Hi my name is Teresa Mckerral I live in Salmon Arm BC. I am a CND Associate with the Kamloops CND group. As well, I have the great honour of being the Western Associate Representative on Visitation Province’s JPIC committee. This year for Lent, as well as doing our usual Development and Peace Share Lent collection, our parish in Salmon Arm is also involved with Give it up for the Earth. This is a two part program from the Citizens for Public Justice. One part is a Call for Action! For example, ● walk, bike, or bus ● buy less, buy local, buy used ● eliminate air travel ● eat less meat; eat local & in season ● reduce electricity use ● support eco-friendly businesses ● divest from fossil fuels ● upgrade windows, doors & insulation ● buy fair trade ● cut waste ● refuse one-use / over packaged items. The second part is to send a prepaid postage postcard to The Honourable Minister Catherine McKenna telling her what we are committed to giving up and ask that emissions be reduced as promised. These postcards will be passed out after Mass on the 11th and 18 of February. I spoke about Give it up for the Earth at Mass on the 28th of January. This is the second year our parish is participating. Last year I ordered 50 postcards and they were gone in about 10 minutes. This year I ordered 200 and I hope that they all are used. The third way we are bringing a social justice theme to Lent is we are using the Jesuit Forum guide, On care for our common Home to study Laudato Si.
I am looking forward to Lent this year.
A new collaborative, made up of Women and Men Religious, has been formed to explore ways to help people attain affordable housing in Toronto.
During their last meeting, it was agreed to send a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau in response to the new National Housing Strategy which was announced November 22, 2017. This group then reached out for support to other religious communities. Sister Rebecca McKenna, with the support of the team, has endorsed this letter in the name of Visitation Province.
Some people go south in February. February 1– 4, I went as far as White Plains to visit the interprovincial noviciate (Blessed Sacrament and Visitation provinces). It was a real pleasure to meet the formation community (Sisters Cathy Molloy, Peggy Doyle, Donna Kelly, Maco Cassetta and Libby Osgood) and to experience their hospitality of food, conversation and shared prayer. I was fortunate to be there for Friday morning “class” a thought provoking webinar entitled “Living Mission Inter-culturally,” led by theology and culture professor Anthony Gittins. After the presentation we left for Fordham University where we gathered with a small group for Mass. Libby Osgood (Novice of Visitation Province) went on to her class in Ecological Theology with the well-known theologian Elizabeth Johnson. Maco (Director of Novices) and I had lunch and time to wander through the botanical gardens that border the university. We especially enjoyed the stunning orchid display in the rotunda of the Mertz Botanical Library.