MIC mission news, 1 janvier 2003, Avril - Juin

ni j li ' " -,h -.[ ¦"*, * - ; ç«- >r.¦srn ¦ ''fouchiii9'Ll«s Jmt %: ¦¦¦im Mm*-Wk f, * -v '¦.¦ V ' .: w3mt*5K; «• ¦ J E - 5%.: i*J 'f , ?* \’n*èà tj ¦¦Ml « ^ouchi'i1^ s mdjm&dvjvms ArtlC MISSION NEWS Mission Magazine published since 1923 by the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception •Directress: Louise Denis, m.i.c.•Editing Team: Céline Gauvin, m.i.c., Milagros Gomez, m.i.c., Edita Telan, m.i.c.•Translator: Antoinette Kinlough •Promotion: Antoinette Castonguay, m.i.c., A team of M.I.C.Sisters and Lay Collaborators •Circulation : Alma Couture, m.i.c., Thi Hien Duong and a team of M.I.C.Sisters •Accounting: Thérèse Déziel, m.i.c.•Layout & Design: Yves Demers Paris •Film Stripping: Film-0-Progrès •Printing: Transcontinental Inc.•Tax Receipt: Registration Number: NE 89346 9585 RR0001 -PRESSE MISSIONNAIRE M.I.C.•Legal Deposits: Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec, National Library of Canada; ISSN 0315-9655 •Associate Member: Association of Roman Catholic Communicators of Canada (ARCCC) •Subscriptions: see p.23 •PUBLICATIONS-MAIL-REGISTRATION Number: 9645 •Convention Number: 1378287 For any change of address, please send your old and new addresses.When renewing subscription, include your file number.MIC MISSION NEWS 120 Place Juge Desnoyers, Laval (Quebec) CANADA H7G 1A4 Telephone: (450) 663-6460 fax: (450) 972-1512 E-mail: micnews@colba.net Web Site: http://www.soeurs-mic.qc.ca VOLUME 30, NUMBER 2 APRIL - MAY - JUNE 2003 ^dito’suxt In the Name of Love 3 Céline Gauvin, aa.i.c.Discoveries of a Heart 4 An Interview with Myriam Foley By Danièle Miny Dynamic Relationships 7 EffiïHgjEES A Life-giving Dialogue 8 André Beauchamp Forty Joy-filled Years 10 Danièle Miny Along Mission Routes.12 Back to the Roots 14 Compiled by Milagros Gomez, aa.i.c.Great Love Awaits Me! 17 Discoveries of a Heart Forty Joy-filled Years •T' ' '• Ü À An Appointment to Keep Murielle Dubé, aa.i.c./Vents item é{ete and Sisewhete In the Garden of God tjhtayet In the Footsteps of Love 18 Lepers of Shek Lung ¦ 4r- /¦ MISSIONARY INTENTIONS 2003 April That the clergy, laity and religious men and women, who work in missionary lands, may live and courageously bear witness to the universal call to holiness.May That in the local Cnurches of Asia, the Holy Spirit may kindle renewed ardour for evangelizing the entire Continent.June That the Christians of India who belong to various traditions, may be drawn to offer together testimony of full unity and communion in the one Spirit who guides them. Photo : A.Guérin, Mission de l'Église, n° 129 JZditotLal JL In our day to day living, meeting people who cross our path comes about in multiple ways.We meet not only men and women from different countries and backgrounds, but also of varying cultures and religious beliefs.We are invited to be open to these people, to befriend them while respecting their differences and to discern the ways God is present to them.No doubt it is a demanding but an enriching experience, and one that is at the very core of the mission.Everywhere on earth, there are men and women involved in meeting others: through a friendly presence, sharing of joys and sorrows, discussions on the meaning of life, through some assistance, extending hospitality, welcoming refugees or through other humanitarian acts.They take time to look at others with kindness, to intuit their inner richness, as well as their calls for help and the fulfilment of their needs.The main point is to create bonds of fraternal love for these men and women.The articles in this issue are aimed at helping readers to rediscover the meeting aspect of the mission.A careful look at the witnessing of Myriam who is a lay missionary in Haiti, and that of Gabrielle, M.I.C.who has worked in Peru for 40 years, reveals several facets of their commitment; it brings out the importance they give to the patient weaving of genuine interpersonal relationships with the people of other lands.We find again that same spirit in the account of the pilgrimage of our sisters from Hong Kong to China.'^r We wonder what is the source of this dynamic impulse to go out to meet others and to walk with them in love and trust.For a Christian, the love that prompts someone to meet others comes from God.Being loved personally, unconditionally by God, one wants in turn to share that love with others.All this gives us extraordinary enthusiasm and strong motivation to touch the lives of others.Like the Samaritan woman, we are invited to drink from this source of Love.As long as we carry on the journey of solidarity, we shall always have water to quench our thirst.0 , ST""',.;.¦¦ ¦¦¦jl t îBé -M ' An Interview with Myriam Foley, a lay missionary < A view of Port-au-Prince, a major city of 2.3 million people Myriam Foley, a lay missionary in partnership with the M.I.C., teaches young Haitian girls in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.But what inspires a young woman from Quebec to devote herself to education among the people of Haiti?The interview reveals several facets of her commitment and her unconditional love of this country and its people.MIC Mission News: Myriam, tell us about yourself.Myriam Foley: / am a 24-year-old lady from Thetford Mines and a student at the University of Sherbrooke working towards a Master's Degree.I am taking up humanities which include training in intercultural education, a programme offered by the Faculty of £*-• V'"' .’ .jfi.v.1 .«** -.rf • .yJ ¦ .^ ^ .Theology.In fact, I have chosen courses that would enable me to discover a little more of what I might call the universal culture of the world, and especially the Haitian culture which is part of my university research project.Why did you choose Haiti?Ever since I was a little girl, I had been wishing to go to Africa.My mother often tells me she would see me standing in front of the television listening to reports about that continent and expressing the desire to go there one day.My very first friend was from Haiti and we have continued to keep in touch.In 1999, thanks to the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (M.I.C.), my dream came true.I left for Haiti for a short missionary exposure organized by Marie-Paule Sanfaçon, M.I.C.in cooperation with the Benoit Lacroix Student Centre./ literally fell in love with this country! Later I wanted to live another similar experience, so I went to Nicaragua in the year 2000 to work at a centre for street children.But at the end of that period, I knew deep down that I had to go back to Haiti and discover every facet of the life of its people.I looked for a project related to my training in education. What is it out there that attracts you so much?The authenticity, the human warmth, the welcoming smiles, the "joie de vivre" and the sense of solidarity are obvious among the Haitian people and especially their surroundings.Upon my return to Haiti last summer, I found Port-au-Prince with an upgraded airport, paved roads and new parks for the children.But it is still the Haiti that I used to know.There are still misery, dust, tons of refuse, insecurity; yet what remains the most authentic is the people I dearly love.What prompted you to engage in this education project in Port-au-Prince?Teaching is the best gift one can offer.It is the key that enables one to awaken people's consciousness, to learn to know oneself and others.My main purpose in being here is to discover more and live with the Haitian people.Right now, I live in the community of the M.I.C.Sisters in the capital, specifically in their school established at the beginning of2002.This Mère Délia Educational Complex is designed to offer the youth of Haiti all the services needed for a wholistic human and Christian development in keeping up with our times.Since I am also undertaking a university research project while I am here, necessarily I have a commitment to the university.I must write about the current conditions in Haiti.And finally, I must stress that this project is first and foremost connected to my covenant with God.I know that in any of my undertakings He is with me.If I were not committed to Him, I could not go on with this journey the way I am doing.I started teaching last s September 9.The construe- fj tion of the school was not yet completed so we used other classrooms.I am in charge of a Grade VII class of 42 pupils.I also give time to the little ones who are learning how to read.Besides, I do animation work among young university students who come to the Sisters'convent.One Sister who works at the Catholic university of Port-au-Prince asked me to assist her in campus ministry.Added to these is my involvement in the parish choir.Being occupied with many activities, I have no time to get homesick.What motivates you?/ have given you a general idea, but more explicitly, I would say that what motivates me is faith in life, in its authenticity, faith in the love of God.So long as there is life there is hope and the possibility to grow.I cannot say, however, that this faith is always easy to find.You have to struggle for it, because sometimes the distance between you and the other person seems so great that you don't know how to build a bridge to reach that person.It is by being yourself with the other that you find the energy to connect.At that moment, God is present, L J inspiring you with ways to develop bonds between yourself and the other.Living out a missionary commitment in another country leads to a series of discoveries.What did you discover and what benefits did you draw from it?My experience has given me deeper insights into some of the basics of life: the new surrounding, the cultural differences.In short, my immersion has further emphasized some of the things we question.First of all, I have discovered concepts whose meaning I have understood better: communication, solidarity-fraternity and liberty.The concepts which are fundamental in an individual's life are not conceived or lived in the same way in every society.I feel uneasy when I am not in my To educate a child is the best gift to offer.Myriam and students \ « £ a il usual milieu.Consequently, I don't know how to reach out to the other person or make him or her understand what I am really saying.At times I can trustingly relate to some people; with others, I have a feeling of distrust which I am unable to explain.When I use the word distrust, I mean a relationship mixed with inexplicable reaction coming from fear and pain.In Haiti, I have discovered a world filled with paradoxes and contrasts.Its people are generous in spite of their poverty and deficiencies.Although they are friendly, simple and authentic, yet they are filled with insecurity and instability.This people, however, has made me more reflective.Suffering is found everywhere, but in Haiti I see new faces of it piercing my thoughts.Even if I am not the cause of their misfortune, I cannot be indifferent to the reproaches that might be directed to me with regard to their hardships.While not being responsible for the misery, I am, nonetheless, affected nnanasi UffiBSl Ü911 i I Myriam is a member of a youth choir composed of university students and working youth.by certain negative reactions.This makes me wonder why there is a lack of love.Why do I also sometimes fail to express love in the right way?My God, why?The answer wherever we are is silence.We need to liberate ourselves from the weighty kind of silence hindering communication and to adapt the one that fosters prayer.Do you have something more to add?Let me add that no matter what happy or difficult moments I may encounter, I sincerely believe in the experience of spending some time in another milieu.I believe it is one mm m of the deepest experiences of self-forgetfulness that anyone can have.In sum, one can feel there is something which is intense in Myriam Foley.Even in her letters to her family and to the sisters of Quebec there is something tangible that can be felt.There is no doubt that she is living Haiti.She does not complain about insufficient food, uncomfortable trips in crammed vehicles nor about the intense heat of the sun.She accepts philosophically the minor discomforts of living there that might adversely affect her health.Myriam does not shun away from involving herself in the day-to-day activities of the people.In fact, she shares the good and the bad times that come their way.She marvels at the people whom she meets and at anything she sees.She takes time to dialogue with God to ask questions, give Him thanks and beg for His help on behalf of the people of Haiti.Her often-used password is: Woy Papa bon Dyé (Oh my God!).She frequently ends her letters with this Creole sentence: Mwen ren-men nou anpil (I love you very much!).?fc A rural scene of Haiti by Danièle JVtiny Each day brings its own encounters of love.Such meetings transform our relationship with the other.It is the heart of the human life; it is also the heart of the Christian experience.The Old Testament tells the story how the people of Israel gradually entered into a relationship with their God.God revealed Himself little by little to Abraham, to Moses, to the prophets.and to the people of Israel.He is a God who allowed himself to be known through the prophets by the proclamation of His word in whatever place He chose.In the frequent communication with God, Israel learned slowly that ft The Many Faces of Christ.A painting by Sun-Ran-Kwon.This picture shows Jesus as the Saviour and Herder of the poor.Photo : Chrétiens-Media, Mission de l'Église n° 125 relationship with others must take place in a spirit of service and love.Encountering Christ Then God sent His Son.From then on, the encounter with God would be in Jesus whose message is that of love and life.It is striking to see how much space is given in the Gospel to the stories of the different contacts with Jesus.It makes us best understand what happens when God comes to live among us in His Son Jesus.His offer of love opens the heart to an indescribable experience of his love and that of others.This experience of the Lord becomes an extraordinary dynamic energy for going out and reaching out to others.That is how mission begins.Encountering the Others Lived as such an experi-ence,the mission points out a special attention to the many kinds of relationships we have with God and with others.It transforms our way of relating to others.In our daily life, we have the tendency to divide the people between those who are familiar and those unfamiliar; into those we frequently meet thinking we know them and those indifferent to us, or those who bring out from us all sorts of feelings.Jesus leads us forward on the journey of seeking others.One step at a time, His Spirit urges us to move beyond boundaries and makes it possible for us to welcome the other as a brother or a sister.Since God came to meet us, so must we go to meet the other.Is this not the mission of Christ being lived through us? =n_ is it By André Beauchamp Jt wfmm ffl n ¦v I Give me a drink, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman.eflecting on the mission as an encounter, I went over the many stories of the Gospels in which people meet Jesus and emerge completely transformed.There are quite a few of these people beginning with Simon and Andrew, James and John, whom Jesus called to be his first disciples and all the way to the good thief.There were others, too: the widow of Naim, Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, the deaf mute, the paralyzed men, the lepers and even the Greek visitors who made use of Philip in order to meet Jesus.However, from among that lively and varied crowd, I must admit that I am particularly fond of the Samaritan woman, whose encounter is told in the Gospel of John (Jn.4:1 -42).v J The story is known to everyone.On his way through Samaria, Jesus takes a rest near a well.He finds this woman and asks her to give him a drink.A conversation ensues on water as a symbol of divine life and on true religion.Overwhelmed by this encounter, the woman then tells all the town folk that the man she met could be very well the Christ.You are a Jew.How can you ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?I love this story; first of all, because it challenges taboos.Jesus violates two of them: he speaks to a woman alone and to a Samaritan at that! In Jesus' time, a woman did not walk around in a public place alone.It was that way for a very long time in many cultural practices.And then, this one is a Samaritan woman.A deep hatred and rivalry existed between the Jews of Judaea and the Samaritans.They were a mixed race of Jewish and pagan nationalities who had maintained deviant religious practices.It was then thought unlikely that Jesus would speak to a Samaritan woman.> 1IÜ The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman takes place on several levels.First, Jesus takes the initiative.Give me a drink.He willingly shows his vulnerability.Should a man of a superior nation expose himself in this way?Mockingly, the woman throws a scornful remark at him, "You are a Jew.How can you ask me, a Samaritan and a woman, for a drink?"lesus then talks to her about the water that springs from within ourselves to provide eternal life.The Come and see a man who toid me everything I have done.I wonder if he is the Christ.6188 transition is very swift.In our daily conversations, we do not pass quickly from one level to another, from the level of daily needs: work, money, health, love, children, the contingencies of political life, the latest news, fashions and trends, to the level of fundamental concerns such as life, death, the quality of life, hope, God.We need many hours of discussion to pass from one level to the other.The Gospel in this case does not linger over these slow mediations.It simply shows how Jesus is the source of life and how the encounter with him enlivens us.The conversation along true worship continues.Samaritans go up Mount Gerizim to worship.Jews go to the temple of Jerusalem.Who is right?Jh\s is just like our living room conversations: All religions are alike.Should we, therefore, give up our own convictions and content ourselves with the lowest common denominator?A levelling off at the bottom?Or is it better, on the contrary, to dig one's heels and lock oneself in the uncompromising stance of fanatic fundamentalism?In short, to resume the wars of religion?Such a stance is certainly used as fuel for war these days.An hour is coming and is already here, when authentic worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (Jn.4: 23).The word of Jesus is enigmatic since it foretells the end of the temple of Jerusalem and the worship in spirit and truth.For the true temple of God is the body of the Risen Christ.Beyond all rituals and prayers, it is the Spirit of Jesus who makes us live and pray.It is the breath of God which enters our breath and makes us breathe at God's very own rhythm.The woman of Samaria was never again the same after her encounter with Jesus.She left the well, forgetting her water jar and hastened to tell the town folk that she had seen a prophet./ wonder if he is the Christ.The Gospel never mentions her again after this.Did she remain in Samaria to resume her routine chores?Or did she join the group that followed Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem?The conversation with the Samaritan woman is not a guide for pastoral action, nor a missionary strategy.Nevertheless, by freeing ourselves The Samaritans begged Jesus to stay with them.So he stayed there for two days.from taboos, an en-counter can expand the horizons of dialogue in truth to unlimited possibilities.Nothing human is foreign to us.And nothing human is foreign to God.Beyond all our rituals and beliefs, what is important, above all else, is the search for God in spirit and truth.The rest is not unimportant.Far from it.But it must remain "the rest." What is true of the harvest is also true of the mission: Open your eyes and see! The fields are shining for harvest! Sower and reaper may rejoice together.Here we have the saying verified: One man sows; another reaps.In our younger days, we reaped much which others had sown.And now, we are reapers without a harvest.The season could be very long; there might be a few more generations to live in sheer hope.This is the hour of sowing and burying.Even if the well seems dry, there is always a spring of living water somewhere else.^ Batik of Léopold Kiendrébéogo.Photos : Jacques Lancelot.Mission de l'Église, N° 128 a Forty A joyful Sister Gaby Background : Machu Picchu Gabrielle Tremblay, M.I.C.has been a missionary in the Peruvian Amazon region for the past 40 years.She is presently in charge of the largest parish of Pucallpa.it is a rare commitment directed towards the wholistic formation of persons and the proclamation of the Gospel, source of hope and liberation.Far from her birthplace, Saguenay in Quebec, Sister Gabrielle Tremblay, M.I.C.carries out her duties as pastor of a parish in the Peruvian jungle.She is in charge of an important parish of Pucallpa named Del Sehor de los Milagros (The Lord of Miracles), with 15,000 baptized Catholics.For nearly 40 years now, she has worked tirelessly among the people of Pucallpa.As far back as my teenage years, she stated, my dream was to leave for foreign missions.No sooner had I made my perpetual vows in 7 964, 1 left Joy-fiileâ A church in the selva Quebec.I was appointed to Bolivia for two years, and then to Peru where I hope to remain for the rest of my missionary life.An Abundance of Life Ever since Sister Gabrielle accepted her mission, there has never been a dull moment.As she realizes her great dream, she also enables the parishioners to attain theirs.Imagine a community of people striving together for happiness and fulfillment in a city located in the Amazon region.More than 30 groups to date have come out of anonymity to speak up, with the support of Sister Gabrielle.They meet regularly according to age group, social class and interests.Approximately 250 young people take part in the activities of Youth on a Mission, 50 of whom sing with the children's choir.Several groups provide family catechesis, adult religious education, and other needed services.Years The grotto built by Sister Gabrielle and the parishioners V - In short, the parish is full of life because of the cooperation of each member whose active participation brings about changes for which our missionary takes pride.The young ones can easily integrate themselves in the community and find a place in the micro-society according to their own talents and pace.Parents serve as their example.The Peruvians are not only gifted with deep faith.They are also inspired by the Mother of God to carry on their efforts to establish a just and better world.All seems to unfold in harmony, joy and celebration so characteristic of Latin Americans.Serving as Pastor Some people are gifted with the right touch.Such is Sister Gaby as she is fondly called, who easily attracts people.Wherever she goes, people greet her, come and talk to her and present themselves as volunteers.She lays this service of gratitude of her parishioners in the church, whose roof dutifully stays in place because, she jokingly adds, God kindly wants it to! A real dynamo surely she is! Sister Gaby organizes festivities and administers baptisms and marriages.But first of all, how did she become a Pastor?This was not a part of my career plan, she retorts.She was appointed by the local Bishop; a fine gesture of acknowledging the real talent of this resourceful woman.At first, I told him that I would do the work without bearing the title.After some time, however, I had no choice but to carry the title as such for practical reasons.The Priorities Sister Gaby keeps up with the evolution of her parish step by step and adjusts her target always in collaboration with the people who are at the center of the life of the community.The youth sector is one priority among the several important mandates.Sister's commitment is directed not only to the internal life of the Church.She also responds to the social needs of the local milieu.She has opened a dispensary that welcomes some eight hundred patients per week along with several physicians who volunteer their services.She has also set up a ?> ÊÉ S *¦ ?^4 v.sewing shop, a small factory, a community center and a library.Hope - Trust Hope is like a second nature for Sister Gaby.It is likewise the meaning she gives to the mission of the Sisters who are committed to the service of others: We are there to share hope.Amid the worst storms and trying situations, she is a beacon for the people who confide in her their secrets, their suffering and their problems.A Vocation A vocation that expresses itself in the unique commitment of a woman pastor cannot but bear fruit.Sister Gabrielle continues, day after day, to wonder and be moved by all that is beautiful: the people, their attitudes, their behaviour.Living for forty years in Pucallpa has been a grace for me; and my mission is not yet over! I discovered here a people with unsha-keable faith in God.I love the Pucallpinos in their simple way of living, of contemplating and of being.Dynamic, involved people.Sister Gabrielle (2nd row, seated, 2nd r.) Mission is Fire This native of Saguenay cannot be stopped from putting up projects.Convinced that prayer is the cure to many a pain, she initiated the construction of a grotto.She said: Mary is the one most capable of helping us in life.Every — Sister Gabrielle and her young friends morning at 5:30, the people gather there to recite the Rosary for their families, for the sick, for vocations, for the children, the elderly, the youth.Sister Gabrielle Tremblay is in no hurry to be called home to God.She believes that the mission is fire to be spread far and wide on earth.A sacred fire at that! ^ Sculpture of Chimu civilization, the ancient people of Peru By Danièle Miny '/\lon$ /KlssLon Lord, accompany on their mission those who are leaving in your name to proclaim Your Gospel.Through their witnessing, their friendship and their presence, may those in need of comforting be comforted; may those seeking peace find it; may those wishing to give thanks be enabled to do so; and may each one return to his or her own home with the joy of having met You, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.1 Marie Ledair, m.i.c.from Quebec City, Diocese of Quebec, Quebec Having returned to Malawi in 2002, Sister Marie is librarian at Marymount High School of Mzuzu which is attended by approximately 350 young women.She is also involved in local extracurricular activities.Previously, Sister Marie worked in educational and youth ministry in Malawi.In Zambia, she was actively involved in the promotion of religious radio programs.Suzanne Ledair, m.i.c.from Quebec City, Diocese of Quebec, Quebec Sister Suzanne, with Sister Marie, her elder sister, left Montreal in 2002.In Zambia, she is in charge of the administration of the Health Center of Kanyanga which serves a rural area of scattered population.She also helps in the formation of our aspirants.For six years, Sister Suzanne was in charge of the provincial administration of our Community in Africa.fioutts.Catherine- Henriette Raveronomenjanahary, m.i.c.from Masoarivo, Majunga, Diocese of Morondava, Madagascar In November 2002 Sister Catherine-Henriette went back to Cuba where she has been working for more than 15 years.She is involved in parish pastoral work: catechesis of children and teens, sacramental initiation, liturgical animation.In Madagascar, Sister Catherine-Henriette was mainly involved in the Christian formation of children.Vivencia Pana, m.i.c.from Baybay, Leyte, Diocese of Maasin, Philippines For the first time, Sister Vivencia stepped on the soil of Madagascar in July 2002.She teaches English to our young sisters called to live the mission in a multicultural community.With a rich experience in educational and pastoral ministry in her native country, she had also helped before with the formation of seminarians and of the Rosarian Sisters in Malawi, Africa.Louise Lefebvre, m.i.c.from Granby, Diocese of St-Hyacinthe, Quebec A missionary in Africa for 30 years, Sister Louise returned to Malawi in October 2002.In Mzimba, she is in charge of the provincial secretariat of our Community.A nurse and a midwife, Sister Louise has worked in our dispensaries of Malawi and Zambia.She also cooperated with the Diocese of Mzuzu in training local people to help AIDS victims in a programme called Home Based Care.Luz Hufancia, m.i.c.from Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Diocese of Caceres, Philippines Sister Luz left for Haiti in September 2002, after a period of intensive study of French in Montreal.Presently, she teaches English to her Haitian companions.In the Philippines, she was a teacher and was in charge of the student boarders.At Immaculate Conception Academy of Manila (ICAM), she was involved in some projects benefiting the poor. / Milagros N.Gomez, aa.i.c.from Manila, Archdiocese of Manila, Philippines Sister Milagros arrived in Quebec last September.Presently, she collaborates in the publication of our magazine MIC MISSION NEWS.In the Philippines, she spent 27 years in the educational apostolate.For eight years she was the Directress and High School Principal of Immaculate Conception Academy of Manila (ICAM) with a population of 2000 students.Jeanne-Odette Rasoarimanana, aa.i.c.from Antsirabe, Antananarivo, Diocese of Antsirabe, Madagascar Sister Jeanne-Odette went back to South America in the fall of 2002.Currently, she is giving evangelization and integral formation to women from the most remote and abandoned villages in Cajabamba, Peru.She also teaches catechism in a secondary school in the city.In Bolivia, Sister Jeanne-Odette helped in the formation of the young women of the Institute of Rural Education (1ER) of Cochabamba._ \ V ’ IM Carmen Uipan, aa.i.c.from Lima, Diocese of Lima, Peru Sister Carmen left Quebec for Hong Kong last February.She teaches English to the little ones at Good Hope School while studying the Chinese language and culture.Having completed her studies in philosophy and social sciences, Sister Carmen taught at our Maria de la Providencia College in Lima and handled a few subjects in a public school.Josephine L.Leal, aa.i.c.from Tagudin, llocos Sur, Diocese of Nueva Segovia, Philippines Having returned to Cuba from Manila in February 2003, Sister Josephine teaches religious education to the children of Santa Ana, a parish of Havana.She also helps with the animation and provincial administration of our Congregation.In her homeland, Sister Josephine lived and worked among a tribal minority called the Mangyans, who are mountain dwellers in Mindoro.Yolanda O.Oducado, aa.i.c.from Sampaloc, Manila, Archdiocese of Manila, Philippines A missionary in Africa since 1989, Sister Yolanda has been working in Malawi and in Zambia where she engaged herself in various services: teaching, formation of future religious, vocation animation.She is presently in charge of the animation and provincial administration of our Congregation in Africa.Olivette Côté, aa.i.c.from Mistassini, Diocese of Chicoutimi, Quebec After 14 years of service in Quebec, Sister Olivette went back to Taiwan where she had been a missionary for 12 years.A teacher by profession, Sister Olivette was involved in pastoral activity among young people and adults.At present she continues to study the Chinese language before she engages in the apostolic activities in Taipei.1- Adapted text: J.Eyquem, O.P.MISSIONARIES WITH US Enclosed the amount of $ i- v Name: Address: Apt: Code: Tel.: ( Your departure gifts help our missionaries Address to: ___________ Mission Procure Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception ________ 121 Maplewood Avenue Outremont, QC.Canada H2V 2M2 Tel: (514) 274-5691 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SOLIDARITY! __________ Do you want a tax receipt Yes ?NoD mi X' 4.- 1 V1 Compiled by Milagros Gomez, m.i.c.On the grounds of the old Holy Spirit School As part of the intensive summer formation program for the young Sisters of Hong Kong and in celebration of the Centennial of our institute, Marie Thérèse Beaudette, M.I.C.led a pilgrimage to the first sites of our missions in China.In the new millennium, China is a fascinating place to visit.Once isolated from the outside world for many years, China opened its borders in the late 70s to welcome travelers to its land of contrasts and mysteries waiting to be discovered.Indeed, it has attracted many foreigners over the recent years, but to the Sisters of Hong Kong this country is much more than a mere tourist attraction.In 1909, our first mission outside of Canada was founded in Canton, now known as Guangzhou.The Pilgrimage of a Lifetime We were filled with excitement as we prepared for the pilgrimage.It was a rare privilege and a journey of a lifetime for us Sisters in formation: Melanie, Jacintha, Rossetti, Eden, and Cindy (postulant).With intense enthusiasm, we read the historical background of the places to be visited from our chronicles entitled The First Thirty Years of the Institute.We studied and viewed the photos about the early China mission and reflected prayerfully.We had sessions during which we asked questions in order to enter into the experiences of the early missionaries.On the morning of July 15,2002 we left Hong Kong with Marie-Thérèse,Lucia Leung,M.I.C.and some lay collaborators of Good Hope Primary School.It is a custom in China to offer gifts to their host, so each of us carried a packet of rosary beads and other items.After a bus ride of two and a half hours, we arrived in Guangzhou.This capital of Guangdong Province is a well-known historical and cultural city.It is also South China's leading industrial and commercial city and trade port.We stopped briefly at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Shek Sat to visit the Blessed Sacrament.Then, we went on to meet the Chinese Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.Most happy to see us was 90-year-old Sr.Chen, who had been superior of the convent and formation directress for many years.Though bedridden, she radiated deep peace and joy.She gratefully accepted our gift of religious articles.Our Early Mission Places We made our way to White Rice Street to visit Holy Spirit School, the school opened by our Canadian Sisters in 1910.It was the first Catholic school for ma girls in the capital city.The girls learned English, French, music and arts from the Sisters.One of its early students, Lucia Ho, became the first Chinese Sister in our Institute.In front of the building, the trees planted by the Sisters have remained standing.As we touched them, we were filled with wonder and intense emotions flowed from our hearts.Not far from the school we saw the former White Cloud Cemetery where seven of our Sisters who died during their mission, were laid to rest.We paused to recite a prayer of repose.On the second day, we went to Zhaoqing, a city in Central Guangdong.We met the 87-year-old priest, Fr.Ma and the consecrated virgins, now all in their eighties or nineties, at their convent in Wan Fau.The consecrated virgins were formerly the Chinese catechists who had dedicated their lives to active apostolate: baptizing the dying and the abandoned children, caring for the sick and teaching Christian doctrine.Their collaboration was valuable to the ministry of the religious missionaries.The most touching moment of our pilgrimage was the visit to the lepers of Shek Hap because we were reminded of our early missionaries who offered their lives attending to the lepers of Shek Lung from 1913 until their departure in 1952.Shek Lung is an island located 50 miles away from Canton.The lepers of Shek Hap were delighted to see us.They sang, danced and chatted with us.The encounter with these joyful suffering brothers and sisters was a unique opportunity for a deeper contemplation of the mystery of life for each one of us.Getting Acquainted with the Culture of China The cultural dimension of our pilgrimage brought us to Chen Clan Academy, locally known as the Chen Clan Temple, an important historical site in Guangzhou.lt is known for its variety of artistic decorations, giving a comprehensive expression of the exquisite folk arts and crafts of the locality.The exterior and interior of its buildings are adorned with carvings of wood, brick, stone and ceramic sculptures, iron castings and paintings.Found within is the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum.We marveled at the exquisite collection of ancient arts and crafts which showed the ingenuity of the people.To complete our cultural exposure we savoured tea at a salon.In the Chinese tradition, tea is a symbol of togetherness and a customary way to express respect for visitors.A visit to Father Ma (1st r., center) and to the women catechists Marie-Thérèse Beaudette, m.i.c.(3rd r., 5th I.) Indeed the past two days gave us rare opportunities to joyfully retrace the footsteps of our early Canadian missionaries and to share their experiences vicariously.The final day of our journey was a silent contemplation of the exquisite yet simple beauty of China's natural scenery.We had the joy of viewing and savouring the beautiful Seven Star Craigs and the riches of the other cultural sites of Zhaoqing.The Power of a Pilgrimage We have visited sites of historical significance and learned lessons that have enriched our missionary life.How true are the words of Henry Miller that "one's destination is never a place but a new way of looking at things."Vr\e following are reflections on the transforming power of our pilgrimage: * Photos : Archives SMÉ AJ ew & 'fc’i&rvx