Article by the Provincial Office of Communications, Province of Colombo-Venezolana. The El Buen Pastor Foundation of the Province of Colombo-Venezolana provides spiritual accompaniment and fosters opportunities for the empowerment of women oppressed and excluded by interrelated forms of inequality, discrimination, and domination so that - free of violence – they can achieve the goals they hope for their life. In November 2021, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and in response to the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence... more
Newsletter
31-Mar-22
Article by Wade Johnston, Partner in Mission, Province of New York - Toronto. In June 1998, on the final morning of a National Gathering of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (OLCGS) agencies held in the USA, a small group of Canadian participants, so inspired by the experiences over the course of the gathering, joined together for breakfast, broke bread and pondered on the possibility of replicating the gathering for programs in Canada. Little did they know that the mustard seeds planted at breakfast that day would grow to become the Good Shepherd Mission Integration... more
28-Mar-22
Article by Hubert HM Janssen, Partner in Mission, Province of Europe-BFMN. In 2014, fifteen Dutch sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd vacated their last convent in the Netherlands on the Dennenheuvel Estate to move into a residential care home. For over 90 years, the sisters had been present in Bloemendaal. For the first 60 years, they lived and worked with girls and women in residence and then, for the final decades, with (vulnerable) older people. The beautiful surrounding landscape and nature, the convent building, and all people present were a gift they lovingly cared for... more
25-Mar-22
Dear Sisters and Partners in Mission, On this Feast of the Annunciation, we are delighted to share this special edition newsletter (file attached) containing interviews carried out with the new Congregational Leadership Team. In today’s Gospel, we listen to Mary’s courageous reply to the angel Gabriel: “Let it be done to me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38). And in these interviews, we hear the echo of Mary’s audacious ‘YES’ through the deeply personal words shared by the ten women who have been called to lead the Congregation for the next six years. The interviews reveal how these women have... more
22-Mar-22
Article by Michelle Yanche, Province of New York-Toronto. “Dear God, what are we doing in this world and why are we here, if not to contribute to the well-being of our neighbors.” St. Mary Euphrasia, Conferences, p. 45 When I was first introduced to Good Shepherd Services (GSS) in New York City in 1993, I was a recent college graduate ready for a career helping others. The more I learned about the Good Shepherd mission, the more I wanted to be a part of it. The mission aligned with my own values and sense of purpose, and the people who worked at GSS, like Sr. Paulette LoMonaco (a sister of... more
20-Mar-22
Article by Sr. Magdalena Franciscus, Province of Europe-BFMN. In Europe, particularly in France, secularization has advanced rapidly in recent years, and the issue of sexual abuse uncovered in the CIASE report has highlighted the Catholic Church's lack of credibility and further increased people's distrust in it. Despite this, in this bleak context, the Province of Europe-BFMN has agreed to open a French-speaking novitiate at the request of leaders of French-speaking countries in Africa and the Middle East. Yes, it is audacious, but as zealous daughters of our founders, it seems, to me, we... more
16-Feb-22
Article by Sr. Mary Kaluki, Province of Eastern Central Africa (ECAP). The writings of Saint John Eudes and Saint Mary Euphrasia fire us to live for souls. I feel this even more so since my temporary profession late last year when I was sent on mission to the award-winning Bon Pasteur Kolwezi program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The program began in 2013 to minister to artisanal miners, enabling them to secure social protection and alternative livelihoods away from their harsh life through offering support with education, advocacy, health, and nutrition. The program attempts... more
07-Feb-22
Article from the Province of Italy/Malta. The Centro delle Donne Libere dalla Violenza (Center for Women Free from Violence) in Quinto di Treviso, Italy – supported by the Province’s Welcome House Domus Nostra (in Italian), in partnership with the cooperative La Esse in Treviso – celebrated its first anniversary on December 10, 2021, by holding an open day. Opening its doors to the public, it shared the outcomes of the many activities carried out despite the restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Sister Teresa, Director of Domus Nostra, Francesca Dettori, President of the cooperative La... more
24-Jan-22
Article by Mauricio Castillo Cortés, Province of Peru. The town of La Florida, where Sister Aguchita met her martyrdom, is located at the edge of the jungle in the region of Junín in Peru. On the occasion of her beatification process, the Bishop of the Vicariate of San Ramón, Monsignor Gerardo Zerdin, requested that the Congregation returns to La Florida. He wished for the sisters to continue the mission interrupted by the terrorist violence suffered by Peru during the 90s and for them to become custodians of Aguchita's remains that were transferred to the church in La Florida. After a... more
18-Jan-22
Article by Sr M. Sithumini Fernando, Province of Sri Lanka/Pakistan. The Covid-19 pandemic, unlike other viruses, has had disastrous effects on the whole world. We are all aware that frontline medical professionals do their best to protect people. This critical situation urged some of our sisters to volunteer their generous services to save the lives of the sisters, children and adults in our institutions, putting themselves at risk. Here I would like to share the journey we have embarked on in caring for the Covid positive patients in our Province. The visiting physician to our elderly... more