You Couldn't Tell the Story of Rochester Without Talking About the Sisters of St Joseph

Srs. Ginny, Elaine and Mary Ann White

The title of this article is what Sr. Kit Gray from Orange, California had to say after the group of us in town for the Leadership Assembly Planning Committee toured some of the important works of the Sisters of St Joseph.  I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to a few of those works.

Sr. Eileen, General Council and Srs
.Lorraine and Donna who staff the house

We began our tour at the Sisters of St Joseph Volunteer Corp community house.  For over 17 years, sisters have formed the core of the intentional community, that opens its doors to volunteers who want to help the underserved in Rochester.  Some volunteers live at the community for a year at a time, others volunteer for a weekend or a week, doing the things that need to be done.  Volunteers share in the "State of the Heart and the Order of the House" on a weekly basis.  They practice non-violent communication.  Sr. Donna Del Santo, the Director of the program emphasizes the importance of Catholic Social Teachings, as illustrated in this T-shirt that volunteers receive.  The Rochester sisters are very involved in this work, bringing by a salad or an entrée for a volunteer group and staying for dinner and enjoying their company.  As Sr. Donna says, "If we want to have a future, we have to have our doors open."


Our next stop on the tour was St Joseph's Neighborhood Center which provides comprehensive health care, counseling, adult education and social work to individuals and families who lack access to health insurance. Established in 1993 as a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Center is committed to raising the health status and quality of life of individuals and families. To learn more about this center visit their webpage at http://www.sjncenter.org/. 
I want to share with you what one

Sr. Donna and Alyson
 

of the St Joseph Volunteer Corp members had to say about her volunteer experience.  Alyson Mullie shared, "I love it, it is so unique.  There is no other place like this in the country.  People congregate and talk.  They care about your life.  It is a place to learn about being the best social worker.  It has helped me in my growth process."

St Joseph's sees over 1,500 patients in a year, many with multiple visits.  They rely on over 250 volunteers to achieve their goal of serving the uninsured.

Jake helps out with the prescription
program and taught a class for 5th graders

Another volunteer at the site is Jake.  Jake will begin medical school in the fall so certainly everything he has absorbed at the center will help him in his future endeavors.  A funny story is that when Jake went for his medical school interview, they asked him what he did for fun.  His response, "I live in a convent." (a reference to the volunteer community house.

Then it was off to the Bethany House Catholic Worker, with whom the Sisters of St Joseph collaborate.  They have four live-in volunteer staff and 10 bedrooms for staff.  Lots of SSJs volunteer at Bethany. 

Sr. Jean with her "Princess"

The following day, I continued the tour alone, as the committee having finished its work returned home.  I went to Morning Star where I met a licensed foster parent, who is also a Rochester sister.  Srs Jean and Liz share their home with 3 children with disabilities and one adult with disabilitites. For over 25 years, Srs. Jean and Liz have cared for over 85 children.  They remain legal guardian for 3.  Through the years they have taken many hard to place children.  Currently, there residents are medically fragile and complex.  I ran the Medically Fragile Medicaid Waiver in Hawaii for many years and have a true understanding of how challenging as well as rewarding this type of work can be.   It takes a special kind of 

Nap time at Morning Star

dedication to provide this type of "24 hour family" to these special children.  It was so obvious that these children are loved, seen as individuals and provided with the types of stimulation and care that allows them to reach their greatest potential.

Daystar's state of the art building

From there we visited Daystar which was started by a Sister of St Joseph at age 73, which just goes to show that you are never too old to contribute to the mission. They have recently moved into a wonderful new building. 
Daystar for Medically Fragile Children, Inc, is New York State’s first-and-only ­provider of medical day respite services for children up to age five braving serious, and often life-threatening medical and developmental complexities. Daystar’s one-of-a-kind model incorporates expert pediatric nursing and respite care, therapeutic and educational support programming, and parent support and family engagement services. Daystar provides seamless coordination of other required therapies such as physical, speech and vision, working cooperatively with Monroe County’s Early Intervention program and area school districts, and offers music therapy and special education for all clients. Daystar strives to effectively influence the long term impact on the health and quality of life of these children.

When speaking about Daystar and St Joseph's Neighborhood Center, Sr. Eileen Daly commented, "We are involved in these organizations but without the financial responsibility.  They are separately incorporated. Yet they offer us a way to leverage our presence and our impact."

The last place on my tour was the "Smart Camp, " a 3 week program occurring at Nazareth Elementary School.  Founded in 1871, this building has served as an Academy for girls and now as an elementary program for youth aged pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade.  It is a strong
commitment for the Rochester sisters to remain as a powerful presence in what has become an underserved, high crime, poverty area.  Many of the sisters still reside in the convents on the school campus.  65% of the children attending the programs receive subsidized tuition assistance and many attend the before and after programs.  One sister uses the building in the evenings and weekends to provide an arts program for neighborhood children.

So, I think you can see that Sr. Kit Gray was right.  You cannot tell the story of the city of Rochester without noting that the Sisters of St Joseph are making a difference.



Springtime in LePuy

Springtime in LePuy

Very soon the new International Centre website will go live.  One of its exciting features is the ability to export this link to update you that a new "News Story" is available.  So enjoy this preview.

View our three part series on human trafficking by following these links.

Part I:  Kimberly Ritter of Nix Conference and Meeting Management, provides and introduction to human trafficking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek5Igb762_o

Part II:  Katie Rhodes, MSW, a survivor of human trafficking talks about the challenges she has faced as she left "the life" and has moved forward with her life, which includes efforts at trying to help others escape.

http://www.youtube.com/user/USFedSistersStJoseph?feature=guide

Part III:  Sr. Patty Johnson and Anna Sandidge present "Human Trafficking, Imagine What a Difference We Can Make Together."  This webinar presents practical actions that you can take as an individual and ways you can use your spheres of influence to end human slavery.

http://www.anymeeting.com/sistersstjoseph/EE51DB85864B

An Encounter with Our Lady of France

 

 

 

 

I have never really understood Marian devotions, so I am rather surprised by my recent experiences in Le Puy.  I have had the extraordinary opportunity to go in January, February and April for business at the International Center of the Sisters of St. Joseph. There is a huge statue of Mary that is visible from the center. (See International Center newsletter on the website at http://sistersofsaintjosephfederation.org/node/17 ). You can see it from many places around Le Puy and it is attractively lighted in the evening. This recently renovated statue, made from melted down canons, was once the largest statue in the world, quickly eclipsed by the Statue of Liberty. 

I find myself captured and captivated by this statue, which has such great meaning for the town of Le Puy, where the Sisters of St Joseph officially formed and still minister today.  I am entranced by the energy, the presence of the infinite, of God, that I find as I walk the streets of Le Puy.  From standing at the foot of the statue, to touching the dolman stone in the Cathedral of Our Lady, to watching Martene weave lace, to sitting in the Chapel of St Michel, I know that I am walking where hundreds of Sisters of St. Joseph and Jean Pierre Medaille, who convened the first sisters, and many people of faith have walked.

I cannot explain this strange attraction that causes me to feel this sense of community, of communion with believers of the ages, when I see this statue and walk these streets. It is as if I absorb the faith of others.

I went to catch the first rays of sun hitting the statue of Our Lady.  As I came back, I cut through the Cathedral to take a picture from its front steps.  Each day, mass is said to launch pilgrims on their walk along "The Way", the Camino of St James Compostella.  I came as they were being blessed and sent forth.

This has special significance for me because on my next trip, two sisters and I are going to walk a small portion of "The Way" from St Flour, where it is believed that the first community of Sisters of St. Joseph gathered to Le Puy, where we were officially recognized and formed.  Our earliest sisters possibly walked this path, and we three search for that touch with the infinite on that journey.  I am surprised by my new sense of looking forward to this wonderful opportunity.  Originally, for me, it was an opportunity to hike in the French countryside with sisters I really like. Now I sense that it will be much more and will be a real pilgrimmage.

Not Just a Refugee by Bri Mar

Jim Mang, the Justice and Peace Director for the Sisters of St Joseph in Buffalo, New York sent me this poem.  I think it goes well with the new video we are posting today on the US Federation Website entitled "We Are All Immigrants."  The Sisters of St Joseph of Baden worked with 12 other religious communities to create this 30 minute story of migrants to the US.  It is well done and thought provoking. 

Not Just a Refugee by Bri Mar
 

I had to leave my homeland, my children and my wife,
to find a safer place to live and to save my life.
This wasn't taken lightly, so try to be aware,
I only want security and you to show you care.

What you take for granted, we are not allowed,
we must say things quietly, while you can shout out loud.
You can walk for miles on end, without the need for fear,

I just want to do the same and to bring my family here.
 

I miss my wife and children, I know you’d be the same,

Humans need their families, they’re worth much more than fame.
I want to work and pay my way, to be the same as you,
All I ask for in return, is respect from just a few.

I don’t want your handouts, I need to be employed,
that way I'll feel valued, my life can be enjoyed.
You can choose where you go, I've never had that choice,
all I want is liberty and to have a voice.

 You all have a dream in life, to be really wealthy,
where I come from our only dream, is just remaining healthy.
So please don't treat me differently, I do not ask for favors,
I only seek acceptance, that's what a human savors.

 If you were beaten every day, you'd say, ''that can't be right'',
that is why I had to move, I'd lost the will to fight.
If you were told, '' your life is ours and you don't have a say'',
would you not do the same as me, get up and run away.

I did what any human would, I want to stay alive,
while I'm still here there's hope, my family will survive.
Until you get to know me, don't make a song and dance,
try to learn who I am, just give me a chance.

 Before you make a judgment, try to understand,
I come for your democracy, not to steal your land.
You've always fought injustice, a cause you're fighting still,
I was doing just the same, I'd really had my fill.

That is why I moved here, on freedom you're renowned,
help me through to be as you and equality we'll have found.
I do not ask for sympathy, just a friendly ear,
to listen to my troubles and help bring me some cheer.

 If you think for just a moment, I really could be you,
would you accept brutality, if not, what would you do.
If you've listened to all I've told you, you should now clearly see,
First I am a human being, ''Not Just A Refugee''

 

A Visit with Old Friends in Their New House

The Sisters' home last year

One of the side benefits for me as I attended the 200^th Jubilee Celebration of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery in France was that I got to visit with the sisters who welcomed me so warmly last year.  Speaking hardly any French, I enjoyed their company at meals and in the evenings and was toured around important sites to their community history during the day.  For me, it has created an enduring bond.



Bois Joli

As part of the 200^th year celebration, we toured the Bellecombette campus, which contains their skilled nursing facility, assisted living and the new “Bois Joli.”  Of historic interest, on the campus is their Hall of Memories (see 10/23/2012 blog) and the grave of Mary Felicite Veyrat, the superior who sent the first five sisters from Chambery to West Hartford, at the persistent requests of Jane Sedgewick.
 



Antiques from old convent

2nd floor garden out bedrrom window

Needlepoint done by one of the sisters

  

The antiques warm the hallways

The Sisters of the French Province of chambery, facing diminishing numbers, have carefully planned for their decrease.  Both the skilled nursing and the “Bois Joli” were developed jointly with the mayor, to meet anticipated needs in the community when the buildings are no longer needed by the sisters.  Bois Joli, which means Beautiful Woods, is an airy, spacious, modern facility which will easily convert to a retirement apartments or spaces for college students in the future.  It has 26 efficiency apartments.  There is lots of light, big windows and fabulous views of meadows and mountains.


Sr. Marie Pierre

Sr. Marie Pierre Rusch, who toured me through so much of Chambery and the surrounding area, now toured a group of us from the 200^th celebration through the new house.  She described how the building architect’s wife who is also an architect assisted them in planning the decorations for the facility.  She toured their old house and helped them pick out antiques and paintings that could be artistically placed throughout the new building.


Sr. Marie Pierre surrounded by Indian sisters

Sr. Marie Pierre showed us her room.  It was quite touching when the Indian sisters all gathered around her to have their picture taken with their former superior general for whom they obviously had great affection.


Sr. Agnes and me

Sr. Agnes in her huge bedroom

Sr. Agnes's porch

More office space

Sleeping area

When I last visited, I had an extremely limited French vocabulary.  Only a small number of sisters spoke any English.  One who did was Sr. Agnes Moussiere.  She toured me around the house, told me about the process of moving, and  showed me her room.  She said it was the biggest space she has ever had while living in community.  She has a computer area and a work space right in her bedroom.  She showed me her video collection and described how she weekly picks out videos that she thinks will be of interest for the sisters and residents of the nursing facility.

I got a chance to catch up with Sr. Alix who was basking in her fame after being one of the sisters who appeared in the 200^th celebration play, Le Voyage en Valise.  I got the opportunity to greet several of the others.  Although my French is still very limited, I was able to share a few more interchanges than the previous year.

Sr. Rita tells Sr. Alix how much she enjoyed her performance

Dining Room

On a very personal note, it makes me very happy to know that the watercolor that the US Federation gave to celebrate this important event, will be placed at Bois Joli because it was these sisters who gave me such an appreciation for their history and a manifestation of the way they live it out today.

The Hall of Memories

 
On the Bellecombette campus in an old farming building, the history of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chambery is displayed, available for generations to come to share in the rich traditions and charism of the sisters and associates.



Sr. Cristina

Sr. Cristina Gavazzi, of the Italian Province explained the origins of the Hall of Memories. When the decision was made to sell the old Motherhouse where the sisters had lived in Chambery for over a century, the Italian sisters expressed their desire to have a place to remember the significant work done in the Savoy.  The General Congregation leadership created a commission to think about his project and decide what they should do.  Over a 3 year period, the commission visited the archives of Le Puy, Lyon and Annecy.  They knew they did not want to create a museum.  They wanted a place where they could touch the origins and feel the life of the Sister of St. Joseph.

This is my second trip to the Hall and I could go many times more to take it all in.  The Hall is made up of 5 rooms, each telling a different aspect of their story.

In Room 1, we learn of the origins and early history of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Le Puy through the French Revolution. 

Jean Pierre Medaille, S.J.

Sr. Delores Lahr- Chambery, West Hartford Connecticut, commented on how much she appreciated the sculpture of Jean Pierre Medaille.  She noted that we really don’t know what he looks like. As an itinerant preacher traveling the back roads of rural France, he would not have taken the time to have a portrait done.  Sr. Cristina noted that as a humble man, Medaille would have preferred to disappear, giving all credit and glory to divine providence for the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph.



Chambery Celebration- Sister Linda Pepe (red jacket) exploring Room 2
 



Sr. Ann Pace, Carondelet- St. Louis in Room 2



The Expansion in Savoy

Room 2 tells the story of the Sisters in Savoy. It is here that we meet Mother St. John Marcoux, (see US Federation website- history tab). After the French Revolution, Sr. St. John joined the “Black Daughters,” a group  women who share a very austere Life of poverty and prayer in service to the poorest of the dying and sick.  These sisters were reorganized as Sisters of St. Joseph under Mother St. John Fontbonne in 1808.  By 1812 Mother St. John Marcoux was dispatched by Mother St. John Fontbonne to Chambery.  From there the sisters spread throughout the Savoy to Turin, Italy, St. Jean de Maurienne, and Pinerolo and then to the world.

Reykjavik, Iceland sculture -work of a Lutheran
 artist when the sisters left Iceland in 2001



Copenhagen, Denmark statue commemorating the death of 86 children and 11 sisters killed during an air-raid in the war in 1945.  Numerous sisters saved children.  They were awarded the Gold Medal by the Carnegie Foundation for their courage. 

Room 3 shows the missionary expansion throughout the world.

Sisters tour Room 4
 

Room 4 provides a retrospective on the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph in France and its evolution throughout the world.  Special emphasis is given to the historical work of setting up free schools for little girls of the working class and in rural areas.

Room 5 is an audiovisual room.



Sr. Paula Vaghi

As the Sisters and Associates toured the area, I asked them about their reaction to “the Hall.”  Sr. Paula Vaghi of the US West Hartford Chambery sisters said, “It was extremely moving and so affirming of Jean Pierre Medaille’s vision to embrace all people.  I appreciate our rich history.  It is extremely clear that as we move to the future, we must be out with the people.”

Sr. Linda Pepe, also of West Hartford said, “It’s inspiring, encouraging, and life-giving to understand that we do stand on the shoulders of those who went before us.  It’s also inspiring that age was never a factor.  The needs of the people were first and foremost, and then we responded.

Sr. Benedicte

Sr. Benedicte, the keeper of Chambery’s sacred memories, takes great joy in continuing to explore our roots, and add to the collection.  She takes great pride in the 39 sisters of the Savoy who came to the United States in the 1800s to assist with our early settlement.  On this trip she let me know that five of the seven sisters who made the famous trek to set up the missions in Arizona, that later became the Los Angeles Province of the Carondelet, sisters were from the Savoy.

Sr. Jessy from India described her time in the Hall of Memories as a soul stirring experience to be part of the Josephite family.  To be present in the Hall was an unforgettable experience for her. 

Sr. Mariaelena

Sr. Mariaelena Aceti of Italy described the experience as finding strength through our roots.  Sr. Ilda from Brazil was also reflecting on our roots as she described, “In my mind, the symbol of the tree where the roots are grounded here in this land, and our branches have spread throughout the world- our home.”