MIC mission news, 1 janvier 1982, Juillet - Août

Series 9, No.4 July - August, 1982 MISSION NEWS ZMSmS Japan Creation retains the hope of being freed to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God.Rom.8: 21 Editorial In our responsibility for MIC MISSION NEWS, we are conscious that you, our readers, want to know more about what Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception do; more about the people with whom we work; what the hopes and needs of those people are; how they are faring; what affects their lives; how they see themselves in relation to one another and to the world.That is why we concern ourselves with the thoughts and experiences of MIC’s and the people with whom we share and live.There are still millions who have not heard the Good News of the Creator’s dynamic love for mankind.Many others may not be responding fully to this love through concern and service of His neglected poor.As MIC’s we desire to incarnate the prayers and gifts of the Church that sends us and makes its presence real in another culture.New signs of life spring up around us, small and unassuming now, but enduring and full of promise; signs of life in profusion, with a strength that comes from within, a confidence in what lies ahead.For these reasons, MIC MISSION NEWS reaches out for your prayers, your support, but especially for YOU.We echo Jean Vanier: “Our hope is to share with you in the deep lifestream of humanity: in the laughter of children, in the peace of mankind.As we must give ourselves to the rose and the tree, to the earth and the wind, let us give ourselves to the future of our world." Sr.Ma.Anthea Raso, M.I.C.Hope, like love, transcends all time.It Is a friend, a healer, a maker of dreams.F.Weedn MIC MISSION NEWS is a bimonthly published by the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception EDITORIAL TEAM: Sr.Ma.Anthea Raso, M.I.C.Sr.Madeline Maillet, M.I.C.Sr.Rita Blais, M.I.C.Lay-Out Consultant: Sr.Fleur-Ange L’Heureux, M.I.C.POSTAL ADDRESS: Box 157,Laval Branch, P.O.Laval, Quebec, Canada H7N 4Z4 Second Class Mail Registration No.0358 Returned Postage Guaranteed ISSN 0315 - 9655 IMPRIMERIE NOTRE-DAME INC 18129 Port au Prince, Haiti Responding To God’s Call “My heart exults; how good, how generous is the Lord to me!" A young Haitian, Jeanne Françoise Alabré recently made her final commitment as a M.I.C.Sister.Her provincial superior Sr.Georgette Barrette, asked her, “Why did you become a missionary Sister?” The following lines tell us Sister Jeanne’s answer.WÊrVnÆLi'y ii" iiili i FIS*- - Sister Jeanne, the photograph taken on your profession day gives the impression that you felt very happy indeed on this memorable occasion.Could you tell me why?-The main reason for my happiness was that the Lord’s promise long cherished in my heart had at last been fulfilled.I had entered into an alliance of love with God.What happened to me then was such a wonderful event that I could not keep it a secret.I had to exult and sing and tell others how good, how generous the Lord had been to me.- What does it mean for you to be an M.I.C.?- For me to become an M.I.C.means to enter into the project of Delia Tetreault, our Foundress: to live a life dedicated to the Lord in his Church, according to the plan Delia herself elaborated and which is followed by her community.I participate in her project: to spread the Good News to those who as yet do not know Christ, in a spirit of thanksgiving, with Mary, Jesus’ first missionary.What greater mission can there be?- How did you come to the decision of entering the M.I.C.community?3 "/ am deeply grateful to my parents.today they share in my joy." - I always had the desire to dedicate my life to the Lord in a spirit of thanksgiving for all his gifts, although I really did not wish to enter a religious community.It was when I saw these devoted and happy missionaries who had come to Haiti from a distant land work among the poor that I first said to myself, "Why should I not follow their example ?” / then felt an insistent call to join their ranks.As I grew up from childhood, I watched the Sisters at work.My mother once told me how it was thanks to one of them, Sr.St.Valentine, that I had safely come through a serious illness shortly after my birth.As a nurse, she took such good care of me that she saved my life.But my real meeting with the M.I.C.’s took place in 1966 when I became a student at the Cayes Domestic Science Centre.It was there more particularly that I met our cheerful Sisters.- From your own experience, do you think your parents had their share in promoting your vocation to the religious life?They seem to approve your choice.- Parents surely play an important role in awakening and deepening their children’s faith.It is thanks to my parents that I understood and lived up to the religious formation the Sisters gave us at school.At home, my parents were always ready and willing to answer our questions on spiritual matters.They taught me by their own example how to pray, to love our Lord Jesus, to cherish Mary, to discern God’s action in our lives.I am deeply grateful to my parents.Today they share in my joy.- What advice can you share with young people?- / would like to tell them not to spurn this precious opportunity.It seems impossible that anyone who feels this all important call should fail to answer the invitation of a God who loves us so dearly.Why should we refuse to answer love’s call when it comes from the God of love himself?You who hear this call, be sure to answer it with your whole heart.- What do you expect to do from now on?- After completing my studies, I hope to go and live with the poorest of the poor, with those who have not yet heard the Good News, so that their own lives too may be transformed.- Thank you, Sister Jeanne, for sharing your joy with us.May all your apostolic dreams come true! 4 "A love which trusted and forged ahead." Delia Tetreault And Her Message by Sr.Pauline Longtin, M.I.C.Courageous Dynamism In the first installment of this article (see May-June 1982 issue) Delia Tetreault was introduced as “a woman gifted with dauntless courage, a mystic who wielded considerable apostolic influence, a person in whose character both strength and tenderness were harmoniously blended.” If we read her biography, however, we realize how at birth she was so frail that she was not expected to live.As she grew up to girlhood, poor health continued to plague her, making it difficult for her to pursue her studies at the boarding school of her native city of Marieville, Quebec.Therefore, from a mere human viewpoint, nobody could have foretold what great promise the future held for her.She wrote to her first companions in the foundation, “As you know, God does not proceed as human beings do.He builds on nothingness.” (19/7/4).When one studies her personality from a closer angle, one discovers that she possessed a vitality at once pliable and daring.Only an intense interior flame could radiate afar, shedding such light and producing such warmth.These are indeed the characteristics of fire: to radiate, to enlighten, and to comfort.Enthusiasm might well be compared to a flame.In a talk to the Sisters (1926) the Foundress remarked, “There exists a fake enthusiasm.What we must possess is genuine enthusiasm.What is this genuine enthusiasm, I hear you ask.To me, it is love, an overflow of zeal, a heart which exults in the joyful exercise of virtue.” Elsewhere, “Love alone can bear fruit in the supernatural as well as in the natural order.Whence come works within the Church?All kinds of works?From love and from the union of hearts.” (1922).And works of the Church were set going under the dynamic impulsion of Delia Tetreault like so many sparks of fire which in turn touched off other sparks.In the thirty years of her active life, the Foundress established 36 houses of her Institute among which 19 were located in the Far East: China, Japan, the Philippines; 16 in Canada, and 1 in Rome.An innovator, she organized an Apostolic School in 1902; she also inaugurated on Canadian soil the Closed Retreat movement in order “to develop among women and young girls zeal for the interests of God and those of his Church.” From the onset, she invited her friends and acquaintances to active participation in the works of her budding community.Her first missionary workshops were opened to provide opportunities of collaboration in her missionary spirit.Thus was launched the impetus 5 for lay collaborators which for more than half a century produced so many works of charity.With unfailing discretion and perseverance she worked at reawakening in her compatriots zeal for the promotion of the Pontifical Missionary Works of the Propagation of the Faith and of the Holy Childhood.Convinced that the Mission related more to human groups than to geographical sectors, less than ten years after the foundation of her “work for the missions”, she put her Sisters at the service of immigrants in several large Canadian cities such as Montreal, Quebec, Vancouver.These works are going strong after70 years.Missionary history still reveals the role played by Delia Tetreault in the foundation of the Quebec Foreign Mission Seminary.The missionary press also became, in her hands, a powerful means of reaching the masses through the publication of the magazine PRECURSEUR first published in 1920.To all these enterprises must be added a vast correspondence which, to a great extent, contributes in helping us discover the secrets of this extremely rich and fruitful life, as well as the message of her conquering enthusiasm: a LOVE which TRUSTED and FORGED AHEAD.Read in next issue: Presence and Participation.Ancud, Chile An Honour And A Privilege by Sr.Paulette Côté, M.I.C.At long last I have reached the mission of Ancud where I have lately been assigned.It is a small pleasant town situated on the island of Chiloe, at thesouthern tip of Chile.Ittook me fifteen hours of travel by bus from the city of Santiago, quite a long journey enlivened by interesting episodes.And now, I have settled down for the time being, and am eagerly making plans for the immediate future.From the windows of our little convent we can admire the foaming waves of the ocean and listen to the music of the surf pounding on the shores.The summer season lasts from October to February.Rainy days are plentiful throughout the year and the weather is nearly always cool.The population is mostly made up of people of Spanish origin.They are deeply attached to the Sisters.Our apostolate here consists chiefly in pastoral work.Once a week, the parents gather at our place to follow courses in catechetics which will enable them to teach religion to their own children.The latter are also assembled at the convent once a week to make sure they have absorbed the lessons given by their parents.After two years of preparation, boys and girls are allowed to make their First Communion.Besides courses in catechetics, adults may also attend Gospel sharings.One sister is in charge of CARITAS, on the diocesan level.Thanks to this charitable organization which supplies funds from many countries, 8,000 children were fed in our own diocese last year. iÆ& “I am happy to be here and I thank the Lord for this privilege of being with His children in Chile." Since last July, I have had to travel through several places where stark poverty may be said to reign.The poor suffer from the injustice of the uncaring wealthy.I often wish our pampered children could know about the thousands of little ones who have to go hungry because there is not enough food to go around.These children live in hovels and they lack warm clothes to protect them against the cold.Hereabouts, the greater part of the population depends on high-sea fishery for a living.Whenever the sea is in a milder mood, fathers and sons launch out into the deep hoping for a plentiful catch.It is perilous and gruelling work at best.In Ancud, education is highly appreciated.The city has primary and secondary schools.Even studies on the university level may be pursued.As Catholic priests are few in number, they cannot assume the task of teaching religious subjects in these establishments.This teaching which it is our privilege to impart must be given outside regular schedules.At the beginning of the school year, my own task will consist in counselling a group of mothers who work as catechists in primary classes.I will also give instruction to a group of young apostles among whom budding vocations to the priestly or religious life may be found.I am very happy to be here and I thank the Lord to have given me the strength to say “Yes” a second time, after a good many years spent in our Haitian mission field.It is a great honour and a great joy to know that we, as missionaries, are doing our share in spreading the kingdom of God by our presence in this lonely outpost.7 Gently Into The Evening BLESSED are they who understand my faltering steps and shaking hand.BLESSED are they who know that my ears today must strain to catch the words they say.BLESSED are they who seem to know that my eyes are dim and my wits are slow.BLESSED are they who looked away when coffee spilled today.BLESSED are they with a cheery smile who stop to chat for a while.BLESSED are they who never say, “Youve told that story twice today.” BLESSED are they who know the ways to bring back lovely yesterdays.BLESSED are they who make it known that I am loved, not left alone.BLESSED are they who know the loss of strength I need to bear the cross.BLESSED are they who ease the days on my journey home in so many loving ways. > * v