Cultural Diversity Program -- Fourth Day

The sisters woke up this morning to SNOW--in mid-May!!

However, their spirits were not downcast. In fact, they were quite uplifted with squeals of delight and wonder at the white, fluffy stuff. 

"Yesterday, everything was green," said one sister. "Today, everything is white."

A 6:30 a.m. look at the mount of Notre Dame from the second floor window of the Centre

The sisters posed for and with each other in the snow. Some of them had never seen snow. Many regarded it as a gift from God and they gave words of thanks and praise for it.

Sister Mary McGlone engaged the sisters in a snowball fight, which they quickly found fun. 

At the beginning of morning prayers, Sister Gloria (standing) asked the sisters to give the word for snow in their language. Some were stumped by this because although they knew what snow was, their native language did not have a word for it since their land did not have snow.

Cultural Diversity Program -- Third Day

The sisters attended Mass at Paroisse des Carmes in Le Puy-en-Velay after a long day of study and  dialogue.

The theme of the day was relationship with nature and the cosmos. The sisters watched a film in their own language on this subject, reflected on their relationship with nature and the cosmos, and then drew a picture of their conception of it. 

The French-language sisters from Africa and Haiti work with Sister Simone, French-English translator

The Spanish language sisters

Then the sisters shared their pictures and tried to describe them with sisters who did not speak their language. This was a lesson in communication where words, pictures, hand gestures, translators and patience prevailed.

Sisters worked with translators for more precise understanding of each other's thoughts and reflections.

A certain pride emerged among the sisters when they discovered they could communicate even though they didn't know their partner's language.

Presenter Elisa Zuanazzi (Brazil) is proud of the work of the sisters.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, leaders, presenters and researchers check with each other on their progress.

Sisters Griselda Martinez Morales (program director), Mary McGlone (Spanish-English translator), and presenter Gloria Phillips

Avila University researcher for the program, Carol Carbun. 

All their hard work this morning ended with a sumptuous déjeuner that included ratatouille and Spanish tortilla, tomato salad, cheese, and oranges for dessert. 

Three sisters volunteer for clean-up after each meal. This includes dishwashing, composting sweeping the floor, and shaking out the tablecloths.

Loading the dishwasher after a meal for 35 people has become an art form for the sisters.
















A little after-lunch impromptu sharing.

Cultural Diversity Program -- First Day

Sisters for the Cultural Diversity program have arrived, and they quickly formed into a cohesive group despite their mix of cultures and languages.

They come from all over the globe: Madagascar, Senegal, Pakistan, India, Congo, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Brazil, Cameroon, Kenya, Italy, Argentinia, Mexico, and USA. 

They are led by Sisters Gloria Phillips (Argentina) and Elisa Zuanazzi (Brazil).

May Day in France

For the French, May 1 is a special day where everyone gets a day off. Stores, banks, and government offices are all closed. People spend this day of leisure with their families or friends. 

Fête du Muguet (the Feast of the Lily of the Valley) all started with King Charles IX of France in 1561. He was given the flower as a lucky charm. He liked it so much that he decided to give it every year to the ladies of the court. Today, the flowers are sold in bouquets on the street, at churches, and in stores around France. People offer the flowers to friends or family members for good luck.

Of course, for the Catholic Church, May Day is St. Joseph the Worker Day. The Notre Dame Cathedral in Le Puy held a Mass in honor of St. Joseph this morning. 

Happy St. Joseph the Worker Day, especially to the Sisters of St. Joseph!!

Eluiza and I celebrated the day by going to Mass at the Cathedral, making homemade pizza, and taking a day off.

May Day is also Fête du Travail (Labor Day). Trade unions and other workers' organizations use this day for marches in the streets in favor of workers' rights. Called "International Workers Day," the tradition began in 1889 after following the lead of a Chicago workers' strike in 1886 when 35,000 workers walked off their jobs to demonstrate for the 8-hour work day. In 1941, French workers finally won the 8-hour work day, which included getting a paid day off.

This year is especially important one for transportation workers. They are in the midst of a national strike (la gréve) that began in April and is scheduled to continue until June. Fortunately, it takes place only 2-3 days a week, but it requires a lot of maneuvering for travelers.

If you are traveling in France this spring/summer, here is a schedule of rail and air strike days: 

Thursday, May 3 - Rail and Air France strike (Tuesday, May 1, is the Fête du Travail public holiday. Public transport will be very limited)

Friday, May 4 - Rail and Air France strike

Monday, May 7 - Air France strike

Tuesday, May 8 - Rail and Air France strike (also a public holiday)

Wednesday, May 9 - Rail strike (Thursday, May 10, is a public holiday)

No air strikes are yet scheduled beyond May 8, but could be called if negotiations fail. Meanwhile, further rail strikes are planned on the following days:

May 13-14
May 18-19 (May 21 is the Pentecôte public holiday)
May 23-24
May 28-29
June 2-3
June 7-8
June 12-13
June 17-18
June 22-23
June 27-28

A list of trains running will be displayed in each station. Any mainline ticket for a cancelled train will be valid on all trains running on that day along the same route. Customers who prefer to cancel their trip has the right to a full refund at the ticket office, regardless of purchase price.

The Independent, an online UK site explains why the French railway workers are on strike in its April 13, 2018, edition.

"The country's railway workers are engaged in industrial action over proposed reforms to the SNCF, the national railway, which will be opened up to competition in 2020 in line with EU requirements. 

SNCF employees currently receive automatic annual pay rises, receive 28 days of paid annual leave, are allowed to retire at 50 and are entitled to free tickets for family members. 

These perks will be lost under the contractual reforms proposed, which will mean an end to jobs-for-life for new hires. 

The SNCF is presently £40 bn in debt and operating at a loss of £5,000 a minute. 

France's rail lines are looking at 36 days of strikes in total, two days out of every five from the period beginning on 3 April and scheduled to run until 28 June. 

All four of France's main rail unions are involved. In total, 77 per cent of drivers and 34 per cent of staff are downing tools. 

Air France pilots, cabin crew and ground staff are also on strike - demanding a 6 per cent pay rise given that their wages have been frozen since 2011. The company is currently only offering a one per cent increase with added benefits and have been duly snubbed."