FAITH INTO ACTION JUNE, 2022 NOTRE DAME SISTERS 3501 State Street, Omaha, NE 68112 (402) 455.2994 | NotreDameSisters.org
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BELOW ARE UPDATES ON OUR WORK.
June is Pride month. Sisters spread the love of Christ to LGBTQ people In 2021, the LCWR, the largest network of women’s religious community leaders in the U.S., as well as more religious communities, joined a statement to support LGBTQ youth and asked forgiveness for rhetoric used in the past that caused harm to LGBTQ people. This Pride Month, Sr. Joy Connealy, ND, shares her story about assuring a young adult that he was made in God's image. As a young sister I was working with a team to develop young adult ministry in our diocese. We had to find out what young adults saw as their needs and so we did interviews with a variety of young people. I had conducted several interviews and the concerns and needs they shared were about what I expected. Many valued their faith and hoped the Church could be more open to how they live their faith. One night I had an appointment with a young man who was very articulate. He hand a deep commitment to social justice and was giving a lot of his time to others who need a helping hand. When I got to the question of what he wished the Church would do for young adults he broke into tears. He explained through his pain that he was gay and that the Church didn’t recognize or welcome him as he was. He said he felt deeply connected to God, had an intimate relationship with Jesus – but the official Church told him he was a sinner. He poured out his heart and soul and I had never before heard such honesty and integrity. This brief, intense experience led me on a path of discovery. It challenged me to reflect on how we are all created in God’s image. It helped prepare me for ministry and how listening to another’s pain opens us to new insights and frees them to let go of some of the pain they are carrying. This young man later wrote me a letter and said how meaningful our dialogue had been for him. He never shared his pain with anyone who represented the Church and it gave him hope to be part of the Church some day. He taught me to speak my truth because the truth, even if it’s painful, could help someone else find their way in life. That encounter was filled with honesty and is a reminder of God’s love and compassion bringing healing through pain.
Sweatshirts available for NDA Alumnae To celebrate Notre Dame Academy Alumnae, we are offering sweatshirts to the graduates. These sweatshirts can be picked up at the reunion or mailed anywhere in the US. September 10 is the NDA reunion. Enjoy a reunion at Notre Dame Housing (previously Notre Dame Academy) Saturday, September 10. We will offer Mass at 3PM, class photos at 4 PM, and at 4:15 PM, tours of the building and refreshments with light appetizers. We will be specifically celebrating the classes of 1972 (50th anniversary!), 1967, 1962, 1957, 1952, and 1947. Fore more information about the sweatshirt, the reunion, or to RSVP, visit our website at notredamesisters.org/alumnaereunion