Fall Equinox – time to reflect
Heirloom Gardener Cate Henderson hosts the Equinox celebration in the barn.Autumn officially arrived at 5:19 a.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 — the autumnal equinox, or fall equinox. Technically speaking, an equinox is a day when the Sun will spend an equal amount of time above and below the horizon. This happens twice a year, in Autumn and Spring. The peak of the harvest season was welcomed with prayer, song and celebration at the Heirloom...
Canadian author visits Kingston
Margaret Atwood — Canadian author, poet, critic, feminist and social campaigner.BY TARA KAINER Margaret Atwood, arguably Canada’s best-known writer, appeared on September 23 at a Private Reception in the Davies Lounge of the Grand Theatre for a local Kingston group, the Community Harvest Working Group (CHWG). Co-sponsored by the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul, the CHWG is dedicated to making local, healthy food more accessible to...
Goodbye with gratitude & sadness
General Superior Sister Pauline LallyGeneral Superior Sister Pauline Lally delivered this farewell addressd during the special Thanksgiving Mass at St. John in Perth on Sunday, June 21st. When I was a young girl growing up in St. Michael’s Parish,Belleville, it seemed that every Sister who taught me had either just come from teaching in Perth or when I returned to school in September, discovered that another Sister was transferred to Perth....
Vocation / Formation News
BY SISTER BARBARA THIFFAULT Inter-Congregational Vocation Committee met on March 10, 2009. At this meeting the Committee members worked on the suggestions presented at the last Archdiocesan Joint Vocation Committee meeting. We developed a number of intercessions for vocations that can be used on Vocation Sunday in the parishes. It was suggested that an intention for vocations be included every Sunday. These were sent to the parishes by the...
Associate Digest June 2009
BY ELIZABETH COWPERTHWAITE Celebrating SpringA Time to Grow in the Spirit Associates and Sisters attended the Associate Spring Retreat in the Providence Spirituality Centre on May 29 and 30. Sister Irene Wilson was the Retreat Leader. The Retreat was book-ended by two lively Social Hours which gave us all the opportunity to become re-acquainted. The theme of the Retreat was Spring and Renewal. Periods of relaxing silence were interspersed with...
Remembering Peru
Sister Susan surrounded by the children who greeted them with hugs.BY SISTER SUSAN PYE AND SISTER REINALDA KLOOSTERMAN They won the trip to Peru in March as the result of a draw suggested by former General Superior Kathryn LaFleur. We had a long, uneventful plane trip to Peru. On arrival, after going through customs, we were delighted to see our Sisters at the airport. What a warm welcome to an unfamiliar country! Another nice reception was the...
Busy time in the gardens
Cate Henderson promotes the work of the Heirloom Seed Sanctuary at an environmental conference at Queens University called ‘Food for Thought’BY CATE HENDERSON It is spring again! One year ago you may have been reading an article in this paper introducing the new Organic Gardener and Seed Saver, Cate Henderson. Thanks to you Sisters I am still here, having made it through one year of intense learning about saving vegetable seeds! It has been a...
Earth Day
Sister Shirley Morris and Cate Henderson welcomed visitors to the Greenhouse to celebrate Earth Day on April 22.Earth Day remains Canada’s strongest voice in promoting a sustainable environment. Ecologist Sister Shirley Morris suggests we should acknowledge the earth every day. Sister Shirley and organic gardener Cate Henderson invited Sisters, Associates and staff to the greenhouse on Earth Day to learn more about sustainability and...
Sisters celebrate milestone anniversaries
Congratulations Jubilarians!standing left to right: Sister Pauline Lally, 50 years, Sister Charlotte Kramps, 60 years, Sister Rita Hansen 60 yearsseated left to right: Sister Anna Marie Willer, 60 years, Sister Rita Dimberline 70 yearsBY CHRISTINE ROSS Sister Rita Dimberline entered religious life 70 years ago — a time when bread was about 8 cents a loaf and the annual salary was $1,850. There have been many changes in the world and the church...
25 in 5 creating real change
Sr. Pauline Lally attends a pre-budget vigil at Queen’s Park in March. The vigil was organized by the JPIC office.BY JAMIE SWIFT On May 6 Ontario’s Legislature unanimously passed the Poverty Reduction Act. It was one more step forward for 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction, a social justice coalition that has been lobbying for two years. The new law requires Ontario to set a new poverty reduction target and plan of action at least every five...
Poverty: reality vs perception
Grade 10 student Grace Iori asks “rental agent” Alice Gazeley how she can possibly afford a Kingston apartment.BY CHRISTINE ROSS High school students and retired teachers in Kingston struggled with the stress and anxiety of being poor during a one day role playing game at Queen’s University in April. Hosted by the Roundtable on Poverty Reduction, students played a specific role based on the lives of people living in poverty in Kingston. Grace...
Sisters open home to African visitors
left to right: Justin Mabouth (Cameroon), Sr. Joe Eke(Nigeria), Rev. Simeon Muhunga (Congo), and Rev. John Ngabo(Rwanda)BY CHRISTINE ROSS Calling their Kingston experience memorable, four African Prison Chaplains have returned home to share new insights into prison justice. Kingston is a long way from home for the chaplains, who lived among the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul while they studied restorative justice at Queen’s...
Stay-at-home Mom turns to activism
Bridget Doherty and former Canadian Liberal leader Stéphane Dion.BY BRIDGET DOHERTY Bridget Doherty was hired in February to work in the office of Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation. She deals with energy conservation and poverty issues. To better understand the US intended invasion of Iraq, the Globe & Mail (2001) suggested reading: A Green History of the World: the Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations by Clive...
Faith exchange with students
Grade 11 students Tanor Bonin (foreground) and Josh London.The Sisters of Providence made a return visit to Belleville high school St. Theresa Secondary as part of the annual conference hosted by the school’s Renaissance Society. Archivist Danielle Hughes and Tara Kainer of the Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation office were among the participants in the one-day conference in late April, designed to give students insight into their...
Icon displayed at Motherhouse Chapel
The icon of St. Paul displayed in the Chapel of Mary Mother of Compassion at Providence Motherhouse.Providence Pages & Monique Marchand Providence Motherhouse became part of history in April when the travelling icon of St. Paul made a brief appearance in the Chapel as part of a special prayer service. Pope Benedict XVI has declared June 2008-June 2009, the Year of St. Paul in celebration of the 2,000th anniversary of the saint’s birth....
Window fosters connection with faith
In almost every culture, there has been a close tie between religion and art. Sacred art not only communicates a story, it prompts reflection. Photo courtesy Candice NixonBY CHRISTINE ROSS In almost every culture, there has been a close tie between religion and art. Sacred art not only communicates a story, it prompts reflection. In Pope John Paul II’s 1999 Letter to Artists, the pontiff writes, “ Works of art speak to their authors; they...
Breaking the Poverty Cycle
Sister Una Byrne, Tara Kainer and General Superior Sr. Pauline Lally meet with the media to offer reaction to the Poverty ReportA long-time Kingston social activist describes the Ontario government’s new Poverty Reduction strategy as a shovel in the ground. Alice Gazeley and other members of Kingston’s Roundtable on Poverty, along with Sisters of Providence and our silent vigil keepers met with the media to offer reaction to the long awaited...
Multifaith Prayer Vigil
Father Paul Hansen of ISARC and General Superior at the March 11th vigil in Toronto. Photo: Tara Kainer, Justice & Peace OfficeBY JAMIE SWIFT A band of two dozen Kingston vigil keepers and friends traveled by bus to Toronto on March 11. Our goal was to participate in the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition’s prayer vigil at Queen’s Park. Ontario’s faith communities prayed for the poor at Queen’s Park during a series of pre-budget...
Building a Green Ontario
BY TARA KAINER The Green Communities Canada conference, Time for Action: Tackling energy poverty in Canada through energy efficiency, September 29 – October 1, 2008, brought together 250 delegates from across Canada. They represented energy consultants and utilities companies, social housing providers and private landlords, policy analysts and business consultants, First Nations’ organizations, low-income community advocates, and politicians. ...
Responding to the Call
BY SISTER PEGGY FLANAGAN The original committee, which resulted from the fourth directional statement of Chapter/94, was called Healing Violence Against Women. Our mandate to provide a major conference every two years on some aspect of Healing Violence over a period of ten years has been completed. These conferences, and smaller workshops were well attended. Awareness of the issues was raised as well as attitudes and actions taken to promote...