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GSN 250 February 2012

1

Good Shepherd News CongregationofOurLadyofCharityoftheGoodShepherd



“Leadership: an experience of growth

andlearningtogether”wasthethemethathelpedustomovedeeplyinourmissionofleadershipandawakenedinusmuchhope.

We had six days of personal re�lection,group sharing, and sharing with our ownteams;theplenarysessionswereenriching,and we sought to establish networks thatinvolved active dialogue regarding our"WishesandHopes"...

Whichunitswereparticipating?

West Africa (Senegal and Burkina Faso),Portugal, ColomboVenezolana, Ecuador, Pe-ruandthehostingunitofCentralAmerica.

SessionfortheNewLeadershipTeamsAnexperienceofgrowthandlearningtogether”

"CostaRica,February9-14,2012

Theorganizationwithathousanddetails.ThankstoFranciscaTorres,theprovinceleaderandthesistersoftheProvinceofCentralAmerica!

Wherewereweliving?

WestayedatthehouseoftheClaretianMissionarySistersoftheBlessedSacrament.Everythinghelpedustostrengthenourinternationality:places,rooms,gardensandespeciallythecoolweather

ThedailyEucharistwascelebratedintheeveningandtheygathereduptheday'sjourney,feelingsandcommitments.

Theallocationoftimeprovidedmomentsforprayerandpersonalre�lection,andalsoincludedtimeforacultural night, an exchange of experiences andpreparationofactivitiesforthenextday.

SessionfornewLeadershipsTeams—CostaRicaPage1-2

“Pastorcitos”aspecialisedprogrammeforchildrenandteenagerswhohavebeenabused—Chile

Page3

Thejourneyinourprovince-BelgiumFranceMagyarorszagPage4-6

"FamilyforLife"Association:Lebanon/SyriaJoseph’sBaptism

GranttoInnocenceitsRightsWomen’sempowermentinDamascus

Page7-8

NewsfromtheUnitofSouthAfricaPage9-10

AGoodShepherdLayAssociateShareshisApostol-icExperienceintheMen’sPrisoninUruguay

Page11-12MissionaryProcessandExpansionCommittee

1st to 5th of February Generalate Rome

Page13

WHAT IS INSIDE


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SessionfortheNewLeadershipTeams

day ... how to make it visible?We are challenged ... to workand practice! How? We wereencouraged to have a clear"Vision"onpaper,inourmindsand hearts, and now to prac-tice!...Attheendofthesessionwe re�lected and dialoguedwith much interest on the"Provincial AdministrationManual,"called"PAM"(Englishacronym),whichwillhelpusinourleadershipresponsibilities.

Weare grateful to theCongre-gation for this timeof training.Thanks to the sisters from theLeadership Team: Armelle,Eliene, Jude Ellen, Reina andRitawhohaveaccompaniedusto discover our strengths. Wehave the instrumentswe needof listening, dialogue and agreat desire to continue grow-inginLeadership."Theleaderisnotborn."Weareinprocessof becoming leaders ... wewillcontinuetorememberthesym-bol of dressing the tree ofHopes to remove obstacles inordertobearfruitandinabun-dance.With the celebration ofthemissioningEucharist,fullofmeaningful symbols,we endedour sessionand receiveda let-ter and a photo of Mary Eu-phrasia from the hands of ourcongregationalcounselors.

We conclude with what Sr.Brigidsaidtous…Brigidintheopening message reminded usof the words of St. Mary Eu-phrasia regarding our mis-sion...

"Becon�identandnotafraidofnewthings.

Lovewithallyourheart...theheartofGodlivesthroughyou.Yourtimeisnow...."

Thewealthofbeingabletolis-tentoeachotherwasastrongelement of this meeting. Howdidtheyshare?You might well ask this ques-tion. The help of translatorsallowedustounderstandwhateach one shared ... butwe feltthe need to study the "linklanguage"…The methodology used al-

Par�cipants at the session from: West Africa (Senegal and Burkina Faso), Portugal,

Venezuela-Colombo, Ecuador, Peru and Central America.

lowed us to share deeplyaboutourleadership,ourfra-gility, which was symbolizedby clay pots. We werestrengthenedbytheguidanceand frequent dialogue be-tween us. Gently we wereconducted to de�ine whatleadership is, to contemplateMary Euphrasia, in her lead-ership of yesterday and to-

Centerpieceforp

rayer


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MarieFrançoiseMESTRY,CommunicationsCoordinator

Casa Generalizia, Suore del Buon Pastore, Via Raffaello Sardiello 20- 00165 Roma, Italia.Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Good Shepherd News

Theproject ‘Pastorcitos’serves

children and teenagers who

have suffered serious abuse.

Our programme, which began

inFebruary2006,wasinitiated

bytheSistersoftheGoodShep-

herd in Chile. The goal of the

project is to respond to the

large increase in the abuse of

children and teenagers in the

townships of Constitucion and

EmpedradoinDistrictVII.

Duringthe�irst�iveyearsofthe

project 90% of the caseload

dealt with cases of sexual

abuse: violation, incest and

rape. With our multidiscipli-

nary approachwe strive to re-

store the dignity and human

rights of thesepeoplewho, for

variousreasons,havehadsuch

painful experiences. Our work

also involves promoting and

supporting theprocessof rein-

tegration into the family and

society.

Our Experience of Network-

ing

Our programme welcomes all

childrenandteenagersreferred

fromtheFamilyCourt,fromthe

Of�ice for the Protection of the

RightsofChildrenandAdoles-

cents (OPD)and fromtheDis-

trictAttorney’sOf�ice.Thepro-

gramme supports minors un-

der18yearsof age,whohave

suffered serious physical

abuse and whose physical in-

tegrityhasbeencompromised,

victimsofsexualassault: rape,

statutory rape, sexual abuse,

sodomy and child pornogra-

phy.

Oneofourbasicpremisesisto

workwiththefamilyandwith

an adultwho is signi�icant for

the child or teenager who

comesto‘Pastorcitos’,inorder

to improve parenting skills.

We also provide hospitality

and support for the children’s

immediate families and, in

some cases, for the families of

theperpetrators.

Ourmethodologyisinteractive

and participatory. Our clients

assist us in developing a diag-

nostic plan of intervention, as

well asorganisingandpartici-

pating in educational training

workshops.Ontheotherhand,

we take into account the gen-

der perspective and the im-

portance of rede�ining male

andfemaleroles.

Ourprojectoperates according

tothetechnicalandadministra-

tive guidelines of the National

Service for Minors (SENAME).

Every year we carry out self-

assessment. Contributions are

made according to the existing

realitywhichenablesthiswork

to be dynamic and responsive

tocurrentneeds.

Guided by the name of

‘Pastorcitos’, we focus on re-

sponding to the needs and de-

mandsofthosewhoareinabu-

sive situations and we, as a

technicalteam,allowourselves

to be led by Jesus so that we

can help restore the dignity of

thesepersons. Inspiredalsoby

the teaching of St. Mary Eu-

phrasia, we try to welcome

themandcommunicatetothem

that each one is ofmore value

thanawholeworld.

CommunicationCentre

ProvinceofBolivia/Chile

“Pastorcitos”aspecialisedprogrammeforchildren

andteenagerswhohavebeenabused

CONSTITUCIÓN/CHILE

Welcomingchildrenforcounselling

InspiredalsobytheteachingofSt.Mary

Euphrasia,wetrytowelcome them and

communicate tothem that each one

is of more value

thanawholeworld.


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JourneyofEnrichmentThejourneyinourprovince-BelgiumFranceMagyarország(BFM)

OurProvinceofBFMhasmadeconcretethejour-

neyofenrichmentofourtwoCongregations.

Meeting of the two Councils - this started several

years ago and continues today.

♦ Discovering St. John Eudes and St. Mary Euphra-

sia by means of sharing our spirituality:

♦ Session in Angers on the history of our Congre-

gations, Session in Caen.

♦ A pilgrimage to the important places of our

founders.

Celebrations of our Congregations: Feast of the

Holy Heart of Mary in Chevilly-Larue, Feast of

St. Mary Euphrasia in Paris Parroquial or An-

gers.

♦ Sharing on our Constitution in the communities

RGS-OLC and OLC-RGS.

♦ “On-going formation” session with Father FREY,

Eudist.

♦ Deepening in our spirituality by means of pro-

grams prepared by the Spirituality Center at the

Motherhouse and by BFM in Hungary.

Getting to know each other better, by means of

gatherings; sharing in celebrations; visits, personal

encounters with each other.

Testimonies of our OLC and RGS sisters during days of

Justice and Peace.

Pentecost weekend in Angers.

A Good Shepherd Associates weekend.

Discovering the international aspect by those living in

a Good Shepherd community.

Forumduring the OLC assembly next May in order to

dialogue and know each other better.

AWeekendin La Roche du Theil next July in order to

celebrate the end of the year on Spirituality and to

spend time together with the Eudists and Associates.

Sharingonourcharismbyworkingtogetherona

commonproject.

Paris: “The �ields of Boaz” in Paris for the last 10years

… welcoming women looking for asylum, welcome

and assistance, etc.

RGS-OLC sharing life in the same community, in

the same place in Roubaix/ Marquette, Caen, Schaer-

beek in Belgium, and Paris… and soon in Rennes.

(Sharing life in common, and in a common project, life

of prayer and everyday life, sharing in different

tasks, etc. study of the Constitutions of each Con-

gregation, a desire to continue this study)

CaenHouseofSt.JohnEudes

Six sisters - 4 OLC and 2 RGS

SchaerbeekinBelgium: Presence in the midst of

prostitution by 4 sisters: 3 RGS, 1 OLC

RoubaixandMarquette: 6 sisters, of which 1 is

OLC. Welcoming women with children for a few

months

Paris Parroquial: 2 RGS and 1 OLC for a few

months.

Rennes: 4 OLC and 1 RGS

SaintYriexandlaGarenne: with the Contempla-

tive sisters.

WorkingincommissionsandRGS/OLCleader-

shipat the provincial level of both Congregations.

Justice and Peace Commission: 2 RGS, 1 Con-

templative and 1 associate + 1 lay person and 2

OLC sisters

(cfseespeciAicannex)

YouthGroup:4 RGS, 2 OLC;

Vocation work

Praying for one another and for themission.

Prayer is important for the sake of mission and for

each other.

As we say in the prayer for our Journey of Enrich-

ment:

“Your great heart is the source of our charism ofmercifullove.Mayitcontinuetoinspireustochari-

tyandzeal,bothofwhichweneed inorder to, to-

gether,promoteour lifeofmission,ofhopeandof

reconciliation.”


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JourneyofEnrichment-AnnexProvinceofBelgium/France/Magyarorzág

OLC/RGSCommunityofRoubaix-Marquette-Annex1

WeareacommunityofOurLadyofCharity-GoodShep-

herdfromJanuary9,2007.

Weshareinacommonmission:Shelterforwomenand

children.Thewomenwhoapplyaremostlyvictimsofdo-

mesticviolence.

Thecompositionofthecommunityis:therewere2OLCin

thebeginningand2RGS.Currently,weare6intwodiffer-

entplaces,andonlyoneOLC!

Ourcommunitylifeisbasicallyisthesame:wesharein

everydaylifechores,shareinthesamemissionwithwom-

enandchildren,sharingincommunitymeetingsandpray-

er:jobs,Eucharist,worshiptime,sharetheGospelwithout

forgettingtheprayersofthecongregationeverydayand

prayingforthejourneyofenrichment!

Todaywetriedtoimprovetheorganizationofthe�inances,

butquestionsarise,whichwecontinuetore�lect...

Thereisonepointthatisstillnotclear:

Whatrelationshipdoesthesuperiorofthecommunity

(whichisaRGS)havewiththeOLCProvincialSuperiorand

Council?

Whatresponsibilitydoesthesuperiorhaveinrelationto

theOLC’sinhercommunity?

WhatplaceistherewithintheOLCProvinceforGoodShep-

herdSisterswhoareinanintercongregationalcommunity?

andviceversa.

Withtheprayerforthejourneyofenrichment,wepray:

"Yourgreatheartisthesourceofourcharismofmerciful

love,inspireustocontinuethecharityandzealofwhichwe

need,together,topromoteourmissionoflife,hopeandof

reconciliation."

Maggy,Marie,Gabrielle,Odile

(missingarePatriciaandClotilde)

OLC-RGSCommunityofCAEN

Annex2

Ourcommunitymakesconcretethejour-

neyofenrichmentofourtwocongrega-

tions.Thecommunityiscomposedof2sis-

tersofOurLadyofCharityand2Sistersof

theGoodShepherd.

We learn to know each other more and

seek,always,tomoveforwardtogetherfol-

lowinginthestepsofourholyfounders.

ThissummerwehostedagroupofSisters

of the Good Shepherd coming from the

Philippines,accompaniedbysisterTarcila.

Later a group of Sisters of Our Lady of

Charity came fromMexico.With them,we

sharedmealsand followed thestepsofSt.

JohnEudes.

Itwasaveryrichtimeofmeetings,sharing,

andofexchangesbothonthespiritualand

international level. For us it is a new step

onthepathofenrichment.

Wealsobegantostudytheconstitutionsof

eachofourcongregationsandweintendto

continuethatstudy.

December-Januaryof2012

MembersoftheCommunityRGS/OLC

CommunityofCaen


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CommunityofParis-Parroquial:

Arichexperience“Happytojourneytogether”

Annex3

Thisjourneyofenrichmenthastakentheformofajourneyofafew

monthsforaCommunitycomposedof2RGSand1OLC.

Tofurtherconsolidatetheteamwehavechosentoliveafewdaysas

acommunity inSeptember,2010.Westayedwith theSistersofSt.

JosephofCluny,ontheStreetoftheSuburbSt-Jacques,aneighbor-

hoodfullofhistoryoftheFrenchSchool.Wetookthetimetoknow

eachotherbetter,topray,tocreateaprogram,anagendaandweate

inalocalrestaurant.

Surely,otherencountersoutsideof themoreformalmeetingswere

encouraged.Asessionofourcommonhistoryenrichedus.Wepar-

ticipated in a session of Justice and Peace in Cachan and Chevilly,

with GS associates. We celebrated New Year and February 8th to-

getherinChevilly.ThentherewasameetinginAngersthatenriched

our"livingtogether".Weparticipatedinthe30th jubileeof thepar-

ish.

Ifwecannot continue in theeveryday,due to the fact thedistance

between Paris and Chevilly Parish, still true bonds were created.

Thereistimetoshareaboutmercyandcompassion."Ifeelathome

inAngers".asmuchashere,participatingintheactivitiesandevents

thatmark the 'Fields of Boaz’, themulticultural district andmore

speci�icmeetingswiththeSistersofNSC.

Also at sessions and encounters of the French School on the 400

yearsoftheOratoryofFrance,wearehappyto�indoneormoreof

theothersistersofOLC.

“DiscoveryourownpathtotheLordandwaitonHim.Hehimself

willact.”St.JohnEudes

JourneyofEnrichment-AnnexProvinceofBelgiumFranceMagyarorzág

OLC/RGSCommunityinBelgium

onD’AerschotStreet

Annex4

Ourexperimencehasbeen:

We have the same focus regarding

the plan formission aswell as the

understanding of religious life

(communitylife,lifeofprayer,etc.)

Our spiritual references, our foun-

dations, are the same. For RGS,

Mary Euphrasia gives dynamism, a

“broader”breath!

Thedifferencesofeveryday lifeare

morethedifferencesinpersonality,

orofeachindividual’slifehistory.

Ingeneral,weunderstandbymeans

ofourreactionstoanawarenessof

theRGS beingmarked by an inter-

national aspect, of beingmoremo-

bile.TheOLCaremarkedbyatradi-

tion of autonomy, of rootedness in

thesameplace.

Webelievethatweneedalotoffor-

mal or informal meetings to move

forwardinthis"journey"

Forourdifferences tobe ameans

of enrichment, we have to look at

them , name them so that they do

not remain onlywishful thinking the-

ory.

Sr.MarieLucDordonnat.

Annex5

TheexperienceofpartnershipRGS-OLCintheJPSCommissionFrance

Since2008,theJPSCommitteeconsistsofequalnumbersof2RGSsisters2

OLCSistersand2laypersons(associateoffriendoftheGoodShepherd)All

theworkofre�lection,theelaborationoftheplanningfortheyear,organisa-

tionofmeetingsaredonetogetherduringthe3-4annualmeetingsoftheSe-

lectCommittee.

Wehaveevensetupacommonbudget,since2010.

Wehavebeengreatlyenrichedby the JointCommittee JPS since2008.Wehavenowdevelopedwaysof

thinking,ofraisingawarenessandtoalwaysactandthisallowsustoexperimentconcretelythestrengthof

ourcharism


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EucharisticcelebrationwithMembersoftheAssociation:

"FamilyforLife"ProvinceofLebanonSyria

The association "Family For Life"

aimsto�indfundstohelpfamilies

havingsocialproblems,especially

women,girlsandchildren.

Supported by God’s providence,

competent persons blessed with

theGoodShepherdCharismhave

collaboratedwithusinthisvery

urgentmission.

To mark the beginning of this

mission,aMasswascelebratedon

Saturday, 26/11/2011 at 6.00

p.m . The eight families involved

in this associationwere present

togetherwiththefoundinggroup

of the association: Master Salim

Madi,Mr.ElieKhater,MrsJihad

Jabre, Dr. Charles Sacre and

Sisters: Georgette Tannoury,

AnnieKahwajian,HananYoussef

and the sisters from Sehaıle,

Jdeide aswell as our province

Leader and the sisters of our

communityofAinSadde.

ReverendFatherDanielMadi,in

his homily focused on the

importance of revitalizing any

person deprived of the joy of a

normallife.

The songs andprayers facilitated

an atmosphere of fervor, which

was re�lected on the faces of all

the people. TheMass endedwith

the celebrant's blessing, after

whicheveryonewasinvitedtothe

communityforajoyousreception,

marked by a toast , and we left

with the decision of the next

workingmeeting.

"Fromhisfullnesswe

haveallreceived,grace

upongrace.”(Jn1,16)

GSsistersandlaycollaboratorsatthemass Sr.MCNaddafProvinceLeaderaddressingtheassembly

WelcomeHomeforChildren

FoyerduBonpasteur

BaptismofJoseph

Joseph,4yearsold,whosefatherisfromthe

Catholic Coptic Egyptian church and the

motherMuslim is entrusted to us by his fa-therwhose�inancialandeducationalinabilitypreventshimfromtakingcareofhim.Heof-tencomestoseehissonwhomhelovesmuchand sincerely asked us to baptize the child.The baptism took place on Sunday05/09/2011 in the parish of Saint TheresainMansourieh,asmalltownnotfarfromourplace,byFatherDanyEV phrem,thegodfatherandgodmotherareourfriends.Some ofour sisters;Sr.Annie, communityleader and Director of the home, Sr. RitaHadchiti, Manager of the same home werepresent and together with all the friends a

party completed the joy of the entry of Joseph in the HolyChurch.Josephismoreorlessawareofhissituationandasks:"whyhisfatherdoesnottakehimhome."Aquestiontowhichitisnoteasytogivetherightanswer,butwetrytocompensatebyouraffectionandattention focusedonaneducation thatwillhelphimovercomehisproblems.For the restGodwillprovide.ProvinceofLebanon/Syria

FatherDanyÉphremcele-bratingtheBaptismofJoseph

Josephandhisfathercutting

thecake


8

GranttoInnocenceitsRights ProvinceofLebanon/Syria

With a quali�ied team, 50

children from 8 to 12

years, enjoy different ac-tivities, often in smallgroups that they them-selves choose the name.Several activities, coloringbooks, songs, appropriategames are included in the

program. The goal is to give these children an atmos-phereofpeace,joyandwonderfarfromtheanguishofadults.ThedifferenttrainingsessionsforIraqiwomencontinues.We juststartedameetingonaweeklybasisfor young teens tired of their situation.Sister Georgette Tannoury

InourworkwithIraqirefugees,werealizedhowthechildrenaredeprivedoftheirownrights.Wetandprecarioushousing,insuf�icientspace,lockedalldayinfrontofthetelevision,educationisnotaconcernforparentsetc.Despiteourmanyactivities,wedecidedtotakethechildrenoutonceaweektoenablethemtolivetheirchildhood,abitofspacetobreathe,enjoynature,enjoyactivitiesfortheirage,gotothetheatre,haveaconsistentmeal.

Meetingforyoungteensonaweeklybasis

Women’sempowermentinDamascusOn the occasion of the international day of �ighting violence againstwomen,thepublicrelationsteamoftheTrustLinearrangeda lunchonSaturday26thofNovember2011whichbroughttogetherassocia-tionsworkinginthe�ieldofwomen’sempowermentinDamascus.Almost90membersparticipatedfromthefollowingassociations:-SistersofTheGoodShepherd:theshelterandtheTrustLine.-Sistersofalmahaba:Zabadani’sshelter.-Syrian family planning association: Health Counseling Center.-Association for Women’s Role Development: Oasis of hope.-UNRWA-Lawyers and people interested in the event. Photo: Sister Lolita Hussein le( and the par�cipants.

Theeventstartedwithanexplanationaboutthemotivesbehinditwhichare:primarilyasnetworkingoppor-tunityandalsotolearnmoreabouteachother’sworkinthis�ield.Alltheassociationsattendingtheeventworktoprotectwomenandgirlsvictimsofviolenceintheirownfamilyandsociety,andprovidevictimswithpsychosocialandlegalcounselinginadditiontohealthandrehabilitationforreintegrationintosociety.Continuedonpage13


9

NewsfromtheUnitofSouthAfrica

Wesharewithyousomehighlightsof2011ayearfullofjoys,surprisesandsadness.

UnitAssembly2011

JOYSAs it was the year to have our Unit Assemblywewere blessed by the

presenceofSr.Nirmala(ProvinceLeaderofIsles)toguideusthroughour

DiscernmentProcessandwewereverygratefultoherforhersincerityin

helping us to move forward as a Unit. The outcomes were a stronger

bondamong the sisters in knowing eachotherbetter, 5 clearpriorities

andfourcandidatesprayerfullynominatedbythesistersofwhichaUnit

Leaderwill be appointed by the Congregational LeadershipTeam for a

mandateofthreeyears.

The month of July was upon us and the presence of Sr. Brigid

(CongregationalLeader)andSr.Rita(CongregationalCouncilor)meantit

wastimeforourlongawaitedUnitAssembly(21-25July)Itwasabeau-

tifultimeforallwhichmadeusreviewourapostolateandourcommunities.Ourprioritieswereshapedinto

anactiveDirectionStatementwithconcreteactions.

SURPRISE

During the opening ritual of our Unit Assembly it was an-

nouncedwithjoybySr.BrigidLawlorthatthenewlyappointed

Unit Leaderwas Sr. ZelnaOosthuizen (SouthAfrican). By the

end of the Unit Assembly the new Unit Councilorswere also

electedbythesisters;Sr.LydiciaLetlaka(Lesotho)andSr.Al-

fonsaSudaryanti(Indonesian).

Photo: From left to right: Sr.Lydicia Letlaka, Sr. Zelna Oost-huizenandSr.AlfonsaSudaryanti.

AbrandnewUnitLeadershipTeambidagratefulfarewelltotheOutgoingUnit

LeadershipteamforthesixyearsofservicetotheUnit-Sr.NaomiMascarenhas

(UnitLeader),Sr.ColleenSimpsonandSr.MargueriteDoyle(UnitCouncillors)

Photo:LeftSr.ColleenSimpsonandSr.NaomiMascarenhas

ThenewUnitLeadershipTeambegantheirMandateon1stNovember(AllSaintsDay)withtheEucharistic

Celebration. An informal sharing by the New Unit Leadership Team was done about their experience of

growthandteambuildingduringtheoneweekTrainingforNewUnitLeadershipTeamsinKenya.Weare

verygratefultotheCongregationalLeadershipTeamforalltheirsupportandguidance.

ContemplativenewsSr.MargueriteDoyle(ApostolicSisteronMissioninSouthAfrica

for many years) joined the Contemplative Sisters in Ireland in

February2011afteralongdiscernmentprocess.GoldenJubileeCelebrations

Photo:Sr.MargueriteDoyle(Irish)LeftandSr.PaulinusJeyachandraSriLanka


10

NewsfromtheUnitofSouthAfrica

MissionExpansion

A new PrimaryHealthCareclinic was built in our Mission, in the

Madidi Village, to serve the growing needs of the poor, sick people.

One Registered Nurse consults on average 45 patients a day.

The services offered are for chronic ailments, minor ailments, Coun-

seling, HIV/AIDS support and care, Good Shepherd Kids support

groups ( Orphaned, vulnerable and child-headed households- we

serve about 600 children daily) and Home Based Care Training.

Sr. Brigid and Sr. Rita participated in the Opening Ceremony of the

Clinic on the 26 July 2011 in the presence of the benefactors who

�inanced the building. Le�: Sr Brigid Lawlor with Sr. Zelna

Missionaries

We welcomed Sr. Sharmila (Temporary professed) for

International Missionary experience from Sri Lanka, Sr.

Anne Lenihan from Ireland and Sr. Rose Virginia Madan

from Germany also came as missionaries to our Unit and

pray that their generosity of service to the Good Shepherd

Mission in South Africa will be rewarded hundred-fold

during their time with us.

Sr.Sarmila

Pathinathan

(SriLanka)

Sr.AnneLenihan

(Ireland)

Sr.RoseVirginia

Madan(Germany)

Farewell With grateful hearts we bid farewell to Sr.

Gemma Malieakal from India and Sr. Natalie

Fouad from Egypt and thanked them for their

presence and contribution as Missionaries in

South Africa.We are grateful to the Unit Lead-

ers of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Germany and

Ireland for freeing our sisters to be missionar-

ies in the Unit of South Africa.

Sr.NatalieFouad

(Egypt)

Sr.Gemma

Malieakal(India)

Thank

you

GreenAieldsproject GreenAieldsproject started in Port Elizabeth

to alleviate poverty through skills, motivational

talks and a nutrition program for 60 children

and 30 adults-women in very poor living condi-

tions, unemployed and displaced.

We are still trying to get the land so that proper

buildings may be erected for future skills devel-

opment, health services and social assistance. Sr.PaulinuswiththeChildren

Green:ieldsProjects


11

AGoodShepherdLayAssociateSharesHisApostolicExperience

intheMen’sPrisoninUruguayProvinceofArgentina/Uruguay

COMCARMen’sPrison,Uruguay“ForIwasinprisonandyouvisitedme.”Matt.

25:36Inthesamewaythathospitalsadmitthesickper-sonsofsociety,prisonsadmitpersonswho,intheviewofpenaljustice,havelosttheirrighttomovefreely.

I began this apostolate as a LayAssociateof the

GoodShepherdby joining thePrisonMinistryof

theDiocese and received awarmwelcome from

thepriestsandlaymembersofthepastoralteam.

My �irst visits to theprison complexproduceda

verystrongimpactonmysoul,almosterodingmy

�ightingspirit.Butinsurmountingtheinitialdif�i-

culties,onebeginstoperceiveclearlythehelpwe

receiveforthemissionfromonhigh:tosowhope

inpersonsintheviciousgripofdesperation,their

characters stripped of the values which should

directallpersonsofgoodwill.

Mons.CotugnoandCarlosÁlvarez,layassociate

withsomeofthemenintheprison.

Those we visit recognize the

words placed by the Holy Spirit

onthelipsofSt.MaryEuphrasia:

…”apersonisworthmorethana

world.” This Euphrasian spirit

which every Lay Associate de-

sires to make his own inspires

theaction to rechannel the lives

of thesemen toabetterway, to

help them discover their worth

as beloved sons of God. The

Scriptures are our compass, in

themwe�indthecharismweare

trying to live out: the mercy,

compassion, and reconciliation

oftheGoodShepherd.

Thebadadviceandwrongideas

which abound in the prison are

like the weathervane which

simplyindicateswherethewind

isblowing.Thatiswhythepres-

ence of the Church is so neces-

sary…Theharvestisrichbutthe

laborers are few… Here in the

prison the words of the Gospel

arealatentreality.Whenwebe-

gan theseprisonvisits,wewere

three: a Vincentian, a Son of

Mary,andmyself.Wecouldonly

visitModule 1 out of the 7 that

are in the prison complex. Each

modulehousesaround400men,

triplethememberforwhichthe

modulewasdesigned.Thisover-

populationaggravates the situa-

tion which the authorities are

trying to solve by building an-

othermodule. But the reality is

thatweare so fewand the �irst

dif�iculty is to �ind people who

can be truly committed to the

workwith all its exigencies and

to adjust ourselves to this task

which requires formation ses-

sions,working in a team, learn-

ing from others’ experiences,

andotherformationpersonnel.

Beforegoingintothisapostolate,

we tried to provide somemini-

courses in which the recruits

could be informed about the

characteristicsofthemission.At

�irst therewas a good response

but by the end about half of

them abandoned the courses.

Thuswethoughtofhavingasin-

cere and faithful conversation

aboutouractualworkinthepris-

on; this helped improve attend-

ance in the mini-courses and to

form homogenous and enthusias-

ticgroups.

Therearemanyprisons,eachone

with its own characteristics. The

moreexperiencedmembersofthe

pastoralteamhadtheirideaswho

among the recruits would �it in

oneorotheroftheprisons.

Thencomesthe�irsttimetoenter

oneofthemodulesandfacingthe

rigors of the procedures and for-

malities forgainingentrance.One

feels a double impact, �irst with

theprisonpersonnel,andthis�irst

impressioniswhatcouldblockthe

nobleimpulsewebringandmake

us say: “I’m not coming back

here… this is not forme.” This is

the time we should stay side by

side,surroundingeachotherwith

courage so that the strength that

comes fromon high can reach us

and�illus.

Continuedonpage12


12

Relativesand friendsonknowing

our ministry, may say outright,

“How could you get involved in

suchathing?”

Recruits should discern with

whom to share information on

our activities in the prison, be-

sides the minor details of our

evangelicalwork.

Eachvisithasaneffectonouref-

fortswhichisalwaysstimulating..

Ofour�irstteamofthree,onehas

alreadygonehome to theFather,

but now we are ten.

Fourofthemdriveusintheirown

cars to reach the prison 20 kilo-

meters away. The grace of the

Lord must have certainly in�lu-

encedus, creating us into a com-

pact group, harmonious in a

brotherhood under Jesus the

Good Shepherd. We are truly

grateful for we are now able to

visit �ive of the Modules. This

year, Godwilling we hope to get

more recruits for the harvest is

indeedgreat.

Regarding the prison population,

wenever forget thewordsofour

holyMother Euphrasiawho said,

“Give a glass of milk �irst before

you start preaching.” Our bishop,

Msgr.Nicolas,alsotellsusthatwe

cannot evangelize those with

empty stomachs. Therefore we

always try to bring something,

especiallyfood,eachtimewevisit.

WearegratefultotheGoodShep-

herd Sisters, our religious family,

who always provide something.

Alsomywife who helpsme pre-

parethefood.This,andherpray-ers,arehersupportformyprisonapostolate.The prison food is called “el ran-cho” for it is the same everyday,novariation,andwithhardlyanynutritivevalue.The “hotbrick” isa little kitchenwith electricity inwhich the prisoners could pre-

pareanothermenu.Theingenui-tyoftheprisonerstocookotherthingsisreallymarvelous!Now, for thespiritual food.Howcanwespeakofculturetopeoplewholackit?Muchlessthemoralvalues to those who have doneallkindsof“anti-values.”Allhumanbeingshaveneedsandthose with no moral values donothesitatetouseanymethodtosurvive and live on the marginsof the law.Assumingthatallareequal, the prisoners are dividedinto those who elude the lawsandare“outside”andthosewhoare “unlucky” due to ignoranceor lack of skills. The concept ofwho we are can be a profoundstudy for them. They call us“credulous, easy to deceive orcheat.”They studyus and try tosituate us in a de�inite fringe orstrip but they know nothing offaith, much less of hope andhaven’t the least idea of charity.The�irststepwetakeistostressthese values as well as the hu-manvirtuesofprudence, justice,fortitude and temperance.Recently when they discoveredthatourvisitswerenotmotivat-ed by personal interests, theybegan to get ideas of right andwrong. They wanted to knowmore about us and howwe areanimated by Christ… They feltthat in their heart was a placewhich only Christ can �ill, thatthisplaceisemptyandthatonlyChristcanoccupyit.Todoevan-gelizing work in a penitentiaryhas many dif�iculties due to thedifferent modules, some due todisciplinaryproblemswhichsus-pend our visits. All these con-spire to affect the continuity ofourtask.Before entering the cells, ourteam forms a circle, holdinghandswepray that Jesuswould

help us. Inside, during the ses-sionwealsoholdhandswiththeprisoners to thank the Lord anddo the same before we leave.Thus we entrust everything totheLordbefore,during,andaftereverysession.It is indeedan inestimablegraceto belong to the Good Shepherdfamilyforwehavelearned, indi-viduallyandasagroup,tosearchforthelostsheep,toformgroupsand to delegate functions, totreat eachpersonas aChristian,withoutlookingforcollisionsbutforcoincidences.(Our brother Eudists are veryskilledinthis).All throughout this apostolate, Ihave always felt the support ofmywife,myreligiouscommunityof the Good Shepherd, and mybrother lay associates. For all ofthemIgivethankstotheLord.In my grateful heart and mindresounds the in�inite mercy ofGod which has associated mewithHisworkofredemptiveloveand helpedme to live the char-ismimplantedbytheHolySpiritintheheartofthatgreatwoman,ourSt.MaryEuphrasia.Shelivedand practiced the mercy andcompassion of the Good Shep-herdwhichledhertotellusthat“Apersonisofmorevaluethan

aworld…”

For our brothers I ask the LordfortheirperseveranceinHisser-vice and the daily strength tolook for the good, leading us totheFatherwhowelcomesusandto rejoice with every son whoreturnstoHishouse.CarlosAlvarez

LayAssociateofthe

GoodShepherd

Men’sPrisoninUruguaybyCarlosAlvarez


13

GoodShepherdNewsWhile each unit is encouraged to

send articles anytime during the

year, we have planned that there

arespecificeditionswheneachunit

isaskedtosubmitanarticlesothat

at theendoftheyearall theunits

have been part of Good Shepherd

News.

Pleasesendarticlesonor

beforethe5thofeachmonth.

Hereisthesuggestedschedule:

January

Commissions,CLT,

Bolivia/Chile,Indonesia

February

Argentina/Uruguay,Lebanon/

Syria,Mexico,SouthAfrica

March

Belgium/France/Magyarorszag,Mid-NorthAmerica,Egypt/Sudan

April

Philippines,Portugal,Peru,Australia&Aoteraoa/N.Zealand

May

Spain,Angola/Mozambique,ColomboVenezolana

June

CentralAmerica,NortheastAsiaJuly

EastAsia,WestAfrica,(SenegalBurkinafaso)TheIsles

August

Italia/Malta,Singapore/Malaysia,Deutschland/Albania

September

Nederland,NewYork,Canada,EcuadorOctober

SudestedeAmericaLatina,SriLanka/Pakistan

November

Japan,GreatBritain,OY sterreich/Schweiz/CzechRep

December

India/Nepal,,Ireland,Congo/Kenya

Calendar2012201220122012

Good Shepherd News Special thanks to the following for the translations and proof Reading

AdrianaPerez,Mexico;KarlaBarnabe,Peru;NicoleBastien,Canada;NarcisaVivanco,Equador;AngelicaGuzman,Chile;GracielaMendez,Argentina;Mary-JamesWilson,Phillipines;MartaCeballos,AnaMariaQuiroz,Generalate;EthnaMcDermott,CzechRep,MarieHeleneHalligon,BFM;MichelferrerFrance

The meeting of the“Missionary Process

and Expansion”

Committee was heldinRomefrom1stto5thof February with thepresence of SisterNirmalaAbeysinghe,aresource team mem-ber. Themain objec-tive was to preparethe course for mis-

sionarieswhichwill takeplace inAngers fromthe29thofOctobertothe17thofNovember2012.Theotherobjectivewastore�lectonpos-siblewaystoanswertheneedsof“returningmissionaries”.The Committee recalled the importance of the missionary spiritthroughoutourreligiouslifewhereverweareinmission.Theywereremindedof theneedforcompassion inourmutualrelationshipwithone another as Good Shepherd Sisters.”Ouraffectionforoneanothermustnever impair thecharityand justicewhichuniteus toeachSisterandthewholeInstitute.”(Conference40)

MissionaryProcessandExpansionCommittee

1stto5thofFebruaryGeneralateRome

Women’sempowermentinDamascus

Contdfrompage8:Theeventwasalsoheldtoraisemoney to support the fund of the public relationsteamwithanadditionalamounttoexpandadvertis-ingtheTrustLineinSyria.AwelcomingspeechwasgivenbySisterLolitaHus-sein from Sisters of the Good Shepherd, director of

theshelterandtheTrustLinecenter inDamascus.Followingthiswasadisplay of presentations about some participating associations identify-ingtheirmissionandservices.Afterthepresentationseveryoneenjoyedlunchandthechancetonetwork.Thetotaltimeoftheeventwas3hoursanditwasagreatsuccessaswewereabletoachievethegoalsthatwereintended.Wehavereceivedposi-tiveandencouragingfeedbackfromparticipantswhosuggestedthatsim-ilareventsshouldbearrangedagain.MessagefromSisterMarieClaudeNaddaf

We are extremely concerned by the situation in Syria at this time. Theshelter for Iraqi refugeewomenandgirls atZabadanimentioned in thearticle has been forced to close due to the extreme danger in this areacurrently.Wehavetakeninasmanyofthewomenandgirlsintoourownshelteraswehavespacefor. WeaskforyourprayersandthoughtsfortheSyrianpeopleatthistime.

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