INFO-AFFILIATION December 2016

Transcription

1 INFO-AFFILIATION December 2016 Christmas is already here, and a new year will begin. May this holiday season be filled with peace, love and joy. Let s take a moment to reflect on the past year: have we been merciful as the Father, have we welcomed His son with generosity? Have we seen in the eyes of others the sadness they tried to hide or the joy they could not wait to express? Have we sown seeds so that new members may come to the Affiliation? In some corners of the world the snow has spread its white coat to allow the ground to rest, in others, it s getting really hot and time is spent looking for a bit of shade to cool down. But wherever we are, we are all united by the same call, the same faith, the same spirit, we are the great and beautiful family of the Good Shepherd! I wish you, my sisters and brothers, the happiest time, the joy, the peace and the confidence that with Mother Foundress and the newborn Jesus we are, more than ever, in the love of God! Enjoy your reading!

2 Celebration of Commitments, Charlesbourg Affiliate Group, December 8, 2016 The celebration of the annual promises of the affiliates of the Charlesbourg group took place on December 8, 2016 at the Marie-Josephte Fitzbach Souvenir Room. Sister Denise Giasson, the group's accompanier, gave an introduction. Later, Mrs. Hélène Tardif presented a bible recitative. Sister Monique Ruel sang "I am the good Shepherd." Mrs. Ginette Crête made her first commitment and received the insignia of the affiliates. Jeanne d'arc Cyr, Hélène Tardif and Mirianne Bouchard renewed their promises. Mrs. Claire Ruel will renew them later this year, since she had to be absent on December 8 th. Together, the affiliates and Good Shepherd Sisters present sang "Yes, the Lord is good!" Each of the affiliates was called by Sister Denise Giasson before the portrait of her favorite Collaborator. Each received a spiritual message and a letter from this Collaborator presented by Sister Lise Gagné. The congratulations and joy over these gestures of commitment filled the Marie-Josephte Fitzbach Souvenir Room. We also shared lunch with the sisters in the cafeteria. This December 8, 2016 will be unforgettable. We would like to sincerely and publicly thank the Good Shepherd Sisters who welcome us every month, allow us to use a room for our meetings, and promote such celebrations for us. Ginette Crête Affiliate, Charlesbourg Group

3 A much appreciated pilgrimage Sunday afternoon, November 3, 2016, our group of affiliates, accompanied by our accompanier, Sister Denise Giasson, and Sister Anita Charpentier went to Cap-Santé, in the footsteps of Mother Foundress, Marie Fitzbach. We were greeted at the village church by Deacon Ludger Lavoie. The Sainte-Famille church dates from the French Regime (1753). It has been classified as an historic site since Under this church are buried 266 people, deceased between 1795 and With Sister Anita, we stopped and gathered in the left side chapel, the chapel of the Sacred Heart, restored during the 1990s by the Good Shepherd Sisters. Under this altar lie the remains of Marie Fitzbach s husband, Mr. François- Xavier Roy. Sister Anita reminded us of the main events experienced by Marie Fitzbach in Cap-Santé. What deep emotions each of us could feel in her heart! After this visit, we went to the house where Marie Fitzbach lived with her husband and children. This house has been inhabited since 1945 by the Chayer family, whose present owner, Mr. Richard Chayer, received us with much generosity and kindness. He shared many memories with us. There is a plaque outside the house indicating that this was Marie Fitzbach's house. On the way back, we stopped at the Maison Bon- Pasteur. On the third floor, we contemplated and prayed before the image of Our Lady of Purity with its charred frame. Here again the experience is difficult to put into words; it must be lived in silence. We keep a vivid memory of our visit and wish to thank all those who made it possible, especially our companion, Ginette Crête, a native of Cap-Santé, who made all the preliminary arrangements. Jeanne D Arc Cyr Affiliate, Charlesbourg Group

4 Year launched in Alma The launch of the year in Alma took place under the theme "Visiting our spiritual family." We thank Sister Lise Gagné and Mrs. Nancy Fournier for their devotedness in joining us. What encouragement and what a dose of vitamins received! Affiliates from Saguenay and Lac-St-Jean recounted the importance of listening to the needs of those around them and of communication, the very basis of the founding of the Good Shepherd community. The day took place in two stages. We improved our knowledge of ourselves through the synopsis: "Selfknowledge, group functioning and spirituality." Subsequently, the discovery of the Spiritual Annual Guide for the year, focused on Mercy, prepared us to live a nourishing year with Marie Fitzbach and her generous Collaborators. Peace, love and joy for 2017! Marie-Marthe Caouette Affiliate, Ste-Jeanne-d'Arc Group Micheline Tremblay, Group leader for Mistassini and Ste-Jeanne-d Arc

5 News from Matane Here is an article published by Lucie Lemieux in the parish bulletin to introduce our Affiliation in the Matane region. The merger of four parishes produced a new parish called Le Coeur-Immaculé-de Marie as a tribute to the Good Shepherd Sisters who worked for many years in this region. "The Good Shepherd Affiliation and the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, also known as the Good Shepherd Sisters of Quebec. The Good Shepherd affiliates of the Matane group had a day of renewal on the theme: Merciful as the Father, Tuesday, October 25 th. This day was led by Sister Lise Gagné, accompanied by France Boivin and Jocelyne Poitras, all from Quebec City. The closure of the house of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Matane left a great vacuum. But the spirit and charism of the Congregation are always present in the region. A group of lay persons meet each month and witness in their environment to the same values of kindness, love and mercy as the Good Shepherd Sisters. A bond of spiritual belonging to the Congregation is ensured through renewal days and meetings with the Resource Team from Quebec City. The Good Shepherd Affiliation addresses persons who feel attracted by the values of the Congregation and wish to commit themselves to the service of others in the name of their faith. The group is always open to those who wish to join its members already engaged in this spiritual family. Lucie Lemieux Affiliate, Matane group

6 An exemplary dedication Three years ago, alas, the Good Shepherd Sisters left Matane. But their 23-year-old group leader, Ms. Brigitte St-Laurent, a Good Shepherd affiliate, did not want to leave the ladies who attended the Good Shepherd Day Center without resources. She meets them every Friday in a restaurant for a fraternal coffee. It is an opportunity to dialogue, share and laugh too. Also, once a year, she invites them to her home for a hot dog dinner, as the sisters did. As you can see these photos show happy faces. I congratulate this volunteer with a heart of gold, who despite health problems never ceases to support those ladies who deeply miss Sisters Céline Lévesque and Simonne Guillemette. Brigitte listens to everyone s joys and sorrows. She gives good advice and generous affection with respect and tact. Congratulations, Brigitte, and a thousand thanks for your commitment and devoted volunteer work! Renée Michaud Consecrated Affiliate, Matane

7 News from Saint-Georges de Beauce A beautiful meeting On the feast of Our Lady of Purity, we paid a visit to two of our members, Paule Carignan Couture and Gilberte Maranda. They both live in L Oiseau bleu, a retirement home in Saint- Georges. Our group joined this community for the Sunday Mass offered in memory of Miss Yvonne Veilleux, an affiliate through prayer who died last July. After the Mass we had a ceremony in which a statue of the Good Shepherd was given to us by Sister Denise Rodrigue, on behalf of the Congregation. Also we had a special prayer to celebrate the birthday of Mother Foundress, Marie-Josephte Fitzbach. The meeting continued around a good meal in a restaurant where we exchanged on Mercy and shared our memories. Happy and stronger after that meeting, we walk with confidence following Jesus the Good Shepherd. Céline Jacques Affiliate, Saint-Georges de Beauce Group Christmas Sale For the past few years, affiliates of the Saint-Georges Group have been organizing a Christmas sale for the benefit of the poor in the region. Through the parish bulletin, we ask the parishioners to bring us the Christmas decorations which they no longer use to give them a second life. Over a period of about 3 weeks, many items and ornaments are given to us. We always open boxes with respect for the lives of these people. We sort and clean, but throw away almost nothing. For one year, we keep our styrofoam containers and various other containers to make beautiful packaging. Prices start at 25 cents. All affiliates participate in this activity according to their ability. There are some who come to the preparation, others to the installation in the room for sale, and others for the sale. We even discover artistic talents. The sale took place over 2 days and was held on November 26 th and 27 th. It was a huge success. With items starting at 25 cents and 4 items at $30, we collected the large sum of $1, A phenomenal success! People were in a good mood, they arrived 45 minutes before the opening and there was a queue. We met disadvantaged people who were happy to come to the "Christmas Market," they said. "I feel like a child..." "It's all beautiful, inviting and well classified..." We felt we were seeing the Gospel widow and her two small copper coins! These funds will be shared with our parish priest, Father Mario Duchesne. We always give the biggest amount to the church administration committee for deprived people who come

8 knocking at the door of the rectory. We support organizations without government subsidies because they are part of the history of the Good Shepherd Sisters, such as Accueil-grossesse, which takes care of young mothers without resources, and OLO (eggs, milk, oranges) which provides young children with essential foods (it costs $350 per child). We give an amount to La Maison de Marthe in Quebec that we want to support. Also, we buy food that we give to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and other similar organizations. Our spouses and other volunteers join us in preparing the Christmas ornaments. We pay it forward! Ginette Lachance, Affiliate Saint-Georges de Beauce Group News from Southern Maine Southern Maine Group You have certainly heard, or even perhaps used, the expression Alive and kicking. I believe it defines us, the affiliates of Southern Maine, at this point in our history. We are very conscious of our Mission and, at the same time, we are also alert to the fact that we need to recruit new members to join forces with us, in order to spread the charism we share with our Good Shepherd Sisters. Though we have multiple irons in the fire, our immediate priority is a step-by-step approach to make the Affiliation known. To that effect, we have designed a new brochure which we hope will be more eye-catching and appealing to the younger set. We already have a preliminary design, the work of our photographer member, Esther Estabrook, and as soon as the other three USA groups have given us their feedback, we will present it anew to the members of our Provincial Council, for a final nod.

9 The monthly announcement of our meeting in the parish bulletin will be replaced by an invitation posted at every church entrance. Once our brochure is completed, some of our Affiliates will offer it to people exiting the Church and answer their questions. For now, we have a printed letter which we post on the bulletin boards at the Convent, inviting our employees and guests to come and see. One of our members is also writing an article to be published in our diocesan quarterly, The Harvest Magazine. Our primary recruitment source, however, is the weekly hour we have pledged, to the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel in Saco, and at St. Maximillian Kolby Church, for members living in the Portland area. We initiated this practice some two months ago and upon entering those sacred places, we each sign in as a Good Shepherd Affiliate. We committed to a day and time for our group, and one or two of us fill the office of Mary Magdelen at the feet of Our Lord, in the week of our choice, thus allowing for exchange between members when Life Happens. With the holidays on our doorsteps, we thought that Christmas would be a good occasion to covenant, through an exchange of cards, with our Sisters at St. Joseph Convent and to form a prayer partnership. Those cards will be signed, but not addressed. A Sister picking a card, as we go caroling in their midst, will automatically become prayer partner with the sender, for the year ahead. For our part, we will also keep in touch with these Sisters they outnumber us through telephone calls, short visits, and small tokens of remembrance on birthdays or other events of significance to them. The above are but a few of the ways we reach out to prospective members, and witness to our commitment to the Good Shepherd Affiliation. There is more to come, but it will be for a later date. Best wishes to all of you for a Christmas Season filled with peace, joy, and a world renewed! The Southern Maine Affiliates who are, I repeat, Alive and Kicking! Anita Coté, Affiliate Southern Maine Group

10 St. Joseph's Convent, Biddeford An Angelic Apostolate Among our sisters in residence in the infirmary is Sister Irene Lavertue. Gifted with talent for craftsmanship, she conceived the idea of making small angels with borders of tapestry. She offers one to each of our new employees, as a welcome gesture. In turn, Sister Annette Nadeau, Local Superior, always on the lookout for new projects to encourage the involvement of our sick sisters, came up with the idea to capitalize on this tiny undertaking and to give it a scale the size of the complete Congregation, beginning with our Maison Bon-Pasteur in Quebec City. She broached the subject with members of the local council who welcomed the idea with enthusiasm. In less than ten minutes, the mustard seed became, thanks to the creativity of each one, a shrub whose roots stretched from one continent to another, wherever the Good Shepherd Sisters work, beginning with the sisters of our infirmary. What a great way to create ties and expand the space of our tents! And to ensure that this shrub bears the fruits of solidarity, it would be watered with prayers for the intentions of the recipients. The apostolate of angels was thus launched and these celestial messengers flew to Quebec, Haiti, and Brazil on the wings of prayer, accompanied by an explanatory letter. This initiative allowed Sister Irene to share her talent and to give a deep meaning to her devotion to the holy angels. At the same time it provides the community of St. Joseph Convent with a new apostolic avenue to exercise the ministry of prayer and to commit itself concretely to the continuation of the Orientations of the community s 2015 General Chapter. Sister Irene's worksite is always abounding in activities because it is surely necessary to ensure the production of these little cherubs who will fly, on the back of a prayer, to other houses of the Congregation. Sister Annette Nadeau, Superior Sister Madeleine D'Anjou St. Joseph Convent, Biddeford, Maine

11 Letter accompanying our little messengers Maison Bon-Pasteur 2609, rue des Forges Quebec City, QC G1V 2B2, Canada Dear Sisters, The Orientations of the last General Chapter gave us the mandate to expand the space of our tent. When a new wing or another floor is added to a family cottage, it is often because an addition to the family is anticipated, or to ensure space for guests. Naturally, we asked ourselves: "Who are the recipients of this expanded space? And we thought of you, dear Sisters, since, like us, you are engaged in the apostolate of suffering and confined to the infirmary. It was in this spirit of fraternity that during the last month we offered daily prayers to your intentions. We welcomed you into our expanded tent. It is always with this same spirit that we offer you this miniature angel, a creation of our dear Sister Irène Lavertue. Let it be for you the symbol of our union in suffering, in the same Mission, and in our humble efforts to realize in our daily lives the ORIENTATIONS of the 2015 GENERAL CHAPTER. With affection, Your Sisters of St. Joseph Convent 409 Pool Street Biddeford, Maine 04005, USA Flight of angels! A flock of angels, messengers of prayer from the sisters of St. Joseph Convent, Maine, landed at the infirmary of the Maison Bon-Pasteur in Quebec City and in that of Chicoutimi. Sister Annette Nadeau (Biddeford, Maine) wrote at the time of their sending that the sisters wanted these angels to symbolize union in suffering, the Mission and the fulfillment of the Orientations of the 2015 General Chapter.

12 While the Sisters of Maine were preparing their dispatch, without knowing it two sisters from the infirmary of Maison-Bon-Pasteur were also working closely to produce such angels. Before the beautiful initiative of the sisters of Maine, they chose to pursue this impulse of sorority and prayer by sending in turn some forty little angels to the Résidence Notre-Damede-Foy. And it didn t stop there! I told my husband about these celestial flights and he said that it would be nice to do the same for people at his workplace. His wish was heard! As long as we were rubbing shoulders with angels, why not carry on? So, on a beautiful Saturday morning, Pauline, Jeanne d Arc, Yves, Lucie, Sisters Lise and Monique transformed the Affiliation Office into a DIY (do-it-yourself) room. Thanks to the involvement of the Affiliation, about fifty small angels were offered on Christmas Eve to lonely people currently in private therapy for addictions treatments. They received the angels with great emotion and gratitude, because for some, gifts have been scarce during their lifetime. I thank the sisters of Biddeford who, by their thoughtfulness, have favored such a display of wings and prayers! Lucie Cliche Affiliate, Notre-Dame-de-Foy Group, and Community assistant, Maison Bon-Pasteur News from Brazil I received the September edition of the Info-Affiliation in Portuguese translation. Thank you very much. I have already printed it and sent it to Natal and Baía Formosa.

13 In November we, Sister Solange and I, had a meeting with the pastoral leaders of the parish of Baía Formosa to plan the final steps in this mission. On that occasion we had a meeting with the Affiliate Group and selected dates for meaningful meetings so that affiliates could continue to take responsibility. There are also new pre-affiliates there. On October 16 th, we held our annual retreat with renewal of the commitments of the Natal group and we have already had 2 meetings of pre-affiliates. For now, I am busy preparing the documentation for the new pre-affiliate program for each of its groups. I will bring the material to Jardim de Piranhas and will have the first meeting of pre-affiliates. This will be the last group to embark on the Pre-Affiliation Program. The leaders will then be responsible for continuing the training of the two new people who are preparing their first commitment We want to have a meeting in Extremoz on January 12, 2017 with the 3 groups (leisure, planning, celebration, etc.) Sister Aline St. James Superior and Coordinator for affiliates in Brazil News from the Consecrated Affiliation In Quebec, there are currently five consecrated affiliates, two in Matane (four hours drive east of Quebec City), one in Saint-Hyacinthe (two hours drive west of Quebec City), and two in Quebec City itself. So we live very far apart. However, Skype has allowed us in recent years to have meetings about once a month. The subjects of the meetings are inspired either by the themes of the liturgical calendar or by the one for the year proposed by our Holy Father the Pope, or by a deepening of our way of living our vows. How fortunate we are to communicate with each other, to have enriching exchanges, and to support one another on our journey as consecrated affiliates of the Good Shepherd! What a beautiful way also to create bonds between us despite the distance that separates us, to build Church in fraternity, joy and mutual unconditional acceptance! In addition, we are lucky to be accompanied on our journey by Sister Lise Gagné who participates in practically all our meetings, and even prepares many of them. Her interventions, full of wisdom and depth, are for us an important and indispensable source of human and spiritual enrichment. We are deeply grateful to her and to the Congregation of the Good Shepherd Sisters which enables us, as consecrated affiliates, to fully live our commitment in connection with them in the Church. France Boivin Consecrated Affiliate, Quebec City

14 Good Shepherd Affiliate Open Day November 13, 2016, Generalate The day began with a slideshow illustrating the themes of the meeting to put people in the mood. Maryse Cyr, the day s leader, got us into the process by questioning those present on the themes: Love, Goodness, Mercy, Fraternity. Some of the comments were as follows: - You have to be well balanced to be interested in these values. - Mercy is a goodness of heart that does not judge others. - When the love of power is replaced by the power of love, we will live in peace. - I live fraternity with my group of affiliates. - Love is a gift of self. - These values (topics addressed), we have them in us. It is God who gives these values. - I am lucky to be with the Good Shepherd Sisters, embodying goodness itself. - It is difficult, in the world today, to maintain Love, Kindness, Mercy, and Fraternity. We then look for a group of belonging. - When we are members of a group of affiliates, this link enriches us and helps us to live our difficulties. This was followed by a slideshow on the life of Marie Fitzbach-Roy, foundress of the Good Shepherd Sisters and model of the affiliates. On June 28, 2012, the Vatican officially recognized the heroic virtues of Mother Foundress. A woman who listened to the Lord, Marie Fitzbach devoted her life to the service of the most deprived. In every state of her life and in every place where she lived, she practiced the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. As a religious and foundress, she put into practice her charism of love, goodness and mercy, from which came works of mercy and education: shelters for women and adolescent girls in difficulty, the St. Vincent de Paul Foundling Home, the Mercy Hospital, the Prison for Women, the orphanages, the schools and boarding schools. Her fame of holiness is alive on several continents. In prayer, we ask her with confidence to obtain favors of all kinds: material, spiritual. The last part of the day was devoted to the testimony of some affiliates on the question: "What was your call to the Affiliation?" They then answered questions from the audience. Diane - "I have been a member for 11 years. The Good Shepherd Sisters were my first teachers. Affiliation brings me the sharing of a spiritual family. I live the charism every day. This is not always obvious. I have grown a lot since I joined. Last year, I was part of the group that prepared the Affiliate Guide. "

15 Yolande - "I have been a member for 30 years. I was one of the first affiliates. I wanted to get involved with women in difficulty in my environment. I work at the Maison Zoé-Blais. These women receive food and clothing but they must participate in the house program. Affiliation is a means of healing and Affiliation leads me to know the Good Shepherd community whose goal is to care for women in difficulty. The Good Shepherd residences are like my house. I talk about Affiliation and the Good Shepherd Sisters to everyone around me. " Maryse and Michel - "We entered the Affiliation at the same time. Michel had the Good Shepherd Sisters as first teachers. He had somewhat left religious practice but on the death of his mother, he felt the need to reconnect with a group. He was part of a self-help group for men and it was in this group that he was told about the Good Shepherd Affiliation. Maryse and Michel have been affiliated for 15 years and truly own the values of love, kindness, fraternity and mercy. " Nancy - "I have been a member of Affiliation since I attended the Maison Hélène-Lacroix. Subsequently, the director asked me to work as an intervener for women in difficulty. I mentioned to her that I did not have a degree as an intervener and she told me that the important thing is not a certificate or diploma but what we carry in our hearts. Later, I worked for the Good Shepherd Sisters and Sister Lise Gagné approached me and changed my life. I became an affiliate. Like the other affiliates, I did my Pre-Affiliation for a year. Pre-Affiliation can last two years if the person desires before deciding to make pledges. Our world needs a "nonjudgmental" attitude. I am in my family at the Good Shepherd. " Questions from those present: - How many affiliate groups exist in Quebec? There are seven groups that can range from 5 to 10 people each. They are located in Quebec City, Abitibi, Saint-Georges-de-Beauce, Lac- Saint-Jean, Matane, Chicoutimi (2 groups). - Lay people may attend affiliate meetings. - There's one meeting a month. - These affiliates are important in today's world. - What have you discovered in your spirituality? My faith is more alive. It is a resourcing. I do not feel alone on my journey. - How to be fraternal in society? I know that God is present, nothing harmful happens with a loving Father; even if I have trials, God is present and I know I will pass through. In contact with others, our spiritual life is deepened. Registration forms were made available to interested parties. Ginette Crête Nancy Fournier Affiliates, Québec

16 Remembering our dearly departed All affiliates wish to extend their deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families and to all those affected by these deaths. Ms. Barbara Ann Arnoldo, United States Ms. Elaine Guilmette, Pre-Affiliate, November 28, 2016, United States Ms. Lydia Mothibi, Affiliate, Maseru, Lesotho Ms. Yvonne Veilleux, Affiliate, Saint-Georges de Beauce, Quebec Sister Jacintha Sebabole, Novice Director, November 30, 2016, Lesotho Ms. Huguette Morin, Affiliate, founder of the Mistassini Group, Lac-St-Jean, Quebec Mr. Bruno Morin, Affiliate, Chicoutimi, Quebec "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say to thee, Thou shall be with me today in Paradise. (Luke 23: 42-43) That s it for the latest news. May Almighty God strengthen your bonds with your family and friends this New Year! A happy and prosperous New Year 2017! Nancy Fournier Community Assistant, Good Shepherd Affiliation Quebec City Tr:NF Revision:alc