May 2021 Newsletter

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MAY NEWS Pope's Prayer the world of finance - Let us pray that those in charge of finance will work with governments to Intention regulate the financial sphere and protect citizens for MAy from its dangers.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me.

Tell me what I should do; give me Your orders.

I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me.

Let me only know Your Will.

By Cardinal Mercier

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Sr. Symphonie with the Eucharistic bread which she made for Holy Thursday at Mercy Center in Colorado Springs, CO. Program participants were asked to form the bread into any shape which reminded them of the love of God.

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“The Virgin Mary teaches us what it means to live in the Holy Spirit and what it means to accept the news of God in our life. She conceived Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit, and every Christian, each one of us, is called to accept the Word of God, to accept Jesus inside of us and then to bring him to everyone. May Mary help you to be attentive to what the Lord asks of you, and to live and walk forever with the Holy Spirit!”

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- Pope Francis

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Pentecost & the Birth of the Church The Feast of Pentecost on May 23 celebrates our full insertion into the life, death, resurrection and mission of Jesus Christ. The risen Christ breathed on his disciples and they received his Holy Spirit. Pentecost ushers in a new creation; His risen life dwells within us. Pentecost is our birth into new life. We now share in the mission of the Son through the Spirit. May the Holy Spirit’s new life course through us and give us renewed courage and strength of purpose and vocation. May we preach boldly and witness heroically to the world the saving love of God, and our mission to “renew the face of the earth”.

Anniversary of the Death of Our Founder, Bishop Claude Marie Dubuis May 21 (1817-1895) Bishop Claude Marie Dubuis, originally from France, came to Texas as a young missionary priest. He was consecrated the 2nd Bishop of Galveston in 1862, which at that time embraced the entire state of Texas. In 1866, the critical needs of the people of Texas prompted Bishop Dubuis to seek religious nursing sisters from his native France. He penned a desperate letter to the Mother Superior of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament Monastery in Lyon.

His challenging first words still call to us today: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, suffering in the persons of a multitude of the sick and infirm of every kind, seeks relief at your hands.”

These inspiring words initiated a process that culminated in the founding of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. To this day, the Sisters of Charity and their associates continue to live from this invitation and mandate as they pray for Bishop Dubuis' continued intercession and guidance.

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our daily bread celebrates 35 Years

BY SR. RICCA DIMALIBOT, CCVI

Give us this day our daily bread. How many times have we said this line to ask our Father for everything we need? Beyond words and amidst challenges and early opposition, Sr. Ursula O'Keeffe elevated her prayer to another level by founding Our Daily Bread (ODB) in Galveston on March 25, 1986. Her legacy lives at the day shelter that provides our homeless brothers and sisters with food, refuge, clothes, hygiene supplies, assistance with their psychological and medical needs, all wrapped in sincere love and care.

ODB exemplifies one of our Congregation's deeply held values of respecting each person's dignity no matter the circumstances. The donors, staff, and hundreds of volunteers help the clients get their bearings back to edge closer to self-sufficiency. Every so often, the staff and volunteers muse that serving at ODB gives them more than they have contributed. That has certainly been my experience when I see their clients in need of medical assistance.

Compassion takes on a more profound meaning when given to those in direst need. Quite possibly at ODB we encounter Jesus speaking to us more tangibly than we read in the gospel.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me" (Matthew 25: 35-36).

March 31st celebration at ODB. Sr. Rachel O'Keeffe, CCVI and Sr. Ricca Dimalibot, CCVI side by side with Richard Torres (System Director of CHRISTUS Foundation), Angela Joseph (Director of Our Daily Bread), ODB staff, and volunteers.

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NATIONAL TEACHER'S DAY

BY SR. CECILIA LICH THANH TRAN, CCVI

Teachers play an important part in developing and shaping students’ lives. They provide students with tools to grow and flourish both at home and in society. In many countries across the world, teacher’s day is a special day where teachers are honored for their hard work and dedication.

The day varies from country to country. In El Salvador, it is June 22. In Guatemala, it’s June 25. In Vietnam, it’s November 20. In Mexico, it’s May 15. Many countries, including Kenya and Ireland, celebrate their Teacher’s Day on October 5th in conjunction with World Teacher’s Day. In the U.S., the National Teacher’s Day is observed on the first Tuesday of the first full week of May, called Teacher Appreciation Week. This year, it falls on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. This school year, 2020-2021, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators are working hard to ensure every student has the tools they need to reach their full potential.

SOME FACTS ABOUT TEACHERS: * Teachers do not just work from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with summers off. arrive early before school starts, stay late and take papers home to grade.

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*Summers are spent preparing for the next academic year and at professional development opportunities. * Most teachers have to spend some of their own money on school supplies. * Teachers feel like there is never enough time in a day. There is always more that they feel they need to do. * Teachers hate failing a student and will make every effort to help students perform well. They want all students to succeed to the best of their ability. * Teachers do not enjoy having to grade assignments. It’s time-consuming and repetitive, but a necessary part of their ministry.

Thank you to all teachers and especially CCVI Teachers-Sisters for working hard to create an educational and fun environment for students. Thank you for the incredible patience and kindness you’ve shown towards younger generations. Thank you for preparing students to fulfill God’s calling in this world.

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NATIONAL TEACHER'S DAY, Con't

Students at Aquinas praying together at the school football field when the school was opened after a year.

Screen shot of a typical zoom classroom this year at Aquinas Catholic High School, Diocese of San Bernardino, CA.

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Flowers grown by Sr. Bernardina González Florián

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MY CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE: A TREASURE TO BEHOLD

BY SR. AGNES NJOKI NJERU, CCVI

On November 29th, 2019, Sr. Maurine Chemnung and I arrived at our Motherhouse, Villa De Matel, from Kenya to begin our international year of experience. I joined De Matel Community, which was my new community and a home for a year. I am and will always be grateful to the Sisters in De Matel Community for their tacit and unwavering support that I received. I found a community that was open, receptive, and available for me, flexible, and despite their busy schedules they went out of their way to orient me. Each Sister in De Matel played a huge role in helping me to settle in the community and make it my home. I was deeply touched by their humility and extraordinary kindness. I must say that you were and remain paragons of hospitality and charity. What a blessing you were to me! Your warmth helped me to transition smoothly.

Life became busy and everything seemed to be flowing. It was my first Advent and Christmas season to be outside my country and sharing in a different culture. My first culture shock was celebrating numerous Christmas parties before the D-day. I, however, enjoyed partying. I got to experience some things that I had only read in books and heard stories of the famed “High Tea.” Attending various celebrations gave me an opportunity to experience American people and learn their rich and diverse culture. Some of the opportunities I had included a trip to the Hemi Hideout in Brookshire, courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. John Hovas, a donors’ recognition evening at Galveston College of Nursing, the 48th Annual Nuns’ Day, a day for the consecrated life at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Downtown Houston, the University of St. Thomas Mardi Gras Gala, and the 7th Ecumenical Prayer Service at Christ the King Lutheran Church.

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MY CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE, CON'T

In all these occasions, what stood out for me was the people’s ability to enjoy the moment, “living in the present,” not to mention their unusual kindness and generosity. I was also immensely blessed to be around our Vietnamese Sisters, who generously shared their rich culture with me. In particular, I enjoyed their sense of communion, a love for music, and sharing their cultural foods … my favorite being Pho soup.

In respect to ministry, I had diversified experience. My first ministry was in the Villa Library where I helped the librarian keep records of the library materials as well as learned new skills like cataloging and sourcing for library materials … just to mention a few. I also ministered at St. Anne’s Catholic School on Westheimer in Houston, where I had another rich experience of teaching and learning in a different cultural setting. This experience enriched and broadened my horizon as a teacher. I have fond memories of the life-giving experience I had with the children and colleagues at St. Anne’s School. Other ministry experiences at the Villa campus included: working with Finance, the Dietary department, Maintenance, Housekeeping, and Archival ministry. I also purposefully sought out other opportunities where I would be of service and participate in life-giving community activities such as volunteering at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart during the Lenten season and participating in the 5K Run/Walk – Steps for Students in aid of Catholic education for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. I am most grateful to the Sisters and our associates who contributed to the vast experience I gained in all areas.

The pandemic formed part of my cross-cultural experience. It impacted everybody’s life and plans, myself included. My international experience plans were affected. I could not travel to Ireland in June as it had been planned, an experience to which I was looking forward. Everything happens for a reason and a purpose.

When the “Stay at home, Work safe” orders were given, it all seemed like a dream not knowing what effects and how long this was going to last. Being at home with very little to do and living with uncertainty was taking a toll on me.

A paradigm shift in my life was taking place and I believe this was also happening to many other people. For the first time, I had to watch Eucharistic celebration on television and had no community prayers, something that had always brought us together. I began to realize the many things I took for granted in life like the freedom of movement and socializing, among others. I had been busy living my story, taking notes and processing it to share later. It was not until this time that I finally understood what “being” means. Thanks for those moments before the stay home order was lifted. It was in this new space that I came to understand the essence of “being” as opposed to “doing.” I finally got in touch with the popular Psalm 46:10 ‘Be still and know that I am God’ -- a call for me to trade in my busy for being. Deep calling unto deep and hearing the whisper ‘I made you for something more.’ This was and still continues to be a life lesson that I have to keep reviewing in my life journey.

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MY CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE, CON'T

I finally got in touch with the popular Psalm 46:10 ‘Be still and know that I am God’ -- a call for me to trade in my busy for being. Deep calling unto deep and hearing the whisper ‘I made you for something more.’ Sr. Agnes

ON THE WAVES OF OUR TIME

From all the experiences I had, both life-giving and challenging, I gathered skills and knowledge that is not only helpful for intercultural living but for daily living.

BY SR. RICCA DIMALIBOT, CCVI Prayer, patience, perseverance, availability, flexibility, understanding and intentional engagement in conversation are just but a few of the necessary values I found helpful for my cross-cultural experience. Above all is Faith, Hope, and Love.

My cross-cultural experience was a time of deepening my understanding of religious life beyond my culture and country. The experiences I had shaped and formed a new consciousness of mind and heart. I have a broader view and perspective of the Congregation. I am filled with gratitude for all who facilitated my smooth transition and stay in the USA. PRAISED BE THE INCARNATE WORD, FOREVER!

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Sisters attend Laudato Si' workshop in Kenya

Sisters Annastacia Mwikali Mutiso, Jennifer Chinelo Okwuaka, Veronicah Muthoni Mburu, Elizabeth Jepkorir Kiptoo, Agnes Njoki Njeru, Veronicah Nyokabi Karengeri, Maurine Chemnung Pangale, Benedicta Chidinma Ohaeri and members of the CYNESA (The Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa)team are pictured above.

How do you care for our common home?

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