Friday, November 30, 2012

Ursuline Weekend


Yeah it's Friday!!

People keep wishing me a good weekend and I keep thinking of how busy it is going to be.

However, it's all good stuff.

Tonight, I will travel to Blondie's Sports Bar in NYC with some Ursuline Sisters for a fundraiser to benefit Home Based Care at Good Shepherd Mission Hospital, Swaziland, Africa. One of our sisters, Sr. Maureen McCarthy, osu served there for a year and friends from Malone-Al and Kathleen Hartmann have served there many different times over the years. The people in Swaziland suffer from AIDS, poverty, lack of clean water, malnutrition and endemic disease. It's an important service to be involved in.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Ursuline Sisters and lay board of trustees members are meeting to discuss Sponsorship of Ursuline Schools: Defining the Future. We will discuss the Academy of Mt. St. Ursula in the Bronx, Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware and the Ursuline School in New Rochelle. A canon lawyer will be sharing her views with us too.

Then on Sunday, I have two prayer gatherings to attend:
 1) A gathering of Younger Women connected to Ursulines who are interested in prayer and conversation-anyone between 18-55 is welcome!!
2) A group of my sisters whom I used to live with gather periodically to pray and converse together.

We definitely are following Angela's words-From time to time, gather your sisters for prayer and conversation-at times have someone suitable come in to share information with them.

Hopefully all events will energize me, challenge me and help me with my continued desire to live life as an Ursuline Sister seeking to follow God's will in my life and help others feel self-confident about themselves.

It definitely is a packed weekend; but one that is necessary for my mind and soul.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Sr. Jeannie Humphries, osu




Sunday, November 25, 2012

Foundation Day

                                                                   St. Angela Merici

Today is the 477th Anniversary of the Founding of the Ursuline Sisters. 

Thank you Angela for following God's call and finding a company of woman dedicated to service and love for all people.

Happy Foundation Day to all Ursuline Sisters, Associates, Alumnae, Friends, Collaborators, Colleagues and Friends. 

Long live the Ursuliine Spirt and Charism!!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

A Thanksgiving Prayer

 
Loving God, today and everyday,  let us always remember to praise you and thank you.

We thank you for the gift of family and friends, which brings us together.

We thank you for our faith, which holds us together.

We thank you for our country, in which we are free to worship you together.

We thank you for the food we will eat today, for the surroundings where we celebrate.

We ask your blessing on all those we love those with us today and those not among us today.

We ask for goodness to those who find themselves in need today.

We ask all this through Jesus, your Son and our friend.

Amen

Monday, November 12, 2012

Happy Veteran's Day


Today we honor all those who have served our country in the armed forces. My dad served our country in Vietnam. I am proud of him for giving that service and want to thank him and all the other veterans around the world.

I also want to thank the Veterans' Administration System which provides all different care for veterans upon their return to the United States and afterwards too.

My college roommate from CNR Nancy is a social worker there and I know the job is not always easy-the men and women are suffering because of the violence they experienced and have many after effects. One of my Ursuline Sister, Sr. Pascal Conforti has provided chaplaincy care there too.

Let's remember our veterans today for their service and the workers who serve them today.

Sr. Jeannie

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Run for the Rockaways-SERVIAM in Action


New York and New Jersey have suffered tremendous effects from Hurricane Sandy. So much beach front property has been damaged. Boardwalks have blown away and broken apart. Homes have been destroyed by water damage, flooding, fire and smoke. It is so hard to see.

As a young child, I went to the Rockaways for vacation in the summer. I have a friend whose family has a home in Breezy Point and so does one of our Ursuline Sisters. I spent many of my high school, college and post college years at Long Beach, Long Island-family friends have a house out there. I have visited the Jersey Shore a number of times over the years. Each of these places holds a special piece of my heart. Memories of fun, sun, swimming, laughter, celebration, good food and drinks, and enjoying ocean breezes come to my mind when I think of each of these places.

I kept seeing all the devastation and sadness on the news and pictures on Facebook. So many places are collecting supplies and I was willing to get involved in sharing some of my resources. However, I also wanted to do more-I needed to do some activity.

While my alma mater, the College of New Rochelle was planning to do a Run for the Rockaways-so I decided to see if I could join them. They graciously welcomed me and I ended up driving my car out there to a firehouse. My car had about 20 cases of water in it. CNR brought out clothing, food, water, and cleaning supplies-All the donations filled two 15 seater vans, a Jeep and my car. So amazing to see.

So we headed on out there as a caravan-I was in the middle. It was about an hour drive. One of the students at CNR was leading the caravan in her Jeep. She and her family live out on Breezy Point so she knew places where we could bring our donations and she knew the shortcuts to get out there. Right before we drove, she was talking about good it felt to be bringing donations to those she knew-she commented that it was strange being both a victim and volunteer. After all her house was ruined by the water damage.

So we arrived there at the Firehouse where there were people to help us carry in the donations and I saw all the donations there and volunteers and people who were grateful for the donations. It was a very humbling experience and it reminded me of how fragile life is and how fortunate I am today.

 
I pray for all those affected by our weather lately.  Yesterday, someone told me that there are about 35, 000 more unemployed due to the damage to businesses.   More tough times ahead.  However, even with all this sadness and tragedy, you still see the goodness of humankind-when you think of all the people providing donations and those organizing the supplies and helping people out. Let’s keep looking out for one another!!


Sr. Jeannie

Monday, November 5, 2012

Vote tomorrow November 6, 2012

Tomorrow is Election Day here in the United States.

As a democratic country, we have the opportunity to participate in our government by voting for the person we believe will do the best job for our country, state, and community. 

I hope everyone goes out to vote tomorrow and follows his/her conscience. 

Prayers and blessings that it all turns out well.

Sr. Jeannie Humphries, osu