Dear Friends,

On behalf of all of the Sisters of Notre Dame of the California province, I want to send each of you our prayerful good wishes. We never thought that this season of Lent was going to be transformative in so many ways, unique ways that we have never experienced before. We are learning to believe in the words from chapter 8 of the letter to the Romans, " all of our trials work for good because of your loving plan, O God."

We want you to know that we are all safe and well. As far as we know, the SNDs in 17 different countries are also OK. With the current California mandate to be safe at home, we are doing just that and as far as possible, conducting our ministries through the internet. Thank you for your calls, emails, texts and other messages of concern.

We have included some spiritual resources on our province website, and we hope that these are helpful to you. They are available from the website's homepage, www.sndca.org. You might also visit our Facebook page: Sisters of Notre Dame, California.

St. Julie Billiart, our spiritual mother, encouraged us to have hearts as wide as the universe. What we are experiencing is a new sense of our global community. Out and about on a walk or shopping for food or other essentials, we are discovering a new type of fellowship with those we encounter. Our technology resources are keeping us connected, whether in a virtual classroom, a live-streamed Mass or just checking in with family and friends. What happens to one of us has the potential to impact all of us. Indeed, we feel greater responsibility for the common good. Our hearts are becoming as wide as the universe.

For many decades, the Sisters of Notre Dame have included this petition in our daily prayer. "For divine protection on all our houses, Sisters, associates, students, families, benefactors--all entrusted to our care." Be assured that we are offering this prayer for each of you with renewed meaning. We are especially concerned about health care workers, the homeless and the unemployed.

The charism or special gift of our congregation is a d eep experience of God's goodness and provident care. May your hearts and minds be blessed with this experience of God's goodness as you feel resilient hope and a tender embrace in the arms of God.

Thank you again for all of your support and may God bless you, today and always.

Blessings always,

Sr. M. Lisa Megaffin, S.N.D.

Director of Mission Advancement Services