14 March, 2018

Each year, the Saturday after the 5th of March, the Foundation date of the Holy Child School in Cape Coast, Ghana, the annual Speech and Prize-Giving Day is held there. Since 2013, headmistress Rev. Sister Josephine Anto, SHCJ, has been inviting the “year group” to come back and in the spirit of what they have received, give something back to the school. Every year group has done something unique and fantastic for the school to mark their 25th anniversary of leaving school, she said.

This year was the turn of the 1993/95 year group. They embarked on a project called Triple H – Hygiene, Health and Happiness. They intend to renovate all the washrooms in the various “houses” where the students reside the boarding school of 1,330 students. “We’re going back to the school. We’re giving back to the school, because we believe Holy Child has done so much for us,” said Abena Anyidoho, Secretary of the group.

Four members of those alumni appeared on Joy News recently to talk about the project.

The Speech day was held on 10th March this year. It is a school affair, but the year group celebrating their 25th anniversary collaborates with the schools administration to organise the day.

(L to R) Sr. Josephine Anto, Headmistress of Holy Child School ; Mrs Magdalene Apenteng, immediate past president of NUHOPSA; Sr. Clementina Ashibuogwu SHCJ from Accra; Sr. Louisa Huni-Dadzie SHCJ from Cornelia Connelly School of the Holy Child, Cape Coast; and Sr. Alberta Bonle from Holy Child School, Cape Coast.

What made this year more exciting is that the day before the Speech day, we went as a School to Accra for the West African Examination Council Awards.

Two of our former students, Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland and Audrey Emefa Awuttey were adjudged the overall best candidate and the first runner-up in the West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE). These two candidates were first and second in Ghana as well as in West Africa. The Holy Child Past Students Association (HOPSA) as well as a good number of Holy Child sisters were present for the awards ceremony in Accra.

The two awardees, Jochebed and Audrey with Sister Josephine Anto, SHCJ and two HOPSANS, Mrs Magdalene Apenteng, the immediate past president of the National Union of Holy Child Past Students Association (NUHOPSA) and Mrs Doris Ashun, the current president of NUHOPSA.

27 March 2018

Two former students of Holy Child School in Cape Coast, Ghana, have been adjudged the overall best candidate and the first runner-up in the West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE). These two candidates were first and second in Ghana as well as in West Africa.

The two awardees, Jochebed and Audrey with Sister Josephine Anto, SHCJ and two HOPSANS, Mrs Magdalene Apenteng, the immediate past president of the National Union of Holy Child Past Students Association (NUHOPSA) and Mrs Doris Ashun, the current president of NUHOPSA.

Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland and Audrey Emefa Awuttey, past students who completed in June 2017, are in the medical school in the University of Legon, Accra. They both intend to be successful in the medical field.

“In my tenure as headmistress, we had similar awards in 2012 when we produced the best business student in the country and in 2013, we had the best General Arts student. What make this award unique is that we have produced the overall best candidate for Ghana and West Africa, raising high the flag of Holy Child School,” said headmistress Rev. Sister Josephine Anto, SHCJ.

In Ghana, students take part in examinations organised by the West African Examination Council. All the private and public schools in five member countries are bound to write these examinations. These examinations determine their admission to the universities.

This year 1.9 million candidates took the examinations in West Africa and Jochebed topped them all with Audrey placing second.

“These are exciting moments for us as an institution,” Sister Josephine said.

27 March 2018

The following was originally published in Insights from Holy Child, a publication of Holy Child School at Rosemont.

This past Sunday at the Family Mass and Breakfast, we honored faculty and staff members for their milestone anniversaries. Each Holy Child School at Rosemont employee strives to embody the spirit of our foundress Cornelia Connelly. Judy Wankmiller Cassidy ’59 P’85 ’86 ’90 ’93 and Second Grade teacher, reflects on Cornelia’s influence in her 41 years as part of the Holy Child faculty.

By Judy Wankmiller Cassidy

Over the many years, I have been involved with Holy Child School at Rosemont, I have been asked one question many times, “What makes Holy Child so special?” As a young child, I would always say to my friends, “I go to a very happy school!” I didn’t realize then all that went into making that a reality, but as many years have passed and my role has changed from student to school parent and most importantly to a faculty member, I understand that this isn’t just a coincidence but a direct result of the teachings of the foundress of the Holy Child order, Cornelia Connelly. I realize that her vision as an educator has formed me into the adult and teacher I am today.

From the beginning, Holy Child schools have followed the directives of Cornelia Connelly taken from her Book of the Order of Studies (1863). She clearly states what is important for her faculty to impart to the children they teach: “It is necessary for the teachers to incite the pupils with a desire to excel at their various Examinations throughout the whole year.” She provided her teachers an educational framework by stating, “The explanations should be given in a clear, concise manner, and it should be as amusing and interesting as possible.” She also insisted that “The pupils must be watched over and spoken to with the greatest sweetness and charity.”

This teaching and philosophy has endured over many years, and it continues to make me strive to follow the example of the teachers I loved and admired. Cornelia also directs her teachers to “Trust the children and never let your confidence in them be easily shaken. Confidence begets confidence.”

I have always believed that as teachers we have the privilege and responsibility to instill in the children a love of learning and the desire to achieve all they can. I believe we have the obligation to allow children time to grow and become the best they can be. We can give children confidence by allowing them to develop ways to learn that meet their needs. Additionally, creativity is essential for children to learn. Cornelia challenges us all to use art, music, and drama to excite children and to help them grow all their talents. Does this atmosphere of joyful learning make a difference? It does I believe, when a child, can say with great pride, “I just get smarter and smarter each day.”

Cornelia also taught that “Stiffness and rigor will not bring forth love and these are not the spirit of the Holy Child. “So each day when I see our vision statement on the walls of our school, “Nurturing excellence, in a joyful, Catholic community, “I feel certain that almost 200 years after the first Holy Child school opened in England, Cornelia Connelly would be proud of Holy Child School at Rosemont. May we never tire of making this possible for many more generations of children.

25 April 2018

Fr. Joseph P. Parkes, S.J., President, Cristo Rey New York High School

During the recent Spring break, Cristo Rey New York’s College Guidance Office took the Junior Class on what is now an annual road trip — the college tour. Now in its sixth year, this is a time for students to visit several colleges in anticipation of the applications soon to be prepared. On March 6, students, counselors and all of their luggage filled four buses and headed out to a diverse group of colleges ranging in size, location, academic specialties, and campus culture.

During the 48-hour trip, the junior class visited 19 colleges in both Pennsylvania and New York. Colgate University, Hamilton College, Lehigh University, Franklin & Marshall College, Le Moyne College, SUNY Albany, and University of Scranton were but a sampling of the campuses visited. The juniors went on tours, attended information sessions, and even had the opportunity to meet with CRNYHS alumni at some schools.

When the Class of 2019 returned from the trip, they were asked to reflect upon their experiences. All of the students agreed that they had a better idea of what they were looking for in a school, and what they need to do to make those dreams a reality.

We look forward to sharing with you, our readers, what is sure to be the outstanding list of schools where our current CRNY juniors will be College freshman in the fall of 2019!

25 April 2018

Click for the day in video.

On Saturday 17^th March, nearly 400 people packed into the Mayfield School Chapel to attend Mass for St. Patrick. This was the high point of the greatly anticipated Schola Reunion, an event which saw over 200 past members of the school’s choirs return to Mayfield for a day of music and memories.

Old girls flew in from all over the world to sing and celebrate the long and vibrant history of vocal music at Mayfield. Four of Mayfield’s Directors of Music – Sister Daphne Walker, SHCJ, Mr Kenneth Pont, Mr Peter Collins and Dr Matthew Ward – were present, and spent the day preparing the Old Cornelians and current Schola members for the music at Mass.

Accompanied by trumpets and drums, the sound of almost 200 singers under Mr Pont was astonishing in the Introit ‘I was Glad’ (Parry) and Communion motet ‘Dona nobis pacem’ (Bach). Mr Collins’ Schola contributed a beautiful ‘Lift Thine Eyes’ (Mendelssohn) at the offertory, and the current Schola, under Dr Ward, led the singing for parts of the Mass including a movement from Kenneth Leighton’s ‘Missa Cornelia’, commissioned by Schola in 1978 and recorded in 1980.

It was a truly memorable occasion, and thanks are due to not only the Old Cornelians and the Directors of Music, but to Mrs Claire Ball and the marketing team for organising the event, and the catering staff for the wonderful lunch (and cake!) they provided.

– Dr M J C Ward, Director of Music

We are absolutely delighted to have held our first Schola reunion at Mayfield, on March 17th, in order to celebrate the rich musical heritage of the School.  Response to this from Old Cornelians was unprecedented, with hundreds of representatives from the last 7 decades attending, some flying from across the globe to be a part of this special event.  It was an inspiring, emotional and most of all uplifting occasion, as the Chapel rang with anthems from across the years.

We were so pleased that Sister Daphne Walker could be with us to enjoy the reunion. The day was testament to the tremendous power exerted by Schola and its Directors, and also to the incredible community that is Mayfield – past and present. To you all, for making this day so incredibly special – those who were with us in person and also those who could not be here and yet sent memories and messages, a heartfelt thank you. It was a truly inspiring day and this is due not just to our legendary Directors of Music, but to all of you who came and sang and all who supported this unique event.

– Mayfield School

Click to see more photos from the day.

9 May 2018

There will be a special dedication of a burial stone on Sunday, May 20, at the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery in Avoca, Minnesota.

Academy of St. Rose school and convent in Avoca, Minnesota

The stone will have the names of the six young women who died 130 years ago at the Academy of St. Rose (Holy Child Academy) in Avoca. Their names will be etched deeply into the granite as a reminder of the courageous young women who left their homes on a South Dakota reservation and traveled to the prairie of Southwest Minnesota to attend school, to fall ill and to die in the subzero temperatures of a brutal winter.

A blessing of the stone with a short prayer service will begin at 2 p.m. at the cemetery. This will be followed by a light lunch at Divine Mercy Hall at St. Ann’s Catholic Church on Maple Avenue in Slayton. There will also be a special Native American blessing to conclude the dedication.

Special guests for this important event include Father Thien Nguyen, pastor of St. Ann, St. Columba and St. Mary, Slayton, Iona and Lake Wilson, Sister Roseanne McDougall, archivist for the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus (the Order who sent sisters to teach at the boarding school from 1883-1890), John Eagle, Dakota Elder and Marlys Knuth, MN Catholic Daughter of the Americas First Vice Regent and other dignitaries representing Native American’s from various Tribes and numerous Catholic Daughters as well as representation from the City of Avoca, the Knights of Columbus, Foresters, and the Murray County Historical Society.

16 May 2018

Clarence N. Uzogara, SHCJ recently contributed an essay about herself and her mother to Global Sisters Report.

“Life throws into our path many things: the good, the bad and the ugly. However, the way we take in, reflect on, and make something out of these ups and downs makes them transformative learning experiences that can impact our lives as well as the lives of other people.

Our experiences of everyday living rub off on people around us, because we do not live for ourselves alone, but for others too. The communal living I experienced growing up in our village taught me that no one person owns a child; a child born in the community is the responsibility of everyone.”

Continue reading by clicking here.

1 June, 2018

A special dedication of a burial stone was recently held at the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery in Avoca, Minnesota. The stone has the names of the six young women who died 130 years ago at the Academy of St. Rose (Holy Child Academy) there.

Watch the KELO news report from the ceremony here.

The deceased girls were Lucy Walters (d. March 11, 1886), Mary Josephine Bordeaux (d. March 10, 1887), Bertha Tapatinwin (d. February 3, 1889), Mary Xavier Tasunka (d. February 13, 1889), Alma Parient (d. December 28, 1889), and Inez Brugier  (d. December 31, 1889).

Below are some photos from the ceremony.

22 February 2018

The African Faith and Justice Network, of which the Society is a member, reports that on Ash Wednesday, Catholic Women Religious in Nigeria held a nationwide day of prayer and fasting to uphold the sacredness of life.

The event, a result of a recent AFJN advocacy workshop for the Nigerian Conference of Major Superiors of Women, is the first ever nationwide gathering organized by women religious in Nigeria in the public square. Members of Catholic Women Organization, other Christians and Muslims joined the sisters in the public square to prayer and call attention of the government to the widespread senseless bloodshed, kidnappings, human trafficking, violence and mistrust between communities that threaten the very fabric of communal life, AFJN reports.

Watch video from the event and see photos from the day below:

14 March, 2018

Each year, the Saturday after the 5th of March, the Foundation date of the Holy Child School in Cape Coast, Ghana, the annual Speech and Prize-Giving Day is held there. Since 2013, headmistress Rev. Sister Josephine Anto, SHCJ, has been inviting the “year group” to come back and in the spirit of what they have received, give something back to the school. Every year group has done something unique and fantastic for the school to mark their 25th anniversary of leaving school, she said.

This year was the turn of the 1993/95 year group. They embarked on a project called Triple H – Hygiene, Health and Happiness. They intend to renovate all the washrooms in the various “houses” where the students reside the boarding school of 1,330 students. “We’re going back to the school. We’re giving back to the school, because we believe Holy Child has done so much for us,” said Abena Anyidoho, Secretary of the group.

Four members of those alumni appeared on Joy News recently to talk about the project.

The Speech day was held on 10th March this year. It is a school affair, but the year group celebrating their 25th anniversary collaborates with the schools administration to organise the day.

(L to R) Sr. Josephine Anto, Headmistress of Holy Child School ; Mrs Magdalene Apenteng, immediate past president of NUHOPSA; Sr. Clementina Ashibuogwu SHCJ from Accra; Sr. Louisa Huni-Dadzie SHCJ from Cornelia Connelly School of the Holy Child, Cape Coast; and Sr. Alberta Bonle from Holy Child School, Cape Coast.

What made this year more exciting is that the day before the Speech day, we went as a School to Accra for the West African Examination Council Awards.

Two of our former students, Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland and Audrey Emefa Awuttey were adjudged the overall best candidate and the first runner-up in the West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE). These two candidates were first and second in Ghana as well as in West Africa. The Holy Child Past Students Association (HOPSA) as well as a good number of Holy Child sisters were present for the awards ceremony in Accra.

The two awardees, Jochebed and Audrey with Sister Josephine Anto, SHCJ and two HOPSANS, Mrs Magdalene Apenteng, the immediate past president of the National Union of Holy Child Past Students Association (NUHOPSA) and Mrs Doris Ashun, the current president of NUHOPSA.

27 March 2018

Two former students of Holy Child School in Cape Coast, Ghana, have been adjudged the overall best candidate and the first runner-up in the West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE). These two candidates were first and second in Ghana as well as in West Africa.

The two awardees, Jochebed and Audrey with Sister Josephine Anto, SHCJ and two HOPSANS, Mrs Magdalene Apenteng, the immediate past president of the National Union of Holy Child Past Students Association (NUHOPSA) and Mrs Doris Ashun, the current president of NUHOPSA.

Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland and Audrey Emefa Awuttey, past students who completed in June 2017, are in the medical school in the University of Legon, Accra. They both intend to be successful in the medical field.

“In my tenure as headmistress, we had similar awards in 2012 when we produced the best business student in the country and in 2013, we had the best General Arts student. What make this award unique is that we have produced the overall best candidate for Ghana and West Africa, raising high the flag of Holy Child School,” said headmistress Rev. Sister Josephine Anto, SHCJ.

In Ghana, students take part in examinations organised by the West African Examination Council. All the private and public schools in five member countries are bound to write these examinations. These examinations determine their admission to the universities.

This year 1.9 million candidates took the examinations in West Africa and Jochebed topped them all with Audrey placing second.

“These are exciting moments for us as an institution,” Sister Josephine said.

27 March 2018

The following was originally published in Insights from Holy Child, a publication of Holy Child School at Rosemont.

This past Sunday at the Family Mass and Breakfast, we honored faculty and staff members for their milestone anniversaries. Each Holy Child School at Rosemont employee strives to embody the spirit of our foundress Cornelia Connelly. Judy Wankmiller Cassidy ’59 P’85 ’86 ’90 ’93 and Second Grade teacher, reflects on Cornelia’s influence in her 41 years as part of the Holy Child faculty.

By Judy Wankmiller Cassidy

Over the many years, I have been involved with Holy Child School at Rosemont, I have been asked one question many times, “What makes Holy Child so special?” As a young child, I would always say to my friends, “I go to a very happy school!” I didn’t realize then all that went into making that a reality, but as many years have passed and my role has changed from student to school parent and most importantly to a faculty member, I understand that this isn’t just a coincidence but a direct result of the teachings of the foundress of the Holy Child order, Cornelia Connelly. I realize that her vision as an educator has formed me into the adult and teacher I am today.

From the beginning, Holy Child schools have followed the directives of Cornelia Connelly taken from her Book of the Order of Studies (1863). She clearly states what is important for her faculty to impart to the children they teach: “It is necessary for the teachers to incite the pupils with a desire to excel at their various Examinations throughout the whole year.” She provided her teachers an educational framework by stating, “The explanations should be given in a clear, concise manner, and it should be as amusing and interesting as possible.” She also insisted that “The pupils must be watched over and spoken to with the greatest sweetness and charity.”

This teaching and philosophy has endured over many years, and it continues to make me strive to follow the example of the teachers I loved and admired. Cornelia also directs her teachers to “Trust the children and never let your confidence in them be easily shaken. Confidence begets confidence.”

I have always believed that as teachers we have the privilege and responsibility to instill in the children a love of learning and the desire to achieve all they can. I believe we have the obligation to allow children time to grow and become the best they can be. We can give children confidence by allowing them to develop ways to learn that meet their needs. Additionally, creativity is essential for children to learn. Cornelia challenges us all to use art, music, and drama to excite children and to help them grow all their talents. Does this atmosphere of joyful learning make a difference? It does I believe, when a child, can say with great pride, “I just get smarter and smarter each day.”

Cornelia also taught that “Stiffness and rigor will not bring forth love and these are not the spirit of the Holy Child. “So each day when I see our vision statement on the walls of our school, “Nurturing excellence, in a joyful, Catholic community, “I feel certain that almost 200 years after the first Holy Child school opened in England, Cornelia Connelly would be proud of Holy Child School at Rosemont. May we never tire of making this possible for many more generations of children.

25 April 2018

Fr. Joseph P. Parkes, S.J., President, Cristo Rey New York High School

During the recent Spring break, Cristo Rey New York’s College Guidance Office took the Junior Class on what is now an annual road trip — the college tour. Now in its sixth year, this is a time for students to visit several colleges in anticipation of the applications soon to be prepared. On March 6, students, counselors and all of their luggage filled four buses and headed out to a diverse group of colleges ranging in size, location, academic specialties, and campus culture.

During the 48-hour trip, the junior class visited 19 colleges in both Pennsylvania and New York. Colgate University, Hamilton College, Lehigh University, Franklin & Marshall College, Le Moyne College, SUNY Albany, and University of Scranton were but a sampling of the campuses visited. The juniors went on tours, attended information sessions, and even had the opportunity to meet with CRNYHS alumni at some schools.

When the Class of 2019 returned from the trip, they were asked to reflect upon their experiences. All of the students agreed that they had a better idea of what they were looking for in a school, and what they need to do to make those dreams a reality.

We look forward to sharing with you, our readers, what is sure to be the outstanding list of schools where our current CRNY juniors will be College freshman in the fall of 2019!

25 April 2018

Click for the day in video.

On Saturday 17^th March, nearly 400 people packed into the Mayfield School Chapel to attend Mass for St. Patrick. This was the high point of the greatly anticipated Schola Reunion, an event which saw over 200 past members of the school’s choirs return to Mayfield for a day of music and memories.

Old girls flew in from all over the world to sing and celebrate the long and vibrant history of vocal music at Mayfield. Four of Mayfield’s Directors of Music – Sister Daphne Walker, SHCJ, Mr Kenneth Pont, Mr Peter Collins and Dr Matthew Ward – were present, and spent the day preparing the Old Cornelians and current Schola members for the music at Mass.

Accompanied by trumpets and drums, the sound of almost 200 singers under Mr Pont was astonishing in the Introit ‘I was Glad’ (Parry) and Communion motet ‘Dona nobis pacem’ (Bach). Mr Collins’ Schola contributed a beautiful ‘Lift Thine Eyes’ (Mendelssohn) at the offertory, and the current Schola, under Dr Ward, led the singing for parts of the Mass including a movement from Kenneth Leighton’s ‘Missa Cornelia’, commissioned by Schola in 1978 and recorded in 1980.

It was a truly memorable occasion, and thanks are due to not only the Old Cornelians and the Directors of Music, but to Mrs Claire Ball and the marketing team for organising the event, and the catering staff for the wonderful lunch (and cake!) they provided.

– Dr M J C Ward, Director of Music

We are absolutely delighted to have held our first Schola reunion at Mayfield, on March 17th, in order to celebrate the rich musical heritage of the School.  Response to this from Old Cornelians was unprecedented, with hundreds of representatives from the last 7 decades attending, some flying from across the globe to be a part of this special event.  It was an inspiring, emotional and most of all uplifting occasion, as the Chapel rang with anthems from across the years.

We were so pleased that Sister Daphne Walker could be with us to enjoy the reunion. The day was testament to the tremendous power exerted by Schola and its Directors, and also to the incredible community that is Mayfield – past and present. To you all, for making this day so incredibly special – those who were with us in person and also those who could not be here and yet sent memories and messages, a heartfelt thank you. It was a truly inspiring day and this is due not just to our legendary Directors of Music, but to all of you who came and sang and all who supported this unique event.

– Mayfield School

Click to see more photos from the day.

16 May 2018

Clarence N. Uzogara, SHCJ recently contributed an essay about herself and her mother to Global Sisters Report.

“Life throws into our path many things: the good, the bad and the ugly. However, the way we take in, reflect on, and make something out of these ups and downs makes them transformative learning experiences that can impact our lives as well as the lives of other people.

Our experiences of everyday living rub off on people around us, because we do not live for ourselves alone, but for others too. The communal living I experienced growing up in our village taught me that no one person owns a child; a child born in the community is the responsibility of everyone.”

Continue reading by clicking here.

23 May 2018

There was a special dedication of a burial stone on Sunday, May 20, at the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery in Avoca, Minnesota.

Watch the KELO news report from the ceremony here.

The stone has the names of the six young women who died 130 years ago at the Academy of St. Rose (Holy Child Academy) in Avoca. Their names are etched deeply into the granite as a reminder of the courageous young women who left their homes on a South Dakota reservation and traveled to the prairie of Southwest Minnesota to attend school, to fall ill and to die in the subzero temperatures of a brutal winter.

Academy of St. Rose school and convent in Avoca, Minnesota

A blessing of the stone with a short prayer service began at 2 p.m. at the cemetery. This was followed by a light lunch at Divine Mercy Hall at St. Ann’s Catholic Church on Maple Avenue in Slayton. There was also be a special Native American blessing to conclude the dedication.

Special guests for this important event included Father Thien Nguyen, pastor of St. Ann, St. Columba and St. Mary, Slayton, Iona and Lake Wilson, Sister Roseanne McDougall, archivist for the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus (the Order who sent sisters to teach at the boarding school from 1883-1890), John Eagle, Dakota Elder and Marlys Knuth, MN Catholic Daughter of the Americas First Vice Regent and other dignitaries representing Native American’s from various Tribes and numerous Catholic Daughters as well as representation from the City of Avoca, the Knights of Columbus, Foresters, and the Murray County Historical Society.

1 June, 2018

A special dedication of a burial stone was recently held at the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery in Avoca, Minnesota. The stone has the names of the six young women who died 130 years ago at the Academy of St. Rose (Holy Child Academy) there.

Watch the KELO news report from the ceremony here.

The deceased girls were Lucy Walters (d. March 11, 1886), Mary Josephine Bordeaux (d. March 10, 1887), Bertha Tapatinwin (d. February 3, 1889), Mary Xavier Tasunka (d. February 13, 1889), Alma Parient (d. December 28, 1889), and Inez Brugier  (d. December 31, 1889).

Below are some photos from the ceremony.

19 July, 2018

By Barbara Bartlett, SHCJ and Julian Omudu, SHCJ

The Synod on Youth, convened by Pope Francis, will take place in October 2018.  In preparation, SEDOS held a residential seminar in Arricia, near Rome, attended by 120 religious and lay men and women – from all over the globe – who work with young people in many contexts, e.g. chaplaincy, schools and formation.

The SHCJ present included Veronica Openibo, the current President of SEDOS (Service of Documentation and Study on Global Mission), Juliana Omudu, African Province, and Barbara Bartlett, American Province. Anne Stewart, European Province, was unable to attend.

Throughout the discussions and different inputs, what came across strongly was a call to listen to, believe in and trust young people, their potential and their vocation, inviting them to live their faith with joy in the midst of many intercultural challenges. Despite ageing and diminishing numbers in many religious congregations, the Church seeks to convey and attract young people by living out its vocation.

Emilia Palladino: The Way Millennials Think  and Act

Professor Emilia Palladino, herself a parent of two millennials, shared her insights into the newer generations in society today, i.e. Millennials, X, Y, Z., born between 1980 and 2000. Commitment, relationships, and the need for the Church to be aware of the characteristics of and contrasts between each of these generations were considered .

Bruna Zaltron SCM: Generated by Life to Correspond to Love

Relationships are a key to growth throughout life.  Young people are continually generating themselves with the gift that is their life, enabling them to grow in a sense of responsibility and openness, including to suffering like Jesus, knowing what is deepest in their heart.

Paul Raj FSG: The Role and Challenges of Evangelization for Youth in the Multicultural and Pluralistic World of Today

To evangelize is to proclaim Jesus in the reality of the here and now and isolation is not possible amidst the gifts and dreams of other cultures. The presenter encouraged participants (and the Church as a whole) to take our multicultural world seriously as a  refusal to do this will end in death.

Michael Papenkordt: What Moves Me To Become a Lay Missionary

Papenkordt, an entertaining and informative presenter, served as a lay missionary when a young man. He made it clear that evangelization is about someone developing a relationship with Jesus not the evangelizer, who must have that relationship as well to ensure that missionary efforts are directed correctly.

Paul Bednarczyck CSC: Learnings from Vocation Ministry in the US.

In 2008 976 Societies were surveyed (66% response). Questions and topics included: who are coming, what charisms are emerging, a culture of vocations, what are some of the best practices in planning and strategizing.  Looking at the older members of his own congregation, Bednarczyck talked about the characteristics and the quality of their religious lives with regard to prayer and community.

Panel of Young Religious Missionaries

The panel included two young priests, a novice from a women’s congregation, and a finally professed woman religious.  Each spoke on his/her own experience and answered questions. A strong message came through that newer members, welcoming the support of older members, want to make contributions to their congregations, appreciating when their ideas are solicited and then put into practice.

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri outlined the processes followed in preparation for the Synod and emphasized that it is about all young people, whether they are believers or not. It is about how the Church can reach out to all. About 300 young people had come to Rome in March as part of the preparations.

The Cardinal said that following the expressed need to involve the Youth in evangelization, the Church has decided to examine herself on how she can lead young people to recognize and accept the call to the fullness of life and love, and to ask young people to help her in identifying the most effective ways to announce the Good News today. By listening to young people, the Church will once again hear the Lord speaking in today’s world.

The gathering, by a beautiful lake, was a very rich one. Participants chatted with each other informally over meals and breaks.  In the evenings optional activities were available such as the film “Silence”, a recorded video presentation on Religious Life by Father Timothy Radcliff OP, and a performance by a choir of young adults who stayed for a final night’s party where all enjoyed refreshments, conversation, and even dancing for those inclined.  The participants were grateful for the hospitality they experienced while there.

24 July, 2018

The 2017-18 school year has come to a close for our educational ministries in the United States, England, Nigeria, Ghana, and the Dominican Republic. Here are a few blog posts that we featured during the school year.