“The Maryknoll Sisters are alive and well!”
- Sister Janet McLaughlin
http://www.mklsisters.org/index.php?option=com_mojo&Itemid=28&cat=2
Meeting a Deer along the Road
I have taken hundreds of pictures of the beauty all around the Knoll – on both sides of the road, so much so that I cannot find the exact picture of the path I was on last night when a very young deer and I met, each of us jumped back and each of us stood like statues. I would like to thank the deer because this incident brought about my meeting of Janet McLaughlin who was walking up the same path. She had no reason to know me and I did not know her but am delighted to say after our brief encounter that Maryknoll Sisters were wise enough to choose Janet as their leader along with the rest of the leadership team to be in these positions at a time of unknown and challenging changes to carry Maryknoll into the next 100 years. I hope you will check out the above links (if you are interested) to learn more of her background; and the second link is a weekly blog written by the team. When I asked Janet what she would like people to know about the Maryknoll Sisters or Africa, without a moment hesitation, she responded:
Alive and Well
Lively
United and Thriving
In my experience this past week, I see a sea of gray – (yes, a stream of gray and white hair) of strong women who are carrying with them a deep love of the people and cultures they left behind or are now in the process of returning to them. I also see mixed in between very few, but extremely vibrant young people who have joined Maryknoll from different countries around the world.
Now, for the little deer: he was happy to hear us talking as, after a while, he mustard up enough courage to dart across the road to his perceived safe haven. If he could read, he would realize that his home at the Knoll on both sides of the road, is truly safe.
No Hunting!
I have one more day left at Maryknoll. This atmosphere inspired me to call attention to world homelessness. As I read of all the countries with such dire circumstances both here and overseas, I hope to never forget that the millions in number in reality are one person at a time. For me, if you help who is standing in front of you, you also touch those millions upon millions. In my view, these days are not times for despair or sadness, but rather for coming together with energy and belief in the future.
World Homeless Day 10-10-10
Homelessness in New York City:
“Each night, over 38,000 homeless individuals sleep in the New York City shelter system. This includes more than 16,000 children and 8,000 single adults. Thousands more sleep on city streets and in other public places.”
- Source
ZIMBABWE: No hope yet for the homeless:
“Her predicament can be traced back to 2005, when President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF government launched Operation Murambatsvina (Drive out Filth), and the family dwelling, along with her father’s shoe repair business, was among the tens of thousands of urban structures that were demolished.”
- Source
Fresh Pakistan floods displace 1 million more people:
ISLAMABAD, Aug 27 (Reuters) – About one million more people have been displaced in Sindh over the last 48 hours as devastating floods continue to spread across south Pakistan, the United Nations said on Friday.
- Source
Keeping Positive for the Desparate
