EAP Province Day on "Poverty
through the Lens of Hurricane Katrina" - February 25, 2006
The Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation Committee (JPIC)
sponsored a Province Day in Tarrytown, New York on Saturday, February
25, 2006.
Members of the JPIC
Committee: Bottom left to right: Sisters Trinity
Brophy, Virginia McNally, Maire McQuillan, Kathleen Kanet, Margaret
Wiener, Virginia Dorgan...Top left to right: Sisters Mary Heyser,
Elizabeth Meehan, Edith Hart, Margaret Ellen Flannelly, Victoria
Busch, Agnes Fleming, Eileen Buckley, Helene Louise Zimmerman.
  The
day was introduced by Sister Rosamund Blanchet (left), who has
recentely been reappointed for another 3 year term as provincial
superior of the Eastern American Province. The theme of
the day, "Poverty through the Lens of Hurricane Katrina"
was introduced by Sister Mary Heyser.
 Suzanne
Elsesser was also introduced. She has been appointed as
the Wellness Coordinator for the Eastern American Province and
begins her work at the Provincial Center in Tarrytown on February
27, 2006.
 Following
a Power Point and video presentation of the horrors of Hurricane
Katrina and listening to the Carey Landry Hymn "Who Will
Dry the Tears of God", Sister Kathleen Kanet (left) described
a structural process for analysing the economic, political, social,
cultural and religious aspects of any event, and invited the group
to experience that process through the analysis of a story.
After reading the story, the
sisters and members of the RSHM Extended Family were asked to
join in groups of 8 and to respond to the story with the following
questions related to the different aspects of the analysis:
Groups of small groups engaged
in the structural analysis of "A Child of Katrina"
Following the structural analysis,
all were invited to reflect upon what they could do to alleviate
such situations.
 In
the afternoon, Sister Virginia McNally gave a brief commentary on
the vision of Gailhac (founder of the Religious of the Sacred Heart
of Mary) for 21st century situations. Gailhac saw us as women
who truly appreciate the gifts and talents of one another in the
midst of all the brokenness in the world around us. While
we recall the theme of the EAP Convocation of 2004, "There
is something NEW, do you not perceive it", we also recall the
words of Gailhac: "Imitate Jesus Christ,.. Be on fire knowing
and loving God...A work has been entrusted to you. It is a
continuation of the work of Jesus Christ." - i.e, live with
the passion of knowing and loving God, making God known and loved,
and proclaiming that Jesus Christ has come in order that all may
have life. We, 900+ sisters in the Institute and 1000+ who have
gone before us are in a partnership with God. We have a passion
to discover who Jesus Christ is and that;s how we find out what
to do next. So...meet the people, learn the facts and make
a difference.
 Sister
Margaret Ellen Flannelly gave her reflections on Catholic Social
Teachings. She began with her reflections on Pope Benedict
XVI's new encyclical: Deus
Caritas Est (God is Love) which states essentially that love
is the basic concept of Christian life. The social teaching
of the Church has been a gift over the years, and, unfortunately,
is often the best kept secret of the Church. It is a good
time to reread and reflect again on the enyclicals Rerum
Novarum (1891), Quadragesimo
Anno (1931), Mater
et Magistra (1961), Gaudium
et Spes (1965) and Populorum
Progressio (1967). In all the encyclicals, the Church
calls us to build a just society and civil order for the common
good.
The day closed with a Eucharistic
liturgy in the Butler Memorial Chapel and visitation of the new
Heritage Room at Marymount Convent.
Two of the four pillars in the
Heritage Room at Marymount Convent representing RSHM history.
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