Conversations of the Heart: Charlottetown
Our group met on Sunday, November 18th; enjoying, as always, the warm hospitality provided by Sister Sue Kidd. We began with the Prayer for Internationality by lighting a candle as we prayed for each country, and using as a centerpiece the flags of each country. This was followed by the continuation of our sharing personal stories which we had begun earlier in the fall. We continued to be moved by the sometimes sad but, most of all, courageous, interesting and funny stories of our CND journeys from "then until now." We hope to finish these stories at our next gathering and if our memories serve us well, hope to continue to have an appreciation and respect for one another's backgrounds and contributions to Congregation de Notre-Dame life and mission.
Anne T. Gillis, CND
On November 8, 1897, Dorothy Day was born in Brooklyn, New York. On November 29, 1980, Dorothy Day died in the Bowery section of Manhattan. A bridge separates these two boroughs of New York.
Dorothy’s life was a bridge, a bridge connecting the homeless with a safe shelter, workers with their rights, the young with a vision for a different future based on cooperation rather than competitiveness, the Catholic with the radical message of the Sermon on the Mount.
Last week over 10,000 people from many different countries and religious traditions gathered in Toronto for the Parliament of World Religions. I was there on behalf of JPIC to present a workshop featuring the dance performance we had commissioned for the 2016 World Social Forum. The title of our session was "Climate Change: Hope in Action through the Arts". Over 15 keen people were present, several sharing their contact information and asking for copies of the DVD of the dance. Many seeds were planted with this invitation to nurture caring for our common home in new and creative ways. Many thanks to Toronto Associate Karen Volpe who was on hand for tech support.