Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. GSN 257 October 2012

Transcription

1 Good Shepherd News Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd Through 100 Years - A Faithful God, A Faithful Shepherd Province of the Philippines GS Sisters in Phillipines with Sr Brigid Lawlor, Congregational Leader Inside this issue Province of the Philippines: Page 1-3 Through 100 Years, A Faithful God, A Faithful Shepherd Filipinos in Nagano prefecture, Japan, celebrated the Centennial Province of Brazil: Page 4 Contemplative Corner - Good Shepherd In Brazil Province of Lebanon/ Syria: page 5 Papal Visit - A Message of Peace and Hope Generalate Rome: Page 6 New Leadership Teams meet in Rome Province of South East Latin America: Page 7 Formation Session on Justice and Peace Province of Sri Lanka/ Pakistan: Page 8 Raise Your Joyful Thanks to God Province of Italy/Malta: Page 9 Journey of Enrichment Words of Thanks, Sr. Liliane Tauvette (Canada) Generalate Rome: Page 10 Message of Sr. Brigid Lawlor Philippines - 4th Oct Province of Brazil: page 11 Commentary about the Witness of the Sisters of Netherlands Sr. Ca ssia Maria-CGS Brazil Good Shepherd Sisters, mission partners, friends and benefactors gathered last October 4, 2012 at the Good Shepherd Convent in Quezon City to mark the Centennial of Good Shepherd Sisters' presence in the Philippines. Sr. Brigid Lawlor, Congregational Leader, came to the Philippines to join Sr. M. Cecilia Torres, Province Leader, and the Good Shepherd Sisters in the Centennial Celebrations. Continued on page 2 Sisters from different communities in the Philippines Province GSN GSN October

2 Through 100 Years - A Faithful God, A Faithful Shepherd Main Celebrant of the 10 a.m. Eucharistic Celebration was Abp Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila. A parade participated in by Good Shepherd Sisters, apostolic and contemplative, in the 26 communities in the Philippines, preceded the Mass. Also joining the parade were the 18 overseas Filipina missionaries who were on homevisit and attended the Centennial celebrations. St. Bridget School Band of Buhi, Camarines Sur livened the occasion with the rendition of "Sandaang Taon" composed by Sr. M. Lorenza Sangalang and Sr. M. Aimee Olaguer. Sr. M. Lourdes Fabia gave an introduction summarizing the?irst 100 years of the Good Shepherd Sisters in the country since the?irst community was established in Batangas in The Prayers of the Faithful spoke of gratitude for the 100 years, a collective thanksgiving for the benefactors and people, mission partners who supported the ministry of the Good Shepherd Sisters and a desire for fullness of life for migrant workers, students, urban poor, students, street children, women and girls served in the country. Symbols like candles, stones gathered during the journey of the Centennial Crook, Tapestry from the Good Shepherd Communities, Paschal Candle with 100 years, a house signifying houses donated to victims of typhoon Sendong, the different sectors,?lowers and bread wine, expressed "all the accomplishments, failures and dreams with the body of Christ taken, broken and shared." Sr. Brigid in her message lauded the efforts of the sisters in helping women and children. "All of us have within us the missionary spirit of St. Mary Euphrasia whether we are here in the Philippines or on another continent. When she says, Let zeal be the vessel that bears you on this holy work is in your hands, we know that the symbol of a boat that came here from Rangoon continues as a particular sign for us today. That sign is the zeal Sr. Brigid visits St. Bridget College Batangas which we have inherited and must continue to promote. Zeal calls forth gratitude.the gratitude that is the memory of the heart... Thank you for inviting me to participate in the celebration of our precious heritage here in the Philippines. The entire congregation unites with me with joy and gratitude." (Full message of Sr. Brigid on page 10) Sr. Cecilia replied with praise and thanksgiving for the 100 years of Good Shepherd presence in the country and for the people who collaborated to make the occasion meaningful. Lunch followed the Mass. A program honoring lay mission partners and benefactors through the Service Awards and Count de Neuville/Countess d'andigne Awards was held at the Sr. Mary Divine Child Flood Students Hall of St. Bridget School. Missionaries, younger sisters in the province, students of St. Bridget School - Quezon City expressed in song and dance the joys of the Centennial. The 18 missionaries rendered songs to the delight of the audience. Sr Regina Kuizon Province of the Philippines 2

3 Filipinos in Nagano Prefecture, Japan celebrated the Centennial Anniversary of the Good Shepherd Sisters presence in the Philippines. Sr Celeste and Sr. Mercy, Filipino missionaries in Nagano, Japan As Filipino missionaries to the Filipino migrants in the Nagano Prefecture, Japan, we thought of celebrating also the centennial of our Good Shepherd ministry roots - in the Philippines. On the 29th July, 2012, in the Catholic Church of Matsumoto, Nagano, 200 Filipinos from the 16 different Parishes of Nagano Prefecture, Japan, gathered to praise and thank God for the Good Shepherd Sisters presence in the Philippines. The heart of the celebration was the Tagalog Mass celebrated by a Filipino Vincentian priest, Fr. Rogelio Cardenas with Fr. Isao Nakaya, Japanese OFM, as concelebrant. The creative liturgy captured the message of the centennial celebration. Fr. Rogelio, CM delivered a very inspiring homily. He clearly wove-in the Sunday Gospel with the Good Shepherd charism and the Philippine centennial themes of the three-year preparation: Weaving Compassion, Embracing Challenges, Forging Hope. Forging Hope was truly signi?icant in the light of the national Tsunami experience in Japan. It was an experience that gathered Japan and the Philippines in the fold of the Good Shepherd s compassion. And so there was a reason to celebrate! A colorful entrance procession of the two Filipino Good Shepherd Sister missionaries ( Sr. Celeste, with the Good Shepherd staff and Sr. Mercy, carrying the Holy Bible) and 16 pair representatives from the 16 mission area parishes walked through the aisle to the majestic beat of the entrance song Ito Ang Bagong Araw ( This is the day that the Lord has made). Before the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration, Sr. Celeste recounted, in a power point presentation, the history of the Good Shepherd Sisters in the Philippines. It traced the eventual journey of the Good Shepherd mission in Japan. After the communion service, Sr. Mercy expressed her heartfelt Thank You message to the congregation. This was followed by a surprise souvenir shared with everyone. An agape followed the Eucharistic celebration. In traditional Filipino style of a community celebration, all the 16 Filipino communities brought their share for the agape. What made the celebration a grace-?illed one? The Filipino communities of the 16 parishes from distant geographical locations of the Nagano Prefecture pooled together their time, talents and resources with one goal: to celebrate in praise and thanksgiving the arrival of the?irst Good Sr. Murakami with Filipinos in japan Shepherd missionaries in the Philippines 100 years ago. That?irst step made visible the care and compassion of Jesus, the Good Shepherd for His?lock there. In the years that followed, the Good Shepherd Sisters presence and mission continued to share the spirituality of Jesus, the Good Shepherd and the charism and legacy of St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, Foundress of the Religious of the Good Shepherd Sisters, not only throughout the islands called fondly pearl of the Orient but in other places where there are the Shepherd s?lock to gather. We felt the presence and appreciation of our Shepherd God that day. The stamp of approval for the centennial celebration in Nagano was the over?lowing joy of each one the priests and the Japanese RGS who came to share with us, the parish groups, and our own joy that came from a meaningful and rare experience of celebrating the centennial of the Philippine Good Shepherd Sisters in the sheepfold of the Nagano Prefecture, Japan Sr. Mercy Ang, Rgs Good Shepherd News Marie Françoise MESTRY, Communications Coordinator Casa Generalizia, Suore del Buon Pastore, Via Raffaello Sardiello Roma, Italia. com@gssweb.org fran.mestry@gssweb.org 3

4 Contemplative Corner Centennial Celebration Of The Contemplative Sisters Of The Good Shepherd In Brazil On 26th July 1912, four young women began their novitiate at the Convento da Lapa, in Salvador de Bahia: Sr Mary of the Cross, Sr Mary of the Passion, Sr Edeltrudes of the Holy Face of Jesus and Sr of the Immaculate Conception of Mary; these four sisters opened the?irst Contemplative Community in Brazil under the guidance of the Apostolic Sisters The four young sisters were blessed by God and?lourished, while other new foundations were established. After the Second Vatican Council, which called the Church for a renewal, the Congregation embraced and responded to the proposal of the Church by starting a process of change. Cardinal D. Eugenio Sales, contributed a lot in this process, thus calling all the contemplative sisters to a meeting, in order to share decisions for the renewal of the church. For us it was a new start; since then, we stepped forward and, in 1970, we established the?irst Community in PALMARES, with a Community Leader Sister Elza Nascimiento Barros. Every change has its own implications and consequences. We walked this path, seeking to accomplish God's will. Time passed by very quickly; at the moment we are present in all continents. In Brazil, we used to have communities in Fortaleza, Caruaru, Palmares, Pernambuco, Maceio, Coroata. At present, we have communities in Alagoinhas and Belo Horizonte - Bahia. We pray to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and to St. Mary Euphrasia, asking them to continue to strengthen us with their blessings, enlightenments, and graces, sending us vocations, in order to continue our mission in the Church, in the Congregation and in the world. GRATITUDE AND FRIENDSHIP I feel privileged to celebrate the "Centennial" of the Contemplative Sisters of the Good shepherd here in Brazil. I feel privileged, because 18 years ago the Diocese of Alagoinhas, with its poverty and simplicity, without much to offer to religious women, had the joy of welcoming a community of the Good Shepherd Contemplative Sisters.After all this time of intense missionary work in this Diocese, which word should I use and emphasize during this Jubillee Celebration? Gratitude! Thank you, Lord, Thank you, sisters. Gratitude is undoubtedly one of the most noble and beautiful sentiments of the human heart. Therefore, I would like to sing and pray together with all the Sisters, expressing all my gratitude. Dear Sisters, please accept all my gratitude in the form of a prayer and friendship. The Diocese of Alagoinhas thanks all of you for your discreet, quiet, friendly, prayerful and fruitful presence. May God bless you and help you! Please accept the expression of the sentiments of affection and friendship of your Shepherd who, with much gratitude, embraces you and wishes you all the best. + Paulo Romeu Dantas Bastos Diocesan Bishop of Alagoinhas Bahia Brazil Photo: RGS in Brazil with Sr Reina Escobar Congregational Councillor. 4

5 Papal Visit to Lebanon - A Message of Peace and Hope Christians and Muslims Good Shepherd Volunteers participate in Sunday s Mass The Pope s three-day trip to Lebanon in September was not a mere visit. It was a blessing which was felt deeply by all Lebanese. During his visit, the pilgrim of peace insisted on the importance of religious freedom as a basic human right and a prerequisite for social harmony. The dark night of many troubled Christians in the Middle East was enlightened by the Pope s?irst words: Salami Utikum (my peace I give you) at Ra?iq Al Harriri Airport in Beirut. The Pontiff highlighted Lebanon as a living model for the Middle East and the world of peaceful coexistence. In response to the Pope s comments, Lebanon s grand Mufti gave the reassuring message that any attack on any Christian citizen is an attack on Islam. In other words, this religious diversity and richness is indispensable to the constant Lebanese identity. Importantly, the Pope s speech to the Lebanese was clear and emphasized the delicacy of this equilibrium in such society. Indeed, with the mosaic of different religious backgrounds, this country and region requires of its people: cooperation, respectful dialogue, a good will, and most of all a commitment. By this means only, the Lebanese will be assured of the constancy of this equilibrium as a reality. For the Sisters and staff of the Good Shepherd Centre in Roueissat, Beirut, these words cooperation, respectful dialogues, a good will, commitment do not sound like far-fetched concepts. The spirituality of the Good Shepherd Sisters based on peace, mercy, zeal and justice is carried out through our mission in this troubled region. Our Social Center caters for women and children with harsh social backgrounds, suffering from poverty, physical and/or verbal violence, and other kinds of social deprivation. In a society which promotes only the survival of the?ittest, vulnerable women and children suffer the greatest. The essence of our vocation in the Centre in Rouiessat does not only lie in the fact that we serve people from different social and religious backgrounds, but also that the working/volunteering members of the center come from different social and religious backgrounds. We are proud of our success in building solidarity. Our Centre is run in a way that it is dif?icult for an outsider to differentiate between a Muslim and Christian personnel. We are all formed with the same spirit of zeal and Sister Antoinette Assaf RGS with a group of Volunteers on the occasion of the Pope s visit to Lebanon charity, God s spirit; we are one of the true living examples of the coexistence in Lebanon. And in this spirit, hand in hand, we went to meet the Pope on Sunday, September 16, at Beirut s Water Front. When I looked at the Pope, passing by my side in his papal mobile, I felt great joy. His visit to Lebanon brings much joy to my heart. The Pope is really God s messenger on earth, commented Nahed Shusha, one of the veiled Muslim volunteers at the Center. Finally, I believe that the Pope s three-day visit to Lebanon starting September 14, which is a special celebrated day of the Cross in Lebanon, is no coincidence. This date symbolically reminds us of our cross as Lebanese to defy all the hardships and attempts to blemish the beautiful and unique picture of our coexistence and existence in the Middle East. Although it is a heavy cross and the road in Life is long, resurrection awaits us. He is risen Elianore Khoury A Christian Volunteer at the Center. Note: The congregation has established this center since The aim of it is the prevention of delinquency, the conviviality between Christians and Muslims and to promote women s rights. It is in the middle of a region where violence is a common language every day. In 2007, a Primary Health clinic was taken over by the sisters as well to serve the population of the area (northern west of Beirut) and the suburb, many Iraquee and Syrian Refugees are among the clinic s bene2iciaries. Antoinette Assaf, rgs 5

6 New Leadership Teams Meet in Rome 27 September 3 October 2012 By Caroline Price, Province of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand The Province of Australia and Aotearoa and New Zealand with Sr. Anne Josephine Carr Four new leadership teams were invited to gather in Rome for a session on Leadership. We came from Austria/ Switzerland/Czech Republic, Angola and Mozambique, Egypt/Sudan and Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Four different province/sector realities representing 9 countries! The symbol for the opening prayer was a?ire place, around which we were invited to gather, to learn from each other, to share and to dream. This symbol accompanied our days together and our sharing was rich, like the wood that would keep the?ire burning. Our?irst days we re?lected on leadership, including a presentation on the leadership style of St Mary Euphrasia. We pondered this input and we learned about some of the decisions she had to make and how she made them. There was a lot to learn from her mistakes as well as her successes! And we shared some of our own stories. We took the time to deepen our understanding of our mission of Leadership, and re?lected on and formed a vision for our The Province of Austria/ Switzerland/Czech Rep. with Sr Anne Josephine Carr The Province of Egypt/Sudan with Sr. Armelle Dehennault and Rita Lorenço Luis Leadership Teams. In sharing these in a creative and re?lective way, we created an opportunity for deeper sharing. We watched the movie Of God and Men based on the true story of the Trappist monks in Algeria in the 1990s, who as a consequence of their decision to stay in their community, preferred to die rather than leave the community and villagers whom they had served over many years. The sharing of our province and sector realities was rich and informative and provided much food for thought. Some of our Provinces are in transition to new structures for mission, others are just beginning to establish themselves in new The Sector of Angola and Mozambique with Sr. Eliene Barros ministries. We were struck by the old and the new the Province of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand is about to celebrate 150 years, and within it New South Wales will celebrate 100 years, while Angola prepares for its 50 th jubilee, and in Egypt, Port Said will celebrate 150 years! So much tradition and history! And yet we are always facing newness. As we came to the end and evaluated our time together, we drew the lessons. We also drew strength and the courage we need to pack with us for our journey back to our provinces and sectors. We have certainly been warmed by the?ire, drawn light and hope from it, and it has fed us well! We hope that the?ire continues to burn, and that new leadership teams in the future can gather around it, and feed it with the wood of the challenges they face and hopes they have in leadership for mission! Sister Caroline Price Province of Australia / Aotearoa and New Zealand 6

7 Formation Session on Justice and Peace Province of Southeast Latin America (SAL) Last September 28 and 29, 2012, we gathered 37 Sisters and Lay collaborators in charge of apostolates in Sao Paulo, Province of Brazil, Paraguay. The session was organized by the Team of Mission-Justice-Peace composed of 3 sisters and two lay people, accompanied by Sr. Maria Susana Franco, Provincial Animator. The meetings had 2 objectives: - To share the apostolic experiences giving continuity to the apostolates in order to prioritize the most signi?icant in the line of justice and peace. - To personalize the experience from the Workshop given by the International Of?ice of Justice and Peace of the Congregation last July in Quito, Ecuador. The?irst day we were shown Power Point presentations of all the apostolic works of each community. Thus we got an understanding of the different realities and apostolic services of the Province. The second day was devoted to the transmission of the experiences of the international workshop with Sr. Clare Nolan, our facilitator of the International Justice and Peace Of?ice. We spent the day re?lecting on the training techniques on the concept of justice as inclusion, the attitudes of Jesus regarding inclusion and exclusion. We went over the historical progression of incorporating justice in the re?lection and the commitment of our Congregation. How justice is directly related to our mission of reconciliation, being an integral part of it. There were moments of learning and mutual enrichment. We noted as a challenge the task of deepening our understanding and living out of our spirituality in the light of justice as inclusion. We re?lected on this word as something that de?ines the practice of justice in our communities and apostolates. It was very interesting to re?lect and share on the attitudes of inclusion and exclusion, especially on the attitudes of Jesus. We considered how defense and politics can be strategies to attain our mission of justice and reconciliation. We prioritized the areas necessary to deepen in order to affect the structures and systems so that our works are truly oriented in justice. We were all asked to re?lect on the experience we have of unjust structures and systems and thus enlarge our possibilities for inclusion to reach justice. The third day focused on lines of priority actions for the Province. The results were concrete actions to orient our apostolates: To continue the ongoing formation of sisters and lay staff who are in direct service to use inclusion in the line of justice. To encourage the use of inclusion as a tool to deconstruct old models and concepts and to construct a new organizational model which will affect unjust structures and systems. To provide incentives in the Good Shepherd Sisters and Lay Associates formation of local leaders for the development of indigenous communities and in others where we work. To construct and live out a new identity of the Good Shepherd in our apostolates and implement our Euphrasian Spirituality. To join regional and country networks in the priority areas of our congregation. We took on as challenges the outmoded concepts:?inancial dif?iculties to disinvolve projects, collaboration with public power in the development of political action which we considered the responsibility of the State, and the action of certain Sisters in directing some NGO s. The meeting was evaluated by all participants as very positive for the mission of the Province; considering this step as very important in the process of revising our apostolates, our commitment to justice in consonance with our Congregational orientation. We are grateful for the fraternal ambience of being together with our lay collaborators and the new vision of justice. Fernanda Ferreira, G S Lay Associate and Sr. Maria Julia 7

8 Raise your joyful thanks to to God God for for the the immense benefits benefits He has He showered. has showered. Province of Srilanka/ Pakistan Province of Sri Lanka/ Pakistan Residents of the new Home Vagarai It is with these sentiments of Saint Mary Euphrasia in our hearts that we gathered together on the occasion of the opening of the new building of our Convent in Ganeshapuram, Vaigarai meaning dawn - a safe home for young women and girls on 30 th June Looking back at the history of this home it all began with the generosity of our sisters who willingly responded to the crisis of war serving the people in the refugee camps with love and generosity. It was during this time that as a Province we heard the cry of women and young girls who were desiring to build up their future. This was indeed for us a moment to respond as did Saint Mary Euphrasia who heard the cry of the victims of the French revolution and spared no pain to reach out to them. Following her footsteps our sisters dared to take an extra step to establish this new venture for women and girls affected by war and violence. Towards the end of 2009 we established this safe shelter for women disturbed both physically and psychologically losing all hope for their future. It all began in a rented house, surrounded by temporary shelters. On the 19 th of March 2010, the skill training program began. The women were given opportunities to develop their skills which in turn provided them with skills to build up their own future. Together with skills such as tailoring, leather work, shoe making, beauty culture, cake and icing, cookery, ribbon embroidery, arrangements were made for trauma counseling, music therapy and yoga. The aim of the program was to empower the women and help them move towards integral growth. Another important milestone of this project was when the women who had followed the skill training program successfully utilized their talents thus Sr Rohini, Province Leader, receiving the blessing of residents giving birth to an income generating project. Hard working as they are, they labored with love and courage to begin earning for their future and setting up goals that gave them a sense of self worth and interior freedom. It is with great joy we record, that the girls who expressed their desire to continue studies, were given the opportunity simultaneously to sit for the Ordinary Level and Advanced Level exams. In 2010, one of the girls who sat for the Advanced Level excelled as 2 nd rank student in Vavuniya District and entered the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. At present Vakarai Good Shepherd Convent, has 26 girls for the livelihood program and 30 girls who attend school. These women and girls are provided with opportunities and facilities for their formation and growth while giving emphasis to counseling. As the project continued in a rented house, the leadership team looked at setting priorities for ministries. They deeply felt that this mission needs to be upheld a mission close to the heart of the Good Shepherd and that of Saint Mary Euphrasia. Thus a decision was made to put up a new structure to cater for these women giving them more security and opportunities. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, who?inancially supported us to make it a reality. Yes, as we continue to move ahead for the sake of mission together with Saint Mary Euphrasia we say May God overwhelm us with bene?its, watch over and guard us, cover us with God s wings and caress us tenderly. Our prayer is that this place will be a haven for many more young women bringing them newness and hope in life. Good Shepherd Sisters Sri Lanka/ Pakistan 8

9 Province of Italy/ Malta Journey of Enrichment Lay Associates, OLC and Rgs Sisters, Province of Italy/Malta On the Journey of Enrichment within our Province we continue to have an atmosphere of closeness and spontaneous sharing. We are not able to carry out joint projects because of the poverty of human resources but we are glad for any occasion, whether for formative moments or celebrations, especially those of our congregations, to celebrate them together exchanging visits between the two houses in Rome. We feel that our relationship is gradually deepening to the extent that there is a growing awareness and appreciation for what we see as good especially on the apostolic level and this is a source of mutual encouragement. This year, included in the program of the province, which aims to "re-animate our Zeal and Spiritual Growth" - we invited an OLC sister in Rome, Sr. Lucia, to be part of the committee with the task to stimulate the communities and we're very happy because she has gladly accepted the invitation. On the occasion of the Year of Faith, we are organizing a meeting at the convent in Loreto, for both RGS and OLC sisters and laity. It is also a valuable opportunity to learn about the historic home of the OLC Sisters in Loreto, and to live together the days on the topic of spirituality. We are walking together in hopefulness and openness to what the Lord is preparing for our two congregations! Sr. Ester Gervasi RGS Sr. Lucia Tittarelli OLC Monthly Re@lections - Spirituality Centre. Comments Thank you so much for the monthly re?lections. They have been spiritually nourishing, and we have used excerpts from them at our Evening Prayer, from time to time. I have also used them for personal prayer, especially the?inal one on "Deep Intimacy with God", which was particularly moving for me in my ongoing relationship with our Shepherd God. Blessings upon your continued work in celebrating "Our Charism and Mission". Rosalyn Menard, RGS Province of New York Golden Jubilee of Sister Liliane Tauvette - Canada The joys of my jubilee brought back fond memories and good times. Together, we gave thanks for the Lord's faithfulness. Today, I want to sincerely thank you for your good wishes, your participation and your contribution. On the journey to the future, I pray that the dreams we carry in our hearts can come true. '' The joy of my heart comes from Him'' Ps Affection and prayer, 9

10 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE FOUNDATION IN THE PHILIPPINES - 4th Ocober 2012 Message of Sister Brigid Lawlor Congregational Leader Gratitude is your inheritance. Engrave it on your heart. Let its remembrance be your consolation, your hope. (St. M. Euphrasia) 100 years of history! You have studied your history intensely and have celebrated it throughout the province during the past three years. 100 years of change! Our entire cosmos is different because of the new energy of God s shepherding love which sprang forth 100 years ago and continues in so many Good Shepherd communities and services in the Philippines. You carried a shepherd s crook from place to place to commemorate this joy. 100 years of vocations! Countless dedicated people attracted to the charism of the Good Shepherd discovered that charism within themselves and shared it as apostolic or contemplative sisters, lay partners, and program participants. 100 years of growth! Starting with two sisters to now you are 141 apostolic, 25 contemplative sisters within the Philippines, and countless lay partners, all of whom are co responsible for our mission here today. 100 years of sharing within your borders! You have developed many partnerships throughout the Philippines with our church, government, NGO s, and others. 100 years of creative response to the needs of fami- lies, women and children through concrete ministries as well as untiring advocacy for justice and peace! 100 years of generosity! Two missionaries came to begin the holy work. Presently, there are 32 Filipino Sister Missionaries in other parts of the world, who have generously responded to the call to reach out to persons desiring our Good Shepherd giftedness or to congregational administrative needs. Congratulations and thank you for sharing the witness of the missionary spirit that you were given 100 years ago. This is truly a clear living out of the words of St. Mary Euphrasia our zeal must embrace the world. All of us have within us the missionary spirit of St. Mary Euphrasia whether we are here in the Philippines or on another continent. When she says, Let zeal be the vessel that bears you on this holy work is in your hands, we know that the symbol of a boat that came here from Rangoon continues as a particular sign for us today. That sign is the zeal which we have inherited and must continue to promote. Zeal calls forth gratitude.the gratitude that is the memory of the heart. Our celebration of 100 years of Good Shepherd presence in the Philippines coincides with the beginning celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Maria Droste, our sister from Germany who was a missionary to Portugal. I close with her words; I believe they re?lect the gratitude which is in our hearts: Let me pour out this Love into the hearts of all. Let me welcome with compassion the poor, the oppressed, the rejected, those in danger, and lead them all to you, the Good Shepherd. Maria Droste zu Vischering, Munster, 1975, Section VIIRe2lection. I brought you a 100th Anniversary Gift! Sr. Cecilia, would you please open it! It is a Shepherd with a wheelbarrow! I bring it as a reminder that our work in the Philippines is only just begun! We must use whatever vessels that are available to us today - be they boats, wheelbarrows, computers, internet, webpages, Facebook, Twitter, etc., to make our Good Shepherd spirituality known. There are many sheep with whom we must share the loving care of the Good Shepherd during the next 100 years and beyond. Thank you for inviting me to participate in the celebration of our precious heritage here in the Philippines. The entire congregation unites with me with joy and gratitude. Lovingly in the Heart of our Shepherd God, Brigid Lawlor Congregational Leader October 2012 GSN

11 Calendar 2012 Good Shepherd News While each unit is encouraged to send articles anytime during the year, we have planned that there are specific editions when each unit is asked to submit an article so that at the end of the year all the units have been part of Good Shepherd News. Please send articles on or before the 5th of each month. Here is the suggested schedule: January Commissions, CLT, Bolivia/Chile, Indonesia February Argentina/Uruguay, Lebanon/ Syria, Mexico, South Africa March Belgium/France/Magyarorsza g, Nederland(BFMN) Mid-North America, Egypt/Sudan April Philippines, Portugal, Peru, Australia & Aoteraoa/N. Zealand May Spain, Angola/ Mozambique,ColomboVe ne zolana June Central America, Northeast Asia July East Asia, West Africa, ( Se ne gal Burkina faso) The Isles, August Italia/Malta, Singapore/ Malaysia, Deutschland/Albania September New York, Canada, Ecuador October Sudeste de America Latina, Sri Lanka/ Pakistan November Japan, Great Britain, OUsterreich/Schweiz/Czech Rep December India/Nepal,, Ireland, Congo/Kenya Commentary about the Witness of the Sisters of Netherlands Sr. Cássia Maria-CGS Brazil Comments in reply to the article Major Changes in the Netherlands written by Sr. Alphonsa Donders Bloemendaal, The Netherlands GSN 256 page Photo: Sr. Casía Maria on the right Dear Sisters, What a beautiful example of wisdom you have given for all of us in the Congregation of the Good Shepherd Sisters. When I was reading this article, your community decision touched me very deeply. I was inspired by how your community was open to challenge yourselves, how you knew to communicate between yourselves and listen to each other. From your community sharing you were able to discover the will of God for your future. It s very important to listen to others to discover the goodness of God for the future of the life of our Congregation. I give thanks to God for your wisdom, courage and your decision. Also I would like to thank Sr. Magdalena and her council for their openness to hear the request of our Sisters and the lay people from Netherlands. I hold all of you in my heart and prayers daily, because you gave me a great testimony of life, How can we live our religious life as Good Shepherd Sisters, being part of a worldwide Congregation? United with Jesus Good Shepherd and Mary, Sr. Cássia Maria-CGS Good Shepherd News Special thanks to the following for the translations and proofreading Adriana Pere z, Mexico; Nicole Bastien, Canada; Mary-James Wilson, Philippines; Graciela Mendez, Argentina; Delia Rodriguez, Peru; Angelica Guzman, Bolivia/Chile; Rosario Ortiz, Spain; Narcisa Vivanco, Ecuador; Marta Ceballos, Ana Maria Quiroz, Claire Alessandri, Patrizia Marturano,Yvette Arnold, Generalate; Marie He le ne Halligon, Claudine Fargeix, BFMN; Michel Ferrer France 11