Monday, February 8 End injustice with prayer and action A Catholic sister and former slave, Saint Josephine Bakhita is for many a companion in the fight against human trafficking. Her feast day coincides with the U.S. Bishops’ Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Human Trafficking. In 2013 when this day was inaugurated, Bishop Eusebio Elizondo called upon the church to “lift our voices loudly in prayer, hope, and love for trafficking victims and survivors” and emphasized awareness and action on their behalf. |
Latina Night at The Cabrini Cottage
What a wonderful Latina Night we had last evening hosted by the Hispanic Committee of the NRVC Delaware Valley Member Area! On behalf of the Missionary Sisters, we so enjoyed welcoming everyone to the Cottage.
We made new friends, we shared life, we prayed for the Year of Mercy, we considered the gifts with which God has gifted us, we sang songs in Spanish and English, and we enjoyed a festive meal together!!
Thanks so much to everyone who helped in bringing this evening together. It was wonderful to have Sr. Barbara Brigham, MMS, Sr. Cathy Nally, IHM, Sr. Paula, IHM with us. Special thanks to Sr. Terry Saetta, RSM for planning our prayer program; to Sr. Anita Quigley, SHCJ for bringing dessert goodies; to Sr. Lisa Valentini for bringing her guitar and leading us in song, and to all of you who were able to attend the evening and to all who were supporting us in prayer.
Cabrini HS Educator Chosen for Polar Ice Workshop
Cabrini High School Science Department Head Ann Smart was selected to participate in the Ocean Sciences Polar-Ice Educator Workshop at the Audubon Aquarium on February 21st.
The workshop is being held in conjunction with the Ocean Sciences Meeting taking place in New Orleans that week. One of only 10 teachers from around the country invited to participate, Smart joins an elite group of teachers helping polar scientists adapt their data and studies for use in a high school learning environment.
The selected teachers will learn about the cutting edge research currently being conducted in Antarctica and will review lesson plans and activities prepared by polar scientists for high school classrooms. Each teacher will pair with 2 or 3 polar scientists to assist them in presenting their studies in a format readily understood by the general public. The teachers will present the adapted lessons to their classes, then communicate with their scientists/partners via the “Ask a Polar Scientist” feature on the Polar ICE website, testing the effectiveness of the adapted lessons in real-time.
“I am extremely excited to take part in this workshop,” noted Smart. “Not only do I get to learn about the latest breakthroughs and studies in Polar Science, but I get to assist the researchers in creating lessons and classroom activities that will effectively communicate their findings to my students. I am beyond thrilled to be a part of this endeavor.”
Cabrini High School Faculty Connecting the Dots
Four Cabrini High School math and science teachers attended an advanced STEM Training Academy in Baton Rouge to determine methods for improving their programs’ teaching skills and student learning.
Two Cabrini Math instructors, Ann Luke and Anne Jeanmard, and two science instructors, Lisa Surgi and Ann Smart, attended the “Connecting the Dots: STEM Academy.” The K-12 workshop focused on the What, Why, and How of STEM education, providing STEM course instructors with programs, labs, challenges, and activities that are suitable for classroom activities and summer camps. The academy also assisted participants in adapting STEM learning for their location. Participants were urged to adapt resources and instructional strategies that helped develop skills for STEM related career opportunities in Louisiana.
The Cabrini contingent attended the academy to improve their teaching methods and techniques in STEM subjects and to evaluate the possibility of establishing a STEM summer camp at the school. The group is currently conducting a study with administration on the feasibility of a STEM summer camp at the school. Cabrini has an ongoing STEM initiative to improve the teaching skills of the school’s instructors and ultimately, the learning progress of the school’s students.
Urgent need for items for victims of trafficking
Dear Cabrini Friends,
We just received an emergency call from a Victim Assistance Specialist with Homeland Security. She is working with 4 young men from Honduras who are the victims of child sex tourism.
She said, “Because of their cooperation and victimization, they are eligible to move to the US, which they will be doing immediately following sentencing of the perpetrator. I am trying to get things in place for their arrival next week (for trial) and want to ease the transition and have been having a very tough time. I’m hoping you can help… Some of the things I am looking for are:
- Warm clothing to include hats, gloves, pants, shirts, boots, etc. (the boys only have very minimal clothes suitable for a warm weather climate like Honduras).
- The boys are in their early/mid 20’s and they are all on the smaller side. All wear a size Small for shirts/jackets and here are the rest of the sizes:
Victim 1—Pants- 30×32, Shoe size 8
Victim 2 – Pants- 32×30, Shoe size 7 ½ or 8
Victim 3 – Pants- 30×30 or 30×32, shoe size 9
Victim 4 – Pants- 28 or 29×30, shoe size 7 ½
- Furniture
- Miscellaneous items such as dishes, sheets, towels, mattresses, food,
- toiletries, etc.
- Gift cards to stores such as Walmart, Target, food stores: Giant, Acme
Please let me know if you can help in any way.
Many blessings,
Karol Brewer
Cabrini Action & Advocacy Coalition cabriniformation@aol.co
Cabrini High School Initiates Rice Bowl Campaign
Initiates Lenten Rice Bowl Campaign
Cabrini High School will host Catholic Relieve Services Speaker Gabriella Rakotomanga on campus Wed. Feb. 3.
Cabrini, a CRS Platinum Global High School Partner, invited Rakotomanga to kick off the school’s Lenten Rice Bowl offerings with a speech in the chapel. Rakotamanga is native to Madagascar and the country’s Project Manager for CRS, supervising humanitarian aid efforts in the island nation off the Southeast coast of Africa. Ninety percent of Madagascar’s 23 million inhabitants are impoverished, subsisting on less than $2 per day.
In her 25 years of service with CRS, Rakotamanga has held a variety of supervisory positions, including a year as base manager and head of office for the CRS response team in Sri Lanka after that country was devastated by a tsunami in 2004. Rakotomanga will recount her efforts in Sri Lanka after one of the worst natural disasters of this century, and her years in Madagascar combating hunger and disease on behalf of Catholic Relief Services.
A Voice for Immigrant Rights
Last Friday, a member of our Justice for Immigrants campaign spoke at her first press conference! Monica is undocumented, but she has two children who are US citizens. On Friday, she spoke during a press conference hosted by the New York Immigration Coalition. Her daughter Liliana kept her company while she spoke.
Monica was very nervous, but we’re so proud of her for speaking in front of the crowd and on the news! She urged the Supreme Court to hear the case about Obama’s 2014 executive actions of Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). These actions were announced in November 2014 and would allow parents and more young adults to gain lawful status in the country, but the actions have been tied up in the courts for months. We’re very excited that after months of activism, the Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that they will hear the case for DACA and DAPA! This announcement gives hope to our community members who have been living in fear that they will be separated from their families. We expect that the Supreme Court will give its ruling in the early summer. Please keep this case and all of our clients’ families in your prayers! ~ submitted by CMC missioner Madison Koenig
You can read about the press conference (in Spanish) here: http://bit.ly/1P4PiEK
Or in English here: http://bit.ly/1ODEJ5T
And watch a clip from the news (in Spanish) here: http://bit.ly/1WfgUXk
Cabrini Apartments Celebrates its 10th Anniversary
On December 9th, more than 50 tenants of Cabrini Apartments gathered to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of this 72-unit affordable-living senior housing property located in New York City. Several Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, members of the Board of Directors and Administration joined the tenants and staff for a lively program in the building’s community room.
Patricia Krasnausky, President and CEO of Cabrini Eldercare, welcomed the attendees with a moving prayer. She asked for God’s blessing for all of the tenants and for each of the individuals who took part in turning the vision of developing an affordable senior housing building in the elite Gramercy Park section of Manhattan into a reality. Phillip Deans, Director of Housing, introduced three tenants, each of whom spoke about how grateful they are to Cabrini for making a profound difference in their lives by providing them with such beautiful and safe living quarters.
Barbara Janwich was the first tenant to speak: “I want to say how grateful I am to be here. Before the establishment of this building, I had been applying for affordable housing for over five years but most of them were high rents and beyond my means. Then I heard about the opening of Cabrini Apartments and I said a little prayer to Mother Cabrini to help me. When I learned that I was chosen for one of the apartments I was overjoyed. Through the grace of God and Mother Cabrini, I got an apartment, #7H, which I refer to as 7th Heaven. All my furniture was in storage at the time and I lost it due to non-payment. The day I moved into Cabrini Apartments, I had no belongings, just the clothes on my back. Michael, the Superintendent, took me to the apartment and opened the door and I was overjoyed to see that it was completely furnished! I started to cry and had to turn away from Michael. The Administration of Cabrini had learned of my circumstances and completely furnished it and decorated it for me. I am forever grateful.”
The formal program concluded with Ms. Krasnausky awarding 10-year service pins to Philip Deans and Michael Andrews, Superintendent of Cabrini Apartments. She applauded their dedication and availability to the needs of the tenants and recognized the excellent job they have done to maintain the facility over the past decade.
A buzz of excitement filled the room in many different languages as the multi-cultural community of residents shared in lively conversations over a festive meal and the music of a strolling violinist. Gratitude filled the air and this beautiful celebration was fitting to mark the 10-year milestone of a development that has made and continues to make a difference in the lives of many elders in need.
The Year of Consecrated Life is drawing to a close
Year of Consecrated Life ending
Vatican holding special events
As the Year of Consecrated Life draws to a close on February 2, the Vatican will hold two special events, and Executive Director Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C. will be present, representing the National Religious Vocations Conference (NRVC). The closing days of the Year of Consecrated Life will gather approximately 6,000 religious from around the world for prayer, meetings, and an audience with Pope Francis.
January 30, 2016
A Thanksgiving Prayer Vigil will be held at Saint Peter’s Basilica.
2 February 2016
A World Day of Consecrated Life Eucharistic celebration will take place at Saint Peter’s Basilica. ~ from the NRVC website
The Jubilee Year of Mercy
We have been invited by Pope Francis to live this 2016 Holy Year of Mercy in the light of the Lord’s words: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful: (Luke 6:36), for in mercy, “we find proof of how God loves us. God give his entire self, always, freely, asking nothing in return. God comes to our aid whenever we call upon him.”
Pope Francis encourages us “to contemplate constantly the mystery of mercy” and “rediscover and make fruitful God’s mercy, with which all of us are called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time.”
So throughout the year we can often focus on Jesus’ example of mercy – that constant compassion in which he takes each person that he meets and responds to what each person needs most, whether it be a caring word, a healing touch, a challenging call to conversion of a comforting presence amid sorrow or suffering. Jesus’ wholehearted mercy includes not only words, but also actions that change the person with whom he interacts. So it is with us. When we encounter Jesus through readings and prayer, we are indeed changed and expected to imitate his merciful example with each person with whom we interact. `excerpts from Steve Mueller, Words of Grace
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