Sisters of St. Joseph gather in Buenos Aires
April 19, 2010 by Sarah
Sister Esther Pineda from Salina, Kan., and Sisters Joseleide da Silva Neves and Janira Lindoso Diniz, both of Picos, Piauí, Brazil, are represnting the Concordia congregation at the Caribbean Latin American CSSJ Seminar now being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The seminar began April 14 and continues through April 29. There are 101 particiopants at the seminar, representing 19 Sisters of St. Joseph congregations and 15 countries. Sister Esther is one of just nine participants from the United States.
April 16, 2010: Take action to ‘Go Green’ on Earth Day, by Karly Buer
April 16, 2010 by Sarah
You’ve probably noticed the term “green” being thrown around a lot these days — in the media, technology, politics, household products and even fashion. With all of the hype surrounding the “Go Green” campaigns, it is easy to become sidetracked from the main objective: Repairing and caring for the Earth while showing nonviolence toward our planet.
There are numerous things that everyone can do throughout the day to make a positive impact on our environment. For instance, make sure the lights are turned off when you leave a room, walk or carpool instead of driving, help clean up litter and turn the water off while you’re brushing your teeth or washing your hands. These ideas take very little individual effort, but if the whole community tried them they could make a big positive impact on the environment.
If you are up to making a bigger contribution to help better our planet then the month of April is the perfect time to start.
April 22 is Earth Day. It is a time to honor the Earth and also inspire people to take action.
The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, and an estimated 20 million people participated. Earth Day is now celebrated every year by more than a billion people in 180 nations around the world.
Planting a tree, organizing a park cleanup or changing your light bulbs to energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs are some of the ways you can get involved.
I encourage you to take some time this month to honor our planet by doing your part to ensure its well-being for centuries to come.
— Karly Buer is a senior at Concordia High School and is the daughter of Kent and Marcy Buer.
Community garden gets a blessed beginning
April 14, 2010 by Sarah
A small group of eager and enthusiastic gardeners gathered under threatening skies Wednesday evening for the blessing of Concordia’s new Community Garden of Hope.
Father Jack Schlaf, the chaplain for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia, led a simple ceremony at the edge of the new garden lot on the northeast corner of the Motherhouse property. On hand were a number of sisters and community members who have been instrumental in organizing the project, as well as a number of local residents who have signed up for garden plots. So far, about a dozen of the 26 plots have been spoken for.
Those interested in signing up for a 12-by-46-foot plot, or in more information about the garden, may call Cecelia Thrash or Sister Betty Suther at Manna House of Prayer, 243-4428.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia donated the space, as well as the expertise of their organic gardener, Steven Mitchell, for the project. Several sisters and staff members have joined with community members to create an organizing committee, which has established the guidelines for use of the garden. Planting is expected to begin later in April.
On Wednesday, Sister Marcia Allen, president of the Concordia congregation, claimed Plot No. 1, at the southwest corner of the tilled rectangle. “I want to be able to find it,” she explained with a laugh.
Plots will be marked with corner stakes, and there will be paths covered with wood chips to allow access to each one.
April 9, 2010: 40th anniversary reminds us to be at peace with Mother Earth, by Sister Janet Lander
April 9, 2010 by Sarah
For 40 years now — since the first Earth Day in 1970 — we have had an annual reminder to live nonviolently with our Earth.
In the Concordia Year of Peace we have been striving for growth in nonviolent living skills and attitudes toward one another. This month, and the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, give us the opportunity to extend our loving regard and reverent action toward Earth, as well.
Though Earth could survive quite nicely without humans, we humans are totally dependent on the health and well-being of our planet. We are truly earthlings. We find our life embedded in the living systems of Earth.
Indeed, Earth is our mother. She is lamenting our way of living, if we have ears to hear. She is lamenting not only for her sake but for all creatures, and yes, for us. She is lamenting ongoing human violence against the web of life:
“I thirst!” she cries. “By the year 2025, at least 48 countries will face water scarcity conditions. The World Water Council reports that 1.1 billion people are currently living without safe drinking water, and still another 2.6 billion do not have adequate sanitation. What does and will this mean for our crops, our health and our international relations?”
“I am hungry!” Earth moans. “Developed nations feed more grain to their livestock than one-third of the human race eats directly. If these people just reduced meat consumption 10 percent there would be enough unused grain to feed 60 million of the world’s hungry.”
“I am ill,” Earth warns, “and so are you! Did you know that the food with the highest level of contaminants is mother’s milk? What you put into my body, you put into your own.”
“I am naked!” Earth complains. “An average of 120,000 trees are cut down hourly in the Amazon alone. Only 4 percent of the original forests are left in the United States.”
“I suffer violence!” Earth wails. “I am scarred by excessive extraction of ores and minerals, while my wetlands are being drained. Habitats are being lost, and almost 17,000 species of plants and animals are endangered, including one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians. Three-quarters of the fisheries are fished at or beyond capacity for self-renewal.”
Nonviolence is not passive. It says a clear “no” to violence in any form, which is the “yes” of compassion to the cries of any who are suffering. May we be mindful, at least this month, of the “R’s” of Right Relationship with Earth:
- Reverence flowing from reflection;
- Respectful responsiveness to suffering wherever we see it in creation;
- Refrain from consumerism by repair and reusing what we have;
- Recycle;
- Reduce energy consumption and polluting activities: our carbon footprint;
- Restore balance in our lives.
In the healing of Mother Earth, may we find ourselves healed as well.
— Sister Janet Lander is on the staff of Manna House of Prayer and is a member of the Concordia Year of Peace Committee.
Candlelight vigil focuses awareness on sexual assault victims
April 7, 2010 by Sarah
About 25 Sisters of St. Joseph and other concerned community members gathered Tuesday evening at the Motherhouse to pray for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Carol Miller, director of the local CASA organization and Hope’s Place, read three stories written by people who have suffered abuse, while Cameron Presler of the Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas helped participants light candles. Sister Jean Befort read the closing prayer.
This was the second time the annual ceremony has been held at the Motherhouse in Concordia as part of the national recognition of April as Sexual Assault Awarenes Month.
April issue of The Messenger features volunteers
April 6, 2010 by Sarah
The new issue of The Messenger, the quarterly newspaper of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia, is now available. It includes updates on the soon-to-be-open Neighbor to Neighbor center and the Concordia Community Garden of Hope, as well as coverage of the workshop by Dr. Donna Beegle — plus a two-page spread focuses on volunteers who help the sisters every day with their works of service.
Click HERE to download the complete issue.
April 2, 2010: Community garden offers a hands-on approach to peace, by Veronica Barrington
April 2, 2010 by Sarah
The idea for the Community Garden of Hope grew from the Concordia Year of Peace initiative and is bound to be one of the most hands-on approaches to fostering peace.
It’s a simple, beautiful, and at the same time complex idea: A community garden can foster peace. It requires a group of people to come together, to share a goal, to make agreements, to accept one another’s ideas and abilities and to offer help as needed. In the community garden, we must accept boundaries, follow rules and communicate.
In the garden, it doesn’t matter if you blossom with creativity or sprout practicality. Some will garden in patches, others in rows. There may be flowers mixed in with vegetables and fruits, or perhaps each will have its own precise place. And some gardeners will work hard, while others will putter.
One thing is sure: No two garden plots are alike. And gardeners are quick to admire when they see something they like, and to offer advice when they see someone struggling.
We on the garden community hope that by creating a place and an opportunity for more Concordians to garden, we’ll be encouraging this exchange of admiration and advice — and, indirectly, promoting peace in the community.
For some people, the community garden may allow them to change the way they spend their “down time.” Rather than sitting home after a stressful day or week at work, there may be attractive benefits to picking up a bag of tools and going to the garden to spend a few pleasant evening or early morning hours caring for plants quietly and in peace.
With a new way to ease stress, maybe the causes of disagreements or grumbling at home or among neighbors will seem less important.
Then, once the ground begins to reward us for our care and attention, community gardeners will be able to share the bounty of the garden by having neighbors and friends over for a homegrown meal, passing along more good will. Perhaps some gardeners will grow enough to can, freeze or dry for the winter, saving some of the family food budget and leading to more financial peace. Still others may wish to help others, by donating produce to some of our community’s other programs, like the senior center, the summer lunch program or the food bank.
Veteran gardeners know that all the work isn’t just about the crop; instead, it’s about becoming connected. First, as we become connected to the soil, we begin to see how robins linger around the gardens, waiting for grubs we might find, or to pounce on worms after we water. Then we connect to people by pointing out this wonder to young children, and sharing it with young and old alike.
People who experience moments like this can’t help but care about the earth and work to promote proper stewardship of the land, both in their actions and their votes.
With luck and commitment, the Community Garden of Hope will flourish, becoming a lasting tribute to a time when a few people in Concordia looked around, saw that actions and attitudes needed to change and planted the seed to make it happen.
— Veronica Barrington of Concordia is a member of the Community Garden of Hope Committee, a former Advanced Master Gardener and the mother of three. And she notes that plots in the Concordia Community Garden of Hope are still available, by calling Cecelia Thrash or Sister Betty Suther at 243-4428.
