With his love for God’s creation, for the poor and outcasts he was deeply appreciated for his joy, his generous self-giving and openheartedness. He was “a mystic and a pilgrim who lived an integrated life, in simplicity, in harmony with God, with others, with nature, the world and its surrounding and with himself.”  (Laudato Si’ 10)

Due to human action and inaction, the planet is warming. Severe droughts, wildfires, floods, and storms are wreaking havoc. Hundreds if not thousands of species are rapidly becoming extinct. The resulting damage disrupts the lives of ever more millions of people, among them those who become climate refugees and the poorest on our planet.

Let us quickly have a look at Francis – what he has to say, not merely with words – that is easy enough! – but by his way of life? Through his simple lifestyle his piety and deep spirituality, his love of God’s creation, he became a force of renewal that continues to bear fruit today.    For St Francis, creation is cosmos. He sees everything created having its function and assigned place in our wonderful complex home, called Earth.  This evokes awe and gratitude. It was because of this love for and understanding of the inhabitants of the universe, that John Paul 2, in 1979, proclaimed Francis patron Saint of Ecology and patron of those lovers of Ecology. An ecologist studies the relationship between living things and their habitats. St Francis had an innate instinct and interconnection in relation to all creation.

The linkage of St Francis with Ecology is well justified because of the respect and special relationship he had with nature and all creatures as a wonderful gift of God to the human race.   Naming Francis as the patron of Ecology came at the end of the 1970’s, a time that witnessed the birth of the modern environmental movement, along with the celebration of Earth Day in USA.  Earth Day, however, did not become a global event until 1990.  By the end of the 1970’s US had an Environmental Protection Act.     The years following had legislation to clean up rivers and lakes and to protect drinking water.

Francis reminds us that we are all part of our environment with our call to live in an integrated way as we love and protect our common home. The Canticle of the Creatures, with its content and richness, composed towards the end of Francis’ life displays a contemplative gaze on earthly and heavenly creatures. He saw all reality pointing to God the Creator.

Francis not only offers up praise to God with ‘Sir Brother Sun’ ,‘Sister Moon and Stars’ and ‘Sister Water’, but invites all creatures to join him in praising God.
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honour, and all blessing,
To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and no human is worthy to mention Your name.
Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day.
and through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven.
You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene,
and every kind of weather, through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, who is very useful and humble and precious.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom You light the night, and he is
Beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who
produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord through those who give pardon for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
For the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give you thanks and serve you with great humility.

For me, this Canticle isn’t just a hymn of praise, it reflects how Francis encountered God in all things. Franciscan Theologian Sr Ilia Delio writes; “The canticle discloses Francis’ view of nature as a sacramental expression of God’s generous love.  This love binds us together in a family of relationships; ‘brother’ ‘sister’.  Francis came to understand the incarnation as sanctifying all creation”.

We can only marvel at the legacy Francis left us. The fundamental relationship between Incarnation and creation leads to the idea that each and every aspect of creation has absolute dignity because everything is created specifically and uniquely through the Word of God.  Aware that the only creator is God, led St Francis to challenge the rationale of power and property which sees people as controllers of everything, instead of beneficiaries of a free gift from God given equally to all. The power to dominate is given by God. It is not our own.

Pope Francis challenges the misinterpretation of Judeo-Christian thinking in Genesis 1:28, when he speaks of humans with ‘dominion’ over the earth. To quote Laudato Si’, “nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures.” (67)

Elizabeth Johnson in her article “What does it mean to believe in an Ecological God” writes ;    ‘The landscape of our imagination expands when we realize that human connection to nature is so deep that we can no longer define our identity without including the great sweep of cosmic history and our shared genetic inheritance with other organisms in the evolutionary history of life. There is but one community of life on Earth. Everything is connected to everything else, and we all flourish and wither together’.

Today, all of us are still learning to recognize and value our interconnectedness with the natural world and we try to convince ourselves that any exploitation of nature contributes to the current ecological crisis. Our planet is in pearl and “cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as lords and masters entitled to plunder her at will. (Laudato Si’ 2)

Strong and challenging words from Pope Francis!

It is somewhat surprising to find that one third of people consulted in 27 countries throughout Asia, Europe and America, who responded to the Global Conference study earlier this year, are not worried about climate change and the world crisis, with its devastating impact on the poorest and most vulnerable, who make up the majority of earths inhabitants.  We are challenged to ask.

HOW LONG MORE CAN WE CONTINUE TO BURY OUR HEADS IN THE SAND??

Why this compliancy?

• Do we see actions to alleviate change as somehow reducing our standard of living?
• Do we think that saving the planet from boiling and becoming uninhabitable for billions of people is the job of the next generation?

The longer we postpone the nearer the irreversible tipping point will be.

Our times urgently require that we humans develop an ecological sense of ourselves in tune with belief in an ecological God. In light of our common creator, it is essential to expand our sense of identity to include relationships with other creatures, the land, water and air and with all creation itself.

Once we have truly appreciated the life of “the other,” we arrive at a new starting point for decision-making.  Then we can begin to change some of the deep-seated behaviours that are driving environmental destruction as well as our world’s galloping poverty, the deity of the market and our cultural despair. Humbled and delighted by the life around us, we can begin to hear the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor and step up to protect our Common Home.    (Elizabeth Johnson)

Where do we RNDM’s stand in relation to the global crisis?

Can the life of St Francis speak to us today in the midst of our global crisis?

“Empowered by the Spirit, we are sent as disciples of Jesus to share our lives in the service of love, seeking the fullness of life for the whole of creation” (Constitutions 4)

What do you see as a challenge for   –   me/you?   –  For RNDM’s?

Reflection shared with the Common Home Commission on 4^th October 2023.

Liz Hartigan RNDM 

“The reflection and information that we can gather from these eight past years allow us to clarify and complete what we were able to start some time ago”.  (Pope Francis – Laudate Deum 4)

The participants included JRS members from Macedonia, Croatia, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, Belgium Malta, Italy and the UK, plus our trainers from Germany. Other member states did not send participants as they do not have detention centres – Poland, France, Ireland and Austria.

The discussion on Human Trafficking centred on those we meet in detention or among those seeking asylum. Naturally the conversation centred on the recent movement of people into Europe and the fear of Human Trafficking on the increase during this time of unrest and people travelling en-masse.

Human Trafficking is not a new phenomenon and has been part of human exploitation since early times. However the criminality and violence associated with trafficking has become a major concern for many governments and societies such as JRS and Renate (Religious in Europe Networking against Trafficking and Exploitation).

During the days of training we saw from various statistics and indicators of trafficking of adults for sexual and labour exploitation, (main source: ILO – International Labour Office) the increase of women and young males (including children) from non-EU countries. We discussed the increase of labour associated with trafficking for the labour force in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, France and other agricultural societies where recruiting companies organise workers for farms and food production companies. Many of these people come voluntarily for a better life and this makes it difficult to really get to the source of the trafficker, as often they are hidden in the wood-work in the host country and work very carefully to keep within the law and unnoticed. Some of the traffickers are people we know and respect in society!

Many of us are passing these trafficked people daily in our busy cities, so spare a thought and a prayer rather than look with distain and pity at the young girls and men begging for money on the trains, or sitting along our pavements, or the many car-washers and farm workers, food packers and groups of men recruited to work on many building sites, to mention just a few examples of those allowed out in the open. So many others are hidden or imprisoned from our view and are working in unsavoury hostels, hotels, and massage parlours. What makes them victims of the present world-is that often they cannot speak the language of their host country and are prevented from doing so.

In the UK, women are detained if found without passports or papers. They are given 28 days to determine if they are actually victims of trafficking and oftentimes these women become again victims of another system. Many of them are unable to defend themselves and suffer extreme levels of trauma. Also because they are unable or afraid to name their traffickers the law does not always protect them. We are a long way from any solvents to this awful human crime against another human being: However, the UK is in line with other European countries following the so-called Nordic Model, “where the purchase of sexual services constitutes the criminal act, not the services of the prostituted persons”. Early identification is the best way to ensure better protection for the individual and a key to a state complying with its international obligations! (Resolution of the European Parliament, 2014).

Working with JRS has made me aware of the human trafficking that is going on around me here in London. JRS is one of the many organisations that Member States of the EU encourages to be trained to help in identifying and accompanying victims, including children, to “ensure that different authorities collaborate with each other – so that victims can be identified in a procedure duly taking into account the special situation of women and child victims”. This was apparent listening to the accounts shared by the other member of JRS Europe to learn of the work they do and the scope of out-reach to many arriving on their shores either as genuine refugees, seeking asylum or those trafficked or smuggled for financial gain. The common denominator we all share and continues to motivate us is that every person we encounter cries the same words: – We are Human!

 Rose Mary Harbinson, rndm

[Laurence Housman]

 I know that, if asked, you would be able to give me a number of definitions of the word ‘saint’, however, the above definition is one that I particularly like.

Down through the ages, however, there have been many saints who did not make ‘goodness attractive’, in fact made it quite laughable.  I am thinking of those who did strange and weird things in the name of goodness and holiness, for example, those who refused to take a bath – ever!  Then there were those who whipped their own bodies until they bled or what about one particular ‘holy’ man who lived on top of a post for years.  If these are examples of goodness and holiness, we might add, we would want no part of it!

Fortunately though, we have numbers of saints who, in their following of Jesus, did make ‘goodness attractive’!  They were the ones who devoted their whole lives to caring for others- God’s poor ones – and they served with great joy.  They maintained their sense of humour even amid terrible persecution and suffering.

They were living testimony to God’s goodness, power and love.

Though few of us will ever become canonised saints, we are all called to holiness.  This means that we too share in the task of making ‘goodness attractive’. How?  By radiating joy, holding on to our sense of humour, making good choices, being approachable, kind, trusting in God’s power at work in each of us, looking for the good in others, setting aside quiet times for reflection and prayer, to get in touch with God.

Three years ago, we, the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, celebrated the the 150^th anniversary of the founding of our Congregation. In particular we remembered and gave thanks for the woman, who, in answer to a call from God, gathered around her women who, like herself, would devote their whole lives caring for others, not just here at home, but also in far off Mission fields.  This woman, though not yet canonised, made ‘goodness attractive’ especially for us Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions.  It was the inspiration of her life that drew so many of us to join her Congregation and to follow her example.  Our Foundress’ name was EUPHRASIE BARBIER and hers is a story that I would like to tell.

So, over the coming months, we will, through her story, see God at work in and through the life of Euphrasie Barbier, Foundress of the Congregation of Our Lady of the Missions.

TAIWAN, CAMBODIA, SOUTH SUDAN. NORTH VIETNAM.

Where the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions are working today.

Sister Louise Shields, Rndm 

Louise’s strong legal professionalism assisted those of us who learnt from her the importance of the witness to both our “Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy”. Welcoming the stranger she touched many lives for those who came to the Hurtado Jesuit Centre, Wapping as a refugee, asylum seeker, or simply as friend and together with religious and lay volunteers and her team of workers shared hours of dedication for the care of the stranger in our country and for those working for the spiritual and pastoral care of detainees in detention at Heathrow.

It was a privilege to have met and worked with Louise and she will be greatly missed not only by these who knew her in London but by many people whose lives she touched over her short 47 years. Indeed she was truly a Woman of Mercy for our times.

Rose Mary Harbinson, RNDM

SR UNA was in her late teens when she first heard the call: “I felt that God was calling me to give my life to His service,” she explained. “It wasn’t that I wanted to join a particular order, or do a particular work, or go on the missions (as others wanted), I just felt that I was being called to give the gift of my life to God, and I did not think it mattered which Congregation I joined, or what work I did. I felt I would have no peace of mind until I followed the call.

“As I went to school to the Presentation Sisters, I thought I might join them, but they did not consider me a likely candidate, because I was too fun-loving and a time-waster. I decided that God did not want me there.

“At the age of 18, I began training for nursing in England. There, one of the nurses gave me the address of her sister, who had joined a convent in Hastings. It was a teaching order, so it meant giving up my nursing, but I did that, and joined my present congregation.

“After my novitiate in Hastings, I was sent to our convent here in Notre Dame, where I taught for most of my life. Several of my pupils are now household names, eg, Mary Lou McDonald.

“I spent one year teaching in England, six in Kenya, East Africa, and eight years after my retirement working in rural parishes, where I helped in Sacramental programmes.

“At the moment, I am on our local team with two other Sisters, in charge of a large community. Each year we welcome students from Asia and Africa to facilitate their study of English, and to enable them to pursue their higher academic studies.”

The  Sisters of Notre Dames des Missions, like every other congregation, has their own unique charism, or spirit, by which they are identified.

“Ours is Trinitarian in character,” explained Sr Una, “because our foundress’s spirituality and understanding of mission came from her contemplation of the Divine Mission of the Trinity – the Father sending the Son into the world, and the Father and Son sending the Spirit.

“We share in the life of the Trinity, through our unity, and in the mission of Jesus. He was sent, as we are, to proclaim the Good News and, like Him, we give ourselves back to the Father in total self gift.

“The three elements of our charism then, are to live in contemplation with God, in unity with one another, and in mission by befriending others and caring for the earth.

“My work incorporates our charism, because I do not choose my work. I am ‘sent’ like Jesus on a particular Mission, whether at home or on a Foreign Mission. There is dialogue involved, so as to achieve the best outcome.

“Contemplation and prayer run though my day. We have morning and evening prayer in common, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each day. This puts me in touch with the life of the Trinity.

“I also live in a community, where all the members try to get along well with one another, in imitation of the harmony that exists in the life of the Trinity. Of course, we often fall short of the ideal and need to be reconciled with one another.

“In general, though, our charism is lived out with joy and enthusiasm, which is remarked on by those who visit the Convent.”

The foundress of the Notre Dame order was Euphrasie Barbier (Mother Mary of the Heart of Jesus), who was born in Caen, Normandy, in 1829. “She had a great longing to work on the missions,” said Sr Una, “but there were few missionary orders for women at that time. She joined the Sisters of Calvary, but left them when they gave up their missionary intention.

“After many setbacks, she founded her own Congregation on Christmas Day, 1861, in France. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), many churches and convents in France were burnt down. All religious had to leave the country, but our convent was saved by being turned into a hospital for wounded soldiers.

“Our foundress took the opportunity to establish new missions in New Zealand, Australia, Tonga, Samoa, Canada and England. The first Irish girl to enter the Order was Elizabeth Conachy from Castlebellingham, Dundalk, in 1867, before we had a convent in Ireland.”

Worn out by her many missionary journeys, and never in good health, Mother Mary died in 1893, and was buried in Sturry, Canterbury. However, her good work continued, as new missions were set up in India in 1920, and North Vietnam in 1924, while other foundations followed in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

“Mother Mary’s concern was for the poorest and most abandoned,” explained Sr Una, “especially the education of women and children. After Vatican Two, Education was interpreted in a broader sense, to include nursing, and social work of various kinds.

“As Sisters retired from formal education, other ministries were undertaken – parish ministry, sacramental work, special education, education of travellers, and one Sister became a diocesan adviser for Religious Education. Today, various parish groups join the Sisters for prayer, here in Dundrum and in Dundalk.”

Finally, how does Sr Una see the future of the Notre Dame order?

RNDM temporary professed Sisters’ and Archbishop of Davao, Philippines 2015

“We live in a time of crisis for Religious life. With a decline in vocations in the West, and the increasing age of our religious, the focus has shifted to the East, where our Congregation is blessed with many young Sisters, particularly from Asia and Africa. Today there are more than 900 Sisters in 26 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and the Pacific.

“Over the past three years, in response to new and urgent needs, new insertions have been made in Orissa, India, among the mountain tribes in Vietnam, and with women and children living with HIV in Myanmar (formerly Burma). New missions were opened in Southern Sudan, Laos, Thailand and Taiwan.

“Here in the West, some of our Sisters are still in active ministry, but our particular contribution is the quality of our lives, as Pope Francis urges Religious: ‘Jesus at the centre of our lives, not ourselves’.”

Sr Una Rutledge, RNDM

Our own Congregation was founded in Lyons, France on Christmas Day1861. Our foundress, Euphrasie Barbier, always wanted to be a missionary, so she joined a missionary Order called, The Sisters of Calvery. Unfortunately for her, they soon gave up their missionary idea, so very disappointed, she left them to found her own Congregation.

Her concern was for the poorest and most abandoned, especially the education of women and children. After Vatican 2, education was interpreted in a broader sense to include nursing and social work of various kinds. In this regard, we are similar to other orders, including The Presentations, who also branched out into other works and opened missions in foreign countries. You might ask, Why then have different orders of religious, if their members are doing the same work, more or less? Well, every order has its own unique charism or spirit by which it is identified. For example, the Presentation charism is represented by a lantern. This symbolises the journeys made by the foundress, Nano Nagle by night, in search of poor children to care for and educate. Our own charism is represented on the display board, by the Icon of the Trinity. This symbolises the gift we receive, of sharing  in the life of The Trinity, through our unity, and in the mission of Jesus. He was sent, as we are, to proclaim the good news and he gave Himself back to The Father in total self gift. Pope Francis says that our journey through life is ‘one of coming back to God and becoming more deeply one with Him’ The three elements of our charism, then are, to live in contemplation  with God, in union with one another and in mission, by befriending others and caring for the earth.

During the Franco Prussian war(1870-71) when convents and churches were burnt down in France, our convent was saved, by being turned into a hospital for wounded soldiers. Having to leave France, our foundress set about establishing new missions in New Zealand, Australia, Tonga, Samoa, Canada and England. Other foundations followed after her death, in India, north Vietnam, and elsewhere.

The very first Irish girl to enter our Congregation in 1867(over 100 years before we came to Ireland) was 14 year old Elizabeth Conachy from Castlebellington in Dundalk. Despite her youth, she was very gifted and was soon put in charge of different convents throughout New Zealand. She took the name of Sr. Gabriel and accompanied our foundress during her visit to New Zealand. Crossing a deep gorge in 1886, their stage coach was involved in a serious accident. Both were badly injured. Strangely enough, both died 7 years later within a few months of each other. Sr. Gabriel was only 39 years of age.

A few brief words on my own vocation, and then Mercy will tell you how she came to enter our Congregation. The Presentation sisters will be surprised to hear that my story is linked up with them! I attended the Presentation school in Oranmore, Co. Galway, but sorry to say, I was not a diligent pupil! I mitched quite a bit and generally wasted my time and theirs. Despite all that, I felt drawn to joining them. My opportunity came one day, when the subject of  vocations came up in class.  I was all ready to surprise, when the sister jumped from the pupil on my right to the girl on my left, saying, ‘We all know you wouldn’t be interested, anyway, Una!’ My moment was lost. All I could think of was, God does not want me there.

At 18 I went nursing in England and there I met 2 nurses, whose sisters had joined our order. One of them must have given me a bookmark on it, because when I opened my Bible to look for some direction, the bookmark fell out. I saw it as a sign that I was meant to try my vocation, there. It was a teaching order, so I left the nursing and trained for teaching. I spent most of my life teaching in our own secondary school in  Churchtown,  except for one year teaching in England, 6 in Africa and 8 in rural parishes, helping in sacramental work. One of my pupils was Mary Loo Mc Donald,  I was chuffed when she wrote that I was her favourite teacher at Notre Dame school! Now Mercy will tell you a bit about her vocation.

We live in a time of crisis for Religious Life, but God will never be without witnesses. Pope Francis calls on the whole church to be missionary disciples. George Bernard Shaw described life as ‘a sort of a splendid torch, which I have got hold of at the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations’ There is danger that we might waste time lamenting the past, while neglecting present opportunities.

Left to right: Trinh, Una, Mercy and Toni

We, ourselves are blessed with many young sisters, particularly from Asia and Africa. We have made new insertions in Orissa, India, on the boarders of Thailand and with women and children living with H.I.V.in Kenya. Other  new Missions had been opened in South Sudan, Laos, Taiwan and Kazakhstan (Central Asia) To day, the particular contribution of Religious in the quality of their lives. They are at the service of Christ and the Church. Pope Francis adds ‘Jesus at the centre of our lives, not ourselves.’ God is still calling people in all ages and of all ages; people who are led by the spirit and are convinced they can help change the world. Maybe some of those people are here.

If not here, where? —- If not you, who?

Many thanks for listening and thanks again to Fr. Burke.

Sister Una, Lucan 12/2014