Blog Posts - Franciscan Voice Canada

JPIC Moment: Bearers of Peace - A call to action

2/3/2019

Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation

From the St. Francis of Assisi JPIC Team (Mike, Marion, Maureen & Charlie)
February, 2019

Bearers of Peace: A Call to Action

“…bearers of peace which must be built up unceasingly, they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue …
Messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance, they should strive to bring joy and hope to others.” (Article 19 of our Rule)

(The following is a reflection by Carolyn D. Townes, OFS, National JPIC Animator, USA)

What I especially love and appreciate about Article 19 is that it states emphatically in the opening that we “are bearers of peace...” not that we strive to become, or we will be someday – but that we already are. And as such, we must bring that bold statement to life, into action – every moment of our lives. Not someday. Not when we are ready, but right this very moment.

What a great grace that God has bestowed upon us – a grace we must all live up to and into. And how do we live out this gift of grace? By doing it in love. Not the love of feeling as we wait until we feel something. But the love of doing, making the decision every single moment to will the good of the other; to wish the other “peace and all good,” and to truly mean it. When Saint Francis set about wishing his fellow countrymen “Pace e bene,” he truly meant it.

(excerpt from the Fall, 2018 issue of TAU-USA, the newsletter of the National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order)

JPIC Moment in Fraternity - Forced Migrants (updated)

1/7/2019

Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
From the St. Francis of Assisi JPIC Committee, PEI
(Mike, Marion, Maureen & Charlie) January, 2019
In Solidarity with the Forced Migrants

Every minute, 31 people are forced to flee their homes. Forced migrants are those compelled to flee their homes because they are in a situation of insecurity and fear for their lives. There are 69 million people in the world today who are forced migrants. That is double the population of Canada.

40 million are internally displaced.
26 million are refugees.
3 million are asylum seekers.

What are the forced migrants fleeing?

Armed conflict
Persecution (ethnicity, religion, political opinion, nationality, etc.)
Development megaprojects (mining, oil & gas exploration, hydroelectric dam, urban ‘improvement’ projects, etc.)
Environmental causes (drought, famine, natural disasters, climate change, etc.)
Economic & political causes (denial of basic rights, mass unemployment, political instability, etc.)

Let us act in solidarity with the forced migrants of the world by
knowing and telling their stories.

Note: Check out the song “Christmas Day on Planet Earth” recorded by Lennie Gallant when the Black Umfolosi visited PEI last summer. In this beautiful song, Lennie makes a connection between the Holy Family and the migrants of the world.

Fraternities you are free to use any of the following material for your own formation program.

Click the link on the right to see the script and a Power Point presentation used for the fraternity meeting. Everyone also received a copy of the lyrics of "Christmas Day on Planet Earth" so they could sing along with the chorus.

jpic_moment_2019-01-13_script.docx
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jpic_moment_2019-01-13.pptx
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Trillium Region celebrated their 25th Anniversary

12/16/2018

This past July 2018 the Trillium Region celebrated their 25th Anniversary as a Region. They planted an elm tree and it was dedicated by Father Peter Knaapen at a Regional picnic held at St. Bonaventure Church in Toronto.

Planting a tree may seem a small thing in relation to saving our planet earth, but every tiny action counts. If everyone planted a tree this year it would add up to a lot of much needed trees that would help repair the earth's lungs.

Small actions add up and they are an example for others. So do something small today!

OFS Little Portion Fraternity Rise for Climate

9/9/2018

Below: Andrew Conradi, ofs (middle right with sign) talking to man before the event started

350.org Rise for Climate (Victoria Rise and Resist) 8 Sept 2018 outside BC Legislature; one of 877 events in 93 countries. OFS Little Portion Fraternity, Victoria, BC members: Mary Anne Gervais, Josée Contorines and Andrew Conradi.

We're rising because we know what needs to happen: we need every local leader to commit to a fast and fair transition to 100% renewable energy and to stop new fossil fuel projects. And no more delays. Pope Francis in his 2015 Laudato Si’ (n 165) wrote: “We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels – especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas – needs to be progressively replaced without delay.”

Pope Francis in his message for the 2018 World Day of Prayer for The Care of Creation mentions “a growing sense of the need for a renewed and sound relationship between humanity and creation” and wants to “draw attention to the question of water.” He says “access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right ... every privatization … , at the expense of the human right to have access …, is unacceptable.” Church bulletin article prepared by Andrew Conradi. Read more and see short videos

JPIC Moment in Fraternity - April 2018

4/23/2018

The JPIC Moment at the St. Francis of Assisi Fraternity Meeting, April 8, 2018
Franciscan Poverty means Living Simply

When we think of poverty, we tend to think of giving up the things we love.
But for Franciscans, poverty means detaching from that which holds you bound.
It means surrendering to God’s will and letting go of your own will and want,
especially those things that keep you from living Gospel values.
Living Simply: A JPIC Action

What is the difference between “needs” and “wants” ? (reflect on that for a moment).
Do I have something at home that I don’t need but that someone else might want to use?
Bring that ‘something’ to our next fraternity meeting and place it on our sharing table.

St. Francis tells us:
“Remember that when you leave this earth you can take nothing of what you have received, but only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”
Psalm Fragment: “I maintain a pure lifestyle, so I can appear before your altar, O Lord,
to give you thanks, and to tell about your amazing deeds.” Psalm 26: 6-7.

NOTE: This is made into the following script to present to the fraternity as a "JPIC moment".

OUR SCRIPT
(Mike)
Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
The JPIC Moment at the
St. Francis of Assisi Fraternity Meeting, April 8, 2018
Franciscan Poverty means Living Simply

(Charlie)
When we think of poverty, we tend to think of giving up the things we love.
But for Franciscans, poverty means detaching from that which holds you bound.
It means surrendering to God’s will and letting go of your own will and want;
especially those things that keep you from living Gospel values.
(Mike)
Living Simply: A JPIC Action

What is the difference between “needs” and “wants” ? (reflect on that for a moment).
Do I have something at home that I don’t need but that someone else might want to use?
Bring that ‘something’ to our next fraternity meeting and place it on our sharing table.

(Maureen)
St. Francis tells us, “Remember that when you leave this earth you can take nothing of what you have received, but only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”
(Marion)
Psalm Fragment:
I maintain a pure lifestyle, so I can appear before your altar, O Lord,
to give you thanks, and to tell about your amazing deeds. Psalm 26: 6-7.

JPIC Moment in Fraternity meeting - Part 3

3/1/2018

Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
From the St. Francis of Assisi JPIC Committee
(Mike, Marion, Maureen & Charlie) March, 2018

Women at the Heart of Peace (Part 3)
Prayer of the Mothers
In the fall of 2017, thousands of Israeli and Palestinian women of the Women Wage Peace movement organized a 2-week march for peace through parts of Israel and the West Bank. It ended with a rally in Jerusalem.
Sunday’s arrival in Jerusalem coincided with the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which commemorates the Jewish journey through the Sinai after their exodus from Egypt. In 2015, Women Wage Peace members fasted in relays over 50 days, the length of the 2014 war between Israel and the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.
Use the link below to view a 5-minute video featuring the 2017 march. Throughout the video, a beautiful song, “Prayer of the Mothers”, is sung in Hebrew with accompanying English sub-titles.

Here are several stanzas from that song:
Between the sky and the land
there are people who want to live in peace;
don’t give up, keep dreaming
of peace and prosperity.

The walls of fear will some day melt
and I will return from exile;
my gates shall open
to what is truly good.

from the north to the south,
from the west to the east,
hear the prayer of the mothers:
bring them peace,
bring them peace.

Women from the 'Women Wage Peace' movement and Palestinians take part in a march near the Jordan River, in the West Bank on October 8, 2017. (Flash90)
Israeli and Palestinian activists were ending a two-week march Sunday through parts of Israel and the West Bank with a Jerusalem rally to demand a peace deal.
The Women Wage Peace movement organized the march, which began on September 24 and includes participants who have themselves been affected by violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
(Excerpts from Development & Peace Fall 2017 Campaign material)

JPIC Moment in Fraternity meeting - Part 2

11/30/2017

Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
From the St. Francis of Assisi JPIC Committee
(Mike, Marion, Maureen & Charlie) December, 2017

Women at the Heart of Peace (Part 1)
Women play a key role in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as in building and sustaining an inclusive, lasting and fair peace.
Women’s crucial contribution to building peace is acknowledged in Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted in 2000, which recognizes, for the first time, specific crimes committed against women during armed conflicts. It highlights the importance of their meaningful, full, and equal participation at all levels of peace processes.
However, 17 years later, women’s expertise is still underestimated, women’s organizations are consistently underfunded, and they remain, by and large, excluded from formal peace processes.

Out of the 504 peace agreements signed since Resolution 1325 was adopted, only 138, or 27%, mention women.
Of the major peace negotiations that took place between 1992 and 2011, only 2% of chief mediators, 4% of signatories and 9% of negotiators were women.
Only 2% of international funding dedicated to peace and security is allocated to equality between women and men or the empowerment of women.

Given the increasing number of violent conflicts and their dramatic repercussions on civilians, we must find new solutions to promoting peace !

A question for Secular Franciscans to consider:
How can we use the above information when we converse with others?
(Excerpts from Development & Peace Fall 2017 Campaign material)

JPIC Moment at a Fraternity Meeting

11/21/2017

Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
The JPIC Moment at the St. Francis of Assisi Fraternity Meeting, Nov. 12, 2017
(Script)

Mike: Women at the Heart of Peace (Part 1)
Women play a key role in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as in building and sustaining an inclusive, lasting and fair peace.

Maureen: Women’s crucial contribution to building peace is acknowledged in Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted in 2000, which recognizes, for the first time, specific crimes committed against women during armed conflicts. It highlights the importance of their meaningful, full, and equal participation at all levels of peace processes.
However, 17 years later, women’s expertise is still underestimated, women’s organizations are consistently underfunded, and they remain, by and large, excluded from formal peace processes.

Marion: - Out of the 504 peace agreements signed since Resolution 1325 was adopted, only 138, or 27%, mention women.
- Of the major peace negotiations that took place between 1992 and 2011, only 2% of chief mediators, 4% of signatories and 9% of negotiators were women.

Charlie: - Only 2% of international funding dedicated to peace and security is allocated to equality between women and men or the empowerment of women.
Given the increasing number of violent conflicts and their dramatic repercussions on civilians, we must find new solutions to promoting peace!

Mike: A question for Secular Franciscans to consider:
How can we use the above information when we converse with others?

Franciscans helping to Eradicate Poverty Special handouts raise awareness

11/2/2017

Leonard MacGuigan helped to distribute “Chew on This” bags in downtown Charlottetown on Oct. 17, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Janet McDonald and Maureen & Brad Goodick did a similar distribution in Cornwall. Each bag contained an apple, a refrigerator magnet and a postcard to be sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The cross-Canada event is sponsored by two national organizations, Canada Without Poverty and Citizens for Public Justice. The P.E.I. event is sponsored by the P.E.I. Coalition for a Poverty Eradication Strategy and the MacKillop Centre for Social Justice, both headed by Mary Boyd.

St. Agnes of Assisi Emerging Fraternity, Coquitlam, BC

10/9/2017

What is being done regarding the JPIC moment at our meetings.

Integrity of Creation
This quotation from Laudato Si “Love, overflowing with small gestures of mutual care is also civic and political and it makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world” inspired me to look at recycling so I put together a list of places in our immediate area where common household items including electronics could be recycled. It was well accepted and even added on to by the members.

In April with the celebration of Earth Day we looked at the emerging consciousness and gradual development of Earth Day in the last 50 years and especially with Pope Francis’s added concern for creation.

In June I presented “the toxic legacy of palm oil in Guatamala” and its devastating effects on our earth, encouraging members to sign petitions which call on RESPA to suspend and clean up their operation. Also, as a consumer to demand that the palm oil in our chocolates and cookies come from companies that implement responsible and sustainable practices that protect the people and the planet.

In September we looked at Pope Francis’s urgent appeal for climate justice and how if affects the poor, that is, those who are most vulnerable, suffer most from extreme weather events and who are least responsible for global greenhouse gas emissions that disrupt the climate system. We agree that climate change is ultimately a moral crisis requiring realignment of our values. We concluded with “A Prayer for our Earth”. By Helen Brooks

SPEAKING UP FOR THE VOICELESS IN OUR WORLD
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