Organizing Committee for National Assembly, 2012. Co-Chairs are Rita Robinson, kneeling, and Deborah Self, far right.

The Archdiocese of Washington Ladies of Charity is extremely happy to be your host for the 2012 National Assembly, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency, Bethesda, Md., September 12–16. We are working diligently to provide you with a program embracing the theme of Giving in Faith and Love.

A core group of dedicated Ladies of Charity has committed itself to provide participants with spiritually enriching experiences. Invitations have been extended to several well-known dynamic speakers. A number of timely and relevant workshop topics are being proposed which include homelessness, human trafficking, health and wellness, and lay women as spiritual moderators.

Arrangements are being made for exciting tours in and around the Washington, DC area.

We look forward to welcoming you and discovering creative ways of acting on behalf of those who have no voice. May the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul fill each of us as we gather together for the 2012 National Assembly.

Full details about the assembly will be published in the next issue of the Servicette and at their website, which is in development. Their address will be www.ladiesofcharityadw.org

The Ladies of Charity of the United States of America extend their best wishes to each of you as you go forward with the hope and faith to serve and commit to those less fortunate. All of us as Ladies of Charity have been specially chosen by God to carry out the Vincentian mission of service. How special are we to be chosen to take care of others and give them hope for the future.

What better time than the Octave of Christmas to receive the spirit and strength necessary to carry all of us through the New Year. May Christ be with you and your loved ones during this special time of the year. To quote Thomas Merton, “Christ is born to us today in order that he may appear to the whole world through us”. This is a goal as Ladies of Charity we need to embrace in the New Year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR,
Lucy Ann Saunders

Read  Sr. Carol Schumer’s Christmas Reflection

Through the Eyes of Children

“For a child is born to us …” Isaiah 9: 5

A little girl was frightened on being put to bed. Her mom reassured her that God is always present to protect. The child agreed, paused then added, “I really want someone with skin on.” (adapted from Andy Stanley, pastor/founder of North Point Ministries, Atlanta, GA) Is this not true for all of us? God knows our desire, for we are his creation. As a result, God who so loved the world, sent his only Son (John 3:16) in skin and flesh.

What a source of wonder! Watch a youngster, your own or a grandchild! How their eyes glisten and glow at the lights, the beauty of this season. Jesus declares: “Let the little children come to me. … The reign of God belongs to these.” (Luke 18: 16) And then he invites us to “… become like little children.” (Matthew 18: 3)

So with child-like trust and delight, let’s listen and ponder a child’s version of Jesus’ birth:
“She was five, sure of the facts, and recited them with slow solemnity, convinced every word was revelation. She said, ‘They were so poor they had only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to eat and they went a long way from home without getting lost. The lady rode a donkey, the man walked and the baby was inside the lady. They had to stay in a stable with an ox and an ass (hee-hee), but the three Rich Men found them because the star lited the roof. Shepherds came and you could pet the sheep but not feed them. Then the baby was borned. And do you know who he was?’ Her quarter eyes inflated to silver dollars. ‘The baby was God.’ And she jumped in the air, whirled round, dove into the sofa and buried her head under the cushion … which is the only proper response to the Good News of the Incarnation.”        (“Sharon’s Christmas Prayer” by John Shea, The Hour of the Unexpected)

Take a few minutes during the holidays and

1. sit quietly at the manager in awe and gratitude for the gift of Emmanuel, God-with-us.
2. check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=ki8EcnVbd-Q of The Christmas Story as told by Hilltop Preschool and Kindergarten Students from Portland Christian Center. (www.pcctoday.com)

1. 3. read a child’s book, e.g., The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and recall the wonder and blessing of child-like living and trust.

May the God of love bless all of us now and throughout 2012!

Carol Schumer, D.C.
Ladies of Charity, Archdiocese of St. Louis

Take Time to really celebrate the Incarnational Moment!

2 Samuel 7:1-16 ~ Psalm 89 ~ Romans 16:25-27 ~ Luke 1:26-38

We give time to that which is important for us in our lives. Christmas is a time for celebrating Love. Christ was born. God made flesh. What greater Love? We think of those that we love in our family and friends. With our Vincentian charism as Ladies of Charity, we see ‘incarnate love’ in the vulnerable and marginated. Christ is born again in the faces of the Poor. We serve and often it is not what we give the poor person in front of us, but the message we convey that “you are important to me.” I call you by name just as 2000 years ago, a babe was born in Bethlehem and they named Him, “Jesus.”

In this 4^th week of Advent, the readings remind us of making time to be available for the Incarnational Moment. In the first reading, (2 Samuel 7:1-5), King David is concerned about the ark of the covenant being housed in ‘a tent’. God urges David to ‘build a house’ for the ark of the covenant.’ “Your house and  your kingdom shall endure forever before me.”  In the Gospel, Mary ponders the word of the angel, Gabriel, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” But Mary thinks “how can this be?” Gabriel, the angel, reminds Mary that “nothing will be impossible for God.” (Luke 1: 26-38). Mary, in faith, responds “be it done to me according to your Word.”  Ironically, in the line of David, Jesus Christ is born in a stable. Without a house, the Incarnational Moment begins “the new covenant” with God’s people.

As Ladies of Charity, we need to take time to ponder the awesomeness of this Incarnational Moment that brings alive our covenant with a God who so loves us that He came to earth and lived amongst us.

-Sister Frances Ryan, DC
LCUSA Spiritual Moderator

Third Sunday of Advent – Dec. 11, 2011

READINGS:

Isaiah 61:1-11 ~ Psalm-Luke 1:46-54 ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 ~ John 1:6-8,19-28

Because it’s only four weeks Advent can slip by before we really enter into the prayerful and penitential nature of the season. A question we should ask ourselves: what is my focus? Is my focus simply to get to Christmas, to make sure that I have bought all the necessary presents or to wait for a little vacation or slow time at work? If these are your main worries, then you should take a brief time out to refocus on our true Advent journey.

The first step is to remind ourselves that everything we have in our lives is a gift from God. That the greatest gift we can give to each other is the love and life that God has given to us. We all enjoy getting gifts and it is important that we have a generosity of heart. A challenge we all might take on is this: to spend as much time in the spiritual preparation for Christmas as we do in the physical preparation for Christmas.  For example: if I spend three hours shopping, I should try to spend the equal amount of time in prayer, spiritual reading or taking time with God. (Yes, you can count Mass as part of the time spent with God.) If your family is spending a few hours decorating the house for Christmas we should try to spend that time singing carols, telling stories about family or praying the rosary together. If we can do simple little things like this, then we can grow in faith and truly celebrate Christmas in the true spirit of our Catholic faith. This can and should be difficult to do therefore, if you can’t give back all the time then maybe you can tithe the time, give 10% back to God. Whatever you give back will be returned in abundance….that is God’s promise.

Father Mark Arnzen, Pastor of St. Catherine Catholic Church
and Spiritual Director for the Ladies of Charity of Morgan Hill, CA.

Click to read the Advent letter from Father Greg Gay, CM to the Vincentian Family.

Second Sunday in Advent – December 4

READINGS:
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11~ Ps. 85 ~ 2 Peter 3: 8-14 ~ Mark 1:1-8

“Speak up! Let your voice be heard!” today’s readings seem to say.

Isaiah urges those who have good news to cry at the top of their voices, without fear, from the highest heights. And what is that good news? That our God is near, coming with power, not like a tyrant, but like a shepherd. Our God rules with fairness, our God comforts and forgives, our God hears the suffering of those who are poor.

This is indeed good news in today’s society, where so many feel the pinch of economic hard times. We await the reign of justice, we long for “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter). God promises that our waiting will not be in vain.

“Make ready the way of the Lord,” cries John the Baptist. He had no illusions about who he was and who he was not. Nor was he shy about lifting his voice and pointing others in the direction of Jesus the Messiah. May we follow the Baptist’s lead, boldly, clearly, simply, speaking out and speaking up. May the way that we live and love reveal the awesome, life-changing truth that God indeed dwells among us.

Sister Regina Bechtle, SC
Sr. Regina, currently Charism Resource Director for the Congregation,
writes, lectures, & offers programs and retreats about St. Elizabeth Seton

]]> http://aic.ladiesofcharity.us/2011/12/03/second-sunday-of-advent-reflection/feed/ 0 http://aic.ladiesofcharity.us/2011/11/26/first-sunday-of-advent-reflection/ http://aic.ladiesofcharity.us/2011/11/26/first-sunday-of-advent-reflection/#comments Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:44:26 +0000 admin http://aic.ladiesofcharity.us/?p=3447 The Ladies of Charity USA gratefully acknowledge the Sisters of Charity of New York for sharing their Advent reflection.

This reflection is one of several spiritual resources offered to you during this season. After this prayerful reflection, please visit our Advent Spirituality page for more.

First Sunday of Advent – Nov. 27, 2011

READINGS:
Isaiah 63:16-19; 64:2-7 ~ Ps. 80 ~ I Cor. 1:3-9 ~ Mark 13:33-37

“You break the power of evil and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe….Free all the world to rejoice in his peace, to glory in his justice, to live in his love.” (Opening Prayers)

Here we are again, at the end of one Church year and the beginning of another. Trees grow bare and cold winds blow, partisan bickering in Congress gets uglier by the moment, millions in our country are without jobs, homes, and hope, and the gap between the desperately poor and the scandalously rich widens with each day’s news. We may be saying to God with some frustration, “You make all things new? I sure don’t see where!”

As one commentator remarked, “I find myself praying, ‘Give us a break, Lord!  Is this any way to run a railroad?’ ”

St. Elizabeth Seton would urge us to find the grace in this present moment, this challenging time in history.  Where do we see signs of Jesus Christ, making all things new?

The Constitution of the Sisters of Charity reminds us that “the Gospel overturns all purely human understanding of authority.’ Jesus offers us an alternative way. Jesus gives us a different lens through which to view leadership. We get a glimpse of that lens in the readings for the feast of Christ the King.

Newness comes through those who act like shepherds, who make a home to gather those scattered,  who look after the weak and wounded. God promises to act this way with us (Ezekiel).  Jesus paints an unforgettable picture of the end times when we will be judged not on our right thinking, our orthodoxy, our adherence to rules, but on our care for the least among us (Matt. 25).

Christ our leader doesn’t seek to be at the top of the pyramid, or to claim privilege (like a multimillion dollar bonus, perhaps) at the expense of others. Our leader doesn’t demand our servile homage; he doesn’t “lord it over” us like the world’s rulers.

Rather, Christ sets the bar high by stooping low, by showing us what true servant leadership looks like, by going the extra mile to rescue the lost and shepherd the wounded. We keep waiting and longing for the day to come when all of us who bear leadership responsibilities, great and small, will follow Jesus’ example of serving others like a caring shepherd.

Sts. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac lived this Gospel. They saw the face of Christ in those who were hungry, thirsty, outsiders, naked, sick, or imprisoned. In our own time, Dorothy Day was one who carried on their legacy.

A mother, convert, co-founder of the Catholic Worker, lover of the poor, and untiring activist for peace and social justice, Dorothy died Nov. 29, 1980. (Sisters of Charity can be proud that Dorothy became a Catholic in 1927 through the tutelage of Sister Aloysia Mary Mulhearn, then on mission at St. Joseph’s Home, Huguenot, Staten Island. ) The Church has declared her “Servant of God,” the first step toward being named a Saint.

The prayer for Dorothy Day’s cause for canonization says in part: “May her life inspire people to turn to Christ as their Savior and guide, to see his face in the world’s poor and to raise their voices for the justice of God’s kingdom.”

In his Advent homily of 2008, Pope Benedict XVI offers us much to reflect on: “Certainly, we don’t want the end of the world to come now. But, on the other hand, we want this unjust world to end. We also want the world to be deeply changed, the civilization of love to begin, a world of justice and peace, without violence, without hunger, to arrive. We all want this — and how can it happen without the presence of Christ? ….Come, Lord! Come to your world, in the way that you know. Come where there is injustice and violence. Come to the refugee camps…. in so many places in the world. Come where drugs dominate. Come, too, among those rich people who have forgotten you and who live only for themselves. Come where you are not known. Come to your world and renew the world of today. Come also to our hearts. Come and renew our lives. Come to our hearts so that we ourselves can be light of God, your presence.

In this sense, let us pray with St. Paul: Maranà, thà! Come, Lord Jesus! And let us pray that Christ may be really present today in our world, and that he may renew it.”

The season of Advent challenges us: “Don’t let the bad news get you down, don’t let it cloud your vision. Keep looking around, keep staying awake (Mark). The signs of the reign of God are all around you.  You don’t want to miss them.”  May our God who is faithful keep us firm to the end (I Cor.)

Sister Regina Bechtle, SC
Sr. Regina, currently Charism Resource Director for the Congregation,
writes, lectures, & offers programs and retreats about St. Elizabeth Seton
and the spirituality of the Sisters of Charity.

by Maureen McMillan, LCUSA Executive Administrator

We are all familiar with the term “our Vincentian Family” but it was only two years ago that I came to understand how large and varied the family is, especially here in St. Louis. In 2009, Vincentians the world over began to prepare for the 350th anniversary of the deaths of Sts. Vincent and Louise. Here in St. Louis a committee gathered to plan events to mark the celebration and I was invited to join. When I came to the first meeting I looked around the room and saw not only the names of people and organizations I knew but also several with which I was unfamiliar. Among those at the table were the familiar: Daughters and former Daughters of Charity, affiliates of the Daughters of Charity, representatives of both the local and national St. Vincent de Paul Society, Vincentian priests and Gateway Vincentian Volunteers, but also those I did not know as well – Vincentian Service Corps, Vincentian Marian Youth, and the Association of the Miraculous Medal.

The international Vincentian Family announced in the fall of 2009 that a special project would be launched in Haiti as part of the commemoration. If Vincentians all over the world focused in a concerted way on the dire poverty in that country, meaningful change might be effected. While we waited for the international project to be revealed, the St. Louis family encouraged its members to consider alternative Christmas giving to another program which provides nutritious food to undernourished Haitian children.

When the international family announced the creation of Zafen, it had three aims: to provide microloans to Haitians, to offer scholarships to school children and to restore the badly deforested countryside by planting trees. Our local committee decided that the collection at the anniversary liturgy would be earmarked for the Haiti Reforestation Project. It was our belief that the money we raised would not only purchase badly needed vegetation but would also plant the seeds of hope for a better future in Haiti.

The commemorative celebration was comprised of two events. On August 21, 2010, more than 150 St. Louis area Vincentians turned out to volunteer at sites in the St. Louis area. On Sunday, August 22, more than 600 people shared the Eucharistic celebration at the Cathedral with Fr. Gregory Gay, C.M., Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, as homilist. This event raised $6,500 for Zafen to be matched by the international family for Haiti reforestation.

In November of 2010, the Vincentian Family Collaborators held a U.S. – Canada Vincentian Family Systemic Change Meeting in Belleville, IL. Many of our local family leaders attended this conference and came away charged with training others in the principles and methods of a systemic change approach to combating poverty.

In March 2011 we held a half-day workshop attended by more than 100 St. Louis Vincentians from every branch of our local family. The most powerful portion of the day was a presentation by a staff member of the St. Louis Council of St. Vincent de Paul who detailed his Project Plus Program. He introduced the group to one of his successful clients, Vadicka, who captivated the audience with the story of her struggle and the road to self-sufficiency this program had given her. Attendees left the session with a new vocabulary and a new outlook on their approach to fighting poverty in our community.

These gatherings of the St. Louis Vincentian family have strengthened the bonds of friendship and collaboration and sparked a desire to continue meeting and working together. From that initial workshop has come a new committee which will carry on the work of planning the next gathering. Our vision has expanded beyond the immediate task of orchestrating the events of that year to forging a stronger and more effective relationship for years to come. †

About eighteen months ago, my friends Marilyn Leslie and Sister Mary Grace Higgins, DC, suggested I become a candidate for the LCUSA board of directors. My first reaction was total denial. Nevertheless, after a period of fear and trepidation, consideration and most importantly prayer, I did apply for a director’s position and was elected by delegates from the northeastern region.

Shortly after the election, then President-Elect Lucy Saunders asked for volunteers to proof-read submissions for the Servicette. We each have our own gifts and talents. One of mine is a keen eye for sentence construction, grammar and punctuation. I offered to help as a copy reader. One thing led to another, and here I am as Editor, working with the Editor-in-Chief Lucy Saunders, and our talented Lay-out & Design Editor Elena Miranda.

It’s a challenge for me to succeed previous editors, Father Jack Melito, C.M., and his assistant Betty Tutor, and Janet Karmitzski, who led the most recent re-visioning of the Servicette. I hope to continue many of their ideas, including use of vintage photographs, personality profiles, book reviews and exchange of information and ideas between editors and readers.

The current editorial staff aims to provide a mix of information from the national and international perspective as well as articles from local associations. On the national level, board members want to communicate with you about what they are doing on your behalf, and want to provide the latest information about social justice issues and systemic change projects. You will also find news about other members of the Vincentian family who work with us to advance our common mission.

At the local level, you have stories to tell and pictures to share with fellow Ladies of Charity who are very interested in getting ideas for their local associations. For example, the last issue of the Servicette featured an article on Mary’s Corner, the latest project of the Ladies of Charity of Albany, NY. Kathy Kavanaugh, then-president, submitted the article following a suggestion from Maureen Driskill, vice-president for the northeastern region. Completing the tag-team effort, I decided to visit Mary’s Corner. The enthusiasm, collaboration and sheer joy of the volunteers, including Ellen Boyer, Ellen Bernier, Pam Seward and Alba Giordano, were inspiring.

In this issue, you will find another story about how a Servicette article inspired a link between Ladies of Charity in Milwaukee and Pittsburgh. You also have stories to tell and pictures to share from the history of your associations. Please share some of these with us, and twice a year we’ll feature a sampling of vintage photos and the stories that go with them. Beginning in 2012, current members will automatically be able to receive the Servicette at no additional cost. This wider readership will give us the opportunity to form even more bonds among our membership.

Please keep your articles and photos coming. We’ll use as many as space permits. Sometimes, in order to achieve consistency in the language and format within the Servicette, your submission may be edited. However, we will stay true to your story and meaning.

Feel free to contact me any time by email, kandrsieracki@aol.com or postal service, 246 Berryman Dr., Amherst, NY 14226, with comments, constructive criticism and ideas. I’ve already had the pleasure of communicating with several of you during this process, and I’m looking forward to meeting even more Ladies of Charity. Thank you. †