It is with great joy that the Sisters of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame have learned that the name of Sister Marie-Aveline Bengle (known as Mother Sainte-Anne-Marie) is found on the list of women who were honoured by the Quebec Government today, for the great impact they had in Quebec’s history (see communiqué).
As we enter the Lenten journey, these are two websites you may want to check out.
www.sacredspace.ie: offers help with praying with the daily readings. It is the website of the Irish Jesuits.
www.ronrolheiser.com: Fr. Ron is a Canadian Oblate whose column "In Exile" is carried in more than one hundred papers around the world. The website gives you access to his writings as well as interviews with him on various topics.
The last few weeks have been difficult for me. At our Montréal associates and sisters gathering in January, we had a very frank and honest discussion about sexual abuse in the Church. It left me troubled. Troubled, because, as a Church, we have been derelict in our duty to care for those entrusted to us. Even more troubled that some of us have done great harm. Lives have been broken; either through acts of commission or equally damaging acts of omission, cover-up, and lies. I did not leave my meeting feeling hopeful. Neither did I feel very confident that Church leadership was serious about implementing change or fixing a culture that allowed this to happen. There is a crisis of trust. I too have succumbed to it. I have been praying and reflecting on this ever since.
