Sr. Joan Brennan, CND, needs to apply all her 60+ years of experience as an educator when teaching religion to three and four-year olds. Yes, that’s three and four-year old preschoolers at Notre Dame Academy in Staten Island, NY. She begins her classes with a song many of us learned in school: Rise and Shine and Give God Your Glory Glory. She tells them the creation story. She employs artwork as well as songs to get her youngest pupils to think about where and how do we see God? How do we find God in our life every day?
In the Diocese of Saint John N.B. churches are being combined to form new parishes with new names. Parishioners were invited to suggest names. The new parish in the Miramichi area (Newcastle side) is now named Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish. Local churches are designated “worship sites” within the large (new) parish structure; they will maintain their “church name” for now. Our Congrégation de Notre-Dame associates and friends were very active in promoting Saint Marguerite. It is appropriate that the Miramichi area where the Sisters of the Congregation worked for over 100 years receive this honor. Sisters and associates familiar with the Miramichi are very pleased, as are former students and friends of the sisters.
Nearly 200 brave souls battled the elements in Montréal’s freak autumn snowfall last Friday to attend the Catholic Rally organized by the English-speaking Catholic Council. This biennial event brings together and showcases many of the organizations that make up the Catholic Church of Montréal. For the first time the Congrégation de Notre-Dame associates from Montréal were also present with a booth. Associates Sharon DiFruscia, Donna Quelch and Charles Taker were on hand to talk about Associate Relationship to those who called by our booth. A fair bit of interest was generated and we will be following-up over the next few weeks and inviting them to come and see who we are and what we are about.