Holy Child Academy’s Motto “Actions Not Words” Impacts the Community

Holy Child Academy students spend time with a resident of St. Francis Country House in Darby, PA.

In 1927, the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus began Holy Child Academy (HCA) in Drexel Hill, PA. Today, 85 years later, the School continues to embody the Sisters’ motto of “Actions Not Words.” Take a look at all HCA students did during their first semester!

The school organized a host of activities that served the poor and needy, senior adults, and our furry friends! In honor of St. Francis Assisi feast day, the students asked for donated pet products for the Delaware County SPCA located in Media.  In November, Holy Child Academy Parents’ Association organized a Thanksgiving food drive for 24 families.  In December, gently worn coats were collected for the poor. Twelve bags of clothing were donated between Divine Mercy Parish in Philadelphia and the Community Action Agency of Delaware County. 

Under the direction of Holy Child Academy’s service coordinator, Ms. Anne Wood, students have been collaborating with St. Francis Country House, a skilled nursing and short term rehabilitation facility in Darby, PA. In November, five folks from St. Francis along with seven employees/volunteers spent a few hours at Holy Child Academy.  Our guests were treated to an arts and craft project, a singing performance by the Pre-Kindergarten class, and lunch with the students.  

In December, Holy Child Academy’s eighth-grade students took a short drive to St. Francis Country House for a visit with their friends. The time was spent socializing and doing a fun project. According to Ms. Wood, the students and St. Francis residents are forming a strong bond. “The visits, activities, and socialization have been a wonderful experience for both St. Francis and Holy Child. The men and women at St. Francis are lovely and gracious. They light up when we visit. For our students, I see them becoming more compassionate, respectful, and aware of the importance that elders have in our society.”  

For the Christmas season, the third- and fifth-graders decorated 60 snack bags for the Community Food Program of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Nutritional Development Services.  In late December, the older students paired with their younger “buddy” students to make Christmas cards for the patients at Delaware County Memorial Hospital.

In planning the spring service projects, the students’ openness to grow and to help others will remain a priority, and the activities will center on Holy Child Academy’s philosophy of “Actions Not Words.” Find out how you can make a difference through Holy Child programs.

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

“I am so busy.”

“I have too much on my plate.”

“I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”

 

How often have we uttered these words or heard them spoken by friends and family members? In a world that runs 24/7, it is essential to slow down, take stock, and pray.

Since 2010, the American Province of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus has created monthly meditations that are posted on our website. Designed to be topical and encourage reflection on modern themes, the meditations have been a source of comfort and strength for many.

In preparing topics for our 2012 meditations, we examined the issues that were grabbing the headlines–poverty, unemployment, war, and more. We understand that these issues have a profound impact on the lives of many. To determine which concerns resonate most with the members of our Holy Child community, we invite all to complete our survey by this Friday, January 6, 2012. It will take less than three minutes to complete and will greatly inform our meditations for 2012. To date, we’ve had close to 400 people­ respond and share their thoughts. Let your voice be heard too! Complete the survey today!

Based on the survey responses, we will produce three-five minute meditations that can be viewed on our website. We hope the members of the Holy Child Community—and beyond—will use these meditations to find peace in their lives and help in building a worldwide community of prayer.

Advent and Lenten Resources

By Sister Terri MacKenzie, SHCJ

Once again this year I have written material for group use during Advent and Lent. These programs are meant to help participants grow in understanding God’s presence and action is us and in our world and deepen responses to new scientific insights about creation.

Advent: Incarnational Spirituality in the Light of the New Universe Story is written for Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ), Associates, and friends. Others are welcome to use it, but will notice that it’s directed to the family of Cornelia Connelly (Foundress of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus). This material follows the Scriptures for Advent 2011. Click here to download. The SHCJ Theology Committee will provide material for our Epiphany retreat that will be distributed later. The Advent and Epiphany materials are meant to complement one another.

Lent: This year’s Lent material focuses on air. Denial of air pollution and global warming is growing each year in the U.S., and the resulting damage is hurting all of creation. This denial often results from thinking of these issues as political rather than as religious. Renewing the Face of the Earth: Lenten Reflections on Air aims to assist believers in deepening their faith-filled understanding of these matters. 

The Scriptural and metaphorical aspects of Air were a pleasure for me to explore; more challenging was understanding the history and composition of air. I was very fortunate to find a scientist who helped me understand the concepts and avoid both over-simplifying and over-confusing readers.

Starting with quotes from Scripture, material includes poetry, a summary of the Vatican’s ”Report by the Working Group Commissioned by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences” on global warming, and a final prayer service.

Hoping it could be listed somewhere, I sent Air to, e.g., the Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office in Rome, Sisters of Earth, and the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale. I am astonished by the positive responses! JPIC Rome listed all the SHCJ Advent and Lent resources as “excellent”; the Zygon Center for Religion and Science in Chicago said of Air: “It’s thoughtfully conceived, helpfully organized, and attractively illustrated, and I am moved by the blending of Christian tradition, interfaith perspectives, and scientific content.” My favorite reply came from the Justice Education Office, Archdiocese of Chicago: “I thank God for the Charism of your religious community . . . .”

 The material has eco-friendly “packaging” and can be downloaded free.

Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child Jesus Celebrates Founder’s Day on October 13

Students in the Lower School at the Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit, NJ marked Founder's Day with their "prayer families."

On October 13, students at the Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit, NJ, recognized Founder’s Day, the day 165 years ago that Cornelia Connelly began the Society of the Holy Child Jesus in Derby, England. Founder’s Day is also referred to as St. Edward’s Day by members of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus because the day is also the Feast of Saint Edward.

“It’s so amazing,” said Oak Knoll student Noelle Villa ’12. “If there were no founders, no Cornelia Connelly, I wouldn’t have the education I’m getting today. Founder’s Day represents the legacy Cornelia Connelly started for us.”

Carmen M. Chavez, Esq., Executive Director of the Casa Cornelia Law Center in San Diego, CA, visited the Upper School at Oak Knoll to talk about how the spirit of Cornelia Connelly lives on not just through the Holy Child schools but also through organizations such as the Casa Cornelia Law Center.

The Casa Cornelia Law Center (CCLC) was founded by the Sisters of the Holy Child in 1993 and provides pro bono legal services for immigrants in three areas: asylum, domestic violence, and children. While Mrs. Chavez detailed some of her work with CCLC, she also spoke about spiritual growth and enrichment, encouraging each student to remember that the decisions they make today will impact them and others tomorrow.

“Having a speaker—as we have tried to do these past few years—allows our students and teachers to see that Holy Child is bigger than Oak Knoll and even bigger than the Holy Child schools,” said Kathleen Lynch, Theology Department Chair. And that’s just what students said they learned through Mrs. Chavez’s presentation.

“We are all united under one spirit,” said Oak Knoll student Rachael Edelson ’12.

While many students said they knew that the Holy Child Network extended beyond the walls of Oak Knoll and the other Holy Child schools, they didn’t know about the Casa Cornelia Law Center.

“I feel so blessed to be a part of this community,” Noelle said. “It’s set in tradition yet always evolving. It’s great that we have those roots to fall back on.”

Students remarked how incredible it is that the principles and values that were instilled by Cornelia Connelly are still relevant and applicable in today’s changing world, as shown by the work of CCLC.

“It’s amazing how strong the network is,” said Allison Donini ’12, saying that it’s inspiring to know that as the students graduate and move through the world, they will likely encounter others who share their beliefs and values and fellow members of the Holy Child family.

Students in the Lower School celebrated Founder’s Day with their own Oak Knoll tradition: prayer families. Prayer families are small groups of students in kindergarten through grade six that gather to share prayers and reflection. Administration, faculty, and staff are part of each group, which is led by a sixth-grade student.

Dr. Michele Dahl, the Lower School Religion Coordinator at Oak Knoll, said she decided to recognize Founder’s Day with a “prayer families lunch” because it fit in with the values on which Cornelia Connelly founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.

“I think Cornelia Connelly was about fun,” Dr. Dahl said. “She would want the kids to be giggling and getting to know each other and seeing God in each other.”

Dr. Dahl also said Founder’s Day is just a few days before National Mix-It-Up Day on October 18 which encourages students to sit with new people in the lunchroom to help foster tolerance and acceptance of differences. “It gives kids an opportunity to have that sense of fun and camaraderie,” Dr. Dahl said. “[Cornelia Connelly] would have enjoyed that.”

UNANIMA International Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Several Holy Child Sisters attended the celebration: (left to right) Srs. Margaret Doyle, Ann Durst, Jean M. O'Meara, Joan Greany, Tobie Tondi, and Cynthia Vives

UNANIMA International board members, friends, and colleagues met at the United Nations Church Center in New York on October 1, 2011 to celebrate the founding of UNANIMA as a non-governmental organization (NGO) at the United Nations.   

UNANIMA International advocates on behalf of women and children (particularly those living in poverty), immigrants and refugees, and the environment. UNANIMA now numbers 17 congregations of women religious (the Society of the Holy Child is one of the 17 congregations) who live and serve in 72 countries.

At the celebration, Sister Catherine Ferguson, SNJM was honored for her 10 years as Executive Director. Catherine presented the Woman of Courage Award to Jessica Ernst for bringing to light the damage to water supplies and the soil caused by “fracking” in her native Alberta, Canada. As one of the founders of UNANIMA, Sister Jean M. O’Meara, SHCJ gave her reflections on UNANIMA’s beginnings, including its first meeting at Dalton Center in Manhattan in December 2001.

Exciting Steps Forward

Sabine Mwembo proudly shows the certificate she received upon completing a nursing assistant program.

Two years ago, after arriving in Philadelphia as a refuge from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sabine Mwembo was beginning anew. Although she had the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in nursing in her home country, her English skills were limited and she needed to be certified in nursing in the U.S. Not knowing English made it difficult, if not impossible for Sabine to become certified and find work. But soon, Sabine found Providence Center, a ministry of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, where she began taking classes to learn English with Sister Peggy Doherty, SHCJ (Mother Mary St. Thomas).

Eventually, she advanced to the Level Three English Class at Providence Center and also enrolled in Basic Computer Literacy courses offered by Providence Center. She learned how to draft her resume, search for jobs, and explore other educational opportunities that would prepare her for her desired career of geriatric nursing. 

Just recently, Sabine visited Providence Center. The staff had not seen her for the summer semester, but with good reason. Sabine had been completing a course in a nursing assistant program. “I made an A in English,” she said, describing the prerequisite assessment to determine her eligibility for entrance to the program. She then completed 97 hours of training to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and is ready to practice in Pennsylvania! She will return to Providence Center for the fall semester to continue developing her English skills and will take advantage of the computer assistance classes to look for jobs in the area. Congratulations Sabine! (Sabine is also featured in the second half of this video.)

The Healing Power of Horses

Sr. Jay McCann (standing) and Sr. Loretta Tiernan (seated) were among the Holy Child Sisters who traveled to the Special Equestrians Center.

In addition to being beautiful and gentle creatures, horses can offer therapeutic benefits to the aging. A 2008 study by the Brazilian Revue of Geriatrics and Gerontology found that individuals between the ages of 60 and 74 who did equine-assisted activities and therapies significantly increased their balance and reduced their risk of falling and suffering a serious injury.

Earlier this month, several of the retired Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, currently living at New Sharon in Rosemont, PA, traveled to the Special Equestrians Center in Warrington, PA, where they met and groomed several of the horses. Denise B. Bolli, the Activities Director at New Sharon, planned the trip because several of the Sisters living at New Sharon had worked with horses previously or were interested in learning more about them.

The Sisters will make another trip to the Special Equestrians Center in September. This time, some of the Sisters may ride the horses. Equine therapy, or hippotherapy as it is known, utilizes a horse’s variable, repetitive, and rhythmic movement to support those suffering from balance problems, impaired coordination, decreased mobility, poor postural control, traumatic brain injury, or stroke. It can also improve timing, coordination, and respiratory control, while helping to heal neurological systems necessary for everyday functioning.

2011 Jubilee Celebration

Sister Margaret Farrell, SHCJ (M. M. Felicitas) celebrated her 60th Jubilee.

Last Saturday, 19 Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus celebrated their Jubilees with a special Mass and luncheon reception at St. Thomas of Villanova Parish Church in Rosemont, PA. Click here to see photos from the celebration. These 19 women have served as Sisters of the Holy Child for 75, 70, 60, or 50 years.

Sister Mary Ann Buckely, SHCJ, Leader of the Society’s American Province welcomed everyone to the celebration. Mass then began with Reverend Michael Olivere presiding and Cardinal John Patrick Foley presiding in chair. Cardinal Foley was taught by Sister Elizabeth Gorvin, SHCJ (M. M. Berchmans), one of this year’s Jubilarians, at Holy Spirit School and the two have remained good friends over the years. Father Olivere attended St. Lucy’s School in Philadelphia, where the Sisters of the Holy Child taught. His meaningful homily touched on the commitment and dedication of the Jubilarians. He noted that the significance of a milestone such as this is more about saying yes to God on the days when it is most challenging, not on the days when it is easy. During Mass, the Jubilarians renewed their vows in a church overflowing with their family and friends.

Combined, this year’s Jubilarians have served for more than 1,000 years. Their ministries have ranged from teacher to school principal to college president to pastoral care worker to administrator and to everything in between! They have served all over the world from the east and west coasts of the U.S. to Chile to the Dominican Republic and even to Africa. If you are interested in reading more about the lives of our Jubilarians, be sure to join our mailing list to receive the next issue of Actions, our biannual magazine, which will feature the Sisters celebrating their 50th Jubilees. The previous issue featured the Sisters celebrating their 75th, 70th, or 60th Jubilees. Click here to read that issue.

Congratulations to all of our Jubilarians! Your dedication and commitment have made a difference to more people than we can count.

The Sharon Reading Room in Cambodia: A Testament to A Legacy of Action

The children in Cambodia immediately began enjoying the books brought by Sharon Alumna JoAnn Digeorgio-Lutz. The books were donated by the alumnae of Sharon, which is a former Holy Child School, and JoAnn's students at Texas A&M-Commerce.

Have you ever ended up somewhere and wondered, “How did that happen?” Well, that’s precisely how JoAnn Digeorgio-Lutz, Ph.D., an alumna of Sharon‘s Class of 1971, felt. (Sharon is a former school of the Sisters of the Holy Child that was located in Sharon Hill, PA.)

A professor in the Department of Political Science at Texas A&M-Commerce, JoAnn was teaching a course on comparative genocide when a student asked to focus on Cambodia. Although JoAnn’s specialty is the Middle East, she was intrigued by the request. And that request focused her academic concentration in a previously unexplored direction. As she puts it, “I didn’t find Cambodia, Cambodia found me.” She credits God with putting her on a path while she remained open to the experience and reacted to the journey as it unfolded.

Eventually, her desire to increase her knowledge about Cambodia led to a Fulbright Award and travels to the country with a group of her Texas A&M-Commerce students. She discovered that Cambodia, like many developing and war torn countries, faces problems related to poverty, human trafficking, and illiteracy. Introduced by a friend to a non-government organization (NGO) in Cambodia, Child Hope Organization (CHO), she was inspired by the work of this one-man operation dedicated to providing hope and opportunity to vulnerable and poor children in the city of Battambang.

As JoAnn’s understanding of the culture grew, her experiences from her days at Sharon propelled her to action. She began with small steps. During one visit, she and her students provided the children in CHO’s program with school supplies. Many of the children had never even used a crayon. Wanting to give more, she worked with CHO’s Director, Phong Socheath, and spearheaded a plan to create a library reading room filled with English books that would assist students struggling to master English.

JoAnn soon shared her plans with her fellow Sharon alumnae, who she called upon for support and who responded graciously. In fact, more than 1,000 books were donated! As a result, JoAnn named the reading room The Sharon Reading Room. “The project has brought Sharon alumni together and prompted us to act on the values that were part of our education at Sharon. I know I am the person I am today because of Sharon,” shares JoAnn. JoAnn and her students from Texas A&M-Commerce arrived in Cambodia in May bearing boxes and boxes of books to fill the reading room!

Although this initial stock of books jumpstarted the project, new or gently used children’s books in English (very basic) geared to children ages four to eight are still very much needed. You can donate books by sending them to:

Dr. JoAnn DiGeorgio-Lutz
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Department of Political Science
Ferguson Social Science
Commerce, TX 75429

As many of the children’s parents are genocide survivors, JoAnn asks that the books not be scary.

A small placard dedicating the space as “The Sharon Reading Room” was installed in May during JoAnn’s trip to Cambodia. You can follow the progress of this project by joining The Sharon Reading Room’s Facebook group.

The Legacy of Response-Ability is Celebrated

Sister Joanne Sullivan, SHCJ and Christina D'Emma share a moment during the May 15 Celebration. Christina was both a Volunteer Teacher with Response-Ability, as well as later serving on the program's staff. Sister Joanne assisted with the program for many years.

By Mike Mannix, RA Volunteer

Response-Ability (RA), the volunteer teaching program sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, hosted a celebration in Rosemont on May 15 to honor many of those who have made the program possible for more than 20 years. Sadly, the Response-Ability program is closing its doors in the US at the end of this school year due to the economic downturn and increases in living costs. However, the program will continue at the Society’s mission site in the Dominican Republic.

Current and past volunteers, sponsors, classroom coaches, Sisters of the Holy Child, family members, and even a museum curator were all present at the numerous events of the day. The event, known affectionately as the “CelebRAtion,” began at Mass with reverence and ended on the dance floor in revelry. In between, Liz Eager, the program’s Executive Director, honored many with awards and RA keepsakes.

Also during the celebration, the Archives of the SHCJ American Province opened an exhibition dedicated exclusively to the program. Because the Archives are within walking distance of where the celebration was held, many were able to see it and meet people they had heard stories of, but never met.

The day was a fitting recognition of the legacy of Response-Ability, a program which has served cities such as Philadelphia and Washington, DC for more than 20 years and inspired hundreds of teachers.