Our Lady's Missionaries - St. Mary's News

SISTER ELAINE MacINNES OLM AWARDED HONORARY DOCTORATE IN SACRED LETTERS BY REGIS COLLEGE TORONTO

2010-12-08T19:35:00.002-05:00

Congratulations!

On Saturday November 20,2010 at the 34th Convocation of Regis College, Toronto, Sister Elaine MacInnes, O.L.M., O.C. was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Sacred Letters by the Chancellor of Regis College, Very Rev. James F. Webb, S.J.

In 1998 Sr. Elaine was granted an honorary degree by Mount Allison University, her alma mater. In 2001 she received the Order of Canada. Then in 2005, she received another honorary degree , this time from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S.

Read Full Tribute

2010-12-08T19:21:00.003-05:00

Dear Fr. Bob and all at St. Mary’s & St. William’s,

As this year draws to a close, Our Lady’s Missionaries is closing our mission in the Philippines. It was my privilege to spend 2 weeks with our sisters there, Sr. Mary Gauthier and Sr. Lorie Nunez. Having returned just a few days ago, I am still in the throes of jet lag as I write this. In a few hours Mary Gauthier arrives here in Canada as well. Lorie will be staying on in the Philippines for a few months in order to finish her studies there.
Obviously, it was not easy to say goodbye. However, as I accompanied Sr. Mary on her rounds, I was touched by the realization that we are saying goodbye to people who are grateful to OLM’s and yet also able to continue on their own. A missionary’s role, to some extent, is to help people to help themselves, thus making herself redundant. I believe that OLM’s in the Philippines have done that, and now it is time to move on, knowing that some small part of us will always remain in the hearts of those we have grown to know and love there.
So despite our heavy hearts, we can also say: Rejoice with us!
Thank you for all your prayers and support this past year. We hope that we can continue to rely on them for our sisters in Brazil and Canada in the coming year, 2011.

Peace, Sr. Christine Gebel OLM

THANKSGIVING GREETING 2010 - PERSONAL THANKS FROM SR. MARY

2010-10-23T08:36:00.004-04:00

Dear friends

Not every year do I send out greetings by mail. This year since it is my last year in the Philippines I thought I would go all out and send greeting by mail. Rather than Christmas greetings this will be Thanksgiving greetings.
On Dec 8th 2010 I will be leaving the Philippines my home for many years.
It is hard to believe how quickly the time has gone. It seems like only yesterday that some of you attended a party for my farewell at McKinnons in the 4th of Kenyon in 1966 and also at Nancy Graham (MacKenzie). As I write this I remember some who have gone ahead, Ian Mckinnon and Melly Gelineau, Amby & Ewen McDonald, Jerome Masterson. No details, just memories. Since then I also have new folks that I hear from each year either by e-mail or snail mail. To you all I say thank you. Thank you for you love, faithfulness and support over all these years, support that helped me in my ministry here in the Philippines.

At those parties I was always conscious of the focus on me. I really wish that each one of
you could see what great things you are doing in your own lives, each with its special purpose.
Some were called to be spouses to love and support each other in times both hard and good. I am sure this was not always easy. Then the children came along, another call for great sacrifices, blessings indeed but also many struggles. For others it was the call to be single. Jeanie Mac you were always a gift for me. Your enthusiasm for life and sense of humor is catching.

Then I remember the support so many of you gave to Our Lady’s Missionaries for our 50th in Glengarry. It was Mae Janet MacDonnell (Angus Sandy) who told me that when Glenda McDonnell retires she would do something for OLMs. Well she did. She made every connection possible to support our 50th. A former teacher said; " It is hard to say no to Glenda, if you want something done get Glenda.” She still keeps a small group alive by sending out our OLM Christmas letter each year. With Eleanor MacDonnell help it is sometimes mailed from Williamstown and sometimes from Glen Robertson.

Am I proud of my roots or not?

So many of you over the years have taken me in and included me in many happy gatherings at The Masterson’s /MacDonnell's in Lock Garry and Ottawa folks and especially OLM’S,my own family, the McDonald’s, Gallant’s and Kutschke’s. The door was always open and I know still is. .
I am truly grateful to the folks of my own parish St. Finnan’s Alexandria for the love and support over the years , to St Raphael’s parish who graciously adapted me after Maejanet death and of course Williamstown parish who have been so faithful over the years.

With much gratitude in my heart I wish each one Blessings of Peace.

Mary Gauthier OLM

My address in Canada will be

12 Roslind Crescent

Toronto Ont.

M1L2W9

416-752-8432

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2009

2009-12-05T08:58:00.004-05:00

Dear Fr. Bob and Parishioners of St. Mary�s & St. William�s:

It hardly seems possible that we are again drawing near to the end of a year! 2009 was a special year for Our Lady's Missionaries and we are grateful to all of you for helping us to celebrate our 60 years of living in mission. You, the people of Glengarry welcomed us at our very beginnings, and you have never stopped welcoming us ever since.

Just last week we bid a temporary farewell to our Sr. Pauline Doherty who died on November 20, 2009. Thank you, Fr. Bob for posting this news on your blog. We are grateful for all your expressions of sympathy and for your prayers for Pauline. I am sure that she is now returning the favour! You might be interested to know that Pauline entered Our Lady's Missionaries at about the same time as Penny MacIntosh and they journeyed together to Nigeria in 1957. I'm imagining them having a grand catch up right about now too.

Hopefully the next OLM journey will be Sr. Anie Montejo heading off to her new mission assignment in Brazil. Please say a prayer that her visa arrives quickly and without too many problems.

We continue to hold you in prayer and trust that you do the same for us.

Merry Christmas and blessings for 2010!
Peace, Sr. Christine Gebel OLM

Expand Your Heart. Be open to new ideas.
Live gently. Live simply.
Laugh often. Love deeply.
Be hospitable. Give generously.
Stand for a cause.
See God everywhere.
Dream into being a world without war!
Fr. Coman Brady

60th Anniversary Celebration - Williamstown

2009-06-13T18:12:00.007-04:00

(On March 25, 1949 the first mass was held in the first home of OLM's, Immaculata House, in Alexandria, )

On Sunday June 7th, 2009, Our Lady's Missionaries celebrated their 60th Anniversary with Mass at St. Finnan's Cathedral in Alexandria, Ontario. Bishop Paul-Andre' celebrated the Mass to an almost full Cathedral. After Mass a Dinner was hosted in their honor at the Bonnie Glenn.

The previous evening, the Sisters attended Mass at St. Mary's Parish in Williamstown, Ontario. Sr. Christine Gebel thanked the parisioners for their prayers and support for the last 60 years, and expressed the orders gratitude for the kindness and generosity of St. Mary's Parish. After the Mass the Sisters had supper at Jack's Pub in Williamstown with friends and family from this area. Here are a few pictures of the wonderful evening.
(P.S. I would appreciate it if a few people would add some names etc. to the pictures on flickr. You will need an account to post in the comment section of each picture, but it is free. You just have to register. Thanks, Fr. Bob

You can go directly to Flickr: OLM 60th

)

Christmas 2009

2008-12-25T08:15:00.003-05:00

To the Parishioners of St. Mary’s & St. William’s:

As we draw near to the close of the year 2008, Our Lady’s Missionaries is yet again struck by the generosity of so many people even during this time of financial crisis. What can we say except again and again, thank you!

Please also continue to keep us in your prayers as we begin what will be a special year for us… the celebration of our 60th Anniversary! It will also be a year of diminishment as the sisters in Nigeria close our mission there and return to Canada.

And yet, we do believe that all people are called to mission, wherever they may be. This includes ourselves as we find new ways to live out mission in Canada or wherever else in the world we find ourselves. As Mary pondered the meaning of the birth of her son, Jesus, so do we ponder the meaning of the newness that is coming into our lives, and also like Mary, may we place our trust in our God of love and step forward into the future.

We rejoice to hear that Fr. Bob is on the road to recuperation, and we keep him and all of you in our prayers that you may celebrate Christmas with great joy and begin the New Year with that wonderful sense of a fresh new start in life.

Merry Christmas and blessings for 2009!
Peace, Sr. Christine Gebel OLM

Special Issue of Scarboro Magazine on the Life and Work of the OLM

2008-07-12T10:59:00.000-04:00

Be sure to read this special issue of Scarboro Magazine on the Web. Read

Subscribe to Scarboro Missions magazine!
For just $8 a year, you will share in our missionary journey, help us seek and explore vocations, bless us with your prayers, and financially support us.
Scarboro Missions magazine is a non-profit endeavour that we hope will help you better understand the struggles and desires of peoples of other cultures and faiths, so important in our world where justice and peace are the hope of all nations.
Subscribe today!

2008-06-28T11:12:00.000-04:00

June 2008:Days of Reflection & Sharing

OLM’s living in Toronto and those on holiday from overseas gathered together on the evening of June 23 and for the next two days to reflect, to share stories and ideas, and most of all, to be together.
Sr. Joan Missiaen OLM led us in a prayerful reflection the first evening, helping us to open our hearts to the present moment.
We spent the next two days looking at various aspects of the Chapter Directional Statement we had adopted at last year’s Chapter Meetings.
Louise Malnachuk of Scarboro Missions gave us a workshop in which we were able to deepen our awareness of ecological concerns and re-new our commitment to answer the challenge to make concrete changes in our lifestyle in response to these concerns.
Then, Sharon Willan facilitated 1 ½ days of an input – reflection – sharing process around various questions we are facing regarding the present and our future. She called it, “Living in Hope and Gratitude in a Time of Transition.”
Our summer meetings ended with a liturgy of the Eucharist with Fr. John Carten SFM as our presider.
After spending this time together, I am indeed filled with hope and gratitude as Our Lady’s Missionaries, like so many others, faces a time of great transition.

A Glengarry Welcome

2008-01-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

Srs. Patricia Kay, Gwen Legault, and Christine Gebel during their visit to Glengarry, Ontario to retrace their Congregational roots and to speak on mission in churches and schools.

The traditional Glengarry farewell may well be legendary but last November Sr. Gwen Legault and Sr. Christine Gebel and I were privileged to experience a tremendous Glengarry welcome.

Following the meticulous planning and organization of Glenda McDonell of the Friends of Our Lady's Missionaries, we arrived in that famous eastern county of Ontario to do some retracing of our congregational roots and to speak on mission in a few schools and churches. It was in the town of Alexandria that Msgr. Dan Macdonald founded the congregation of Our Lady's Missionaries in 1949 and so we were returning to those very roots. And it was at St. Finnan's Cathedral that we were able to visit his grave.

Margaret Calbick writing about our visit in The Glengarry News of November 17, 2007, said: "Fr. Dan as we affectionately called him lives on in the minds of people who knew him as a man of astounding energy, ability and accomplishment." It was through Glenda that we were able to go to some of these very people in order to hear them reminisce about Fr. Dan and about the founding of his missionary community all those years ago. Msgr. R. Villeneuve, Msgr. D.B. Dougald, Mrs. Anna McBean, Mrs. Antoinette Valade, Bessie MacDonell, and Mrs. Cameron MacDonald all graciously recorded for me some of their memories of Fr. Dan as they knew him. These hopefully will form part of a short documentary about the early days of our founding, together with pictures of the churches and other buildings that are part of our history and still exist today.

While in Glengarry, Sr. Christine spoke at masses in Williamstown and Martintown, and Sr. Gwen spoke to classes at Iona Academy in St. Raphael's and at St. Finnan's School in Alexandria about our ministries. On a Sunday evening all three of us addressed a gathering of supporters of our Sisters at St. Mary's Parish Tea Room, Williamstown. Sr. Christine described her 15 years in the Philippines and her work with the Interfaith Forum for Peace, Harmony and Solidarity seeking to create dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Sr. Gwen told how she founded St. Francis School for the Deaf in Vandeikya, the first of its kind in all of Benue State, Nigeria. And she spoke of her joy in working with the handicapped. Having also spent many years in Nigeria, I shared my experience of working with Tiv young people in creating videos of biblical dramas and of AIDS awareness in the local language.

Questions followed about the many changes that have taken place in the congregation in recent years. "It's a big transition and our numbers are dwindling," said Sr. Gwen. "We accept and embrace this. There is a new spirituality today. It is the time of the lay people and they are doing such wonderful work."

At the meeting we met and spoke with many generous people of Glengarry who have supported our Sisters in our apostolates with so much fidelity and, yes, unconditional love over all the years since our founding.

While in Alexandria we enjoyed the hospitality of Sr. Kathryn Cameron and the Holy Cross Sisters. Returning to Toronto, we reflected with grateful hearts on the amazing Glengarry welcome we had experienced and will cherish.

(Originally published in Scarboro Magaizine)

2007-12-22T20:14:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-19T20:36:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-17T10:39:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-15T16:35:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-15T16:01:00.001-04:00

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

2007-06-23T07:43:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-19T12:37:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-05-10T21:01:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-03T13:31:00.000-05:00

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

Christmas Greetings 2006

2006-12-24T22:37:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

The year has slipped by so quickly! November and December are
always busy times because of Mindanao Week of Peace and then Christmas.
Suddenly it's Christmas Eve and I haven't even started my Christmas
greetings yet!

This year, Mindanao Week of Peace started on November 30 with a
Walk for Peace in the morning (see attached photo), and ended on
December 6 with a Prayer Vigil for Peace in the evening. There were
various activities in between and we were pleased that all were well
attended. It seems that every year more and more people are realizing
that the way to achieve peace here in Mindanao is through dialogue
between Muslims and Christians.... most of all the DIALOGUE OF LIFE...
living side-by-side, working together, etc.

Going back a month... Ramadan (the Muslim month of prayer and
fasting) ran from the end of September until the end of October, and
even as we (the Interfaith Forum for Peace Harmony & Solidarity) were
preparing for Mindanao Week of Peace, we visited a couple of mosques at
sundown, when the fast is broken, to bring gifts of fruit for the
Muslims. (See attached photo.)

I'm also still connected with the literacy program for
out-of-school youth and have spent the last week attending parties at
all the different centres... I've become quite the party girl! At one
party I was asked to say a few words, so I asked the children, "What are
we celebrating?" "CHRISTMAS!" was the reply. I asked, "What is
Christmas?" "When Jesus was born!" Then I asked, "And what does Jesus
bring to us?" I'm thinking... PEACE, LOVE, JOY, JUSTICE..... Then,
the smallest kid of all screamed out, "FOOD!!!" And I thought to
myself: Yes, this little boy knows better than all our world leaders
how to achieve peace, love, joy and justice.... it'll only happen when
everyone has enough food. (Attached too are some of the party photos.)

Anyways... I find that it really helps to stop for a moment and try
to look at things through the children's eyes every now and again. I
hope that everyone there has a child or two to help them keep things in
perspective.... and most of all, children to help them get really
excited about Christmas!

Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.... 2007... can
you believe it?!?!

Peace, Christine Gebel OLM

News and Information about the Island of Mindanao.

2006-10-21T15:34:00.000-04:00

Inside Mindanao is an online newsmagazine for the marginalized sectors in Mindanao.

It aims to provide the marginalized sectors (indigenous people, urban poor, women, children, farmers, and fisherfolks) in Mindanao a venue to voice out their issues; at the same time adhering to the time- honored journalism principles of accuracy, fairness and objectivity.

Its area of coverage is the island of Mindanao, Philippines. Read Magazine

Death of Sr. Catherine Peco

2006-09-23T12:32:00.000-04:00

Sr. Catherine Peco

After a long battle with cancer Sr. Catherine died on Tuesday,

September 19, 2006.
Sr. Catherine served in the OLM Community Missions in Japan, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Canada.

Her Personal Message On The OLM Website:

Life is wonderful.

*****************************************

May you be eternally, blessed, Sr. Catherine, for your life of faith and Chritian service.

**********************************

Let us pray in thankfulness for her years of service, and ask the Lord to welcome her into heaven.

A Mass for the repose of her soul will be celebrated at St. Mary's Parish in the near future.

Our Lady's Missionaries to sell downtown property :: The Catholic Register :: Canada's Catholic news source

2006-08-05T13:37:00.000-04:00

Our Lady's Missionaries to sell downtown property :: The Catholic Register :: Canada's Catholic news source

Summer Greeting June 30, 2006

2006-07-01T21:22:00.000-04:00

Greetings once again from Mindanao!

As the people of Canada are winding down and beginning to look forward to summer, the people of the Philippines are grateful for the rain that has started again after a couple of extremely hot summer months. April and May is summer here. June is the beginning of the rains, and back-to-school time.

But most of all.... June 12, 2006 was the 50th Anniversary of Sr. Mary Gauthier's entrance into Our Lady's Missionaries. For those of you who don't know her so well, Sr. Mary is from the Fourth of Kenyon, Alexandria. We celebrated with friends, old and new, last Sunday, June 11 with a mass at our house followed by a celebratory dinner. Fr. Pat Kelly SFM led us in the celebration of a creative liturgy which included the planting of a tree nourished with organic fertilizer from our compost pit to recognize/symbolize that it is in facing the "garbage" in our life, and working through it that we find new life and peace. After the tree planting, a Muslim friend offered a prayer in the Meranao language and a Chinese friend offered incense and a prayer in Chinese... helping us to recognize the inter-connectedness and sacredness of all.

We had a shared homily which Sr. Mary led by speaking of people and experiences for which she feels grateful, beginning with her family and you, her friends and neighbours in Glengarry, and continuing with friends in Sourthern Leyte where OLM's used to live, and here in Mindanao where we now find ourselves. Others shared their gratitude for Sr. Mary's presence with us here in the Philippines.

We OLM's, Sisters Mary, Margaret, Myra, Lucy and Christine, renewed our vows as well, and I'm sure the others, like myself, were conscious of how we wouldn't be able to live out those vows here in the Philippines among people who have almost nothing of monetary value to share with us, if it weren't for people like you who support us with your prayers and donations.

The old friends who celebrated with us included Fr. Pat Kelly SFM who also lived and worked in Southern Leyte before, and Irene Yusingco who was among the first to welcome OLM's when they arrived in the Philippines way back in 1966.

The new friends included those with whom we work in two urban poor communities and in Muslim-Christian Dialogue for Peace, and the OLM Associates.

It was a grand way for Sr. Mary to BEGIN her celebration of her 50th anniversary. I say BEGIN because I know that she is looking forward to continuing her celebration of life with you there when she goes home for a visit next year!

Bye for now.... Peace, Christine Gebel OLM

Easter Greetings

2006-04-20T11:42:00.000-04:00

From: Christine Gebel chris10@skyinet.net

Subject : Easter Greetings from the Philippines!

Happy Easter!

Holy Week is very important here, and we had Stations of the Cross followed by mass every day at 4am. I only managed to go on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I decided that it was better not to get too overtired so that I could still do my regular work well.

The stations were set up around the parish and the mass was outside too.... a different area every time. On Friday it was the whole parish that we walked around for the stations.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings I attended a mini-retreat at Xavier University. The reflections given were very nice and it was a good way to spend the Triduum... reflections in the mornings and masses/service in the afternoons.

Well... the school year here runs from June to March, so last month each of the 5 literacy centres had culmination ceremonies. Then on March 29, 30, 31 most the children from 3 of the centres (the children from the male and female minor sections of the prison obviously couldn't go) attended a summer camp. 61 children started the camp, but 2 went home early on the afternoon of the first day... one was sick with a fever, and the other just got too homesick and wouldn't stop cryiing for mama. At any rate, the kids had a ball! Attached are a couple of photos.
It's summer here now, and hot, hot, hot.... wish we could send you some of our heat!

So, hope that spring in Canada is a joyful reminder of the Resurrection as people begin to look forward to planting and being able to get outside more.

Peace, Christine Gebel

Letter from the Philippines

2006-03-08T10:21:00.000-05:00

This letter from Sr. Christine is a response to our letter congratulating OLM on their recent award.

Hi from the Philippines!

Thanks very much for the congratulations. We have been receiving messages of support and the news of how last Sunday evening went from various friends. It certainly is nice to be reminded in such a clear way of how many people do know about us and keep us in their thoughts and prayers. It was only tonight that I realized that people had to pay to attend the function. It really took me by surprize that people would actually pay money to watch US get an award! Wow!

We've been having our own excitements here... you probably heard that the country spent one week under a "State of National Emergency." The President declared that it was necessary because of groups that were trying to destabilize and overthrow her government. It was a dangerous time for the country as rallies were banned, a couple of newspapers were shut down for printing seditious material, and warrant-less arrest were possible. Before the State of Emergency was declared we were planning to attend a Prayer Rally on the main street of town. Since rallies were banned, it was changed to a "Prayer Assembly." And, instead of being held in a public place, there were three meetings points, Xavier University, the Cathedral Grounds, or Cagayan Capitol University. Some of us when to Xavier and some of us went to the Cathedral. Both held very nice ecumenical and inter-faith prayers for peace, honesty, and justice for the nation.

Yesterday we had a good excitement here when 38 people met at our house to renew their commitment to inter-religious dialogue between Muslims and Christians. We had prayer and sharing stories before sitting down to lunch together. I'm mad at myself though because I had brought the camera down to take photos, and completely forgot to do so! Everyone had left when I remembered about it.... Hopefully the next time we have some kind of event, I'll remember to take some photos and send some to you again!

Bye for now then... Peace, Christine

Katherine Hawkin Award

2006-03-04T09:55:00.000-05:00

READ FULL ARTICE - GO TO 'NEWS' ON LINK BELOW:
CCForum: Start Page
The Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministries is honoured to announce the 2006 recipient of the Katherine Hockin Award, Our Lady's Missionaries.

This is the first time that the award has been offered to a community in mission. This Communities work is recently best known in Canada through their role in initiating the Out of The Cold program. However this program is only part of their work.

In Our Lady's Missionaries we see a sisterhood of Christians who sustain each other in a lifetime of breathtakingly generous response to the call of the Gospel. In ways that are practical, contemporary, profoundly respectful, courageous and full of compassion, they have hurried to the aid of people in need in Africa, Asia, South America and here at home. As their first priority they have cherished the invitation of Jesus to meet him already present in the poor, sick and hungry of the world. In faithfully living out that "option for the poor", they have consequently found new ways to obey the Lord's command to go, teach, and make disciples in every nation. More...

Women Say No To War

2006-02-11T20:49:00.000-05:00

I just received this request from Sr. Christine. If you are interested please go to the provided link.

CODEPINK�:�Women Say No To WarPlease join in the following action if you are interested! Peace, Christine Gebel OLM

Men are invited to be in solidarity by signing this petition too!

Brief History of OLM

2006-01-11T17:41:00.000-05:00

History of Our Lady’s Missionaries

Our Lady's Missionaries was founded in 1949, in Alexandria, Ontario, Canada under the direction of Msgr. Dan R. MacDonald (picture above). In 1959 the group relocated to Toronto. OLM receive members universally, who participate fully in the life and mission of the Congregation and the Church.

The first mission was opened in 1956 when four sisters went to Japan. In 1957 another mission was opened in Nigeria. As requests came from various countries, missions were opened in Mexico, the Philippines, Brazil, Guyana and England. Short term support work has also been provided in Vietnam, Thailand, Mozambique, the Canadian North and East Timor.

Christmas Day - Photos and Notes

2005-12-25T12:43:00.000-05:00

This post and the next few posts were sent to me by Sr. Christine on Christmas Day 2005: (Excerpts)

"Here in the Philippines Christmas is pretty much finished with
supper after mass on Christmas Eve. People sleep in and take it easy on
the 25th, but there isn't much of a sense that it is still Christmas.
If you ask most people here when Christmas is... they will say it's
Decemer 24th! So, last night Anie, Mary and myself attended "midnight"
mass at 9pm at Sto. Niño parish where the three of us have some
involvements. Myra and Margaret attended "midnight mass" at 10pm at
Xavier University which is known for having very nice liturgies... and
last night they weren't disappointed. After mass we gathered at our
Carmen house for a late lunch."

"I had taken my dirty plate and cup to the sink and realized
that from there I had a wonderful view of the home of one of our
students... so I took this photo to show people the kind of place that
many of our children live in. This is one of the poorest, so many would
be a bit better off, but all would be extremely poor by Canadian standards."

Christmas Day-Photos and Notes

2005-12-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

Here's a photo of the children at the Sto. Niño centre playing musical
chairs at their Christmas party.

Christmas Day - Photos and Notes

2005-12-25T12:14:00.000-05:00

"This was a MEGA-party held for all the children of all the literacy
centres at Xavier University... except, of course, the children in the
prison weren't able to attend. All in all there were 80 kids! In this
photo.... just try to imagine 80 excited kids screaming CHEESE!!!"

Christmas Day - Photos and Notes

2005-12-25T12:11:00.000-05:00

"Here is a photo of the children at the jail during their Christmas
party. There are acutally two literacy centres at the jail... one for
the boys and one for the girls. There are two jails on the one compound
and the male and female sections are run by two different wardens, so we
are not allowed to combine the boys and the girls even though there are
about 23 boys and only 2 girls at the moment. The girls were allowed to
come to the party with the boys which was good because it would have
been too hard to have a party for two girls only!"

"In this photo one of the boys is singing a song composed by
streetchildren about life on the streets... it is called "May Bukas Pa,"
in English, "There is Still Tomorrow." It's a very sad and touching
song.... both of the girl inmates were quietly crying as he sang. The
fellow playing the guitar is Mr. Moises Elaco who is hired part-time to
help with driving and outreach for the literacy centres."

Christmas Day - Photos and Notes

2005-12-25T12:02:00.000-05:00

"Here's the last (and 5th, I hope) photo. This was the party at our
Kabula literacy centre. I think for all the kids, it would have been
the first time they's seen someone dressed up as Santa. Santa isn't
very common here among the poor, and mostly, I would guess that's
because most kids don't find any, nevermind many, gifts under the tree
on Christmas morning. Most probably don't have a tree for that matter."

"Actually, these past few weeks have been kind of difficult for me as
everyone I know, and many people whom I don't know have come to me
asking for a Christmas gift. Each time it happened, I got a bit
grumpier.... thinking to myself, where's the spirit of Christmas? Isn't
it supposed to be about giving rather than receiving? Do I look like
I'm made of money? Where am I supposed to get Christmas gifts for half
the people in town? I always find Christmas hard because of this.
Well... a few days back as Anie and I were tallking together about our
day during our community prayer, it suddenly struck me.... The poor
getting something, getting enough, from those of us who have too much, IS
the REAL Spirit of Christmas! I was the one who wasn't "getting it!"

Christmas in the Philippines

2005-12-15T12:16:00.000-05:00

OLM SISTERS AT CARMEN HOUSE - PHILIPPINES. Left to right:
Sr. Anie Montejo (OLM Novice), Sr. Myra Trainor, Sr. Mary Gauthier,
Sr. Christine Gebel, Sr.Margaret Walsh. Note our cactus Christmas tree!

Prayers and best wishes
from Sr. Mary and Sr. Christine
in the Philippines:

May the Christ Child

born into a world of violence

continue to remind us

of God’s loving presence

in our broken world.

Dear Fr. Bob and friends at St. Mary’s Parish (Williamstown),

I would like to send Christmas greetings of Peace to you Fr. Bob and the Parishioners. It is good to celebrate Christmas in the Philippines this year. On Dec. 16th begins - Masses will be celebrated at 4am each day of the novena. It is a Spanish custom that has continued in some parts of the Philippines. I think the 4am was the time the rooster crowed and awakened the people when it was still dark. I don’t think I will hear the call of the rooster this year, at least not every day. I will remember you all with much gratitude as we celebrate the gift of Emmanuel - 'God with us'.

Mary Gauthier OLM.

Dear Fr. Bob and Parishioners of St. Mary's,

It is with much gratitude that I look back on 2005. My two months in Canada were a wonderful time of re-connecting with family and old friends, as well as making new friends. I carried back many good memories of my time in Glengarry, and the sisters in Toronto and the Philippines asked loads of questions and listened eagerly to my stories which in turn prompted them to remember and re-tell many of their own memories of our early days. I managed to get back into the swing-of-things very quickly here, and there's always something interesting to do. Now that Christmas is upon us, people are making a great effort to celebrate despite the fact that times are the hardest I've ever seen. Yesterday (December 11) we held a party at our house for some friends and the OLM Associates (a group of lay people who wish to share some aspects of our life and charism without living in community or becoming a religious) - attached are some photos of the party. (see picture at top)

Prayers and good wishes for a joyful Christmas and a blessed New Year! Peace, Christine Gebel OLM