Volume 8.01 | January 13, 2020
In this Issue:

Congratulations, Jubilarians!

Welcome, Sr. Michele!

Book Review

Franciscan Federation

In Memory

Congratulations, Jubilarians!
Three Allegany Franciscans will celebrate their Golden Jubilees this year. Sister Maria Pereira dos Santos of Tampa, Florida; Sister Teresinha de Jesus Santos of Palmas, Brazil; and Sister Maria Miranda of La Paz, Bolivia will celebrate and recognize their 50 years of consecrated life in 2020.
 
In addition to the three Golden Jubilarians, ten Sisters will celebrate 60 years; three will recognize 65 years; six will mark 70 years; and three will celebrate 75 years as Allegany Franciscans.

To view a full list of Jubilarians, click here.
Welcome, Sr. Michele!
The Congregational Leadership and Generalate staff of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany recently welcomed Sr. Michele Dolyk to the team as Assistant Congregational Secretary.
 
After many years of ministry in and around Miami, FL, Sr. Michele moved to St. Elizabeth Motherhouse in December 2019. She is now assisting Kristen Luther, Congregational Secretary, as a volunteer in the Secretariat.
 
Sr. Michele will be assisting with communication of travel and hospitality arrangements for Congregational Leadership and Congregational Committees, as well as assisting with preparation for the Golden Jubilee celebration in May and with personal data change forms.
 
Welcome, Sr. Michele, and thank you for your willingness to serve!
Exploring Interculturality: Review of two books by author Ta-Nehisi Coates
By: Margaret Magee OSF
Interculturality is one of our Focus Areas for Chapter 2020. Our CPC document states, the gospel impels us to address: Interculturality by listening to the call to honor the dignity and integrity of all people, by respecting and embracing all forms of diversity (ethnicity, generation, gender, religion, race, etc.), by witnessing to hope by being authentic, prophetic, peacemakers.
 
Interculturality calls us to broaden our worldview. It also challenges us to examine our ethnocentric attitudes and perhaps unconscious bias that leads to stereotyping and the judgment of others. It is important to understand that ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture, nationality, cultural values, norms, and behaviors are superior to all other cultures.
 
Unfortunately, we cannot deny that ethnocentrism, racism and bias attitudes and behaviors have become more prevalent, more visible, more volatile and vocal in our country and throughout the world. It is believed that these attitudes and behaviors have always been present, yet deeply buried and insidious in its often silent growth within our American culture. Recent political dynamics and changes constantly play this out in racial violence, the growing fears of immigrants and persons of diverse religious faiths and in the prejudice and hostility towards persons of the LGBQT community. 
 
To begin or deepen the exploration of ethnocentric attitudes we must recognize how our American history has been written with a “white” bias with regard to the sin of slavery, prejudice and the proliferation of racial hatred and violence. To explore these attitudes, I recommend two books by the author Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me and The Water Dancer.
 
Between the World and Me is a memoir written by Coates to his fifteen year old son, Samori. In this writing, he recounts his years of growing up in Baltimore at a time of racial tension and violence. He reflects on and recounts his growing awareness of how society, education, civic government and policy have been and continues to be biased, instilling fear against the “black body”. The book explores what it means to grow up black in America. It is also an invitation to all, to honestly face and confront attitudes, within ourselves and others, of racism and bias toward all people, so that we may grow beyond the current impasse and create a new future.
 
The Water Dancer is a powerful novel by Coates which takes the reader back in time into the life of post-Civil War in the American south. This story recalls the decline of plantation life and society which promoted the dominance of the white people of “Quality”, over and possessive of the black slaves, the “Tasked”. The changing post-Civil war attitudes began to reveal the sinful charade of white ethnocentricity which built up our country’s economy, through the production of cotton and tobacco, on the backs of the black people who were stolen from their native lands, enslaved and treated as inhuman. This story touches into the mysticism of black spirituality which, through song and dance, helped to lift the hopes of those unjustly enslaved. It also captures the heroic tales of those compelled to lead others to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Both books are a must read!
Franciscan Federation Conference
Friday, June 5 – Monday, June 8, 2020
DoubleTree by Hilton Denver
3203 Quebec Street, Denver CO 80207
 
This 2020 Invitational Federation Assembly seeks to answer the following:
 
  • How can more strategic collaboration strengthen the Franciscan voice as we respond to needs in both our nation and our church in this time of crisis?
  • How can leaders of major Franciscan organizations collectively plan for a sustainable future for many Franciscan sponsored initiatives and programs?
  • How will changing demographics and organizational structures of both the friars' provinces and many sisters’ congregations impact membership and the work of the national Franciscan organizations?
 
The Denver Assembly Planning Group, includes the Executive Committee of the Commission of Charism Services, a few National Board Members, our Co-Executive Directors, and representatives of Franciscan Action Network, Secular Franciscans, Franciscan Mentors, Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities, is pleased to announce the keynote presenters:
 
 
For more information on the keynote presenters go to: https://franfed.org/annual-franciscan-conference-2020/
In Memory






Sr. Frances Miritello
Date of Birth: November 3, 1943
Entered Eternal Life: December 22, 2019