New Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace

Last Saturday when I was in New Jersey for community meetings I was able to be present for the welcome ceremony for Sheena George, our newest candidate for vowed membership as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace.  I've heard so much about Sheena over the past year and was so happy to finally meet her in person and be able to be present for this special day!  You can read more about her ceremony and see other pictures by clicking on this link.  Sheena is holding her peace candle in this picture.  I still have my peace candle from when I became a candidate with the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace 7 years ago this month!

Earlier this month, two other women entered our CSJP Congregation Novitiate. Even though because of distance I have not yet met them, I have been able to get to know Sister Juliana Ngozi Iwuagwa and Sister Katrina Alton via email.  And thanks to the wonders of our CSJP website I can experience a little bit of their entrance liturgy which took place at our UK regional center in Rearsby, Leicestershire, England.

In Sister Katrina's words:

So I begin this novitiate year praying that I can enter into a deeper relationship with God and immerse myself more fully into the life and charism of the CSJP’s. As I shared during the liturgy, “Coming as I am, with my strengths and weaknesses, gifts and wounds, joys and sorrows, I bring everything that has made me who I am to this novitiate. I pray this will be a time and place for dialogue and deep listening, a mutual exchanging of gifts and experiences by which we can learn together how to live more fully our charism of active nonviolence and care of creation, in solidarity with the poor, especially marginalised women.”

And in Sister Juliana's words:

God is wonderful and His ways are mysterious indeed, I am so glad to be a CSJP novice, it seems like a dream, but it is a reality. Citing from the Scripture reading that day which I believe best describes what mostly occupies my mind: "I can assure my brothers and sisters, I am far from thinking that I have already won. All I can say is that I forget the past and I strain ahead for what is still to come”.Philippians 3: 8 – 14

Our Congregation Novitaite is now located in London, England.  It's actually in the same house in Cricklewood, London where I lived when I was a 2nd year novice on my ministry experience, so I can well imagine them there.  I also lived with Sister Alexine who is their novice director and will be visiting with them next summer when I am in the UK for our Congregation Retreat.

Please keep these three women in your prayers as they take their next journeys into the way of peace with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.  Please pray too for our Sisters in temporary profession, Sister Sukyi Hur and Sister Dorothy Verna.

In our CSJP Constitutions, we say:

As we live our mission of peace;we continue to be enriched by the hope shared among usand brought to us by new membersand by the lives of those who walk and work with us. 

Indeed we are enriched.  We are blessed. As I approach the first anniversary of my own final profession as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace next month, I find myself filled with excitement and hope for the future that is unfolding before us and these women who will be my companions on the journey.