We are Thankful ~ Part 2
SSND sisters and associates are thankful for the blessings in their lives. How do they “pay that forward”? Many participate in service projects through their parishes, ministries, local communities or on their own.
Here are just a couple stories of services to others. More will be posted in the next few weeks!
Sisters Pat Bauer and Pat Dooley facilitate spirituality groups for the homeless at St. Patrick’s Center in St. Louis. Mo. The group members participate in prayer and faith sharing. At each meeting a topic is presented, which gives rise to honest, open, real and inspiring stories. “The wisdom of the homeless is transforming” is a feeling shared by both sisters. Sisters Pat and Pat often find themselves amazed at how God shows up in the midst of utter chaos to support, comfort and show the way. “We never leave a group or retreat weekend without feeling deeply blessed,” they shared. “In every gathering, new ways of perceiving reality and living in God’s love emerges. All seem to move from the meeting with greater trust and hope.”
Sisters Barb Linke and Deb Sciano, as members of Saints Peters and Paul Parish in Milwaukee, Wis., are graced to be regular participants in several parish outreach programs. They volunteer on a monthly basis at the Riverwest Food Pantry, a collaborative effort of several parishes on Milwaukee’s Eastside. They also prepare food for elderly or ill parishioners as part of the parish’s meal ministry program. As members of the parish adult choir, they help provide music, which creates prayerful worship settings for liturgies and other celebrations. They both agree, “We are, indeed, enriched and blessed as we participate in this vibrant parish community!”
The associates of Northwest Indiana are blessed to gather regularly for prayer, sharing, laughter and service. As a group of associates and sisters, they have an outreach to some of the residents of Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, Ind. For the past eight years, Associate Lynda Bodie has met on Sundays with men interested in becoming Catholic through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process. For the last two years, Lynda has invited the others in the group to send cards to the prisoners at Easter. Some have continued this outreach as pen pals. In a recent letter to Associate Barbara Badanish, a prisoner named Raymond wrote: “For many of us, you give us a sense of acceptance and of value.”
Sisters Jean Blake and Marie Jo Lazzeri minister at St. Dominic School in New Orleans, La. For years their school has focused on helping poor children of the world through collections of mission money. They have sent thousands of dollars to charities, including an SSND Province of Africa scholarship program. Along with their 7th grade SIGN (Service in God's Name) Club, they have cooked and served a monthly meal at a homeless center with the Presentation Sisters. “Our school lost everything during Hurricane Katrina, yet we, as a faculty, took a day to go to a home in our area that was hit in a follow-up hurricane to help them clean up and rebuild their home,” Sister Marie Jo said. “Throughout the year, we collect money, gather clothes, reach out to those in need. We were blessed by many after Hurricane Katrina, which has deepened our call to ‘pay it forward.’”
How do you help others? How do you pay it forward?
>>Link to We are Thankful ~ Part 1
>>Link to We are Thankful ~ Part 3
>>Link to We are Thankful ~ Part 4
Photo credit: Linda Behrens