Testimonials at Marguerite-Bourgeoys Parish, Nun’s Island
On Sunday, June 11, about fifteen CND sisters attended a Mass at Marguerite- Bourgeoys Parish in honour of the parish’s patron saint, our holy foundress. The church was completely filled; the children’s choir, well directed; the parish priest, enthusiastic; and the young families, devoted. All this demonstrated that Christ lives in our world.
Our thanks to Sister Sophie Mbougoum, who played a fille du Roy, and to Sister Violaine Paradis, in the role of Marguerite Bourgeoys, for having led the interactive conference from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Sister Jaculyn Hanrahan, CND, Testifies Before Natural Resources Public Forum
Photo from J Hanrahan, CND’s Testimony before Congressman Ranking Member Raul Grijalva of the US House of Representatives Committee of Natural Resources Public Forum held in Big Stone Gap, Virginia June 10, 2017. (Photo, courtesy of Congressman’s Grijalva’s Office.)
The Forum was on the impacts of Mountain Top Removal Coal Mining in the Central Appalachian Region. Along with her remarks, Sr. Hanrahan formally submitted into the record the two Church documents, "Laudato Si" (June 2015) and "The Third Appalachian Pastoral: The telling Takes Us Home" (Dec. 2015). Both these documents are also constituent voices along with all the voices of our region. "Laudato Si", from the Church’s magisterium speaks with love for all in our Common Home. "The Telling Takes Us Home", is from the magisterium of the poor. It speaks with the authority of a voice form the oldest mountains on Earth, holding mountain communities of created subjects who have survived already two extinctions. These two letters acknowledge a practical wisdom that affirms the science on climate change and goes beyond climate change to acknowledge that wealthy high consuming nations, and wealthy consuming entities in our own nation are the prime drivers of change in Earth Systems. The work of Congress must resist the influence of PAC money to promote only profit. Rather the oversight of the Natural Resource Committee must require both an integration of environmental science and religion, and recognize that good politics must include the awareness of a planetary stewardship as a necessary foundation of our economic systems. “Business as usual” is not sustainable transformation. Our aim for Congressman Grijalva’s committee is for zero emissions from fossil fuels and investment in renewables particularly in the coalfields.
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys honoured as a Peacemaker on Canada's 150th!
Initiated and sponsored by the Sisters of Providence in Kingston, Peacequest (www.peacequest.ca) is a non-profit, non-denominational, and non-partisan organization that facilitates peace-building initiatives across Canada. PeaceQuest was started in 2013 out of a sense of concern that war was being presented as a glorious struggle in the Canadian government campaign to celebrate the War of 1812, which cost the Canadian public tens of millions of dollars. In honour of Canada's 150th Anniversary of Confederation, PeaceQuest is recognizing 150 peace builders from our country's history. Marguerite Bourgeoys has been named #121: http://peacequest.ca/150-canadians-day-121-saint-marguerite-bourgeoys
