News from Centre International St. Joseph
- 2010-2011 Programs
- Young Adult Programme set for August 2009
- Lyon Forum
- Institute of the Sisters of St. Joseph - Assembly of young Sisters August 20 - 26, 2008
- PICTURES WANTED FOR OUR WEB SITE
2010-2011 Programs
With great joy and welcome, we the staff of the Centre International Saint Joseph invite you to come to our global Congregation’s home away from home. During the year 2010-2011 the following opportunities are offered as we live “that all may be one.”
Date Posted: 2009-12-07
Lyon Forum
Lyon Forum
July 7 – 12, 2008 saw a very large number of Sisters gather in Lyon to celebrate the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Re-founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph. There were representatives from 33 of the 55 countries where the Sisters of St. Joseph minister! They came from Africa, Egypt, France, Italy, Lebanon, Canada, India, Argentina, U.S.A., Mexico, Madagascar, etc. We did not speak the same languages, but we did indeed speak the language of the heart! The energy and enthusiasm in the main hall had no need of human language to communicate!
The first days were spent hearing one another's stories. Congregations related their early histories and we were struck with how similar they were. It seems that the Sisters of St. Joseph the world over begin a small foundation with very few Sisters and even fewer financial resources, seek to find the greatest need in the area, immediately respond to that need with whatever is needed - schools, hospitals, retreat centers, orphanages, clinics, shelters for the poor, houses for young women, houses of prayer, etc., etc., etc.
Alfredo Sfeir-Younis gave the keynote address mid-way through the week. This gifted speaker held everyone's attention as he spoke about The Theology of Interdependence. There was plenty of time for discussion, small group sharing, questions and comments. His profound reflections left us with much to think about in the days that followed.
On July 10, the Sisters left Lyon bright and early to attend the special celebration in Bas-en Basset where a street was named in honour of Mother St. John. What a proud moment it was for every Sister of St. Joseph the world over! The bus continued on to Le Puy-en-Velay where the Sisters visited the International Centre. We were delighted to welcome all 130 of them! Our house had never seen so many people all at once! We laughed and chatted under the cheery trees in the back yard, Martha told the Sisters about our work at the Centre, we opened the house for tours, different groups of Sisters entertained us with songs and dances from their particular culture and we ended with refreshments, again in the beautiful outdoors. The day was perfect and the Sisters returned to Lyon with happy hearts. The Lyon Forum is an event that won't soon be forgotten by those who attended. We thank the Lyon Congregation for all the hard work they did to make this wonderful gathering a reality!
Consuela from Mexico
Egypt - Lebanon - Africa
Date Posted: 2008-09-11
Young Adult Programme set for August 2009
Young Adult Programme
The Young Adult Planning Committee met at Centre International August 1 – 3, 2008 to continue planning for the programme that will be held August 2 – 12, 2009 at the International Center in Le Puy-en-Velay. The present committee is made up of Maria Cristina Gavazzi - Chair (Italy), Donna Cicalese, Centre International, Helena de Fatima Dos Passos, Brazil, Suzanne Franck, U.S., Josette Goudard, France, Lorraine Malo, Centre International, Thérèse Meunier, Canada, Colette Philibert, France, and Martha Tharamuttathu, Centre International. During this planning meeting, the team worked out a tentative schedule as well as a provisional budget. The committee will actively seek funding for this programme in order to keep the costs as low as possible so that many young adults between the ages of 21 – 30 will be able to participate. The whole experience is geared to peace-making as expressed in the title of the programme: Become a Neighbour: Peace Depends on It. The ten-day session will include prayer, small group sharing, artistic expression, a few days in Taizé, the ecumenical community near Lyon, some time walking a portion of the Chemin de Compostelle. There will be lots of time for getting acquainted with the city of Le Puy and the many historic and religious sites found here. The youth will share their ideas, hopes and dreams for a better world. We are hoping youth from various countries will come so that the programme will truly be multicultural and multilingual and will prove to be a genuine sharing among cultures. The planning team hopes the participants will build community and create a global network of relationships. Through deep sharing, enriched by input from the CSSJ charism and spirituality, we hope the programme will be a transformative experience for the youth who attend.
Young Adult Programme Planning Committee
Date Posted: 2008-09-11
Institute of the Sisters of St. Joseph - Assembly of young Sisters August 20 - 26, 2008
From August 20 – 26, 2008 the Institute of the Sisters of St. Joseph held an assembly for their youngest members. The novices and junior professed from France and Senegal gathered at Centre International for a week-long session. There were 5 novices and 10 junior professed as well as four directors of formation. They spent a solid week of hard work looking at the meaning of religious life in today's world. There was a good balance of prayer, free time, small group work and plenary assemblies. The meals were always times of good sharing and lots of laughter. No one seemed to want them to end! The African Sisters had brought their drums and showed us some of their dances. It was quite incredible to see how some of them could move! They insisted on learning one of our dances and so, one night, we taught them the Hokey-Pokey! It seemed incredibly mild compared to their dances, but they loved learning it, and enjoyed practicing English when they sang the words! This is certainly the liveliest group we've had at the Centre so far! Their vitality and enthusiasm were tangible and this wonderful group inspired hope for the future of the world-wide family of CSSJ's. It was a gift to host them!
Group photo
Marianne and Lucienne with the drums
Date Posted: 2008-09-11
PICTURES WANTED FOR OUR WEB SITE
PICTURES WANTED FOR OUR WEB SITE: of Sisters and Associates engaged in ministry around the world. If you can send these to us via e-mail, we will try to rotate the pictures we receive on the site. If you prefer to send them by regular mail, we will scan them for use on the site. Please indicate the place (city, country) as well as the names of the persons in the picture and the ministry concerned. Thank you!
Date Posted: 2007-01-20