Happy Feast Day in the Year of Mercy

During the ceremony for the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Pope Francis said, "How much wrong we do to God and his grace when we speak of sins being punished by his judgment before we speak of their being forgiven by his mercy. . . . We have to put mercy before judgment."

Today, Sisters of Christian Charity around the world commemorate the death anniversary of Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt, the founder of our community.  During this Year of Mercy, we are struck by the many ways in which Mother Pauline's words and actions provide shining examples of how to live mercifully, to put mercy before judgment.  In a letter to Sister Walburga in November 1872, Mother Pauline wrote:  "We cannot have people only with their good qualities; they have their faults, too.  This is an imperfect world; heaven alone will bring perfection.  And it is a work of mercy:  What you cannot change in your neighbor you must bear with patience."  

Perhaps the best way we can remember Blessed Pauline today, during the Year of Mercy, is to remember to put mercy before judgment in our dealings with each other.  

Happy Feast of Blessed Pauline!

Pauline's Merciful Heart

During their Covenant Day festivities on Sunday, April 24, the Companions of Pauline (Associates of the Sisters of Christian Charity) of the North American Eastern Province heard wonderful presentations.  Sisters of Christian Charity from the province who had participated in mission trips with SCCs from around the world during "Pauline 200" (Congregation-wide preparation for the 200th birthday of SCC Founder, Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt on June 3, 2017) showed pictures and told moving stories of time spent in various SCC provinces during the past year.  These photos give a partial glimpse of the powerful presentations, which spoke to the theme of "Pauline's Merciful Heart."

Sister Mary Veronica Kulsar, Provincial Coordinator of the Companions of

Pauline, introduces the presenters.

Sister Mary Joseph Albright shares the experiences that she and

Sister Maria Lan Nguyen shared in Uruguay.

Sister Maria Angeline Weiss and Sister Mary Veronica report on the

mission experience of Sister Christina Marie Cables at Haciendo

Camino in Suncho Corral, Argentina.

Although not a part of the "Pauline 200" trip, Sister Maria Angeline

traveled to Argentina as part of that SCC Region's "Mission

Mallinckrodt" program.

Sister Marie Jose de la Rosa reports on the trip to the Philippines

in which she and Sister Justina Lanasa represented the

North American Eastern Province.

The Companions of Pauline and their coordinators pose for a photo

at the end of the festivities.

Collection of Items for Ecuador

Click here to access information about the collection of items for Ecuador by the Passaic Ecuadoran Alliance.  Is your church or municipality collecting items or funds for Ecuador?  Please comment on the blog and let us know.  Thank you!

Webinar Reminder

The webinar, "Divine Mercy at the Heart of the Cosmos," will be offered on Earth Day, April 22.  Click here to consult the details in our April 13 post.

Continued Prayers for Ecuador

As we reminded you earlier this week, continue to pray for the people of Ecuador who have been devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.  At last count, almost 500 have died and 2,500 are injured.  There are so many countries and organizations offering assistance that it is difficult to know which way to turn.  Remember that you can still donate through Catholic Relief Services, an organization that collaborates with other humanitarian organizations to get water, food and emergency shelter to those in need.

Prayers for Ecuador

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) offers this prayer for those affected by the devastating earthquake in Ecuador.  Additionally, click here to donate to CRS as it responds to emergencies in Ecuador and around the world.

Nonviolence and Just Peace

From April 11 to 13, participants in a major conference sponsored by Pax Christi International, the Catholic Peacebuilding Network and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace explored the theme "Nonviolence and Just Peace: Contributing to the Catholic Understanding of and Commitment to Nonviolence."  Click here to read the message Pope Francis sent to the participants at the beginning of the conference and here to read Joshua McElwee's report on the conference.

Earth Day Webinar: Divine Mercy at the Heart of the Cosmos

The Religious Formation Conference is offering the following webinar:
Divine Mystery at the Heart of the Cosmos
Presenter:  Linda Neil, CSJ

This webinar will weaver the Universe Story and the Paschal Mystery using art, poetry and theological reflection.  The Great Flaring Forth of the universe is an invitation to contemplate how Divine Mystery enfolds the cosmos.  On Earth Day and during the Easter Season, participants in this webinar will ponder and celebrate the mysteries of Deep Incarnation, Kenosis, Deep Resurrection and the Cosmic Story.

The webinar will take place on April 22 at 3 pm (EDT).  Click here for more information.

Stop Trafficking Newsletter for April

The April issue of the Stop Trafficking Newsletter -- highlighting the connection between corruption and various forms of human trafficking -- is available here.

News from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A note from Rome via the UISG JPIC e-news bulletin:
Kivu-Ituri of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced a devastating massacre of human life.  There is a petition (available here) to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the UN High Commission for Human Rights.

Reflections on the Apostolic Exhortation

Click here to read several reflections on Amoris Laetitia ("The Joy of Love"), the Apostolic Exhortation on love in the family.  Remember that the text of the entire document is available here.

Amoris Laetitia

The brand new Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia ("The Joy of Love") will be released at a Vatican press conference on Friday, April 8 at 11:30 am (that's 5:30 am EDT).  Live streaming of the press conference is available here.  As you may recall, the document is a result of the two-year process of the Synod on the Family.  Thus, the document is appropriately subtitled, "On Love in the Family."  The text of the document will be available here once it is released.  (It is being released to journalists at 8:00 am and to the public at noon.)

SOLD

SOLD is a narrative, feature film adaptation of the globally acclaimed novel by Patricia McCormick.  Based on true stories, SOLD illustrates the brutality of child trafficking, which affects millions of children around the globe every year.  Click here to visit the SOLD website for more information on the film, screening dates and times, and to request a screening in your area.

Re-evaluating just war theory

The Vatican will host a conference next week to re-examine the Church's teachings on the just war theory.  Click here to read more about the conference, which will be co-hosted by the Pontifical Council for Peace and Justice and Pax Christi International.  Pray for those involved in this April 11-13 conference as they reconsider this centuries-old theory.

Outrageous Women and Their God

From the Felician University (Lodi, NJ) website:

Felician University’s ninth annual Pope John Paul II Lecture titled, “Outrageous Women and Their God,” will feature keynote speaker Sister Mary Beth Lloyd, M.P.F. The event will be held on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the second floor lecture hall in Albin Obal Hall on the College’s Lodi campus, 262 South Main Street. Sister Mary Beth's talk will connect the work of the foundresses of both the Religious Teachers Filippini, (St. Lucy Filippini) and the Felician Sisters (Blessed Mary Angela) through their concerns for women and children. Sister will speak about the work being done in the developing world with women and children as well as right here in New Jersey through John Corr Family Resources. Sister has created a number of videos as part of her  work and she will incorporate a few clips from those videos into her presentation. 

A Living Work of Mercy

In his remarks at the Divine Mercy prayer vigil on Saturday evening, Pope Francis suggested the following:

It would be lovely, as a reminder, let's say, a "monument" of this Year of Mercy, if in every diocese there were a structural work of mercy: a hospital, a home for the elderly, or for abandoned children, a school where there was none, a home for recovering addicts... So many things are possible. It would be lovely if every diocese were to think: What can I leave as a living reminder, as a living work of mercy, as a wound of the living Jesus for this Year of Mercy?