MARCH NEWS

MARCH 2022

MARCH NEWS Pope's Prayer A Christian Response to Bioethical Challenges: We pray for Christians facing new bioethical challenges; may Intention for March

they continue to defend the dignity of all human life with prayer and action.

MY TRUE CONVICTION, MY CALL TO RELIGIOUS LIFE WITH CCVI

BY SR. ANNASTACIA MWIKALI MUTISO, CCVI

Praised be the Incarnate Word!

All along my mother always told me that, from an early age, while I was seven years old, I had a desire to join religious life. This was from how I used to carry myself and I had mentioned to her that I wanted to become a religious Sister in the future. She kept on wondering where this desire came from, since at that age I had not seen any religious sister. Her word of encouragement was that I would become what I wanted to be when I grew up; she encouraged me to pray and strive towards the dream.

I was born on a Wednesday early morning in 1980, to Paul Mutiso and Veronicah Nthenya, in Machakos County, Kenya. I am the eighth born in a family of nine. I have five brothers and three sisters, I being the fourth sister. I was raised and nurtured by my parents in the Catholic faith, as from the tender age when I was baptized a few days after birth by an Indian priest. Then at the age of twelve, I received my first Holy Communion, after successful completion of catechesis where I learned other things pertaining to Catholic teachings and doctrines.

I had the privilege of attending Holy Mass almost every day because our parish is near my home and my primary school, too. Belonging to a parish of a religious order, Salesians of Don Bosco, I grew in knowing the impact of missionaries in our society, and the beauty of their speaking in our native language in order to evangelize better. During the catechesis, the catechist would encourage us to pray hard and always listen to the voice of God as we grow up, in order to know where God is calling us to serve Him. And in case we hear God calling us to serve as religious, he advised us not hesitate to say “Yes” for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

YOU ARE MY SERVANT; I HAVE CHOSEN YOU…I WILL STRENG THEN YOU, AND HELP YOU, AND UP HOLD YOU WITH MY RIG HTEOUS RIG HT HAND” (ISAIAH 41 : 9 - 10 ), In my tender age, religious life was not common. However, when I was twelve years old, the Daughters of the Sacred Heart, a Religious Sisters’ Congregation, settled in my parish and I got to have the knowledge of Sisterhood. Little did I know that the Sisters would nurture my vocation to an extent of my joining religious life. To that effect, both young men and women in my parish began joining religious life, and by the time I was finishing my secondary education, we had several priests, religious sisters and brothers. This made it easier for me to inform my family of my intention of becoming a religious sister.

SR. ANNASTACIA MWIKALI MUTISO, CCVI, CON'T After completion of my high school studies, I approached one of the Sisters of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart, and requested her to give me a book which would have information about religious congregations of Sisters. Instead of just giving me the book, she went ahead and wrote to three congregations for me to choose from: the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Houston, Texas, the Comboni Missionaries and the Canossian Daughters of Charity. I wrote to all these congregations and they all invited me to come for a visit.That was in the year 2003. Sr. Francesca Kearns, who was the CCVI vocation promoter, by then, sent me materials to read about her congregation and she constantly kept in touch with me. During Holy Week in the year 2003 she requested me to visit them.

Fortunately, the Daughters of the Sacred Heart Congregation were celebrating the silver jubilee since they began their mission in Kenya. After the celebration, they offered me a ride to go to Nairobi and pay a visit to Sr. Francesca as she had requested. She welcomed me warmly, and her hospitality made me feel that this was the congregation for me. She offered me a chance to attend Holy Week Retreat in the Carmelite retreat center in Langata. After completion of this Retreat, I went back home.

The same year, in July, I enrolled in a secretarial college and finished in the year 2005. Towards finishing of the Secretarial, I was asked to make my commitment as an affiliate, believing that I was to join the Sisters in that same year. But Sr. Francesca encouraged me to work for a whole year; then, later on, I could join the Sisters.

Afterward, she told me to go and study a pharmacy course, since it was my desire. But she left Kenya before I had joined the pharmacy school. Then Sr. Maureen Costello took over. In July 2006, I began a pharmacy course until November 2009. When I finished these studies, I thought again I would join the Sisters in the year 2010. But Sr. Maureen Costello encouraged me to work for one more year, since it was a requirement before joining the congregation. I worked from December 2009 to December 2010, after which I again requested to join the Sisters and this time my request was granted.

During all the time of study since 2003, both Sisters Francesca and Maureen Costello encouraged me to attend vocation seminars in Molo, Ukarimu Centre, and days of recollection at the Carmelite Community in Langata. All these kept me closer to the Sisters until I felt the sense of belonging even before joining them. In the year 2010 the Scripture reading “You are my servant; I have chosen you…I will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41: 9 - 10), gave me a true conviction that God was calling me to religious life and He is in control of it.

In January 2011, I joined De Matel Community for my affiliate stage where I spent one year. This offered me a chance as an affiliate to continue to discern through the help of Sr. Maureen Costello. I got the opportunity to go through Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) which helped me to grow and deal with my past hurtful experiences; it was therapeutic and it hastened my healing process.

In January 2012, I entered the Postulancy in Molo, Dubuis Community, where I spent one year.During this year, I was given time to get to know myself better and I continued listening to God. In the process, I deepened my relationship with the Incarnate Word and learnt more about the congregation through the book Serving with Gladness. Moreover, I learnt more about prayer, especially personal and centering prayer, which I liked so much. I did my apostolate in Molo district hospital as a pastoral caregiver, and also I ministered to the Mau summit secondary school, and many others.

SR. ANNASTACIA MWIKALI MUTISO, CCVI, CON'T

"CHRIST CONTINUES WALKING WITH ME AND THIS HAS HELPED ME TO WALK WITH OTHERS BY LISTENING TO THEM IN THEIR BROKENNESS AND DIALOGUING WITH THEM IN THEIR HOPES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS." - SR. ANNASTACIA

The various ministry experiences gave me an opportunity to share the love of Christ with the least in society. I entered the Novitiate December, 2012, where I deepened my relationship with God through prayer and I had more time to get in touch with all what had happened in my life. During the program, I learnt many things about our congregation by studying our Constitutions, and the book, Walking with Our Ancestors. In addition, I had other classes within the Novitiate and Inter - Novitiate classes at Chemichemi. Personal prayer, the Holy Eucharist, Sacred Scripture and Faith Sharing, helped me to deepen my love for Jesus Christ.

On 13th December 2014, I made my first Profession of Vows. This was an event of great joy which was accompanied with the call to follow Christ in a radical way in embracing the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. After my first profession, I was missioned to St. Bakhita Dispensary in Utawala, Nairobi, and I had a great time serving the sick in the dispensary. It was fulfilling seeing patients getting healed, and also heart-breaking seeing others die after struggling with their sicknesses. After two years of working as a Pharmacist in the dispensary, I got an opportunity to go to Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Education (Biology/Chemistry) from January 2017 till October 29, 2021 when I graduated.

God has been faithful to me throughout my life and on 27th November 2021, I made my Perpetual Profession of Vows of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience at St. Catherine/Bakhita Community in Nairobi, Kenya. This calls me to continue dedicating myself more to the Mission of Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Christ continues walking with me and this has helped me to walk with others by listening to them in their brokenness and dialoguing with them in their hopes and disappointments. In the process, this has relieved the suffering Christ in our midst and has made many know better the meaning of their lives.

SR. ANNASTACIA MWIKALI MUTISO, CCVI, CON'T

"I AM GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR BEING FAITHFUL TO ME AND FOR HIS LOVE WHICH HAS REALLY TAUGHT ME HOW TO EXPRESS THE GOSPEL OF LOVE." - SR. ANASTACIA

Community life has offered me so much, and it continues creating an avenue for me to live with my Sisters and for us to enrich each other through our various gifts and talents. This helps us to grow better together, while serving and ministering to others with love. Religious life has helped and encouraged me to live simply so as to witness to the evangelical counsels. My journey of religious life has been full of joy and happiness; it has offered me opportunities to grow and also to experience challenges, but through the grace of God, as it is written; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I have faced and continue to face the challenges with courage and openness. Whereas, Scripture readings, Spiritual readings and daily Eucharistic Celebrations have been sources of strength and motivation to move on. Even today, these spiritual exercises, without forgetting Spiritual Direction, retreats, the Sacrament of Confession, will continue to strengthen me the more as I continue living my religious life in a holistic way.

I am grateful to God for being faithful to me and for His love which has really taught me how to express the gospel of love. Thanks to the Congregational Leadership for all their support and for giving me opportunities to learn. I thank the formators for journeying with me and supporting me always when I needed them. I am very grateful to all the CCVI Sisters, my beloved family members, friends, and people of goodwill for their love and support. May the Incarnate Word bless us all.

Jesus remained outside in deserted places.

Mark 1:45

Sisters Rosanne Popp, Catarina Osorio Ixcoteyac, and Juana Matías Tomás joined the CHRISTUS Health School Clinic and the Foundation for Health Care Associates in the annual "Steps for Students" for a 5 K walk on Feb 12.

Nearly all the Catholic schools from the Archdiocese participated.

CCVI ASSOCIATE BOOK REVIEW The CCVI Associates were pondering and sharing around the issue of racism. As part of their efforts, each took and read a different book on the issue to share with each other and the Congregation. Here is the first of those book reports.

This one is from Faye Pointer. Faye is a social worker who lives and works in San Bernardino Calif. -Sr. Deenan Hubbard, CCVI

BY FAYE POINTER The author of the book is Michelle Alexander, a highly acclaimed civil rights lawyer, advocate and legal scholar. She is currently a professor of law Ohio State University.

In the introductory chapter of her book, Alexander explains how she painfully came to the conclusion that a “New Jim Crow” exists in the form of mass incarceration of AfricanAmericans. She systematically describes how the enslavement of Africans started. The plantation, slave-owning whites created an alliance with the poor whites against black slaves. In the first chapter she addresses “The Rebirth of Caste" with the subheadings such as"The Birth of Slavery," “The Death of Slavery”; ending the chapter with “The Birth of Mass Incarceration”. The author talks about Ronald Regan’s administration start of the War on Drugs, how the justice system and myths of the colorblind Justice System, harsh drug laws, the role of media, the political system, and legislation in congress, policing, prison, and parole, all worked in the drive towards mass incarceration or imprisonment of African-Americans. It is well known that the majority of illegal drugs user and dealers nationwide are white, but threefourths of all people imprisoned for drug offenses have been Blacks or Latinos.

As you know there is always an official explanation for all of this: crime rates.

This explanation always appears and sells to the general public. The author makes the connection to the present-day African Americans in the era of mass incarceration. “In today’s society a criminal freed from prison has scarcely more rights, and arguably less respect, than a freed slave or a black person living “free” in Mississippi at the height of “Jim Crow”.

I found this book interesting. * PLEASE NOTE: FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCURACY THESE ARE DIRECT QUOTES FROM THE AUTHOR AND REVIEWER OF THE BOOK

What does a CCVI ASSOCIATE do?

BY NITA FEEMSTER

My name is Nita Feemster and I have been a CCVI Associate since 2006. Sr. Deenan requested that we report the ministries we are involved in and why, so here I go: CCVI Associate: Houston area. I belong to the CCVI Associates to help me grow in my own spiritual life, to learn more about the CCVI Sisters and their ministries, and to enjoy the fellowship of other Christian men and women.

Ruah Center: I attend virtual and in-person retreats to enhance my own charism and to tune into my own spirituality. I also donate money to the Ruah Center and to Parish Ministries at St. Hyacinth Catholic Church in Deer Park, Texas.

Eucharistic Minister: Being able to “offer” the body, blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ to others is the greatest feeling for me. It helps me to remember that we are all one body and are here to serve one another.

Lay Reader: Proclaiming the Word of God to my fellow parishioners helps me to really ponder the Word.

Adoration Chapel: I am the Wednesday afternoon coordinator for the Adoration Chapel and spend a 2-hour time span with Jesus every week. I also have a 2 hour time slot on the first Friday of each month and assist in making sure there are sign-in sheets, rosaries, and prayer pamphlets.

Bible Study: I have been attending Bible study for three years now. Reading the Bible and sharing with others what we have read is increasing my knowledge of this great book.

Prayer Quilt Ministry: This is a small group of ladies who are making lap quilts, adult clothing protectors and prayer pillows for the elderly and sick in our community.

Organizations I financially support: Unbound – I help support a lady in the Philippines on a monthly basis.

The Houston Food Bank Companions of the Cross St. Hyacinth Catholic Church Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston through DSF and Ignite programs Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist Marian Fathers

St. Patrick's Prayer “May the strength of God guide us.

May the power of God preserve us.

May the wisdom of God instruct us.

May the hand of God protect us.

May the way of God direct us.

May the shield of God defend us.

May the angels of God guard us against the snares of the evil one.

May Christ be with us!

May Christ be before us!

May Christ be in us, Christ be over all!

May your grace, O Lord, always be ours, this day, O Lord, and forever.

Amen.”

"BEHOLD, I AM THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD; LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.”

LUKE 1:38.

SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD MARCH, 25TH

This feast, under its ancient title, celebrates the wondrous event that binds God and humanity forever. May we imitate Mary’s generous and trusting commitment when she gave herself fully to God.

The Annunciation, Albert Bouts (1451-1549), courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

MONSEÑOR

SAINT OSCAR ARNULFO ROMERO FEAST DAY MARCH 24TH

Saint Romero was born August 5, 1917 and died March 24, 1980. March 24 is celebrated as his Feast Day. He was born into a family of ten in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. His father was in charge of the local telegraph office. Sometimes the young Romero helped his father to deliver telegrams. Oscar learned to be a carpenter, making tables, chairs and doors.

When he was 14 years old, Oscar wanted to be a priest and studied at junior seminary. When his mother fell ill, and they needed money for medicine, Oscar left the seminary to work in the gold mine to help support the family. He eventually went to Rome to study and stayed there during World War II. Romero was ordained a priest in Rome, Italy on April 4, 1942, and returned to El Salvador. He became famous for his sermons; he did a lot of parish work like visiting prisons, organizing catechism classes and working with others in the Church to provide help and food for the poor.

Romero became Archbishop of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, on February 3, 1977. In his sermon on March 23, 1980, Romero ordered the army to stop killing people: “In the name of God, and in the name of this suffering people whose cries rise to heaven more loudly each day, I beg you, I implore you, I order you, in the name of God, stop the repression!” The next day, a shot killed Romero as he said Mass on March 24, 1980.

Pope Francis announced that Oscar Romero was a martyr, and he was beatified in El Salvador on May 23, 2015. He was canonized by Pope Francis on October 14, 2018 in Rome.

Feast of St. Joseph March 19th CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

Vatican announces motto of Jubilee Year 2025: 'Pilgrims of Hope' Source - Vatican News Service: According to the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Jubilee motto attempts to condense the meaning of the entire Jubilee journey. He noted that the chosen words – pilgrims and hope – both represent key themes of Pope Francis' pontificate. For a full explanation of the motto - in Italian -- click here.

ANNUAL GATHERING OF THE TEXAS STATE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION/TEXAS CATHOLIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

BY SR. PAULINE TRONCALE, CCVI On February 24 and 25, the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) held its annual conference in person on the campus of The University of Texas in Austin. At the gathering, the Texas Catholic Historical Society (TCHS) presented a panel discussion entitled To Heal and Sustain: Building Catholic Health Care Ministry in Texas, 1866-2017.

Sr. Pauline’s presentation included the foundation of the Congregation, the history of St. Mary’s in Galveston, the establishment of the Santa Fe Hospital, and the Sister’s service at the City of Houston Pest House and San Jose Clinic. She was joined on the panel by Karl Kuykendall who shared the history of the Daughters of Charity in Texas health care and Selena Aleman, who discussed the history of the Texas Conference in health facilities.

Another topic discussed on the State level was the critical importance of teaching the history of the many diverse communities in Texas --Indigenous Peoples: Tejano, Mexican-American, African-American.

After the conference, the TCHS held their Annual Meeting at the UT Catholic Student Center.

Click below to see photos of the presenters. https://txcatholic.org/texas-catholic-voice-feb-2022/