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GSN 250 February 2012
1
Good Shepherd News CongregationofOurLadyofCharityoftheGoodShepherd
GSN 250 February 2012
GSN 250 February 2012
“Leadership: an experience of growth
andlearningtogether”wasthethemethathelpedustomovedeeplyinourmissionofleadershipandawakenedinusmuchhope.
We had six days of personal re�lection,group sharing, and sharing with our ownteams;theplenarysessionswereenriching,and we sought to establish networks thatinvolved active dialogue regarding our"WishesandHopes"...
Whichunitswereparticipating?
West Africa (Senegal and Burkina Faso),Portugal, ColomboVenezolana, Ecuador, Pe-ruandthehostingunitofCentralAmerica.
SessionfortheNewLeadershipTeamsAnexperienceofgrowthandlearningtogether”
"CostaRica,February9-14,2012
Theorganizationwithathousanddetails.ThankstoFranciscaTorres,theprovinceleaderandthesistersoftheProvinceofCentralAmerica!
Wherewereweliving?
WestayedatthehouseoftheClaretianMissionarySistersoftheBlessedSacrament.Everythinghelpedustostrengthenourinternationality:places,rooms,gardensandespeciallythecoolweather
ThedailyEucharistwascelebratedintheeveningandtheygathereduptheday'sjourney,feelingsandcommitments.
Theallocationoftimeprovidedmomentsforprayerandpersonalre�lection,andalsoincludedtimeforacultural night, an exchange of experiences andpreparationofactivitiesforthenextday.
SessionfornewLeadershipsTeams—CostaRicaPage1-2
“Pastorcitos”aspecialisedprogrammeforchildrenandteenagerswhohavebeenabused—Chile
Page3
Thejourneyinourprovince-BelgiumFranceMagyarorszagPage4-6
"FamilyforLife"Association:Lebanon/SyriaJoseph’sBaptism
GranttoInnocenceitsRightsWomen’sempowermentinDamascus
Page7-8
NewsfromtheUnitofSouthAfricaPage9-10
AGoodShepherdLayAssociateShareshisApostol-icExperienceintheMen’sPrisoninUruguay
Page11-12MissionaryProcessandExpansionCommittee
1st to 5th of February Generalate Rome
Page13
WHAT IS INSIDE
GSN 250 February 2012
2
SessionfortheNewLeadershipTeams
day ... how to make it visible?We are challenged ... to workand practice! How? We wereencouraged to have a clear"Vision"onpaper,inourmindsand hearts, and now to prac-tice!...Attheendofthesessionwe re�lected and dialoguedwith much interest on the"Provincial AdministrationManual,"called"PAM"(Englishacronym),whichwillhelpusinourleadershipresponsibilities.
Weare grateful to theCongre-gation for this timeof training.Thanks to the sisters from theLeadership Team: Armelle,Eliene, Jude Ellen, Reina andRitawhohaveaccompaniedusto discover our strengths. Wehave the instrumentswe needof listening, dialogue and agreat desire to continue grow-inginLeadership."Theleaderisnotborn."Weareinprocessof becoming leaders ... wewillcontinuetorememberthesym-bol of dressing the tree ofHopes to remove obstacles inordertobearfruitandinabun-dance.With the celebration ofthemissioningEucharist,fullofmeaningful symbols,we endedour sessionand receiveda let-ter and a photo of Mary Eu-phrasia from the hands of ourcongregationalcounselors.
We conclude with what Sr.Brigidsaidtous…Brigidintheopening message reminded usof the words of St. Mary Eu-phrasia regarding our mis-sion...
"Becon�identandnotafraidofnewthings.
Lovewithallyourheart...theheartofGodlivesthroughyou.Yourtimeisnow...."
Thewealthofbeingabletolis-tentoeachotherwasastrongelement of this meeting. Howdidtheyshare?You might well ask this ques-tion. The help of translatorsallowedustounderstandwhateach one shared ... butwe feltthe need to study the "linklanguage"…The methodology used al-
Par�cipants at the session from: West Africa (Senegal and Burkina Faso), Portugal,
Venezuela-Colombo, Ecuador, Peru and Central America.
lowed us to share deeplyaboutourleadership,ourfra-gility, which was symbolizedby clay pots. We werestrengthenedbytheguidanceand frequent dialogue be-tween us. Gently we wereconducted to de�ine whatleadership is, to contemplateMary Euphrasia, in her lead-ership of yesterday and to-
Centerpieceforp
rayer
GSN 250 February 2012
3
MarieFrançoiseMESTRY,CommunicationsCoordinator
Casa Generalizia, Suore del Buon Pastore, Via Raffaello Sardiello 20- 00165 Roma, Italia.Email: [email protected] [email protected]
Good Shepherd News
Theproject ‘Pastorcitos’serves
children and teenagers who
have suffered serious abuse.
Our programme, which began
inFebruary2006,wasinitiated
bytheSistersoftheGoodShep-
herd in Chile. The goal of the
project is to respond to the
large increase in the abuse of
children and teenagers in the
townships of Constitucion and
EmpedradoinDistrictVII.
Duringthe�irst�iveyearsofthe
project 90% of the caseload
dealt with cases of sexual
abuse: violation, incest and
rape. With our multidiscipli-
nary approachwe strive to re-
store the dignity and human
rights of thesepeoplewho, for
variousreasons,havehadsuch
painful experiences. Our work
also involves promoting and
supporting theprocessof rein-
tegration into the family and
society.
Our Experience of Network-
ing
Our programme welcomes all
childrenandteenagersreferred
fromtheFamilyCourt,fromthe
Of�ice for the Protection of the
RightsofChildrenandAdoles-
cents (OPD)and fromtheDis-
trictAttorney’sOf�ice.Thepro-
gramme supports minors un-
der18yearsof age,whohave
suffered serious physical
abuse and whose physical in-
tegrityhasbeencompromised,
victimsofsexualassault: rape,
statutory rape, sexual abuse,
sodomy and child pornogra-
phy.
Oneofourbasicpremisesisto
workwiththefamilyandwith
an adultwho is signi�icant for
the child or teenager who
comesto‘Pastorcitos’,inorder
to improve parenting skills.
We also provide hospitality
and support for the children’s
immediate families and, in
some cases, for the families of
theperpetrators.
Ourmethodologyisinteractive
and participatory. Our clients
assist us in developing a diag-
nostic plan of intervention, as
well asorganisingandpartici-
pating in educational training
workshops.Ontheotherhand,
we take into account the gen-
der perspective and the im-
portance of rede�ining male
andfemaleroles.
Ourprojectoperates according
tothetechnicalandadministra-
tive guidelines of the National
Service for Minors (SENAME).
Every year we carry out self-
assessment. Contributions are
made according to the existing
realitywhichenablesthiswork
to be dynamic and responsive
tocurrentneeds.
Guided by the name of
‘Pastorcitos’, we focus on re-
sponding to the needs and de-
mandsofthosewhoareinabu-
sive situations and we, as a
technicalteam,allowourselves
to be led by Jesus so that we
can help restore the dignity of
thesepersons. Inspiredalsoby
the teaching of St. Mary Eu-
phrasia, we try to welcome
themandcommunicatetothem
that each one is ofmore value
thanawholeworld.
CommunicationCentre
ProvinceofBolivia/Chile
“Pastorcitos”aspecialisedprogrammeforchildren
andteenagerswhohavebeenabused
CONSTITUCIÓN/CHILE
Welcomingchildrenforcounselling
InspiredalsobytheteachingofSt.Mary
Euphrasia,wetrytowelcome them and
communicate tothem that each one
is of more value
thanawholeworld.
GSN 250 February 2012
4
JourneyofEnrichmentThejourneyinourprovince-BelgiumFranceMagyarország(BFM)
OurProvinceofBFMhasmadeconcretethejour-
neyofenrichmentofourtwoCongregations.
Meeting of the two Councils - this started several
years ago and continues today.
♦ Discovering St. John Eudes and St. Mary Euphra-
sia by means of sharing our spirituality:
♦ Session in Angers on the history of our Congre-
gations, Session in Caen.
♦ A pilgrimage to the important places of our
founders.
Celebrations of our Congregations: Feast of the
Holy Heart of Mary in Chevilly-Larue, Feast of
St. Mary Euphrasia in Paris Parroquial or An-
gers.
♦ Sharing on our Constitution in the communities
RGS-OLC and OLC-RGS.
♦ “On-going formation” session with Father FREY,
Eudist.
♦ Deepening in our spirituality by means of pro-
grams prepared by the Spirituality Center at the
Motherhouse and by BFM in Hungary.
Getting to know each other better, by means of
gatherings; sharing in celebrations; visits, personal
encounters with each other.
Testimonies of our OLC and RGS sisters during days of
Justice and Peace.
Pentecost weekend in Angers.
A Good Shepherd Associates weekend.
Discovering the international aspect by those living in
a Good Shepherd community.
Forumduring the OLC assembly next May in order to
dialogue and know each other better.
AWeekendin La Roche du Theil next July in order to
celebrate the end of the year on Spirituality and to
spend time together with the Eudists and Associates.
Sharingonourcharismbyworkingtogetherona
commonproject.
Paris: “The �ields of Boaz” in Paris for the last 10years
… welcoming women looking for asylum, welcome
and assistance, etc.
RGS-OLC sharing life in the same community, in
the same place in Roubaix/ Marquette, Caen, Schaer-
beek in Belgium, and Paris… and soon in Rennes.
(Sharing life in common, and in a common project, life
of prayer and everyday life, sharing in different
tasks, etc. study of the Constitutions of each Con-
gregation, a desire to continue this study)
CaenHouseofSt.JohnEudes
Six sisters - 4 OLC and 2 RGS
SchaerbeekinBelgium: Presence in the midst of
prostitution by 4 sisters: 3 RGS, 1 OLC
RoubaixandMarquette: 6 sisters, of which 1 is
OLC. Welcoming women with children for a few
months
Paris Parroquial: 2 RGS and 1 OLC for a few
months.
Rennes: 4 OLC and 1 RGS
SaintYriexandlaGarenne: with the Contempla-
tive sisters.
WorkingincommissionsandRGS/OLCleader-
shipat the provincial level of both Congregations.
Justice and Peace Commission: 2 RGS, 1 Con-
templative and 1 associate + 1 lay person and 2
OLC sisters
(cfseespeciAicannex)
YouthGroup:4 RGS, 2 OLC;
Vocation work
Praying for one another and for themission.
Prayer is important for the sake of mission and for
each other.
As we say in the prayer for our Journey of Enrich-
ment:
“Your great heart is the source of our charism ofmercifullove.Mayitcontinuetoinspireustochari-
tyandzeal,bothofwhichweneed inorder to, to-
gether,promoteour lifeofmission,ofhopeandof
reconciliation.”
GSN 250 February 2012
5
JourneyofEnrichment-AnnexProvinceofBelgium/France/Magyarorzág
OLC/RGSCommunityofRoubaix-Marquette-Annex1
WeareacommunityofOurLadyofCharity-GoodShep-
herdfromJanuary9,2007.
Weshareinacommonmission:Shelterforwomenand
children.Thewomenwhoapplyaremostlyvictimsofdo-
mesticviolence.
Thecompositionofthecommunityis:therewere2OLCin
thebeginningand2RGS.Currently,weare6intwodiffer-
entplaces,andonlyoneOLC!
Ourcommunitylifeisbasicallyisthesame:wesharein
everydaylifechores,shareinthesamemissionwithwom-
enandchildren,sharingincommunitymeetingsandpray-
er:jobs,Eucharist,worshiptime,sharetheGospelwithout
forgettingtheprayersofthecongregationeverydayand
prayingforthejourneyofenrichment!
Todaywetriedtoimprovetheorganizationofthe�inances,
butquestionsarise,whichwecontinuetore�lect...
Thereisonepointthatisstillnotclear:
Whatrelationshipdoesthesuperiorofthecommunity
(whichisaRGS)havewiththeOLCProvincialSuperiorand
Council?
Whatresponsibilitydoesthesuperiorhaveinrelationto
theOLC’sinhercommunity?
WhatplaceistherewithintheOLCProvinceforGoodShep-
herdSisterswhoareinanintercongregationalcommunity?
andviceversa.
Withtheprayerforthejourneyofenrichment,wepray:
"Yourgreatheartisthesourceofourcharismofmerciful
love,inspireustocontinuethecharityandzealofwhichwe
need,together,topromoteourmissionoflife,hopeandof
reconciliation."
Maggy,Marie,Gabrielle,Odile
(missingarePatriciaandClotilde)
OLC-RGSCommunityofCAEN
Annex2
Ourcommunitymakesconcretethejour-
neyofenrichmentofourtwocongrega-
tions.Thecommunityiscomposedof2sis-
tersofOurLadyofCharityand2Sistersof
theGoodShepherd.
We learn to know each other more and
seek,always,tomoveforwardtogetherfol-
lowinginthestepsofourholyfounders.
ThissummerwehostedagroupofSisters
of the Good Shepherd coming from the
Philippines,accompaniedbysisterTarcila.
Later a group of Sisters of Our Lady of
Charity came fromMexico.With them,we
sharedmealsand followed thestepsofSt.
JohnEudes.
Itwasaveryrichtimeofmeetings,sharing,
andofexchangesbothonthespiritualand
international level. For us it is a new step
onthepathofenrichment.
Wealsobegantostudytheconstitutionsof
eachofourcongregationsandweintendto
continuethatstudy.
December-Januaryof2012
MembersoftheCommunityRGS/OLC
CommunityofCaen
GSN 250 February 2012
6
CommunityofParis-Parroquial:
Arichexperience“Happytojourneytogether”
Annex3
Thisjourneyofenrichmenthastakentheformofajourneyofafew
monthsforaCommunitycomposedof2RGSand1OLC.
Tofurtherconsolidatetheteamwehavechosentoliveafewdaysas
acommunity inSeptember,2010.Westayedwith theSistersofSt.
JosephofCluny,ontheStreetoftheSuburbSt-Jacques,aneighbor-
hoodfullofhistoryoftheFrenchSchool.Wetookthetimetoknow
eachotherbetter,topray,tocreateaprogram,anagendaandweate
inalocalrestaurant.
Surely,otherencountersoutsideof themoreformalmeetingswere
encouraged.Asessionofourcommonhistoryenrichedus.Wepar-
ticipated in a session of Justice and Peace in Cachan and Chevilly,
with GS associates. We celebrated New Year and February 8th to-
getherinChevilly.ThentherewasameetinginAngersthatenriched
our"livingtogether".Weparticipatedinthe30th jubileeof thepar-
ish.
Ifwecannot continue in theeveryday,due to the fact thedistance
between Paris and Chevilly Parish, still true bonds were created.
Thereistimetoshareaboutmercyandcompassion."Ifeelathome
inAngers".asmuchashere,participatingintheactivitiesandevents
thatmark the 'Fields of Boaz’, themulticultural district andmore
speci�icmeetingswiththeSistersofNSC.
Also at sessions and encounters of the French School on the 400
yearsoftheOratoryofFrance,wearehappyto�indoneormoreof
theothersistersofOLC.
“DiscoveryourownpathtotheLordandwaitonHim.Hehimself
willact.”St.JohnEudes
JourneyofEnrichment-AnnexProvinceofBelgiumFranceMagyarorzág
OLC/RGSCommunityinBelgium
onD’AerschotStreet
Annex4
Ourexperimencehasbeen:
We have the same focus regarding
the plan formission aswell as the
understanding of religious life
(communitylife,lifeofprayer,etc.)
Our spiritual references, our foun-
dations, are the same. For RGS,
Mary Euphrasia gives dynamism, a
“broader”breath!
Thedifferencesofeveryday lifeare
morethedifferencesinpersonality,
orofeachindividual’slifehistory.
Ingeneral,weunderstandbymeans
ofourreactionstoanawarenessof
theRGS beingmarked by an inter-
national aspect, of beingmoremo-
bile.TheOLCaremarkedbyatradi-
tion of autonomy, of rootedness in
thesameplace.
Webelievethatweneedalotoffor-
mal or informal meetings to move
forwardinthis"journey"
Forourdifferences tobe ameans
of enrichment, we have to look at
them , name them so that they do
not remain onlywishful thinking the-
ory.
Sr.MarieLucDordonnat.
Annex5
TheexperienceofpartnershipRGS-OLCintheJPSCommissionFrance
Since2008,theJPSCommitteeconsistsofequalnumbersof2RGSsisters2
OLCSistersand2laypersons(associateoffriendoftheGoodShepherd)All
theworkofre�lection,theelaborationoftheplanningfortheyear,organisa-
tionofmeetingsaredonetogetherduringthe3-4annualmeetingsoftheSe-
lectCommittee.
Wehaveevensetupacommonbudget,since2010.
Wehavebeengreatlyenrichedby the JointCommittee JPS since2008.Wehavenowdevelopedwaysof
thinking,ofraisingawarenessandtoalwaysactandthisallowsustoexperimentconcretelythestrengthof
ourcharism
GSN 250 February 2012
7
EucharisticcelebrationwithMembersoftheAssociation:
"FamilyforLife"ProvinceofLebanonSyria
The association "Family For Life"
aimsto�indfundstohelpfamilies
havingsocialproblems,especially
women,girlsandchildren.
Supported by God’s providence,
competent persons blessed with
theGoodShepherdCharismhave
collaboratedwithusinthisvery
urgentmission.
To mark the beginning of this
mission,aMasswascelebratedon
Saturday, 26/11/2011 at 6.00
p.m . The eight families involved
in this associationwere present
togetherwiththefoundinggroup
of the association: Master Salim
Madi,Mr.ElieKhater,MrsJihad
Jabre, Dr. Charles Sacre and
Sisters: Georgette Tannoury,
AnnieKahwajian,HananYoussef
and the sisters from Sehaıle,
Jdeide aswell as our province
Leader and the sisters of our
communityofAinSadde.
ReverendFatherDanielMadi,in
his homily focused on the
importance of revitalizing any
person deprived of the joy of a
normallife.
The songs andprayers facilitated
an atmosphere of fervor, which
was re�lected on the faces of all
the people. TheMass endedwith
the celebrant's blessing, after
whicheveryonewasinvitedtothe
communityforajoyousreception,
marked by a toast , and we left
with the decision of the next
workingmeeting.
"Fromhisfullnesswe
haveallreceived,grace
upongrace.”(Jn1,16)
GSsistersandlaycollaboratorsatthemass Sr.MCNaddafProvinceLeaderaddressingtheassembly
WelcomeHomeforChildren
FoyerduBonpasteur
BaptismofJoseph
Joseph,4yearsold,whosefatherisfromthe
Catholic Coptic Egyptian church and the
motherMuslim is entrusted to us by his fa-therwhose�inancialandeducationalinabilitypreventshimfromtakingcareofhim.Heof-tencomestoseehissonwhomhelovesmuchand sincerely asked us to baptize the child.The baptism took place on Sunday05/09/2011 in the parish of Saint TheresainMansourieh,asmalltownnotfarfromourplace,byFatherDanyEV phrem,thegodfatherandgodmotherareourfriends.Some ofour sisters;Sr.Annie, communityleader and Director of the home, Sr. RitaHadchiti, Manager of the same home werepresent and together with all the friends a
party completed the joy of the entry of Joseph in the HolyChurch.Josephismoreorlessawareofhissituationandasks:"whyhisfatherdoesnottakehimhome."Aquestiontowhichitisnoteasytogivetherightanswer,butwetrytocompensatebyouraffectionandattention focusedonaneducation thatwillhelphimovercomehisproblems.For the restGodwillprovide.ProvinceofLebanon/Syria
FatherDanyÉphremcele-bratingtheBaptismofJoseph
Josephandhisfathercutting
thecake
GSN 250 February 2012
8
GranttoInnocenceitsRights ProvinceofLebanon/Syria
With a quali�ied team, 50
children from 8 to 12
years, enjoy different ac-tivities, often in smallgroups that they them-selves choose the name.Several activities, coloringbooks, songs, appropriategames are included in the
program. The goal is to give these children an atmos-phereofpeace,joyandwonderfarfromtheanguishofadults.ThedifferenttrainingsessionsforIraqiwomencontinues.We juststartedameetingonaweeklybasisfor young teens tired of their situation.Sister Georgette Tannoury
InourworkwithIraqirefugees,werealizedhowthechildrenaredeprivedoftheirownrights.Wetandprecarioushousing,insuf�icientspace,lockedalldayinfrontofthetelevision,educationisnotaconcernforparentsetc.Despiteourmanyactivities,wedecidedtotakethechildrenoutonceaweektoenablethemtolivetheirchildhood,abitofspacetobreathe,enjoynature,enjoyactivitiesfortheirage,gotothetheatre,haveaconsistentmeal.
Meetingforyoungteensonaweeklybasis
Women’sempowermentinDamascusOn the occasion of the international day of �ighting violence againstwomen,thepublicrelationsteamoftheTrustLinearrangeda lunchonSaturday26thofNovember2011whichbroughttogetherassocia-tionsworkinginthe�ieldofwomen’sempowermentinDamascus.Almost90membersparticipatedfromthefollowingassociations:-SistersofTheGoodShepherd:theshelterandtheTrustLine.-Sistersofalmahaba:Zabadani’sshelter.-Syrian family planning association: Health Counseling Center.-Association for Women’s Role Development: Oasis of hope.-UNRWA-Lawyers and people interested in the event. Photo: Sister Lolita Hussein le( and the par�cipants.
Theeventstartedwithanexplanationaboutthemotivesbehinditwhichare:primarilyasnetworkingoppor-tunityandalsotolearnmoreabouteachother’sworkinthis�ield.Alltheassociationsattendingtheeventworktoprotectwomenandgirlsvictimsofviolenceintheirownfamilyandsociety,andprovidevictimswithpsychosocialandlegalcounselinginadditiontohealthandrehabilitationforreintegrationintosociety.Continuedonpage13
GSN 250 February 2012
9
NewsfromtheUnitofSouthAfrica
Wesharewithyousomehighlightsof2011ayearfullofjoys,surprisesandsadness.
UnitAssembly2011
JOYSAs it was the year to have our Unit Assemblywewere blessed by the
presenceofSr.Nirmala(ProvinceLeaderofIsles)toguideusthroughour
DiscernmentProcessandwewereverygratefultoherforhersincerityin
helping us to move forward as a Unit. The outcomes were a stronger
bondamong the sisters in knowing eachotherbetter, 5 clearpriorities
andfourcandidatesprayerfullynominatedbythesistersofwhichaUnit
Leaderwill be appointed by the Congregational LeadershipTeam for a
mandateofthreeyears.
The month of July was upon us and the presence of Sr. Brigid
(CongregationalLeader)andSr.Rita(CongregationalCouncilor)meantit
wastimeforourlongawaitedUnitAssembly(21-25July)Itwasabeau-
tifultimeforallwhichmadeusreviewourapostolateandourcommunities.Ourprioritieswereshapedinto
anactiveDirectionStatementwithconcreteactions.
SURPRISE
During the opening ritual of our Unit Assembly it was an-
nouncedwithjoybySr.BrigidLawlorthatthenewlyappointed
Unit Leaderwas Sr. ZelnaOosthuizen (SouthAfrican). By the
end of the Unit Assembly the new Unit Councilorswere also
electedbythesisters;Sr.LydiciaLetlaka(Lesotho)andSr.Al-
fonsaSudaryanti(Indonesian).
Photo: From left to right: Sr.Lydicia Letlaka, Sr. Zelna Oost-huizenandSr.AlfonsaSudaryanti.
AbrandnewUnitLeadershipTeambidagratefulfarewelltotheOutgoingUnit
LeadershipteamforthesixyearsofservicetotheUnit-Sr.NaomiMascarenhas
(UnitLeader),Sr.ColleenSimpsonandSr.MargueriteDoyle(UnitCouncillors)
Photo:LeftSr.ColleenSimpsonandSr.NaomiMascarenhas
ThenewUnitLeadershipTeambegantheirMandateon1stNovember(AllSaintsDay)withtheEucharistic
Celebration. An informal sharing by the New Unit Leadership Team was done about their experience of
growthandteambuildingduringtheoneweekTrainingforNewUnitLeadershipTeamsinKenya.Weare
verygratefultotheCongregationalLeadershipTeamforalltheirsupportandguidance.
ContemplativenewsSr.MargueriteDoyle(ApostolicSisteronMissioninSouthAfrica
for many years) joined the Contemplative Sisters in Ireland in
February2011afteralongdiscernmentprocess.GoldenJubileeCelebrations
Photo:Sr.MargueriteDoyle(Irish)LeftandSr.PaulinusJeyachandraSriLanka
GSN 250 February 2012
10
NewsfromtheUnitofSouthAfrica
MissionExpansion
A new PrimaryHealthCareclinic was built in our Mission, in the
Madidi Village, to serve the growing needs of the poor, sick people.
One Registered Nurse consults on average 45 patients a day.
The services offered are for chronic ailments, minor ailments, Coun-
seling, HIV/AIDS support and care, Good Shepherd Kids support
groups ( Orphaned, vulnerable and child-headed households- we
serve about 600 children daily) and Home Based Care Training.
Sr. Brigid and Sr. Rita participated in the Opening Ceremony of the
Clinic on the 26 July 2011 in the presence of the benefactors who
�inanced the building. Le�: Sr Brigid Lawlor with Sr. Zelna
Missionaries
We welcomed Sr. Sharmila (Temporary professed) for
International Missionary experience from Sri Lanka, Sr.
Anne Lenihan from Ireland and Sr. Rose Virginia Madan
from Germany also came as missionaries to our Unit and
pray that their generosity of service to the Good Shepherd
Mission in South Africa will be rewarded hundred-fold
during their time with us.
Sr.Sarmila
Pathinathan
(SriLanka)
Sr.AnneLenihan
(Ireland)
Sr.RoseVirginia
Madan(Germany)
Farewell With grateful hearts we bid farewell to Sr.
Gemma Malieakal from India and Sr. Natalie
Fouad from Egypt and thanked them for their
presence and contribution as Missionaries in
South Africa.We are grateful to the Unit Lead-
ers of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Germany and
Ireland for freeing our sisters to be missionar-
ies in the Unit of South Africa.
Sr.NatalieFouad
(Egypt)
Sr.Gemma
Malieakal(India)
Thank
you
GreenAieldsproject GreenAieldsproject started in Port Elizabeth
to alleviate poverty through skills, motivational
talks and a nutrition program for 60 children
and 30 adults-women in very poor living condi-
tions, unemployed and displaced.
We are still trying to get the land so that proper
buildings may be erected for future skills devel-
opment, health services and social assistance. Sr.PaulinuswiththeChildren
Green:ieldsProjects
GSN 250 February 2012
11
AGoodShepherdLayAssociateSharesHisApostolicExperience
intheMen’sPrisoninUruguayProvinceofArgentina/Uruguay
COMCARMen’sPrison,Uruguay“ForIwasinprisonandyouvisitedme.”Matt.
25:36Inthesamewaythathospitalsadmitthesickper-sonsofsociety,prisonsadmitpersonswho,intheviewofpenaljustice,havelosttheirrighttomovefreely.
I began this apostolate as a LayAssociateof the
GoodShepherdby joining thePrisonMinistryof
theDiocese and received awarmwelcome from
thepriestsandlaymembersofthepastoralteam.
My �irst visits to theprison complexproduceda
verystrongimpactonmysoul,almosterodingmy
�ightingspirit.Butinsurmountingtheinitialdif�i-
culties,onebeginstoperceiveclearlythehelpwe
receiveforthemissionfromonhigh:tosowhope
inpersonsintheviciousgripofdesperation,their
characters stripped of the values which should
directallpersonsofgoodwill.
Mons.CotugnoandCarlosÁlvarez,layassociate
withsomeofthemenintheprison.
Those we visit recognize the
words placed by the Holy Spirit
onthelipsofSt.MaryEuphrasia:
…”apersonisworthmorethana
world.” This Euphrasian spirit
which every Lay Associate de-
sires to make his own inspires
theaction to rechannel the lives
of thesemen toabetterway, to
help them discover their worth
as beloved sons of God. The
Scriptures are our compass, in
themwe�indthecharismweare
trying to live out: the mercy,
compassion, and reconciliation
oftheGoodShepherd.
Thebadadviceandwrongideas
which abound in the prison are
like the weathervane which
simplyindicateswherethewind
isblowing.Thatiswhythepres-
ence of the Church is so neces-
sary…Theharvestisrichbutthe
laborers are few… Here in the
prison the words of the Gospel
arealatentreality.Whenwebe-
gan theseprisonvisits,wewere
three: a Vincentian, a Son of
Mary,andmyself.Wecouldonly
visitModule 1 out of the 7 that
are in the prison complex. Each
modulehousesaround400men,
triplethememberforwhichthe
modulewasdesigned.Thisover-
populationaggravates the situa-
tion which the authorities are
trying to solve by building an-
othermodule. But the reality is
thatweare so fewand the �irst
dif�iculty is to �ind people who
can be truly committed to the
workwith all its exigencies and
to adjust ourselves to this task
which requires formation ses-
sions,working in a team, learn-
ing from others’ experiences,
andotherformationpersonnel.
Beforegoingintothisapostolate,
we tried to provide somemini-
courses in which the recruits
could be informed about the
characteristicsofthemission.At
�irst therewas a good response
but by the end about half of
them abandoned the courses.
Thuswethoughtofhavingasin-
cere and faithful conversation
aboutouractualworkinthepris-
on; this helped improve attend-
ance in the mini-courses and to
form homogenous and enthusias-
ticgroups.
Therearemanyprisons,eachone
with its own characteristics. The
moreexperiencedmembersofthe
pastoralteamhadtheirideaswho
among the recruits would �it in
oneorotheroftheprisons.
Thencomesthe�irsttimetoenter
oneofthemodulesandfacingthe
rigors of the procedures and for-
malities forgainingentrance.One
feels a double impact, �irst with
theprisonpersonnel,andthis�irst
impressioniswhatcouldblockthe
nobleimpulsewebringandmake
us say: “I’m not coming back
here… this is not forme.” This is
the time we should stay side by
side,surroundingeachotherwith
courage so that the strength that
comes fromon high can reach us
and�illus.
Continuedonpage12
GSN 250 February 2012
12
Relativesand friendsonknowing
our ministry, may say outright,
“How could you get involved in
suchathing?”
Recruits should discern with
whom to share information on
our activities in the prison, be-
sides the minor details of our
evangelicalwork.
Eachvisithasaneffectonouref-
fortswhichisalwaysstimulating..
Ofour�irstteamofthree,onehas
alreadygonehome to theFather,
but now we are ten.
Fourofthemdriveusintheirown
cars to reach the prison 20 kilo-
meters away. The grace of the
Lord must have certainly in�lu-
encedus, creating us into a com-
pact group, harmonious in a
brotherhood under Jesus the
Good Shepherd. We are truly
grateful for we are now able to
visit �ive of the Modules. This
year, Godwilling we hope to get
more recruits for the harvest is
indeedgreat.
Regarding the prison population,
wenever forget thewordsofour
holyMother Euphrasiawho said,
“Give a glass of milk �irst before
you start preaching.” Our bishop,
Msgr.Nicolas,alsotellsusthatwe
cannot evangelize those with
empty stomachs. Therefore we
always try to bring something,
especiallyfood,eachtimewevisit.
WearegratefultotheGoodShep-
herd Sisters, our religious family,
who always provide something.
Alsomywife who helpsme pre-
parethefood.This,andherpray-ers,arehersupportformyprisonapostolate.The prison food is called “el ran-cho” for it is the same everyday,novariation,andwithhardlyanynutritivevalue.The “hotbrick” isa little kitchenwith electricity inwhich the prisoners could pre-
pareanothermenu.Theingenui-tyoftheprisonerstocookotherthingsisreallymarvelous!Now, for thespiritual food.Howcanwespeakofculturetopeoplewholackit?Muchlessthemoralvalues to those who have doneallkindsof“anti-values.”Allhumanbeingshaveneedsandthose with no moral values donothesitatetouseanymethodtosurvive and live on the marginsof the law.Assumingthatallareequal, the prisoners are dividedinto those who elude the lawsandare“outside”andthosewhoare “unlucky” due to ignoranceor lack of skills. The concept ofwho we are can be a profoundstudy for them. They call us“credulous, easy to deceive orcheat.”They studyus and try tosituate us in a de�inite fringe orstrip but they know nothing offaith, much less of hope andhaven’t the least idea of charity.The�irststepwetakeistostressthese values as well as the hu-manvirtuesofprudence, justice,fortitude and temperance.Recently when they discoveredthatourvisitswerenotmotivat-ed by personal interests, theybegan to get ideas of right andwrong. They wanted to knowmore about us and howwe areanimated by Christ… They feltthat in their heart was a placewhich only Christ can �ill, thatthisplaceisemptyandthatonlyChristcanoccupyit.Todoevan-gelizing work in a penitentiaryhas many dif�iculties due to thedifferent modules, some due todisciplinaryproblemswhichsus-pend our visits. All these con-spire to affect the continuity ofourtask.Before entering the cells, ourteam forms a circle, holdinghandswepray that Jesuswould
help us. Inside, during the ses-sionwealsoholdhandswiththeprisoners to thank the Lord anddo the same before we leave.Thus we entrust everything totheLordbefore,during,andaftereverysession.It is indeedan inestimablegraceto belong to the Good Shepherdfamilyforwehavelearned, indi-viduallyandasagroup,tosearchforthelostsheep,toformgroupsand to delegate functions, totreat eachpersonas aChristian,withoutlookingforcollisionsbutforcoincidences.(Our brother Eudists are veryskilledinthis).All throughout this apostolate, Ihave always felt the support ofmywife,myreligiouscommunityof the Good Shepherd, and mybrother lay associates. For all ofthemIgivethankstotheLord.In my grateful heart and mindresounds the in�inite mercy ofGod which has associated mewithHisworkofredemptiveloveand helpedme to live the char-ismimplantedbytheHolySpiritintheheartofthatgreatwoman,ourSt.MaryEuphrasia.Shelivedand practiced the mercy andcompassion of the Good Shep-herdwhichledhertotellusthat“Apersonisofmorevaluethan
aworld…”
For our brothers I ask the LordfortheirperseveranceinHisser-vice and the daily strength tolook for the good, leading us totheFatherwhowelcomesusandto rejoice with every son whoreturnstoHishouse.CarlosAlvarez
LayAssociateofthe
GoodShepherd
Men’sPrisoninUruguaybyCarlosAlvarez
GSN 250 February 2012
13
GoodShepherdNewsWhile each unit is encouraged to
send articles anytime during the
year, we have planned that there
arespecificeditionswheneachunit
isaskedtosubmitanarticlesothat
at theendoftheyearall theunits
have been part of Good Shepherd
News.
Pleasesendarticlesonor
beforethe5thofeachmonth.
Hereisthesuggestedschedule:
January
Commissions,CLT,
Bolivia/Chile,Indonesia
February
Argentina/Uruguay,Lebanon/
Syria,Mexico,SouthAfrica
March
Belgium/France/Magyarorszag,Mid-NorthAmerica,Egypt/Sudan
April
Philippines,Portugal,Peru,Australia&Aoteraoa/N.Zealand
May
Spain,Angola/Mozambique,ColomboVenezolana
June
CentralAmerica,NortheastAsiaJuly
EastAsia,WestAfrica,(SenegalBurkinafaso)TheIsles
August
Italia/Malta,Singapore/Malaysia,Deutschland/Albania
September
Nederland,NewYork,Canada,EcuadorOctober
SudestedeAmericaLatina,SriLanka/Pakistan
November
Japan,GreatBritain,OY sterreich/Schweiz/CzechRep
December
India/Nepal,,Ireland,Congo/Kenya
Calendar2012201220122012
Good Shepherd News Special thanks to the following for the translations and proof Reading
AdrianaPerez,Mexico;KarlaBarnabe,Peru;NicoleBastien,Canada;NarcisaVivanco,Equador;AngelicaGuzman,Chile;GracielaMendez,Argentina;Mary-JamesWilson,Phillipines;MartaCeballos,AnaMariaQuiroz,Generalate;EthnaMcDermott,CzechRep,MarieHeleneHalligon,BFM;MichelferrerFrance
The meeting of the“Missionary Process
and Expansion”
Committee was heldinRomefrom1stto5thof February with thepresence of SisterNirmalaAbeysinghe,aresource team mem-ber. Themain objec-tive was to preparethe course for mis-
sionarieswhichwill takeplace inAngers fromthe29thofOctobertothe17thofNovember2012.Theotherobjectivewastore�lectonpos-siblewaystoanswertheneedsof“returningmissionaries”.The Committee recalled the importance of the missionary spiritthroughoutourreligiouslifewhereverweareinmission.Theywereremindedof theneedforcompassion inourmutualrelationshipwithone another as Good Shepherd Sisters.”Ouraffectionforoneanothermustnever impair thecharityand justicewhichuniteus toeachSisterandthewholeInstitute.”(Conference40)
MissionaryProcessandExpansionCommittee
1stto5thofFebruaryGeneralateRome
Women’sempowermentinDamascus
Contdfrompage8:Theeventwasalsoheldtoraisemoney to support the fund of the public relationsteamwithanadditionalamounttoexpandadvertis-ingtheTrustLineinSyria.AwelcomingspeechwasgivenbySisterLolitaHus-sein from Sisters of the Good Shepherd, director of
theshelterandtheTrustLinecenter inDamascus.Followingthiswasadisplay of presentations about some participating associations identify-ingtheirmissionandservices.Afterthepresentationseveryoneenjoyedlunchandthechancetonetwork.Thetotaltimeoftheeventwas3hoursanditwasagreatsuccessaswewereabletoachievethegoalsthatwereintended.Wehavereceivedposi-tiveandencouragingfeedbackfromparticipantswhosuggestedthatsim-ilareventsshouldbearrangedagain.MessagefromSisterMarieClaudeNaddaf
We are extremely concerned by the situation in Syria at this time. Theshelter for Iraqi refugeewomenandgirls atZabadanimentioned in thearticle has been forced to close due to the extreme danger in this areacurrently.Wehavetakeninasmanyofthewomenandgirlsintoourownshelteraswehavespacefor. WeaskforyourprayersandthoughtsfortheSyrianpeopleatthistime.