Mission Advancement Office, Blessed Sacrament (U.S.) Province
The Spring Appeal focusing on the ministry of Sr. Beth Davies in Appalachia generated a huge outpouring of support. It more than tripled the amount raised in last year’s Spring Appeal and attracted over 30 new donors. The Appeal letter won an award for outstanding donor communication in the nonprofit sector.
The Office will inaugurate an Annual Appeal in September. The first Annual Appeal publication will highlight Sr. Marilyn Medinger’s ministry to detained immigrants in Chicago.
Partners in Mission, the Fall Newsletter, will be mailed in October.
The Congregation of Notre Dame’s new website, which will be launch in October, will include several pages dedicated to the Mission Advancement Office.
Sr. Kathleen Dorney and I loved "volunteering" at Notre Dame de Bon Secours the last week of August. We quickly fell into a routine of feeding off one another. Often it started with a "Hello" and if they answered in English, we asked where they were from. If they told us they were from the Boston, Chicago, Florida, Connecticut or New York area, we always asked what town? If they were from New Jersey, I deferred to Kathleen! We had great Visitation encounters, not only from the USA, but all over Canada and the world. The Japanese were thrilled when we gave them brochures in Japanese and told them of our sisters. One woman was from Estonia and when I told her I was Lithuanian, she invited me to come to Estonia. One man from Chicago greeted me in Lithuanian. We met and spoke with people from China, India, Germany, Sri Lanka, London, Scotland, and Argentina; a nun from Uganda prayed at both Marguerite and Jeanne Le Ber's tombs for her foundress's canonization! The only hard part was the Montreal Metro stairs!
On August 27, parishioners of the Church of St. Mary on Broadway in Providence and other volunteers, including Congregation of Notre Dame associate candidate, Judy Laffey, and Congregation of Notre Dame associates Bonnie Cotter and Susan Connery filled backpacks to be delivered to two hundred students in three local public schools and for parish youth in need. Funding was provided by the Blessed Sacrament Province Congregation of Notre Dame Donations Committee for the Pack-a-Backpack Program. The CND associates supplemented the funding by donating school supplies and money to purchase supplies.
