#spiritcitings

[visionvocationguide]

"School Sisters of Notre Dame participate in UN conference," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/2VZE300QLIq Pictured: Sister Eileen Reilly at the United Nations Conference for Non-Governmental Organizations in 2014. "A delegation from the School Sisters of Notre Dame attended the 66th annual United Nations Conference for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from May 30 to June 1 in Korea. The theme of the conference was “Education for Global Citizenship: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Together". Sister Eileen Reilly, director of the SSND UN-NGO office, said, “We are hoping that our participation in this conference with more than 1,800 delegates from around the world will give us a deeper understanding of what it means to educate for global citizenship in our divided world.” Along with Sister Reilly, Sister Gloria Hirai, of Japan, and Sister Lourdes Pangelinan, of Guam, also attended the conference and worked with diplomats, United Nations officials, policy experts, scientists, educators, businesses, trade unions, parliamentarians, and local authorities. Throughout the conference, the sisters and their colleagues sought to promote change that empowers women, the young, and the poor and marginalized and addresses systems of poverty and injustice. Read more here: http://ow.ly/2VZE300QLIq #spiritcitings #un #schoolsistersofnotredame #ngo #ssnd

[visionvocationguide]

"Dominican sisters in Iraq refuse to stop serving," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/HFyW300knXy "The Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena have had a long, tumultuous history in Iraq, and now as many Iraqi Christians are fleeing the region, their role there has become even more important. Along with continuing their service work in the community, they are seen as a symbol of hope and resistance in an area full of violence. The mission of the sisters is to serve all Iraqis equally, no matter their religion.  According to the Order of Preachers, the first Dominican priest visited Iraq in 1235, and in 1873, six French Dominican sisters set up a convent there. They've remained ever since--during World War I, when Christians were persecuted under Turks and their Kurdish allies, and after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, when killing and looting became commonplace. Through it all, the sisters have not stopped serving the people. " Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/HFyW300knXy #spiritcitings #dominicans #orderofpreachers #iraq #sisters #nuns

[visionvocationguide]

#icymi "Whoopi Goldberg surprises nuns in habit on 'The View'," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/b2Dk1003adH This week on ABC's "The View," actress Whoopi Goldberg surprised the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary in Harlem, New York, by showing up on air dressed in a habit like her character from her 1992 film Sister Act. She gave the order a $10,000 donation to stock their food pantry as well as a new car to help with transportation of food. The sisters are one of only three orders of black nuns in the United States and recently celebrated their 100th anniversary. Sister Gertrude Ihenacho is often told she resembles Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act and often gets asked for her autograph. She cried tears of joy when the Hollywood star came out on stage in a habit. Check out the full blog here: http://ow.ly/b2Dk1003adH #SpiritCitings #theview #sisters #nuns #blacknuns

[visionvocationguide]

"Catholic monks work to save Islamic treasures" is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/4neUus "More than 370,000 manuscripts were secretly smuggled out of Timbuktu to save them from destruction by militants. A monastery in Minnesota is digitizing the texts to preserve them. The Economist reports that monks led by Father Columba Stewart at St. John’s Abbey in Minnesota are helping to preserve precious Islamic literary works that were threatened with destruction by militants in Mali. More than 370,000 manuscripts, including Korans, Hadiths, and studies on grammar and rhetoric, were secretly smuggled out of Timbuktu to save them and are now in safe houses. The evacuation cost $1 million and was funded by the Dutch lottery, the German government, and private donors. The Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, housed at St. John’s Abbey, agreed to digitize the texts, and so, says the article, "guided by a Christian teacher from the sixth century, monks of the 21st century archive texts about an Arabian prophet from the seventh." Father Stewart sees digitizing these sacred texts as part of the Benedictine tradition of literary preservation. He said, “We had scriptoria for very practical reasons. You can’t do theology without philosophy. You can’t try to be a self-sustaining monastery if you can’t take science seriously.” He adds, “When people look at what we’re doing with Muslim communities, they say, why do you do this? I say, this is the time God has given us. We can’t pretend we live in the sixth century when Benedict wrote his rule ... We live now. And part of the reality is cultures which are threatened trying to figure out how to work together on this fragile planet.” " #SpiritCitings #manuscript #treasure

[visionvocationguide]

"Benedictine Sisters of Chicago lead peace walk," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/10FHcg "It is important to have our neighbors know we're an oasis of peace in the area," said Sister Benita Coffey, O.S.B. (pictured in the blue jacket) on a recent peace walk responding to the violence that occurred steps from the Benedictine sisters' St. Scholastica Monastery. The Benedictine Sisters of Chicago organized a peace walk in April to grieve the loss of the life of 18-year-old Antonio Robert Johnson, who was recently gunned down in front of their home, St. Scholastica Monastery. The sisters and their neighbors walked in solidarity against violence and injustice in their north side neighborhood of Chicago. The primary ministry of the Benedictine Sisters (O.S.B.) of Chicago is community: to minister in education, social services, pastoral ministry, spiritual development, and social justice, to name a few. Sister Benita Coffey, O.S.B., who promotes social justice for the Benedictines, shared with the Chicago Tribune: "We've been on this property since 1906 and we are not getting up and leaving the neighborhood. We're going to support our neighbors in whatever ways we can." Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/10FHcg #SpiritCitings #benedictines #benedictinesisters #peace #chicago

[visionvocationguide]

""The Friar App" calls for prayer intentions," is the lates on the SpiritCitings blog found here:http://ow.ly/10FEfC Founded by Saint Francis of Assisi more than 800 years ago, the Franciscan order continues to find new ways to pray and preach the Good News of Jesus worldwide.  As part of their 800-year tradition, Franciscan friars pray for the intentions of those who ask and now continue to with the help of technology. The U.S. Franciscans have developed "The Friar App", available in both the Apple App and Google Play stores, for the faithful to send prayer intentions to Franciscan friars across the United States and for followers of the app to lift up those prayers as one community of faith. Followers of the app can join in the prayers of others in addition to posting their own prayer requests. It's free to download and post and follow prayers, but for a small fee, you may have a real candle lit in a Franciscan church for a particular intention.  Discover more about the many provinces of Franciscan Friars serving both domestic and foreign missions in a variety of ministries. #SpiritCitings #friars #Franciscans #prayerapp

[visionvocationguide]

"Villanova's Father Rob Hagan is basketball team's 'rock'," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/3zzUd3 "Philly.com recently profiled Villanova University's Father Rob Hagan, an Augustinian who works as associate athletic director and chaplain for the men's basketball and football teams. Villanova basketball players, who clinched the national championship this year with a buzzer-beating shot, attribute much of their success to Father Hagan and his counseling on and off the court.  "He's our rock," said senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono. "He's unbelievable. He keeps us humble. And you can turn to him in any situation. It's not about him being a priest. It's about the person. He never turns you down." Hagan is a graduate of Villanova himself. After a career as a successful criminal defense attorney, he decided he would become an Augustinian priest. He says he has no big conversion story, it was just a natural evolution. The message of the Augustinians resonated with him, specifically because of Saint Augustine's life journey. " Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/3zzUd3 #SpiritCitings #villanovabasketball #Augustinian #priests #chaplains

[visionvocationguide]

"'Imagine a Sister's Life' with new app," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here:http://ow.ly/10Chht New discernment app from the Sisters of Bon Secours sets the bar high for vocation resources. The Sisters of Bon Secours have launched an amazing, eye-catching, heartstring-pulling app, Imagine a Sister's Life, to explore what religious life is all about and what it would be like to be a sister. The free app includes daily reflections, blogs, news and views, faith sharing, virtual retreats, upcoming events, and stories about how sisters were called and their passion for their vocation. The sisters developed the app to create a place "where a busy young seeker of truth can pause to reflect on the meaning of life, pray in silence, and read articles and thought-provoking commentary on world conditions and social justice efforts." What's more, "Young adults can share their thoughts online and share opportunities to get involved in helping those unable to help themselves. The application gives them a gentle reminder of the presence of God in their life and provides many areas of support and knowledge as they continue to grow through their life experiences. For those interested in learning more about religious life there are a variety of professional videos that give them a sense of what an active life in community and ministry looks like as a sister." Check out this app with these download links:  ImagineASistersLife APP on iPhone: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/app/life-as-sister-sisters-bon/id933221111?mt=8&uo=6  ImagineASistersLife APP on android phone:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.lifeasasister.app The sisters said, "Based on current world conditions, the millennials will be called upon over the course of their lifetime to make many serious moral and ethical decisions both in their own lives and in protecting the health and well-being of others globally. It is hoped that this application proves to be a strong support for young adults, creating an online community that enriches their journey of faith." #SpiritCitings #discernment #app #imagineasisterslife #sistersofbonsecours

[visionvocationguide]

"Jesuit-educated man has surprise for the Sisters of Mercy," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/10tziS Pictured: James Flavin (lower right in letter jacket) with St. Ignatius classmates in 1962. (Photo from Sun-Times story.) "James A. Flavin wore old clothes, drove a beat-up old car, and lived alone in a small home he had inherited from his parents in a poor inner-city neighborhood," writes Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown. "When he died a year ago at age 71 with no obvious family in the picture, his fellow parishioners at St. Adrian’s Catholic Church in Marquette Park came together to give him a proper funeral and burial." What nobody knew was that Flavin, an alumnus of St. Ignatius, a Jesuit high school in Chicago, was a wealthy man. A safe deposit box discovered after his death revealed stocks and investments valued above $3.4 million. And more surprising, a will prepared in 2008 indicated that Flavin wanted the bulk of his estate to go to the Sisters of Mercy, who had educated his mother.  The authenticity of the will needs to be verified, but as his only living relatives aren't disputing the terms set in the 2008 document, it looks as though the Sisters of Mercy are in for some money. How nice!  Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/10tziS #SpiritCitings #jesuit #Mercy @mercysisters

[visionvocationguide]

"Deacon brings Jesus behind bars," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/10gvIA Pictured: Pope Francis blesses a prisoner at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia in September. "The Catholic New World recently profiled Deacon Pablo Perez of Chicago. Perez is the assistant director of the Kolbe House, a ministry that trains male and female volunteers to visit inmates in Chicago-area jails. They offer bilingual Bible studies, Mass, and Communion services to those in jail. Kolbe House also ministers to families of the incarcerated, families of victims, and those released from jail or prison. Perez was once a member of a gang and overdosed on drugs. He credits God with helping him get his life back and uses his story to help minister to inmates, saying, “He [God] did it with me. He could do it with you." Jail ministry was not what Perez originally saw himself doing, but he could not escape God's plan for him. He says, “...I saw the power of the Holy Spirit moving in the church in jail. Part of me stays in the jail now, because their suffering has become my suffering.”" Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/10gvIA #SpiritCitings #kolbe #jailministry

[visionvocationguide]

"100 years of sisters' service in Harlem celebrated," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/10e7S2 "According to the Amsterdam News, the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary are celebrating a century of service in Harlem, New York, with a gala at the New York Academy of Medicine in Manhattan. One of only three orders of black nuns in the United States, they established one of the first preschool educational programs in New York in 1923 and feed more than 20,000 families annually at the St. Edward Food Pantry on Staten Island. With six new sisters in formation and the opening of a new convent in Nigeria, the sisters believe, as shared by congregation minister Sister Gertrude Lilly Ihenacho, that “the mission of the order has not yet ended, and the spirit informed us to wake up and revive what is left before we die.”" Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/10e7S2 #SpiritCitings #nuns #sisters #100years #harlem

[visionvocationguide]

"New podcast launched for Jubilee of Mercy pilgrims to Rome," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/102tan According to Rome Reports, podcast Catholic Bytes is launching a new program, called Misericordia Media, in honor of the Jubilee of Mercy, for pilgrims traveling to Rome, giving them the opportunity to listen and reflect. The 7-minute podcast guides and prepares pilgrims historically and spiritually to walk through the Holy Door. Catholic Bytes hopes that the podcast and future YouTube series will help pilgrims to continue to "bear witness to the mercy they have received" on the pilgrimage and beyond. Check out other Year of Mercy pilgrimage sites and events and other vocation opportunities on our events calendar here: http://www.vocationnetwork.org/opportunities Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/102tan #SpiritCitings #mercy #yearofmercy #pilgrimage

[visionvocationguide]

"Priest nominated for Aurora Prize for work with refugees in Africa," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/102oyH Pictured: Father Bernard Kinvi assists refugees in the Central African Republic. He was nominated for the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity for his work in the region. "FoxNews reports that Father Bernard Kinvi, of the Order of St. Camillus, has been nominated for the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, an annual international peace prize that honors those who put their lives at risk to serve others. Father Kinvi was nominated because of his heroic rescue of more than 1,500 Muslims in the Central African Republic. He started a church and mission hospital three years ago in the northwestern town of Bossemptee, where fighting between Muslim and Christian extremists escalated in 2013. Despite being threatened for his actions, he has helped Muslims who were targeted find refuge in neighboring Cameroon. He said, “I did not check their religion before helping them. I had in front of me human beings whose lives were in danger. It is my duty as a Camilian priest who has dedicated his life to the service of those who are ill and those who are suffering, even if it meant risking my own life.”" Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/102oyH #SpiritCitings #priests #orderofstcamillus #auroraprize #refugees #caf

[visionvocationguide]

"Priest to perform rock-gospel for Pope Francis," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/ZNKtf "The Press of Atlantic City reports that Father Krzysztof Wtorek brings together God and music with his rock-gospel choir at Epiphany Church in Longport, New Jersey. With six women singers, he transforms traditional hymns into rockin’ beats with programmed bass and drum sounds. He also uses a keyboard and a Fender Stratocaster to move parishioners and touch their hearts with music. Father Wtorek was a musician as a teen, but when he came to the United States in 1988 and entered the seminary, he thought his life as a musician was over. Instead, he has found himself creating updated arrangements of hymns, using a variety of instruments and computer software. He will lead an international rock-gospel group of singers and musicians from the United States, Germany, and Poland this summer. The group will perform for Pope Francis at World Youth Day, which will be held July 25-31, 2016. "This is really evangelization," he said of his music. "You can be happy. You can be peaceful. You can be meditative. I believe in that. I put my life into that."" Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/ZNKtf #SpiritCitings #priest #rock #gospel #music

[visionvocationguide]

"Filipino priest receives award for environmental heroism," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/ZNIiB "Vatican Radio reports that Father Edwin Gariguez of the Philippines received an award for environmental heroism from the Jesuit-run Xavier University in Cincinnati. He has battled against a nickel mine in order to protect Mindoro Island’s biodiversity and the indigenous people in the area. Father Roberto Yap, university president, said that Father Gariguez's ministry is an inspiring response to Pope Francis challenge "to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor." Father Gariguez was also awarded a doctorate in humanities for his efforts. He received the award during the university’s graduation ceremony, where he also delivered the keynote address." Read the full blog here: http://ow.ly/ZNIiB #SpiritCitings #enviornment #hero #philippines #filipino #inspiration

[visionvocationguide]

'Standup Sisters' tell discernment stories," is the latest on the SpiritCitings blog found here: http://ow.ly/ZxbqW "According to the Pittsburg Post-Gazette, four members of the Pennsylvania-based Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill presented their discernment stories to a crowd of parishoners, students, and community members at St. Sylvester Church in Brentwood, Pennsylvania, last week. They told stories about how they responded to God’s call and how they serve. Radio journalist Jennifer Szweda Jordan produced the program, called "Standup Sisters." Some sisters were shy about sharing their stories at first, but later realized the effect they might have on their community. “We rarely toot our own horns,” said Sister Barbara Einloth. "That might be a good thing and humble, but it doesn’t help people know who we are and what we do. This is an opportunity for people to get to know who we are.”" #SpiritCitings #nuns #sisters #discernment #religiouslife