Volume 9.02 | February 22, 2021
In this Issue:

SCORE

Laudato Si' Action Platform

Good News from Jamaica

Call to Action to Address Systemic Racism

Franciscan Center - Dreams in the Time of St. Francis

In Memory
SCORE (Sisters Collaborative Outreach, Relationships and Engagement)
By: Colleen Brady OSF
“Behold, I am doing something new!” Isaiah 43:19

SCORE, birthed by the Holy Spirit, is a community without walls conceived from a deep longing to “be a part” of a mutual relationship with those who have the same desire. This longing to seek and share our struggle for understanding, to deepen compassion and see with new eyes, is expressed in our love flowing out through service.

In the fall of 2019, Sr. Colleen Brady was invited by Congregational Leadership to coordinate a Think Tank of individuals to envision new forms of membership. In December, 2019, Colleen gathered with four Allegany Franciscan Sisters, two lay women who co-direct the Catholic Volunteers of Florida and one Franciscan Sister of Philadelphia who served as facilitator and participant in the conversation. The Allegany Franciscans had recently held their pre-chapter meetings and recorded their session with Sr. Carol Zinn, SSJ. The Think Tank members viewed Sr. Carol Zinn’s presentation which highlighted the need of letting go of what has been in order to embrace what can be. During the gathering, the group reflected on the following:

What do you appreciate about who you are today?
Where do you find hope?  
What might be? How do you envision your future?
What are some new forms of membership to consider?

Stay tuned for more on SCORE in the next edition of the e-newsletter!
Laudato Sí' Action Platform
Integral Ecology is one of the Focus Areas raised in our pre-Chapter Assembly process. In Laudato Sí, Pope Francis has underlined the fundamental connection that exists between the environmental crisis and the social crisis that we are currently experiencing and asks us for a personal and communal ecological conversion. He often reminds us “everything is interconnected.” 
 
The Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP) is a multi-year process aimed at making communities around the world totally sustainable in the spirit of the integral ecology of Laudato Si’. Pope Francis mandated the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development (DPIHD) to organize and animate this work.
 
The overall framework of LSAP envisions:
• an official launch on May 24th, 2021;
• participating communities and institutions, who commit themselves to a 7 year journey to complete their
 transition to Integral Ecology;
• new communities joining the initiative every year;
• at least doubling the number of participants every year;
• the growth of a Laudato Si' inspired network of communities leading to systemic change;
• the development of the process in 7 sectors, namely:
      - Families,
      - Parishes and Dioceses,
      - Educational Institutions (schools and universities),
      - Hospital and Health Care Centers,
      - Economy (Businesses, Cooperatives, Farms, etc.),
      - Organizations & Groups (Ecological Communities, Movements, NGOs,
        Communication Centers, Foundations, etc.),
      - Religious Congregations.
 
Laudato Si’ Action Plan - Process Involving Religious Congregations
Religious congregations, their members and associates are invited into this process of conversion to integral ecology.
 
Click here to read more on the Process Involving Religious Congregations. 
Click here for the Laudato Si’ Action Platform and enroll for free.
 
More resources about the Laudato Si’ Action Plan: 

View the video: Realizing the Vision of Laudato Si’ – Action Plan
January 22, 2021 with Sr. Sheila Kinsey FCJM

View the video: Sowing Hope for the Planet - Roll out Plan for Laudato Si
December 15, 2020 with Sr.Sheila Kinsey FCJM
 
 
The LSAP project is a collaborative effort of the JPIC Commission in the name of UISG (International Union of Superiors General and the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM).
 
God of communion, enable us to become communities of participatory action and advocacy,
for the Earth and the poor. May we form networks of open and respectful dialogue
and use all the communication avenues available to us for the good of all.
Good News from Our Sisters in Jamaica


The Conrad Hilton Fund for Sisters approved the grant application to support the Water Harvesting & Sewerage Management (WHSM) project at Immaculate Conception. Thanks be to God and all His faithful servants who made this possible!
Call to Action to Address Systemic Racism
By: Margaret Magee OSF
In many newsletters we have read articles from Sr. Gloria Oehl on her work with Investor Advocates for Social Justice (IASJ). Their mission is to advocate on behalf of a community of investors whose faith-based values promote human rights, climate justice, racial equity and the common good. As a Congregation we are members of IASJ. We are grateful for the work that Gloria continues to do on our behalf.

  1. Commit to actively engage with, amplify, and include Black voices in investor spaces and company engagements
  2. Commit to embed a racial equity and justice lens into our own organizations.
  3. Commit to integrating racial justice into investment decision-making and engagement strategies.
  4. Reinvest in Communities.
  5. Use Investor Voice to Advance Anti-Racist Public Policy.
 
The Finance Committee has been attentive to many of these calls, especially those directly related to investment decisions and policies. As Leadership we are keeping a particular focus on the second call to commit to embed a racial equity and justice lens into our own organizations.
 
At our last FSA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting in October 2020 the IASJ statement was shared with the members. The Leadership in each of our countries was asked to see how they could commit to embed a racial equity and justice lens in their organizations. This information will be brought to our next BOD meeting in March of 2021.

As Leadership, we have sent out a number of articles and documents on the topics of Racism and White Privilege. We have had sisters write articles in the newsletter on topics of Social Justice, Racism and Black Lives Matter. A number of sisters and associates have volunteered to provide statements, articles and reflections to the students of St. Bonaventure University as they develop a new website, Brothers and Sisters to All.

As Leadership, we continue conversations and meetings with our Partners in Ministry at BayCare, Allegany Franciscan Ministries (AFM) and with the Directors of our Sponsored Ministries. Together we hope to deepen our understanding of what it means to embed a racial equity and justice lens and more importantly to make this a reality.
Dreams in the Life of St. Francis - Hosted by The Franciscan Center
Dreams in the Life of St. Francis
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
7:00 ~ 8:30 p.m.
With: Sister Jeanne Williams, OSF
 
God often leads us in our journey by way of dreams, especially at times of confusion or doubt. Our Franciscan Tradition has always valued dreams as a way in which God communicates at various times in our lives. Join us as we consider together how dreams have played an important role in the life of St. Francis of Assisi and in our own personal lives, especially during times of discernment and conversion.

Suggested fee $15.00 or pay what you can afford. All proceeds go towards the Franciscan Center in Tampa, FL.
In Memory
Sr. Gemma Delgado
Date of Birth: September 4, 1929
Entered Eternal Life: January 19, 2021
Per Sr. Gemma's request,
there was no obituary
Sr. Ann Kelly
Date of Birth: March 3, 1928
Entered Eternal Life: January 24, 2021
Sr. Eva DiCamillo
Date of Birth: August 20, 1929
Entered Eternal Life: February 8, 2021