Dear Parishioners of St. Mary's & St. William's,

Greetings from Toronto!

Christmas and New Year Blessings on your parish communities and on all your families. Sisters Patricia, Gwen and I want to thank you for your warm welcome when we visited in November.

Sometimes when we stop for a while and take stock of the past, we rediscover great gratitude with which to carry on into the future. Our trip was one such occasion.

We all thank you too, for your continued support and prayers. Fr. Dan, Sr. Odelia and Sr. Mary Ida gave us our beginnings… you sustain us.

This past year has been full of changes for me. While I am happy to get re-connected with things Canadian, including my family, I also miss the Philippines very much. I am also faced with the challenge of creating a meaningful, mission-focused life for myself here in Canada. Through this experience, I am realizing that it is good to have my life turned upside-down every now and then! I’ve been thrown out of my ruts and assumptions, and made to face the things I’ve taken for granted for so long… quite an awakening!

May the New Year hold many graces for all of you… and may you find the wherewithal to answer the challenges through which the graces will be sent!

Peace, Christine Gebel OLM

THE LEADERSHIP TEAM OF OUR LADY'S MISSIONARIES

Sr. Joan Missiaen, Sr. Frances Brady, Sr. Christine Gebel

Sr. Joan's says: "Celebrate and share life with it’s 'up’s and downs.' Thanks for sharing with Our Lady’s Missionaries. Sr. has served in Mexico, Philippines, Canada, and Guyana."

Sr. Frances says: "I look for ways to have a positive influence on the unfolding future of religious life, the Church and the world." Sr. has served in Mexico, Philippines, and Canada.

Sr. Christine says: "I have received so much in this life I have chosen, and I am grateful to God .. She is Good!" Sr. has served in Philippines, Nigeria, and Canada.

NO ONE OWNS GOD

Last Weekend ‘Our Lady’s Missionaries’ made a visit to both our Parishes. Sr. Christine Gebel gave us an update on their work since her last visit with us about two years ago. As she spoke at all our Masses, she reflected on the Gospel passage of the lady who had seven deceased husbands and the Sadducees question: “In the Resurrection whose wife will the woman be?” (Lk. 20) Now in Jesus’ time a wife was more or less the property of a husband, and therefore the question not only enquired about the marriage bond in eternity, but had a connotation of ownership. As she pointed out, no one owns anybody in eternity, and in God’s kingdom in the here and now. As Christians we are called to love our neighbor as our selves, and to live in freedom, as children of God. Her insights came from the Sisters work with oppressed people around the world who are often owned by another. An example being prostitutes one of the Sisters works with in one of their missions. And, from a personal point of view and her involvement in Muslim Christian dialogue in the Philippines, she offered the insight that no one even owns God.

As I reflected on this statement, I thought of the many ways, as humans, we tend to take ownership of another, rather than living in mutual respect, trust, and love. And, even in religion, as we profess and cling to our faith, we assume a certain ownership of God. As we come to the end of our Liturgical year and the feast of Christ the King, it behooves all of us to reflect on our relationships with God and neighbor, and to remind ourselves of this very important insight from a woman who has given her life to Christ, and the building of God’s Kingdom. After all, wasn’t that one of the biggest problems many had with Jesus when he reached out to the sinners and tax collectors. We still hear their shock and complaint week after week in the Gospel: “He eats with sinners and tax collector.” (posted oringinally on frbobscorner.com on Nov. 17, 2007 by Fr. Bob MacDonald)

Celebrating 225 Years of Service

Four Sisters Celebrate their 50th Anniversary
The afternoon of June 3, 2007 found the OLM sisters, associates, friends and family gathered for a special event. As Sr. Frances Brady noted in her words of welcome, we were celebrating 225 years of mission. Read Full Story.

Mining Nightmare

Mining site of TVI Resource Dev’t Philippines, Inc. in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte
Photo taken: August 4, 2007
Contributed Photo



Brown-colored Canatuan Creek, which originates from the mining site of TVI Resource Dev’t Philippines, Inc., collides with greenish-colored Libuan River
Photo taken: August 4, 2007

Photo of the collapsed sulphide dam of TVI Resource Dev’t Philippines, Inc. in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte
Photo taken: July 12, 2007
Contributed Photo


Mine Owners: TVI Pacific, a Canadian-owned firm operating a gold mining project in Canatuan, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.

Despite serious opposition from the indigenous people from this part of the Philippines this mining operation continues to mine. The company touted itself as a responsible safe mining corporation, but these pictures testify to the real truth. Sometime this summer its sulphide tailing dam was breached resulting in severe environmental damage, and untold suffering for the local people. Timuay Boy Anoy, leader of the Subanon people whose sacred mountain Canatuan has been affected by TVI operations said that the MPSA was granted despite the absence of genuine consent among the indigenous peoples of the affected area. "And this expansion area has been rejected by the local residents, and there is no free, prior and informed consent as far as we are concerned," Anoy said.

"This only exposes the rhetoric of responsible mining that TVI flaunts," added Jo Villaneuva, Executive Director of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, Inc. (LRC), a member of ATM. "Despite numerous and unrelenting efforts to brandish its Siocon operations as a model mining operation, it is instead proven to be violating proper environmental standards and putting the local communities at risk." Read Full account: Inside Mindanao

Catholic Priest Kidnapped

John Allen in weekly article reports: The third Italian Catholic priest in the Mindanao area of the Philippines to be kidnapped in the last 10 years, Fr. Giancarlo Bossi, a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, was hauled away from his parish by armed militants linked to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a group that has waged a bloody war for the independence of Mindanao since 1978." Read Full Article

Friends from Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall

Friends of OLM
Members of this group are primarily residents of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall where Our Lady’s Missionaries was founded. They assist with fund-raising and mission awareness for OLM, for example publishing of our twice yearly newsletter, animation and support for fund-raising projects and mission awareness events in the parishes of the Diocese.

Canadian Mining - The Land and the Poor Forgotten (Update)

Mining in the Philippines (Update)

This is just a quick update* on what's happening regarding the Canadian mining company wanting to come into the area where the Scarboro priest, Pat Kelly Lives. (near our Sister Parish) Here is a link to two letters that were published in the Prairie Messenger regarding the issue: Link Please note that there is an update on the web site that I mentioned before: http://www.insidemindanao.com/ . My understanding from our sister parish (Sister Christine) is that the company has started to build a road into the area... certainly bad news, and that various pieces of equipment have been air-dropped into the area. The Sisters serving at our Sister Parish have not heard of any concerted effort being made (such as a petition or campaign coming out of an NGO like Development and Peace, etc.). Hopefully that's coming... in the meantime, the first step, they believe, is to let the Canadian people know what a Canadian company is doing there.

*Previous Posts on Fr. Bob's Corner related to Canadian Mining

Feb 1, 2007 - Selfishness and Greed: Why? Why? Why?

Feb 22, 2007 - Canadian Bishop's Decry Mining Practices

March 3, 2007 - Progress Responsibility - The Poor Ignored

April 4, 2007 - Ground Breaking Report

Posted by Fr. Bob at 5/10/2007 0 comments Links to this post

Mining for Profit - The Land and the Poor Forgotten

Orignally Posted by Fr. Bob MacDonald at Fr. Bob's Corner.


Thursday, February 01, 2007

Selfishness and Greed: Why? Why? Why?
With all the problems we have in this world, one would hope that governments and corporations would all be struggling to advance justice. When people are exploited and used for the sake of financial gain the very peace of this world is strained and undermined. And, I don't think planet earth will be able to tolerate much more without dire consequences for all of us. (Why can't the pain of the oppressed be recognized and alleviated?)This year Development and Peace is attempting to raise the Canadian populations awareness of some of the practices of Canadian mining corporations. When I heard that the the people of the Province of Mindanao in the Philippines (location of our Sister Parish) were being exploited by mining corporations, I wondered if any of them were Canadian. Anyway, it's just sad that we don't seem to be learning, and that this world can't be more fair and commpassionate: (Update: I was informed a day after this was posted that there is considerable conern about a Calgary based mining corporation in the general area of our sister parish.)"A Philippine bishop has condemned the damage done by mining to the environment and indigenous people, as reported recently by an international fact-finding commission...."The bishop (in this part of the Philippines) reported feeling the people's "anger against the game" that "power-hungry national and local government officials" have been "playing" in "alliance with greedy corporations." Read full story:UCAN: Philippine Catholic bishop condemns reported mining havoc - Catholic Online

The following was orignially posted at Fr. Bob's Corner - on Feb. 22, 2007.
Canadian Bishop's Decry Mining Practices of Canadian Companies
In a recent post I raised the issue of the 'mining practices' of Canadian Companies in other Countries, especially the third world, and was informed (shortly after posting) that in the Province of Mindanao in the Philippines (area of our sister parish) that this was becoming a major problem. The CCCB has just issued a letter to our Government on this issue. It states:His Eminence affirmsWe must move towards a vision of Corporate Social Responsibility, which cannot be reduced to corporate voluntarism alone but must be complemented by a social responsibility regulated by the state and national organizations.It is, as you know, a foundational principle of international law that human rights are in no sense voluntary; the protection of human rights is in no sense optional. The mandatory nature of human rights must continue to be a cornerstone of Canada’s presence in the world, and it must govern the actions of Canadian corporations worldwide, particularly those engaged in resource extraction.At another place in the text, His Eminence affirms:We cannot continue with ambivalent policies where what we build with one hand, we destroy immediately with the other. It is time to review market and trade rules and to complement them with values of solidarity, justice, subsidiarity, and shared responsibility in our actions and in the future of humanity. Read full letter at link below:CECC / CCCB - Practices by Canadian mining companies in other countries raise concerns

This report describes in detail what is happening and names a Canadian Mining Corporation that is causing much fear and concern: (TVI is a Canadian company) If you would like to help please visit the Halifax Initiative website an initiative endorsed by Development and Peace.

In 2006, Clare Short, Member of Parliament of the House of Commons and former UK Secretary of State for Overseas Development, led a team of human rights and environmental experts on a fact finding visit to the Philippines in order to examine the impact of mining on the environment and people�s livelihoods. In the foreword of the fact finding mission to the Philippines report, she wrote: �We heard how indigenous people had been shifted off their lands to make way for mining and how their consultation rights had been undermined and ignored. We saw polluted rivers, destroyed mangrove forests, damaged coral and ruined agriculture. We concluded that the Philippines is in danger of losing much of its rich biodiversity and damaging the lives of unique indigenous cultures.� Click here to read the original text of the Report
Posted by Fr. Bob at 2/22/2007 0 comments Links to this post