Cluny Sisters Annual Appeal

Click here to make a gift:

https://clunyusandcanada.org/share-in-our-mission/#make-a-donation

Or mail your check to: 

 Srs. of St. Joseph of Cluny * PO Box 66 * Newport, RI 02840

Thank you!

World Mission Sunday

‘My Dream: a Missionary Church’ 

 

 

“Dear brothers and sisters, I continue to dream of a completely 

missionary Church, and a new era of missionary activity 

among Christian communities,”

- World Mission Day message

World Mission Day — also known as World Mission Sunday — was established by Pope Pius XI in 1926. It is usually observed on the third Sunday of October and will be celebrated this year on Sunday, October. 23, 2022.

This year’s theme is “You shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). The pope described Christ’s words in the Acts of the Apostles as “the heart of Jesus’ teaching to the disciples.”

In his message, Pope Francis emphasized that every member of the Church has a shared responsibility to witness to Christ.  “Would that all of us in the Church were what we already are by virtue of baptism: prophets, witnesses, missionaries of the Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the ends of the earth!”

At Mass this Sunday, let us recommit ourselves to our common vocation through Baptism to be missionaries and evangelizers. To Pray, Participate in the Eucharist, and Go Forth to all and Witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Song: You Will Be My Witnesses

David Haas

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_gmaVRNQng

October 18th Feast Day Greetings!

Rejoice and celebrate the Autumn beauty and feast of your patron, Saint Luke. Your family, friends and Cluny Sisters send special feast day greetings wishing you a celebration that fills you with all good gifts - love, joy, peace and zeal for God’s mission. May you live ever more deeply the Gospel of Jesus according to Luke - the empowerment of woman, the power of the Holy Spirit, missionary discipleship, compassion for the lost and the least, forgiveness and a grateful heart.

 And Mary said, ‘My soul rejoices in God, my Savior’.

Happy Feast Day, Sister Luke!

St. Teresa of Avila, Patron Saint

 Missionary Disciples for Christ

St. Teresa was the great reformer of Carmel who worked to reestablish the Carmelite way of life as it was lived at its origins. During her lifetime, she established many reformed houses of the Order throughout Spain and, with St. John of the Cross, was also instrumental in bringing the reform to the male Carmelite Order. 

Teresa is said to have appeared to the young Anne Marie Javouhey, a postulant at the Convent of Charity in Besançon, during a time of struggle to know God’s Will for her. St. Teresa showed her in a dream, many children of color saying, 

“These are the children 

 God is giving you.”

  

She told Anne Marie that she was to found a new congregation that would care for these children. The Church celebrates the feast of St. Teresa on October 15th. St. Teresa teaches us to seek God in all things and to unite contemplation and be ‘Contemplatives in action.’

Under St. Teresa’s protection and that of St. Marin of Tours, St. Francis Xavier and St. Peter Claver, the Congregation pursues its mission in the world in order that:

“the whole human race might become one people of God,

 form one body of Christ and be built into one temple of the Holy Spirit.

 ( Rule of Life, p. 15)

Wishing all our Cluny Sisters, 

Affiliates and Associates

A Happy and Blessed Feast of our Patron, 

St. Teresa of Avila

  

‘Four Waters of Prayer’

taught by St. Teresa of Avila

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO8fvJOJbmc

St. Catherine Laboure 75th

St. Catherine Laboure 

75th Anniversary Jubilee Mass

On a bright sunny California day on Saturday, October 1st St. Catherine Laboure Parish in Torrance California celebrated 75 years of prayer and ministry.  Our presence in the history of the parish began in 1952 when Sisters Lelia Clarke, Carmel Keogh, Laetitia O’Donoghue, Angela Mannion began the Elementary School and continued until 1991.  

Sisters Ena, Genevieve, Maria, Mary and Mary Patrice were happy to be present with the parish as the 75th Anniversary year was celebrated in grand style! It began with a beautiful Jubilee Mass with Archbishop Gomez and six other priests.  The music was spectacular, with all of our choirs participating: Vietnamese, Samoan, Spanish, Filipino, and the two English choirs. Our Scripture readings and petitions were also in the 5 major languages of the parish. It was an exuberant recognition of an unusually diverse parish and a microcosm of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  The celebration continued for a wonderful catered luncheon, music, and the sharing of stories and history.  Truly a day of blessings!

Canada Thanksgiving Day!

 

Canada Thanksgiving Day

An annual Canadian holiday, Thanksgiving Day occurs on the second Monday in October,  celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year.  Thanksgiving in Canada began as a religious holiday but it’s now a time to relax and eat some food with family.

Cluny  Sisters Wish…

All our Cluny Affiliates, Associates,

Donors and Friends,

a Blessed and Joyous Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

National Eucharistic Revival 2022-2025

 

The EUCHARIST is the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus,

Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity

Prayer for the National Eucharistic Revival

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! 

I beg pardon for those who do not believe, nor adore, nor hope, nor love You.

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He is offended. And, through the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 

I beg of You the conversion of sinners.

Our Lady of Fatima

On June 19, 2022, the Feast of Corpus Christi, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops began a three-year focus on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist that is intended to be a National Eucharistic Revival! 

The three-year Eucharistic Revival program will include three tiers: 

Diocesan, Parish, and Nationwide.

 

July 2022, Dioceses across the country were encouraged to hold Eucharistic events and make the Eucharist a primary focus. The U.S. bishops aim to provide free teaching materials on the Eucharist, developed with the help of various catechetical partners, as soon as possible to assist dioceses in this.

July 2023, Parishes will be encouraged to do the same. Bishop Cozzens, USCCB Chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, said they want to encourage “grassroots creativity” and embrace diverse Eucharistic traditions to help parishes foster a greater love for the Eucharist among their members.

 

The revival would culminate in July 2024 with a National Eucharistic Congress in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis - July 17-21. 

Calling the plan a “once in a generation” opportunity to impact faith life, Bishop Cozzens said the plan aims to create “Eucharistic missionaries”— people who go out to spread devotion to the Eucharist to new places, what Pope Francis calls “the margins.”

“We want to start a fire,

not a program.”

 

Bishop Andrew Cozzens

USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis

More information can be found on the following websites

 

https://www.usccb.org/resources/welcome-national-eucharistic-revival

 

https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/

Mysteries of the Life of Jesus and Mary

Month of the Rosary

October is the month of the Rosary, so it’s a perfect opportunity to share this beautiful prayer with our family, friends and Catholic Faith communities… our parish. This Marian Prayer slows us down and whether we pray a complete 5 decade rosary or one decade each day, we reimagine the Gospel Stories of our faith, of Jesus and Mary.

Legend tells us that the Rosary as a form of prayer was given to St. Dominic (1170-1221) by Mary, the Mother of God who entrusted it to him as an aid in the conflicts with the Albigensians (heresy). The Dominican pope, St. Pius V, did much to further the spread of the Rosary and it thereafter became one of the most popular devotions in the Catholic  World.

Mysteries of the Rosary

 

Praying the Rosary

 

 

 

Prayers of the Rosary

 

                     Sign of the Cross

               In the Name of the Father,

                (right hand on forehead)

                       and of the Son,

                   (right hand on chest)

                   and of the Holy Spirit.

(right hand from left shoulder to right shoulder)

                              Amen.

Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. 

 

Our Father

Our Father, 

who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. 

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, 

full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Fatima Prayer

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile show us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

St. Francis of Assisi ~ Patron of the Environment

 Season of Creation 2022: Celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

“The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.”

Julian of Norwich

Pledge of Commitment to Protect and Heal God’s Creation

Today we renew our covenant with God and with one another in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

We commit ourselves to help protect God’s creation; to heal injustice and poverty.

We stand together against all threats to life.

May we discover some new beauty every day in God’s creation: the sunrise and sunset,

Birds, flowers and trees, rainbows in the sky, the stars, the many forms of life in the forest.

We will remember always that God speaks to us through the beauty of

creation, and we will do our best to answer God’s call to reverence all creation.  AMEN.

 

Reading   

The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely.  Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face.  The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all things.  Saint Bonaventure teaches us the ‘contemplation deepens the more we feel the working of God’s grace within our hearts, and the better we learn to encounter God in creatures outside ourselves. (Laudato Si #233)

 It is no coincidence that, in the canticle in which Saint Francis praises God for his creatures, he goes on to say: ‘Praised be you, my Lord, through those who give pardon to your Love.’  Everything is connected!  Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society.  (Laudato Si # 91)

 Reflect

When/where do you see the footprint of God?

   

How do these readings invite you to see all of creation as “kin”?

  

 

 Prayer: Canticle of the Sun

by St. Francis of Assisi

 Most High, all powerful, good Lord,

Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor and all blessing.

To You alone, Most High, do they belong.

 Most High, all powerful, good Lord,

Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing,

To You alone, Most Hight, do they belong,

And no man is worthy to mention Your Name.

 

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,

Especially through my lord, Brother Sun,

Who brings the day; and you give light through him.

And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!

Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

 

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sisters Moon and Stars,

In heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful. 

 

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,

And through the air, cloudy and serene,

And every kind of weather through which

You give sustenance to Your creatures.

 

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,

Which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

 

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,

Through whom you light the night and he is beautiful

And playful and robust and strong.

 

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,

Who sustains us and governs us and who produces

Varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

 

Praised be You, my Lord,

through those who give pardon for Your love

and bear infirmity and tribulation.

 

Blessed are those who endure in peace

For by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.

 

Praised be You, my Lord,

Through our Sister Bodily Death,

From whom no living man can escape.

 

Woe to those who die in mortal sin.

Blessed are those who will

Find Your most holy will,

For the second death shall do them no harm.

 

Praise and bless my Lord,

And give Him thanks

And serve Him with great humility.

  

Hymn: Canticle of the Sun

Marty Haugen 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfJ6WJPUff8

Season of Creation

 

An Earth Examen

An examen is a way of beholding an object or being present in prayerful wonder. A way of Listening to the Voice of Creation.  Through a series of questions, you are invited to reflect on God’s presence and the goodness of that which you behold. During this week of the 2022 Season of Creation, consider contemplating a part of your local ecology. This is an exercise that you can choose to do alone, or with a group.

 

Pick a natural or agricultural place to contemplate. A forest, river, or city street with a natural area. The Moon and Stars. An urban park or a farmer’s field.  A hilltop or a meadow. A simple flower arrangement.

 

Find a comfortable place to pause and gaze in or near this place.  Enter into prayer in whatever way is natural to you.  Invite Holy Wisdom to open the eyes of your heart.

1. Become aware of God’s presence in a natural or agricultural place that you are contemplating.

How is God present in this place? How does all the life you see exist in God’s spirit? How do you feel knowing that the Holy Spirit has filled this place for geological ages, with every plant, animal, organism and mineral that has called this place home in the deep past, makes its home here with you now, and will live here with creatures in this place in the future? How do you feel knowing that you, earthling, belong to this place, are made of the same carbon, breathe the same air, are nurtured by the same cycles and life processes, and are enlivened by the same Spirit of the Creator?

2. Reflect on the ecological cycles of this place with gratitude for all that it provides.

What nutrient cycles are supported by this place? Is this a watershed that filters water? Is this a rainforest (tropical or deciduous) that fixes nutrients? Is this a meadow or field that fixes nitrogen? Is this a green space that absorbs CO2 and cleans the air? What plants, animals, microbes and minerals are sheltered here? How do they serve the whole earth in their being? For all that this place provides to nurture you and all that belong to this place, let a feeling of gratitude fill you.

3. Listen for the voices that speak in this place, and pay attention to what you feel as you contemplate the health of this site.

Fill your lungs with breath. Be attentive to what you feel (the air, grass, sand, soil, sun, rain) on your skin. Open your eyes (or close them and open the eyes of your heart). Open your ears to listen to the voices of creation in this place. Who are they? What do you hear them saying? Who is missing or lost from this place? What does their absence tell you?

Is this ecosystem healthy? How is this ecosystem at risk of illness?  What are the keys to sustaining the equilibrium and balance of this place? What niches and diversity must be protected to maintain the health of this habitat? What are the sources of stress that threaten the balance of this particular ecosystem? Do those stresses drive your co-creatures from their home in this place? How do you feel when you consider the fragility of life that depends on the health of this place? What is your effect on this balance?

 

4. Choose one feature of the site and pray for it, its rest and its renewal.

When you consider the ways that this place is under stress, what does it need for rest, restoration and renewal? What needs to be conserved for this site to heal itself? What features need to be reclaimed? What creatures need to be restored to their rightful home here so that their voice can be heard? Pray for this site, and the wisdom to care for it.

5. Look toward your response. What can you do to ease demands or promote the rest of this ecological site?

Based on your examination, how do you identify with this place?  What have you discerned is required to care for this place?  Whose voice from among this place will you seek to amplify? What will be your act of compassion to promote rest for this common home?

 

Here is a Creation Meditation
you may want to use during the week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y0nS-RrolI