July 2022 Issue of Response

Spring/Summer 2022 Volume 10, Issue 18

WE ARE ONE

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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United States Province Leadership Team

Dear Friends,

There’s something different about the theme of this issue of

Left to right: Sister Carol, Sister Kathee, Sister Joan

“Of course, we are!” could easily be our automatic response. Our Judeo-Christian religious tradition, contemporary science, world events, and our personal experience all answer the question affirmatively. From the Old Testament stories of God’s covenant with the people of Israel as a sign to all peoples to the promise of the Apocalypse that peoples from every tribe, tongue, and nation will gather at God’s throne in the fulness of time, the oneness of humanity is a recurring theme. The 14th century English mystic, Julian of Norwich, insists “In God’s sight all humanity is one person, and all people are a single humanity,” and our 21st century Pope Francis writes that “Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together …”

(Laudato Si, 92). Though we can barely understand or imagine how it is so, science today tells us that we are one with each other and with the cosmos in the most profound way, that everything that exists can be traced back to the initial explosion of energy that set the universe on its evolutionary journey. Even recent tragic world events speak of our profound oneness. What nation escaped the scourge of a virus invisible to the naked eye? The Russian invasion of Ukraine sparked an almost universal and immediate response of outrage and assistance across the globe. And do we not mourn for those

whom we have never met: the people of Bucha and Mariupol, the children and teachers killed in Uvalde and the shoppers slaughtered in Buffalo, even as we rejoice and weep as the lives of those nearest and dearest to us unfold, bringing them joy and sorrow?

Why does the range of human experience touch us?

Because we are one.

Response, We Are One. It’s not a gentle, evocative phrase that invites reflection. It is a clear assertion: We Are One. You can almost imagine an exclamation mark after it. And yet we wonder: Are we? Are we one?

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And yet … We see profound polarization in our country; we know that spheres of influence compete globally, that religious beliefs can be sources of tension and division, that both families and religious communities can collapse under the weight of oppressive attitudes and behaviors. Our oneness is fragile.

The very name of our congregation, Holy Union, challenges us to recognize that the union of humankind and of humankind with all creation is God’s gift to us. As such, this gift of profound union is to be treasured and nurtured. It calls for our commitment and our hard work. Almost 50 years ago, the highest governing authority in our congregation, the 1975 General Chapter, affirmed “… we are perpetually becoming … (a) Holy Union.”

How true for us, for humankind as it struggles to recognize and realize its fundamental oneness.

We are honored to travel this journey of becoming one holy union with you.

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Director’s Letter Kenneth Gustin Director of Mission Advancement and Communications

This issue of Response does not focus on the various

ministries of the Sisters, as is often the case. Rather we are offering food for thought about a growing challenge. Given the division our nation and world seem torn by today, this issue is a reminder that We are One. My exposure to the congregation's charism of Union has brought into clear focus the harm this disunity is creating.

There are growing forces at play in our society which are dividing us along any number of lines; gender, race, political party, moral issues, geography, and others. At some level, this has always been the case, but the intensity of what is happening today is at a volume which has rarely been seen, and the heat is being turned up every day by the media, political figures, and even foreign countries who seem to be trying to accelerate this division.

It is my hope that this issue will make clear that our faith does not fit neatly into any of the groupings our world is trying to get us to line up within. As you know, the word Catholic actually means universal.

Its very name unites us. God embraces us with both justice and mercy, a model we must try to emulate as we seek to understand those with whom we disagree.

Gifts 24% Bequests 2% Memorials 12%

Unity is explored in many ways in scripture. Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches…”

(John 15: 5). In Corinthians 12: 12-27 we are told, “There is one body, but many parts…”. In Matthew 12: 25 Jesus says, “…a house divided against itself will not stand…” And still further, we refer to the church as the body of Christ, with each of us being members of it. The essence of these and other passages is that though we are unique, we are united, not because we should be but because we must be. It is essential to our wellbeing and even our survival. We need each other. We rely on each other. And that is by design.

The gift of unity, so beautifully exemplified in the lives of the Sisters, yields fruits of peace, love, gentleness, generosity, kindness and more. Today, maybe we could reach out to someone we differ with but is in need (one of “THEM”), and perform an act of kindness. Try to help in some way. Welcome them into a non-contentious discussion. Collaborate to bring about something we both value. Help each other see that there is no THEM…only US. Be Good!

Sources of Gift Income

Distribution of Donor Gifts

FISCAL YEAR 2021

FISCAL YEAR 2021

Other <1%

Africa / Haiti 24%

Direct Mail 62%

Where Most Needed 76%

The Holy Union Sisters is a 501(C)3 non-profit, tax exempt organization

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We Are One Creation

- Sr. Carol Regan

The following is a series of excerpts from a fascinating essay written several years ago by Sr. Carol Regan titled, “Cosmology and Charism: Beginning an Exploration.” It is a reflection on the charism of Union which we are all called to and its relation to the scientific origin of the universe (“the new cosmology”). ….For some years, I have been intrigued by the new cosmology, finding it alluring and somewhat alienating, even frightening. The beauty and the mystery of the new cosmology appeal to me very much. But I am no scientist. I have no desire to study science; its vocabulary is alien to me and its most fundamental concepts baffle me. And early in my exposure to the new cosmology, at conferences or through casual reading, I wondered how it might impact my image of God and/or touch some very fundamental Christian beliefs. These questions disturbed me and as I have read more deeply in the field, it has comforted me to learn that others have also confronted them. Over a long time and only gradually, I began to wonder if the new cosmology, the new creation story, might give us a renewed insight into the charism of our congregation. Again, very gradually I have become convinced that it does. Because I think my journey to this conviction is hardly unique, I want to review it briefly.

…. I have come to believe that our name, the Holy Union, is our route to the insights of the new cosmology, insights which may renew and deepen our appreciation of our charism…. While the Holy Union of the Sacred Hearts remains our official name, how do most of us name the congregation? Most often we call ourselves Holy Union Sisters, Hermanas de la Santa Union, Soeurs de la Sainte Union, or La Sainte Union Sisters. In practice, we have returned to the core of the congregation’s original name, a core which has been consistent since the name was first given us.

Recalling younger women in the congregation who told me that the name Holy Union intrigued them, enticing them to investigate and eventually to join the congregation, and reflecting on how we have almost unanimously chosen to name ourselves, I have come to think of our name as a “classic” for us, carrying a surplus of meaning we will not exhaust as we plumb its depths.

…. Cosmology…refers to the narrative a people tell themselves about the universe as they understand it; it is their “primary narrative,” elaborating their sense of the universe. A functional cosmology is a narrative about the universe which is so powerful and compelling that it guides those who accept it into appropriate attitudes, behaviors and actions vis à vis the planet, and even the cosmos… For centuries, the creation stories told in the first two chapters of Genesis served as our cosmology, …. Scientific discoveries in the 20th century now offer us a new cosmology. As a consequence, many believe our traditional cosmology is no longer functional….

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While Darwin posited evidence for the theory of the evolution of life here on earth in the 19th century, it was not until the 20th century that scientists were able to offer the first suggestions of a new universe story. What we commonly refer to as the Big Bang theory… grew from the work of two scientists, the Russian Alexander Friedmann and the Belgian Catholic priest Georges Le Maitre, who theorized, independently of one another, that the universe had its origins in a primeval explosion…. Although the old conflict between science and religious faith may seem to loom here, our own Catholic tradition has long held that this is a false, unnecessary conflict, that doctrine develops and that it does so in dialog with a variety of disciplines and events.

Scientists suggest that everything, everything that exists in the universe, comes from the “initial singularity”, the infinitesimal bit of matter/energy that exploded at the Beginning. A “deep unity” marks our universe, a unity that our forebears could not have begun to imagine, and one we can barely comprehend ourselves. One-ness, unity, inter-relatedness, union: these characterize our universe.

…Sallie McFague offers us the metaphor of the earth as the Body of God as a way of appreciating both the deep unity of, and God’s presence within, all creation, developing this notion in her rich, dense, and beautiful book The Body of God: An Ecological Theology. She reviews the “common creation story,” the new cosmology in this poetic prose: “We (humans) are distant relatives to the stars and kissing cousins with the oceans, plants, and other creatures on earth. The common creation story is uncommon because it is the wildest, most awesome tale conceivable: from an initial explosion, an infinitely hot, infinitely dense matter/ energy event billions of years ago, the entire universe has evolved into its present complexity, diversity, size, and age… (characterized) by radical relationship and interdependence.”

But what of the human person Jesus of Nazareth whom the tradition has identified as Son of God incarnate in our midst? How do we speak of him in light of the new cosmology and the concept of deep incarnation? ... Only in Jesus, does a “human reality belong absolutely to God.” In this understanding, the incarnation is a “densely specific expression of the love of God already fully poured out in creation,” but only, uniquely, embraced fully by Jesus of Nazareth. (Australian priest) Denis Edwards summarizes this insight in these words: “In Jesus, one of us, part of the one universe and its history, is so radically open to and identified with God, that we can rightly say that he is the wisdom of God, the Son of God.”

All of this may seem dazzlingly speculative and abstract (and to a certain degree it is) and far removed from our lives, especially from our daily lives as Holy Union Sisters and Associates; but I do not believe that it is. In the evolution of our universe and particularly of our planet, we see stunning diversity grounded in deep unity; and in faith we believe that at creation’s fulfillment, “God will be all, in all,” as St. Paul proclaims. As the Beginning, so the End: a holy union.

We Are One Creation

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In gratitude to our

Donors

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September 1, 2020 August 31, 2021

to

Celeste Abler • Mrs. Janice Abreu Ms. Lorraine Accardi Mrs. Margaret Admirand  Mrs. Mary Affronti • Ms. Martha M. Albert Mrs. Margaret Aleixo • Marie P. Alessi Ms Carole Aliskevicz • Ann & James Allen James and Therese Allen Patricia J. Allen • Ms. Susan M Aloise • Ms. Michelle Alsup Deacon & Mrs. Felipe Alvarez • Mary Eileen Ambrosini • Anne M Andrea Faith Anker • Ms Donna Asher • Mrs. Margaret Attar • Maureen Audet Mrs. Rose Audet

B Myrna Badillo Ms. Janice Baldwin Mrs. Doris Baran Ms. Theresa Barba  Elma T. Barranda Sandra Barry Mr. & Mrs. Andre Beaulieu Mr. & Mrs William Beaulieu Carol Belair Suzanne Bellavance • George C. Bellenoit Pauline Benjamin Louise Bennett Andrew F. Benoit • Ms. Bernadette Benoit • Mrs. Paula Benoit Mrs. Ruth E. Bento Claire Bergeron Pauline Bergeron Mr. Joseph Bernard • Mrs. Yvonne Bernard

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Mr. & Mrs. Emil Bernhardt Mrs. Constance Bernier • Ms. Therese Berthelette • Ms. Janet Berthiaume Dorothy & Carlo Bertolino • Ms. Joan Bertorelli • Ronald & Patricia Bishop Mrs. Joan Blacklaw Ms. Irene Bocchetto • Mrs. Maureen Boland Ms. Jeanne Bonneau • Mrs. Lydia Bouchard Leo & Maureen Boudreau • Mr. Jean Paul Bourdeau • Gladys Bournique  Paul & Brenda Bourque Mrs. Rita Bouthillier Mrs. Carole Boyd • Andrew & Patricia Boyland • Ms. Lorna Brain Marguerite & Arthur Brien Gail Brodie Mrs. Betty Brooks  Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Brophy • Mrs. Camille Brousseau • Mrs. Ann Bruno Mrs. Jacolyn Burgess Larry & Marie Burke Mrs. Kathy Meade Butters •

C Mrs. Louise Cadieux Ms. Jacquie Calobrisi Mrs. Pat Campbell • Mr. Richard & Judith Cannon • Fr. Paul Canuel • Mrs. Kathleen Capon  Raymond & Ann Cappiello • Mrs. Linda Carey Daniel & Patricia Carney Mrs. Lillian Carney • Ms. Marilyn Carney • Heidi Caron-Guay Eleanor & Charles Carr Mrs. Carol Carroll Mrs. Mary Lou Carroll • Ms. Mary Ellen Carroll Mr. & Mrs. Robert Casavant

Mrs. Estelle Cayer Mr. & Mrs. Richard Cerny Mrs. Joanne Champagne Ms. Karen Charette Barbara & Bob Charpentier Ms. Denise Chasse Martha Cheshire • Mrs. Janet Childs • Mrs. Susan Chory Mike Chovonec • Mr. & Mrs. Tom Christovich Maureen Ciombor John Clemency • Bill and Sonya Clements • David & Gail Cohen Elaine Colarossi Ms. Mary Coleman Barbara Colicino • Mr. Vincent Colicino • Ernest & Susan Collamati • Rita Collar Mrs. Jolyne Collins • Mr. William Collins  Judy & James Colvin Ms. Barbara Conforti • Dr. & Mrs. Frank Coppola • Barbara Corio Judy Corliss Mrs. Dorothea Court Ms. Gloria Courtois Mr. & Mrs. John Coyle  Mrs. Judith I Crawford • Patricia Crawford Daniel & Susan Cronin  Joan M. Croteau Rita Croteau Mrs. Bunny Crowell • Rev. Daniel Crowley • Ms. Nancy M Crowley • Mr. & Mrs. David Crum • Ms. Nancy Curtis-Kenny Mrs. Cathy Cusack • George and Susan Cvejanovich

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Mr. Michael DaSilva Mary Ellen Day Mrs. Martha Deandrus Peter DeCaro • Mrs. Jeannette Dechaves • Mrs. Mary Ellen DeCosta • Catherine Degennaro • Ms. Frances Denesiuk Rev. Edmond Derosier Mr. & Mrs. John DeSalliers • SantaJean DeSantis • Ms Carol Desilva • Catherine Desormeaux Daniel J. Diburro • Ms. Mary Ann Dillon  Mary Donaghy Mrs. Maria Donnelly Ms. Molly Donohoe Mr. & Mrs. Edward Donohue John & Rosemary Donohue • Mrs. Mary Donohue • Margaret Shea Dooley • Mrs. Grace Dorr Marguerite M. Dorsey Mr. Robert Douyette • Brian L Downing Ms. Frances Dube Margaret Duckworth Ms. Ellen Duggan • Shirley Dulude • Ms. Stephanie Duman Ms. Lisa Dumont Raymond Dupont • Bill & Bernadette Durkin • Adelaide F. Duross

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Ms. Elaine Dwyer • Ms. Eleanor (Jackie) Edgett • Jean M Englehardt Mr. and Mrs. Gary Enos Helen Eringis

Mrs. Barbara D’Agata Doris Dagesse • Mrs. Sue Daigger • Ann Dainis

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Ms. Christine Fabrizio • Linda and Michael Fagan Ms. Susan Fagan Mrs. Janet Farrell Mr. Joseph Faryniarz • Mrs. Simonne Favaloro Terry & Wendy Fawcett • Ms. Irene Fenton • Susan Ferguson • Sharon and Tony Ferrara Diane Horton Finch • Mr. Joseph Fitzgerald • Mrs. Marie Fitzgerald • Mrs. Mary Fitzgerald Mrs. Jacqueline Fitzpatrick Kathleen Flanagan Claire Campana Flynn Mr. Timothy Fohs • Mr. & Mrs. Henry W. Foley • Honour Marie Foley Colleen Ford Madeline Forsythe Collette Fortin Ms. Virginia Fortin Mrs. Theresa Foster Ray & Carol Fox • Ms. Rosemary Frank • Catherine Frechette Frances Frias Rev. Richard Friedrichs • Joyce Frizado Patricia Fultz

G Mary-Beth Gaeta Mrs. Mary Burns Gagnon James & Carol Gallagher Linda Gallagher • Patricia Galvin Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Galvin • Mrs. Barbara Gamache Ms. Claire Gaudette Ms. Eileen Gautreau David Gay Kathleen Geden • Janice Gendron • Mrs. Christine Gennaro Mrs. Elizabeth Geoghehan Barbara N. Georges • Barbara Gerraughty Ruth Getstick Ms. Grace Giampiccolo • Mrs. Rosemary Gillet Anne & Gary Gingerich Joanne Gleason Champagne Ms. Patricia Goggin Mr. & Mrs. Ray Going

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Mr. Ed Goldrick Ms. Mary Elena Gontza • Dotty Gorman • Mrs. Linda Gorman Therese Gorman • Irving J. Goss Charlotte Goulet Arlene P. Gouveia Susan Graeper • Paul & Sandra Greve Ms Joan Gribbin Mrs. Lee Ann Grieme Mrs. Maureen Groer • Kenneth Gustin • Ms. Jacqueline Guthrie •

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Joan Hackett  Jo Hackl Stephen Hagan Louis Hakeem  Ms. Lydia Haley Ms. Yvette R. Hamel Mary and Joe Hamelin Mrs. Bernadine Hamlin • Lynne Hancock • Maureen Hancock Mr. & Mrs. William Hanlon • Susan Harding • Mr. John Harraghy Ms. Doris Harriman • Mr. Paul Hasenfuss • Mrs. Claire A. Haskell Patricia M. Healey • Mr. & Mrs. Alan P. Heim • Mr. George Heinrich • Richard & Maureen Hennessy • Ms. Georgette Henrich M.Barbara Herron • Mrs. Jean Bishop Higgins Mr. & Mrs. Russell Hildebrand • Terri and Bob Hill • Ms. Janet Hogan Jeanette Holden Ms. Teresa Holland • Mrs. Veronica Hornby  Kathy Horton • Fred & AnnMarie Houston • Brenda Howard Florence Howard-Shortino Ms. Anne Howes Joan Hoy Carolyn Hoye • Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Hoye • Mr. Arthur Hudson • Ms. Gloria Hudson • Joanne & Dan Hynek • Mrs. Eleanor Hynes Mr. Kenneth Hynes •

J Joyce Jacobs Mrs Susan Jean Mary Jeffers Darlene Johnson Louis & Pearl Jonasz Mr. & Mrs. Charles R. Jones

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Mrs. Margaret Kamalian • Ms. Ianthe Kan • Marylyn Kay Lynda Keene Mark Kellermann • Walter Kelly Ms. Marion Kenneally • Nancy Curtis Kenney Milady Khoury Murphy • Brad & Noreen Kiff • Susan Kilgannon Janet Kinnane • Jeffrey & Barbara Kirkman • Ms. Marybeth Kirkman • Michael Kirkman • Richard Kirkman Mr. Robert Kirkman Marie Kirms Mrs. Catherine Kitchen Ms. Paula Kluk Rosemary Knicley Mrs. Kathleen Knightly Carol Kobelski Joe & Patricia Kolakowski William and Beverly Kolek • Mr. & Mrs. Dino Korva Mr. and Mrs. John Kourtz Thomas Krahn, M.D. • Ilona Kwiecien 

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Yvonne Labonte • Ms. Rosemarie LaBrecque • Ms. Lilliane Labrie Mrs. Annette Lacroix Ms. Barbara LaLiberte • Ms. Natalie Lamb • Jeffrey K. Lambert Janet Lamm • Mrs. Phyllis Lamontagne • Joseph and Dianne Landry •

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Ms. Loretta Landry Paul Landry • Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Landry • Richard & Linda Landry • Mrs. Rita Landry • Ms. Susan Landry • Walter & Rosemarie Landry  Mrs. Dorothy A. Lane Eric Larivee Mr. & Mrs. Jules Larocque Mr. Edward C Lauda Jeanne Laughlin Roger Lavallee • Elizabeth Lawson Mr. & Mrs. Raymond and Teri Lawson Francis Leary • Mrs. Kathleen Leate Rebecca LeBoeuf • Miss Denise Ledoux • James & Kathleen Lee Mariela Leech Jeanne Leffers Peggy Leger Miss Adrienne Lemieux Mr. James Lemieux Patricia Lennon Ms. Camille Letourneau • Helen Leuchte Anne Marie Levesque • Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert Levesque  April Lewis Mrs. Joyce Limoge Mr. Stephen Linhares • Mrs. Suzanne Lonergan • Ms. Gloria Lopez Dr. Jeremiah & Virginia Lowney • Ms. Karen McGann Lucas • Helen Lulsdorf • Lucille K. Lurz Ms. Lorraine Lussier Pauline Lustenberger Patricia Lynch Jason & Christine Lyons

M Robert & Suzanne MacCormack • Priscilla MacDougall Mrs. Helene MacDurmon • Lorraine MacPherson Mrs. Carol Audet Magner continued on page 10

Debrabant Society Members - $1,000 or more Mother Helena Society Members - $300 or more Partners in Mission Members - $100 or more

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Congratulations

to Our Jubilarians!

Sr. Ruth Beaudoin – 75 Years

We asked our Jubilarians to provide us a quote from scripture which speaks to our theme of “We Are One” which was particularly meaningful for them.

Due to health reasons, Sr. Ruth was not available to participate in this year’s reflection. Please remember her in your prayers.

Sr. Joan Guertin – 70 Years “Each one of you is a child of God, because of your faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Him. There does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or free person, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus.” - Gal. 3:25-28 When our Founder urged us to be of one heart and one soul I wonder if this passage from Galatians was in his mind.

Sr. Cecile Mousseau – 70 Years “Love one another as I have loved you.” - John 13:34 I have tried to live by this in my words and actions especially with my family, Sisters, friends, students, and now with the residents at Prosper in Fall River. God has gifted me with an outgoing personality so I am at my best among people. I am able to use this gift to care about others and their needs by written words, by phone, being a good listener and most of all, by my prayers for all those who have been or are part of my life now.

Sr. Mary Bridget McGettigan – 70 Years “It is not you who chose me, but I who chose you, to go forth and bear fruit…. the command I give you is this, that you love one another” - John 15:16-17 In today’s world, which holds many challenges of disease, racism, poverty, and injustice, we must make every effort in some way to alleviate the sufferings of people near and far, so as to manifest God’s Love for each and every person, and thus unite us as one people.

Sr. Mary Catherine Burns – 65 Years “I pray that they may all be one. Father!” - John 17:21 Who are the “they” in this prayer for our time? It is each one of us!

To be one doesn’t mean we must all think alike. What I think it does require is that we listen to one another and respect the views and opinions of each other, knowing that the bottom line is that God loves us all as we reflect in our unique way an aspect of God. Let us live a Holy Union!

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Sr. Jane Newcomb – 65 Years “How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony!” - Ps. 133:1 When all are in agreement, there is harmony; where there is harmony there is oneness, and where there is oneness, there is God. This unity helps to build each other up, to value each person, and to keep what is important at the center: Christ’s mission.

Sr. Lorraine Sirois – 65 Years “Above all, clothe yourself with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

- Colossians 3:14 I believe the only way I can clothe myself with love is to spend quiet time in relationship with God every day. Then, in my little part of the world at Anchor Bay I can share that love by my words and examples reflecting God’s goodness.

Pray! Pray! Pray for a renewed earth so we can all experience God’s peace and love.

Happy 100th Birthday Sr. Adrienne DeChamplain!

In honor of Sr. Adrienne DeChamplain’s 100th birthday, on May 13th Mayor Shaunna O’Connell issued this proclamation, extending the City of Taunton’s “heartiest congratulations and its best wishes”!

We offer our love, support, and prayers to Sr. Adrienne on this extraordinary milestone!

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continued from page 7

Nicole Mahoney Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Mahoney Ms. Mary Louise Mancini • Bernice and Vinnie Mannion Ivette Manrique Mrs. Betty Marcham Mrs. Claire Heaney Margetta • Kathleen Marks Mrs. Barbara Marlatt Mrs. Anne Martel Anne Martens Sharon Mitchell Martin Anne & David Martineau • DeWayn C. & Jean Marzagalli Melanie & Anthony Matesic Mrs. Judith Maynard • Rose and Pete McAleer Cheryl McCaffrey • Thomas F. McCarthy • James McCartin • Joan Laliberte McDonald Michael McDonald Mrs. Patricia McGillen • Mrs. Rosemary McGuill • Mary Ann Mcgurran • Katherine M. McIntyre Ms. Jean McLaughlin • Jeanne McLaughlin Claire McLellan • Mr. & Mrs. Brian McNally Kevin McNally Mary McNally Elaine McSheffrey • Mrs. Dolores Medeiros Ms. Jeanne Medeiros Ms. Patricia Medeiros • Mrs. Carolyn Meek • Joan Melanson Ms. Nancy Menefee Ms. Gertrude Mercier • Ruth Messer Mr. & Mrs. Walter Messick Katherine Metres • Pauline Michaud Mr. & Mrs. Michael Mihna  Mrs. Mary Miller Patti Wagner Miller Mr. Samuel R. Miller  Alice M. Minchello Mr. & Mrs. James Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Moniz • Ms. Ann M. Morin • Carlotta Morris  Theodora W. Morris  Mary Mullane Mary Mullarky • Dr. Peter Mullen • Joan Murphy • Ms. Leona Murphy • Mary Agnes Murphy • Timothy Murphy

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Ms. Betty Nadeau • Mary Nadeau • Mrs. Mary Nadeau William & Roseann Napolitano • Mrs. Nancy Wildes Naughton Network for Good Chris Newell Donald J. Nicole Mr. Rene Noel • Janice Noelte • Jo Ann Nolan Richard & Carol Noonan Mrs. Francis & Carol Norton • Mrs. Susan Noyes

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Barbara O’Brien • Ms Claudette E. O’Brien • Joanne O’Brien • Mr. Daniel O’Callaghan • Mary O’Connor George & Juanita Ogle Mrs. Marcelle O’Hara Kevin O’Hare  Mr. & Mrs. William O’Hare  Diane Olbert Rev. John Oliveira • Kevin & Maureen Oliver • Corinne Neves O’Neil Fr. Robert J. O’Neil • Patrick J. O’Neill • Jo-ann Ordway Anne Owen

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Mrs. Paulette Palmer • Kristen & Jamie Paolino Ms. Diane Paquin • Mrs. Rosemary Parandelis • Susan Parker Mrs. Margaret Parmelee • William & Kathleen Pasko  Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Patenaude Mrs. Rosann Patota Robert Patterson • Mrs. Therese Pawlitschek Mrs. Mary Peach Mr. and Mrs. George Pelletier • Maureen T. Peloquin • Suzanne Pender • Barbara Perry

Diane Pestana Nora L. Peters Ms. Linda Lea Phaneuf Marilyn Phelan Jill McLellan Phelps • Miss Beatrice Piche • Ms. Alina Pieprzycki Mrs. Donna Pimental-Levesque Judith A. Pinard • Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Pion • Mrs. Wilma Leonard Pirozzi Ms. Diane A Pisido  Ray and Sheila Platt Ms Maryann M. Plowman Mr. Francis Poirier Barbara A. Polleck Donald & Patricia Potter • Donna & Thomas Potter • Mrs. Irene Powell • Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Powell Mrs. Barbara Powers Mrs. Mary Powers Peter J. Prager  Nancy & Ned Pratt • Ms. Corinne Pryor Paul Przybyla •

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Josie Quinn • Rita & Joseph Quinn

R Debbie Radelick Debra Radelicki David & Mary Ralston • Linda Ravenscroft  Edward Razler • Nancy Reed • Yvette & David Reed Joseph & Joanne Regali  Nancy Regan and Jonathan Kates • Mr. & Mrs. John Regazzi • Ms. Mary E. Reilly Mr. Thomas Rex • Mr. John Rexford • Marilyn Reyna Mrs. Jacqueline Richardson Mrs. Marie Riley John & Diane Rinkacs Mrs. Denise Rioux Jeannette Rioux • Linda Rioux Virginia Ripp  Ms. Denise Robin Mrs. Mary Robinson • Mary Greene Robinson •

Ms. Bonnie Robitaille • J. Leonard Rogers Ronald and Mary Rogozinski Joyce Roncka Barbara Chase Ross • Virginia McCoomb Roussell Mrs. Maureen Roy Fr. Richard M. Roy Mrs. Brenda Ruggiero Mr. George R Ruiz Mrs. Ellen Ryan Patrick T. Ryan Mrs. Suzanne Ryan

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Mrs. Joan Sanders • Mrs. Barbara Sauli Mr. John E. Saulino • Mr. Michael Saulino • John & Chris Scarzello • Mrs. Janet Schofield • Father Jack Schrader Mrs. Marjorie E. Schutz • Claire Seccareccia Mrs. Lillian Serio • Dan & Jeanne Sharples  Kathleen Shatus • Jane Shepard • Ms. Joan Sherman Ms Anne E. Silva • Mrs. Pauline Silva Ms. Tina M. Silvestro Mrs. Rita Simard Mrs. Nancy Simbro • Mr. Dale S Sinos • Elizabeth & John Smentkowski • Mrs. Catherine Smith Rev. Msgr John Smith • Ms. Mary Ellen Smith • Patricia Smith • Mr. & Mrs. Robert E Smith • Samuel & Margaret Smith Sarah Jane Snyder • Ms. Maureen Soley • Rev. Robert Soucy Mrs. Anne Souza Kathryn Souza • Mr. & Mrs. Edward D. Spallone • Ms. Jean J Spellman • Arthur Spencer Maureen O’Connell St. Laurent • Ms. Gertrude St. Pierre • Anne Stack Alexander Stalonczyk • Mr. Nicholas J Stanton continued on page 13

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We Share One Home

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- Sr. MaryLou Simcoe

Pope Francis’ ground-breaking encyclical, Laudato Si, serves as an instrument for all people of good will to regard our “common home” in a radically new way. It emphasizes that we are all in this together: nature, human beings, animals, plants. Although written in 2015, the themes found in Laudato Si have only become more urgent today.

How does Laudato Si differ from other encyclicals?

Historically, encyclicals have tended to be written in language that was not easy for the ordinary person to comprehend. Encyclicals are usually addressed to bishops who in turn share the contents with the faithful of their dioceses. Laudato Si, in contrast, is addressed to “everyone living on the planet.” It is a timely addition to the writings of many earlier popes on modern-day problems and calls us to listen to the “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

The Laudato Si Action Platform On November 14, 2021, the World Day of the Poor, the Laudato Si Action Platform (LSAP) was announced to the world. The Action Platform focuses on seven sectors: families; parishes and dioceses; religious orders; educational institutions; health care facilities; lay-led organizations; and economic entities. There are also seven categories of goals, including responding to: the cry of the Earth; the cry of the poor; ecological economics; ecological education; ecological spirituality; adopting simple lifestyles; and community engagement. Along with these goals, specific actions are identified. Action steps include using renewable energy, reducing consumption of meat and single-use items; fostering ecological education and spirituality; advocating for sustainable development; and following ethical investment guidelines, including divestment from fossil fuels. In offering this Action Platform, Pope Francis said, "I invite all people of good will to exercise active citizenship for the care of the common home." He also said there was a need for "a new ecological approach, which transforms our way of living in the world, our lifestyles, our relationship with the Earth's resources, and in general, the way we look at people and live our life.” These statements from Pope Francis strongly align with the United Nations Climate Report released in April 2022.

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How can I participate in the Laudato Si Action Platform?

While you may not have heard about the LSAP in your diocese, each one of us can engage with it in our own families, parishes, and circle of friends. One community of Holy Union Sisters has decided to try to reduce its purchase of single-use plastics. This has meant buying ordinary products such as coffee in tins rather than hard plastic containers, switching from using plastic bottles of laundry detergent to eco-friendly laundry strips, buying dishwashing soap in cardboard containers. In addition to the church-prescribed Lenten fast, many communities have opted for simple meatless meals during these forty days. Looking at the goals, what areas do you think you can help in, as an individual, as a family, as a parish?

In the Justice and Peace area on the U.S. Province Website, there is a section entitled “Care for our Common Home.” If you visit it, you can find a link to the encyclical, Laudato Si, as well as several websites where you can learn about how the Laudato Si Action Platform is being implemented in the United States and around the world.

We would love to hear from you about the ways you can accept Pope Francis’ invitation to “care for our common home.” You can write to Sr. Mary Lou Simcoe at Marylou.simcoe@susc.org.

We Share One Home

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Mrs. Barbara Staskiewicz Jane C. Steeves • Paul Stegmann • Maureen Steinmann Ted & Erin Steliga Ms. Margaret Stolworthy • Mr. William Strynkowski Mrs. Denyse Student Bernard and Joan Sullivan Ms. Catherine Sullivan Mrs. Constance Sullivan Cynthia Sullivan David Sullivan • David & Cheryl Sullivan Bishop Dennis Sullivan • Dorothy Sullivan Mr. & Mrs. Edward Sullivan • Eugene Sullivan Helen Mitchell Sullivan • Ms. Judy Sullivan • Lucette Sullivan • Mark & Mary Sullivan • Ms. Mary Sullivan Mr. Michael Sullivan Ms. Paula Sullivan • Ms. Roberta Sullivan Nancy Sun  Kelly Swartz Dave & Erin Sweeney •

T William & Theresa Taksar Taunton Associates Louise Teague Kerry Thatcher Catherine Thiberville • Mr. & Mrs. Daniel & Jane Thompson • Ms. Barbara Tipton • Martha Toon • Mrs. Jeannette Torci Frederic Torphy • Rev. Msgr. Ronald Tosti • Maryanne Tracy Thom Thi Tran • Ms. Jean Tropeano • Monique Tully

V Donna Vaira Mr. & Mrs. Peter Vallone • Jeanne M. Vandermost • Mr. Stephen Vazzana • Rosemary Verri • Anne Verville Ms Antoinette M. Vess • Mrs. Bea Viera Karen & Paul Viles Mrs. Kathleen Vintro Stephen & Lynn Violett • Mrs. John Viveiros Miss Terri Viveiros • Rachel Voiland • Virginia von Lossberg Davenport

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Ms. Carole Wagner • Rhoda Walker • Ms. Jane Walsh • Jill & Dave Walsh • John and Susan Walsh • Mr. John M Walsh  Ms. Linda Walsh Mark Wang Mrs. Veronica Watson • Dr. Gerard Weigel  Mrs. Ann Welch Mrs. Janet White • Donna E Widener • Mrs. Elaine Wilcox Brian & Dee Wilkinson Dolores Willis Mary Jane Campbell Wilson • Betty Ann Wood • Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Worsley •

Z Kathleen Zeitler

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Organizations Acton Monument Co. Inc., Acton, MA The Ethel Kennedy Foundation, San Diego, CA Gay & Gay, P.C., Taunton, MA Holy Union Sisters Associates (various locations) Knights of Columbus, Astoria, NY Putnam Investment Mgmt., Wellesley, MA Rich in Mercy Institute, Ligonier, PA

Schools and Parishes Immaculate Conception School, Astoria, NY The Lighthouse School, North Chelmsford, MA St. Mary, Ayer / St. Anthony, Shirley, MA St. William’s Church, Tewksbury, MA The Catholic Community of Somerset and Swansea, MA St. Leo’s Parish, Baltimore, MD

Generations of Blessings Legacy Society Members Bertha Beauchemin Doris Beaudoin Lucile Bernier Letitia M. Brennan Richard Briand Rev. John J. Casey Catherine C. Connelly Msgr. Raymond T. Considine Beatrice S. Demers Bridget Devaney Cassie Doherty Florence Donlon Grace Driesens Albert Doucette Mary Furtado Charles R. Galligan Jean L. Galligan Simonne Grenier Josephine T. Hogan Marie A. Kite Elinor M. Lenaghan Gilbert and Ita Levesque Sheila Lyons Agnes Manger John I. McCarthy

Msgr. John J. McClafferty Emily McClellan Louis A. Moll Margaret V. Neenan Gertrude M. Nester Kathleen Nolan Rev. William W. Norton Mary L. O’Brien Marian F. O’Brien Margaret B. Oliveira Msgr. Patrick J. O’Neill Rev. William H. O’Reilly Joseph L. Powers Bernadette G. Proulx Joseph and Rita Quinn Margaret M. Regan Elizabeth Joan Reilly Dorothy Ryan Margaret C. Schumann Marion E. Sharrock Anne Marie Shultz Catherine Sullivan Mary Doris Sullivan Rev. Bernard H. Unsworth Dorothy Vaill

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We Are One People

- Sr. MaryLou Sullivan

The prayer of Jesus, as he was completing his mission, “that all may be one,” calls to me with new urgency, new fire in this post-Pentecost season.

As the Spirit of that first Pentecost opened a new awareness of the allinclusiveness and outreaching power of God’s love in those first disciples, and energized them to live it, so too does the Holy Spirit call us in our local and global families to witness to nothing less than the beauty, uniqueness, dignity, and the dwelling place of God that each person is.

This is what Jesus lived and ingrained in his followers, evidenced in the early Christian community, who lived in a spirit of communion in which all belonged, all needs were met, and resources shared.

Unfortunately, in this, our time, we experience and are at times touched by forces that tear us apart, dehumanizing the other, engendering fear and promoting a view of “us and them.” Individualism and consumerism have fed the violence, hate and domination that create schisms in the graced reality in which and for which God created the human family.

Greed and competition have emphasized a human “race,” rather than the human “grace” flowing from our call to love one another and seek the common good. It is easy at times to feel discouraged and powerless in the face of it all.

Greed and competition have emphasized a human “race,” rather than the human “grace” flowing from our call to love one another and seek the common good.

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In such times we need to remember the power of yeast planted in the hearts of God’s people for the coming of God’s kin-dom among us. Small courageous and welcoming acts are all around us and in us, which serve as signs of hope and magnets of communion amidst world suffering. How many have put their own lives at risk to care for others, to embrace the suffering of the “stranger,” without question of race or other differences in this ongoing pandemic!

And who of us was not moved by the individual families in Poland (and other places) that opened their homes and hearts to Ukrainian refugees. And each of us, I’m sure can recall personal experiences of that power of love that is born of that inner knowledge that we are one and what is done for one helps heal the whole.

For me, another source of hope and encouragement is the amazing relevance of the name our Founder, Jean Baptiste Debrabant, chose for us almost two hundred years ago; “Holy Union.” It continues to reveal itself in the everdeepening call to live for and to nurture right relationships, not just among our Congregation, but in collaboration with the wider circles of love, action and prayerful support, of which we all are most certainly a part. Our ministries of presence, outreach to those on the margins, assistance to those lacking basic necessities and advocacy for justice are all done and sustained in this ever-widening “holy union.” Together in the power of God’s Spirit we can help each other move beyond our own weaknesses and prejudices to offer a non-judgmental hospitality of heart that sees and responds to the stranger, the one who is different, the one who needs to be welcomed as sister or brother.

In light of our call to be a sign of union and foster justice in our world, I grow in ever stronger appreciation for the gift of the internationality of our religious community. Through it, we are privileged to know, love and learn from other cultures of our global community and stand in solidarity with them as well as make known their stories, their struggles and strivings, calling forth a sense of mutuality and compassion. Technology, which has been used at times to spread hatred and lies, is now a means of enabling us to create bridges of truth and communication that reach out beyond our local confines and join with other groups in enlarging circles of care and communion that help move us together beyond the “us and them” to a powerful “we.”

Finally, Pope Francis, has also provided us as a world community, with a powerful contemplative reflection on the realities of our relationships as a human family in his recent encyclical ”Fratelli Tutti.” It is a wonderful tool to open our hearts and minds to a deeper and more global perspective and understanding while offering the wisdom of what is needed now for us to move together on a path of transformation and communion. May we take it to heart, praying as he did in its closing words:

“Come Holy Spirit, show us your beauty, reflected in all the peoples of the earth So that we may discover anew that all are important, all are necessary, different faces of the one humanity that God so loves. Amen.”

We Are One People

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2023 Regional Donor Appreciation Brunches We’re delighted to announce that in the Spring of 2023 we will be hosting a series of Donor Appreciation Brunches. They will be held in Burlington, MA; Westport, MA; Queens, NY; and Catonsville, MD. These locations place us close to where schools where we taught were located, and which will hopefully make it convenient for you to join us! To be sure you are notified of details and receive an invitation, contact Kenneth Gustin at ken.gustin@husmilton.org. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

The Generations of Blessings Legacy Society We’re pleased to announce this new giving society which has been created to recognize those individuals who have chosen to make a planned gift to the Holy Union Sisters via their estate plan. If you would like to learn more about this way of supporting our work please contact Kenneth Gustin at ken.gustin@husmilton.org.

Our Offices Have Moved!

This month (July), after more than twenty years in Milton, MA, we have moved our offices to Fall River, MA! And so, we have returned fully to where we first settled in the United States, and are only a few blocks from our property on Rock Street. Our new address is below. Mail sent to our Milton address will be forwarded to this new location for one year. Please send future correspondence to: Holy Union Sisters 205 Bedford St. Fall River, MA 02720

Have you listened to “Called to Be…”?

Our Podcast, “Called to Be…,” is in full swing, with seven episodes published since we started in January and available for you to listen to at your leisure. You can listen to a new episode every month right from our website at www.holyunionsisters.org (just scroll down and click “listen to our podcast”). You can also find us on all major podcast platforms. We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions!

Please visit us regularly online at: Kenneth Gustin Director of Mission Advancement & Communications 205 Bedford St., Fall River, MA 02720 (617) 696-8765 ext 19 Fax: (617) 696-8571 ken.gustin@husmilton.org Printer & Design: The Ink Spot, Quincy, MA 02170

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www.holyunionsisters.org.

Go to our "Contact Us" page to send us your email address and we'd be happy to send useful and timely faith formation information and other interesting content directly to your inbox. It will also give you a direct line of contact back to us for your prayer intentions; so the sisters can raise them up for you.

May God bless and keep you.

Response is published twice a year by the Mission Advancement & Communications Office for friends and families of the Holy Union Sisters. www.holyunionsisters.org

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