Two Trinities Program -- "Sings" in the Rain

Each program at the International Centre distinguishes itself in some way. For the Two Trinities program, it was rain--every day--and numbers.

Throughout this year the weather has cooperated for our guests. However, participants in the Two Trinities program, had to deal with rain for most of the week--and a train strike as well. But that did not dampen their spirits or their appreciation for the program.

"The participants were deeply reflective," said Sr. Linda Buck, presenter for the program. "They really soaked up all the material in a way that made them shine."

Participants made due during the rainy days in various ways.

 
Sr. Ditty, a Lyon sister of India, found some photogenic levity with umbrellas. 

"It was the best shower I've ever had in my life," said Ditty. "I was hoping to be carried away in my spiritual experience with this program, and I think I made it upstream."  

David, a 30-year veteran facilities engineer for St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, fixed the doors of the Centre to prevent them from slamming and squeaking by changing the speed of their closing and oiling the latches.

"I volunteered because the doors needed to be fixed. I used to take care of the hospital sisters' old convent all the time. This just seemed like another thing I could do for the sisters." 

David has been to Le Puy and the Centre two other times. He came to the Two Trinities program because he wanted to study more of Fr. Medaille's writings and to study the Eucharistic Letter. He had taken Sr. Rosemary O'Toole's online course on Fr. Medaille as well.

 
Sr. Ires of Brazil asked for a penance for inadvertently breaking the toilet paper holder. She was a principal of a school for 50 years in southern Brazil.








The Two Trinities program was full of numbers, too. 

9 participants including:
     - 4 Indians
     - 2 Brazilians + 1 Brazilian translator
     - 1 Bolivian
     - 1 Madagascaran 
     - 1 French translator
     - 1 American from Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 km from Madagascar where they speak 18 languages.

• Linda Buck's first time as a presenter at the Centre
• 5 days of rain and one day of sunshine
• 6 days of programming
• 4 days of a train strike 
• 2 loads of dishes per day
• 4 trips to the Super U to buy yogurt
• 4 kilos of coffee consumed
• 8 litres of milk consumed

Visiting the Kitchen is always done in a rush in order to be there between 1:30-3 p.m. (It's part of an agreement we have with the nursing home there.) This group ate its meal in 30 minutes and did the dishes in 10 minutes. They climbed up the hill to the Kitchen in 15 minutes. This has got to be a world record! It also shows the seriousness of the group.

The Kitchen and Living History Centre
Fortunately, on the day the participants went to the Kitchen and Living History Centre, the rain slowed down enough not to make their walk unbearable.

"Standing in the Kitchen reminded me of standing on the shoulders of our foremothers where they nourished themselves physically and spiritually," said Nidhi of India, "and led me on the road of their lives."

"It was very meaningful to me," said Renata of Brazil. "It was very touching to be on the ground where our first sisters were.  Coming there so many years later was emotional for me knowing that the first sisters were present there, living there. It was holy ground for us."

"When I saw all the things there, I thought the sisters were living there very simply," said Christine of Madagascar. "And that they were really living our charism. They were living their poverty but in a joyful way; they were not sad. Also, the sisters were self-sustainable because they worked outside in order to provide for themselves. The sisters were living and working as well."

Sr. Vimala of India examines original documents in the Living History Centre

Sr. Ieda, who served as translator for Portuguese, and Sr. Linda Buck, presenter, read about some of the history of the twentieth century.

Sister Ditty of India who has served in Ghana for the past 11 years

Sisters Ires and Renata of Brazil

Sr. Linda Buck was the presenter for this program. She is a Sister of St. Joseph of Orange (CA) in the USA where she currently serves in the ministry of Initial Formation and is a psychotherapist and spiritual director. She is a frequent presenter in the areas of theology, spirituality and psychology.

The two translators for the program included Sr. Ieda Tomazini (left) and Sr. Simone Saugues (right). Sr. Ieda is a sister from Brazil who serves on the Chambéry Congregation's General Counsel in Rome and is also the Centre's Board president. Sr. Simone has been with the Centre as a translator since its beginning 15 years ago this month. She is a sister with the Institut.

 
The Two Trinities program examined the relationality between and among the Uncreated and Created Trinities–as an expression of Divine mystery, providence and plan–calls all to a radical response. The two trinities is the prophetic nature of the spirituality of the Sisters of St. Joseph, which calls us to move relationally into the world, with the dear neighbor without distinction.



Participants explored the prophetic nature of our call in the world today and learned how the dynamic love as expressed by the Two Trinities is a model of our call toward relationality in our wounded world. It is in this openness to relationship that we incarnate Triune Love and participate in the process of bringing God alive in the world. 

The week-long experience offered a rhythm of input sessions, interactive participation, reflection, as well as an orientation to the city of Le Puy and a visit to the Kitchen and Living History Museum.

Congregation of St Joseph Makes Annual Pilgrimage

The Congregation of St Joseph pilgrimage group led by Sr Carol Crepeau came to the International Centre on Wednesday, October 2-8. There were 15 pilgrims.

They arrived after 12 hours of flying over the ocean (with 90 minutes of delay before departure and two hours of turbulence), running to their connection in Paris, and being picked up by bus in Lyon en route to the Centre. Then 50 yards from the Centre, a huge semi-truck delivering goods to the Super U warehouse blocked their passage for 10 minutes. This truly made their arrival all the more sweet.
 

Eluiza greets Carol Crepeau

After settling in, the group came to the dining room for a meal of roast beef and then they all were in bed sound asleep by 8:30. The next day they started out with breakfast at 7:30 and then hit the streets by 9 a.m. for a walking tour of the city. No softies in this group of Midwesterners (and one Californian)!

The Joseph Table
One of the highlights of the pilgrimage was the Joseph Table. In times of old, people would bring food to share with the poor and dedicate it to St. Joseph. The pilgrims went shopping at the Saturday market in Le Puy and brought home some delicious vitals to share with one another. (Oh yes, staff had the time off during preparation, service, and clean-up of the meal!)

Prep work was only a bit chaotic this year as 16 people scurried among each other in a small kitchen and the dining room. It took intense concentration to the task--and a bit of fun--to prepare each dish, which were all delicious!

It amazingly only took an hour to prepare the meal and each person or team presented their dish with great pride and excitement.

The group prayed over the meal and dug into it with great enjoyment. And like Jesus who fed a crowd of 5,000 with two small fish and some bread, there was enough for seconds--and leftovers, too.

The Kitchen

Carol explained the features of the Kitchen and ways in which the early sisters lived in the mid-17th century.

She demonstrated how the sisters made lace at night by candlelight to help support themselves and their ministries by day.





 The pilgrims prayed for the early sisters and their legacy. They then gathered around--and inside--the fireplace for a group photo.

On Tuesday, October 8, the group headed onward toward Lyon to visit the Living History Centre of the Lyon Congregation, Mother St. John Fontbonne's gravesite, and Fourvière.

The pilgrims enjoyed their time in Le Puy, and they were inspired to have walked the steps of our founders. Here are some of their reflections.

Six women and a thread woven
Across the cobblestones
Up and down the hills
Across the crooked bridge
To the hearth of the fireplace
Around the Tree of Martyrs
To catch 15 of us
And weave us into the story of 
Six women and a thread.
                       Linda, CSJ Associate

Le Puy, a journey of a life time
We traveled through centuries to once again
Be One.
With a grateful heart, 
I am once again blessed.
                       Diane

"I'm delighted to experience the wonderful hospitality of the International Centre and also the positive interactions we've had from the people of France, especially when I got lost and my 'new friend,' Marie, drove me back to the Centre.
                        Joannie K 

Our feet on the same cobblestones
Our prayer in the same church
Our hearts full of the same love
Our past laced together with the present
"We are all one."
                       Frankie

Standing at the tree where our sisters were martyred--and praying for my own courage to stand up for injustice.
                       Mary

Mission Effectiveness Scores Another Success!!

This year’s Mission Effectiveness group had more men, more French people, and more Canadians than in previous years. However, each participant’s commitment to carry on the mission and charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph was as intense as past groups. Sr. Dolores Clerico (Philadelphia—USA) has given this program over the past 13 years, and she continues to marvel at the quality and seriousness of the lay people who come to the program.

Sr. Dolores

"Each year I come away from the Mission Effectiveness experience hopeful, grateful and energized, said Sr. Dolores. “The commitment to live and work in ways that are unifying is so much bigger than the sisters. What a privilege it is for me to witness how God is moving in the hearts of our friends and colleagues around the world!"

 
Group discussions were lively and profound as participants shared their thoughts and reflections on their part in the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph. 

Luna (India) and Lisa (USA)

Taking time to write about their understanding of the mission is a common exercise in the program. The value of sharing with people from different countries provides a quality of experience that expands each participant's horizons.
 

Suganya (India) and Alison (USA)

Sr. Simone meets with Sr. Anne (USA-Peru) and Monique and Bernard (France) in one session.











The Canadians all worked for the same health care system, Catholic Health Care Sponsors of Ontario, and knew each others' names, but they hadn't met until they came to Le Puy. Jean Phillippe and Alain of France (third and fourth from right) joined the Canadians (Donna, Ben on left with John on right) for this session.

The Mission Effectiveness program offers a pilgrimage for lay partners in mission and provides an immersion experience into the original spirit and global dimension of the charism and spiritual tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph. It invites people who are associated with the ministries founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph as administrators, staff persons, board members, and supporters. It will be offered again in 2020.

The week had been an intense and powerful experience and the sharings were honest, sincere, and heart-felt. Participants were largely confirmed in their own work as they realized they were a part of the legacy of the Sisters of St. Joseph. They were clearly determined to continue the mission of the sisters. 

For the closing ritual, each person was invited to light a candle signifying their presence and then to touch the water, a sign of the presence of God. They then expressed their commitment to being one with God and others in expanding unity in our world. 

Good-byes are always difficult after such a warm and loving week together. However, participants made new friends, new memories, and new commitments to their own lives and missions as associates, friends, and supporters of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

 
Jeffrey and Sr. Anne rode together to the Lyon airport. The early risers began their journeys home at 5:30 a.m.



 




John spent 3 days on the Camino. He started out at 6:30 a.m. to make it in time for the Cathedral Mass for pilgrims at 7 a.m. While this was a "test-run," he plans to walk the entire 900-mile Camino very soon.

The Lace Is Not Yet Finished

Eight sisters from three continents gathered at the International Centre to spend a week together for the program, "The Lace Is Not Yet Finished." Sr. Jane DeLisle was the presenter. Sr. Elisabete Reis of Brazil and Sr. Simone Saugues of France were the translators for Portuguese and French, respectively.

"We have been swimming in the deep end of the charism this week just by telling the stories," said Sr. Jane who pointed out that the sisters have heard the stories of the original six sisters, Father Medaille, Mother St. John Fontbonne, and others. Now it is the sisters' turn to share their stories with new members, vocations, people they work with every day.

"Our charism is one of relationship," said Sr. Jane. 

The group started out this relationship by introducing themselves and getting to know one another. After climbing St. Michel, they prayed together and looked all around them at the volcanic activity that created the landscape. They began to understand how the charism started as an explosion of life in Le Puy--and spread throughout the world. They learned how the charism was planted by Fr. Medaille and the founding sisters, which began through the Holy Spirit. 

"We've been given a mystical spirit and need to be women of prayer or none of this makes any sense," continued Sr. Jane. 

Being in the streets of Le Puy, said Sr. Jane, the same streets that our early sisters walked allowed the participants to bring their hearts to the experience of touching the ground, breathing the air, learning the stories in person. As a result, she invited them to write letters to the first sisters to help this experience of place come alive.

Being in the Kitchen was particularly moving. Being in that small space where the early sisters lived helped us to understand their simplicity, poverty, and prayer with each other, said Sr. Jane. 

"It was the place where they warmed up one another, made sacrifice as a way of life that they shared and lived together. It is now a place where we see ourselves in them through our relationship with them--and through our own relationships in our own homes. It is all about love, conviction, feeling of relationship with sisters. This is pure gift."

The group went to places particular to Mother St. John Fontbonne: Lyon, Bas-en-Basset, Monistrol, the gravesite. 

"We are tied to someone who lost everything and yet had the courage and grace to build it up again by creating new houses," said Sr. Jane. 

She pointed out that we live in communion so that all may be one. That means that we are called to inclusive, all-embracing, self-emptying love.  

"Our common language is the charism. With our love, we understand each other and consequently, have a connection with Sisters of St. Joseph from all over the world.

Participants' comments

"I thank God that I got a chance to come to France and visit Le Puy and our foundresses places. I like the place, Le Puy. It is very holy, very calm, and it has a quiet, prayerful atmosphere. I liked the Centre because at least we have one in Le Puy to keep these kinds of programs."  Sr. Anita, India

"Un petit mot qui dit tout ce que m'habite c'est le simple mercis...et juste un encouragement aux personnes de la maison que le seigneur __ tout puissant nous donne son amour, les grâce ___ vous avez besoins et le goût d'être ensemble et de revivre ensemble. Merci, merci infiniment merci."  Sr. Marie, Burkina Faso

"I was deeply touched and moved by the bare Kitchen where the six sisters gathered around the hearth for prayer, sharing and with zeal responded to God's call by reaching out to the dear neighbor."
Sr. Francis Xavier, India

My deep experience is love for the founder and foundresses and love for the congregation. Union with God and each sister in the congregation of St. Joseph. And the sacred thread which binds us together. I was touched by the life of our first sisters. Their lives brought me very close to each other. I loved the Centre and Le Puy. These were amazing experiences. And the visiting of the holy places gave me the boost for my prayer life. Thank you for this opportunity.  Sr. Felisita, India