Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Bringing Christ's love to the world

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Cabrini of Westchester Celebrates National Volunteer Week

On Thursday, April 27th, 2017 we hosted our annual Volunteer Appreciation Service.  Our theme for the event was “Making the World a Better Place” which is the recognized theme for National Volunteer Week.

An inter-faith prayer service was held in the Chapel where we presented long term Volunteer Peggy Coffey with the first ever “Spirit Award” in recognition of her 20 years of volunteer service to Cabrini!  Music and refreshments followed on the north patio on what turned out to be a beautiful day.  The food was great, the music was entertaining and the company was the best!  Each guest received a small gift box of a key chain with a colorful butterfly and the Cabrini logo as well as a card that expressed the gratitude we have for  the service of each Volunteer.

We truly thank our Volunteers who should know that we could not accomplish the great work we do without their help!

No Ban! No Wall! Cabrini Immigrant Services, Dobbs Ferry, NY Resistance

“On Saturday, February 4th, Cabrini Immigrant Services of Dobbs Ferry partnered with a diverse coalition of community organizations to host the Westchester Resistance Rally in White Plains.

The protest, at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, was organized by State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins who represents Dobbs Ferry among other Westchester towns and villages, and also included New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. The event was organized in opposition to policies issued via executive order by President Donald J. Trump.

Senator Stewart-Cousins convened local leaders, elected officials and Westchester community members who came together in support of human rights and in opposition to policies banning immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries and the construction of a multi-billion dollar wall between the United States and Mexico.

“As President Woodrow Wilson once said, ‘The history of liberty is a history of resistance,’ ” said Stewart-Cousins. “The organic demonstrations of people all over the world underscore the importance of American ideals and values.”

The event followed weeks of protests and rallies since the Presidential Inauguration.

Meanwhile, on February 4th, while other Cabrini staff members were protesting in White Plains, Lorraine Campanelli, Director of CIS, was a panelist on the “Forum on Immigration” at the Yonkers Public Library, presented by The Legal Aid Society of Westchester County, The Westchester Black Bar Association and The Regional Immigration Assistance Center. Lorraine spoke about the many services available at CIS-DF. “It was an honor to hear from attendees that Cabrini is well respected and is highly recommended by so many other agencies,” said Lorraine Campanelli who has been asked to join “the team” as they travel to different regions of Westchester County.

Previously, on January 28th, Concerned Families of Westchester rallied in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY to protest President Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Agenda. The staff from Cabrini Immigrant Services, Dobbs Ferry, along with several tutors and their spouses were in attendance

White Plains Hospital, Cabrini of Westchester Receive Top Marks For Pulmonary Patient Care

cabrini-of-westchester-short-term-rehabilitation-cr-bigger-jpgA partnership between White Plains Hospital and Cabrini of Westchester has created a network recognized as one of the nations’ top in lung care, and was recently cited as a best practice in transitions of care for pulmonary patients at the recent PointClickCare SUMMIT, a national conference for healthcare professionals.

Recognizing the need for chronic lung disease care, Cabrini of Westchester established a Pulmonary Rehabilitation program to serve as a step-down program for patients being discharged from area hospitals. In order to reduce re-hospitalizations, last year White Plains Hospital partnered with Cabrini of Westchester to develop a system of patient transition.

As a result of the partnership, Cabrini of Westchester’s Pulmonary Program has enabled White Plains Hospital to decrease its pulmonary-related readmissions from 24 percent to 16.8 percent in the first year of operation, and has increased quality outcomes and patient satisfaction.

“An estimated 250 attendees at the presentation were clearly enthused to learn about how they could adopt this best practice in their healthcare communities,” said Karen Hanney, case management/utilization administrator at White Plains Hospital. ”We are gratified that by sharing the Cabrini/White Plains Hospital experience, we were able to provide theaudience with a deeper knowledge of the latest available tools, tips and best practices to enable them to deliver quality care to the growing, medically complex senior population,” she said. Hanney and Lorraine Horgan, vice president of external affairs at Cabrini of Westchester, presented their data from their pulmonary partnership at the PointClickCare Annual SUMMIT in Orlando, Florida earlier this month.

PointClickCare is a national electronic health record organization specializing in post-acute care settings. The SUMMIT drew attendees from all over the country, representing PointClickCare customers, partners and industry experts who gathered to learn about the newest care innovations, best practices and share in the latest insights on emerging technology trends while networking with peers.

Cabrini of Westchester Holds Raffle to Benefit Flood Victims

In recognition of The Jubilee Year of Mercy, the administration and staff of Cabrini of Westchester have been organizing monthly acts of Mercy to benefit various organizations and plights. For the month of September, Department Heads and their staff created themed baskets, which they raffled off in the lobby.

Family members, visitors, residents, patients and staff participated in the fun event each hoping to be the lucky winner of one of the 16 the beautifully packaged, fun-filled baskets ranging from a meditation basket, food baskets, an electronic basket and a basket of cheer, to name a few!

The event created a lot of excitement and, more importantly, raised close to one thousand dollars for a wonderful cause. Working in collaboration with Cabrini High School in New Orleans, Cabrini of Westchester donated the proceeds of this fundraiser to Denham Springs High School in Baton Rouge of which 80% of the faculty and students were victims of the recent floods in Louisiana.

 

Cabrini of Westchester Honors Employees for Service

On June 23, 2016, Cabrini of Westchester held a Service Awards Ceremony in honor of its outstanding employees who were celebrating five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, thirty and even forty years of service to the organization!

The ceremony was held in St. Cabrini’s Chapel and Fr. Edwin Robinson, Pastoral Care Director, bestowed blessings on all of the honorees. In her remarks, Patricia Krasnausky, President and CEO, extended her gratitude to the awardees for their many years of service and acknowledged that it is their presence and dedication that makes Cabrini the special place it is not only to work but to live.

Each of the awardees received a pin with a precious stone depicting their years of service to Cabrini of Westchester. Fellow staff and administration gathered at a festive outdoor barbeque to acknowledge their colleagues’ accomplishments, passion for providing compassionate care and dedication to the mission of Mother Cabrini.

Additional service recipients were Susan Monteleone and Wellington Ramirez for ten years of service and Lisa Irving, Emmanuel Okoampah, Sr. Sheila Moroney, PBVB, for five years. Congratulations to the 2016 Employee Service Award Recipients and thank you for all that you do and for being such a cherished part of the Cabrini family for so many years!

Cabrini of Westchester Hosts Sea of Celebration

Cabrini of Westchester recognized the achievements of three honorees at its 18th Annual Fundraising Event, The Sharing in Mission Dinner held on May 25, 2016 at the beautiful Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown, NY. Thanks to the honorees, sponsors, donors and the 2016 Sharing in Mission Dinner Event Committee of which, His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, was the honorary chair. The evening was a tremendous success and netted over $180,000 to benefit the ministry of Cabrini of Westchester!

The Sea of Celebration theme added a lot of frivolity to the evening. Guests were greeted by little mermaids handing out seashell leis as they entered the mansion. Upon entering the dining room, they were enchanted by the sea décor featuring a driftwood arbor, sea fans, sea shells, starfish and the elaborate high and low colorful coral centerpieces that topped off the aquatic theme. Mike Bennett, a local radio host, kicked off the evening with his great wit followed by moving speeches from each of the three honorees.

This year’s honorees included: Member of the Board of Trustees of Cabrini of Westchester for over 20 years, Donald Amoruso and, his wife, Marie, a volunteer and benefactor of Cabrini Immigrant Services; The Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm for sharing in Cabrini of Westchester’s ministry of providing high quality eldercare and, in recognition of 25 years of leadership of Cabrini, Patricia Krasnausky!

Successful Campaign for Human Rights in International Fishing Industry

fisheries 2Informed by his Franciscan Community of an important Lenten advocacy campaign for slave-free seafood, Fr. Edwin Robinson, OFM, Director of Pastoral Care at Cabrini of Westchester, was compelled to raise awareness.  He shared the Lenten initiative led by the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking (CCOAHT) with Patricia Krasnausky, President and CEO, and, together, they brought the campaign to the Cabrini community.

In honor of the Year of Mercy, Ms. Krasnausky ordered and distributed over 500 hundred pre-paid postcards addressed to two of the largest distributors of seafood:  Costco and Starkist.  The message on the postcards read:  “Catholics want slave-free seafood this year, and will be vigilant about this as we observe Lent.  We, therefore, kindly urge you to do all in your power to ensure that your supply chains are free of the taint of forced labor.”

Ms. Krasnausky had the postcards signed by many employees of Cabrini of Westchester as well as those in attendance of the Cabrini Day of Prayer, Restoration and Renewal held at Cabrini College.  Many were stunned to learn that the United States imports 80-90% of its seafood, and tens of thousands of people are exploited at every link in the seafood harvesting and production chain.

As a result of Cabrini’s participation, we received the following feedback from CCOAHT.  “Over 15,000 cards were mailed, which exceeded the goals of the campaign.  As a result, the National Fisheries Institute contacted the US Bishops Conference and a meeting is scheduled to occur in May.  This contact means that the mail campaign had an effect.  The initial meeting is the first step in the effort re halting the human trafficking situation in shrimp and fish farming.”

Therefore, all the individuals who signed and mailed in postcards made a significant contribution to the campaign.  Thank you, and God bless one and all!

Cabrini Immigrant Services in Dobbs Ferry, NY Gets Cookin’!

Chef JesusWhen people leave their homeland, so much has to be left behind. They have to adapt to a new environment. She or he is faced with a new language, new cultures and sometimes very new climates. One thing that the person can keep is his or her own memories. Very often when speaking about their memories, people will mention a special dish that they had enjoyed with their families.   Food is very often an important part of family life and family traditions. For those reasons, Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, decided to offer a Cooking Class to our adult students and tutors. What a great way to share a special recipe as well as talking about their homeland and their memories of sharing the meal with their family.

On Monday, March 21st, CIS held its first Cooking Class. “Chef Jesús,” a head pizza maker at a local pizzeria in Westchester, made a Mexican Spring Salad and Gazpacho soup. Our Chef is from the state of Puebla in southern Mexico and is currently a student at CIS.

In addition to making these recipes, our Chef taught us about the importance of cleaning fruits and vegetables, maintaining a clean work area and what the proper temperature should be when cooking certain foods such as beef and chicken. He also taught us about the unique kinds of fruits and vegetables that are grown in Puebla including a variety of green cabbage called “col” with its thick leaves and round shape.

We all watched as our Chef created a delicious salad and very tasty Gazpacho soup. Everyone enjoyed the class especially the finished products! We all received a copy of the recipes so that we can try them at home. We hope that you will also enjoy these delicious recipes! We hope to continue to have our Cooking Class

The Practice of Mindfulness at Cabrini of Westchester

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Fr. Edwin Robinson, O.F.M., Director of Pastoral Care at Cabrini of Westchester, is leading a group of Cabrini staff in the Practice of Mindfulness as part of a series in services to promote the health and wellbeing of Cabrini staff. In a very busy and often distracted world, the practice of mindfulness allows the group to enter into the present moment, and experience its calm and peace. In 1998, Fr. Edwin attended an eight-day retreat led by the Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. He has been practicing Mindfulness Meditation since that time.

The words of Psalm 104:10a, “Be still, and experience the ‘I am’ of my divine presence,” sum up the “how” of the practice. The group is meeting for a series of six – thirty minutes sessions. Fr. Edwin invites the participants to sit in such a way that they are aware of the dynamics of the present moment, in themselves individually and as a group. In the creation stories of Genesis, the authors have God declare, “It is not good for the human person to be alone.” (Gen. 2:1). Modern psychology also asserts that we humans are essentially social beings. For this reason group practice of mindfulness is the best way to learn the practice for it accelerates its benefits. However, mindfulness is also practiced individually. The road taken by Fr. Edwin from the 1998 retreat to years of individual and group practice is a good example of why the group setting is a good place to learn the practice.

In the beginning, those who practice mindfulness find that it is not as easy as it sounds. However, almost immediately the beneficial aspects of the practice can be felt, even if only for brief moments. These benefits are the reason why those who begin the practice and persevere make it an integral part of their daily lives.

So far, the staff who have participated in the series attest to its benefits. Fr. Edwin emphasizes that the members of the group need to be gentle with themselves and everyone in the group. He also highlights the reality that each person is essentially defined by his or her humanity. Hence, titles and functions fade away as the members of the group enter into the present moment and experience the wonder of who they are as human beings.

We are here to create something NEW

“We are here to create something NEW”

…These are the words of MSC General Superior Sr. Barbara Staley, spoken as she offered her opening remarks at the 2015 Provincial Assembly currently in session in Florham Park, New Jersey.

Missionary Sisters and lay leaders from the Stella Maris Province were united in an Assembly for the first time with the Missionary Sisters from Mexico and Central America. In the near future, the MSCs from Mexico and Central America will join the MSCs of the Stella Maris Province in forming a new entity.

Sr. Barbara reflected, “we are living the dreams and visions of our sisters of the past. We are building the future, which we look to with hope. Sisters and brothers, we are living in the rivers of grace and mercy; a grace that comes to us through charism.”

Fittingly, as the Stella Maris Province unites with the region of Central America, the theme of the Provincial Assembly is “interculture-ality”. To explore the implications of this new entity – this new union – Dr. Arturo Chavez, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mexican American Catholic College in San Antonio, Texas, led the Assembly in interactive exercises designed to consider the many dimensions of culture.

Taken from the work of Edward T. Hall and Eric H.F. Law, “culture is the particular way in which a human group interprets life and relates with nature, God, the world and other peoples. Culture is lived and expressed through traditions, relationships, food, music, religion, beliefs, thought patterns, myths and how we act. It is not only how we are, it is who we are. It is our history, our ethnicity, how we think about our families, who we include in our families, how we speak and when we speak, how we think about God and how we relate to God. It is how we relate to each other and how we relate to the stranger.”

Dr. Chavez asked the Assembly to consider the “Iceberg Analogy of Culture” created by Hall and Law. In doing so, sisters and laity contemplated the internal and external aspects of culture. The Assembly was invited to share in conversation about individual family heritage and traditions – how these serve to form an individual and his or her perceptions of others and of the world.

The first step in building an intercultural community, posited Dr. Chavez, is to get to know our own hearts. Being aware of our own heart, we come to a better understanding of our own power and how cultures have formed us.

One session of the Assembly focused on the way in which Cabrinian ministries are addressing the pressing issues of immigration, migration, refugees, asylum seekers and human trafficking. It is through these responses that we see how the Cabrinian charism is living and active in the world today.

Woven into the Assembly program were times for prayer and reflection each highlighting a different country present at the Assembly. Liturgies at the Assembly were offered in Spanish and English in honor of the new reality. In a further spirit of celebration, during Monday’s liturgy, Vicky Lucio renewed her commitment as a Cabrini Lay Missionary (CLM).

Nothing transcends culture like music and dancing. Therefore, no Assembly is complete without its own fiesta! With smiles and laughter, Missionary Sisters and laity shared the floor dancing to the beat of Latin, Swazi and American songs…united as one. For more photos visit: www.mothercabrini.org

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