The "Way" to St Flour- Day 1

Srs. Patty, Mary Lou, and Griselda begin from the International Center

Sisters Griselda Martinez Morales from Lyon Mexico, Mary Lou Mitchell from Rochester New York and I (Patty Johnson) from St Louis set out on a pilgrimage from our International Center in Le Puy, France to St Flour, France where the first community of sisters came together in 1648 (before we became officially recognized as a congregation.)  We didn't think we had enough time to walk the whole way so we always knew that we might use public transportation for part of the trip.  We decided we would be flexible along the way and decide our options each day.

The Bishop chats with pilgrims

We began at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Le Puy.  The mass for pilgrims on the "Path to St James Compostelle" in Santiago, Spain, where the apostle St James is buried, is celebrated by the Bishop who presented us with a medal and the invitation to carry some of the prayers left by other pilgrims with us.  We set off out of Le Puy, uphill most of the way and in the rain.  As we left Le Puy, we encountered another pilgrim who we ran into several times throughout our next few days.

When you watch the movie, "The Way," it is somewhat deceiving in that so much of their walking is flat.  Much of our walking was up and down hills.  The scenary was beautiful.  Although a portion of the first day paralleled roads, by the afternoon, we were very much out in the French countryside.

There was a wonderful balance of quiet walking and opportunity for the three of us to talk.  The energy expended going up the hills, the natural beauty, the meaningfulness of where we were hiking, all provided an occasional burst of euphoria similar to that which long distance runners experience.  We knew that we were walking through the homeland where many of our French sisters had walked.  Surely, many had grown up and served in the small villages through which we passed.

Our lunch break in St Christopher

By lunchtime we had hiked 8.5 kilometers to Saint-Christophe-Sur-Dolaizon, a small village with a lovely church and a few stores.  It was obvious that they often welcomed pilgrims and we met up with many of the small groups we had set out with that morning.  At the cathedral in Le Puy, we had shared where we were from and many people remembered Griselda and called out "Mexique" to her as they passed by.

Srs. Mary Lou and Griselda

After lunch the rain stopped, the paths became narrower, and we were more in the country-side.  There were more ups and downs.  By the time we got to Montbonnet, we were pretty tired, it was four in the afternoon and we still had 6.5 kilometers to hike to get to where we were supposed to stop for the night.

We thought we might take a bus to St. Privat-D'Allier.  Although it looked like one might be coming within an hour, a gentleman told us that in fact the sign was wrong.  We were also told it would be hard to get a cab.  We tried several other places and eventually found an internet cafe where we were able to get help.  The owner contacted "Patty" who agreed to transport us to St Privat.  We were so happy to ride the last part of our day.

We arrived at our "Gite d'etape.  We had anticipated sharing a room with three others and a bathroom down the hall but were pleasantly surprised to have the space for only us with our own bathroom and shower.  We had dinner in a common dining room where we met some lovely people.  An English speaking woman from Belgium only seemed to know about contemplative sisters and was quite surprised to learn about us, especially Griselda's work at the United Nations.  A man was walking with his teenage son.  It was quite touching to hear him talk about how the walk was helping him realize that he wanted to develop more of a global perspective.  Another pilgrim in his 20's encouraged him to complete his education, to allow him more possibilities to experience the world by being able to work and travel.  The conversations were quite stimulating- yet we were sound asleep quite quickly that night.

Walk with Me - Update from LCWR

This morning the LCWR Assembly walked together with undocumented immigrants who had come to share their story.  We sang Sr. Kathy Sherman, CSJ,'s song, with the words, "Walk with me, will you walk with me, where together and forever we will live in peace." Young activists from the Hope Community Center, most of whom are "Dreamers" shared with us their struggles of integrating into this culture where they are often ridiculed and humiliated.  One shared the pain of seeing her mother handcuffed in front of her and the years of separation that followed.

We were inspired and challenged to take bolder steps and greater risks to ensure that comprehensive immigration reform will pass in the House.  Speaker Boehner has said that he will not bring any bill to the floor unless more than half of the Republicans will support it. That is a high bar to reach.  We, the constitutents of these people who are there representing us, need to make our voices heard so that either enough Republicans will support immigration reform or Speaker Bohner will be willing to bring a bill to the floor for a vote without significant Republican support.  It is believed that there are enough Republican Representatives willing to support this bill that it could pass.

Ellie Garcia, a dreamer who graduated from high school while here in the US, shared the challenges she faced from the struggles of adapting to US culture and being bullied by peers in school because she was an undocumented immigrant.  At Hope Community Center she gained the courage and perspective to not lose hope at the many obstacles she faces and to become an activist dreamer, calling for the basic human rights of all people and especially humane treatment for immigrants. Ellie was quite moving when she shared how much she appreciated the sacrifices her parents made for her by working in backbreaking manual labor that had so prematurely aged them, so that she and her siblings could hope for a better life.  Ellie asked all of us to stand up for immigrants saying, "We cannot ignore what is happening right in front of our faces."

Evelyn Ricker came to the US from Columbia as a three year old.  Her parents brought her here in the height of unrest in her country when car bombs were indiscriminately exploding on the streets.  When she was 13, she learned that she was undocumented.  Rather than lose hope or live in fear, her faith inspired by her family led her to believe, "God had a plan for my life and my future." Like Ellie, Evelyn was prevented from applying for college since she did not have a social security number.  She continued to have faith and pray that her life path would unfold.  In 2007, she faced the greatest challenge of her life when her mother was arrested in a routine traffic stop.  It appears that there was no violation that lead to the stop. Eventually her mother was deported.  This separation caused such pain that Evelyn went through a period when she rejected God. A turning point occured when she joined a youth group at Hope Community Center and joined the United We Dream movement. Through this she feels empowered to advocate for all the dreamers and the undocumented.  Through her tears, she told us that now her relationship with God is restored and strengthened.  Last year she had the opportunity to meet her mother at the border in Arizona and share time with her with a wire fence separating them.  She shared, "I hold on to a feeling of what it meant to touch my mom again."

LCWR urges us to contact our Representatives and urge them to bring to the House floor an immigration reform bill that ensures family unity; protects the rights of immigrant workers; speeds the processing of already approved immigrants; acknowledges that our borders are already secure, with only minor changes needed; enhances the present diversity visa program; and provides a clear, direct path to citizenship.  We are urged to submit leaders to the editor and show up at town hall meetings with our legislators to bring this important message forward.

Day 2 at LCWR

I will wait to share the content of today's input for the lead story on the US Federation website on Friday morning.  However, there were a few fun things I wanted to share tonight.  Marcia Allen of Concordia gave her presentation at the candidate's forum for the position of LCWR President Elect tonight.  She gave a wonderful speech about the hopes for the church that women religious have, how the laity have spoken about our prophetic role during this time of the doctrinal assessment and the apostolic visitation. She spoke about reading letters from laity that had inspired her and how women religious needed to speak about the role of laity, especially women, as vital to the church.  She said that this is the moment when we must speak our truth with Pope Frances- we are in concert with him about moving to the edge to serve the marginalized.  Our lives have given us the "fierce discipline of adaptation" which prepares us for this moment in time.  Marcia was asked a question from the audience about her understanding of evolving consciousness .  She spoke of the times that she had taught it in their Manna House Center and how it has influenced the importance of relationships, how the openness to the message that the laity has shared with us, has helped us to understand who we are becoming as we act out out our integrity in our interactions with the church.  In her calm and clear way, Marcia really shared how she has read the signs of the times and has been open to change.  It was a wonderful response that inspired many. As we gathered as a Federation after the meeting, Nancy Conway welcomed Marcia to the room with a rousing cheer.

We had a wonderful celebration of our togetherness after the speeches at our Federation gathering. As Mary Dacey, Co-Chair of the Leadership Council addressed the group, she noted all the significant contributions we as Sisters of St Joseph had made- Marcia's speech, Carol Zinn as President-Elect, Pat Bergin presenting a resolution of ending violence, and Janet Mock as Executive Director.  We all noted that whenever we are together we really have fun.

The First Standing Ovation at LCWR

Carrie and Kim being congratulated by Mercy Sister Mary Washkoviak

On the first night of the LCWR, the only standing ovation went to Nix Conference and Meeting Management as they announced their exciting and innovative new plans to combat human sex trafficking.  Kimberly Ritter, Senior Account Manager recounted for the group the journey that Nix has been on since they were first made aware of the size of the problem in the US and the world.  Nix worked with the Sisters of St Joseph to encourage the Millennium Hotel to sign the ECPAT code of conduct, then Nix worked with ECPAT to develop a code for meeting planners.

Tonight, Molly Hackett, the owner of Nix  announced the launch of Exchange Initiative, Real Resources to End Sex Trafficking.  This newly formed organization by Nix Conference and Meeting Management will empower real resources to help end sex trafficking. They will promote awareness and global understanding of the trafficking problem, while facilitating cooperation and initiating action at the local level.



Molly Hackett, one of the owners of Nix
 after delivering the announcement of the Exchange Initiative.

Their new brochure states it well. " Given our passion about this critical social issue and experience within the travel and tourism industry, we believe formalizing an organization to address the topic to be a natural fit for Nix.... We stand firm in our commitment to protect all children and join forces with other stakeholders to put an end to sexual exploitation."

One of the first activities will be a major conference in St Louis in the Spring of 2014, entitled "IGNITE, Sparking Action Against Sex Trafficking which will bring together a broad spectrum of people to engage, educate and empower supporters and stakeholders in the common cause of combating sex trafficking.  You will hear more about this in the coming months.

As you can see, the standing ovation was well deserved.

Carondelet Chapter Meeting

I have not attended a General Chapter, (major decision making and election of leadership) of my Congregation.  I was able to take a few days off and attend the final two days of these meetings in Los Angeles. Communion has been a major emphasis over the past 12 years. As we moved it to deeper level and with specific calls to action appropriate to these times.   Final statements about our commitments to communion with earth community,  partnering with new eyes (challenging us to expanding our world views and enabling us to speak as one Congregation on issues of justice), our communion with the church and areas where we will work collaboratively and stand in solidarity with those who are marginalized have been approved and are now being word-smithed.

As I was sitting through a terribly boring section of the meeting, where we were slogging through a committee proposal, I was struck by the quality of deliberation occurring contrasted with that of the US Congress.  Make no mistake, we have very polarized views on different topics. However, we listen to each other and show an openness to new and different solutions when impasse occurs. There is not posturing or coalition building. There are no good guys or bad guys, no winners or losers.  We move forward with the hope that we have prayerfully discerned God's will for us.

For me, the meeting was a chance to catch up with good friends from Peru and Hawaii, to greet sisters from Japan and the 4 provinces that I have not seen for a while.  One of the interesting aspects of my Federation position is the number of sisters in my own congregation that I have met over the last two years as I travel. When we are together, the sense of belonging to a movement bigger than my own local community is powerfully felt and energizes me for the future.

TRY - Helping the Next Generation of Young Women in Buffalo

As a social worker, I have a special interest in programs that help teenage girls. In Buffalo, I found one that runs in a very similar fashion to the one I ran in St. Louis and with similar astounding results. TRY stands for Teaching and Restoring Youth. It offers transitional housing for 16 to 21 year olds, in a loving ,supportive and structured home environment. It is for young women who are homeless, suffer from abuse, violence, or have been caught in the web of human trafficking. It offers hope and healing.  I could say a lot more but I think I will let the young women's poetry aznd words tell their story.

Broken by Jennifer
Feeling broken lost and alone,
Used and abused and not very strong.
Living in fear that I will never find my home.
Afraid of loving for fear people will go,
Never letting my true colors show.
Giving in trade never in kindness,
Living my life in total blindness.
Familiar stuff is the thing of the past,
Who knows how long anything will last.

I had the opportunity to talk at a deep level with two of the residents, Deedee and Josephine, (not their real names). Deedee shared"I feel like we don't have nobody to help us. If it wasn't for Sr. Janet and Vanessa, I don' t think I could make it." Deedee has now graduated from high school and is in college pursueing a nursing degree. Josephine, also in college, is the first member of her family to graduate from high school. Josephine noted,"it's kind of hard with the rules here but a lot of my friend with their own place are doing pretty bad." Deedee shared, "It's easier to take a different road but I know what I want to have happen in my life." Their dialogue reminds me of the resolve that Crystal shared in her poem, Although.

Although you hurt me...
I will survive,
Although you took advantage of me...
I won't let you ruin me,
Although you misused my body...
I won't let you take my dignity,
Although I am filled with pain...
I'm not at all the one to be blamed,
Although you abused me...
I will not let you accuse me,
Although I was in pain and strife...
You will be the one to suffer in agony
For the rest of your life,
Although you hurt me...
I will survive.

Josephine  said, "I struggle for my younger siblings. I want to be a role model. But you have to have someone be there and support you." Deedee and Josephine both rely on each other during the hard times.  The program really tries to develop a community of support and it appears to me that they have succeeded.

Special Person by Jennifer

A person to talk to when I'm scared or afraid,
A person to tell me "It'll be okay",
A person that laughs when I tell stupid jokes,
A person who calms me down when I just want to choke,

I've searched a long time to find that person,
And I've found that person, "It's you!"

Shuffle Off to Buffalo

From my meeting in Rochester, I moved on to Buffalo where I had the opportunity to meet with the Sisters on the Leadership Team and stay at their Motherhouse.  While there, I learned that Buffalo is the third poorest city in the nation.  In order to respond to the needs of the city, the LCWR members of Buffalo (12 religious communities) have collaborated on several significant programs.  Two that I visited are Vive La Casa and Gerard Place.  I visited two other programs which you will hear about through other means.  The Buffalo Peace Camp will be featured in an article in late August that speaks about the Peace Camps that are occurring throughout the Federation.  I will also speak about the TRY program in my next blog.

Sr. Judy Justinger shared with me that collaborating has always been a tradition in Buffalo through schools, colleges, resources for retired sisters and board leadership.  This is very evident at Vive La Casa which was founded in the late 1970s to help refugees from El Salvadore seeking asylum in Canada.  This program is able to provide up to 118 asylum seekers with a dormatory bed, 3 meals and services in an old school building. This program really manages on a shoe string, with four full time staff and a 24 hour security team. The refugees speak 40 different languages with French and Spanish being the most frequently used, even though for many it is not their first language.  They receive most of their food from the food bank.  As most of us are aware, services to immigrant and refugees is not a high priority for funding in this country at this time.  Much of the funding comes from the sisters.

Audrey and Jim Mang, Buffalo Associates

It was our pleasure to share their humble lunch in the large former school cafeteria.  A donation from the food bank arrived while we were eating and all the able-bodied men dropped what they were doing to assist with bringing the food in.  It used to be that this program offered refuge for 2 to 3 weeks.  Now asylum seekers may spent months waiting for a determination about their asylum status.  It is a hard and uncomfortable wait in the un-air-conditioned school for these refugees.  The sisters do their best to provide these people with basic services and a sense of hope during a challenging time in their life.  What one sees is the importance of treating each person with dignity and respect during their time of need.

Gerard Place, also founded and funded by the 12 religious communities, serves the poorest zipcode in Buffalo.  Gerard Place strengthens the community as it empowers individuals and families towards self-sufficiency by providing housing , supportive services, community education and outreach.  Much better funded than Vive, Gerard Place has  great facilities and wonderful outcomes.  95% of their families in transitional housing graduate to permanent housing.  96% do not become homeless again. Part of the success of these programs is that they effectively motivate the clients with incentives that really work.  While I was visiting, they held a community outreach educational session on caring for your infant to avoid sudden infant death syndrome.  They had a good turn out for the program because they offered a pack and play portable crib- brand new for all participants.  Participants complete a before and after test that shows how much they have learned form the class.  Another interesting example is their cooking class. They teach nutrition to the neighborhood by gathering neighbors to prepare a healthy meal together. They leave the class with a bag of groceries that allows them to prepare this meal for their family.  This program aggressively seeks grants and foundation funding to meet the needs of the neighborhood- and the neighborhood is very involved in helping Gerard Place understand their needs.

At Peace Camp, I learned about the many works of the SSJ Sister Karen Klimczak Center for Nonviolence. They are working with area churches on a gang intervention and outreach program; take a peace curriculum into schools; hold workshops on alternatives to violence in prisons and the community and so much more.  As a recent participant said, "Even the smallest choices and actions can make the world a better place. A simple smile or hug or even just loving one another helps to get rid of violence.  Nonviolence seems to be a chain reaction." The center is named after Sr. Karen, who was killed by one of the clients at a half-way house at which she worked. It continues her vision of a world without violence.  Associates of the Buffalo sisters play a major role at the center as volunteer program leaders and board members.

I really enjoyed my time in Buffalo.  The sisters here make a difference in this border town.