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May 2021 Newsletter
MAY NEWS
Pope's Prayer Intention for May
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The world of finance - Let us pray that those in charge of finance will work with governments to regulate the financial sphere and protect citizens 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.
Sr. Symphonie with the Eucharistic bread
Sr Symphonie made this bread 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.
The Virgin Mary Teaches Us
“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!” - Pope Francis
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 - May 21
Bishop Claude Marie Dubuis (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.
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.
Sr. Ursula O'Keeffe, depicted with a guest, founded Our Daily Bread 35 years ago.
Volunteers at work at Our Daily Bread
NATIONAL TEACHER'S DAY
BY SR. CECILIA LICH THANH TRAN, CCVI
Students at Aquinas praying together at the school football field when the school was opened after a year.
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. Most arrive early before school starts, stay late and take papers home to grade.
*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.
NATIONAL TEACHER'S DAY, Con't
Screen shot of a typical zoom classroom this year at Aquinas Catholic High School,Diocese of San Bernardino, CA.
Flowers grown by Sr. Bernardina González Florián
MY CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE: A TREASURE TO BEHOLD
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.
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. Prayer, BY SR. RICCA patience, DIMALIBOT, perseverance, CCVI 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!
Sr Agnes & Sr. Symphonie
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.
