Creating a greener lifestyle

To learn more about the Sisters of St. Joseph Ecological Integrity Committee, CLICK HERE.

Become conversant in the economics, politics and science that can save creation.

 

Marymount alumni donate $30,000 to Raise for the Roof

  The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia welcomed representatives of the Marymount Alumni Association on July 27 as they presented a generous check to the sisters to be used for the Raise for the Roof project.

Rodd Glavin, class of 1984, and Susan Martin Tackett, class of 1982, represented the alumni for the presentation of the donation.

Glavin presented a check on behalf of the alumni to match the donations already given for the roof by Marymount alumni. In total, the Marymount alumni raised $30,000 for the Raise for the Roof campaign.

“The sisters supported us, now it’s time for us to support them,” Glavin said. “That’s the reason we hold Marymount so close to our heart, it is the people who were there.”

“We’re here to give back,” Tackett said.

“Marymount College was a very special place and holds many wonderful memories for our sisters. It is always a joy to reconnect with former students, to reminisce, hear about their lives and renew friendships,” President Jean Rosemarynoski, CSJ, said. “We are deeply grateful to the alumni and the association for the financial support they continue to give us. We are humbled and blessed to accept their very generous gift.”

The Raise for the Roof campaign is a fundraiser to replace the roof on the Nazareth Motherhouse in Concordia. The roof on the Motherhouse was last replaced in 1992 and is currently comprised of asphalt shingles. As time has continued, more and more patches have needed to be made to fix leaks that are damaging walls.

“The roof replacement is not optional,” said Ambria Gilliland, assistant director of development for Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia. “It’s something that has to be done and we are so grateful for how the Marymount Alumni have really stepped up to help us out.”

The product chosen for replacement is a metal roof which will closely mimic the original slate tiles installed when the building was erected, and will also last much longer than the asphalt shingles. The roof over St. Pat’s Hall, connected to the south side of the Motherhouse, was replaced several years ago with the same material and it has proven to be a quality product.

If you are interested in donating to help Raise for the Roof, you can visit www.csjkansas.org and select “Roof” in the donation box. Or, if you send in a donation, just designate roof in your correspondence.

We continue to be amazed at the wonderful support shown by the public through the years.

 

Eulogy for Sister Patricia Helen Neihouse

VIGIL: July 26, 2018, at the Nazareth Motherhouse
EULOGIST: Sister Janet Lander

Sister Patricia Helen Neihouse begins her life review with Mary’s prayer of praise: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” (Lk. 1:46) May the story of her life which we recall with gratitude at this time truly be a prayer of praise. For, as that prayer continues, ‘God who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is God’s name.'” God has done great things in and through her life.

Pat Neihouse was born July 25, 1936, to John and Inez Ella Foulke Neihouse. She was the fifth of their 13 children, six of whom have predeceased her: Margaret Bruce, Marie Lewis, Joan Lust, Julia Ann Wooldridge, Janet Neihouse and Mary Louise Neihouse, who died at birth. Her parents, too, have gone before her. And now, her sister Mary Catherine Billinger has joined her in eternal life. Sister  Pat is survived by her siblings: Elizabeth Hoggatt, John Neihouse, Virginia Gross, James Neihouse and Gerry Parker, as well as nieces and nephews, and extended family.

Pat was baptized at Sacred Heart Cathedral and attended both the elementary and secondary schools there. Her parents valued Catholic education. She loved school and was a good student. In her life review, with fondness, she remembered the Sisters of St. Joseph and others who were her teachers. She was a tomboy who loved sports. She reminisced that when she was small she was always losing her hair ribbons. Later, she played on basketball and baseball teams.

One of her special memories from her growing up years was having her Grandma Neihouse live in their home with them. When she later entered religious life her dad said to her, “You know it was because of your grandma.” Pat also gives credit to Father Wasinger who accompanied the Legion of Mary and impressed her with his help given to alcoholics and to the needy. He supported her desire to be a Sister of St. Joseph, encouraging her to write to Mother Helena.

Pat entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on Sept. 8, 1954, part of a band of 14 postulants. Most left religious life in the late ’60s and early ’70s. She is survived by band members Sisters Bernadine Pachta and Agnes Irene Huser. After she made first vows in 1956, she spent a year studying at Marymount College. She then taught in Concordia, followed by one year at Cure D’ars in Leawood, Kan. On March 19, 1959, Sister Patricia made final vows. She finished her studies at Marymount and left for Belém, Pará, Brazil on Feb. 22, 1963, with Sister Patricia Vaughan. She arrived in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil on June 25, 1963, with Sisters Margarida, Rose Dominic, and David, beginning more than 50 years of missionary work. She reflected in her life review: “As I look back upon my years in Brazil, I find myself, along with others, in the midst of a new vision of the Church in the world. How many times the Redemptorist priests and we sisters studied the documents as they were being written during the Vatican II Council. We were very excited to put into practice what these documents meant for us and the people of God.”

Sister Pat was enthusiastic about the formation of the laity, helping them to grow psychologically and spiritually.

Over her years of mission work in Brazil she worked in parishes in Teresina and Amarante. She accompanied workers, and tried to help the poor improve their living conditions, coordinating fundraising for aid to the poorest on the periphery of Escalvado, including beginning a community garden. She also worked in the Archdiocesan Catechetical Office, after completing a preparatory course in catechetics. Between 1967 and 1976 she completed other certificate courses in areas of psychology and counseling, and a course for those who would become religious formators.

In the years that followed, she took on many other ministries: retreats and spiritual direction, directing Bible groups, Novice Director, Coordination of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brazil, Coordinator of the National Conference of Religious of Brazil in Brazil’s northeast, and teaching Enneagram workshops.

When the Congregation opened a mission in Nova Esperança, in the southern part of Pará, Sisters Janira, Augusta and Rita went with Pat to work with nine base ecclesial communities, living among the people in a little house with a thatched roof. In the Diocese of Conceição do Araguaia they helped the poor to learn about their faith and about human rights, and how to improve their health.

Upon returning to Teresina, she resumed giving Enneagram workshops touching the lives of more than 4,000 vowed religious, priests, bishops and seminarians, as a means of self-knowledge, personal growth and spiritual deepening.

About 10 years ago, when Pat’s sister Jan became ill, Pat spent over a year in the United States. Part of this time was spent caring for Jan. However, Pat also took time for personal renewal. She made the Sarah Sabbatical and also the Bearers of the Tradition programs at Manna House of Prayer. She reflected on the latter saying, “Once again I confirmed my consciousness of how beautiful a gift God gave us as Sisters of St. Joseph, our Charism. Together, with many Sisters of St. Joseph of other states and nations, I shared and received new insights. It was a time of joy and gratitude for having been able to participate.”

Pat returned to Brazil, and resumed ministries in leadership, religious formation and and other ministries. She was blessed by being present for the 50^th anniversary celebration of the foundation of the Brazil Mission and her own 60^th jubilee of religious life. When Sister Alexsandra took on the study of English, Pat mentored her through opportunities for conversation in English. When I had the privilege of spending six weeks with our sisters in Brazil in 2014, Pat also took me under her wing until I regained enough Portuguese to speak for myself. She was a gracious hostess.

On Nov. 9, 2017, Pat returned to Concordia due to illness. Leaving Brazil did not end her relationship with the sisters there. She continued to write emails and communicate with them through technology, until that became impossible. Since her passing on Sunday morning, I have received various messages of grief from some of the sisters in Brazil. Their Regional Coordinator, Sister Nair, also wrote to let us know that every night the sisters and many others who loved Irma Patrícia, have been saying a rosary for her. Saturday, they will celebrate her life at the “Seventh Day Mass,” a memorial Mass in St. Joseph’s Church in Teresina, with all the sisters, the Redemptorist priests, parishioners and many of Pat’s friends present.

Pat appreciated her five months at the Motherhouse in Stafford Hall, grateful for the care she received and the time she spent with the sisters, especially playing rummy. She loved to go swimming and be outside. Her illness made it necessary to move to Mount Joseph on April 5, 2018. She has expressed gratitude for the faithfulness of family and community members who have visited her, for the care offered by staff and our sisters who minister at Mt. Joseph, and for the little things like jigsaw puzzles, card games with Sister Lucy, watching the birds outside her window, and an abundance of correspondence, even though her illness and “saudades” or longing for the Brazilian community caused significant suffering.

On Sunday, July 22, Pat slipped quietly into the heart of God. In the last part of Pat’s life one of the books she was using for meditation was a translation of “The Sacrament of the Present Moment” by Jean-Pierre Caussade, SJ, an 18^th century spiritual classic. In it, the author encourages the reader to live in the moment, finding God present, and abandoning oneself to Christ in every aspect of daily life, accepting even obstacles and finding peace. It appears that Pat so took the message to heart that she shone with its transforming grace. In her life review, she quotes Father Caussade who said, “To live by faith then is to live in joy, confidence, certainty and trust in all there is to do and suffer each moment as ordained by God.”

Pat, indeed, you lived each moment with generous courage and humility. In our tradition as Sisters of St. Joseph, this is to live the zeal of Jesus. And as Jean-Pierre Caussade said, “The way opens up before us as we walk, and we follow it with unfaltering steps.”

With new unfaltering steps may you follow Jesus into the life of unending Love.

 
Memorials for Sister Patricia Neihouse may be given to the Sisters of St. Joseph Health Care/Retirement Fund or the Apostolic Works of the Sisters; P.O. Box 279, Concordia KS 66901. To make an online donation in Sister Patricia Neihouse’s memory, click on the button below:

 

 

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia condemn the ongoing violence in Nicaragua

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia, Kansas stand as one with the following statement of  the U.S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in regards to their condemnation of the ongoing violence and injustices in Nicaragua.

Click on the link below for a downloadable pdf.

Nicaragua-Corporate-Voice-Statement

Sin and salvation topics of 2018 Theological Institute

Dr. Nancy Pineda-Madrid was the speaker for the 2018 Theological Institute held July 12-15 at the Nazareth Motherhouse in Concordia. Her topic was “Salvation and the Community of Faith.”

Dr. Pineda-Madrid is an associate professor of Theology and Latino/a Ministry, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry; vice president, International Network of Society of Catholic Theology; past-president, Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States; and author of “Suffering and Salvation in Ciudad Juarez,” and “Hope: Promise, Possibility and Fulfillment.”

“It is the violence in Ciudad Juarez that has forced me to ask questions about salvation,” she said during the opening night of the Institute. “The border region is very much a part of my interest in salvation. We’ll be looking at salvation and what it means to confront the broken and fragmentary experience of our lives, and how Jesus and the Church provide that release.”

The Institute began with a discussion and reflection on the nature of sin, both personal and social.

“We live in a time right now where we have to ask ourselves, when is fear a sin?” Dr. Pineda-Madrid said.

Following the discussion of the nature of sin, three models of salvation were presented over the course of four days: salvation as expiation or atonement; salvation as liberation, and salvation as divinization or transforming love. Each model was explained through Scripture and texts, as well as by putting it into the context of theological figures in history.

“I want to present us with a range of models of salvation,” she said as she gave the group a roadmap of the upcoming days of study. “There are a lot of ways to think about salvation. They aren’t mutually exclusive; they spill into each other.”

Dr.Pineda-Madrid grew up near the border in El Paso, Texas. She is the niece of Sister Esther Pineda, CSJ (deceased). Her parents, Gus and Rachel, attended the institute. Gus is Sister Esther’s brother.

The Sisters of St. Joseph established the annual Theological Institute a way to continue their long-standing educational tradition, exemplified by the schools they founded and staffed, including Marymount College in Salina. The program is held each summer in Concordia.

The 2019 Theological Institute is scheduled for July 18-21 and will feature Dr. Shannen Dee Williams, speaking on the topic, “The Sin of Racism.” Dr. Williams is the author of the book “Subversive Habits: Black Nuns and the Long Struggle to Desegregate Catholic America.” Her study chronicles the epic journey of black Catholic sisters in the United States from their fiercely contested beginnings in the nineteenth century to the present day. For more information on reserving a spot for the 2019 Theological institute, email retreatcenter@manahouse.org.

 

The July Messenger is packed with news!

The July edition of The Messenger is always an exciting one, and this year is no different. We are celebrating 555 years of love and service at Jubilee, checking in with a bobbin lace retreat, and enjoying all the fun and love at Discover Camp! And don’t forget to plan now to attend the 40th anniversary of Manna House of Prayer!

The print edition is in the mail today, and it’s available here right now as a flipbook. To open the flipbook edition, just click on the image below:

CSJ Associates gather for commitment ceremony and social

The Topeka-Manhattan area group of CSJ Associates gathered the evening of June 9 with other associates, sisters and candidates for a ceremony and social.

Connie Palacio made her first commitment as an Associate, and Mary Jo Hobbs was welcomed as a candidate for association in a simple prayer ritual in the chapel.

Sisters Anna Marie Broxterman and Rosemary Foreman shared the roles of group Animator and sponsor for these two women. Catherine Seitz led the ceremony as co-director of the congregation’s associate program. There were about 40 who participated in the prayer and social.

Photos courtesy Sister Kathy Schaefer

Eulogy for Sister Margaret Rourke — Dec. 23, 1947 – June 1, 2018

VIGIL: June 11, 2018, at the Nazareth Motherhouse
EULOGIST: Sister Marilyn Wall

“As for your zeal, it will always be proportionate to the love for God in your heart; see that it springs from a great love and it will be great.” 

— Maxims of Perfection, Chapter XI, No.1

Sister Margaret Rourke was born on a very cold night, Dec. 23, 1927, at her family’s farm home, 11 miles northwest of McCracken, in the southeast corner of Trego County.  She was baptized, Margaret Louise, at St. Mary’s Church in McCracken on Jan. 14, 1928. She was the fifth of seven living children.

Of her childhood, she said, “I grew up close to the soil and close to nature. As a child I spent time contemplating the vastness of the sky and its distance from the earth. I loved to explore the green pastures, play in the waterholes after a rain, climb hills with my brothers and sisters and play imaginary games under the trees or on the hillside.”

Margaret talked about one of her earliest awakenings about God. It was on a bright Sunday morning when she was about five years old. The family was riding to church with the five oldest children seated in the back and she was sitting on a cream can, as was customary.  She asked, “When will we be finished going to Church?”

Her mother and the others tried to explain that they would never get finished. “We will go every Sunday every year all the time.” She said that was unfathomable to her, but it caused her to ponder who this God might be and what was he like.

One of the things she said she really lacked was social interactions with children outside her family and relatives. She went to a one-room school with about 10 students. She had one classmate through third grade, and that classmate was her cousin, Marjorie Rourke. After third grade, Marjorie’s family moved and Margaret was the only one in her class. However, she said her high school years were a good contrast.

When Margaret was ready for high school, her two older sisters, Lucille and Eileen, who had stayed home a year to help during their mother’s illness, were ready for their junior and sophmore years. The three of them stayed at an apartment that her family rented in Ellis and went to school there.

After high school, Margaret went to Marymount in Salina. She said that she felt early in her time there that she might be called to religious life … but she waited until the end of the year to talk about it just in case a young man might sweep her off of her feet. In the end, God’s call was clear. Margaret entered this community of St. Joseph on March 19, 1947 … 71 years ago. On March 19, 1948, she received the habit and the name Sister Mary Thomasine. Living band members are Sisters Christella Buser, Vivian Boucher and Mary Savoie.

Her first mission was Tipton where she taught grades 1, 2 and 3 (about 45 children). Sister Christella, who was in her band, was also in Tipton for the same five years. Her second mission was Leoville, where she taught the same grades but had only about 26 children. Also on that same mission in Leoville was Sister Ann Louis, her principal. The two of them became lifelong friends and supported each other in all areas and especially in their spiritual journeys. After two years in Cawker City, she was assigned to Sacred Heart High School to teach math which was a real stretch for her. But the biggest stretch was going to St. John’s High School in Beloit to teach biology, chemistry and physics. She had taken one course in chemistry seven years earlier and five hours in biology in summer school. With Sister Marie Kelly’s help she survived.

In her life review Sister Margaret relates, “The years after the Vatican II Council were both rocky and exciting. I considered my nine years in Clyde to be more growth-producing that any other nine years in my life.” At Clyde, Margaret worked with Sister Judy Stephens and an innovative team that offered catechetical education and pastoral support to several parishes in the region. In Margaret’s words, “The changes, the new ministry, my readiness to risk growing, my experience with the CPE course under Father Frost at Independence, Iowa, the many workshops, conventions, courses, congregational thrust toward renewal, friendships, outings and travels were all contributing factors.”  

Eventually, Margaret took a position in adult education and parish ministry at Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park, Kan. This position lasted for 12 years, and as in all of her ministries, she continued to grow in zeal and in her life with God.

Throughout her life Margaret was courageous in the cause of justice and relentless in the alleviation of poverty. In her “retirement” from active ministry she was mission coordinator for Appeals for our Brazilian Sisters. This she did with the same enthusiasm and diligence as she did everything else. For ten-plus years she organized parish presentations and did many of them herself. When her presentations took her to western Kansas or to Colorado she loved to spend an overnight with her family.

On the occasion of her 50th Jubilee she reflected, “For me this is a moment of facing the NOW at a deeper level of realization of how each of us has become who we are today because of our gifts … gifts that surfaced from our deepest center or gifts from one another and from all of creation.”

Margaret also maintained a close relationship with her family over the generations participating in and planning many family reunions and celebrations and being of help and support whenever someone needed her. Margaret was very close to her nieces and nephews. In these past years she has been a pivotal point for her nieces, who have loved to come here to Concordia from their various home bases to dote over and stimulate Margaret … and to find time to nourish their own relationships with one another. The sisters here in Concordia have also benefited from the joy and fun they bring.

Even as a resident at Mount Joseph, Margaret’s eyes have sparkled with zeal and acceptance. She has exemplified for me and many others the portrait of a Sister of St Joseph: “in her face the reflection proper to our Congregation — continual joy of spirit.  This is the quiet inner glow of the Sister whose life in the service of Jesus has been successful.”

Memorials for Sister Margaret Rourke may be given to the Sisters of St. Joseph Health Care/Retirement Fund or the Apostolic Works of the Sisters; P.O. Box 279, Concordia KS 66901. To make an online donation in Sister Margaret Rourke’s memory, click on the button below:

 

 

Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia celebrate nine jubilarians

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia celebrated nine jubilarians on Sunday at the Nazareth Motherhouse and thanked them for 555 years of devoted service to religious life.

The annual celebration recognizes sisters who are marking noteworthy anniversaries of the date they were received as novices into the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia. Since the special day comes at the end of the congregation’s annual June Assembly, almost all of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia are able to be present.

Six of the congregation’s nine jubilarians were able to attend Sunday’s celebration.

The event began with a festive brunch for the jubilarians and their friends and family at 10:30 a.m. in the Nazareth Motherhouse, followed by the Jubilee Program at 12:30 p.m. in the Motherhouse auditorium. The Jubilee Liturgy followed at 2:15 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Chapel at the Motherhouse presided by Father David Metz, of Concordia. He also gave the blessing of the jubilarians.

The 2018 jubilarians honored Sunday were:

• Sister Barbara Bader, originally from Rhineland, Mo., who grew up in Nebraska, received into the Sisters of St. Joseph on March 19, 1943, and celebrating her 75th. She died on April 7, 2018.
• Sister Norma Schlick, from Wood River, Neb., received on Sept. 8, 1947, and celebrating her 70th. She lives at Mt. Joseph Senior Village in Concordia.
• Sister Ann Glatter, from Amherst, Neb., received on Feb. 2, 1949, and celebrating her 70th jubilee. She lives at the Nazareth Motherhouse in Concordia.
• Sister Charlotte Lutgen, from Claflin, Kan., received on Sept. 15, 1957, and celebrating her 60th jubilee. She lives at the Motherhouse.
• Sister Pauline Kukula, from Tipton, Kan., received into the Sisters of St. Joseph on Sept. 15, 1957 and celebrating her 60th jubilee. She lives in Salina, Kan., and teaches at Sacred Heart Jr.-Sr. High School in Salina.
• Sister Mary Lou Roberts, from Belleville, Kan., received into the Sisters of St. Joseph on Aug. 15, 1958, and celebrating her 60th jubilee. Today she lives and serves in Salina.
• Sister Catherine Michaud, from Fort Collins, Colo., celebrating her 50th, jubilee. She was received on Sept. 5, 1967, and today lives and serves in St. Paul, Minn.
• Irma Maria Nair de Sousa Lima of Terasina, Brazil, received on Feb. 20, 1966, and celebrating her 50th jubilee. She continues to live and serve in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. She was unable to attend.
• Irma Maria das Dores Sales, of Ibiapina-Ceara, Brazil, received on Jan. 25, 1969, and celebrating her 50th jubilee. She continues to live and serve in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. She was unable to attend.

Sister Marcia Allen, as the reflector for the jubilee program, set the tone.
“Their lives are the models of what we all hope for,” she said.

Sister Dian Hall, who acted as moderator for the program, said, “Our sisters are beautiful example of flowers who have bloomed and spread their love.”
The theme of the 2018 celebration was “The Seed becomes the Rose.”

During the program, various sisters stood to give tribute to the jubilarians.

Sister Vera Meis spoke about Sister Barbara Bader.
“Wherever she saw a need, she would be the first person to volunteer her talent or gifts,” Sister Vera said. “She was a woman who wasn’t afraid to do something new. She helped start the school at Oakley, Kan. She was an innovator. She wasn’t afraid.”

Sister Janis Wagner gave tribute to Sister Ann Glatter.
“She is an icon of generosity,” Sister Janis said. “Only God knows how many people she helped in this community.”
She told the well-known story of how Sister Ann assisted so many people in the area in her little pickup as well as her endless hours in the farm and orchard.

Sister Carolyn Junemann gave tribute to Sister Charlotte Lutgen by saying, “During our time together at St. Joseph Hospital, she was totally dedicated to the needs of the sisters. She was truly the rock for us. She probably doesn’t even realize the impact her life made on my life and so many others.”

Sister Norma Schlick was given tribute by Sister Pat McLennon.
“One of the wonderful gifts you have given to us is your words,” she said, referencing Sister Norma’s work in drafting important documents for both the Federation and the community, as well as her talent for languages. “We are truly grateful for your gift.”

Sister Carm Thibault gave tribute to Sister Pauline Kukula. Her tribute turned into Sister Polly giving a rap demonstration of how to remember the names of the apostles and the 21 epistles. It was obvious why she continues to be a favorite teacher at Sacred Heart.
“Thank you for helping so many students who will never forget what you’ve done for them,” Sister Carm said.

Sister Marilyn Stahl gave tribute to Sister Mary Lou Roberts, by noting her dedication to prison ministry and the former Catholic Children’s Home.
“Her natural strength is ministry,” Sister Marilyn said. “She’s still doing jail/prison ministry today and I think she always will.”

Sister Barbara Ellen Apaceller honored Sister Catherine Michaud by saying, “What a blessing you are to our community. Whenever I am around Cathy I want to be more like her.”
“She is making a difference in the diocese in St. Paul, Minn.,” she said. “They are blessed to have her.”

Sister Janet Lander spoke about Irma Maria das Dores Sales, who was one of the first postulants in Brazil in 1967.
“She knew the people, really knew the people with whom she worked and lived,” Sister Janet said. “Dores, we are deeply grateful to you.”

Sister Donna Otter spoke for Irma Nair de Sousa Lima’s tribute. Nair was the youngest of the group of the first eight postulants to enter CSJ in 1967 in Brazil.
“As a sister, Nair was always available for a mission. She was a missionary at heart,” Sister Donna said. “She has a passion for the mission.”

“They are our heroes, our mentors, our models,” Sister Marcia Allen said as the program closed. “We say, ‘Thank you, Sisters.’”
The jubilarians each received a gift from the congregation along with a decorated bag of cards and other small mementoes.

 

Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia oppose separation of immigrant families

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia, Kansas, are in strong agreement with the following statement issued by LCWR, (Leadership Conference of Women Religious):

“As women of faith, as Catholic sisters, we strongly oppose the Trump administration’s decision to forcibly separate parents from their children in an effort to punish families seeking safety in the United States. Mothers and fathers are taking tremendous risks to bring their children to safety. These are families fleeing violence and death in their home countries. They have every right to ask for protection in the United States and the Trump administration is legally and morally obligated to give them a fair chance to seek asylum,” Teresa Maya, CCVI, (Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word and President of LCWR), stated. “It is impossible to imagine the fear of a child being ripped from the arms of her mother or the pain of a father watching a stranger take his son. It is cruel and inhumane and it must stop. Our faith demands it and our national values require it. We are better than this.”

The Sisters of St. Joseph have a long history of being in solidarity with immigrant families. We are spurred on by Catholic Social teachings, which are based on the Gospel of Christ Jesus. We stand with the Bishops of the Catholic Church to work toward the development of just immigration laws that support the sanctity of human life and the unity of families.

June 5, 2018

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