Emergency Service Workers-Hurricane Sandy

As I sit here in my apartment in Westchester County, NY and watch the news and see all the devastation that has happened because of Hurricane Sandy, I can't help but marvel at the goodness of all the emergency service workers who are out there helping people. Talk about compassion, service and doing God's work.

To think that there are many people, fire safety personnel, police workers, emergency medical technicians, people who work with power lines, tree cutters and branch clean up people, who actually go out and do work that is needed when the rest of us are advised to stay home in order to be safe just amazes me and reminds me of how lucky we are that all of us have different gifts and talents.

SERVIAM is the motto of Ursuline schools-we teach students to help those in need and I'm so thankful to the men and women living out SERVIAM right now helping all those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Prayers and blessing to all working in aftermath of this storm and to all affected by it.

Sr. Jeannie

Child Trafficking, Snakehead Trade-Walking Merchandise

.

Last night, Sr. Maureen Welch, osu, Associate Director of the Partnership for Global Justice working at the United Nations and I attended the NYC premiere of a documentary titled Walking Merchandise.

This documentary tells the story of child trafficking and the snakehead trade business. It tells of children from China brought here to the United States by traveling through dangerous conditions in other countries by human smugglers known as snakeheads. The children then have a debt of up to $100,000 that they must pay to the snakehead. This debt is worked off through various ways: restaurant labor, massage work, sexual activity etc. The conditions that these children work in are deplorable and harsh. Their wages are low and the debt never seems to end. The children grow up into adults and are still working to pay their debts to the snakeheads.

The documentary was well-done and really opened up my eyes to all the "horrible things" that go on behind closed doors. The film also highlighted work done by different advocates, social workers, attorneys and film-makers to help these children and try to end this snakehead trade business.  I admire their work and send them many prayers and blessings.

Check out www.walkingmerchandise.com to learn more about it and watch the film.

Seeing the film really reminded me of how precious life is and we must take all cautions to protect life-these children have lost their life in many ways.

We as Ursuline Sisters have made working to end trafficking part of our mission-we are educating our students about it, helping me out in safe houses, and supporting agencies that are helping those who have been trafficked.

We must remember that all human beings are important and work to protect their rights and dignity.

Sr. Jeannie Humphries, osu

Recipe for Peace

This morning during my prayer time. I opened up a little book titled A Million Visions of Peace by Jennifer Garrison and Andrew Tubesing.

The page opened up to  Recipe for Peace by Mrs. Morse's 3rd grade class, Massachusetts.

Here it is:

1 cup of helping others                           
1/4 cup of self-esteem
1/2 cups of compromise                           2 tbsp. of kindness
4 tbsp. of compliments                             2 tbsp of caring
1 cup of cooperation                                 2 tbsp of honesty
2 cups of love

Dirctions:  Mix it all together and make it often becuase it's all you need for a lifetime of happiness.

So true and I must remember to include all those ingredients in  my daily life.

Sr. Jeannie

Watch a Video

Sr. Elisa Ryan and Sr. Jean Hopman, vocation directors for the Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union-United States Provinces recently made a video about Ursuline life.   I think it is a wonderful representation of our life.

Please click below to watch it and enjoy!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMNz6lTcWpo&feature=plcp

Bridge Crossings

This past weekend from Thursday, October 4th in the evening till Tuesday, October 9th in the morning, the Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union, Associates and Collaborators of the four provinces in the United States gathered together to discuss our life and be together. It is great to be with so many people who are connected to Angela's spirit and share the same values I do.

 

During one of our times together, we heard from Joanne Buckman, osu from Cleveland who shared a story with us. She was in Ghana, West Africa and had the opportunity to visit a monkey game preserve in the Gold Coast area-however in order to get to it; she had to cross seven suspension bridges. The last bridge was extremely high and was an one-person, sagging bridge over an enormous ravine. One fellow traveler went over the bridge and then assisted her journey by saying these three things to her very slowly.

1) Do not look back.

2) Keep your eyes on me.

3) Put one foot in front of another.

Her sharing reminded me of the many river /bridge crossings, I have had to face: illness, pain, death of my mother, grandmother, Ursuline sisters, loss of a friendship etc. However I still did cross the bridge and I believe I gained strength and courage by doing that.

There are still bridges to cross; writing the dissertation, dealing with pain of my arm and knee, seeing sisters deal with sickness, watching cherished fiends and community members die, and making tough decisions about corporate ministries and community life. However, since I've been with so many of my sisters and extended Ursuline family this weekend, I feel supported and believe that I can go forward no matter what.

 
Part of our time together also involved each province having its own Chapter  (big meeting every six years where we plan our future directions for ministry and community) and our Chapter theme for the whole international community of Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union is Go out into the deep water. With courage and hope, welcome the future!!

 
That is what I need to do daily and I do that by not looking back, keeping my eyes on Jesus and Angela and doing what I can each day by putting one foot in front of the other.

 
Who knows what the future holds? With Angela, Jesus and my Ursuline family on my side, I can face it with courage and hope!!

 
Sr. Jeannie Humphries, osu

St. Franis of Assisi and Peace

Happy Feast of St. Francis of Assisi!!

 

October 4th makes me think back to St. Philip Neri and my years there as a student and teacher. I smile with happiness and joy.   For many years, Brother Brian Johnson, OSF was the principal at SPN and we celebrated today's feast day with great celebration. I remember coloring pictures of St. Francis, saying the peace prayer and having a blessing of the animals-students brought pets to school and all were prayed over.  It brings back such wonderful thoughts.

 

Today is also a special day for Ursuline Sisters as Angela Merici was a Franciscan tertiary. So our roots are Franciscan.

 

I believe so strongly that peace is needed in today's world so let us pray for it each and every day!

 

 

Amen,

 

 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;

 

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

when there is injury, pardon;

 

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

 

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

 

Grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

 

to be understood, as to understand,

to be loved as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

 

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Thoughts on Peace

PEACE is accepting one another for what we are. 


PEACE is learning.
                                                                                  

It also is listening to what people have to say with an open mind.

                                           - Judy, Iowa
 
Taken from A Million Visions of Peace
                   by Jennifer Garrison and Andrew Tubesing