The End of an Era

Today marks the end of the ministerial presence of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist at St Mary's and Missions. The sisters, Mother Marcia and Sr Naomi, have served with the friars for four years and four months, and this morning their Mother General and Vicar returned with them to Kingston - Manley Airport back to Meriden, CT, before they are re-missioned to the Holy Land.

Gregory Norbert's Poem, Fabric of Life embedded in the song Wherever You Go, best characterizes the sisters ministry here in Above Rocks and Missions:

Fabric of Life

I want to say something to all of you
Who have become a part
Of the fabric of my life
The color and texture
Which you have brought into
My being
Have become a song
And I want to sing it forever.
There is an energy in us
Which makes things happen
When the paths of other persons
Touch ours
And we have to be there
And let it happen.

When the time of our particular sunset comes
Our thing, our accomplishment
Won't really matter
A great deal.
But the clarity and care
With which we have loved others
Will speak with vitality
Of the great gift of life
We have been for each other.

Gregory Norbert, O.S.B.

Truly we have been blessed by the sisters presence . . . the feeding program, the learning centre, weekly sick calls, girls group and the Remand Centre . . . to name a few. May the sister know of our love, and each time they have something in their shoe, it's us; and we too will remember them by pebble in our shoes. They go with God!

_____

PS/ Vernon watches over the sisters' bags on last time - and the "limo" awaits the sisters . . . what happened to the days when the sisters travelled with one "grip"?

Deanery 6 Day

Yesterday we had our Deanery Day at Sacred Heart Church, Old Harbour. Donna Chambers, the MC for day, made it clear that the bathrooms attached to the church were for "clergy" use and that "porta-loos" were available for the guests. Much to my surprise did I find the following sign pasted to the door of the women's bathroom. Later in the day, during lunch, His Grace called me over, and pointing to the sign below said: "I never knew Deanery 6 was so progressive."

THANK YOU

We want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all of those parishes who sent us gift cards from your Angel Tree, Jessie Tree, Christmas Exchange and/or Three King Baskets . . . to date we have over $2,000 in gift cards. They always fit, no need for exchanges; they are usable up and down the east coast and beyond. A special shout out to the following parish families:

St Paul's, Kensington, CT

Sacred Heart, Danbury, CT

St John Kanty, Clifton, NJ
Mother Cabrini, Shamokin, PA

St Francis, Jonestown, PA

Let the Good Bye's Begin

On Friday the Principal, Mr Kirlew, the faculty, staff, PTA and students of Cassava River Infant and Primary School (aka, Holy Family) prepared a wonderful, and heartfelt, tribute for Sisters Marcia and Naomi. Over their years of service here in the mission, they have visited faithfully for Friday Devotion, see any number of children for counselling or a hug, and assisted with the Wednesday Mass. And so, the official Good Bye's begin . . .

Brain Camp II - Curley Hosts

Senior students from Archbishop Curley High School have joined us for the fourth year for their senior service week. Twelve students, two faculty advisors and a friar-priest chaplain have taken to math first period (Br Duffy), reading second period (Sr Naomi) and language arts third period with Mr Brownlee (Curley HS). These lesson classes help prepare our Grade Six students for their GSAT Exams in March. Welcome Curley!

Miss Annmarie, the Hostel Cook

Sr Naomi snaps a picture of Annmarie carrying a load of Chicken on her head. And I always thought it was the seasoning that made it taste so good!

W C S U - Service Project

West Conn is putting a fresh coat of paint on the newly re-designed JFLL (Jamaica For Lifelong Learning) Grade 9 Building. JFLL was in dire need of space so this Food for the Poor house that was supposed to be used as a changing room for the sport's teams . . . after years of abuse and mis-use . . . was taken back in August and re-designed for a large classroom, and a smaller (2 cubicle) changing room. Here you see the team - painting away!

BRAIN CAMP '11

West Conn is in the house! Fr Brad and the students from Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) arrived on Saturday for their alternate Winter Break, a service week in Jamaica. This morning the annual Brain Camp kicked off . . . below are shots of the coaches (WCSU student) working with St Mary's All Age students . . . reading.

.Omar (SMAA) and Jason (WCSU)

Jashelle and Latoya (SMAA) with Amy & Rawan

Art and Dennie

Schenelle (SMAA) and Katie (WCSU)

Our Own Magi . . .

Our own royality . . . remember we celebrate the kings today, but as the poem goes, the queens came late, but they did come . . . here are a few of our Above Rocks Magi:

Solemnity of the Epiphany, aka Feast of the Three Kings

Peace be to this house and: to all who dwell here, in the name of the Lord.
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During this Christmas Season we celebrate "the Epiphanies" of the Lord: to the town's folk and shepherds, to the kings and the powers-that-be, to the populous on the river bank, all the way up to His epiphany at the Wedding Feast at Cana. Tradition has it that on this day, as the Magi visited the home of Jesus, we begin the annual Blessing of Houses.

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Traditionally we bless chalk and encourage our people to mark the lintel of their house, and every other year we visit and blesses houses (from now until Lent.) Each house is marked with the year, and the names of the Three Kings:

+ 20
Caspar
Melchior
Balthazar
11+

-

So from our home, here in Above Rocks -

PEACE be to your home!