SISTERS OF CHARITY OF
NAZARETHJ ... 1 .
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth find home in Belize
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For y m the Sisters of (3mi&of p19zareth have been at home in Belize. Now, they will also have a home there. The SCN leadership's recent decision to purchase a building to provide space for emerging ministry needs represents a new moment inthe 's twentythree yea^ history in this small Central American country. Prior to thii time SCNs have not owned property, choosing instead to work and live in parishes or with agencies. Now seemed the time to establish physical roots in Belize - a witness to the ongoing 3CN commit. ment to the people of Belize and a place where new ministries can develop as
What's Inside. 3 SCNs sponmr workshop for women leadm.at Dumberdih 4 SCNs integrate mission into healthcare services 4 Hospital outreach program touch the lives of people in their communk
7 SCN Vocation Network plans vocation promotion strategies
8 Pointr of Interest Along the Way 9 Journeying On... 10 Memolialand HonoraryGifb
they work in collaboration with the people, other service groups and the Church in Belize. "Listening to the people of Belize with whom we live and work and reflecting on our Mission Statement's emphasis on the poor, women and the multicultural reality of our world prompted us to plan several minishy p m gram8 to meet emerging needs," said Anne Rita Mauck SCN,Southern Regional Representative. "We have chosen to focus on informal education for village women and immersion/service programs for US. students. Both of these programs require space large enough to accomme date groups. In addition, we wanted a place to welcome the increasing number of women interested in joining the SCN community," she said. "In a city where finding housing at all much less for groups - is extremely difficult, we felt the Spirit leading us as e b menis needed to make our plan a reality began to fall into place," Sister Anne Rita explained. Prior to locating the facility for the programs. Brenda Qonzales,SCN, who has extensive experience working with young adults
and service programs, accepted the position of director of the new prqmm. Sister Anne Rita added, "A reasonably priced, welllocated building became available and we moved quickly, r e a l i i such an unusual opportunity might not present itself again." The concept of a program for informal education of
women Like herself end their education at grade school: some because the inadequate training in their village schools prevents them from passing the high school qualifying exam; othem because limited family resources offen require a choice of education for a son or daughter, with the scale weighted toward the
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THE , Q AS A CLASSROOM: For dude& h m other aum?ies, visiting Belize, Central America offers not on@a lesson in laneuitge and culture. but one in sw'd iustice and a r e d i z a h of d l i n 0 in their own lives. Here, Brenda Gonzhes, SCN. (bade tented d i m r zf the SCN Center in Belize, poses wrth young people pad~tipatingin the soad immersion pmgram. The dormfbry whid the SCN house in Bdize will contiun followingrenovabon will make it possible for thm students to stay in a safe location with a spiritual atmosphere.
women began with a simple knock on the door. Several yeam ago one young Mayan woman appeared on the doorstep of the sisters' house asking for their help to cornplete her education. Many
boy. Now, Sisters Paschal
Maria Fernicola and Rosemarie Kirwan in the little ViUage of Independence tutor about 10 women in a high school comespondence (&n,,edmpage2)