Full Stories - March 2010
Hear the Annual SFM Lecture by Prof. Vincent Miller of March 6th
Scarboro Missions Lecture by Prof. Vincent Miller.
You can hear his 1-hour talk "Where are We? Responsibility, Spirituality and Place in a Global Age". It starts with a short introduction by Fr. Mike Traher. But it may take some time to download this large audio file. Click here to download.
Study Sessions on the Gospel of Matthew -- Feb. 23 - Mar. 30 (Tuesdays)
2010 Lenten Journey – Feb. 24 - Mar. 31 (Wed's), 7 pm
Exploring Jewish Ethics - Spring Interfaith Eduction Program - April 14 - May 5 (Wed's)
Milestones in Recent Catholic-Jewish Relations
This document chronicles, on a year-by-year basis, the dramatic advances in Catholic-Jewish dialogue since the Second Vatican Council. This detailed profile of significant changes and developments in Catholic-Jewish relations will be very useful to teachers, students, researchers, historians, interfaith practicioners and others. This document can be downloaded free of charge and is available in English and French. Connection is also available to a Hebrew Version.
LAY MISSION OFFICE NEWS
Welcome new lay missioners!
by Kate O'Donnell & Mary Olenick
Coordinators
Lay Mission Office
We are pleased to introduce our two newest lay missioners, after completing their three-month preparation program for overseas mission. On December 3, 2009, during the Feast of St. Francis Xavier celebration, they made their 3 year commitment to serve as Scarboro lay missioners. We are delighted to acknowledge Sylvia Wilvert who will be serving in Guyana and Mark Driediger who will be serving in Malawi.
We extend a special thanks to Fr. Russ Sampson,sfm who so graciously facilitated the spiritual component of the Formation Program. Special thanks to Scarboro priests and lay missioners along with Sharon Willan who continue to be our great support and facilitated some of the workshops.
Missioner's Commitment Statements
Mark Driediger's commitment statement .....
It is with gratitude to God, to Scarboro Missions and to you my friends and family that I make this commitment. I, Mark Driediger, commit myself to God and to Scarboro to journey with the people of Malawi for the next three years. My hope is, together with you and the people I will work with and encounter to serve our Lord Jesus diligently, to grow in faith in God, to delight in the fellowship of His Holy Spirit, and to allow the Light of the World each day to shine ever more brightly and beautifully in the hearts of people and in His world.
Sylvia Wilvert's commitment statement .....
I, Sylvia Wilvert with the Grace of God, in the presence of my family and friends who are here and away and this community, I commit myself for three years to serve as a lay missioner with Scarboro Missions in Guyana.
May my compass remain steadfast on the needs of the people of Guyana through dialogue, sharing, witness and service.
Lord, as in the prayer of St. Theresa of Avila, may I be your hands, eyes, ears, feet and heart .... May your will be done.
I ask my family, friends and new Scarboro family to pray for me as I journey into mission to follow Christ's call.
Feast of St Francis Xavier
By Fr. Mike Traher sfm
It is always a joy to celebrate the feast of St Francis Xavier who is traditionally one of four missionary patrons for Scarboro. The others are, St. Therese of Lisieux, patroness of missions, St. Theophane Venard, a young missionary martyred in Vietnam 1800's, Mary, Queen of Apostles. Each year we invite other mission societies from the Toronto area to join us and some of them do, like Our Lady's Missionaries, the Jesuits, the Spiritans, and others.
St. Francis Xavier has an amazing record of accomplishments in his ten years of evangelizing (1542-1552) in South Asia, India, and Japan. As a young missionary priest, from the Basque region of Spain, he sent many letters back home to Ignatius, founder of their Jesuit order. They were filled with stories of heroic sacrifice, long hours of ministry, joy among people eager to hear the Good News, as well as the challenges of bringing the Gospel to new cultures and peoples. Francis Xavier was undaunted. He spoke enthusiastically about the need for more missioners to come to Asia, musing that if he were back in Europe he would visit the all the universities and challenge students to come and give their lives to Christ's mission for the salvation of the world. While planning in 1552 to enter China, Francis Xavier became ill seriously and died on the island of Sancian, just off the coast off China.
Francis Xavier has been the inspiration of many missionary societies, and he continues to fulfill that role with us in Scarboro. At our community Eucharist for December 3rd, our Superior General, Fr. Jack Lynch presided, and a very inspiring homily was given by Fr Russ on the theme of our Baptism, and the call to be missionary. The missioning of two new lay missioners really capped our celebration. It is for this reason that Scarboro exists, to give a global witness to the Good News. In past years as seminarians, we used to sing a traditional missionary hymn, "Ad Multos Annos" , ('For many years to come'!) May we see many more ready and willing vocations come to join us in our future missionary endeavours.
God what are you doing to me
By Dave MacDonald
Scarboro Lay Missioner to Guyana
Upon completion of our (my wife Patty and I) first year in Georgetown, Guyana, the decision was made to move to New Amsterdam, leaving the hectic pace of city life to experience sugarcane country, a decision we have yet to regret.
We were welcomed into the parish community whole heartedly as many Scarboro priests and lay missioners before us have earned the respect and admiration of many of the locals through their good works.
In Georgetown, I began assisting the Sisters of Charity in their daily soup kitchen feeding the less fortunate and continued working with the Sisters of Charity in New Amsterdam. Before long, doors to other ministries began to open. When approached with the invitation to prison ministry, initially I wanted to decline; after all, I was not a preacher, teacher, nor a singer; I had never even been inside a prison! What could I possibly contribute to this ministry but something kept tugging at me to give this ministry a whirl.
Dave MacDonald avid MacDonald (right) in front of Prison in Guyana
The prison itself did little to ease my discomfort, and then I came to learn that I would be ministering to women inmates. I cried, "God what are you doing to me". Several months had passed and the answer to why I was involved in a women's prison ministry still eluded me.
Sitting at home one day with the songbook in my lap, I thought I should try to learn a few songs even though I'm not a singer. The cover of the songbook portrayed the crucified Christ. I stared at the cover thinking of the inmates and realized that they like Christ had been stripped of everything when the huge prison doors slammed shut; their freedom was gone, possessions gone, family and friends gone, identity gone. Many were betrayed, many disowned, all experiencing their own crucifixion, the prison itself was their cross.
But in spite of their loss and suffering, when we arrive, out come the homemade drums, shakers, tubs and buckets and a large percentage of the inmates lift their voices in worship and praise. For that brief period I feel they transcend the prison walls and touch what is holy in us all; a time and place when the grace of forgiveness of ourselves and the forgiveness of others is realized.
I still am not a preacher, a teacher, nor a singer but that's ok for I have learned that my female prison ministry is Gods gift to me, not my gift to the ladies. Here I continue to learn that these ladies show that even in the darkest times we all have the choice to make our little lights shine. When we choose positively, we are open to transformation, a new beginning, a new creation, a new way of life! Then God, our higher power can use us (the cracked vessel) and enter into our woundedness so we can offer the gift of ourselves to others. Acceptance is the only requirement.
The Spirit of Christmas arrives at our Doorstep
By Anne and Glenn Harty
Scarboro Lay Missioners to Thailand
It's Sunday afternoon a time that I try to set aside to sit, listen to music, and write letters. It is now early evening, supper is finished and cleaned up.
Glenn is reading a book on Charles Lindberg. Christmas lights are on around the many buildings at the Camillian Centre, the warm air is filled with a steady spirited hum of 200 plus children. Where on earth do they get all of their energy?
A few days later........
We were feeling a little down and finding it hard to get into the Christmas Spirit and then we heard a little shuffling outside our house. Soon singing began and we went downstairs to see; there stood 200 of the children who board here along with all of the special needs children singing Christmas Carols. It was overwhelming! One of the girls gave a prepared speech, another Christmas carol was sung, Bro Gionni gave us both a Christmas Kiss, naturally the Italian way on both cheeks and then they were off.
We felt so much better! Jesus revealed himself to us through this group.
Now we can honestly say " We wish you all a Merry Christmas" Christ has come early to our home.
Are you interested in becoming a Scarboro Missioner?
Lay Mission work in December 2007 Magazine Issue
To read about the current Lay Mission work in the latest magazine issue, click here
INTERFAITH DESK NEWS
John Paul II–Interfaith Giant
John Paul II was one of the most influential interfaith figures of the twentieth century. His commitment to dialogue, his extensive global travel and his acute awareness of our interdependent lives in the global village made him a significant force in the international interfaith movement. This article offers a chronological profile of the interfaith journey of Pope John Paul II from his election to the papacy in 1978 until his death in 2005. To read article, click here.
Review of Scarboro Golden Rule Movie
Earlier this year, Scarboro Missions released its Golden Rule video entitled, Animating the Golden Rule. The movie features Grade 11 students embodying Golden Rule values by way of skits, artwork, song, dance, rap and interviews. An exciting review of the DVD has been published in the Toronto Interfaith Unity newsletter. To read the review, click here.
13 Golden Rule Texts Translated into Hebrew
Scarboro Missions is proud to announce that the Golden Rule sacred writings from thirteen religions have been translated into Hebrew. This new addition complements translations in Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese that are already posted on our website.
To view or download the thirteen Golden Rule texts in Hebrew, click here
Learn about Official Church Documents on Dialogue
This listing features official Church documents on interfaith dialogue that have been published during and since the era of the Second Vatican Council. Included here are papal encyclicals as well as documents produced by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, by Bishops' Conferences and by Congregations within the Vatican (e.g. the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith). Each listing contains a one or two-sentence description of the document's contents. To read listing, click here.