Transforming Spirit of God, Come!
You who pray in us, through us, with us, for us, and in spite of us. Come!
Kindling Spirit, Come! Inflame our waiting hearts.
Shine your light into the places of deepest darkness and uncertainty
in our fragile world.
Anointing Spirit, Come! Great Compassion and Softener of our Spirit,
Be the common ground on which we walk,
Be the common heart from which we talk
Be the common breath that heals, restores and blesses.
Transforming Spirit, Indwelling Presence, Come!
Fire of Life and Love, awaken in us the possibility for new life,
new vision and renewed energy.
We thank you for your sustaining love that enables life
To be created each day.
Transforming Spirit, Fire from within,
Bring the power of transformation into our lives.
When our spirits sag and our lives crumble,
Be comfort and strength, warmth and healing.
Penetrate deep within us.
Transforming Spirit of Pentecost, You are our deepest hope.
Blow us inside out with your mighty wind
Make us blaze with your power
Come, change us, transform your world. Amen
Prayer from:Whispers of the Spirit – Pentecost 2011
Photo: SSpS’ Mother House’s Church
One Sunday, it was on the 10th April 2011, we, the sisters of Kemerovo community were very happy to welcome ten girls from our parish to our house. They came to our house in response to our invitation for a special gathering, a gathering only for girls and sisters.
There were three reasons why we invited them;
Firstly, there are two girls who have told us that they have felt a wish to enter our Congregation. So we wanted to give them a way to get to know about us through this meeting. For God nothing is impossible; who knows? Maybe through this gathering there will be more girls who want to become nuns.
The second reason was that we noticed some distance between them. Through the theme, dynamics and prayers which we presented to them, we wanted to help them realise how important working together and helping each other are.
The third thought was to help them prepare for Easter. For some girls, this Easter would be their first Easter. Starting from this background, we planned three activities.
We began by introducing each other. On that occasion we asked them to choose one person to share with. Each pair found a place to talk. During that time they shared about who they are. After 20 minutes they gathered again in the big group (in our living room), and each one shared about the other person with whom they had been talking. What interested was that they also spoke about the first time they came to know the Catholic faith and decided to become members of our parish.
The second part of the activity was a game. Each of them was asked to write down something good about themselves on a plain piece of paper. Next step, as a group they had to cross a sea. Those papers would help them to do it, but there was a crocodile in the sea. If they put a paper on the “water” and no feet on the top of it, then the crocodile would take it. The papers that would help them to cross the sea become less. They needed to talk to each other about how they would do the task. With that game we hoped that these young girls would learn how to work as a team.
We ended the gathering with a final prayer in our chapel. The girls and sisters sat in a circle and Sr. Agata led us in a reflection of the scripture text John 17: 21, “May they all be one as you Father are in me and I am in you. May they be one in us; so the world may believe that you have sent me.” To help us in that reflection, Sr. Natalia had prepared 13 rolls of paper which contained the words of the scripture text. It was made in a nice format. She put them in front of tabernacle. Then we were asked to pick one. With instrumental music as background, Sr. Agata read the scripture, after that we read in silence and then said a word or a phrase which touched us. Some of the girls not only said a word, they also shared why it was touching for them. With Sr. Natalia’s good talent for playing the guitar, this gathering became more alive.
There are good signs and comments which we have heard not only from the girls, also from the families. Some of the mothers told us that when they came home, they did not stop talking about the gathering. Moreover, when the girls met us, some of them asked, “When it will happen again?” We hope we can do it again following Pentecost next month. Please help us with your prayers that the girls here will open their hearts to His Calling and be willing to take part in His mission, especially to be members in our Congregation.
Sr. Jose, SSpS
tks to Sr. Jacqueline Mulberge, SSpS for reviewing and correcting the English.
Sister Nisha Joseph of the Holy Spirit Sisters was awarded the Bishop Clemens award for her outstanding contribution to the communication media on March 20.
Navachetana, Bhopal presented her the award for working for empowerment of women through media creations.
Sister Nisha in her documentary films portrays the “feminine face of God”. She gives priority to empowerment of women.
Her first documentary film titled “The Dawn” was released in 2007, to mark the event of the platinum jubilee of, Holy Spirit Sisters (Ssps) arrival in India. The film portrays Ssps missionary activities in India.
The second documentary film named ‘The Footsteps on the Mountain” was released in 2008, portraying the Holy Spirit sisters’ missionary endeavors in the North Eastern parts of India.
She produced many documentaries in collaboration with Ishvani Kendra, Pune.
The documentaries included “Touched by God’s Love” on the victims of HIV- AIDS, “A struggle for survival” on quarry workers demands for basic rights and “Daring Women”- on how empowered women can transform the society.
The latest documentary named Prerana deals with the indomitable spirit of a 21-year-old girl born with cerebral palsy.
In order to promote inter-religious harmony, the sister released a DVD song album titled “Abba” in 2009.
Sister Nisha conducts seminars and workshops mainly on media-related topics for educationalists, formators, youth and students.
She is a member of the National Communications Resource Team and the joint secretary of the Regional Communication Commission (M.P., CG)
Presently she is engaged in bringing out an audio-CD addressing the current issues like global warming, girl child, nature …and three other documentaries namely The Potter and the adolescents, Five Senses, and The Magnificient Woman.
By Sister Rosina ssps
Source: www.religiousindia.org, published in 30 March 2011
Implementing “Being Authentic Witness”, the Junior SSpS of Yogyakarta district embrace the transgender group as friends and relatives.
Our relationship with this group started from the frequent meeting and greeting on the way to campus and our concern for the fact that they are being marginalized and regarded negatively by the surrounding society.
In the beginning we were also afraid to deal with them but our sincere intention encouraged us to go to the streets and look for them, to invite them to have lunch in our community, to initiate a relationship. Several times we tried in the morning, afternoon, even at night and couldn’t find them in the places where they used to “ngamen” (sing and ask for money). We learned that many of them had to escape out to neighboring towns to avoid the City Guards. Some of them were arrested and others had to be taken to the hospital because of the violent actions of the Guards. That’s why they reduced their activities of “ngamen” on the streets, usually at cross-roads with traffic lights.
We had no luck until once, by chance, two junior sisters met two of them at their “ngamen”. They were so happy when we greeted them and they invited us to be present at the National Independence Day celebration in a Public Hall, since they were asked to sing on the show. Of course we welcomed the invitation happily and attended along with them.
They seemed happy to see us come and they greeted us in a friendly manner. At that event we met and had a conversation with Rully, the coordinator of Ebeneizer Transgender community with around 10 transgender members. Miss Rully is also a member of the Kebaya (= Keluarga Besar Waria Yogyakarta, which means Yogyakarta Transgender Extended Family) led by Mama Vin. As a researcher and formator, Ms. Rully also teaches children in the jungles of Papua, in cooperation with friends from Gajah Mada University. In Kebaya Rully and other transgender friends are also conducting ODA (ODA =Orang Dengan AIDS/HIV, meaning People With HIV / AIDS) assistance, either among the transgender people, or women and children.
Flag Ceremony
On August 17, 2010, we sisters in the community of Yogyakarta and our transgender friends celebrated our National Independence Day. We held a flag-ceremony and some games such as fashion show, a “krupuk eating” competition, singing competition etc. and closed with lunch together. Our transgender friends, represented by Ms. Rully, expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the hospitality and openness of the sisters, and hoped that the togetherness and friendship would be continued in the future. From our sisters, Sr. Sanctisima, the activity coordinator, and Sr. M. Christina, the community leader, expressed our joy and thanks for their coming and participation. The community always welcomes their presence and will happily include them in the next activities.
Fashion Show
Our friendship and togetherness became stronger when we visited one of their members who was sick and also went for prayer for the death of their member. We were touched when they came to greet us at Christmas, and we shared some food such as rice, sugar, etc.
We embrace our transgender friends, we want to be their friends, so we can show them that a transgender person is a human being like us, not an object of abuse. Our dream is that the transgender people can be accepted by society as part of them.
Junior Sisters in Biara Roh Suci, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Thank you to Sr. Jacqueline Mulberge, SSpS for reviewing and correcting the English.
SSpS Provincial House in Bolivia before the landslide.
Dear Sisters,
I share with you another article wrote by a SVD missiologist from New Zeland who was passing few days in Bolivia just when the landslide took place in La Paz.
Ma Cristina, SSpS
Rome, 6 March 2011
If you had to leave your home and were allowed to take only five items with you – what would you take? That is a question from a game about choosing priorities. Recently the game became a reality. I was visiting Bolivia with the intention of learning more about indigenous theologies and also to visit Fr Dennis Nyaura SVD, a missionary from Papua New Guinea. I was with Fr Dennis in Cochabamba when a telephone message came through that there was a landslide in the city of La Paz and that our SVD confreres there had been told they might have to evacuate their house in the barrio of Callapa for fear that landslide would engulf the whole area. That is shocking news in itself, but what added to my concern was the fact that my computer containing all my research work, along with important documents such as my passport were in that house. Jesus told his disciples to travel without a second tunic. I doubt if he had to consider the importance of passports for his disciples.
That Saturday night the Divine Word missionaries and Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit in the barrio of Callapa received phone calls from families in a nearby barrio asking for help. The families had received news of an immanent landslide and the municipal authorities were demanding that they leave immediately. Fr Savio Nedupillil tells how he and Brother Josimar Ferreira went to help. “We went to Kupini and found people in that neighborhood desperately trying to remove their valuables. The police were insisting that they leave quickly. Once we heard of the situation we too tried to convince them to leave. Human life is much more important than belongings. We were tying to console them, but at that stage we thought that our house much further down would be safe. The sisters also went to help. The sisters were having a meeting with their Congregational leader Sr. Maria Theresa and there were 15 sisters there at the time doubling the normal number in the house. Nevertheless they invited the evacuated families to come and sleep at the sister’s house.
Sister Odette tells of her shock when they opened the door on Sunday morning and saw huge cracks opening up around their house. “People warned us that it would get worse, so we took what we could carry and walked in the heavy rain to the relative safety of the other side of the river. We were shocked when the rear portion of our house crumpled and the police told us that it was too dangerous to salvage all our things as the house could totally collapse.”
Meanwhile, Brother Josimar and Fr Savio were at the nearby SVD house recovering what they could. Fr Piotr Nawrot SVD was trying to save his library. “I have a valuable library of books and a unique collection of indigenous music. As the cracks in the house started to get bigger I set up a tarpaulin outside under some trees and started trying to move my whole library of over a thousand volumes. It was a huge task, especially in the heavy rain. Two Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit came to help me – Sr Acha and Sr Carolina. The authorities would not allow them to enter their own house, so they kindly came to help me. It is a thought-provoking experience trying to decide what is most valuable. Here I was evacuating my library – the work of over 30 years research in Musicology. But then there was our chapel. I placed the blessed sacrament under the tarpaulin with my books and had to decide what else from our chapel should be saved. Here we were along with thousands of other people – like ants carrying what we could to safety as the cracks in the ground developed into crevasses.” On Sunday afternoon the cement bridge allowing people to cross the flooded river collapsed making the salvage task even more difficult.
It was a particularly sad time for the sisters because some sisters were involved in pastoral work in the communities and had got close to the people. Many live very simple lives surviving from one day to the next. That was one of the reasons why the sisters decided to live in the Callapa bario. Now the communities were being dispersed and the poor surviving in temporary shelters. Sr. Odette tells how, “on the road as we left I was moved by the way people would ask for an address or a telephone number so that they could keep in touch.”
Despite the sadness and the difficulties it has been an extraordinary time. So many people offered to help. Sr Odette says that she experienced God in the expressions of care and solidarity shown by so many people during the evacuation time. The desperate situation revealed the goodness of many people. Fr Nawrot tells how the local authorities did an excellent job mobilizing the police, armed forces, civil defense and municipal workers. “We gave our valuables into their hands and they carried them over a kilometer across the river to where we could bring transportation on the other side. Nothing we gave them went missing.” Even high-ranking officers such as a Colonel would shoulder heavy items and carry them to safety.
This is not the first time that there has been landslide in La Paz, a city of over a million people perched in canyons at 3,640 meters (11,900 ft). Nearby El Alto also with over a million people is even higher. Aircraft have to land at twice the normal speed there because of the thin air at such an altitude. This has been one of the biggest landslides ever, affecting over 1,500 homes and 5,000 people.
Archbishop Edmundo Abastaflor came on Friday along with the Nuncio and Bishop Oscar Aparicio to celebrate mass near the neighborhood. He spoke about how God through Jesus shares in our suffering. From our ruined SVD house we brought a statue of the Blessed Mother – the Virgin of Copacabana – patroness of Bolivia. We placed the statue in front of the makeshift altar at the gates of a mental health institution. Pointing to the statue the Archbishop noted how Mary had lost her house too and that she and her Son were with us at that time of suffering. Most people in Bolivia are Catholic. The fact that we did not take the statue of the Virgin of Copacabana away, but left her there overlooking the scene brought consolation to many people. Many cures and miracles have been attributed to the Virgin of Copacabana, perhaps the greatest, that of the faith of Francisco Yupanqui who carved the original statue over 400 years ago, and the faith of the millions of indigenous people who came after him. I am sure it is a miracle that no one was killed in this huge landslide that left 5,000 people homeless.
Now many people are camped with some of their possessions and are being cared for by church groups and the armed forces. The government is providing immediate help and has promised financial relief in the future.
Fr Wigner Cando SVD who came from Cochabamba to assist tells of his feelings of sadness, but also a strong sense of solidarity. There is a popular story in La Paz about a spirit woman in the guise of a very ugly person who came to Callapa several years ago asking for accommodation. People turned her away. So, as the story goes, she cursed them, saying that one-day they too would be begging for accommodation. The popular story stresses the importance of helping others in need. Jesus had a similar message when he said that if we give a cup of water in his name, we give it to him. Some people no doubt remember the story of the spirit woman, but I am sure that the care and concern for one another in these days has come from Christian faith and a sense of basic human concern. The word from many people about their experience is that of “solidarity”.
There are other countries where looting and chaos would take over in such a situation. This did not happen in La Paz. Despite the terrible loss in material terms people have demonstrated heroic solidarity. Through the experience I have been privileged to gather new insights into local theologies and have also had time to consider my sense of priorities. My SVD brothers saved my computer and my passport and I leave Bolivia deeply impressed with the way people have cared for and supported one another during this time of natural disaster.
This is the message accompanied the pictures, sent by Sr. Maria Cristina, SSpS, General Councilor:
Dear Sisters,
Here few pictures from BOLIVIA sent by the SVDs.
Sister Odete mentioned that they tried during the pass days to bring out of the house all what they could with the help of many people especially SVDs, military groups and volunteers…
The destruction was terrible and paradoxically we have this Sunday Gospel reading connected with these facts!
MC Rome, March 5, 2011
I have been in Ireland for two years. The first year I studied English in College and attended a course entitled “The Growth for Ministry” in Dalgan Park. I was involved in Mission Appeals in different parts of Ireland. I also visited our neighbours and helped some of them with their gardening.
Since September 2010 I have been working as a volunteer in the Capuchin Day Centre for homeless people in Dublin.
I like to take this opportunity to thank Sr.Carmen Lee as well as Sr.Renata Sistemich for introducing me to this work.
I am deeply grateful for this and find this work very rewarding and fulfilling.
The Capuchin Day Centre was founded by Brother Kevin Crowley in 1969 and he is still the director of the Centre.
As many as 500 people are served with breakfast and dinner on a daily basis. Once a week about 1000 people receive a free bag of groceries.
The services of the centre have grown over the years but particularly over the past two years due to the recession in Ireland. Other services provided are: facilities for showers and medical services. I work there five days a week. I find working in the Centre rewarding because it brings me in contact with the poorest of the poor. This gives me an opportunity to relate in different ways with people from many nationalities (over 40). Many coming to the Centre are from Eastern Europe. It appears that all relate very easily to me because I am a sister. Men, women and families attend the centre.
My main work is in the dining-room. However, when the need arises I am available to help with the serving of food, pouring tea, washing up and anything I can do. When I am doing this work I am reminded of our Blessed Mothers Maria and Josepha who were involved in this kind of service. What I realise is that these homeless people need more than food, they need a listening ear. I am also called on to translate for those from Eastern Europe when they visit the doctor in the centre. I am here to listen to them and to help them in any way I can especially to encourage them.
From them I get energy for my daily life. I learnt a lot from them and receive more than I give.
More information about Day Centre: www.homeless.ie
Founded by an East Nusa Tenggara nun, the Woman and Child Care Forum (FPPA) in Atambua, eastern Indonesia, has served a thousand women and children in its 10-year history.
Sister Sisilia Anak Agung from the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) established the forum on Aug. 3, 2000 after witnessing the condition of women and children living in refugee camps following the 1999 referendum in East Timor.
After the independence of East Timor (now Timor Leste) those who sided with Indonesia were forced to flee to the border area of Belu district where they lived in refugee camps.
“Armed conflicts caused physical and psychological trauma. This turned women’s bodies into targets of physical violence committed by men,” the nun recalled.
The forum now works with local NGOs including Rumah Perempuan (House of Women) and the Work Network for Women in Eastern Indonesia as well as international organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Taking as its mission the creation of a peaceful world without violence, it promotes the rights of women and children and empowers them through a variety of programs.
These programs include organizing seminars and workshops, providing counseling, and publishing brochures and pamphlets on human rights, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS and other issues.
Forty women, mostly from refugee camps, attended a Jan. 6-7 program which introduced ways to prevent women trafficking.
“In 2010 we handled 68 cases,” Sister Agung told ucanews.com. “Many of these involved domestic violence, rape and persecution.”
The forum currently works closely with a variety of women including illiterates, widows, villagers, businesswomen, former refugees, street vendors and prostitutes.
It also serves victims of human trafficking and violence as well as street children.
By Fransiskus P. Seran, Atambua Source: www.ucanews.com
Published: 14.01.2011
At present in St. Kitts, there are three sisters. We are all new. Sr. Graciela Castro has lived here the longest, for 18 months, Sr. Margaret Kissani, eight months and Sr. Uloma Akpa, two months. Because we are new there are more discoveries and journeys we have to make together.
The reality of St. Kitts calls us to try to live the Gospel of Christ in our own lives. It gives us the opportunity to experience and share the love of the Triune God through and with the women, students, poor, prisoners, marginalized, sick, street people, elderly and our parishioners. As individuals we bring our different gifts. Sr. Graciela is teaching in the Immaculate Conception Catholic School in St. John Basseterre and coordinates the Catechism classes in the parish in Molineux. Below is Sr. Graciela’s reflection of her ministry in the school.
“In September 2010, the two centennial schools, St. Theresa, the Convent School, and St. Joseph, the Roman School, were combined into one under the name of Immaculate Conception Catholic School. The new ICCS brought hope and challenges. Most of the staff members were used to the past system established by local people and find it hard to accept a new system which is being formed by an American point of view. There is hope for a good and competent formation for the students, but there is still resistance among some of the members of the staff. I strongly believe that changes are necessary for learning, growing and transforming realities where new life and hope may flourish.”
Sr. Uloma is actively involved in the soup kitchen in Basseterre serving the poor, street people and the marginalized. She has also teamed up with some Catholic women who go to the prison for visits once every month. Here Sr. Uloma shares her experience: “At the soup
kitchen God calls each person in a specific way. According to my capabilities, talents and gifts, He has placed me where I will be able to be
fulfilled as a person and reach out to the most in need. St. Kitts is the place where in my heart I feel at one with the people, especially in the soup kitchen. I serve them all according to their individual needs. Some need food, others need clothing. Some need a bath, while others just need me to be there to listen to their stories. I share their joy and pain and also encourage them. There are times we pray together. I experience the good relationship of trust. It is this kinship and relationship-building that lead me to treasure and value each new day as I wake up.
Also, I visit prisoners once a month. There we read the word of God in the Scriptures and share. They have beautiful insights. Each day
my heart begins to grow heavy with the desire to serve more. What I have learned is to be in solidarity with the people in St. Kitts. I learned that social justice encompasses more than just creating more meetings and conferences. It means to be among the people, aiding them, giving them your time, sharing your talents, your friendship, etc. I would like to
quote from Blessed Mother Teresa, “One can help the world by helping one person at a time.” So my dear sisters, I do not just like what I do, I love what I am doing.”
Source: Newsletter of the Province of USA, December 2010
video : http://www.ssps-usa.org/
Feeding local people in crisis – Restoring dignity – reviving hope
These are the key words the newly opened foodbank in Farnham uses in the leaflet which has been distributed to churches and other charity institutions.
The following information is given in the same leaflet:
People in Farnham are going hungry today…
Surrey’s appearance as a wealthy county is deceptive. Throughout there are pockets of deprivation with high levels of child poverty, low income, poor mental health and other significant problems1. Farnham itself has a number of areas of deprivation, including one of the most deprived areas in Surrey.2
However, financial crisis can affect anyone, often with little or no warning. Farnham has been hard hit by the recession, and many have faced redundancy or reduced income. When you have no financial safety net, a sudden crisis such as illness, bereavement, redundancy, family break up or benefit delay can leave you unable to feed yourself or your family. Such situations can quickly deteriorate, leading to relationship breakdown, house repossession or worse. Farnham foodbank works to support people who find themselves on the edge of disaster.
1 Hidden Report by Dr Helen Bowcock 2009 2 Government Indices of Deprivation 2007
