The rose Project Day One
Experience - Seeing
SNJM writings “We are challenged by the Gospel and by the needs of society to unite our efforts with those around us to attain for all conditions of life more equitable and more worth of human dignity.” (Constitutions, 14)
“Is there
some new
need today that we, as educators, should be
responding to?”
- Cynthia Canning, SNJM
From Scripture:
They came bringing to [Jesus] a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” - Mark 2:1-5
Reflection:
It was 1993–125 years after the arrival of the first Sisters of the Holy Names in Oakland, California. A large group of us gathered at Villa Del Mar Retreat Center in Santa Cruz. We reflected on our work as educators over these many decades. We had founded three educational institutions in California: Holy Names High School and Holy Names University in Oakland, and Ramona Convent Secondary School in Alhambra. Additionally, we had served in numerous Catholic elementary and secondary schools in both northern and southern California. We asked ourselves: Is there some new need today that we, as educators, should be responding to? I was with a group of Sisters who were serving in Oakland, California. One of us, Sister Rosemary Delaney, was a community organizer in the Oakland “flatlands”, one of the poorest and most underserved areas of Oakland. She worked with neighborhood people to solve quality of life issues. She also knew that many of the people she served wished they had more education. The result of our conversation was that three of us, Sister Rosemary, Sister Margaret Kennedy, and I, co-founded Next Step Learning Center in 1994. Its mission is to strengthen Oakland families and communities through intensive, personalized tutoring and other programs in basic literacy, GED preparation, and transition to college and the workforce. The older youth and adults served by Next Step are mostly persons of color who have surmounted enormous obstacles in their lives. They are courageous and determined. Next Step’s culture is one of welcome, respect, and forgiveness. Since 1994, over 8,000 low income students have been served; more than 850 have earned their GED or High School
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