Updates from the Sisters - June 2020

​"There is a vast harvest beyond our walls: the anxious, the despairing, the fearful, the confused, the lonely, and the seekers. There has never been as much need for compassion and healing as there is right now."

– Sister Deborah Francis, from her sermon on June 12, 2020

CSJB staff member Donna MacKenzie working in the Convent Garden, just outside the refectory. (Click on any photo to enlarge)

Photo of our foundress, Mother Harriet Monsell, in one of her devotional books. Mother Harriet and The Rev. Canon T.T. Carter founded CSJB in 1852 as an outgrowth of a laywoman's ministry to poor women in Clewer, Windsor.

​Our Community began in the 1850s in Windsor, England as a response to the overwhelming social problems created by the Industrial Revolution. In the midst of the current crisis, our Community once again looks to the world and to the church just as it did in Victorian England and asks, “How can we help?” Our Mother Foundress, Harriet Monsell, always set an intention for this Community to respond to the needs of the day. Right now the needs of the day spring from spiritual and emotional crisis, from physical health issues, and from the long-term social justice issues the pandemic has revealed to us.

How can we help? ​

​One way, which seemed illogical to us at first, is to stay at home. Staying home, we have learned, is the primary way to serve the common good. As Sisters, though, our usual way of responding to a crisis is to go out to parishes, soup kitchens, food pantries, and other charities to lend a hand. Since we haven’t been able to safely go out and volunteer our question turned into:

How can we help when we’re stuck at home?

The answer to that question, as so many of you have also discovered – is to find a workaround. Even in our current situation, the Holy Spirit has shown us ways to work around the obstacles of this crisis to new paths of ministry we never could have predicted.​

Sister Suzanne Elizabeth and Sister Laura Katharine knitting items for the homeless, the poor and the sick during Recreation on the cloister.

The most surprisingly enriching ministry for us has been our Zoom prayers. Certainly, we Sisters all realize that our primary service to the world is to pray - but we had no idea that praying on Zoom would become a lifeline for so many. 

A view from the cloister. Photo by Sister Margo Elizabeth

I cannot possibly thank our Oblates and Associates enough for organizing Centering Prayer, the Associates’ First Friday prayers, and the Diocesan prayers on Zoom. The feedback I am receiving has been overwhelmingly grateful. We even have local Oblates and Associates who are stuck in other states because of travel restrictions, and it is such a wonderful thing to see their faces and hear their voices in our Zoom sessions. If you’d like to pray with us, please CLICK HERE to see our Events page for more information. People from all walks of life, all ages and from all over the U.S. have emailed to let me know that they are drawing tremendous strength and comfort from connecting with us in prayer, or from re-connecting with us after having moved away from New Jersey and missing CSJB from far away. 

Our Hospitality Ministry has been closed since March, but even as Governor Phil Murphy’s stay-at-home order is being gradually eased, we are still not ready to establish a definite timeline for reopening our Retreat House, the Convent Guest Wing and our meeting rooms to day guests and groups. Our Retreat House Manager Bradley Kalos and I have begun gathering ideas for social-distancing protocols for when we do reopen. We are looking to the hotel industry, to retreat facilities in states that have reopened, to our Governor and our Bishop Carlye J. Hughes for guidance in our planning and we will provide updates as we are able.

Some of our friends have been taking socially-distanced walks on our Labyrinth by the Retreat House. The labyrinth was built by members of Interweave. Labyrinth walks are a wonderfully meditative practice, especially in times of anxiety and discernment. You may email [email protected] if you're interested in walking our labyrinth.

Sister Mary Lynne is making jewelry for the Nun Better Shop with stones she's found around the property.

Our work in parishes continues in new ways. Sister Victoria Michelle and the team of Sunday School teachers at the Church of the Messiah in Chester are sending resources such as Bible-related coloring pages, lesson materials, and other teaching tools to families by email and by hand delivery. Sister Victoria is working with the teaching team at Messiah to find a way to hold Vacation Bible School this summer, and she is also providing healing prayers to parishioners by phone. Sister Monica Clare is attending worship at All Saints Millington via Facebook live feed each Sunday, going to Zoom coffee hour afterward, and singing in the virtual choir. Sister Eleanor Francis and Sister Barbara Jean are attending St. Mark’s, Mendham worship and coffee hour online each Sunday as well.

The majority of the CSJB Sisters are Spiritual Directors, and we are all finding that there is a greatly increased need for this ministry. Meeting with directees by phone and on Zoom, as well as in a socially-distanced way outside on the cloister, has become a daily practice. Many new directees, and people we hadn’t heard from in a few years have re-established regular meetings with us as they struggle to cope with the spiritual implications of what is happening in our world. 

Buddy and Riley, our Retreat House Manager Brad Kalos' dogs, enjoying themselves outside St. Marguerite's. Painting and repairs are continuing at St. Marguerite's as we make plans to reopen at some point with safety measures in place.

We also spend a great deal of our time calling the elderly, the sick and those who live alone to make sure they are safe, and to offer whatever help we can provide to them – even dropping off grocery donations on doorsteps when they are needed.

(L to R) Sister Pamela, Sister Monica Clare and CSJB Associate Cathy Harris at the Black Lives Matter march in Parsippany June 2, 2020. Photo by Jessie Gomez, NJ Daily Record

Bishop Alastair Redfern speaking at a Clewer Initiative event at Lambeth Palace. Photo by Sister Monica Clare

CSJB is co-hosting a Community Movie Discussion with the Interchurch Committee of the Mendhams on June 23, 2020 to discuss the film Just Mercy. You may CLICK HERE for more information about it on our Events page.

In addition to responding to the pandemic of COVID-19, we have also felt the stirring of the Holy Spirit to help the causes of racial and social justice. Some of us participated in the Union of Black Episcopalians’ prayer vigil on Zoom, on May 31, in which Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, UBE National President the Very Rev. Kim Coleman, the Rt. Rev. Carl Wright, the Rt. Rev. Deon K. Johnson, the Rt. Rev. William H. Stokes and over 200 others gathered to pray and to learn ways of bringing about change. On June 2, some of us went with CSJB Associate Cathy Harris to a Black Lives Matter march in Parsippany, NJ. All of the 1, 500+ marchers wore masks and maintained social distancing, and we learned additional ways of helping from local speakers.

We are also working to bring the Clewer Initiative - the anti-trafficking organization founded by our English CSJB Sisters and The Rt. Rev. Alastair Redfern - to the Episcopal Church. You may go to www.theclewerinitiative.org to learn more about this vital ministry.

Sister Jane and some of the children at the Good Shepherd Home, Cameroon.

Sister Jane reports from the Good Shepherd Home that all the children, Sisters, and staff are safe but that they have some sad news. An 18-year-old young man named Innocent, who had grown up at the Good Shepherd Home and sometimes suffered from seizures, died suddenly at his rented home in the city. Innocent had been working as a salesman in a local store and unfortunately died from his seizure disorder during the night. Jane and several GSH staff were called by 

Innocent’s landlord to take care of his remains, and a piece of land had to be purchased for his burial. Jane also reports that the schools are all still closed due to the ongoing military conflict, but she and the staff still teach the children at home as best they can. “The war continues,” says Jane, “but we keep trusting God. We are grateful for God’s protection of all of us. You and all of our benefactors are always in our prayers. Our love to all of you.” Many thanks to all who have contributed to the Emergency Appeal for the children. We have raised nearly $8,000 towards our $60,000 goal. If you are interested in helping, CLICK HERE.

Children of the Good Shepherd Home, working while tending the babies.

A peony growing outside St. Marguerite's.

Here in Mendham we are starting to see healthy sprouts in the Garden of Hope as well as in our Convent garden. We hope to harvest produce for the Mendham Interchurch Food Pantry from the Garden of Hope, and food for the Convent kitchen from our garden outside the refectory. The blooms on the trees and bushes around the Convent have been extremely abundant this year so we are also very blessed with plenty of fresh flowers for the chapel and the Convent.

Sister Eleanor Francis’ interfaith ministry has continued on Zoom since her presentation to Rabbi Debora Smith’s Or Ha Lev Congregation last month. On June 11, she presented it via Zoom  to another congregation, Adath Shalom in Morris Plains. The program is called “Hidden Roots,” and it outlines her experiences as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. She is also co-hosting an Interweave event June 20 at 1:30 PM via Zoom along with Rabbi Debra Smith and Dr. Shabiha Sheikh. The event is entitled “Compassion: An Interfaith Perspective,” and is the latest in a series of panels on this subject. CLICK HERE to learn more about this program on our Events page. ​

The exterior of the main chapel in the summer sun. Photo by Sister Margo Elizabeth

Sister Margo Elizabeth continues her work on the book about Pony, and she is considering creating a Pony coloring book as well. She is looking forward to the 2021 Celtic Journeys trips to Lindisfarne (Feb. 19-27, 2021), Ireland (May 20-31, 2021), and Cornwall and Southwest England (Sept. 7-17, 2021). Please visit www.celticjourneys.org for more info.

A feather-art card made by Sister Deborah Francis. She makes many of these works of art from feathers she finds around the CSJB property.

Our daily celebration of the Eucharist continues to sustain us, and we receive Christ’s body and blood with the intention of receiving on behalf of those who cannot go to church at this time. We are blessed to have two Sisters in our Community who are ordained priests - Sister Barbara Jean and Sister Eleanor Francis - and they share the work of celebrating the Eucharist each day. Many of the Sisters take turns preaching as well. Sister Laura Katharine delivered a wonderful sermon on Corpus Christi which reminded us of our Community’s particular devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. You may CLICK HERE to read her words. We continue to pray for all those who are unable to receive communion at this time, as well as all who cannot gather to worship in person.

One final thought: We cannot help but feel the weight of the fact that this update is coming to you just before June 20, 2020, which was supposed to have been Commemoration Day at the Convent. We had planned to spend the morning in a joyful celebration of the Eucharist in our main Chapel with the Rt. Rev. Carlye J. Hughes as celebrant, followed by a luncheon on the cloister. This event, celebrated since the earliest days of CSJB, is meant to be an annual show of gratitude to our Oblates, Associates, and friends for all they do to support the work of God through our Community. We always look forward to Commemoration Day, and we are deeply saddened that it had to be canceled. We know, however, that God’s wisdom is showing us new things amid our sadness and uncertainty, and that God is always strengthening us with hope.

Sisters at recreation on the cloister. We are enjoying the good weather and we look forward to welcoming our friends back to share this beautiful holy place with us when it is safe to do so again.

Jennie looks forward to greeting guests again when we can reopen our ministry of Hospitality.

Sister Laura Katharine with Kooky, one of our two Convent kitties.

PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR

Kenneth, Sue, Phyllis, Joyce, Louie, Annette, Michelle, Manh, Judith, Suzanne, Anthony, Warren, James, Ingrid, Daniel, Nicole, Jennifer, Joyce, the Clewer Initiative, our Sisters in England, Virginia, Raajiv, Maureen, Michelle, Kristee, Tiffany, Myles, Terry, Patty and her family, Jerry and Sully, for a new organization to occupy our former St. John Baptist School buildings and grounds, and for all others who have requested our prayers.
 
If you’d like to request prayers, please email [email protected]. We are always glad to pray for anyone who needs it.

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"ALL THIS IS PEACE"
a poem by Jorg Zink

Photo by Hans Jurgen Rau

Having bread and being able to live
is all part of Peace.
Not having to starve, not having
to fight for survival, is Peace.
To have a place from which you
are not driven out, is Peace.
To live in Community and
not alone, is Peace.
To have a task in life which is
more than just survival, 
which has meaning
and gives fulfillment, is Peace.
To have a house, a table,
​a person who understands you,
​all this is Peace. 

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​(Sister Pamela was organizing some files in her office this past week and ran across this poem on a card that a friend had sent her in 1996. Her discovery of this card, with this poem and the photo above, was so timely. It is a great meditation for all of us.)

MANY HEARTFELT THANKS TO:

The Rev. Vicki McGrath and all the people of All Saints Church in Millington, NJ who have gone so far above and beyond
​to help us

Our Oblates, Associates and friends who have organized online prayers and meetups to keep us all connected

Margaret H. Dohnalek and Elizabeth Halpin

Our Alongsider Patty Allen for helping in the Garden of Hope, and with the myriad computer issues of our Sisters

Our staff for working so hard to keep things running during these uncertain times.

The Rev. Susan R. Ironside and Grace Church in Madison

The Rev. Cynthia Black and the Church of the Redeemer in Morristown

The Rev. Margaret Otterburn and the Church of the Messiah in Chester

The Rev. Lorna Erixson and St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Mendham

And all those who have generously donated to the Good Shepherd Home, our Capital Campaign and our general fund in spite of all the economic uncertainty.

The Rev. Lorna Erixson gave us masks with a pattern of Julian of Norwich on them!

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Would you like to help
continue God's work through CSJB?

We are hoping to raise $380,000 to replace the 112-year-old roof at St. Marguerite's. Thanks to generous donors, we have already raised over $82,000.

Another item on our wish list is the replacement of the showers at St. Marguerite's. We hope to raise $30,000 for this project. 

We have raised $1,390 towards our goal of $40,000 to replace the Convent elevator. Thank you to all who have helped us. 

The State of New Jersey recently stopped giving grants for repairs to religious structures, so this has taken away half our funding for repairs and restorations. The COVID crisis has also negatively impacted our funding for these projects. 

If you're interested in contributing to our Capital Campaign to help with these goals, or you'd like to learn about donating in other ways to the ministries of CSJB, click on the red button. 

Photo by the Rev. Cynthia Black, DD (Church of the Redeemer, Morristown)

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CLICK HERE to DONATE