CRSD

Dominican Sisters on the road to COP 30

Anne-Claire Dangeard — 2025-11-01T17:53:14Z

COP 30 Awareness Campaign

On 10 November through 20 November, people from over 190 countries will gather in Belém, Brazil for the 30th United Nations (UN) Conference of the Parties (COP) commonly referred to as COP 30. It is the UN's annual global meeting where world leaders, scientists, non-governmental organizations, and civil society leaders gather to discuss actions to tackle climate change. This gathering is one of the most important global meetings that addresses this issue.

Over the next several weeks leading up to COP 30, we will share with you key pieces of information about gathering through email, Facebook, and social media. We hope that the information that we share will help you meaningfully engage in the experience of COP 30 at whatever level you choose.

We look forward to you joining us on this important journey. COP 30 is a key moment for Catholics, and all people of good will around the world to encourage governments to adopt stronger, more just commitments to address the climate crisis. Our commitment, as Dominicans is to listen and respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. The COP 30 gathering is an opportunity for us to pray, learn, and act in solidarity with our global family on behalf of our common home and all who dwell upon it.

More : https://dsiop.org/news/2025/cop-30-awareness-campaign/

Youth Jubilee: A faith without borders

Anne-Claire Dangeard — 2025-10-07T19:58:10Z

Echoes from Norway

We had been travelling through Europe by train for a week already, seeing historic cities like Siena and Florence. However, the real journey of the soul began when we first arrived at the reserve we were going to stay at during our time in Rome. We were greeted by smiles from the very beginning, even though we had all just arrived from our long and tiring trips from all parts of the globe. Us from Norway, another group from Japan, one from Brazil and the last one from Benin. Despite the language barriers and cultural differences, we immediately started to get to know each other, as best as we could.

Throughout our days, we witnessed and shared the rich diversity of prayer and devotion the groups brought with them. The expressive and joyful faith of the Beninese pilgrims, the quiet reverence and contemplative spirit of the Japanese group, and the lively celebration and warmth of the Brazilian youth blended into a beautiful harmony that shaped our pilgrimage. Their different ways of worship and community life invited us to see the faith through new eyes and to appreciate the many gifts within the Catholic church. While the pilgrimage itself was centered on deepening our relationship with Christ and His Church, one of the most powerful dimensions of the journey was the encounter with other young Catholics from around the world, we were diverse in culture, but one in faith.

Even though we didn't always share a language, we understood each other through smiles, song, and shared worship. The diversity of the Church was not just something we observed — it was something we lived. This experience showed us that communion in the Church is not built primarily on words, but on shared faith and sacramental life. Standing side by side in prayer, singing hymns in unfamiliar languages, or joining in the same gestures of the Mass, we discovered a unity that ran deeper than cultural or linguistic difference.

Throughout the week, there were moments of joy and fatigue, awe and silence. We got to know both ourselves and each other better as well as reflecting together on what it means to be young women of faith today. This pilgrimage challenged us, inspired us, and reminded us that we are not alone in our journey.

As we returned to Norway, we carried with us more than memories. We returned with a renewed sense of purpose, a deeper understanding of the Church's universality, and a shared hope to live our faith more fully — wherever and with whomever we might be.

Text : Ebba Mossige
Photo : Anabella Mørk

Chapter in Sabattus : “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Anne-Claire Dangeard — 2025-08-19T17:15:49Z

The Sisters in the United States held their Vicarial Chapter in Sabattus, Maine, from August 4 to August 8, 2025. The week was long in the planning and some important guests joined the sisters in their week together as a Maine based Dominican community.

Sister Monique Belanger, Vicarial Prioress convoked the Chapter in May 2025. In this Jubilee Year, the theme proposed was from Romans 12:12: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

The agenda, a very full one, included: a review of the present structure of the vicariate and a look towards its future; an examination of the Vicariate's financial situation; an analysis of the Acts of the last General Chapter held in Locquirec, France, to see how to apply those Acts to the US Vicariate; a reflection on the life of the sisters and their ministries in the two communities within the Vicariate: Sabattus, Maine and Staten Island, New York; a study of the reports of the sisters in the US Vicariate serving on Congregation Committees: Peace and Justice, Communication, and Constitutions; the election of the Vicarial Prioress and council; a consideration on how to move forward in the two major vicarial missions: Loaves and Fishes in Sabattus, Maine and ministry on the Navajoh Reservation in Klagetoh, Arizona.

Important guests joined the sisters for this Chapter. First to arrive on July 31, was Sister Ysabel Barroso, from our house of Formation in Brazil. Her role as Chapter facilitator was greatly appreciated: helping with the agenda and making it fit into a five-day schedule; facilitating the presentations and the dialogue among the sisters; and helping the chapter secretary with minutes and final document. On Thursday morning, August 14, Sister Solange Damiao, came in from Rome, after a very difficult flight. Sister joined us for the end of our Chapter before her visit to the Navajo Reservation. On Friday, August 8, Bishop James Ruggieri, Bishop of Portland, Maine and Brother James Peterson, OFM Cap, Chancellor and Vicar for Religious for the diocese, joined us for a liturgy celebrating the Feast of St. Dominic, Sister Marie Jude Chamberlain's renewal of vows on the 60th anniversary of her profession, and the re-election of Sr. Monique Belanger as Vicarial Prioress. A festive meal followed the liturgy.

The sisters prayed Morning Prayer at the beginning of each day and Evening Prayer concluded each day's sessions. Delicious meals were prepared by friends of the Sabattus community. Breaks and leisure times included relaxing walks on the beautiful Sabattus convent grounds, good conversation on the back patio and card games.

The Chapter ended with a Thank you and Sending Forth closing prayer. During this prayer, each sister received a Scripture passage with a prayer to the Holy Spirit. These were read and meditated by the group. Sister Monique then sent forth the sisters into community and mission with a small banner reflecting the Chapter theme: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)

Sister Jacqueline Provencher
Community of Sabattus
Vicariate of the United States

Sisters Monica Dubois (seated) and Frances Thibodeau enjoy a relaxing moment between sessions.

As they both hold the book of our Constitutions, Sister Marie Jude Chamberlain (on right) renews her vows in the presence of Sister Solange Damiao, General Prioress.

From left to right: Sisters Monica Dubois, Marie Jude Chamberlain, Therese Demers, Jacqueline Provencher and Monique Belanger during a session of the Vicariate Chapter held in the Dominican Sisters Convent in Sabattus.

Sister Frances Thibodeau, chapter secretary, at work during the chapter.

The sisters and guests at the Vicariate Chapter in August, 2025: from left to right- Sister Solange Damiao, General Prioress; Sister Anne Levesque, Staten Island; Sister Monique Belanger, Vicarial Prioress; Brother James Peterson, OFM Cap., Diocesan Chancellor and Vicar for Religious; Sister Therese Demers, Sabattus, Maine; Sister Christine Plouffe, Sabattus, Maine; Sister Marie Jude Chamberlain, Staten Island, New York; Sister Jacqueline Provencher, Vicarial Councilor, Sabattus, Maine; Sister Frances Thibodeau, Chicago, Illinois, chapter secretary; Sister Monica Dubois, Klagetoh, Arizona, Vicarial Treasurer; Sister Ysabel Barroso, Brazil, facilitator; Bishop James Ruggieri, Bishop of the Portland Maine Diocese. In the background, Dominican symbols: the Rosary, statue of Mary with Dominic; Dominican shield.

Way of the Cross at Katarinahjemmet (Oslo)

Federica — 2025-04-18T11:19:40Z

During the weekend of Palm Sunday, sisters participated in two different Ways of the Cross. Both were celebrated out in nature, and we could enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

I.
Sr. Ane Elisabet and Sr. Marthe went with the group of young families which use to gather at Katarinahjemmet to one of the islands in the Oslo fjord where there is a ruin of a Cistercian abbey. There they celebrated the Way of the Cross and had a nice picnic in the sun (for a chronicle of the day, here).

II.
Friday before Palm Sunday a Polish group in Oslo organize a so-called “Extreme” Way of the Cross, a Polish initiative which has spread to many countries. Sr. Katarina joined a group that followed the Way of the Cross which along a rout of 40 kilometers throughs the city, up in the hillsides and woods above Oslo and back again to Oslo centrum where it finished in the cathedral.

The celebration started Friday evening with a special mass for all participants, continued through the night and finished in beautiful sun on Saturday morning. Along the route the stations are marked typically by various churches, and one walks in small groups and in silence. The walk is indeed long, but it is a profound way if celebrating the Way of the Cross.

Sr. Katarina Pajchel and sisters of Katarinahjemmet
Oslo, Norvège
Sta. Katarinahjemmet

Pilgrimage, the Task of a Lifetime (4/4)

Federica — 2025-04-09T08:17:55Z

On Saturday, February 15th, the sisters of the Congregation met via videoconference to celebrate the Jubilee Year!
We were more than 160 sisters from a dozen countries.

The fourth and final presentation was by our sister Gotzone Mezo Aranzibia from the community of Valladolid (Spain).

Pilgrimage is presented to us as a profound and universal metaphor of human existence that transcends cultures and times. Hontanas, a small village in Burgos located on the Camino de Santiago, is a splendid setting where this experience comes to life. The French Way, with centuries of history, has seen the passage of countless pilgrims from all corners of the world, each one motivated by unique and often inexpressible reasons. Yet they share a common element: a desire to connect with the deepest part of themselves and at the same time with something greater than themselves, a certain yearning for transcendence....

There are so many things that can be said about the Camino... I will simply recall some of them, using the story of a walker whom some of us know, the Jesuit Felix Revilla.

Pilgrimage implies setting aside the routine and ties of daily life. Pilgrims free themselves from the “chains” of tasks that usually absorb them and find a new form of freedom in the simplicity of the everyday. Walking becomes the main objective, and each day is reduced to a few tasks: progressing towards the daily goal, hydrating and feeding oneself and finding a place to rest. This return to basics allows pilgrims to step away from distractions and material concerns and encounter an austere way of life that, paradoxically, is experienced as deeply enriching.

Another valuable characteristic of the Camino is the de-hierarchization of human relationships. Pilgrims leave behind the roles and prejudices that define them in their daily lives. On the Camino, everyone is equal: a businessman, a student, a priest or a teacher share the same path, the same concerns and the same physical pains. This atmosphere of equality and camaraderie fosters human relationships that are free, sincere and devoid of the usual social barriers. The possibility of simply being another person, without labels, is a gift rarely found in modern life.

Detachment from material things also plays a fundamental role in the pilgrim's experience. In a backpack, preferably a light one, the walker carries the essentials for survival. This austerity, consciously chosen, underlines the connection between the Camino and a more sustainable and planet-friendly way of life.

In addition, the Camino not only challenges the physical limits of pilgrims but confronts them with deep introspection. The long days of walking offer invaluable time for reflection, for facing fears, doubts and desires. Physical pain, fatigue and adversity become opportunities to discover the capacity for personal improvement, that hidden potential that often lies dormant in the comfort of routine.

The Camino, likewise, is an experience of immersion in nature, a reconnection with creation that is increasingly rare in an urbanized world. The changing landscapes, panoramic views and the constant presence of the natural environment provide an ideal setting for contemplation and wonder. It is a reminder of the beauty and grandeur of the world, which we often overlook in our daily lives.

Finally, the Camino is also a journey into the transcendent. In the simplicity of the experience and the detachment from the superfluous, a space opens up for an encounter with God or with that which each pilgrim considers sacred. It is a moment to raise one's gaze, to be grateful and to find meaning in the physical journey and the spiritual one.

An experience as special as that of a Camino with these characteristics had already been experienced by some of our sisters. And in the context of reflecting on the mission during our 2014 Provincial Chapter, we considered the possibility of undertaking a new mission together in the summer. One sister suggested that we be present somewhere along the Camino de Santiago, with the goal of offering some activity involving welcome, support, help... for pilgrims who would want it as they completed that particular stage of the Camino. We would need an open church building (many are closed along the road), and a place where we could establish our mission.

The work of some of the sisters allowed us to find the right place for this mission the following summer: Hontanas, the little village I mentioned at the beginning of this piece. We started out as four sisters without knowing what we could really do, and the mission took shape in a short time. No great knowledge or great resources were needed.

We offered:
▪ the possibility of guided prayer that would “meet them where they were”;
▪ foot massages, to them offer relief from the hard walking along the road;
▪ a refreshing drink;
▪ the possibility of spontaneous personal or group dialogue;
▪ a contemplative dance of blessing to close the day.

Each of these gestures, seemingly small in itself, could provide immense meaning to those who received it.

Our experience with the pilgrims was a discovery that filled us with wonder and joy. Mysteriously, to a large extent, what the road meant to them ended up becoming what it meant for us as well:
▫ stepping out of our everyday lives in order to find ourselves on the margins of all those things that make up our ordinary experience;
▫ living with sisters and lay people that we do not usually live with, and whom we sometimes do not know;
▫ sharing life, tasks, prayer and, above all, the gift of presence, with the pilgrims.

The latter implies meeting total strangers who are experiencing a special moment of their lives because they are on the Camino; who, in various ways, are able to share what they are living (sometimes with a greater depth than ever before because they are taking the time to find themselves); and who need someone to listen to them, sometimes also to be able to talk about their situation, their discoveries, their sorrows or their joys, their desires and projects... The pilgrims are people we meet one evening, with whom we establish a connection, and who—in all probability—we will never see again.

This is a mission that doesn't bear any perceptible “fruit,” does not constitute any process, does not have any subsequent follow-up. It consists only of a one-time encounter—sometimes a very intense one because of the dialogue that is generated—but an encounter that ends there.

There are experiences, however, that leave their mark: to be with a person who cannot stop sobbing, who has to speak into a device to translate from Korean to Spanish, and who smilingly shows you a message that says: “Thank you very much, thank you very much, I feel that it is Jesus who cares for and caresses my feet,” is something that goes beyond what one can expect. And we experience the strong presence of the Spirit, who overcomes all our limitations and the barriers of language and culture, and who allows us to know and understand ourselves as brothers and sisters, fellow travelers in search of meaning, responsible for taking care of each other and our world.

Sr Gotzone Mezo Aranzibia
Valladolid, Spain

Pilgrim of Hope (3/4)

Federica — 2025-04-02T12:40:43Z

On Saturday, February 15th, the sisters of the Congregation met via videoconference to celebrate the Jubilee Year!
We were more than 160 sisters from a dozen countries.

The third presentation was by our sister Florence Roko from the community of Parakou (Benin).

Hope is one of the three theological virtues that Pope Francis defines as “the smallest of virtues, but the strongest” because, according to him, it has a face: that of the Risen Lord, who summons us and will not disappoint our expectation. (Angelus of November 15, 2015).

However, the expectations of our world today are great and its cists are multiplying in view of the many evils that undermine it, leading to a loss of meaning. These evils are named: the clash of arms, death, destruction, hatred of neighbor, hunger, “ecological debt”, the decline in the birth rate, migrations, to name but a few. Therefore, appeals in favor of prisoners, the sick, the elderly, the poor, young people, migrants are priorities that we are invited to seize as the new areopagus.

In the face of these many places of death that put the experience of faith to the test, hope springs from the hearts of believers that we are to tell the suffering world that God always fulfills his promise. Certainly in his time, but he always accomplishes it. Hence the relevance of the psalmist's never-surpassed invitation: “Be strong and be of good cheer, you who hope for the Lord”! (Ps 27:14).

For the Christian, therefore, hope is like a driving force that allows us to look at each being and the world with renewed attention in the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. As such, hope appears as a way of looking at life and its difficulties not as an evil, but as a promise of life. From then on, we are inhabited by this small voice that assures us that nothing is ever lost to God.

But then, who will speak of this promise of life to this world in pain of childbirth? Who, then, will make himself “the mouth of misfortunates who have no mouth?” Who, then, will make of his voice “the liberty of those who sink into the dungeon of despair?” (To borrow an expression dear to Aimé Césaire!)

In this dynamic of reclaiming the virtue of hope, Pope Francis invites us to take a look at the lives of the saints who have remained persevering in hope. In this, the testimony of our father Saint Dominic remains and is still today one of the most edifying.

In fact, in a vision he had, while praying in the Vatican Basilica, Dominic saw St. Peter hand him the pilgrim's staff while St. Paul gave him the book of the Gospel and both cried out, “Go and preach, for God has chosen you for this ministry.” It goes without saying that Dominic was consecrated a pilgrim of grace and therefore, a pilgrim of hope to be sown in the heart of every man and woman of his time. This is what he will do throughout his life, earning him the name of the “man with soles in the wind”. This is our heritage and this is also our DNA as sisters of the CRSD. To become pilgrims, always on the way to sow hope in the hearts of our contemporaries.

Obviously, this is what we are already doing. Ad intra: through the care of our communities, of our elderly sisters, attention to the common good, to the congregational body, etc.; ad extra: through our various missions of preaching explicit and implicit in the various Areopagus to which we are already accustomed, constantly going to existential boundaries in view of contact with those who are near and far, the service for justice and peace and our desire to explore new horizons.

However, we must, even more, rekindle the hope that is in us “by daring with more audacity” (Brené Brown) to set out physically, spiritually, morally, as a good pilgrim seeking God... To do this, we need to get out of our comfort zone, our certainties, our well-established projects, our achievements, our fears... and to go into the unknown like Abraham, hoping against all hope. Dominic did this by daring to disperse his brothers when everything around him dissuaded him. He sent them out as pilgrims of hope on the paths of this world, counting on the one who is hope, since hope is not an empty word, it is a person, it is Christ. And Dominic's Hope was not disappointed since, like Abraham our father in the faith, he obtained grace after grace and a multitude of sons and daughters.

The challenge for us today, as sons and daughters of Saint Dominic, would be, as Cardinal Godfried Danneels, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels - by analogy with the Church – says : « to learn to evangelize without conveying intolerance. To learn how the Gospel can be proclaimed in an environment where so many different philosophical convictions, forms of faith and beliefs coexist. To learn... how the legitimate concern not to hurt others' convictions does not result in plunging ourselves out of embarrassment or fear - into indifference, relativism or laziness. » In other words, that we are “evangelists who are transparent, who know how to bear witness in humility and serenity, who are rewarded with an unfailing harmony between our life and our word, between our being and our appearance”

Without anchoring ourselves in our habits or in our past, we are continually invited to “let ourselves be reconditioned by the grace of God”. Fr. Roberto Pasolini, the new preacher of the pontifical household, will say in his advent 2024 sermon: "There are many 'no's' waiting to be pronounced not only against the explicit evil, but also against the subtle evil that is the habit of continuing things without ever having the courage to seriously rethink them and do them together. But to say this “brave no,” you have to believe that God is at work in our history and that “the best is yet to come.” It should be noted here that there are just as many “yes” to pronounce!

Holding fast to our hope, we can dare to say that despite the headwinds that are shaking the world, the Church and the consecrated life today, despite the decrease in vocations, the ageing, sometimes also the loss of credibility and the impression that religious life is going to disappear, and that the hope of the world is drying up as a result; however, it remains undeniable that we are at a crossroad of grace! Everything depends on the turn and the anchoring that our steps as pilgrims will take towards new horizons, physical or not, interior or exterior.

Like the grain of wheat that has fallen into the ground that will bear fruit in its time, whether the farmer sleeps or not, we are invited to concern ourselves with good sowing, the rest belongs to him who makes everything happen in his own time. (African proverb) This is an invitation to Patience, the other side of perseverance which is the cardinal virtue that our world needs most to bring about God's time.

sr Florence Roko
Parakou, Bénin

What is the meaning of the Jubilee? (2/4)

Federica — 2025-03-21T16:28:43Z

On Saturday, February 15, the sisters of the Congregation met by videoconference to celebrate the Jubilee Year!
We were more than 160 sisters from about 10 countries.

Second intervention, by our sister Thérèrs Marie Boillat from the community of Rome (Italy).

1. In the Catholic Church, how did the first Jubilee begin?

As you know, every 25 years, the Church celebrates a Jubilee. But since when?

The first Jubilee took place in 1300 under Pope Boniface VIII. It is well known to us thanks to a contemporary text, the Book of the Centenary Year or Jubilee, written by Cardinal Jacopo Stefaneschi. He tells us that on the last day of the year 1299, a rumor spread among the Romans that all those who visited St. Peter's Basilica would get a full indulgence for the sins committed, and this was because of the centenary year. A very large number of people then flocked to the basilica throughout the evening of December 31. And this continued during the months of January and February, including many pilgrims from neighboring countries. All this under the astonished gaze of the Pope! What to do?
The text says: “Boniface VIII, unwilling to oppose popular piety, consulted the college of cardinals on the question of the centenary year and, having obtained a favorable opinion thanks to the merits of the apostles, ordered the preparation of a text which was published on February 22, 1300 in St. Peter's”.

This papal bull declared a jubilee year for the forgiveness of sins. The conditions were listed.

PTo receive the plenary indulgence, that is, the total remission of the penalty for the sins committed, the main condition was of course to be truly repentant of one's faults and to have confessed them. It was also necessary to visit the basilicas of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul for 15 days for foreigners and for 30 days for Romans.

This is the first Jubilee. Should we wait 100 years for the next one? Not much chance to participate! The next jubilee took place already in 1350, and at the end of the 15th century it was extended to every 25 years, as it is today.

Today, what is its meaning and to what action does it invite us?

We have seen that in Leviticus, the fiftieth year is a jubilee year, a year of special grace. The prophet Isaiah in chapter 61:2 had also announced “a year of favor from the Lord.”
Jesus takes up this proclamation at the beginning of his ministry in Nazareth, as St Luke writes (4:16-22).

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." And Jesus adds: "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing”.

Jesus owns this prophecy and announces that it is now that it is fulfilled. One could say that Jesus proclaims a Jubilee, a liberation, a forgiveness, a renewal! For me, this is the profound meaning of celebrating a Jubilee. It is to actualize the Jubilee of Jesus: to proclaim the good news to the poor that we are, our liberation from evil and sin, to give us back our sight on the meaning of life, freedom if we are oppressed by fear, sadness, discouragement or activism, selfishness, ambition.

The Jubilee is therefore above all to fix one's eyes on Jesus. It is a process of forgiveness and reconciliation, a conversion, to return to the divine Source that flows within us. It is therefore an invitation to draw closer to God.

Three signs can help us:
1. The pilgrimage to Rome

In particular, the pilgrimage to the tombs of the two apostles Peter and Paul. The pilgrimage reminds us that our whole existence is a journey. It is an invitation first of all to return to ourselves in order to connect with the essential, to find in it “the astonishing being that I am” (Ps 138), a tenderly loved child of God! But it is also an invitation to get out of ourselves, to go into the unknown. We are not alone in our quest, we follow Christ in a gesture of self-denial, simplicity, abandonment and we walk with Christ, in community, in Church.

So, let's get started! Even if we are not going to Rome this year, there are jubilee churches in our dioceses.

The Holy Door

One of the strongest symbols of the Jubilee is the opening of the Holy Doors in the main basilicas of Rome. We cross them in a journey of faith and repentance that express the passage from sin and mediocrity to the Lord's life of grace and to a renewal of faith and love. It is a way of reliving the passage of Easter, of renewing our baptism through Christ who said: “I am the Door”.

So let us also pass through a “door”, with the desire to enter a little more into the heart of God!

Indulgence

The plenary indulgence is a gift of divine grace, a totally free act of God who forgives us if we sincerely repent.
To receive this indulgence, there are 3 “conditions”, attitudes to live in depth:

- First of all, humility, personal contrition for our sins by receiving the sacrament of confession as an encounter with God's Mercy.

- Secondly, we enter into communion with the community of the Church, participating in Mass and receiving the Body of Christ, praying also for the Pope's intentions and for the Church.

- Finally, we are asked to concretize our conversion through acts of true charity, through concern for others and for the poor.

So, let us welcome with joy this gift of Mercy and let us live it in gratitude and hope!

Sr. Thérèse Marie Boillat
Rome, Italy

The Jubilee in the Old Testament (1/4)

Federica — 2025-02-17T15:50:43Z

On Saturday, February 15, the sisters of the Congregation met by videoconference to celebrate the Jubilee Year!
We were more than 160 sisters from about 10 countries.

First intervention, by our sister Anne Bente from the community of Oslo (Norway).

We are reading in the Bible, that God created a world of peace and harmony. The culmination of the creation was the Sabbath, an experience of rest and communion with God.

But we also know from the Bible, that this harmony and peace did not last. The human beings messed it all up.

Only a few pages further in the book of Genesis, we read about the Fall and the Expulsion from Paradise, about Kain who kills his brother Abel, and so on, and it goes so far that God himself regrets that he created man. And he sends the Flood that will put an end to everything. Except for Noah, so the story continues. Babel is one result, Egypt another

After Babel God promised to work with Abraham and his descendants to show his favour to all of humanity – but only a few hundred years later Abraham's descendants were suffering in Egypt.

And when Moses was raised by God to lead them out of Egypt and restore the privileges to Israel, they turned to idolatry instead.

So, the biblical story and the story of all of humankind, can be seen in the light of this human tragedy of rejecting God and his plan for creation on one side, and on the other; how God uses the rest of the biblical story, and our personal stories as well, to restore the order of things as He intended them to be, out of the mess we have made of it..

This is why we are celebrating a jubilee year.

Because, one of the remedies God Father introduces in order to restore things, are not only the Sabbath, the seventh day, but also every seventh year should be a sabbatical year, and after seven times seven years, that is after 49 years, the 50th year should be a jubilee year – where everything should be restored after the original plan, that is: after God's own plan for creation. Where the sins of Israel were atoned for and forgiven, the family was fully restored, debt was erased, slaves were released, and ancestral land was returned to its rightful owners.

Every jubilee year was a new beginning meant to bring God's children back in line with his original design. Everything should be restored on God's own premises.

Leviticus 25 gives us the details.
Leviticus 25:11 specifically instructs: “You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines”.

Meant to ensure that the land and its inhabitants could rest and recover from continuous agricultural exploitation. The Jubilee Year mandated that the land should not be tilled and that what grew of itself was to be shared among all. This provision underlines a fundamental element of the Jubilee, reliance on God's provision and a step away from the accumulation of personal wealth at the expense of communal well-being.

Another important aspect was the return of all hereditary land to its original family owners. This law prevented the permanent loss of property due to debt or poverty. It symbolizes God's ownership of the land and the Israelites' stewardship rather than absolute possession.

The Jubilee also entailed the release of all slaves. Individuals who had sold themselves due to economic hardship were granted freedom, allowing them to return to their families and ancestral properties. This prevented the emergence of a permanent underclass and underscored the value of human dignity and freedom.

But the year has also a deep spiritual significance. The blowing of the ram's horn, or shofar, marked the beginning of this sacred year, summoning the people to a time of self-examination and renewal.

In biblical times, a jubilee was a time to rejoice. The jubilee was celebrated as the people of Israel rejoiced in the bountiful mercy of God. And this is still the case when the Church announces a jubilee. Because, following pope Francis in his first teaching this Jubilee year; it is “the possibility for everyone to start again, from God”.

Sr Anne Bente
Sta. Katarinahjemmet
Oslo, Norway

Advent in... U.S.A.

Federica — 2024-12-18T11:24:54Z

United to our Dominican Family and the spirit of the Dominican Month of Peace, Advent 2024 in Sabattus centers on “Let us commit to peace and human dignity,” praying for our world, and more particularly for Haiti.

At evening prayer, the materials received provide us with Scripture and song suggestions that help praise God and intercede for world peace.

Our Advent preparation for Christmas also means preparing Christmas for our Loaves & Fishes clients. In early November, families were asked to fill out a form explaining what they would need for their children. Donors are then given one of these forms and they purchase clothes, toys and school supplies. These gifts are wrapped by our volunteers, and families are called to pick them up to put under the Christmas tree. What a joy it is to see our front entrance filled with gifts, and to witness the grateful smiles on faces of donors and receivers! God comes to us in so many different ways.

In the parish, at Holy Cross Church, Advent is bittersweet. On the one hand, the beautiful songs for Advent animate our Liturgies with a spirit of hope, gratitude and joyful expectation; the banners and well positioned Advent wreath create a spirit of reverence and prayer. On the other hand, parishioners know that this is the last Advent to be celebrated in this church. This fall, the committee studying the viability of our parish had to make the difficult decision to close two of the churches that make up our Prince of Peace Parish, and Holy Cross is one church that will close.

Last Sunday, we participated in the parish Christmas gathering. There we shared a festive meal prepared by parishioners, sang carols together and treated the children to gifts after they had performed a Christmas play which was delightful!

Sr Jacqueline Provencher
Sabattus, Maine (U.S.A.)

In Klagetoh (Arizona), our Advent preparation varies since many people are involved.

First of all, our new Brother of the Sacred Heart from Zimbabwe has led a retreat day at the end of November at the church in Ganado. The “Hope and Waiting” theme had people getting in the spirit of the season.

We have had a number of benefactors reaching out to the poor of the area:
▪ Girl Scouts from California sent gift bags for children of various ages (about 125 for girls and 100 for boys).
▪ Southwest Indian Foundation has sent 25 food boxes to be distributed.
▪ A parish in Phoenix adopted 21 families and filled out their wish lists for the holidays.
▪ People in Payson have sent loads of furniture, clothes, kitchen items, shoes, blankets and towels as well as tools to help the needy.
▪ We continue to provide food boxes for those less fortunate. People come or we go out to deliver...

Father is making himself available to hear confessions. (We must remember that he has to drive 1 hour to get here.)

We pray together (staff at the Mission), share, and wait in joyful anticipation.

Sr. Monica Dubois
St. Anne Mission
Chambers, Arizona (U.S.A.)

Project with Lay Dominicans
The Vicariate, through a financial contribution, collaborated with lay Dominicans in Maine on a project to offer the Catholic community in the area a booklet of reflections for each day of Advent. Authors of the reflections, including Sisters Therese and Jacqueline, submitted their text to a small group of readers. The corrected texts were then collected and published in the form of a booklet, 1,000 copies were distributed to different parishioners and friends. Many people have expressed their appreciation for this help in living out this Advent Season.

In Chicago, one of the wonderful events during Advent is the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12th). This year the festivities began with Mass at 7:00 am, with Aztec and ballet folklorico dancers, mariachis, and a re-enactment of the miracle in a packed gym. A breakfast was served afterwards (tamales, pan dulce and champurrado) with everyone—especially alums, former teachers, corporate folks, and neighbors. This is a wonderful way to gather the Cristo Rey Hispanic community for the holidays.

In Staten Island, New York, Advent this year centers on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, with both the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of New York making Monday a Reconciliation day for all those who would like to receive the sacrament.

The Sisters of the Vicariate of the United States

Advent in... Norway (Oslo)

Federica — 2024-12-16T09:30:00Z

Glimpse from advent in Norway

Advent coincides with December. We await the light of Christmas while it is still dark. Here in the north of Europe, we notice very clearly that the days become short, thus we embrace the traditions that gather us to celebrate the light, the warmth and community.

Three years ago, some of the sisters attended the traditional Rorate mass in Saint-Sulpice, in Paris. We all thought that this was a tradition we wanted to revive. This year is the second year that we celebrate our daily mass on Thursdays as a Rorate-mass. It is the ordinary mass of the day, but the chapel is mostly lit by candles and the Rorate hymn is sung throughout the mass. We mass is open for everyone as always, but we invited also special the young people living at Katarinahjemmet and in the catholic groups for students and young adults. After mass we invite to breakfast. These have become special mornings and both we and those who join experience that we enter into the spirit of the liturgy of advent.

Advent is also a time for community and some special treats. On the 13th of December we celebrate St. Lucia. There are many traditions connected with this day, but one that we keep at Katarinahjemmet is the special pastry called lussekatter. This year the 13th was a Friday and most of the students had not left for home yet. It became a nice opportunity for a Christmas gathering in the students' home, combining Lucia celebration with the traditional meal called Christmas porridge. One could wonder why a porridge is a dish associated with Christmas. As it is based on rice and milk, served with butter, sugar and cinnamon, it was considered a very fine dish.

sr. Katarina Pajchel
Oslo, Norvège