Motivated by the spirit

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By Sr. Ann Kiely and Sr. Monica Delaney, F.M.D.M.
January/February 2009

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Have you ever booked into a place to stay and discovered that it far surpassed your expectations? That was our experience when we arrived at Scarboro Missions in Toronto last August to participate in the Franciscan Internship Program. The three-month program has been held at Scarboro each year for the past five years. We thought that the location would simply serve as our venue. However, we soon discovered that Scarboro Missions is no mere venue, but a vibrant community with open doors not only for our little group but also for many others from around the world.

2008 Franciscan Internship Program participants. Scarboro Missions, Toronto. Photo right: Franciscan Sisters Monica Delaney and Ann Kiely (second and third from left)

We are two Sisters of the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood. Both of us are enjoying a very welcome sabbatical break as we have been in leadership in our congregation for many years. While in our Motherhouse in England we heard about the internship program and recognized that this would be a helpful preparation for new ministry in the future.

The course is aimed at helping those who have a love for Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare to grow in their appreciation of the rich heritage that Francis and Clare have given us in their Christ-centred spirituality. In addition to deepening our own spiritual journey, the course also offers the foundational material for those who feel called to the ministry of spiritual direction.

We were a group of nine participants representing seven different nations: Canada, England, India, Ireland, Nigeria, Switzerland, and the United States. This diversity of cultures is itself an enrichment, but this enrichment was further deepened through our participation in the life of the Scarboro community.

Hospitality

Our first contact with Scarboro Missions was at Toronto International Airport when we were greeted by the smiling face of Fr. John Carten. On arrival at their central-house we received exceptional hospitality. From our very first moment we were helped to feel a genuine part of the Scarboro family. And what an amazing family they are. Much of our day was taken up with study and reading related to the course, but our educa-tion continued when we met with the priests and lay missionaries in the dining room at meal times. Here we had the privilege of listening to many fascinating mission experiences. We heard stories of incredibly beautiful encounters with people across the globe, stories in which the good news has been proclaimed and received with joy. So often we found ourselves wishing that such moving encounters could be recorded on a wider scale so that the hearts of others could be lifted in knowing more about the genuine goodness that is happening in our world through Scarboro Missions. Even while we were there we witnessed Fr. Brian Swords being sent to mission in Burma and Fr. Charlie Gervais to Ecuador.

Attending daily Mass we learned much from the fervour of this praying community. We also received real nourishment from the reflections on the Word of God, reflections that are frequently drawn from the ways in which the Scarboro missionaries have recognized the face of God in those they serve.

Just as we were received with great hospitality by Scarboro Missions, we were impressed by the way many others from a wide variety of countries were received. There are members of other foreign mission societies staying at Scarboro while in Canada to do studies and also to learn English. At present, there are priests and seminarians from mission societies in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Nigeria. The family atmosphere is such that we were often at table together, Franciscans, Scarboro members, and other foreign missionaries all sharing values that are important in today’s world.

Interfaith dialogue

Another area that impressed us while living here at Scarboro is their commitment to developing healthy interfaith dialogue. We were delighted to participate in some of the Education Series organized by Scarboro’s Department of Interfaith Dialogue. One of these events was “Exploring the Common Elements in the World’s Religions” during which J.W. Windland, a specialist in interreligious dialogue, highlighted the factors common to all religions through a very effective Powerpoint presentation.

Scarboro lay missionaries Mary Olenick (left) and Kate O’Donnell (far right) at a Scarboro community gathering.

Perhaps Scarboro’s greatest contribution to building a global interfaith community is through the inspira-tional Golden Rule poster. We were particularly impressed to hear how this poster has been widely received in the English-speaking world and is now translated into many languages. We look forward to extending this message of the Golden Rule through the posters we carried home to share with our Sisters. They will use the posters in the different countries to which they are missioned.

Spiritual reflection

We were also amazed to discover another unexpected activity taking place at Scarboro. Through their vibrant Mission Centre, Scarboro has responded to the spiritual hunger in the world by offering opportunities for reflection and enrichment to a wide variety of people from different backgrounds. While at Scarboro we saw the Mission Centre opening its doors to people of all ages from youth to adults, as well as to people from all religions. We were particularly encouraged by the number of young people at the Centre whose faces shine with God-given joy and so give us great hope for the future of our world. What is so inspirational is that all who come to the Centre are seeking God in different ways. We were struck by the way the young express their search with energy and exuberance, while adult groups such as the Zen Meditation and the Christian Meditation groups express theirs through a contemplative silence that pervades the whole Scarboro house.

While we were at Scarboro Missions, the community celebrated the 90th anniversary of their founding as a mission society. We were privileged to be invited to join the 300 participants in a mass of thanksgiving for God’s blessings on this courageous group of missionaries. The Powerpoint presentation at the conclusion of the day showed the past, present, and future of this missionary community. This presentation confirmed for us that the wonderful spirit that we experienced over the past few months has always been a part of Scarboro Missions’ way of life described so aptly in their Mission Statement:

We left this place very much enriched not only by the Franciscan Internship Program but in a special way by living among a group of people who continue to respond to what Jesus said he came to do: “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

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