Sisters celebrate SNJM Day of Service and Justice.
L-R: Carol Ries, SNJM, Sheila Wooters, Associate, Frankie Barber, SNJM, Carroll Ann Kemp, SNJM, Ann Marean, SNJM and Patricia Rogers, Associate.
Mid-Atlantic Sisters celebrate Mother Marie Rose.
Clockwise, L-R: Kathleen Keller, SNJM, Frankie Barber, SNJM, Maria Faina, SNJM, Mary Ann Dunn, SNJM, Eileen Dunn, SNJM, Patricia Rogers, Associ- ate and Roberta Thompson, SNJM.
Oakland, California
Christian Cahill, candidate, carries the cross in the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, California
Holy Names High School Choir performs at the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, California
Holy Names High School Choir performs at the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, California
Holy Names High School Choir performs at the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, California
SNJM seal plaque and Mother Marie Rose statue in the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, California
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Martha Rolley, SNJM and Kathryn Ondreyco, SNJM accompany Holy Names High School Choir at the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, California
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Martha Rolley, SNJM, Kathryn Ondreyco, SNJM and Nicki Thomas, SNJM accompany Holy Names High School Choir at the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, California
Holy Names High School banner carried during the processional at the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, California
Maureen Delaney, SNJM addresses the congregation at the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, CaliforniaMore than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Sisters walk in the processional at Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, CaliforniaSisters carry the SNJM seal in the processional at the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Miriam Malone, SNJM addresses the congregation.
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Statuette of Mother Marie Rose at the Mass.
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Associate Carrie McClish addresses the congregation.
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Rosemary Delaney, SNJM addresses the congregation.
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Miriam Malone, SNJM and Martha Rolley, SNJM after the Mass in Oakland.
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Maureen Delaney, SNJM, Margaret Kennedy, SNJM and Elizabeth Liebert, SNJM walk in the processional at Cathedral of Christ the Light.
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Cheryl Milner, SNJM and Patti Doyle, SNJM walk in the processional at Cathedral of Christ the Light.
More than 400 people celebrated the 150th anniversary of SNJM ministries in California at a special Mass in Oakland on Oct. 6.
Sisters and Associates address the congregation at Cathedral of Christ the Light.
Oakland, California
L-R: Marcia Frideger, SNJM (holding flowers), Linda Orrick, SNJM (back left, yellow shirt), Carrie Mc- Clish, Associate (next to Sr. Linda), Marilyn Lewellyn Mackinnon, Associate (pink sweater, second row), Rosemary Brennon, Associate (behind Marilyn), Sophia Park, SNJM (seated, next to Marilyn), Carol Sellman, SNJM (pink sweater, right side), Carol Nick- las, SNJM (holding flowers) and Mary Scott, Associ- ate (far right, standing).
Oakland, California
Associates Marilyn Mackinnon and Carrie McClish.
Oakland, California
Birthday cake for Blessed Marie Rose.
Oakland, California, Lake Merrit Cleanup
Carol Nicklas, SNJM
Oakland, California, Lake Merrit Cleanup
Bottom: Carol Nicklas, SNJM and Carol Sellman, SNJM (far left in red shirts) with the HNU and HNHS volunteers.
Portland, Oregon
Portland Sisters Cut Baby Blankets and Clothes for Service Day
L-R: Sharon Collver, SNJM and Kathleen Hilton, SNJM.
Portland, Oregon
Portland Sisters Cut Baby Blankets and Clothes for Service Day
Phyllis Jaszkowiak, SNJM and Mary Anne Jungblut, SNJM cut fabric for SNJM Day of Service and Justice.
Portland, Oregon
Portland Sisters Cut Baby Blankets and Clothes for Service Day
L-R: Marilyn Nunemaker, SNJM, Anne Marie Rotter, SNJM, Mary Murphy and Vivian Ripp, SNJM.
California Sisters Celebrate Feast Day at the Villages
Back row, L-R: Mary Leo Grijalva, SNJM (partially blocked from view), Marie Kronheimer, SNJM and Lynn Gutteridge, SNJM.
Front row, L-R: Miriam Henry Hussey, SNJM, Cathe- rine Nessi, SNJM and Joan Frances Ortega, SNJM.
California Sisters Celebrate Feast Day at the Villages
L-R: Michaeline Falvey, SNJM, Joan Bourdon, SNJM, Gail Milholland, SNJM, Jean Elizabeth Griffin, SNJM, Gerrie Will, SNJM, Collette Carroll, SNJM and Aileen Carissimi, SNJM.
Seattle
L-R: Linda Riggers, SNJM, Anne Herkenrath, SNJM, Mary Annette Dworshak, SNJM, Lydia Nikolaisen, SNJM, Judy Ryan, SNJM, Georgia Yianakulis, SNJM, Teresa Shields, SNJM, Shelagh Lustig, Associate and Sue Wildermuth, Associate.
Seattle
L-R: Lydia Nikolaisen, SNJM, Anne Herkenrath, SNJM (both seated) and Mary Annette Dworshak, SNJM (next to them in red coat). Behind banner, L-R: Monica Moffatt, SNJM (turquoise coat), Christopher Shelley, Associate, Sue Wildermuth, Associate, Geor- gia Yianakulis, SNJM, Iva Gregory, OP, Linda Rig- gers, SNJM, Teresa Shields, SNJM, Jocie-Rhea Chism, SNJM (partially obscured with umbrella), Shelagh Lustig, Associate. Front row: Judy Ryan, SNJM (with cup in front of banner).
Sokane, Washington
Bhutanese cooks prepare meal for the feast day of Mother Marie Rose.
Spokane, Washington
Brother Jackson Lino leads children’s choir.
Yakima, Washington
L-R: Cecilia Chavez, Associate and Charlyne Brown, SNJM.
Yakima, Washington
Associate Maureen O’Brien.
Yakima, Washington
L-R: Marina Rose Parisi, SNJM, Nino Vijarro, SNJM and Janie Vijarro, SNJM.
Associate Uses Her Catholic News Writing Job to ‘Make the Issue Come Alive’
Carrie McClish, Associate.
As a reporter for a Catholic newspaper, SNJM Associate Carrie McClish has learned that writing is a powerful tool for ministry.
At the Catholic Media Conference of the Catholic Press Association held in June, Carrie received an award of excellence for Coverage of Violence in Our Communities. Carrie works as reporter and staff writer for The Catholic Voice in the Diocese of Oakland and won second place in this new category.
A few years ago, Carrie began reporting on a ceremony that takes place at a church in Oakland, CA. As a way to bring attention to the high rates of violence in the community, this church holds an annual memorial service in commemoration of those murdered each year. For every victim, a cross is displayed. Carrie attends this service yearly, reporting on the sense of community that arises when family members come together to pray for one another and their city.
Writing on violence can be troubling work, but Carrie finds ways to spotlight the beauty within the tragedies. “These people have suffered so much,” Carrie said, “yet they are trying to help each other.”
By covering issues that affect marginalized and voiceless people, Carrie sees the positive impact of her writing. “It’s a way of helping people see what’s going on in the Church outside of their parish,” Carrie said. Sharing people’s stories and difficult moments is a privilege for her and one of the many reasons she enjoys reporting on a wide variety of events, ranging from funerals to jubilee celebrations.
“I think of it as a way to maybe bring people together. Not everyone can go out to these events, so it can be a way of not only building community but deepening other people’s faiths.”
In addition to reporting for The Catholic Voice and being an active member in her own parish, Carrie has become an active Associate with the Sisters of the Holy Names. Since becoming an Associate in October of 2017, Carrie has enjoyed seeing the ways in which her writing connects with the values that Holy Names Sisters hold dear.
One of Carrie’s favorite experiences as an Associate so far has been attending an interfaith group that meets outside of a detention center in Richmond, CA. The center detains immigrants and refugees as they await deportation. The Sisters and Associates who attend this interfaith gathering each month use it as an opportunity to pray for the family members of those being detained and to listen to their stories. “It makes the issue come alive,” Carrie said.
In addition to attending these monthly gatherings, Carrie had the privilege of flying to Portland, OR this July for the community’s chapter. Over 250 Sisters, Associates and Lay Consecrated came together for the event. One of the highlights of Carrie’s first chapter was attending a public witness organized by the Sisters towards the end of their time together. “We all walked out of the hotel and stood outside with one another, standing up for immigrants and refugees,” she explained. “It was really moving for me.”
Supporting migrants and refugees is a corporate stand of the Sisters of the Holy Names and one that often brings the community together. Carrie has appreciated seeing Sisters and Associates put this value into action in their daily lives, in small and in big ways.
Carrie said she would encourage anyone to become part of a community of women religious, especially one whose values you share. “It is a community,” she said, “and it’s not just a word they toss around. It really is a community. I almost feel like I’m part of a family – a bigger family.”
Students’ Justice Focus Renewed by SNJM Experience
Forty students from three nations came together in July for the SNJM Youth Justice Forum, an intensive week of study and service inspired by the legacy and spirit of the Sisters of the Holy Names.
All 40 girls, who attend SNJM-affiliated schools throughout the U.S., Canada and Lesotho, were included in the surprise announcement of Holy Names University‘s Marie Rose Durocher Youth Justice Leadership Scholarship awarding them four years of full undergraduate tuition at the university, which hosted the gathering.
It was the fourth SNJM Youth Justice Forum, which connected the students with Sisters and lay people who led them in an exploration of the Sisters’ corporate stands on the right to clean water, against human trafficking and for the human rights of migrants and refugees. The girls participated in service projects throughout the city of Oakland, helped to clean Lake Merritt as part of their study on water (pictured above) and visited the Oakland Museum.
They listened to a panel of Holy Names Sisters and Associates, including Sisters Joan Doyle, Fran Kearney, Mary Haupt, Anna Keim and Mary Rogers and Associates Marilyn Mackinnon and Mary Scott. Each of the panelists shared their experiences of the SNJM charism and thoughts on the future of religious life.
The students left the forum grateful and renewed in their work towards justice. All of the groups will return to their schools to carry out a service project that they discussed and planned during the forum.
In a Facebook video filled with messages of appreciation, many of the students spoke about how deeply they were affected by their experiences with the Sisters.
“It means so much to us, and I think that by recognizing the love and devotion you have to all of the corporate stands, we ourselves will be able to bring that love back into our communities,” said a student from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, OR.
“It has brought a light out of me, and it has brought a change,” said one of the students from Lesotho. “ …I am indeed saying that I am going to take matters into my own hands. I am going to act and I’m going to bring change to other people.”
Click here to visit the SNJM Youth Justice Forum Facebook page.
Silent Witness in Support of Migrants and Refugees
“People legally seeking asylum on our southern border primarily from Central America travel a long distance from their home countries at considerable risk. They seek to live in peace, without fear of gangs abducting their children, without the fear of innocent family members being arbitrarily killed sometimes by the military in their own countries,” Sister Maureen Delaney said in a recent public statement. “What has happened to our moral compass as a country? What has happened to the family values that the White House says it upholds?”
The Sisters have repeatedly called on their members of Congress to abide by the teachings of Jesus and to heed the word of God in the Bible: “The stranger among you shall be to you as the native among and you shall love them as yourself for you were once aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Lv 19:34) Our faith requires us to welcome the stranger and to offer compassionate care to those who are forced to flee their home countries because of persecution or violence. We call on Congress to do the same.