The MORE... Update: May 2024

May News...

Communications Office

As summer approaches, we find our hearts opening in gratitude as blossoms burst forth on trees, and, in a similar fashion, how our friends and dear neighbors bring beauty and warmth into our lives. We are so thankful for this new season and are celebrating a renewed appreciation for our community. Scroll down to read about our recent gala, Living the Dream: Mission Alive, professions of faith, visitors new and old, and more!

Living the Dream: Mission Alive!

Communications Office

Words do not adequately express our gratitude to all for their friendship and support of the 2024 Living the Dream Dinner, Mission Alive. More than three hundred people attended.

On April 23rd, we had a delightful evening filled with laughter, friendship, and connection. Thanks to those who share their time, gifts, and resources, we are able to live the dream together – and share it with the dear neighbor in the Greater Boston area and beyond!

Above: the Brett family receiving The Dear Neighbor Award.

Below: more moments from the 2024 Living the Dream Dinner...

Click here to view more highlights!

Agrégées Profess Their Vow of Fidelity to the Charism of Unifying Love

Kathy McCluskey, CSJ

Above: Toni Fredette and Jamie Medeiros signing their vows.

In the Boston Community of Joseph, we are sisters, associates, agrégées, and partners in mission, all living the spirit of our founding sisters: to unite neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God.

On April 28, we celebrated the formal commitment of 2 new agrégées: Jamie Medeiros and Toni Fredette. Each of them made a non-canonical vow, saying, “I vow to God fidelity to the charism with the Sisters of St. Joseph in the spirit of the Gospel.”

Their vow is a solemn promise to God: a life commitment to the mission of unifying love.

Jamie is the Pastoral Care Director at Bethany, a watercolor artist, and spiritual director. Sister Mary Murphy received her vow. Her mentor, Sister Ann Marie Grady, friends from Bethany, and her large family joined the Boston community for her commitment.

Toni is the Administrator of Communications and Technology in Winslow Maine, a photographer, and a gardener. Toni is an agrégée with the CSJ community of Lyon which is an international community. She joined with the Boston candidates for her agrégée formation. Sister Judy Donovan, the President of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyon, received Toni's vow. Sister Janet Gagnon (Toni's spiritual director), her mother, coworkers, and friends from Maine joined in the celebration.

Both women are a gift to the CSJ community worldwide, bringing a deep spirituality and a commitment to serving the dear neighbor.

Above: Toni and Jamie share a smile. Right: agrégées gather together to welcome the newest members.

Bearing Light, Being Present

FROM THE ASSOCIATES

Mary Catherine MacGillivray, CSJA

Above: Julie Fertsch, SSJ, speaking.

Associates were delighted to welcome Julie Fertsch, SSJ, again, after a seven-year gap, as the speaker for our annual Associate Day of Retreat. Many associates, sisters and agrégées joined us in the Motherhouse Chapel on Saturday, April 20, 2024.

Sister Julie invited us to reflect on a few questions to begin the day: “Why did you come?” “What are you hungering for?” “For whom do you long?” “What are you longing for?”

After pondering these questions, we mentioned names of loved ones aloud who we wanted to carry with us throughout the day. After a short prayer, the song “Gather Us O God” by Monique Brown was prayed, reminding us that we are one with God, with all of creation and with one another.

The theme for the day was, “The Call of Our Times: To Be the Presence of Love in the World.” Sister Julie quoted this passage from Sister Pat Farrell, OSF:

“Therein lies the call of our times. It is a call to consciously live into and out of our deepest identity: to be the presence of love in the world. It is a call to become more translucent, less opaque, bearers of the light of Love by means of the depth and quality of our presence.”

Julie was drawn to the word “presence” and this word echoed throughout the day as Julie reminded us of how Jesus was present to his Father, and to all people.

Click here for the full article!

Read More Associate News!

A Full House Blossoms: Visits & Visitors

CASSERLY HOUSE

Donna Stiglmeier, Director of Casserly House

In the image on the left: During this visit, adult learners shared their priorities of education, assistance with their immigration process, and language access during meetings with Rep. Consalvo and Senator Rush’s staff on “Immigrant Day” at the State House...

Casserly House welcomed many visitors recently… and was welcomed in our common house!

This past month, we welcomed Representative Consalvo, Senator Rush, and Boston City Councilor Pepén for meetings on shared initiatives and to renew our relationships. During our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Classes, BPL Roslindale Librarian Jennifer Hawes presented library services. From the City of Boston Squares and Streets community engagement, Talia Matarazzo, with colleagues Eileen and Kenya, sought our adult learners’ opinions on development re-zoning, including values like deeper affordability and family units for housing! Talia also offered Spanish interpretation. Terry Witherell of First Literacy, a grantor, saw our classes in action.

Photo 1 (above): We enjoyed City Councilor Pepén’s visit – his first time here! Photo 2 (top right): Our ESOL volunteer instructors gathered for a training with Luis Franco of English for New Bostonians. Photo 3 (bottom right); Our favorite bunny came by to bring Spring smiles

During Holy Week, our favorite bunny came by with 22 Spring Bundles for neighborhood children. Our volunteer ESOL Instructors were trained on promoting adult learner agency and techniques for correcting adult learner mistakes. Also, in spite of the rain, 17 adult learners journeyed to the State House for “Immigrant Day” sponsored by MIRA Coalition. There were lots of opportunities to learn English, share culture and civic participation, and collaborate on neighborhood issues!

Tending the Flame: Keeping our Spirits Lit with Community!

Jean McKinney, CSJ

Above: Jean and Melisa cleaning windows.

On April 12, I traveled to Fairport, NY, for a regional gathering of Tending the Flame, a CSSJ Federation group of Sisters of St. Joseph who are 10 or fewer years finally professed. This special opportunity allowed us to share prayer and converse with other Sisters who are relatively newer CSSJ. We stayed at an Air B&B home to be fully immersed in small-group-community life -- meaning cooking and sharing meals together, gathering after dinner for prayer, and then sharing observations about our daily lives and our energy for the future of life as religious.

Saturday was a special day; we went to the home of Sister Jean Morreal. Sister Jean’s home for over 30 years, a ministry of Rochester Sisters, is a foster home for medically fragile children. At Morning Start Foster Care, Sister Jean currently cares for three children, all who were premature at birth and have many needs. All are non-mobile and so they need special chairs. These children are extremely limited in communication; however, they do communicate by moving their hands, or with sounds they make, or, best of all, with a great big smile or laugh. After sharing lunch with Sister Jean, we used our energy to wash windows. Luckily the rain had stopped so we were able to make the windows shine.

We went to Rochester’s Motherhouse for Mass on Sunday and toured the building. During lunch, we met many of the Rochester Sisters. After lunch, we stopped by Nazareth University to view an art show. Sister Melisa, who is about to complete her master’s in art therapy, has a piece of art in the show. We continued to enrich each other as we walked in Highland Park, sharing our own experiences as we absorbed the beauty of trees bursting with their spring blossoms.

Left: Taken at Sisters of St Joseph Motherhouse in Rochester NY. Left to Right: Jean McKinney, CSJ (Boston, MA), Deirdre Griffin, SSJ (Springfield, MA), Melisa Gernon, SSJ (Rochester, NY), Bethany Welch, SSJ (Philadelphia, PA), Kristine Fernandes CSJ (Toronto, Canada)

We then viewed amazing exotic flowers at the Lamberton Conservatory. As the day was coming to a close, we stopped at Hydra, a new café Kristine had found, and sat and talked some more, enjoying wonderfully flavored teas and coffee. Then we headed back to the terrific Air B&B that Sister Bethany found for one last night of a shared meal, prayer, and sharing of the state of the heart. As the weekend was coming to a close Sister Deirdre recommended the song “We Shall Be Known” by MaMuse. After listening to the song we felt it was our theme song. You can listen to the song by clicking the link below.

Listen to "We Shall Be Known" by MaMuse

This weekend was filled with a lot of freshness and hope. It also was weekend of community living of sharing, caring, and stepping away to attend to our ministries back home. There was also disappointment that the six other Sisters who planned to come couldn’t due to ministry commitments. Now we are looking forward to August when there will be a national gathering of Tending the Flame Sisters in LaGrange IL.

As we hugged goodbye on Monday morning, in the living room the big picture hanging behind us had a quote from Josh 1:9 “Be strong & courageous; do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord will be with you wherever you go.” What an appropriate way to close the weekend and travel into the future.

World Celebration Fair!

FROM JACKSON WALNUT PARK SCHOOL

Bridget Barret-Parker, Director of Walnut Park Montessori

In mid-April, Jackson Walnut Park had a World Celebration Fair in which children and parents alike had the opportunity to travel the world, stamp their passports, and experience different cultures within the four walls of the Student Center.

In conversation with parents, there was a true sense of awe for the deep learning, passion, and articulation of the senior students. It’s hard to envision your 3-year-old getting to that level of leadership and mastery of the curriculum in 3 years.

Year after year, thanks to the gentle guidance of teachers and the community's dedication, we see this growth in our children. We bear witness to the deepening of understanding and knowledge. The students studied for a month on their respective continents. They studied the animals, food, nations, and languages that shaped the cultures of each continent, and these explorers shared what they learned with their classmates. We are shown the possibilities available when supported with time, practice, and gentleness.

I hope witnessing our celebration has inspired you to have an even deeper love and appreciation of how the faculty and staff care for, educate, and exist with the children of Jackson Walnut Park School. These school events are a true testimony to the community we nurture here.

Our Many Voices — Unification through Literacy

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Ava Mari Doogue

Our Many Voices: a publication (produced in-house) that brought members of the Literacy Connection Community together in one beautiful joint effort.

The Literacy Connection, a mission started by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston in May 1987, sought to assist adult immigrants whose second language was English (ESL). Literacy Connection tutors and teachers (both retired Sisters and lay people) helped non-English speakers with resumes, job applications and job searches, understanding medical records and forms, and applying for housing. Fundamentally, The Literacy Connection strove to connect neighbors with their communities.

The Literacy Connection allowed many adults and families to not only feel they could fully engage in American life, but also remain connected to their homeland, and culture. The artifact of the month for May is Our Many Voices, “These writings come to you from a group of ESL adults who want to share their memories, hopes and dreams as they move beyond boundaries of culture, language and customs.”(Meg Garballey, CSJ, Our Many Stories, Introduction page.) 21 adults from all corners of the world, each one unique and enriching, author the stories. The stories range from myths and legends, unknown history and poems. “Let us sit back and reflect on the following stories and let us allow ourselves to be touched by the message and by the people who share them.” (Helen Sullivan, CSJ, Introduction page.)

In addition to select poems and stories, images and memorabilia collected from tutors and students are on display in the Motherhouse foyer beside the chapel.

Help the CSJ archive fill in the gaps!

We need your help in completing the CSJ story. Add to the collections and become a part of history.

Left to right: Elizabeth Toomey, CSJ; Catherine Decker, CSJ; Ava Doogue (current CSJ archivist); and Katie McNally (former CSJ archivist)

Click here to learn more!

Save St. Elizabeth's! Rallying for the Health of Our Community

Communciations Office

Above: Sisters of St. Joseph with posters at the rally in front of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

On April 29^th, we joined healthcare workers, local leaders, and other community members in a rally to show support for St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton. The rally was held to call for more transparency from hospital owners amid their financial troubles. St. Elizabeth's doors need to stay open for the benefit of the community – and especially for those who have newly emigrated and need easily accessible healthcare.