SMA FAITH WALK
ST. MARY’S ACADEMY CAMPUS MINISTRY/NOVEMBER 2015 EDITION
Communion of the Saints tapestry, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles
All Saints Day November 1
He Named Me Malala
“Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani teenager who is the youngest person ever to receive the
Nobel Peace Prize. She stands in the same circle of honor as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Mother Teresa. In the opening scenes of this compelling and heart-warming documentary, director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth andWaiting for Superman) presents a beautiful animated sequence recounting the legend of the heroic young woman Malala was named after — a 19th century girl who distinguished herself as a rebel against the British in Afghanistan. Malala's father, Zaiuddin Yousafzai, chose the name for his daughter because he was convinced that she would become an extraordinary person. And she has. When the Taliban took charge of Malala's village in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, they began a systematic attack on education, especially for girls; many schools were blown up. At the age of 11, she began blogging about this discrimination and her personal experiences as a girl living under this oppressive regime. She also spoke out publicly. Then in October of 2012, when she was 15, Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban fighter as she sat on a school bus. Defying all odds, she survived and was moved to England for surgery. Due to the severity of the wound, this idealistic teenager spent months in the hospital recuperating and receiving therapy for the left side of her face, which remains partially paralyzed. Guggenheim uses news footage to tell some of Malala's story and also takes his cameras into her current home in Birmingham, U.K. He draws out the warmth within her uprooted family with scenes of her brothers teasing Malala and the teenager sharing pictures of her favorite movie stars. Malala remains very close to her father and as she gets stronger, he travels with her around the world as she campaigns for women's rights in Kenya and Nigeria, where 300 girls were snatched away from their families by Boko Haram, an extremist Islamic group. Malala expresses her dismay that the Taliban have "tarnished the beautiful face of Islam" by their scorn and degradation of Muslim women. Best of all, the director effectively showcases Malala's views not only on women's rights and girls' education, but also her beliefs in reconciliation and nonviolence as the path to peace. Included are excerpts from her speech before the United Nations in June 2013. She concluded with this call to action: "Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child. One teacher. One book. One pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first." Millions of girls and women have been emboldened by Malala's love, loss, and courage to stand up and speak out for women's rights. Don't miss this astonishing documentary about a true prophet and peacemaker in our time.”
Film Review by Frederic and Mar y Ann Brussat www.spiritualit yand practice.com PG 13 2015
Loretto in Pakistan By Regina Drey, S.L. Malala Yousafzai’s passion for the children of Pakistan is echoed in the three Sisters of Loretto who work in their home country, Pakistan. Comparisons to the first three Sisters of Loretto in Kentucky and SMA’s three founders in untamed Denver come to mind when thinking of Sisters Maria, Samina and Nasreen’s unwavering dedication to the needs of a new Loretto frontier. The Sisters work at St. Albert School, a coeducational diocesan school of nearly 400 students in primary through high school, located in a poor area on the outskirts of Faisalabad. The school welcomes Muslim and Christian students. Up through grade 4, the students attend religious From left, Maria, Samina and education classes in the faith their family practices. Nasreen at their Final Vow ceremony In the upper grades, all students study Islam. The at the Loretto Motherhouse Christian students receive additional instruction in Summer 2015 Christian religious education classes. The Sisters took over the responsibility of running the school in 2010, a year after the Pakistani government mandated that all schools conduct classes in English rather than Urdu. As a result, teaching English to the faculty was the initial priority along with inservice training in lesson planning, classroom management, and meeting with parents at school, some of whose parents earn a living salvaging items from garbage. In addition to the work at St. Albert School, the Sisters began five sewing centers, named Loretto Centers, and trained women to be instructors. The women who participate learn to knit, embroider, use sewing machines and acquire similar skills as a way to generate income for their families. Besides teaching marketable skills, the sewing circles are community gatherings for mutual support, information sharing and camaraderie.
Because electricity is unreliable in Pakistan, two of the Sisters were trained in solar installation at Solar Energy International in Colorado during their time in the United States. The panels they installed on their school building keep the fans and lights running smoothly during the almost daily outages. Other religious communities have also welcomed their expertise. Loretto’s mission in Pakistan may be thousands of miles away from the community’s Kentucky roots, yet it is wonderfully reminiscent of other founding stories in Loretto, stories of courageous women led by faith to generously respond to the needs of the times.
Dorothy Day and Loretto By Regina Drey, S.L.
When Pope Francis addressed Congress in September and described Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton with Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. as great Americans, I could almost hear a resounding “yes” from Loretto.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER...
The two lesser known persons, Dorothy Day and Thomas are closely associated with Loretto. Their lives of contemplation and action — of living the Gospel by alleviating suffering and seeking peace — have inspired and challenged Loretto for years. Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin founded the Catholic Worker movement that today includes 200 Catholic Worker houses in the United States and 28 in other countries. Loretto members started a Denver Catholic Worker house downtown about 30 years ago and it continues to serve homeless people today. Loretto members have also been involved in Catholic Worker houses in other cities. In the late 1960s Loretto members spent summers working alongside Dorothy Day in New York City’s Lower East Side. The Catholic Worker house in Denver is a community of live-in members who follow a simple lifestyle. They share their home with persons seeking emergency housing. Together they form a family, preparing meals, eating dinner together, doing household chores, supporting one another — all in an atmosphere of welcome and respect. Outside of the house, the full-time members of the Catholic Worker community are involved in issues such as food justice, homelessness, and other peace and justice concerns. In another area of downtown, volunteers at a Catholic Worker soup kitchen prepare and serve meals twice a week. The Catholic Worker movement is a vibrant presence in Denver. Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton (whom I will write about in a future SMA Faith Walk ) continue to have a profound influence on Loretto today as we pray and work for justice and peace throughout the world.
Dorothy Day November 8 1897-1980
What do I see in myself that is from God? What keeps me stable when things get shaky? Whom or what have I been grateful for in the last few days?
Book of the
Junior Kindergarten and the Death of Goldfish
Dead In the Catholic tradition, November is a special month for remembering our loved ones who have died. We celebrate the Feast of All Souls on November 2nd, but the entire month is a memorial. Our Book of the Dead is outside Ms. Mac’s office; please share the name(s) of those loved ones you miss so we can remember them in prayer.
In the midst of a study on the Colorado wilderness and the addition of goldfish in the JK classroom, two of the fish died. After discussion, brainstorming and overnight reflection on what God would want them to do with the goldfish, students decided to place them in a box, bury them, lay flowers on the site and say a prayer. And so, the fish funeral planning commenced. A box was constructed, invitations were sent to parents and others to meet at the Butterfly Bridge, and prayers were composed by the students, including the following excerpt: “Dear God, Thank you for our sweet fish. We are sorry they died. In Heaven we hope our fish get flowers, presents and pictures. We pray they have bouncy castles and ziplines and that they can swim with other fish.We will miss them. Amen.” With a beautiful combination of JK energy and solemnity, the service was held on a warm and sunny October afternoon. It was a meaningful remembrance reflecting the heartfelt expressions of the youngest members of the St. Mary’s Academy community.
ADVENT
Begins November 29 “Traditionally, Advent wreaths are constructed of a circle of evergreen branches into which four candles are inserted, representing the four weeks of Advent. Ideally, three candles are purple and one is rose, but white candles can also be used. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of his second coming to judge the living and the dead.” http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/advent/aboutadvent-wreaths.cfm
“Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent (from, "ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas. The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. The final days of Advent, from December 17 to December 24, focus particularly on our preparation for the celebrations of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas).” http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/advent/
Poetry Corner Good people Most royal greening verdancy, Rooted in the sun, You shine with radiant light. In this circle of earthly existence You shine so finely; It surpasses understanding. God hugs you. You are encircled by the arms of the mystery of God. --St. Hildegard of Bingen
From the Editor... HAPPY NOVEMBER! Next month we will re flect on the Jubilee Holy Year of Mercy, proclaimed by Pope Francis, which begin s December 8. St. Mary’s Academy is a school that believes the fundamental messag e of God as taught and lived by Jesus, to love without boun ds. Together we continu e to build and live the Loretto School values of faith, comm unity, justice and respect!
Paula Lee Campus Minister plee@stmarys.academy
NOVEMBER 2015 Interfaith and Justice Calendar November Religious and Justice Observances November is National American Indian Heritage Month *The event begins the evening of the previous day **Exact date may vary between traditions and communities Adapted from: www.interfaithcalendar.org and www.adl.org
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
2
1 All Saints Day Christian
Wednesday
3
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
4
5
6
7
11
12
13
14
Feast of St. Martin de Porres
All Souls Day Christian
Election Day
8 Birthday of Dorothy Day (1897-1980)
15
9 Birthday of Thomas Berry (1914-2009) Kristallnacht 1938
16
10 World Science Day for Peace and Development
17
Veteran’s Day
Birth of BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
Diwali Hindu
Bahá’í
18
19
Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini 20
21
Universal Children’s Day
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
26
27
Thanksgiving
Christ the King Christian
29
30
First Sunday of Advent Christian
21
22
23
24
25