GoodWorks WORLDWIDE MISSION: Making known God’s goodness A Saint for Our Times “How good is the good God!” St. Julie Billiart Volume 15 No. 1 n March 2019 SNDdeN in Ministry SNDdeN CONGREGATIONAL LEADER SNDdeN in Ministry IN THIS ISSUE Dear Friends of Notre Dame de Namur, Front Cover: his issue of Good Works is filled with many Pope Paul VI canonized 4 A Saint for examples of the spirituality and theology of St. Julie Billiart on Our Times! St. Julie Billiart, namely acknowledging, June 22, 1969. protecting and upholding the dignity and Sisters of Notre worth of each person, and the integrity of human Dame de Namur relationships. In his novel, Les Miserables, 1862, internationally, TVictor Hugo, illustrates Julie Billiart’s mission of with our Associates, “saving a single soul.” The beautiful encounter between the good Bishop Mission Volunteers and Jean Valjean is summarized in these lyrics sung by the Bishop. and all our Partners 8 Notre Dame in Mission world-wide celebrate 50 Years of Mission Volunteers- Come in sir, for you are weary, and the night is cold out here. Sainthood of our holy AmeriCorps: “ Though our lives are very humble, what we have, we have to share. Foundress! St. Julie is Co-Workers There is wine here to revive you; there is bread to make you strong; A Saint for Our Times. She offers hope to this in Education there’s a bed to rest till morning; rest from pain and rest from wrong. generation in a global [During the night Jean Valjean left the house with a bag filled with silver” crisis. How good is St. Julie Corner at vessels. When he is returned by the police, the Bishop welcomes him again, the good God! 10 and handing over the precious silver candlesticks says:] Church in Higashi But my friend, you left so early; surely something slipped your mind. Hiroshima, Japan GoodWorks “You forgot I gave these also. Would you leave the best behind? Published two times a year. …But remember this, my brother: see in this some higher plan. Publisher Sisters of Notre Dame You must use this precious silver to become an honest man. de Namur Congregational 14 Maryhouse for By the witness of the martyrs; by the passion and the blood; Mission Office God has raised you out of darkness; I have saved your soul for God. 30 Jeffreys Neck Road Homeless Persons ” Ipswich, MA 01938 USA Editor Called by God, inspired by the Gospel and the example of St. Julie, Anne Stevenson, SNDdeN we thank you for your prayer and support of the commitment we Director of Communications share with you to protect and uphold the dignity of each person Photos and the value of human relationships. SNDdeN and staff Contact 16 SNDdeN In God’s Goodness, 1-978-356-2159 (ext. 214) Communications e-mail [email protected] Team Builds Website Sister Teresita Weind, SNDdeN www.sndden.org Networks Congregational Leader 2 GoodWorks ~ March 2019 Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur 3 SNDdeN in Ministry SPIRITUALITY/MISSION In the aftermath of the French Revolution, in Cuvilly, a small village A Saint for Our Times! north of Paris, Julie heard God’s call in the By Sr. Anne Stevenson, SNDdeN cries of the Church, separated by divisions and internal struggle, groans of people living in poverty: hungry, homeless or years, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN) and devastated by war and political upheavals, and personnel in our schools and institutions prayed that Blessed Julie, beatified on May 13, 1906 by Pope Pius X, sobs of a society in crisis, with multiple refugees and orphans, would be canonized! Many friends and collaborators pleading of women and children, deprived of appropriate means remember those years of waiting for St. Julie Billiart for human life and dignity. (1751-1816) to be recognized by the Church as a Saint! At last on June 22, 1969, the Church recognized the Sainthood of Julie Billiart, our Foundress, in the Congregation “Marked by the Cross” celebration of her A loving and faithful God carried Julie through 23 years of physical Canonization at the Vatican paralysis and psychological sufferings. On her sickbed, her prayer life in Rome. Pope Paul VI deepened; her sensitivity of spirit attuned her to the inner voice of declared to all the world God. Scarcely able to talk or move about, Julie saw a vision of women Julie’s holiness of life around a cross and heard Jesus words to her: “These are the daughters and her legacy of making that I will give you in an Institute, which will be marked by my cross.” known God’s goodness, This vision at Compiègne guided Julie in founding her religious through her apostolic Congregation in 1804, religious Congregation with Françoise Blin de and all groups who claim Bourdon, and in her as Foundress. Today, accepting members. Sisters, Associates, Mission Later in another vision Volunteers, celebrate on February 2, 1806, Julie’s 50 Years of Sainthood, Julie was raised from For all Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur internationally with our co-workers and the floor before her and the good works of the Congregation, Pope Paul VI partners in our schools, thanks three Superiors General: Mère Josépha de Sisters and experienced St François Van den Ede, Mothers Loretto Julia Carroll colleges, universities, a Light of Revelation, a and Mary Linscott. hospitals, clinics, centers, call to serve throughout parishes and social agencies. the world. Julie attracted Saintliness, described by Pope Paul VI at the Canonization, is the many young women to “drama of love between God and the human soul…a glimpse of the follow her in a ministry marvelous action of God in a privileged human life.” Marie-Rose-Julie of education, especially signs of for orphans and those Billiart heard the whisperings of God within her, and in the The Vision at Compiègne, a mosaic created by Sr. Vincent her times, in her country devastated by war, violence and ignorance. living in poverty. de Paul Curran, with assistance from other SNDdeN, in Ipswich, MA USA. 4 GoodWorks ~ March 2019 Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur 5 SNDdeN in Ministry SPIRITUALITY/MISSION Continued 50th Anniversary We recognize St. Julie as a Saint for our times! Her impact and The 50th Anniversary of St. Julie’s Canonization calls us to influence crosses oceans and continents in a Global Mission today! celebrate our origins, and our life in mission. It calls us to recognize For 215 years, our Sisters on five the extraordinary gift of Julie to the Church and our world. Julie reminded her continents have been at home among She is ALIVE today! This anniversary celebrates God’s goodness Sisters to have people of many cultures and sharing in our lives and in those who accompany us along the way. their gifts, learning and experience It challenges us to invite more women to a life commitment in our “hearts wide through a variety of ministries, religious community as as the world,” with a particular focus on education. SNDdeN: women with and St. Julie was a woman of the modern the same courage and era who took courage through action. confidence as the Belgian “that the earth By opening schools to educate children women who left home is the Lord’s… for life, she faced the inequalities of and country to bring the her time, especially for young girls and Gospel to different parts and a Sister “those made poor in a world marked of our world. In this of Notre Dame by increasing divisions and inequalities” era of global crisis, this (CALLS: 2014 General Chapter, p. 5). anniversary summons should be at She saw education for everyone as us to extend Julie’s inner home anywhere.” a basic human right, and teaching life and spirituality to as the “greatest work on earth.” a growing number of Notre Dame de Namur She brought joy and hope in the goodness of God to a depressed Associates, Mission and deprived generation by educating vulnerable children crying out Volunteers, Co-Workers, for survival in France and Belgium. She demonstrated the power and and Partners. In her presence of a loving and Mission, St. Julie leads caring God in her person us on, showing us that and in the women who education is our strongest followed her. Julie sent her tool in surmounting Sisters to reach out to people these forces. The Vision of Compiègne, a painting by Sr. Janet Mullen, “in the most abandoned SNDdeN, in Ipswich, MA USA. places,” to give them tools for life, to dismantle unjust This Saint for our Times challenges us today, for another generation systems and to alleviate poverty through education. in global crisis: Mothers Mary Linscott, Loretto Julia Carroll and to make known God’s goodness We celebrate the long line Mère Josépha de St François Van den Ede enjoy a of Sisters of Notre Dame happy moment with a priest and a cardinal, and they and bring courage, hope and healing. de Namur. express the joy of the entire SNDdeN Congregation! 6 GoodWorks ~ March 2019 Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur 7 Executive Committee: SNDdeN in Ministry MISSION VOLUNTEERS/EDUCATION Emily Bernstein (Program Assistant), Josephine Nannozi (Finance Manager), Jackie Simon (Associate Director), Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps: Adrienne Andrews (Executive Director), and Vincent Lui (Finance Assistant). Co-Workers in Education All NDMV photos in this edition by John Rasmussen, former Mission Volunteer By Adrienne Andrews, NDMV Executive Director, Jackie Simon, NDMV Associate Director and Sister Teresa Anyabuike, SNDdeN otre Dame Mission Volunteers (NDMV) is celebrating 27 years as a Midyear Conference: “Stones of Hope Ripples of Change” national ministry of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN), In February 2019, 280 NDMV-AmeriCorps members joined staff, Nengaging individuals of all backgrounds.