We have celebrated

Celebration of the Season of Creation 2023.

Convent of Jesus and Mary Sialkot,
Pakistan

Each year, from September 1st to October 4th, Christians unite for the worldwide Celebration of Prayer and Action, to protect our Common Home. Keeping these special days of celebration of the Season of Creation in mind, we Sialkot Sisters, along with our three Teachers Miss Reena, Miss Mehwish and Miss Sawera prepared a Prayer Service. All the Teachers, Students and JM Youth group participated with full enthusiasm and joy. The Prayer Service began with a hymn, "All things Bright and Beautiful", followed by an introduction, an Opening Prayer, a Reading from the Holy Bible and a reflection. The intercessory Prayers were offered, and then the two video clips were shown on the multimedia, on how to look after our Environment and the Beauty of CJM Sialkot. At the end a lovely and meaningful action song (Vird) "Chay Din Mai Khuda Ne Zamin Asman Banaye" was performed by some of our students of grade 4 and 5. For the Season of Creation the students prepared interesting posters and projects which were admired by all. We pray and wish that the yearly Celebration of the Season of Creation, re-strengthen our common actions from which flow justice and peace in our present context.

During the month of the Season of Creation, we also had tree plantation and International Peace Day celebration with our pupils and teachers. Each one had been encouraged to appreciate and love nature.

 Thank you!

We have celebrated

Season of Creation 2023

and World Peace Day

From Pakistan, they share the activity
of Sialkot School.

They recommend a very nice song: "All things bright and beatiful".

You can find it on social networks.

We have celebrated

Season of Creation 2023 and

International Peace Day

Convent of Jesus and Mary - Mariakhel

On September 1st and 8th, 2023, the children of the Junior and Senior Section of CJM Mariakhel celebrated the Season of Creation by planting trees and were carrying play cards with messages about how to take care of Mother Earth and natural resources wisely.

Mariakhel Community

The Mariakhel Community celebrated the Season of Creation and had a prayer service in the evening. As the sisters gathered to pray, they were surrounded by the beauty and bounty of nature.

In their reflections, the sisters shared their gratitude for God's gift of creation and their commitment to caring for it. They spoke of the importance of protecting the environment and living in harmony with which God has created.

International Peace Day   

On September 21, 2023, the children of CJM Mariakhel celebrated International Peace Day by presenting songs, poems, and peace day quotations. They also had some activities such as making peace doves, drawing peace signs, and writing peace messages.

The children's celebration of International Peace Day was a wonderful example of how young people can promote peace in the world. Their presentations and activities helped to raise awareness of the importance of peace and to inspire others to work for peace.

We have celebrated ...

Season of Creation 2023... 

From Pakistan, they share the activity of St. Paul's School, Shadbagh, during the Season of Creation.

Season of creation, by St Paul school

Looking back to 2022

from Pakistan Province

JM Preference:
"Care of our Common Home"



We share some activities of 2022...

Caring... Pakistan 2022 de Alejandra

We celebrated the international Peace Day ....

in our Convent of Jesus and Mary

Karachi, Pakistan

We celebrated Laudato si' week

from Pakistan

Community of Sialkot

Laudato Si’ Week honors the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for our common home. The theme of the week was “everything is connected.” Following Pope Francis’ invitation to join Laudato Si’ Week, the community organized this week in a very creative way.

The Book of Genesis Chapter 1 on Creation was our theme. Each day we read the days of creation and placed symbols according to that day.

During our Vespers we read a paragraph from “Laudato Si” that was related to the Book of Genesis on creation.

On the third day we planted a tree in our garden to join in celebrating “care for our earth”.

Laudato Si’ Week was concluded with a prayer service in the Community Room. Psalms and hymns related to creation were visualized on the television with time given for reflection and sharing. The sharing was simple and inspiring and all were grateful for this time spent in reflecting on our common home.

“Heed the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” Pope Francis

During Laudato Si” Week we came to know about some families living in Pasrur 15 Kilometres away from Sialkot who have no means of feeding their families during this lockdown due to Pandemic COVID 19. Henceforth we were very worried and concerned about them. Thus we got some food bags ready and sent them with our Office Staff members.  Most of the families living in this area are Christian, uneducated and have no proper jobs. The families were very happy and grateful for the help given to them.

21st May 

There are many Christian families in the villages where we go regularly for our pastoral work, they are uneducated thus no jobs and depend absolutely on daily wages. Hence we were very happy to help them with food bags. We feel they are the most deserving families living in dire poverty and also it is part of our community project. The families were extremely grateful for our generosity and we will continue to help those who are most needy and deprived.

“O God of the poor, helps us to rescue the abandoned” Pope Francis

On 22^nd May, our Parish Priest, Fr. Ashraf Gill and Fr. Abid Albert, requested to help some most deprived families with food, living near the border between India and Pakistan in Sialkot.  These families depend on daily wages, as their only income is from wedding celebrations and due to the current situation, are not able to feed their families.  Thus the Priests were able to go to this area which is far from the city of Sialkot and gave the food bags to the respective families. All of them were very happy and grateful for the food given to them and ensured the Sisters of their prayers.

The season of Creation

Province of Pakistan

 1^st September to 4th October as the season of Creation and The synod on the Amazon started, we as the Religious of Jesus and Mary, our students, teachers were on fine passion to be actively involved. The climatic action, movement caught our attention to come together save our precious common homeland and its people.

Every day at assembly little ones brought messages, poems, songs and speeches to express their great love for the welfare for our common home. The children shared the school activities with their families and daily plantation took place at their homes, villages, streets, on roadside and the graveyard. They brought the pictures of the family tree which were placed on the school bulletin board. Through these little events and activities great joy and outpouring comments from parents have been incredible. Some children took great pride to bring plants and trees for the school.

It’s the little ones that inspired us to take this campaign to the grassroots level thus we planted many fruits and shady trees with the brickline’s families.  As we all know that the brickline’s families are away from the city so a shady tree was planted for each family. They take great pride to look after the trees like a family member. We also prayed together to bring awareness to families that climate emergency is real, Act Now!

Daily practice of serving God in all creation we have started a campaign to keep our surroundings clean. No to plastic bags and Yes to recycling and in our school we really see the fruit of this campaign to use the bin. Bulletins boards were prepared for this campaign and we consider it as a part of healthy curriculum. We are so grateful for this season of reflection, action we have shared. These moments have given all of us hope, inspiration to save the earth our common homeland. It has brought us closer to our mother earth and to each other.

International Peace day was observed and celebrated in our school with a great zeal and joy.

With great dedication Children had prepared poems, songs, speeches and little scripts to spread peace in the world and in our own country to make Pakistan a peaceful and better place for everyone. Little ones invited the senior girls and boys to join them to plant seeds of peace.

We observed 2 minutes silence to mobilize the inner peace. The program was ended by leaving C.J.M banner in the air with the message “Peace begins with a smile.” After national anthem children went to their classes. The entire program was disciplined and well arranged.

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Water day in Toba Tek Sing

                   Convent of Jesus and Mary Toba Tek Singh

Province of Pakistan

According to the theme for this year some children shared the importance of water and how to save it.  Some of the children spoke about the beauty of mother earth and how climatic changes are affecting the earth. At the end of the program the Principal of school Sr. Clara Dewan was invited to give her views.  She advised to use natural resources wisely and peacefully. So, that we can be beneficiary for the country by saving the natural resources.

 We observed 2 minutes silence to mobilize the inner peace. The program was ended by leaving C.J.M banner in the air with the message “Peace begins with a smile.” After national anthem children went to their classes. The entire program was disciplined and well arranged.

International Peace Day

In C.J.M School Toba Tek singh

Province of Pakistan

International Peace day is observed all over the world on 21 September. As we all know that International days are celebrated to emphasize the importance of special events and reinforce the achievements of humanity. So, it is necessity of time to develop a sense of love and harmony among the people to make the world a happiest place. Our mission is not only to educate the generation but to generate a sense of brotherhood without the discrimination of color and creed, no matter who we are, no matter what we want to be but it is important to acquire what we should be. For the accomplishment of our mission for peace we celebrate International Peace Day every year to memorize the struggle of our formers.

                   This year we also arranged a short program concerning the global issue of peace under the theme of “Climate Action for Peace”. It was celebrated on 23^rd September 2019. Children were in their full uniform with white and blue balloons in their hands. They gathered at assembly ground. Program started with Morning Prayer.  After Morning Prayer children from different classes expressed their views about Peace. Class 4 performed a short play based on Peace. Other class came and they sang a song (Make me a channel of your Peace). 

 

Introducing Child protection Policy...

Convent of Jesus and Mary School - Karachi

Province of Pakistan

In solidarity with children introducing Child protection Policy

The school introduced the child protection policy, in order to take care of the basic rights of every child. So that those dealing with children be a teachers, management, caretaker and anyone concerned with them must respect their dignity and treat them with care.

Inter faith harmony

Convent of Jesus and Mary School - Karachi

Province of Pakistan

Creating awareness of the effects of drugs and trying to save humanity

Province of Pakistan

The rangers came and spoke to the girls about drugs. The drug seen in our country is alarming. The speaker spoke about the company of friends that influences the use of drugs among the group. 

A lady doctor spoke of many cases she has met and continues to meet in her job as a doctor. Her advice to all young people is not touch drugs.

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Convent of Jesus and Mary Karachi

In solidarity with Kashmir

The School principal and the students join the people from the education department: they plant a tree in solidarity with the people of Kashmir, who are suffering for some time. The school prayed together with the educational authorities for an end to the sufferings especially for human rights abuse.

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The school activities of Karachi community throughout the year

Province of Pakistan

               Celebrating Earth Day  

The school celebrated Earth day with children of Prep 1& 2 creating awareness of the need to look after Mother Earth. The children are holding paper banners in which they tell us to take care of Mother Earth.

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Celebrating international women’s day

 

 

Class 8 presents a dance depicting the hardships of women in everyday life.

A)  Their need to be free.

B)  Their need to celebrate life.

C)  Their need for equal rights.

D)  Their need to avail of the opportunities in life. 

The sisters of Karachi community share their goods with deserving families of non-Christians. We wish to promote inter faith harmony which touches every corner of our nation. Amidst the suffering world religious beliefs are proved to be the way forward for peace and prosperity.

Sharing our goods with the poor

Tree planting...

Convent oj Jesus and Mary School, SIALKOT, 

Province of Pakistan

The ancient city of Sialkot was once a flourishing agricultural area that was full of beautiful, green flowering trees, shrubs, flowers and crops especially wheat and rice.  The air was free from pollution and the skies were a clear blue. On bright days one could see the Kashmir Mountain peaks covered with snow.  The two rivers – Tavi and Chenab were life-giving for the surrounding environment and for fish.

With all this beauty, Sialkot has also become an industrial city.  As the growth of industry has increased around the world, Sialkot has been influenced by these effects.  Hence much cultivated land has been ruthlessly taken over for factories and residential areas.  This has caused much loss to the environment in many ways, including the uprooting of trees, less areas for cultivation, water polluted with chemicals and fresh air replaced by fog and bacteria, causing may diseases.

We, the Sisters of Jesus and Mary, who founded this school in 1856, have seen a drastic change over the years.  Inspired by our third Priority, Justice and Peace and the Integrity of Creation”, we have tried to animate our pupils to become more aware of this and begin a campaign to plant trees.  The pupils took this up enthusiastically by planting trees in their own homes and in the surrounding areas.  The school organized a “Tree Planting Day” and in addition, a parent donated thirty saplings to plant around the school.  This is an ongoing project and we plan to plant more trees in other areas of Sialkot this year.  May Sialkot once again, become a city free from pollution and gain its original beauty.

In the Amazon

The trash...

To think... Para pensar... À penser...

An effort to promote peace

International Peace Day 21^st October 2017

An effort to promote peace in Pakistan starts at Convent of Jesus and Mary, Lahore through the peace cranes which carry the message of peace, love, friendship, hope, light, laughter, kind deeds and a life time bond with human kind.

On, 21^st September 2017, in the Claudine Hall, Matric Section commemorated International Day of Peace to create awareness on the importance of peace in this unrest and demanding world. Through this celebration children learnt to connect with themselves and discovered the power of peace.

An angelic choir started off with the hymn “Make me an instrument of your peace” a prayer by St. Francis of Assisi – it is a part of daily routine to start our day. A projection of Peace Art Work and peace building activities were the anchor of this day. A candle was lit by Sr. Mari Puy RJM (Spain) the headmistress, Sr. Clara Hussain, Sr. Samina David along with the students, so the warmth instills in them and light always shine through these bright faces.

The students took oath to be peace ambassadors, and a tableau was performed by the students with the message, that I can be a “Shama of Aman امن کی شمع ” (a light of peace). Later the hall was filled with the positive energy, joy and harmony by a peace dance performed by juniors. A peace crane project was introduced to the school, it is the connection of one classroomn to another globally, Matric Section is now a part of global team spreading the message of peace through peace cranes. Children participated in series of International events throughout the year and held top positions at national and international level.

The winners were announced and certificates of positions and participation were distributed among them. Students participated in Peace Essay Writing Competition 2017, organized by Peace building Department, Diocese of Raiwind Church of Pakistan, International Essay Contest for young people 2017 on the theme “Learning from Nature” organized by The Goi Peace Foundation (Japan), exchanged peace letters with India, and participated in an Art Exhibition on the theme “Nature for all-loving the Earth” organized by Peace Pals International (USA). 

The event was hosted by Ms. Christina Patras, along with the other staff members, Mrs. Noreen Simon, the coordinator, Mrs. Monica Sajeel, Ms. Romna Liaqat, Ms. Nadia Sabir and Ms. Maryann Patras to . Special thanks to Sr. Pilar Vila San Juan Sagnier RJM the principal and Sr. Farzana Philip RJM the former headmistress for being the inspiration and giving the freedom to work for peace.

Reported by: Ms. Christina Patras

Composed by: Mr. Alyas Sardar