SNJM writings “As women of the new millennium, we have continued to carry the fire of Mother Marie Rose amid the cares and questions of our times.” (2001)
“The mission inspired us
to persevere because it
focused on
the ‘dignity and worth of each
individual
—[to] fulfill their truly human,
God-given
destinies.” - Kathleen Ross, SNJM
10
The rose Project Day TWO
Analysis - Understanding
From Scripture:
[The Pharisees] watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. [Jesus] said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. - Mark 3:1-6
Reflection:
In 1975, I was the Academic Vice President at Fort Wright College of the Holy Names (FWC) in Spokane, Washington, and my life changed suddenly one day. Two Native American women, Martha and Violet, showed up in my office. They had driven four hours from the remote Yakama Indian Reservation to ask if our college would start an outreach program to prepare teachers in their rural area. It seemed like an impossible request, but research revealed how much need was in their area. The poverty rate was three times the rate in Seattle and no four-year degree programs were offered within commuting distance of almost 100,000 people! Asking ourselves, “What would Blessed Marie Rose do?” we began designing courses to offer on Fridays in the town of Toppenish. (No internet or on-line courses existed then!) As I oversaw the faculty who drove there every week, I got to know many taking the classes. Most were Yakama Nation members or Mexican immigrants from farm-worker families. I saw so much undeveloped talent that had been neglected! Our degree program in teacher education began to make a difference, and after five years, local Native Americans and Mexican immigrants were becoming teachers in schools and professionals in service agencies. Things changed suddenly when the financial problems of FWC caused those in charge to announce that FWC would have to close. I was devastated, thinking of all the folks at the outreach site who would be cut off from their only four-year degree opportunity. With a heavy heart, I went to Toppenish to tell Martha and Violet. Violet said, “We don’t have any
