When Pope Francis proclaimed 2015 a Year of Consecrated Life, he offered three purposes for this special commemoration:

To make a grateful remembrance of the recent past

To live the present with passion

To embrace the future with hope.

Having just celebrated our 150^th anniversary in the United States, we have become much more aware of the blessings and challenges of our beginnings. There were many women and men who provided seeds for growth and helped build and sustain the community in those years.  We give thanks for all that has brought us to where we are.

We live in this present moment with the guidance of our Living Document, the forward movements that call us into the future. We have seen the energy of the Spirit at work among us and through us as we seek to discern the needs before us today.

We don’t know what the future will bring, but we do know that we carry the same hope and trust that anchored Mother Madelaine, Mother Anna and Father Begel in those early years.  It is that same spirit that allows us to go forward with joy into the future.

We invite you to celebrate this year with us. 

Sister Toby Lardie, Pastoral Leader

Prayer for the Year of Consecrated Life

O God, throughout the ages you have called women and men to pursue lives of perfect charity through the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. During this Year of Consecrated Life, we give you thanks for these courageous witnesses of Faith and models of inspiration. Their pursuit of holy lives teaches us to make a more perfect offering of ourselves to you. Continue to enrich your Church by calling forth sons and daughters who, having found the pearl of great price, treasure the Kingdom of Heaven above all things. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Click on the link below to find out more about the Year of Consecrated Life from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

 http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/consecrated-life/year-of-consecrated-life/ 

The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking was part of the news story regarding the Salvation Army's plans to develop shelter for trafficked women. Click on the link below to read the article, Salvation Army, Key Bank to Aid Trafficking Victims, appearing in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

http://plaindealer.oh.bb.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=3cf388916 

You Did it For Me

Submitted by Sr. Carole Anne Griswold

Jesus loves the poor so much that he tells his disciples, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me."  (Mt. 25:40)

Sometimes, we become overwhelmed with the amount and different types of poverty in our midst, in our local community, our state, our country and in our world. Most often some form of poverty results from human trafficking, immigration, unemployment, homelessness, racism, degradation of the environment and a disrespect for life in all its forms. We read about it daily in the media. We see it on the news. We experience poverty as we travel through our cities or neighborhoods.

Do we really need to have our attention called to the poverty in a special way for a whole month? January has been designated as Poverty Awareness Month 2015 by the USSCB.  It is viewed as an opportunity for the US Bishops, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Catholic Community in the US to take up Pope Francis' challenge to live in solidarity with those who daily struggle with the injustice of poverty. "We are one family under God". 

We are all aware of the phrase "option for the poor" and personally  have embraced this principle in our daily lives for years. The challenge put before us in this month is:  "how do you live out the option for the poor and vulnerable"? One way is related to the gift we bring, as did the three kings bring gifts, the gift of our voice. We claim, "As Gospel Women, contemplatives in action, we live compassionate justice and courageously speak the truth."

As Christians we all have a responsibility to care for those who are poor. How do you collaborate with others to extend your voice and hands to advocate for those who are poor?

As HM Sisters who profess the vow of poverty, how will you during this month deepen your understanding of this vow, conscious of God's created world? What small action will you take that will enable you to live in solidarity with those who daily struggle with the injustice of poverty? Daily reflections:  http://www.usccb.org/about/catholic-campaign-for-human-development/povertyusa/upload/poverty-awareness-month-calendar.pdf

 "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me."  (Mt. 25:40)

Click the PDF below to view the Poverty Month Calendar, an Initiative of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development

poverty-awareness-month-calendar.pdf

******* 

Special Delivery: In the spirit of the true meaning of the holiday, Sisters, Associates and Staff collected toys and clothing to benefit Catholic Charities, the Emmanuel Community Care Center and Quota International in New Castle. Pictured below Sr. Barbara Herrmann (left) makes the delivery to a grateful Catholic Charities employee.

Sisters say No to Fracking: The Sisters of the Humility of Mary and other landowners around them have been steadfast in their opposition to fracking. Most recently, they are adamantly trying to prevent Hilcorp Energy from proceeding with forced pooling that would enable drilling for mineral resources from land of those who refused to lease to them. Please click on the PDF below to view the brochure that outlines the reasons why the Sisters are against fracking on this sacred land that was entrusted to them 150 years ago. See also the very insightful reflection from Margaret Swedish, Community Days presenter, (NEWS page at left) on fracking and the industrial culture threatening the Earth.

Nofrackingbrochure8.14.pdf

Reflection from Anniversary Celebration at Villa Maria: Click on the PDF below to enjoy the reflection presented by Sr. Mary Pat Cook during the  Liturgy in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary in the United States.

AnniversaryReflection.pdf