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Latest News from the Sisters of Saint Joseph
SSJ E-NEWS is available for viewing on the SSJ website.
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Edition No. 261—June 20, 2024 | |
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Profession of Perpetual Vows
Sisters Mary Huong Dinh, OP, Mary Thoa Pham, OP and Mary Dung Nguyen, OP
Mount Saint Joseph Convent Chapel
June 9, 2024
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On Sunday, June 9, 2024, Sisters Mary Huong Dinh, OP, Mary Thoa Pham, OP and Mary Dung Nguyen, OP professed their Final Vows in the Motherhouse Chapel.
Congregational President, Sister Maureen G. Erdlen SSJ, warmly greeted all present, including Dominican sisters, priests, deacons, family and friends (present and virtual). Sister Maureen began her welcome in Vietnamese. “Xin cháo mùng tãt cá moi nguòi. (Welcome everyone!) Xin chào mùng moi nguòi than gia vói chúng tôi/trong ngày dǎc biêt hôm nay. (We welcome everyone to join us at this special Mass.) We gather in great joy as we celebrate God’s goodness and love, especially as it is expressed through our vocation to the consecrated life. We pray with and for our Sisters Huong, Dung and Thoa as they courageously and lovingly respond to God’s call and commit themselves to lives of love and service. We rejoice with our Dominican Sisters of Bui Chu Vietman as they have become part of our lives here and we are grateful for all the ways in which we have become one and they have made us more aware of our global Sisterhood.
On behalf of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, I welcome you and say “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad!”
We pray in thanksgiving for Sisters Mary Huong Dinh, OP, Mary Thoa Pham, OP and Mary Dung Nguyen, OP, consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. May they seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely, have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord, and serve with open hearts and willing spirits.
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The Rise of Juneteenth
by Julie Gabell, Associate in Mission
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Every red-blooded American likes a celebration. It’s a universal thing. From Independence Day to Labor Day to Martin Luther King Day to Memorial Day, Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving we find reasons to honor the occasion. In recent years Juneteenth has inched its way into our lexicon of significant holidays. It is on this day that we mark the freeing of African slaves who had remained in bondage following the Emancipation Proclamation.
On January 1, 1863, during the third year of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincon issued the Emancipation Proclamation which granted freedom to slaves living in the Confederate States. This decree, however, did not apply to slaves in the westernmost state of Texas which did not become part of the Union until the final days of the Civil War. Finally, on June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay and announced that all enslaved people were legally free. This day became known as “Juneteenth” by the newly freed Texans and gradually it came to be a day of remembrance across the United States.
The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows us the value of steadfast courage in times of adversity. The holiday offers an opportunity to raise awareness of the dehumanizing effects of slavery, the struggles endured during this period, and the ongoing fight against systemic racism. Juneteenth empowers all of us to engage in conversations that foster understanding and lead to a more just society.
Today, as our country seems mired in a struggle to preserve its democratic principles, we can well look to the courage of yesterday’s enslaved African Americans. Their endurance in times of incredible struggle eventually prevailed. We as a Community have the privileged responsibility of encouraging those around us to look to the future with deep faith and confidence in the Providence of God. It is our mission.
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Francis House of Prayer
50th Anniversary Celebration
June 9, 2024
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Francis House of Prayer serves the people of the Diocese of Trenton and beyond by providing a contemplative environment for ongoing spiritual growth which fosters the deepening of relationship with God, self, others and the world.
Sister Marcy Springer SSJ has been the Director for the past 33 years and is responsible for its spiritual vibrancy. Marcy shared: “On June 9, 2024, we celebrated our 50th Anniversary of Francis House of Prayer in Allentown, NJ. About 220 people attended and Bishop O’Connell (Trenton Diocese) celebrated the liturgy. Our theme, “For my House shall be called a House of Prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:7) added to the deep joy of the outdoor Liturgy followed by a lovely luncheon on the grounds.
Come and enjoy time with God at Francis House! For updated program and overnight retreat information, please check www.FHOP.org in July.
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Pictured from left: Sisters Lisa Breslin SSJ, Marcy Springer SSJ and Anne Myers SSJ |
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Sister Michelle Lesher SSJ
Attends Women Religious Theologians Symposium
June 2024
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Congratulations to Sister Michelle Lesher SSJ, one of three sisters from the United States, who recently spent a week in Rome participating in the Women Religious Theologians Symposium.
The symposium was held at the Centro Ad Gentes in Nemi, Rome, gathering 29 participants from all five continents, who participated in a week of vibrant exchange and reflection.
Michelle offered some thoughts about this time: “This experience, offered through UISG and funded by the Hilton Foundation, fostered a life-giving opportunity to be with 28 other women religious from around the world. Together, we theologically considered our shared life, making space for our varying contexts, cultures, and theological disciplines and viewpoints. It provided a real-life snapshot of the global sisterhood, celebrating the present realities of religious life while also considering invitations for the future. We reflected profoundly and laughed heartily, forming connections that will undoubtedly strengthen our shared life.”
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The symposium was held at the Centro Ad Gentes in Nemi, Rome, gathering 29 participants from all five continents. | |
No longer a victim: Dawn's Place provides a home for sex trafficking survivors
National Catholic Reporter
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Sister Meaghan Patterson SSJ, left, and Ann Marie Jones are seen March 21 at Dawn’s Place. | |
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"With the help of God's grace and in fidelity to our founder's expressed wish, we live and work lovingly among all persons with a special preference for those who are poor, which calls us wherever we are to be in union with them."
— SSJ Constitutions #21
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