90 Brenton Road / Newport, RI 02840 USA / Phone 401.846.4826

Sisters of St. Joseph of ClunyProvince of USA and Canada

Fall 2006Issue Number 40

General Chapter 2006

On the Move

In MemoriamSister Sheila KnowlesAffiliate Donald Land

Cluny Around the WorldIn the Australian

Outback

Cluny AssociatesNew Zealand

Cluny ProfileSister Gisèle Ménos

Inthis

Issue

Sister Joan Van der Zyden

Sister Luke Parker and I recently returned from Paris, France where we attended the General Chapter. We were not there alone! Sisters came from all around the world. Ninety-three sisters of twenty-nine different nationalities arrived at our Generalate in Paris representing our sisters from Australia and Papua New Guinea, Mozambique, Guinea, Paraguay and Argentina, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Central Africa, Senegal and Niger, West Africa,

Brazil, Pacific, Seychelles and Tanzania, Southwest India, France and Switzerland, Portugal, North India, South India, Southeast India, Angola and Guinea Bissau, Ireland and Great Britain, Madagascar, Spain, West Indies, Haiti, Antilles and Guyana, Reunion, New Zealand and Philippines and USA and Canada. As the delegates arrived we received a four-page report from each of the Regions/Provinces and busily prepared a display

room, which depicted the cries of our society and the ministry responses of our sisters. The General Chapter of 2006 was ready to begin and great anticipation filled the Mother House. We began our time together with a week long retreat in three different language groups, English, French and Portuguese. This time of prayer grounded us in our relationship with God and challenged us to move into our Chapter with a readiness and openness for the unexpected. On June 4, the Feast of Pentecost, we gathered in the “Grande Salle” (General Assembly Hall) for the formal opening of the Chapter. The weeks that followed were busy but filled with many graces.

Continued on Page 4

Sister Morag Collins - shortly after her re-election.

Cluny Sisters from every continent

gathered for a month at the

Mother House in Paris

re-elect General Superior for

anothersix years.

World Wide Gathering of Cluny Sisters in Parisfor General Chapter 2006

2 Fall 2006

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On the Move ...Sister Luke ParkerCluny Convent90 Brenton RoadNewport, RI 02840401-847-3637

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Cluny Connectionsis a quarterly publication of the

Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny

In Memoriam

Sister Sheila KnowlesSister Mary Patrice Watson

For 61 years, Sister Sheila Knowles answered the call, “Come follow me.” Sister Sheila served God’s people in Girvan, Scotland; Stafford, England; Dublin, Ireland; Providence, Rhode Island; and Wilmington, California. For 42 years she gifted our province with her missionary spirit. On Sunday, July 2, 2006, as we gathered around her and softly sang the beautiful refrain from “Be Not Afraid,” Sister Sheila peacefully left us to enter into eternal rest and communion with the Lord

she loved and served so faithfully. Sister Sheila was born in Dublin, Ireland, but grew up in London, England. She was witty, charming and gracious. She was youngest of six children, and the only girl, so her brothers spoiled her. Sheila’s father operated a retail business while her mother’s claim to fame was producing delicious desserts and pastries. Sister Sheila inherited her mother’s skills and generously shared them with us throughout her life. She could make preparing a gourmet meal look like a breeze. She took pleasure in preparing meals that were both delicious and had eye appeal. Sister Sheila made friends easily for she was very generous and outgoing. She also brought joy to our lives through her beautiful needlepoint creations: altar cloths, stoles, wall hangings and various other works. From 1991 to 2001, Sister Sheila volunteered as a teacher’s aide in Saints Peter and Paul School, in Wilmington, CA. She loved the children and their world was most

In Memoriam: Sister Sheila Knowles Continued on Page 3

“Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow Me, and I

will give you rest.”

Issue 40 3

Sister Josephine O’Kelly

Cluny in the Australian Outback

In the centre of Australia, bordering on the Simpson Desert, Sisters Valerie O’Donnell and Josephine O’Kelly are living within a community of indigenous Australians. The Arrernte people, have been living there for over forty thousand years. With the coming of the white man with his cattle, the hunting and gathering grounds of the people were no longer able to sustain them. Today they depend on welfare payments, as there is not adequate employment.

The sisters’ tasks are varied, and include promoting leadership amongst the Indigenous people, and encouraging the initiatives they take. Sister Valerie is an art therapist, and spends many hours with the school children on a one to one basis, helping them to articulate their feelings arising from the traumatic family situations many of them experience, with substance abuse rampant in the community, with dislocation in families and many alcohol related illnesses and deaths. Many visitors come to the community, and the sisters are able to help in the conscientization of non- Indigenous people concerning the injustices that have been the lot of the Arrernte people, e.g. the taking of the land, the taking of children of mixed race to be reared in orphanages, the large proportion of Indigenous people in the prison system, the disproportionate number of black deaths in custody. Currently the community has increased with the presence of Sister Angela McKay, the first Papua-New Guinea novice in the Congregation, who has come for six months’ community experience.

CLUNY AROUND THE WORLD

intriguing to her: she really came alive when it was time for school. She also enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, word searches and mystery stories. For the past five years, Sheila was missioned to the Jeanne Jugan Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro, California. She lived there peacefully, with her customary flourish and charm, and always eager to share. Her lifetime of devotion to the Eucharist and to the Trinity most definitely colored the fabric of her life. All the hours of needlework through the years, as well as the many sleepless nights and numerous hospitalizations due to her poor health, must have contributed to her contemplative spirit, for Sister Sheila was content just to “be”. Very often when we were saying good-bye, she would say to us, “Thank you so much for visiting.” We once again say good-bye, but this time Sister Sheila is not there to respond. With her passing, we have lost a special sister. Thank you, Sister Sheila, for the gift of your life with us. We will miss your presence in our lives.

“May Christ who called you, take you home,

May light unending shine on you.” (Song of Farewell)

In Memoriam: Con’tSister Sheila Knowles

In Memoriam Continues: + Affiliate Donald Land

Page 6

Sister Sheila KnowlesMilestones

Born:March 22, 1921

Entered Religious Life: January 12, 1942 (Stafford, England)

First Vows: September 8, 1944 (Stafford, England)

Final Vows: August 10, 1950 (Ferbane, Ireland)

Sister Josephine involved ininter-cultural learning

4 Fall 2006

From June 5 – 8 each of the Provinces presented an aspect of the life of their province that spoke of their continued expression of Anne-Marie Javouhey’s charism in today’s world. Sharing these experiences was truly a grace-filled opportunity for us to see our Cluny Sisters around the world reaching out in compassion to bring hope to those in need. The General Chapter convenes only once every six years and is ‘the’ governing body of the congregation. It is during the General Chapter that elections for the General Superior and General Council take place. On June 16 the delegates gathered for the election of the General Superior. Sister Morag Collins was re-elected for a term of six years. The afternoon was filled with celebrations as both the delegates and the sisters of the Mother House communities rejoiced in the news. The election of the Councilors took place on June 24th. The following Sisters were elected to form the new council: Sister Maria Isabel Vazquez (elected for Spain, Peru, Paraguay and Argentina), Sister Veronica Tyimuma (elected for Congo/Camaroon-Gabon, Guinea, Senegal/Niger and Madagascar), Sister Carmen Moranville (elected for France/Switzerland, St. Pierre & Miquelon, French Pacific, Reunion, Antilles/French Guyana and Haïti), Sister Maria Esperança Sousa, (elected for Portugal, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea Bissau and Brazil), Sisters Marie Madeleine Lepcha and Bernadette Pinto (elected for North, South, Southeast and Southwest India), Sisters Claire Houareau and Clare Stanley (elected for West

Indies, Seychelles/Tanzania, Ireland/Great Britain, West Africa, Australia/Papua New Guinea, New Zealand/Cook Islands/Fiji/Philippines and USA/Canada.) Sisters Claire Houareau and Carmen Moranville were elected as 1st and 2nd Assistants respectively. We hold each of these sisters in prayer as they begin their ministry of leadership as a new General Council. The General Chapter also sets the direction for the next six years for the congregation as a whole. Delegates worked in five different commissions which were formed on the basis of proposals sent in from the Provinces. The commissions were: Consecration – To the Springs of Living Water; Charism– Rediscovering and Keeping Alive the Charism of Anne-Marie Javouhey; Vocation – Cluny beyond Borders, Sharing the Charism; Internationality– Internationality and Universality for Mission; and Community– Community Life – Sign of a Presence. The work of the commissions will be presented to the congregation for study and

follow-up. As the Chapter closed on July 4th and we all prepared to return to our Provinces, we realized that the experience of the General Chapter had placed us in the midst of the reality the congregation is living. We saw that vocations are few in some of our Provinces, but that in others women continue to choose religious life as their desired vocation. We saw that we face many challenges as our sisters age but we also realized that new life and new needs are continuing to call us forth. As we look to the year 2007 and the celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation, we have much for which to be thankful. We can certainly claim what our Constitutions say, Her light was not put out in the night. She lives. She lives because her daughters, from every race and nation and tongue, have but one heart and one soul and continue in the Church the work the Lord entrusted to her.

(Constitutions of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny,

“In The Radiance of Anne-Marie Javouhey”)

Worldwide Gathering (Con’t)

Sisters Joan and Luke with Sister Clare Houareau, First Assistant

Sisters Veronique Joseph and Luke present the work of their commission

to the General Chapter Assembly

Cluny Profile:

Sister Gisèle Ménos

Sister Gisèle

Issue 40 5

“No way, Lord, I don’t want to be a nun!” Such a strong declaration reiterated again and again vanished one day...when finally, trusting in God’s everlasting love for me, I let go and responded to his pressing invitation, “Yes, Lord, I shall follow you.” Recently, I was interviewed by one of my former students, Robert, attending his last year at the university. “Sister Gisèle, tell me about your religious vocation.” “In my late teens, Divine Providence chose Sister Bernard, a Cluny Sister, to share my life’s path for a while. Sister Bernard lived her discipleship simply and to the fullest. Oh, the power of good example! Actions do speak

louder than words. I recall saying enthusiastically, more than once, ‘I want to be a sister like Sister Bernard!’ Clearly, she was chosen by God to be the instrument that led me to Him.” “Tell me more, Sister”, Robert implored. “I shall confess, in all sincerity, that the choice was a difficult one for me. On the one hand, I experienced a loving and extensive family, numerous friends and an intense ‘joie de vivre’, nourished by robust health. I had also opportunities to visit many countries and work in the business world. On the other hand, I was blessed with an innate generosity manifested by a longing and a pursuit of the true, the good and the beautiful (so present in my entourage!) Assiduous prayer and an active interest in biblical studies under the leadership of authoritative professors also weighed heavily on this side of the scale.” “In the midst of my discernment, a conflict arose. The divine call was becoming increasingly more urgent and frequent. ‘I want you, Gisèle, and I want you, NOW!’ At the same time, I had the opportunity, as a Girl Scout leader, to represent the girls in my group at the Jamboree in Norway.” At this point in our interview, Robert exclaimed, “No problem! I would have gone to the Jamboree first, and then I would have

answered the Lord’s call! Is that what you did, Sister?” “Here lies the mystery of the Divine Call, Robert. Animated by God’s spirit, after five years of an interior struggle, I chose to answer with enthusiasm: ‘YES, Lord, I shall follow you, NOW!’” To this day, I have never looked back, even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances that arise in my life. This grace of fidelity - bestowed on me for fifty-five years - is the foundation of my daily prayer of thanksgiving to the ONE who loves me with an everlasting love. Duc in altum! Lead on high like an eagle soaring over land and sea! This picturesque and challenging imagery has guided me all along the way. Every day I start again with renewed enthusiasm and greater courage. I promise–with your help, Lord–to continue to work for the flourishing of your kingdom in our world. A kingdom of truth, of justice, of peace. A KINGDOM of JOY! Robert thanked me with his beautiful smile and went away...pensive...

Thank you, Sister Gisèle, for saying, ”Yes,” over and over again. Thank you for the witness of your life and for your fifty-five years of faithful service for the flourishing of God’s reign in our world. May God’s goodness and kindness follow you all the days of your life.

In preparation for this issue’s Profile, we asked Sister Gisèle Ménos to tell us some of the highlights of her life. After pondering a while on our questions, she responded with the following article. It is the story of her vocation. May it inspire you, just as it inspired the young man to whom she told it.

Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny90 Brenton RoadNewport, RI 02840

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Bringing Hope & Compassion

Please remember the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny in your will. Thank you.

Donald Land, a long time friend of the Hamilton, Ontario community, and Cluny Affiliate went home to God last January. Don, who at one time owned and operated Land Insurance, later taught at Cathedral Boys High School in Hamilton. Never a Christmas passed that Don did not visit the community, bearing gifts. He was a man of deep faith and integrity and cared for others and for all God’s creation. Don also had a great sense of humor and we will remember

In Memoriam (Con’t)

him as a very human, fun loving Christian and faithful friend who enjoyed life to the hilt His beloved wife Kathleen and their children Brian, Kevin, Mary Margaret, Maureen, Ted and Don, Jr. survive Don. We remember them all in our prayers and extend our deepest sympathy.

Donald Land, on the occasion of the Affiliation of the Lands

to the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny.

Cluny Affiliates are long-time friends of the Congregation upon whom this honor is bestowed. The prayers of all the sisters of the Congregation accompany them in life and in death, in gratitude for the many ways they have shared their time, talent and treasure with us, and have supported our mission.

Affiliate Don Land