SSpS-USA Bulletin June 2015

Vol. XXXV, No. 9 USA– March-June 2015

In this year dedicated to the Consecrated Life, we join our voices to say, “Thank you. Thank you, God for the gift of life and for calling us to follow Christ in the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit”.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the faithfulness of God to our Jubilarian Sisters through 70, 65, 50, and 25 years Missionary Consecrated Life. This occasion is an invitation to thank God for the Consecrated Life of our Sisters in light of the three aims that Pope Francis presents us in his apostolic letter.

1) We “look to the past with gratitude”! We are grateful to God for calling our Sisters Mary Jane, Maria Elizabeth, Mary Pardy, Veronica Marie, Rose Therese, and Elwira to Missionary-Religious Life. We are also grateful to our Sisters for generously saying “YES” and committing their life in the following of Christ. Thank you to all those who touched their lives and sustained them in difficult times.

2) We are called to live the present with passion! To live fully each moment… As missionaries, we are called to remain faithful to the mission the Lord entrusted to us. We thank God for the passion our Jubilarian Sisters demonstrate in their day-to-day missionary task of being women of communion through prayer and ministry, by sharing gifts and talents and in service in leadership and formation.

3) We praise God for the gift of Consecrated Life and we embrace the future with hope, trusting that the future is in God’s hands. We congratulate our Jubilarian Sisters and with open hearts, we ask the Spirit to guide and enable them to “wake up the world” by continuing to be witnesses of hope and instruments of communion.

Sr. Monica Mabel, SSpS

Welcome!

Congratulations!!!

Sr. Clara Harumi Machimura Sr. Yuliana Meno graduated from Loyola University Chicago with an MA in Religious Education on May 5.

Sr. Xaveriana Ngene graduated from Carthage College with a BA in Social Work on May 24.

She arrived on April 27, 2015. She has a temporary appointment to our Province. She is a Junior Sister from the Province of Japan.

She already joined our community in Epworth on May 23rd and began to take English classes at Divine Word College.

Sr. Nelly, Petronella Boonen

Sr. Genobeba Amaral graduated from the Catholic Theological Union with an MA in Justice Ministry on May 14.

Greetings Warm greetings from Sr. Margaret Hansen from Rome!

Sr. Agathe Bramkamp also sent greetings. She left for Germany on May 20th. She is the co-facilitator of the International English Tertiate 2015 which is being held in Steyl-Rome from June 15th -September 10th.

Home Leaves Sr. Monica, Zhang travelled to the Far East on May 24.

Sr. Theresa Tawiah left for Ghana the first week of June We pray that both of our Sisters have a restful time with their family and friends.

Sr. Nelly arrived on May 15, 2015. She is from Brazil and will be staying in our Province until August 2015. She lives with our Sisters in Rogers Park and will is studying English at INTRAX in Chicago.

Appointments Sr. Salud Osornio joined our Sisters in Misiones, Argentina in May. Sr. Xaveriana Ngene will join our community in New York by the end of July.

Sr. Gladys Smith will join the Grayslake community by the end of August.

We are grateful for their willingness and missionary spirit May the Holy Spirit guide and bless them and their ministries.

Pope Francis

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Congratulation to our Jubilarians!

Sr. Mary Jane Lusson, 70 years.

Sr. Maria Elizabeth Klodt, 65 years Sr. Mary Pardy, 65 years.

Sr. Rose Therese Nolta, 50 years.

Sr. Veronica Marie Mikkelsen, 50 years.

Sr. Elwira Dziuk, 25 years.

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National Gathering of Karenni People The solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so dear to our Founder, gathered representatives of the three congregations of St. Arnold Janssen at the Christ the King Chapel in Lincoln, NE. Fr. Alex Roedlach, professor at Creighton University, Omaha, made the arrangements. He was the presider at the Eucharist we celebrated accompanied by vibrant guitar music by the Divine Word College, DWC, students. After the Mass we met in the parlor and for a more than an hour of lively conversation with the Sisters.

We concluded with common Evening Praise.

We were amazed that all the time a few people prayed in the chapel. All of us, SSpS and SVD felt grateful for the rare occasion of meeting and supporting each other in our common, yet distinct missionary vocation.

Responding to the invitation of the SVD National Vocation Director, Mr. Len Uhal, Sr. Arnolda Kavanamur and I joined their trip to Omaha, NE, where the national gathering of Karenni people took place. Karenni was formally a state in Burma whose inhabitants were systematically driven out of the country under the military regime for two reasons: they had sided with the British and they were either Christians or naturalist in a Buddhist country. After years spent in refugee camps in Thailand or Malaysia, thousands have come to the USA in the last decade.

SSpS and SVD participants standing in front of the Karenni banner for the National Gathering

Srs. Arnolda Kavanamur and Dorota Maria Piechaczek

Through Burmese students, who attend the DWC, the Sisters from the Epworth Community have been in contact with the Karenni youth groups in Iowa. A few high school girls have expressed the desire to learn more about religious life as they consider religious life as a possibility for them.

Our mission in Omaha was mostly presence and visibility as we were almost the only nonKarenni people. The participants, coming from all over the country, were busy following the program and visiting with each other. The vocation material did not attract their attention because of their limited English language skills.

At the sport games, we were able to meet a few young women who previously had contacted our Sisters in Epworth. At the soccer field was Neme, who would like to join us almost immediately but she is still very young. Another Neme and Agnes played volleyball. They are both going to be seniors in high school. Since they still very young for religious life, they have a long time to discern God’s call. However, it is important that we show interest in their lives and nourish the calling they have discovered.

Whatever the young ladies or the students at DWC will do in the future, one thing is certain, the Karenni people need leaders for the future both to preserve their cultural identity and values and to succeed in their adopted country.

Sr. Dorota Maria Piechaczek, SSpS

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Visiting Epworth The Junior Sisters went to Epworth, Iowa for an enriching talk by Roger Schroeder, SVD on “Interculturality and Mission in our Church” on Friday, March 27th. For this year of consecrated life, the Religious Formation Conference had a one-day gathering by Lynn Levo, CSJ on March 28th at Loras College, Dubuque, IA where many of the Juniors and other SSpS attended. The title was Hope: A Psycho-Spiritual Perspective.

Sr. Aprilia Untarto shares that “one needs to work on having hope… it is walking in the darkness… this is a part of the mystery of life.”

Sr. Yina Ni said that “I have no idea of resistance… but we need awareness of resistance not to lose hope and courage.”

A reflection by Sr. Uloma Akpa said, “Hope is a continuous journey and in this hope we need trust and faith to accept our grief.” Several mentioned that “we have a choice – hope is a choice.”

We are grateful for the hospitality of our community in Epworth. There was lots of life, laughter and learning these days.

Intercommunity Gathering Three times a year, the temporary professed from various communities come together. On March 14, 2015, Srs. Aprilia Untaro, Uloma Akpa and Rose Therese Nolta drove to Milwaukee to the Sisters of the Divine Savior Community House. The theme of the day was “Living in a Global Community” where a panel of professed religious shared about integration of cultural heritages into local communities.

The first panel shared about their own cultural background while the second gave practical ways in which their cultural heritage was integrated or not into community living. It was a helpful day to come together with other juniors, men and women religious, to learn more about living with cultural diversity.

Opening Prayer Ceremony – we blessed each other with holy water

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Hispanic Ministry

It is with great joy that I share with you my experience working with the Hispanic ministry in Antigua, Montserrat, and Tortola. During this time I worked as a team with Fr. Robert Ratajczak, SVD who is in charge of the Hispanic Ministry in the diocese of St. John’s-Basseterre.

Fr. Robert and I faced many challenges and sometimes it was not as easy as we expected.

In Monserrat the sects are constantly knocking and bringing confusing messages at the doors of catholic families. The confusion of beliefs becomes an important factor in their lives because there is no one to guide them.

workshops for the community. Unfortunately, the participation was not as great as expected.

On the other hand, this community is blessed with the leadership of Mr. Roberto, who in spite of having a family and working as a professor, always finds time to serve the community.

With joy I shared a small part of my experience with the Hispanic community. Everything we did with Fr. Robert, was carried out with love and prayers. We felt the presence and blessing of God in all our activities.

Let us continue to pray for the mission in these Islands.

Although we scheduled only a weekend for visiting Tortola, we organized there several

Sr. Maria Rosa Busson, S.Sp.S.

Renewal of Vows Sr. Aprilia Untarto renewed her Religious Vows on Monday, June 22nd in Tagaytay, Phillipines. Congratulations Sr. Aprilia!

She left for the Philippines to begin her tertianship on April 27th. The program was officially opened on May 12 with the Eucharistic celebration, presided by Fr. Tony Pernia, SVD. There are four other tertians in the group along with Sr. Shalini Chakummotil Mathew, the Tertian Directress.

Sr. Skolastika Wea will renew her religious vows in Iowa on June 28th, at 5:30pm. The Eucharist celebration will take place at the Cathedral in Debuque. May God bless her generous commitment to missionary service.

Sr. Aprilia at the airport

Sr. Skolastika Wea

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A Visit with Archbishop Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R. and our SVD Brothers On March 11, 2015, several Sisters of the Techny Community responded to the SVD invitation to share the morning of reflection during their recent Province Assembly/Chapter. Included in the time together was the opportunity to hear the inspiring words of Archbishop Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Indianapolis, Indiana; followed by liturgy and a delicious meal.

Prior to Archbishop Tobin’s appointment to Indianapolis, he spent 18 years in Rome as a General Councilor and Superior General of the Redemptorists Fathers and also as Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Archbishop Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R. Filled with humor and sharing from his personal experiences, his talk focused on the richness and importance that religious community life, the vows, and prayer are central to the life of all consecrated religious men and women. He realized that more than ever, when he became Archbishop and spent most of his time outside his religious community. He experienced a sense of aloneness and distance – the untouchable experience. Like the wife of the Thailand Emperor (in one of their folktales) who was considered ‘untouchable’.

One day while swimming alone, she began to drown and cried for help; but since she was ‘untouchable’ no one came to her assistance and she died. However, through words, gestures, and actions, our confreres (Sisters) are with us with loving support in times of discernment, times of joy, and times of sorrow.

Archbishop Tobin referred to obedience as “listening!” We are called to listen to God’s voice, to one another, to the voice of those among whom we minister, and to the Church and one’s congregational documents. He emphasized; however, that the Document “Lumen Gentium” calls to holiness, a call for all people,

not just consecrated religious, a call to listen.

There is always something to learn from the other, and there is always something one can offer to the other.

Using the example from Scripture of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, he said “many can read, but we need someone to interpret.” It is important to look to the poor and those among whom we share life and mission to ‘interpret’ life in their circumstances. The Pentecost event was a moment of unity, a moment of listening, of being heard.

The Archbishop concluded his morning talk affirming that life in community is a radical witness of unity in diversity. Allow for diversity!

Honor it, cherish it!

In the homily of the Eucharistic Celebration, Archbishop Tobin reiterated the importance of making our “signs” understandable to others.

We may speak with great eloquence, but if others don’t understand, what good is it! While dining in a restaurant in Rome in the time following the installation of Pope Francis, he decided to ‘check-out’ what some of the locals thought of the new Pope. An often heard response was “He speaks our language!”

May we, in religious missionary community life, witness to and speak the language of love to one another and to those whom we encounter!

The Sisters who attended this morning of reflection and sharing were grateful to our SVD brothers for the opportunity to participate.

Sr. Mary Miller, SSpS

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Commission on the Status of Women March was an exciting month for everyone at the Holy Spirit Life Learning Center (HSLLC).

We hosted a third immigration workshop on March 4th, we had a small Easter celebration on March 25th, and the last day of winter classes was on March 27th. Most notably, Sr. Judith Vallimont, SSpS, and I traveled to New York City to attend the fifty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59) at the United Nations Headquarters. The event took place from March 9th to the 20th; I participated for the two weeks and Sr. Judy arrived in the second week.

from countries where our Sisters are working, such as Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Antigua, the Philippines, and India just to name a few.

Attending CSW59 was a remarkable learning experience and we will be able to integrate what we learned at the HSLLC. We thank the Province, VIVAT International, and the SSpS community in New York for making our participation possible and pleasant.

Arantxa Martinez, M.A.

This year, the focus of CSW59 was the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. During the session, Member States reviewed progress made and challenges in implementing the Platform for Action, and agreed on further actions to ensure the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women.

I had the opportunity to attend three of the official meetings. Sr. Judy and I attended side events held by Permanent Missions and UN entities, and parallel events outside UN premises organized by NGOs. Topics included prevention of violence against women and children; addressing non-communicable diseases and discrimination; women promoting human dignity; engaging men and boys to prevent gender based violence; social media; and much more.

We were especially excited to hear presentations

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Ecumenical Advocacy Days This year I was privileged to join Srs. Rose Therese Nolta and Aprilia Untarto at the 13th Annual National Gathering of Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice. This year’s event was held in Washington, D.C. from April 17-20, 2015 with the theme: “Breaking the Chains: Mass Incarceration and Systems of Exploitation.”

We left Chicago on the morning of the 17th and arrived around 4:15pm at the SVD Residence where we lodged. Representatives from different faith groups gave speeches on the topic chosen “Breaking the Chains.” The highlight from all the talks was about TRUTH. The workshop speakers challenged us, as participants, to wake up, speak and fight for justice in the society especially with regards to the chains of exploitation.

On the second day, there was a talk on the theme of Human Trafficking. We looked at some of the root causes of human trafficking, including economic, social exclusion, gender discrimination, political, legal and conflicts. At the end of the workshop, I was surprised to learn that trafficking has become the most lucrative crime business after drugs.

What resources from our faith tradition reinforce and strengthen us in our work to end human trafficking?

Pope Francis: “Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity: We must unite our ef-

forts to free the victims and stop this increasingly aggressive crime.”

I was also glad to participate in the workshop, Africa - the Prolong Ebola Crises and Its Root, and the Boko Haram issue of Kidnapping Young Girls in the Northern part of Nigeria, which was part of a violence campaign in addition to other crimes. It is very sad to know that more than 250 school girls were kidnaped and that some of them managed to escape while others still cannot be traced.

The Ebola epidemic that afflicted some parts of West African countries with great loss of life and economic devastation is symptomatic of a larger problem. The three countries most affected by the epidemic – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – lost about $1.5 billion each year to corporate tax evasion, corruption and external debt payments in the decade preceding the outbreak. Guinea spends more money servicing debt than on public health. How can we tackle the root causes of this affliction and change the economic policies that trap people in a cycle of poverty?

ernmental Systems, Exploitations of Natural Resources by the economic powers. The side effect is global injustice.

Charity, they say, begins at home. During the workshop, we were challenged to tackle this issue of injustice from our faithbased communities, families and places of work. I also believe that the criminal justice system should be reviewed so that lack of education, poverty, lack of employment, drug addiction (which are the fertile grounds for crime) can be taken care of.

Once these root causes are taken care of, hopefully crime rates would reduce drastically and the number of people incarcerated would be reduced. We should all support this worthy cause of justice with prayer, advocacy talks, and lobbying activities to support and protect the vulnerable in society. Finally, I really felt impressed by the unity of the faith community and their courage to help fight injustice in the society. I congratulate the organizers of this year’s gathering for a job well done.

Sr. Gertrude Ahegbebu, SSpS

The conference was an eye opener because it brought me face to face with the real issues of global justice and peace. The root causes are all about economics, businesses trying to make money. From International Trade, Drug Trafficking, Human Trafficking, Corruption in Gov-

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My Experience in Mexico I went to visit the SSpS community in Mexico; when I arrived everyone made me feel welcomed. Sr. Gladys Pathiamoola from India, came to pick me up at the bus station.

Soon after I arrived I learned that the Junior Sisters, would have a retreat in the State of Pachuca and I was invited to join them. I stayed with the Sisters in Mexico city for several days, until Sr. Yanet Hernandez (Junior) from Oaxaca arrived. Together with Sr. Lucia Da Costa, from Indonesia, we went to the State of Pachuca, where we met Sister Marcela Robles (Junior) and Sister Sophia Tukan the Junior Directress.

The Sisters recently started this community and they minister in a nursing home.

The retreat started on May 15th at 5:00 pm.

First we were invited to introduce ourselves and say something about us. It had been two months since the death of my Father and the retreat gave me allowed me to share thoughts and feelings that I had kept in my heart. Sr. Sophia chose the topic: "Go back to your Galilee, to your roots." For me, this theme was very appropriate because I literally went back to my roots after 20 years. (After living 20 years in the USA, I returned to Mexico) I went to the place where my faith began.

All of my childhood-memories came back to me; the time I lived with my parents. I realized that my parents were my first teachers. They taught me many things: Every morning, before

Srs. Yanet Hernandez, Marcela Robles and Salud Osornio

getting up, my Father used to pray in a loud voice; thus, I learned by heart all the prayers.

Every Sunday, my mother took us to Mass and in order to keep us quiet, she pointed to the Cross and told us: behave yourself God is watching you. In that moment and with these memories I started to process my father’s death.

I felt very comfortable sharing with the two junior Sisters. This retreat gave me the opportunity to be with them and become better acquainted with them. We stayed together from Friday afternoon till Sunday noontime. They were very happy to have me; and they demonstrated interest in many things about the junior Sisters in the USA. Sr. Salud Osornio, SSpS

Sr. Salud Osornio received an appointment for a Cross Cultural Mission Experience, CCME, for three years in Misiones, Argentina. During this time Sr. Salud will have the opportunity to share life and mission with Sisters in Misiones and also continue her studies.

On May 21st, she traveled to Argentina. She joined the community of our Sisters in the Santa Maria School in Posadas, Misiones. She is volunteering at the school as an aid to Pre-K teachers and she also works in the different ministries in the San Roque Parish.

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For Your Prayerful Remembrance Our Deceased:

Update on our Sisters:

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Sr. Uloma’s oldest brother Gabriel Akpa, died in Nigeria on February 23rd.

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Although Sr. Patrice Coutu is in hospice care she is in very good spirit.

Sr. Salud Osornio’father, Simon Osornio, passed away due to a stroke last March 19th.

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After spending some days in the hospital, Sr. Maryellen Drasler is home and needs special care.

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Sr. Therese Mary Martinez’s oldest nephew, Carlos, from Texas, passed away on the 24th of March.

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Sr. Maria Fischer is also in hospice care.

She is doing well and continues to do her regular activities.

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Sr. Marie Louise Jilk’s sister, Marie Jilk, died on April 2.

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Sr. Yuliana Meno recently had surgery and is recovering well.

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Sr. Agathe Bramkamp’s brother, Hubert, died on April 23th and her sister-in-law, Elisabeth, died on May 9th.

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Augustine Milat, stepfather of Sr. Arnolda Kavanamur passed away in May.

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Lina Estimate, a dear friend of Lorvita Ferilus (candidate) also passed away in May.

Let us continue to support our Sisters with our prayers.

Save the date 

On July 7:

2:00 to 3:00pm - Drivers training 3:00pm - meeting with local leaders and assistants

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July 8 to 10 - Assembly-Chapter

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July 11 - Province Day

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July 12-17 - Province Retreat with Fr. Anthony Gittins, CSSP

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July 18 - Join Jubilee Celebration

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July 19-24 - Retreat at Techny Towers with Fr. Jim McBurney, OSA

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JPIC Corner—May, - June 2015

Save the Great Lakes, Save Ourselves!

The Great Lakes water system is one of the largest in the world, spanning more than 94,000 square miles and providing one-fifth of the world’s and nine-tenths of the US fresh surface water supply.

In recent years, the essential ecosystem supported by the Great Lakes has come under attack by industrial interests seeking to harvest the many natural resources the Lakes provide such as natural gas, valuable metals, minerals and more. However, these practices contaminate ground and surface water supplies and harm wildlife.

Photo courtesy of www.epa.gov

The Religious Coalition for the Great Lakes is a group of religious women whose members and communities live around the Great Lakes and want to preserve and keep the gift of the Lakes for present and future generations. They wrote a statement, “Save the Great Lakes, Save Ourselves!” which outlines precursors to the potential destruction of the Lakes, including recent incidents and actions for moving forward. Water is a requirement for life and access to it should be a right, not a privilege. Now is the time to act to preserve the Great Lakes and our futures.

The Problem: 

In August, 2014, there was an explosion at the British Petroleum refinery in Whiting, IN on Lake Michigan. We have not been informed as to whether it was tar sands that was spilled.

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In July there was an outbreak of phosphorous induced toxic blue algae in Lake Erie near Toledo, OH which caused drinking water in the area to be contaminated, affecting over 400,000 residents.

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Pet coke (petroleum waste) has been stored along the Calumet River and has been polluting it., which in turn pollutes Lake Michigan, since the Calumet River flows into the lake.

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In July, 2010, an Enbridge pipeline break poured 840,000 gallons of tar sands crude oil into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River. To date, the cleanup is not complete with over $1 billion being spent.

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On August 18, 2014, documents posted by the State Department show that Enbridge wants to (Continued on next page…)

“Our mistreatment of the natural world diminishes our own dignity and sacredness, not only because we are destroying resources that future generations of humans need, but because we are engaging in actions that contradict what it means to be human. Our tradition calls us to protect the life and dignity of the human person, and it is increasingly clear that this task cannot be separated from the care and defense of all of creation.” (US Catholic Bishops, Renewing the Earth) 12

Save the Great Lakes, Save Ourselves! (continued) The Great Lakes provide 20% of the world’s drinking water. almost double the flow of tar sands into the Great Lakes region using a pipeline along its Alberta Clipper pipeline. (Jim Murphy, “State Department Approves Illegal Scheme for Doubling Tar Sands Flowing through the Great Lakes,” Aug. 25, 2014, National Wildlife Federation) 

“Tiny particles of plastic have been added to thousands of personal care products sold around the world. These microbeads, hardly visible to the naked eye, flow straight from the bathroom drain into the sewer system. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to filter out microbeads and that is the main reason why, ultimately, they contribute to the Plastic Soup swirling around the world’s oceans.

Sea creatures absorb or eat microbeads. These microbeads are passed along the marine food chain. Since humans are at the top of this food chain, it is likely that we are also absorbing microbeads from the food we eat. Microbeads are not biodecourtesy gradable and once they enter the marine environment, they are impossible to re- Photo of cleanandclear.com move.” (beatthemicrobead.org)

Action:  Prayer  Education— Inform Great Lakes residents and visitors about industrial practices that harm the region.  Corporate Commitment—Encourage corporations to meet or exceed environmentally-friendly resource harvesting practices.  Advocacy—Support legislation ensuring that residents are informed of nearby industrial practices; advocate for regulations that place limits on industrial practices that harm the environment.  Collaboration—Form alliances with other organizations dedicated to Great Lakes preservation.  The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) must be exposed and discontinued.

“Through the secretive meetings of ALEC, corporate lobbyists and state legislators vote as equals on ‘model bills’ to change our rights that often benefit the corporations’ bottom line at public expense. ALEC is a pay-to-play operation where corporations buy a seat and a vote on ‘task forces’ to advance their legislative wish lists and can get a tax break for donations, effectively passing these lobbying costs onto taxpayers.” ALEC pushes for legislation that is friendly to fossil-fuel production. (alecexposed.com) We can—we must—take action to preserve the Great Lakes and halt destructive industrial practices that harm their fragile but valuable ecosystems.

Thank You! Before and after tar sands are extracted; courtesy of 350siliconvalley.org

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