News from USA-Haiti Province...

Thank you very much 

for being present 

on the peripheries!!!

 

Integral Ecology alive and well in Jean Rabel, Haiti area

There are 12 students who are in an environmental club in the school of Cotton and 12 more in the school of Acadien. They are preparing the ground and planting vegetables. Here are cabbage, bit onions, peppers, carrots and a few other nutritious vegetables. The students are delighted to see the seedlings growing into strong plants. The cycle of caring for creation that nourishes the people who in turn continue caring for and nourishing planet earth.

Border Ministry: Symposium on Human Dignity

by Sandra Salazar, RJM

from our sisters from USA-HAITI Province

Mater Dei Symposium on Human Dignity

On March 21, 2024 the Mater Dei Symposium on Human Dignity took place at Mater Dei Catholic High School. University professors, members of different ONGs, legal experts, border patrol agents and members of religious congregations were invited to share with students and faculty about the present lived reality of the migrants. 

Brother Keith Warner OFM invited me to partner with him in his presentation to talk about Social Catholic Teaching and Pope Francis’ invitation to journey with the migrants. Brother Keith is the Director of the Francisca Renewal Project for the Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego. He is an expert and gives classes about migration. He shared about how being created in the image of God is at the center of our human dignity. He explained the relationship between human dignity and human rights. He also shared about Pope Fracis’ view on the right to migrate and the right to not have to migrate. I shared about my ministry at the border and about different hardships that the migrants experienced in their country of origin and during their journey to the United States. 

I gave examples of events in which the dignity of migrants was violated due to persecution, violence and injustice. I talked about Pope Francis invitation to be proactive by responding to the reality of migration by “welcoming”, “protecting”, “integrating” and “promoting” 1. 

The students expressed interest in the topic and asked questions about how to get involved in helping. I offered some ideas and provided my contact information to their teacher in case the school was interested in following up with a plan. After the presentation a group of presenters gather at the library for lunch. It was a good opportunity for networking and for learning about other programs that provide services to migrants in Tijuana.

1. Message of Pope Francis for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2018. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/migration/documents/papa-francesco_20170815_world-migrants-day-2018.html

Border Ministry

 from our sisters from USA-HAITI Province

They shared: 

"Our profound experience connecting with our Mexican Province with young adults from Mexico City who lived with us and ministered to the migrants during their Holy Week Mission.  It was a very energizing experience as we shared mission and prayer reflections together."

This article was published in Bridges, at April.

  

Spring time... Earth day... from USA

The little ones teach us to take care of our common home.

Thank you very much!

 

Earth day, from Haiti

Very interesting news.

How many activities for the care of the common Home!

 

A joyful moment... from Haiti

 

Protecting all children

Migrant Ministry

 From Province of USA-Haiti

Anti-Racism Project, from Province of USA-Haiti

From Province of USA-Haiti

 

Our Posada

Here in the USA, several of our sisters are taking part in the virtual Posadas provided by the Ignation Solidarity Network. Each night a family sings from their home followed by a presentation by a migrant telling their story of what forced them to leave their homeland and seek asylum in our country.  We are then invited to reflect in silence before the closing prayer of each days Posada.  This is a very different experience from our usual Posada at the USA/Mexico border wall near the Pacific Ocean.  There we would walk and sing along the border wall with people of all different Christian denominations participating on both sides of the border.  COVID robbed us of this hope-filled experience this year.

As we participate in these ‘safe’ virtual Posadas, I’m conscious of the thousands of migrants, especially Reina and her two children, who have been on a risky ‘Posada’ for over a year…leaving life-threatening experiences in their El Salvador neighborhood, crossing unwelcoming borders, resting in streets and shelters along the way, and recently receiving a 2 week notice to vacate her room in Tijuana. 

Then she began ‘knocking on many doors’ where there was no room for them until Dec. 4 when she and the other migrant mom and her 7 year old son were able to enter their new house in Tijuana.  What a faith-filled Posada spanning many months trusting in a loving God…and still hoping for new life-giving doors to be opened to them.  Now they have beds, not a mattress on the floor and an indoor bathroom.  Their journey with God continues to overcome fear with hope.  We continue to journey with them in prayer, with food and rent, and being awed and humbled by their faith filled WhatsApp messages and conversations.  This is the second Christmas we are sharing with them.  Being part of their journey from when they first arrived in the San Diego shelter and now in Tijuana has been a transforming experience.  Seeing their pain has brought us face to face with the wounded Christ in our midst.  

Knowing their faith has given us new eyes to see the Light penetrating the darkness.  Our JM communities and friends have reached out revealing Hope along the way. Let us be united in prayer with Reina and family, with the many migrants around our world and with the many people extending compassion and Hope to their neighbor.

 Rosie Nicholson, RJM

USA-Haiti Provice 

Thank you!!!

 

JPIC webinar Adventure

 

For five weeks beginning in late July, I participated in the Laudato Si Animators webinar.  There were two groups and I joined the evening group as it fit best into my schedule and energy level.  Each webinar provided excellent speakers, enlightening Power Points, and engaging small group conversations in breakout sessions.  It was exciting sharing with people from various parts of South America, India, Africa and Canada in these breakout sessions each week.  We had homework to complete online such as reading ‘On Care For Our Common Home’, Pope Francis’ Encyclical, additional videos, resources and lots of reflective writing.  This group is trying to continue highlighting Laudato Si for the next two years so that its 7^th Anniversary Year will hopefully be a moment of realizing personal and global conversion for justice, peace and the care of creation.  

Two activities particularly energized me.  One was having to write a ‘future letter’ from a child who would be writing to me 80 years from now regarding my involvement in caring for the earth and what this now elderly ‘child’ would be experiencing on this earth handed down to her.  That was a profound contemplative experience that moved me to action.

The second activity was to build a project to promote values of Laudato Si.  So, I am writing weekly newsletters to our residents at Joan of Arc Residence inviting them to:  pray ‘A Prayer for Our Earth’ by Pope Francis; reflect on God’s many blessings and give thanks; care for our earth-garden and for one another’s life by wearing a mask in common areas; perform acts of ‘healing’ earth by pulling weeds in the garden, noticing and appreciating the physical and spiritual nourishment in our midst; pray and speak out for equality, justice and an end to all racism;  share and invite those with means to contribute to our JM ‘Together More Than Ever Before’; have a plant and/or vegetable  exchange in the garden to continue a sustainable way of living right here.

So, as my/our lives are impacted with: COVID, politics, racism, hunger, demonstrations in our streets, the plight of migrants, homelessness, fires throughout the west coast, particularly here in the local San Diego hills where smoke clouds then deposited ash on our property as they headed to the ocean leaving pollution filling the sky, my involvement in JPIC ignited my desire and energy towards creating spaces where love and compassion for one another and our earth could take root in the midst of all this.  Please continue praying for the migrants we assist with food and rent and also for my migrant pen pals in the detention center near our house. COVID is a daily threat there. Thanks.

Rosie Nicholson

from Province os USA-Haiti

We celebrated Laudato si' week

from USA

Province USA-Haiti

All of us on the JPIC team participated in many Webinars and shared them in Bridges with our province.  Here are the topics that nourished us:

Laudato Si at 5 – As Prophetic & Relevant as Ever – we need to go to the roots of climate change, injustice; be moved by compassion for one another in this COVID & economic crisis to ‘build a better future’ in our interconnected world

Retreat Experience – we pondered our interconnectedness with all God’s creation; grew in awareness of our need to develop an ecological spirituality, a deep presence to all God’s creation.

Eco-spirituality – deepening our communion with Creation – we appreciated the Spirit in & within all that surrounds us – Divine presence; we need to draw on traditions of incarnational & sacramental spirituality; we are called to change our mindset with each creature.

Sustainability – time for the Church to Lead by Example – we saw a need for sustainable energy.

Bishops Round Table Conversation – from Oklahoma, Los Angeles & San Diego, CA – we heard the call to conversion for earth’s healing; we are connected, interdependent, and need to question our life-styles, values and what we call ‘progress’.

Social Action – Integral Ecology & Community Building in Global Pandemic – we looked at the extinction of animals, cultures around our planet; we need to create new ways of a ‘solidarity economy’ that respects our planet & the inclusion of all people.

Actions:  and so we reflected, embraced our connectedness & interdependence with one another and our earth, respected, discovered the beauty around us through the gift of our senses, gave thanks, educated, began desiring & changing our ways of being, loving, caring…

Delighting in the symphony  of God’s creatures great and small

beholding the panoramic beauty

we long to walk together again  in safety

all around our planet earth

discovering the Divine in our midst

germinating new life in our relationships

from the womb of isolation and technological global connectedness

To read more on these topics, please go to Bridges of May 22 and 29 at www.rjmusa.org

Rosie Nicholson, RJM

Migrant Ministry Update

Province of USA Haiti

This week Srs. Natalia Mejia and Rosie Nicholson were joined by Cathy Minihan (left) Pat Clausen (middle) and Cheryl Nichols (right), who carne to experience the lives of the asylum seekers in the San Diego border area. They received a warm welcome from the workers at the shelter, participated in ad activities with us and met migrant families with new born babies. This weekseveral migrants were in quarantine dueto theflu.

Also, this week ICE and Border Agents were not releasing many migrants from the detention center nor at the border entry. Please pray that migrants will be released promptly. After learning ofthis at theshelter in the morning on Wednesday, Feb. 26 that same night we participated in a movement "Doctors for Camp Closures" (being held in several Iocations including Washington, DC, NYC, Newton and Plymouth MA and others on Feb. 26). They hung banners and held lighted signs over several highway overpasses saying "Restore Asylum". Here are Cheryl and Sr. Rosie Nicholson on the overpass.

This was in response to a study by Physicians for Human Rights which stated that our harmful US immigration policies - remain in Mexico, detention, deportation and family separation - causes violence comparable to torture to migrants entering the US seeking asylum. This was quite a moving day that we shared at our night prayer!

We also spent time meeting with the young adults at the Border Angels off ce who shared their experiences of working with migrants by leaving water bottles in the Borrego Desert (left)for those entering illegally, assisting with free immigration la wyers, post ng bail to release migrants in detention to reunitefamilies, 'caravans of love' delivering donations to shelters in Tijuana, etc.

While wewere visiting Chicano Park afterwards we briefly met Enrique Morones (retired founder of Border Angels now with Gente U nida) who keeps me informed of migrant issues and events such as the one Feb. 26. Chicano Park presented colorful artistic murals, such as this one, depicting the journey of the Latino people over the centuries.

Next, we met Pedro, a friend of Cheryl, who works with several groups enhancing human rights especially with the many migrants in our area. It was energizingto meet with so many people of various ages, different faiths, all weaving a web of relationships to provide hope and new life to our migrants and immigrant communities here and across our country.

Our next stop will be the desert to see where many dangerously seek entry into the US and to pray for 'our neighbor' - living and deceased. On Saturday, we will head to the Border Angels shelter in Tijuana, Mexico on the beach next to the border wall. Every day I hear in my heart the question, "Who is my neighbor?". There is always freshness and newness in response to this question. This week while tenderly holding a newborn in my arms at the shelter, the question was quite clear...and so was the answer.

Sr. Rosie Nicholson, RJM

Sharing of Laudato Si' and UNANIMA...

Province of USA Haiti

Yes!!! Even the "elderly"...

Province of USA-Haiti

And the winners are...

Province of USA-Haiti

A very good idea!

Province of USA-Haiti

Province of USA-Haiti

Ministry to the migrants while they were at their fourth shelter location in one year: