Religious Sisters of Charity

Fruits of the Earth

For some years now our sisters in the English/Scottish Province have been trying hard to reduce the amount of the Earth’s wealth they use by recycling, cutting down on water usage and using low energy bulbs and energy efficient equipment. They have also taken steps to reduce the amount of carbon they release into the atmosphere to limit the effects of global warming. Damage reduction, by reducing our Carbon Footprint, has been the approach we have taken so far but we are now embarking on a more ambitious strategy, to engage in action to enhance the Earth’s wellbeing, to enlarge our Green Footprint. The first tentative step was taken when the ‘Care For The Earth’ group invited each sister to grow something - flower, fruit or vegetable from scratch! To see the results of our efforts CLICK HERE.

Launch of University of Local Knowledge in Knowle West, Bristol

University of Local Knowledge (ULK) celebrates the skills, talents and local knowledge that exists within the Community of Knowle West (in Bristol) and surrounding areas. Its aim is to show others the value of knowledge gained through life experience as opposed to academic qualifications.
The Launch took place on 26th June 2010 with a celebratory meal on the Green in Filwood Broadway. Local cooks and the Community Kitchen cooked and served a delicious meal to a hundred local people seated around ten tables with a local person acting as host at each table. The Sisters hosted one of the tables and also cooked an Irish Stew. In addition to the people seated at tables there was a Hog Roast for the other hundred people or so who were milling around and enjoying the day. Towards the end of the main course of the meal there was a parade of scrumptious deserts with the local cooks showing off their cooking skills.
Throughout the afternoon film crews were on hand to record the stories and knowledge shared by local people. The gathering and filming of local stories will continue during the months of July and August at the Knowle West Media Centre. By Autumn 2010, one thousand pieces of local knowledge will be collected and filmed across Knowle West with support from the BBC. Residents are invited to come forward to share their experience in a particular subject area by recording a "class" on camera. These short films or "classes" each between thirty seconds to four minutes long will be uploaded to a specially designed website and will become part of a course of study resembling the structure of a university.
A unique Knowle West Wiki has been created for the University of Local Knowledge project as part of online giant Wikipedia.
For photos see this story on the Congregational website.

Golden Jubilee celebration in the Province

There were great celebrations in Hackney, London on 12th June when Sr. Brigid Naulty celebrated her Golden Jubilee (50 years) as a Sister of Charity. Brigid just wanted a simple celebration with the Sisters - she'd had a celebration with her family in Ireland in May.
The day in Hackney was as Brigid wanted it. She herself, arranged for the Sisters to share the various parts of the Mass and it gave her great pleasure to have Fr. Jeremiah O'Mahony from Leeds to concelebrate the Mass with Fr. Brian. Fr. O’Mahony and Sr. Brigid have been friends since her time in Sowerby Bridge. At the meal that followed, Sr. Jacinta Boland, the Provincial Leader, thanked Brigid for her many years of service to the Province in both ministry and community life. Many of the Sisters present were “ex Sowerbys” and they spent a long time after the meal reminiscing on the old days. The day was a great success because the Sisters enjoyed the time just being together exchanging memories. For photos see this story on the Congregational website.

Where On Earth Are We Going?
And What Can We Do About It?

These are the two questions at the heart of the “Be The Change Symposium”. The Symposium is a profound enquiry into a bold vision to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on earth. If you are ready to explore what this vision means for you, and the opportunity to create an inspiring future,- take a look at the “Be The Change” website.