News

Letter from St. John in Montana, 09/2019

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Before us are the High Holidays with Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the New Year, Yom Kippur in recalling the unique day when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holiness and the congregation was ready to receive the pardon of God. Then at the feast of Sukkot the accumulation of joy (Isa: 55:6-7) is celebrated.

During these last weeks, Juliana and Erika emphasized the reading and sharing the Story of Sion and the Spirit of openness and commitment to the church through the reading of the books,  Origins of Sion.

Erika is taking one day of Volunteer work at the soup kitchen or as it is called here, “The Restaurant”. This is where street people who cannot afford a daily meal are served six days a week a hot and cooked meal sponsored by the different restaurants and hotels in Jerusalem. The food is already prepared by midday and brought to the restaurant for the people in need. Also Erika will begin her apostolic stage in her Formation from December 2019 to September 2020 in her apostolic engagement at Ecce Homo.

Juliana continues to be engaged in her weekly volunteer day at Yad Sarah and from the beginning of October until May she will take a course on Islam. This is a three years program of Inter-religious Dialogue and Ecumenism offered at the Salesian Theological Program at Ratisbonne as a continuing formation.

Colette will soon be celebrating her 65th Jubilee of serving in the country of Israel. This will be done in November and a separate Newsletter will be sent out shortly of her faithful living and serving the poor and deprived in the country.

Celia is engaged during this month in the UNANIMA International Board gathering and then will be on her holiday in New Zealand and Australia from late October.

During this last month we welcomed some family of Sr. Anne Catherine to our house as she is saying good-bye after serving 50 years in contributing through her teaching to the church of Jerusalem, to the Hebrew speaking and Arabic speaking communities through her courses and over the years through her engagements with the tour guides in Israel and the Territories. Not to forget all the teaching and sharing she offered so generously to us here in the novitiate and all the sisters around the world. Where her knowledge of Judaism, the Jewish feast and love for the Jewish people opened a new look at Nostra Aeetate and its call within the church.

The Autumn time with its coolness of air contributes to the wellbeing of all of us here in the Ein Karem communities.

Greetings and blessings from  Juliana for the Novitiate Community
Ein Karem, Monday, 30 September 2019