Being recalled



Holy Thursday

I was looking forward to the break that Easter would bring.  Given that we are seeing a distinct upswing in visits to the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women this year and that we haven't had a true break since Christmas, I was looking forward to the rest, relaxation and extra prayer time that Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday would bring us.

However, as we locked the doors of the Center on Wednesday, I was recalled -- that is,  I received an official "Recall Notice" for  the car I drive.  Being overly familiar with past automobile recall notices that had been issued during my almost 40 years of driving, I was prepared to add this notice to a pile of mail and take care of it after Easter.  While cursorily skimming the notice, however, my eyes rested on this:  "In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death."  Following the instructions of the notice, I contacted the dealer, who told me to stop driving the car immediately and informed me that the parts for the repair would not be available until April or May. The dealer offered a free rental car for the duration.  Whether it takes two weeks or two months to get the parts, my transportation needs are covered.

So, I spent my Holy Thursday morning doing something decidedly different from my previous expectations -- visiting the service department of my car dealer and arranging for a rental car.  "It's the beginning of the Paschal Triduum," I said to myself.  "Remain prayerful and stay calm.  Find God in this."  Honestly, I didn't have to do much seeking.  As usual, God found me, this time in the person of the service advisor at my car dealer.  He calmly explained the reason for the recall, took me through the process and called the rental folks.  As I was waiting to be picked up, I encouraged the service advisor to go about his business, as it seemed like a very busy day in his life.  But, he chose to sit and talk with me.  In the process, I learned about his his wife, grown children and grandchildren and his thoughts about philanthropy -- "If I have what I need, I must share with others rather than buying things I don't need." I learned that he does things like paying off the layaway balances for complete strangers on Christmas Eve and contributing to the Community Health Outreach program of our local hospital.  When the rental car gentleman arrived, I was not ready to end the conversation, but I gave the service advisor my business card and went on my way, taking with me the memory of a wonderful encounter with a great service advisor.

The whole process lasted about two hours, after which I was in a surprisingly recollected frame of mind.  Why?  Because on Holy Thursday morning, I experienced a "washing of the feet."  Sure, later in the evening, I would have my right foot actually washed in a church by a priest along with 11 other "disciples."  But, the unexpected washing of my feet that morning -- by a man whose job title is "service advisor" --  helped me to enter into the preparation for the great and holy feast of the Resurrection better than any other preparation I could have designed for myself. By responding to a "recall notice" on the day when the church recalls in a special way Jesus' service to his disciples and his direction to "do as I have done for you,"  I was given a shining example of what that means.  As one who is usually like Peter, saying "Lord, you will never wash my feet," and one whose days are spent primarily washing the feet of many others, I received a "recall notice" from Jesus, who said to me as he had said to Peter, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me." 

During this Octave of Easter, we at the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women are very grateful to those who serve us by "washing our feet" through prayers, donations, volunteer service and countless other ways.  Through you, we find shining examples of consistently positive responses to the many "recall notices"  issued by the Greatest Service Advisor.  May God bless you abundantly. 

Christ is risen!  Truly he is risen!

Happy Easter!

Sr. Ann Marie

Easter Sunday

 

Going Toward the Periphery

On Saturday, February 27, Sister Ann Marie Paul, SCC, Director of the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women, addressed the Religious Teachers Filippini at Villa Walsh in Morristown, NJ during their annual Study Day.  Sister Ascenza Tizzano, MPF, Provincial Superior, invited Sister Ann Marie to address the theme, "Going Toward the Periphery" as it pertains to the collaborative ministry that is the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women.

Having been a member of the subcommittee that worked toward the founding of the Center and now a member of the Center's board, Sister Ascenza is acutely aware of the ministry and its service to those "on the periphery" and she was eager for her Sisters to hear this message.

Because the Center is a collaborative effort between the Diocese of Paterson and its religious communities, these presentations to religious communities are key to the ongoing fulfillment of the mission of the Center.  We are grateful to Sister Ascenza, her Council and the Religious Teachers Filippini in attendance, who responded so positively to the presentation.

Sister Ann Marie addresses the Religious Teachers Filippini
during their annual Study Day on Saturday, February 27 at
Villa Walsh, Morristown.

Sister Ann Marie shows the Sisters a scarf that was
crocheted by one of the women at the Center.

Happy, Grateful New Year!

On this New Year's Day 2016, we want you to know how very grateful we are.  Hopefully, these photos from the end of 2015 will help us to share some of the reasons for our gratitude.

In the beginning of December, we were the recipients of the generosity of the students at Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township, NJ.  Not only did they donate what appeared to be a TON of diapers, wipes and baby food, but they gave HUNDREDS of dollars worth of gift cards, which we used toward our goal of providing our families with food for the Christmas season.  We are grateful to the IHA staff and student body, to Campus Minister Sarah Shutrop, and to Franciscan Sister of Peace Margaret Gaffikin, who was our "collaborative connector" to IHA.

Thank you, student body of IHA . . .

 

. . . for diapers and wipes . . .

. . . and for an abundance of baby food!

We are STILL grateful to the staff of the Paterson Diocesan Center!  Even before we opened our doors in 2013, they were faithfully responding to our needs.  Their generosity continues.  Not only were they the primary benefactors at our Christmas Boutique in November, but when they heard of our goal to provide food for our families this Christmas, they created a "Giving Tree."  Adding their abundant generosity to that of the students at IHA (mentioned above), we were able to provide supermarket gift cards for 55 families in Passaic this Christmas -- AND we have enough cards left over for emergency situations in the new year (which had been depleted prior to Christmas).

Thank you, staff of the Paterson Diocesan Center!
Your Giving Tree helped us to feed the hungry this Christmas!

Thank you to the women who visit the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women each day.  The Center exists to serve you, but those of us who minister here receive so much from you.  Daily you remind us why we do what we do and how to be better at it.  You teach us so much about hospitality, especially when you provided us with a Christmas celebration!



The cake that our women provided for the Christmas celebration
they planned and carried out.

We are also grateful to our women who took a leadership role in our crocheting class.  Sister Mary Rose Mroz, SCC spent several weeks teaching our women to crochet.  When her ministry called Sister Mary Rose away from North Jersey, we started to look for a new instructor.   In the meantime, the women continued to attend class.  Sister Elaine Maguire, FSP, our Associate Director, watched over the class while the women decided what they wanted to make next, consulted with others as to how to go about making their next projects and instructed each other when they ran into problems.  While we are still seeking an instructor, we are edified by the perseverance of our women and their growth as leaders.

Gloria models the hat and scarf she crocheted.

The handiwork of the crochet class on display

 We are incredibly grateful for our new collaborative connection with St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ.  You might be familiar with the "Make a Difference" program from this article in the press.  In an effort to extend the Catholic mission of the healthcare system beyond charity care or subsidized health care, CEO Kevin Slavin tasked his executives to go out into the areas served by St. Joe's and . . . make a difference!  The Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women benefited from this initiative with donations of gifts and promises of future assistance. 

Sister Ann Marie, Director of the Center, receives
Christmas gifts from Deborah Hartel and John Hart,
executives at St. Joseph's Healthcare System.

While we cannot even begin to predict what 2016 will bring, we are grateful that the overwhelming generosity of our benefactors will continue.  It is so difficult to truly express how our collaborative connections have produced such abundant fruit and have made such a difference in Passaic.  This blog post -- lengthy as it is -- cannot even begin to scratch the surface of our gratitude.  To all who have had any connection to this ministry, we say:  "Thank you and God bless you!"  May your 2016 be filled with an abundance of graces.

Logging In and Listening Mercifully

During this Advent season, I am listening to Facebook.  What, exactly, does this mean?   Each year during Lent, I shut down my Facebook accounts.  But during Advent, I keep them open and view their content without posting, replying to or “liking” anything.  During Advent, I simply log in and listen. 

Today, as we light the third candle on the Advent wreath,  I am taking time to reflect on the effect that this practice of "logging in and listening"  has had on my life.  During Advent last year, I read about what was going on in the world of my friends and family and found it annoying to be unable to let them know I saw their posts.  In fact, I would email or text people to let them know that I had seen what they had posted, but that I couldn’t reply because of my Advent practice of not replying.  “But,” some would ask, “Isn’t texting or emailing defeating the purpose of the practice?”  Of course it is!  But I am always a work in progress!

However, this year is different.  This year I have not only not replied outside of Facebook, but my online practice of listening has also spilled over to other aspects of my life.  I find myself making the effort to listen to my Sisters, friends and family in order to hear what they are actually saying rather than attempting to formulate a quick reply or suggest a potential outcome based on something I only half-heard.  While I have not perfected my listening skills (and probably never will), this practice has made a world of difference for me this Advent.

So, what made this year different from last year?  In a word, mercy!  Since October, I have been sharing reflections and giving retreats about mercy in anticipation of the Jubilee of Mercy that opened on December 8.  My preparation for these events has been steeped in Scripture, Pope Francis, Walter Kasper and Pauline von Mallinckrodt.

I have reflected deeply on the Parable of the Lost (or “Prodigal”) Son and his merciful father (Luke 15:11-32).  I have delved into Misericordia Vultus, the letter of Pope Francis introducing the Jubilee of Mercy.  I have read Walter Kasper’s Mercy: The Essence of the Gospel and the Key to Christian Life.  I have pondered the extensive writings and letters of Blessed Pauline, the founder of the Sisters of Christian Charity.  Indeed, I have been drinking deeply from the well of mercy – and it has made a difference.

What have I learned and (hopefully) shared as a result?

·      From Luke 15: Be merciful like the father:  When someone has done something worthy of punishment, mercy makes it possible for both the wrongdoer and the wronged to retain their human dignity. 

·      From Pope Francis (via Pope John XXIII): In all situations attempt to apply the medicine of mercy rather than the medicine of severity.

·      From Walter Kasper:  Mercy is so very necessary in this world in which violence and terrorism are increasing.  “We must be silent about God if we do not know how to speak anew the message of God’s mercy to people who are in so much physical and spiritual distress.”

·      From Blessed Pauline: “[We must have] a merciful heart to compassionate all, a charitable tongue to excuse all, a meek and patient disposition to bear with all.”

While my "Facebook learnings" do not seem to figure into any of these “mercy learnings,” they are, indeed, related:  Only when we first suspend our need to reply quickly or to offer swift solutions can we then begin to respond to others from a place of mercy.

Dear friends of the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women:  As we prepare the way of the Lord for the remainder of Advent 2015, let us "log in" to our lives in a way that is steeped in listening deeply and responding mercifully.

Thank you for all you are and all you do for and with us!

Sr. Ann Marie

What an exciting day!

As you know, all proceeds from our Christmas Boutique on November 10 went to the quilters who made the items.  These women used the money from the sale to purchase their own, brand new sewing machines.  The excitement today was palpable as the machines were delivered.  Look at the smiles on their faces in these photos as Sr. Pat Reynolds, SC shows them some of the 50 stitches that are possible with their new machines!

We are grateful to all our benefactors and staff who made this a reality for our women.

Thank you and God bless you!

What Day is It?

You are most likely aware of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.  For the past four years, Giving Tuesday has been added to the list.  According to its website, Giving Tuesday is "a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.  Observed on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) . . . Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving."

This year, giving Tuesday occurs on December 1.  There are several ways to help the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women, should this be how you choose to spend your Giving Tuesday (or any "giving day" thereafter):

• Volunteers:  Would you like to teach introductory English (no teaching experience necessary) or teach crocheting or sit with children two hours a week while their mothers take classes?
• Financial Donation: Donations can be made on the blog (click here, then click on the "Donate" button on the right) or by sending a check payable to "Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women" to the Center at 153 Washington Place, Passaic, NJ  07055.
• Gift cards:  At the Center, we can always use gift cards from Staples to buy office supplies.  Our women are always in need of food, so Shop Rite gift cards (in increments of $25 or less) are welcome.  
• Photocopier and copy paper:  Currently, we use "All-in-One" printers for our photocopying needs.  We would welcome a photocopier that can copy more efficiently than these. Also, we are in need of reams of white copy paper.  
• Diapers and wipes:  From time to time, a mother has to make a choice between food and diapers for her child.  At these times, we try to help with diapers and wipes.  The most-used diaper sizes are 3 and 5.

If you can help with any of these requests -- whether on "Giving Tuesday" or during the rest of the year, please contact Sister Ann Marie at the Center -- (973) 470-0844 or sam@patersondiocese.org. Thank you and God bless you for your generosity in considering these requests.

The Center in the Beacon

Thank you to reporter, Cecile San Agustin, editor Rich Sokerka, and everyone at The Beacon (newspaper of the Diocese of Paterson, NJ) for their coverage of our Christmas Boutique.  Click here to be directed to the Digital Edition.  The article is on page 5.