Federation News

Federation News_March-April_2021 1

Federation News

NEWS FROM CANADA:

Sister Gabriella celebrates her 98th birthday with her favourite

dessert—ice-cream cake. It was delicious!

NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA

Proposal to rename a University library in honor of Sr. Sara Salkahazi along with Mr. Odoardo

Focherini

Recently, Sr. Maribeth, our General Director was informed of the

proposal to rename the main library at the St. Louis University in

St. Louis, Missouri. A committee was formed, led by alumni

Timothy Bagwell, Ph.D. to open a process to rename this library

for Sr. Sara Salkahazi along with Mr. Odoardo Focherini, both

martyrs.

An article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial section in part

states that Sisters of Social Service Sister Sara Salkahazi was

executed for hiding over 100 Jews in Hungary. The article also

included information on Mr. Odoardo Focherini, who was an

Italian Roman Catholic journalist. He gave false documents to

Jews so they could escape the Nazi regime. He was sent to a

concentration camp in Heisbruck where he died for an untreated

leg infection. Both died on December 27, 1944 and both suffering death and subsequent martyrdom.

Sr. Sara was beatified on September 17, 2006 and Mr.Focherini was beatified on June 15, 2013. It is

interesting to note that both had experience as journalist. These two individuals are among those

recognized in The Righteous among the Nations in Israel for risking their lives to save Jews during


World War II.

The work of the aforementioned committee of alumni is continuing in order to honor and memorialize

these two martyrs.

Sr. Georgianna Cahill, SSS

Sr. Georgiana entered the Community on August, 1946, made her

profession in 1950 and went to her eternal home on April 17, 2021

after a long illness. She was actively involved in social work since

her entrance in to the Community. Before working in Los Angeles,

she was the Director of the Office of Catholic Youth in the Diocese of

Kansas City-St. Joseph. For the Los Angeles Archdiocese, she served

as Director of Catholic Community Services and of CYO (Catholic

Youth Organization), and as Associate Director of Catholic Charities,

Sr. Georgianna was also greatly involved in the work with the

resettlement populations from Cuba and South East Asia. She was

also active in the National Conference of Catholic Charities and in the

Campaign for Human Development. Serving as the Executive

Director of Catholic Charities for the vast San Bernardino Diocese

since 1997, Sr. Georgianna retired in 2003.

While being the Executive Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of San Bernardino, Sr.

Georgianna was the recipient of the “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross” in recognition of “meritorious

service to the Universal Church.” It was presented to her by the Most Rev. Gerald R. Barnes, Bishop

of the San Bernardino Diocese. She will be remembered as always working to carry out the Mission of

Jesus Christ.

Cultivating Hope After a Year of Lockdown

On March 11, 2020 the WHO (World Health Organization) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Mary

Hatton, Director of Development for the Los Angeles SSS, wrote: “Obviously, the last year has not

been forgotten. We have far to go. We are certain to be reeling from the effects of the pandemic for

many years to come many of us having experienced deep pain and loss, on many levels….” Sisters,

Staff and Associates were recently asked to reflect on the last year of the Pandemic and the promise of

hope. Here are some of their responses:

“What is the promise of hope that I pray will be realized when we finally are lifted from beneath the

shadow of this pandemic? That we recognize more deeply than ever before our responsibility to

protect and promote the well-being of the earth and all her people.” Sister Maribeth Larkin, SSS,

General Director

“The pandemic has made me realize how important our health is, as the saying goes ‘Your health is

your wealth.’ And not only our individual health but the health of the community, humanity in general,

and our planet earth.” Sister Nodelyn Abayan, SSS

“The Year of Pandemic stopped us – literally – in our tracks. This re-arrangement of our lives has

provided us – without our permission – a time of “forced retreat.” Have we heard the message?” Sister

Deborah Lorentz, SSS

“Hope is a duty, not a nicety. Hope is not a dream, but a way of making dreams become reality. Happy

are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.” Suenens.

Submitted by Damaris Bradish, SSS Associate

“What resonates to me is the second commandment of Jesus as one community, “you shall love your

neighbor as yourself (Mk 12:31).” Amid pandemic, we practice health protocol to protect one another-

our duty to protect our earth and sisters and brothers because we all are one humanity; what happens to


one member affects the whole of humanity.” Sister Vangie Lasao, SSS

Respectfully Submitted by

Yolanda Vega, SSS

NEWS FROM HUNGARIAN DISTRICT

District assembly: on a weekend of March we

had a conversation with the nominees via

Zoom, but because of the pandemic we had to

postpone the election to Pentecost.

Our elderly sisters struggle with sickness, we are especially worried

about the ones infected with Covid 19. Our sister Teresa Tóth died of

the infection on Holy Thursday.

We celebrated the Easter Triduum in our local communities online; we

prayed the stations of the cross – which is traditionally a community event - also online.

Our junior sister Zsófia defended her portfolio with flying col-

ors – this is an important degree in a teacher’s career in the

Hungarian education system.

On the feast of Saint Joseph we had an

online event together with sisters and

associates in the year of Saint Joseph;

we shared our stories related to St. Jo-

seph.


The book written by Sr. Luca and Viki, a young woman in

our pre-entrance program was published under the title:

The Media as a Possibility in the Inclusion of Disabled

Persons.

On the 25th

of March, the feast of Mary, Spouse of the Ho-

ly Spirit we organized a spiritual evening program with 60

mothers, Sr. Éva lead the event.

It was very meaningful occasion

for the participants.

The spring weather was cold in the Matra mountains, where our vacation

house is:

We had a quiz with earlier pictures of the sisters: here are some of them – whom can we recognize?

NEWS FROM MEXICO

During this time of pandemic our activities have changed in many ways,

since the work (apostolate) with the students has changed, but we have

continued with great enthusiasm and dedication, since it is also important

to support them emotionally, since some of them have lost a loved one

and in other cases whole families have fallen ill with this virus, but thank

God they've made their way. As mentioned above, the activities have con-

tinued, as has the "Testimony Don Vasco" which we organize year after

year and we did so this March as well; some of the young people, carried


out a clean-up fundraising campaign and donated the proceeds to the

Zacapu nursing home, others shared goods with some families or peo-

ple in need and thereby helped a little in the economy.

Another activity that the chil-

dren did was a Biodisfraz (bio

disguise) contest which consists

of the children making a costume with recyclable materials or what they have in

their home and this was very interesting since in some cases the parents also

collaborated.

Likewise the young people participated in the via crucis that I published on the Facebook page of the

high school in order that the kids can live the Holy Week as if

they were on missions, but from home.

Community: we gathered for the days of the Easter Triduum,

we had the Eucharistic celebration of the last supper and the

Holy Hour helped us to spiritual depths as we shared in com-

munity a prayer, like Jesus with his apostles, after that we

shared the rite of the Jewish Seder dinner, which we had done

for a while and I believe that traditions must be celebrated so

that they continue to pass from generation in generation.

On Good Friday we prayed the community Stations

of the Cross, recalling Jesus’ passion and praying at

each station for the consecrated women and men, so

that imitating Jesus they may follow the path that

leads to the Father.

In the afternoon we prayed the Office together and I

believe that when we share it and live in community it

can be deeper for each of us.

On

Saturday we prepared for the great event we remem-

ber each year, "the Resurrection of Jesus" we per-

form the cleansing and arrangement of our chapel in

Tacámbaro. In the afternoon we joined the Easter

celebration in a community near Tacámbaro.


On Sunday we shared the Eucharist with Father Abel Pedraza and the Catechist sisters of Mary Most

Holy, and then we had a pleasant gathering where we enjoyed a delicious

meal prepared by the Sr. Avi and Sr. Irma.

During this time we also had the opportunity to have moments of recreation

that helped us strengthen community ties and get to know each other a little

better.

Then we had a few days of vacation together in Tuzantla and enjoy the warm

weather, and we took the opportunity to rest and visit with family, as well as

visit some places such as the sanctuary of the Lord of Carácuaro since not

everyone knew it him; after

that we spent time with a family whose hospitality we enjoyed. During those

days we also enjoyed the cool of river breeze and the company of family and

friends.

Sister Irma's apostolate with migrants.

Participating in the training of a group of

migrant workers who will go to Salinas

California to work on the strawberry

fields. They are from Zamora, Michoa-

cán

I thank the TRUE MEXICO Organiza-

tion for this opportunity due to the lack

of jobs in our country and the need for so

many families to survive.

The apostolate of Sr. Beatriz

During this time of the pandemic God has

allowed me to continue working in the oper-

ating area of the hospital, trying to take all

preventive measures since unfortunately cases

continue to arrive of people with COVID, I

also had the opportunity to participate in the

vaccination campaign implemented in our

municipality for older adults, we continue to

gladly support what is needed to contain this

pandemic.


NEWS FROM SLOVAK DISTRICT

We continued in our ministries that we started at the beginning of the Lent season. The retreat for youth

based on the movie „The Chosen“, Quotations from Sr. Sara for Lent, the „Spring“- vocation

promotion program (the topic was „marriage“), permanent

formation meeting and reading at the Holy Mass in Radio

Patria. All these activities were via zoom and we mentioned

them in the previous federation news.

Easter

We spent Easter in our communities. Most of us could

participate at Holy Mass only online due to lockdown. We

prepared traditional meals as eggs, egg cheese, sweetbread,

horse radish and beetroot, smoked ham…

(

(sisters in Košice)

We started with Seder supper on Holy Thursday in

Bratislava. The priests of our parish joined us, as well.

We celebrated Holy Mass in our parish church

privately every day.

(sisters and the novices in Bratislava)

Preparation month for the first vows

Our novices Zuzana

Škrinárová, Mária Adamcová

and Flóra Kovácsová started

their preparation for their first

vows on April 19, 2021. They

have already met benedictine

monk Michal Kukuča, who

shared his experience of living

vows as benedictine and

practical suggestion of humility

in everyday life. Let us support

our novices with love,

sisterhood and prayers.


Activities in Patria radio in Bratislava. Sisters Magdi and Agi with novice Flora cooperate in the broadcasts of Holy Mass in Hungarian radio

Patria. They served as lectors and altar servers during the mass in pandemic time.

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