News & Updates
Summer Missionary Work
From the streets of lower New York City, the coastal towns of New Jersey and the green hills of Western and Northeastern Pennsylvania, several Sisters traveled to parishes to share the missionary ministry of our Sisters in the South Andes of Peru.
Together Sisters Eileen Egan, John Michele Southwick, Peg Conaboy, SSJ, Kathryn Kurdziel, Ancilla Maloney and Kieran Williams gave 32 presentations in eight different parishes.
Sister Eileen shared that from the time she was a child she was “collecting” for the “pagan babies” at school. Over the past several years her home diocese of Trenton, NJ, has been assigning her to give mission presentations. This year, a highlight of her work was her presentation in a liturgy with wall-to-wall folks from different Latino countries. She was amazed at the faith of the people. There was a combo of 6 musicians who animated the liturgy. Afterwards a man from Peru who escaped terrorism 30 years ago thanked her for serving his people and promised to send a donation.
The Sisters always finish their talks by emphasizing that “the Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium, emphasizes that each person is called to be a missionary by Baptism and to share faith and Christian values with everyone, every day.”
Kieran shared her experience with Sister Tomasa when she accompanied her on visiting poor families in the mountain communities. Tomasa had a lot of bags filled with toilet paper rolls that she gave to each family they visited. What for? They needed paper to start their cooking fires! After her presentation she met Cecilia Egnitz, a Peruvian who has been sending donations for a few years to help one of the young girls in the Sicuani mission.
Ancilla shared meeting a child with no shoelaces in his shoes only to discover there was no sole on the shoe. She duct taped the shoes and bought him a new pair. Two days later he again had no laces. Why? His mother traded them for bread so he and his brothers and sister didn`t have to go to school hungry that morning.
The proceeds from the Sisters’ talks go to support the IHM Missions in Peru.
