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ritual at St. Joseph Residence was presided over by Provincial Superior Judith Desmarais, who gave Marie-Thérèse the community pin and a copy of its Constitutions.

“We are very happy to welcome Sister Marie-Thérèse as a novice in our religious community,” Sister Judith said. “The novitiate experience is a continuation of discernment and intensive preparation for responding to the call of God, integrating contempla-tion and action in her personal life. She is ready and anxious to experience this stage of religious life, joyfully giving herself to God in community life.”

The ritual and the reception that followed underscored the inter-national, intercultural and inter-generational nature of the Sisters of Providence. Before the ceremony got underway, Sister Marie-Thérèse taught guests in the audience, including members of her parish community at Our Lady of Guadalupe, to sing a song in one of Cameroon’s dialects. Three Ugandan sisters from the Daughters of Mary, who have a decades-long relationship with the Providence sisters, provided accompaniment on the drums. And at the reception after the novitiate entrance ceremony, Sister Marie-Thérèse led a spirited conga-style dance line of sisters and associates of all ages and nationali-ties, and friends from Cameroon.

A couple of days after entering the novitiate, Sister Marie-Thérèse headed to Edmonton, Alberta, for the Bi-Province Novitiate with Holy

Angels Province where she joined another novice, Rezebeth Noceja. Sister Celia Chappell of Mother Joseph Province is the novitiate director. Because of visa regulations, Sister Marie-Thérèse’s stay in Canada will have two parts to it during the year, and she also will spend some of the time back in the United States.

In fact, tragic circumstances caused Sister Marie-Thérèse to fly home to Cameroon on Christmas Eve after her mother, Veronique, died as a result of being hit by a motorbike. Sister Marie-Thérèse arrived in Yaounde, Cameroon, on Christmas night to be with family members. Her fellow novice Sister Rezebeth also suffered a tragic loss with the sudden death of her father in the Philippines on December 29, so she also returned home. Burial for the parents of both novices was on January 6 following the celebration of funeral Masses.

Please keep both of these novices and their families in your prayers at this time of great loss. l

Sisters Rezebeth Noceja, of Holy Angels Province, (left) and Marie-Thérèse Gnamazo, of Cameroon, are in their canonical year of the Bi-Province Novitiate in Edmonton, Canada. u

Mother Joseph Province welcomes

Marie-Thérèse Gnamazo, of Cameroon, to the novitiate

pProvincial Superior Judith Desmarais gives Sister Marie-Thérèse Gnazamo the Sisters of Providence community pin as she enters the novitiate.

pSister Marie-Thérèse Gnamazo, of Cameroon, leads a dance line at a reception celebrating her novitiate entrance. She is followed by Sister Maria Gorreth Nassali, a Daughter of Mary from Uganda, and Sister Huong Thi Nguyen, a Providence sister from Vietnam.

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I n a joyous celebration in Seattle on December 12, Marie-Thérèse Gnamazo of Cameroon officially became Sister Marie-Thérèse, SP. The Sisters of Providence who first met her when she came to Seattle for a Come and See experience in 2008-09 were thrilled to welcome her into Mother Joseph Province. Marie-Thérèse had returned to Cameroon as a Providence Associate inspired by the spirit of the religious community’s foundress, Blessed Emilie Gamelin of Montreal, and the community’s charism to serve those who are poor.

In the ensuing six years, Marie-Thérèse has truly made a mark in the rural village of Lomié, including founding an organization in Seattle called African Solidarity in Action which built a well, providing the village’s residents with one of life’s most precious gifts: clean water. “Water is important, especially for the children who become sick from unclean water,” she explained. Providence General Superior Karin Dufault, surrounded by singing and dancing children, tried her hand at pumping the well when she visited Cameroon in 2013. Support for the wells, now three of them, led to tuition support for students in nearby schools (at least 33 students now) and to construc-tion of a small clinic. Donations came from Sisters of Providence, Providence Associates and from friends in Europe, including Rome, where Marie-Thérèse had worked as a secretary.

Marie-Thérèse said her ministry in her native country was a good and satisfying one, and she was living the sisters’ charism, “but God was asking me to do more, to give my life as a consecrated religious with the sisters.” After prayer and discernment, she wrote a letter to the Sisters of Providence asking if she could return. She became a candidate on May 19, 2017, and began living in community with the sisters, spending time in prayer and reflection on sacred Scripture, attending gatherings and participat-ing in some of their ministries.

“This is a night of joy for us,” said Sister Beverly Dunn, who has been candidate director for Marie-Thérèse. The novitiate entrance

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Jubilee Women’s Center marks its 35th year with exciting changes

A Message from Executive Director Cheryl Sesnon

• We’re helping women overcome a common barrier to securing housing after Jubilee with a new Matched Savings Program that enables residents to learn and practice valuable money-manage-ment skills while they save up to $2,000. That amount is matched by Jubilee 2-1, for a total of $6,000—for first and last month’s rent, and a security deposit on their next home.

• We’ve purchased and are opening a new home in Capitol Hill with room for 12 graduated women from our program who need a “next-step” home before they can afford market-rate housing.

We have seen how women benefit from extra time to make permanent changes in habits, thinking and behaviors so they can transform on the inside and move through the world differently on the outside. As we look ahead, Jubilee will continue to learn and adapt, looking for opportunities to more effectively empower women to move permanently out of poverty. l

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This new home on Capitol Hill in Seattle will have room for 12 graduates of Jubilee Women’s Center who need a “next-step” home.

pSr. Marita Capili supervises an activity for the Beca (scholarship) program’s annual gathering in a park in San Salvador.

pSr. Lucy Vasquez speaks to members of the Elderly Care Association of Payatas, Inc. (ECAPI) in the Philippines.T his is a big year of

reflection and refocus for Jubilee Women’s Center! As we mark 35 years of helping women rebuild their lives, we are making some exciting changes.

At Jubilee, transformation doesn’t just apply to our clients. As an organization we try to continuously evolve so we can more effectively meet the complex and changing needs of women experiencing homeless-ness. Because of Seattle’s growing income disparity, King County’s different use of resources to address chronic homelessness, and the region’s skyrocketing housing costs, Jubilee is moving into some new territory in order to better serve women in 2018. We realize our focus has to be exceptionally strong around livable-wage employment and housing in order for our graduates to be successful. This is what’s new:

• We’ve grown our employment readiness program with a greater focus on helping women identify and enter a career that will move them toward living-wage employment.

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Snapshots from

El Salvador

and the

Philippines

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pSr. Josie Ramac visited with Sr. Marita’s neighbor Elsie and her family. Elsie is Sr. Margarita Hernandez’ sister.

pDelmi Ayala Serrano, PA (center) was thanked for her service to the sisters and to the Beca (scholarship) program in El Salvador. Pictured with her are (from left) Sisters Vilma Franco, Kathryn “Kitsy” Rutan, Judith Desmarais, Marilyn Charette, Marita Capili and Marcia Gatica.

pSister Vilma Franco (right) participates in a University of Central America (UCA) vigil.

pSr. Julie Macasieb meets with catechists in the Philippines.

T ravel is a fact of life for leadership. The last quarter of 2017 found Provincial Superior Judith Desmarais visiting the sisters in the Philippines and the sisters in El Salvador. Sister Josie Ramac also visited El Salvador. These are just a few photos from their trips.

qProvincial Superior Judith Desmarais (second from left) visits with (from left) Sisters Lucy Vasquez, Julie Macasieb and Beth Rayray in the Philippines.

pSisters enjoying a retreat together in San Salvador are (from left) Marcia Gatica, Marita Capili and Vilma Franco.

Annunciation House, El Paso, TX ASHA-Inc., Portland, OR Beyond Borders, Norristown, PA Call To Action, Chicago, IL CASA Court-Appointed Special Advocates for Children, SeaTac, WACatholic Bishops of Northern Alaska, Fairbanks, AKCatholic Community Services in Seattle, Tacoma & Whatcom CountyCatholic Community Services, Lazarus Day Center, Seattle, WACatholic Legal Immigration Network, Silver Springs, MDCenter of Concern, Washington, DCCentral Washington Catholic Foundation, Yakima, WA Chief Seattle Club, Seattle, WA Childhaven, Seattle, WAChildren's Alliance, Seattle, WA Community Action Center, Pullman, WACommunity of Hope Shelter, Portland, ORCongregation of Divine Providence, Allison Park, PACongregation of Divine Providence, San Antonio, TXCongregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence, Vilnius, LithuaniaDaughters of Mary, Uganda, AfricaDowntown Emergency Shelter, Seattle, WA Earth Ministry, Seattle, WA Faith Action Network - Seattle, WA Fulcrum Foundation, Seattle WA FutureChurch, Lakewood, OH Giving Voice, Chicago, IL Ground Zero, Poulsbo, WAGreat Falls Catholic High School, Great Falls, MTGuardian Angel Catholic School, Pacoima, CA Habitat for Humanity, Missoula, MTHilltop City Church, Seattle, WAHoly Rosary Church, Tacoma, WAHope House, Spokane, WAHospice of Spokane, Spokane, WAHouse of Charity, Spokane, WAHousecall Providers, Portland, OR Housing Hope, Everett, WAImmaculate Heart Retreat Center, Spokane WA Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center, Seattle, WAInstituto Fe Y Vida Ministry, Stockton, CAJesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest, Portland, OR Jesuits Refugee Services USA, Washington, DC Jubilee Women's Center, Seattle, WA Kateri Northwest Ministry Institute, Spokane, WAKids' Community Dental Clinic, Burbank, CAKnowing Me Ministries, Portland, ORL’Arche Noah Sealth, Portland, OR L'Arche Noah Sealth, Seattle, WA La Casa Hogar, Yakima, WALa Posada Providencia, San Benito, TXLa Salle Blackfoot School, Browning, MTLa Salle High School, Union Gap, WALoyola Jesuit Secondary School, Kasunga, Malawi Loyola Sacred Heart Foundation, Missoula, MTLutheran Community Services, Portland, ORMarie Rose House, Wapato, WAMary's Place, Seattle, WAMercy Corps, Portland, OR Mercy Housing Northwest, Seattle, WA Mexican American Catholic College, San Antonio, TX National Black Sisters' Conference, Washington, DCNational Catholic Reporter, Kansas City, MO.National Federation of the Blind in Oregon, Gresham, WANational Religious Vocation Conference, Chicago, IL

Emilie Gamelin Mission

Fund/Leadership Team

Donations 2017

Donations from Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province, were in the form of grants, memberships, table sponsorships, operating funds, salaries, stipends, capital campaign contributions, program advertisements, tuition, scholarships, etc.

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Navos, Seattle Children's Home & Ruth Dykeman Children's Center, Seattle, WA Nazareth Guild Diocese of Spokane, WANETWORK, Washington, DCNew Beginnings Ministry, Martin, GANew Ways Ministry, Mt. Rainier, MDNorth by Northeast Community Health Center, Portland, ORNorthwest Catholic Counseling Center, Portland, ORNorthwest Immigrant Rights Project, Seattle, WA Nuestra Casa, Sunnyside, WAOblate Sisters of Providence, Baltimore, MD.Our Lady of Guadalupe, Seattle, WAOur Place, Spokane, WA.Parish Church in Arcatao, El SalvadorPAX Christi International, Washington, DC Pioneer Human Services, Seattle WA Poverello Center, Missoula, MT Providence Associates, Medford, ORProvidence Child Center Foundation, Portland, ORProvidence Child Center Foundation, Lake Oswego, ORProvidence Health Care Foundation, Centralia, WAProvidence Health Care Foundation, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, Spokane, WAProvidence Health Care Foundation, Seattle, WAProvidence High School, Burbank, CAProvidence Hospice of Seattle Foundation, Seattle, WAProvidence Marianwood Foundation, Issaquah, WA Providence Milwaukie Foundation, Milwaukie, OR Providence Mount St. Vincent, Seattle, WAProvidence Mount St. Vincent Foundation, Seattle, WA Providence Newberg Health Foundation, Newberg, OR Providence Regina House, Seattle, WA.Providence Senior & Community Services, Seattle, WAREACH, Renton, WARefugee Women's Alliance, Seattle, WARehab's Sisters, Portland, ORReligious Formation Conference, Chicago, ILRod's House, Yakima, WARoncalli International Foundation, Montreal, CanadaRose Haven, Portland, OR Salish Kootenai College Foundation, Pablo, MTSalvadoran Enterprises for Women, Silver Spring, MDSalvation Army William Booth Society, Seattle, WASchool of the Americas Watch, Washington, DC Second Harvest, Spokane, WA Shalom Ministries, Spokane, WA Sisters of Divine Savior, Milwaukee, WISouth Central Los Angeles Ministry Project, Los Angeles, CA Southwest Athletic Club, Seattle, WASt. Finbar Catholic Church, Burbank, CASt. Francis Dining Hall, Portland, OR St. Joseph Parish, Yakima, WASt. Martin de Porres Mission, Great Falls, MT St. Vincent de Paul - Grace House, Great Falls, MTSunrise Outreach Center, Yakima, WASunrise Pantry, Beaverton, ORThe Fig Tree, Spokane, WA The Food Bank at St. Mary’s, Seattle, WATransitions, Spokane, WA Trinity Catholic School, Spokane, WAVAMOS! Weston, VT Washington Office on Latin America, Washington, DCWomen's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual, Silver Springs, MDXavier Society for the Blind, New York, NYYouthCare, Seattle, WA YWCA Pierce County, Tacoma, WA

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