September 29th dawned beautiful and sunny in preparation for a special celebration of Sr. Patricia Landry’s 100th birthday. Her two brothers and many nieces and nephews gathered from near and far (Caraquet, New Brunswick, Quebec City, Saguenay and the Montreal area). Joining the family for the festivities were the Congregation de Notre-Dame sisters from Montreal and Mary of Peace Community. Sisters Danielle Dubois and Ercilia Erazo represented the General Council. Sister Rebecca McKenna brought greetings from Visitation Province Leadership and highlighted the gift of presence that Sister Patricia has been for the community and to the many people whom she has touched over the years in her various ministries of “visitation” as teacher, school administrator, local superior/leader and as provincial counsellor. “Sr. Patricia served in many places in the CND community in Charlottetown and Ottawa, but especially in Montreal where she served the longest and was loved the most.”
Sunday, September 29, 2019 our Charlottetown Diocesan Council of Development and Peace – Caritas Canada hosted our annual Fall Action – education Workshop. Our guest speaker was Luke Stocking of Toronto, Deputy Director of Public Engagement and the face of Development and Peace's leadership team for the Ontario and Atlantic regions. Luke's presentation was informative. It inspired me and blessed me with renewed energy to support the work of D&P. By the enthusiastic reaction of the seventy-five or eighty people present I believe they went home feeling as I did.
Almighty and everlasting God, we give you thanks
for the gift of life, for Marguerite Bourgeoys’s vocation,
and for the spiritual heritage she bequeathed to us 400 years go.
We glorify your Name and we recognize your active presence
in the works of her daughters and sons throughout the world.
“My sister, my brother, my friend, the hand that takes from us tomorrow will make things grow without asking us our opinion.”
With these words from the song of the Saguenay, I invite you to live this official opening of our festivities. I feel that the opening of the year of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Marguerite Bourgeoys and of the 50th anniversary of CND presence on African soil merits a special time of preparation.
On this occasion or at this time of preparation, we will ask the Lord, through the intercession of Marguerite Bourgeoys, for the grace of living this time of preparation in love, reconciliation and mercy and of finding a new missionary fervour, like that of our founding mother, in order to set the world ablaze with the contagious fire of love and faith.
Presenter: Dr. Kathleen Deignan, CND
Theologian
Author
Composer
Singer
Where: St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Church 40 Cabot St., Sydney, NS.
When: Wednesday October 16th 2019 at 7:00pm
St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish presents:
Kathleen Deignan, CND in concert: Word and Song: Spirit of Marguerite Bougeoys
Event Details:
7 pm, Friday, October 18, 2019
St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Church
18 Scholars Rd, Upper Tantallon
Free Admission
Coffee/tea and Sweets
Please join St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish and the Sisters of the Congrégation de Notre Dame in celebrating the 400th year of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys. All are welcome.
Introduction/Leader
“ Several years later, there came to Montreal about 17 of the King’s wards. I went to meet them at the shore, believing that we must open wide the doors of the Blessed Virgin’s house to all young women. “
Writings of Marguerite Bourgeoys, p. 178
...
Education Session in Kingston
On Monday, September 23rd, over 60 sisters and associates of the three Congregations at Providence Mother House attended a presentation given by Beverly Musgrave, PhD. The topic was Aging - A Time of Transitioning, God coming to us Disguised as Our Life. During her talk, Beverly addressed experiences of loss as a natural part of life, and how different persons experience grief as a natural response to all kinds of loss. The experience of aging invites us to open the doors of transition and to enter into a new awareness of grace. For all of us Beverly was like a lamplighter leading us toward the dawn where God lifts the disguise and shows us what lies beyond the doors of transition. She presented each person’s life as a unique unfinished symphony and showed us how we can let God arrange the harmony so that we may live fully until we die. All who attended appreciated Beverly’s presentation and were grateful to the Visitation Province Wellness & Health Resource Team for having made it possible.
Eleanor Monahan, CND
Provincial Leader
Sr. Shizuko Endo
Associate to Province Leader
Sr. Sachiko Date
Councillors
Sr. Teiko Abe, Sr. Yoko Ikeda, Sr. Atsuko Nakamoto
Congratulations to the new Team!
Magnificat!
Come and celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-2020).
Congregation of Notre Dame Sisters lived on Route 19 from 1884 – 2018. Sisters taught in Judique, Port Hood, Mabou and Inverness and welcomed many into their home at St. Joseph’s Renewal Centre in Mabou.
On October 8, 2019 come and welcome our guest speaker, Sr. Agnes Campbell, CND, back to the County.
News From Cranbrook, BC: On Sunday, August 25, the Cranbrook associates, accompanied by Sr. Nina Glinski, renewed their Associate commitments in a prayerful celebration modeled on “A Celebration of Visitation,” by E. King. We have not had a CND in our midst for several years and we were pleased and blessed to have Sr. Nina with us. She played a significant role in Associate Relationship during her time in Cranbrook and her presence was appreciated at this time of our commitment renewal. We were also delighted to have Gerri Fletcher, a long-time Cranbrook associate back with us. Gerri and her husband Brian have spent the past 11 years as missionaries in both Peru and the Diocese of Mackenzie. Their experiences are summarized here...
Sister Joan continues to share her fire with readers. This little book is about prophetic spirituality. Joan claims there are prophets walking among us, persons who show us ways to be mindful, compassionate and willing to speak up for minorities, for women, for children and underprivileged people. There are convinced and convincing persons who challenge us to “wake up, stand up and speak up” to do what is right. (“I think differently about that”… is a good start to a dialogue. It takes courage.)
With Gratitude
Dear friends, we are connected because four hundred years ago a child named Marguerite Bourgeoys came into the world. I have been blessed to be a Visitation Province coordinator for four years. In that time I have worked with wonderful coordinators, associates and sisters within our province and beyond. No matter where the road led I was always made welcome and lived many Visitation moments. Connected by our shared charism and mission our time together fed my fire and reinforced my belief that Associate Relation-ship is a gift to our world. You have supported me with prayer throughout these years: in illness, health, and the everyday unfolding of our lives. Thank you Marjorie for surprising me with a “Gratitude newsletter’; what a beautiful souvenir! To everyone who contributed, sent e-mails and cards - know your words touched me deeply. I ask for your prayers as I begin my new role within the Congregation. Holding you close to my heart and in my prayers.
In the spirit of Marguerite,
Anna Rowley
My first experience at the wall was one of surprise, astonishment, sadness, and conflicting emotions. I always thought that the migrants had the challenge of passing only one wall to go to the United States. The caravans that were at the wall only a few months came to my mind. Some of them challenged the U.S. authorities doing everything possible to climb and pass to the other side of the wall, right by the sea.
Little Things Mean A Lot
When I heard the phrase “Going to the Peripheries,” or “Responding to the Periphery in our lives,” I must say I was a little concerned and somewhat afraid that I would not be able to respond to the call that was so clearly expressed in our last Chapter. The word “Going,” I must admit, really challenged me, as I am not in a condition of doing much “going” anywhere. One day as I was pondering this call to the peripheries my heart was awakened to the realization that life, as I am living it at this time has given me a few opportunities of reaching the periphery.
The Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame are celebrating a very special anniversary, the 400th anniversary of the birth of their foundress, St. Marguerite Bourgeoys born in Troyes, France in 1620.
At the age of 20, a “touch of grace:” led Marguerite Bourgeoys to give herself to God. She embarked for the New World at the age of 33 in 1653, strengthened by the Virgin Marys’ call: “Go, I will not abandon you.” Having journeyed there to be a teacher, she became known as the “Mother of the Colony.” In 1658, she opened Montreal’s first school. At a later time with others, she directed the building of the first stone chapel, Notre-Dame-de Bon-Secours in Montreal.
Consider the school shooter and the weekend gardener. They appear to have nothing in common. One is responsible for murder which is an act of unmitigated evil, no matter the circumstance, including war. The other is responsible for caring for one little spot in the earth in such a way as to produce food. Both can say something about God. The first shows what God is not and how God does not act; the second reveals the way God does act.
Celebrate with us!
Celebrating the 400th birthday of our foundress.
Prayer Service celebrating the 400th year of St Marguerite with us.
This prayer service is to be used on a monthly basis with each month focusing on deepening our awareness of one of Marguerite’s gifts to us and through us to the world.