UPDATES FROM THE SISTERS - MAY 2022

"Some drawn by
the sweetness
of a Divine Union
to a life of prayer,
and ceaseless thanksgiving,
offer all they have or do,
as incense
ever breathing
from the heart."

Mother Harriet Monsell, CSJB
​

HERE AT LAST – THE SECOND SPRING

We are thrilled to announce that the latest book about the Community of St. John Baptist, The Second Spring, is now available to order as a printed book and e-book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other booksellers.
 
Author Valerie Bonham says:
“This book The Second Spring is the sequel to Living Stones, which traced the history of CSJB from the arrival of the first three Sisters in New York in 1874, until 1939.

​The Second Spring brings the history of CSJB in the USA up to date from 1940 until 2020. In 1940 much of the older institutional work of the Sisters was gradually given up because there were fewer Sisters and times were changing. This made them free to take on new ministries in parishes, a ministry of presence at conferences and conventions, in extending hospitality to guests and retreatants, and giving spiritual direction. 

​My idea for the title The Second Spring came when I was sitting in the convent cloister on one of my spring visits. I could see the Magnolia tree in full flower, and it occurred to me that every time the Community withdrew from a particular ministry, another one came to them. Just as the Magnolia tree comes into flower every springtime, so each new beginning was a Second Spring for the Sisters. And there have been many Second Springs, from the withdrawal from older, outdated work, right through to finding new ways to minister and keep in touch with Oblates, Associates, and friends, via Zoom, during a pandemic that might have spelled the end for the Community, did not because the Sisters' life is always undergirded by prayer, sacrament, and their vows.

A group of Sisters at the Convent in 1963.
L to R: Sr. Mary Joan, Sr. Agatha Louse, Sr. Ellen Juliana, Mother Margaret Helena, Sr. Waldine Lucia (CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE)

Sr. Elizabeth Anne with children at St. Christopher's House, Grace Church Van Vorst, Jersey City, 1972

It has been a joy and a privilege to research and write both books, and I hope you will enjoy them too. I have tried to include photographs spanning the 80 years covered by The Second Spring and you will see many whom you know and love, as well as earlier Sisters. Finally, I want to thank the Sisters for welcoming me and trusting me to write their story.”
​
Valerie Bonham,
Wells, UK 
​

SISTER JANE OLIVE, CSJB – Feb. 17, 1930 - May 17, 2022

Sister Jane Olive, CSJB (left) with Valerie Bonham in 2017

Sister Jane Olive at the Mother House in Windsor in the 1980s

On May 17, we received the sad news that our beloved Sister Jane Olive had died in England. She was 92 years old. She first joined the Community in 1959 and served CSJB faithfully for 63 years.  Sister spent the final years of her life at St. Mary’s Nursing Home at Chiswick, in London. The Sisters of St. Margaret took exceptionally good care of her, and she was very happy there.

Sister Jane Olive was Superior of CSJB from 1992-to 2004. When she first joined, the Mother House was still at the enormous Victorian convent on Hatch Lane in Windsor. She once reminisced to author Valerie Bonham that when she was a novice, she was reprimanded for not curtseying low enough to the Mother Superior.

Sr. Jane Olive saw the Community through the sale of the Hatch Lane Convent, moved with the Community to Begbroke Priory, and then to Ripon Theological College at Cuddesdon. She was a practical, brilliant woman with a wonderful sense of humor, and she was beloved by all.
 
We held a requiem mass for Sister Jane Olive on the day of her passing. We will miss her terribly until we see her again in glory.
​

THE GOOD SHEPHERD HOME IN CAMEROON

Ndomenga Dickson, who grew up at the Good Shepherd Home and is now an Accountant who helps run the Home, sent us the wonderful story of Akwa Gilbert Mua - one of the young men he grew up with under the watchful eye of “Mama Jane” Mankaa. 

Gilbert was the first orphan that Sister Jane Mankaa took in at the Good Shepherd Home. He is now a Seventh Year medical Student, and in June 2022 he will be a doctor with a degree in microbiology from the Catholic University of Bamenda.

Akwa Gilbert Mua with Daniella, one of the babies at the Good Shepherd Home, in 2013

Dickson says of his GSH brother: “It is a great pleasure for me to share his story with you and with the rest of the world. First, he came to the Good Shepherd home in Abangoh on April 12, 2003, as a young boy, who was 10 years old from the village after the passing to glory of his mother in early 2003. He did not get the chance to know his dad as he died before his mother. His mother was a housewife with no academic qualifications. Thanks to his uncle, a Monk at the Monastery, who brought him to the Good Shepherd Home.

GIlbert with a new mother at the Regional Hospital of Bamenda

Gilbert will be a doctor in June, 2022
​

Gilbert spends most of his time at the Regional Hospital Bamenda where he is working on his thesis: Adherence to Antiretroviral Medications and Factors Associated with Non-Adherence Among HIV Positive Patients Follow Up. He is also working to perfect his surgical skills.
 
At the moment, he is 29 years old and counting. He currently is still at the Good Shepherd Home and only goes from home here to the hospital. He has twin siblings who also live at the Home – Claude and Claudine Akwa.
 
We cannot end this story without saying thank you to our mothers, Rev. Sr. Jane Mankaa of Blessed Memory, mama Mary Lynne, Sr. Monica, Aunty Maureen, and the entire CSJB community.”
 
Ndomenga Dickson
The Good Shepherd Home
​

Gilbert’s training as a medical doctor has been successful thanks to the sponsorship of Dr. Albert and Joanne Waldman, their son Andrew Waldman, MD, and their family and friends. The Waldman Medical School Scholarship Trust now sponsors all the children at the Good Shepherd Home who aspire to be doctors.


If you are interested in becoming a Good Shepherd Home sponsor for $40.00 a month, please email 
gsh@csjb.org for more information

​or go to 
www.goodshepherdhome.org
to learn more​

ST. MARGUERITE’S RETREAT HOUSE

This was a wonderfully busy month at St. Marguerite’s Retreat House. The first weekend, we welcomed acclaimed poet Maria Gillan and her Poetry Intensive group. She co-hosted the event with fellow poet Kevin Carey.
 
From May 6-8 The Women of Worth group from Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in South River, NJ spent the weekend at St. Marguerite’s to participate in a retreat led by the Rev. Deacon Brigitte Pincelli. Members of the Benedictine Community, Order of the Ascension (OA), traveled from all over the country to spend a week in retreat at St. Marguerite’s in mid-May. 

​The vestry from St. George’s, Maplewood were at St. Marguerite’s for a retreat led by the Rev. Grant Mansfield on May 19, and then The Rev. Katharine Flexer and the women's group from NYC's landmark St. Michael's Episcopal Church spent their annual weekend retreat here May 20-22.
 
Quite a few of our regular retreat groups have been coming to our Retreat House for over 30 years. We are so grateful to all who have stuck with us, even through 19 months of temporary shutdown due to the pandemic. It is a joy and a blessing to see people enjoying the peace and beauty of St. Marguerite’s again. Thank you for staying with us!
 
CLICK HERE to stop by our St. Marguerite’s Retreat House Facebook page and give us a like!

Poet Maria Gillan (Front row, 4th from left) with the Poetry Intensive Weekend group in the solarium at St. Marguerite's

Order of Ascension members in the refectory at St. Marguerite's.

Deacon Brigitte Pincelli helping out with the jade plant in the solarium!

The vestry from St. George's, Maplewood

The women's group from St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Manhattan 
​

​COMMEMORATION DAY JUNE 25, 2022 10:00 AM

Have you registered for our Zoom Commemoration Day on June 25 at 10:00 AM? The preacher will be the Rt. Rev. Mary Glasspool, and we'll hear speeches from Oblates, Associates, and others. This is our annual event to show appreciation for all the Oblates, Associates, and friends who make our ministries possible. There will be time for socializing on Zoom after the 1-hour program. Many thanks to Jan Paxton and John Rollins for being our tech hosts!
​

CSJB Sisters Zooming on Commemoration Day in 2021

MARKET STREET MISSION
Community Support on National Day of Prayer at Market Street Mission in Morristown

Sister Victoria Michelle and CSJB Associate Julie Crawford participated in the 70th Annual National Day of Prayer hosted by Market Street Mission (MSM) of Morristown on May 5.   The National Day of Prayer is held annually on the first Thursday of May and was originally established by President Eisenhower. This year’s theme was “Exalt the Lord Who Has Established Us” and is based on Colossians 2:6-7:
 
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

Sister Victoria Michelle at the Market Street Mission May 5. Photo: Julie Crawford

Sister Victoria Michelle (L) and CSJB Associate Julie Crawford making balloon displays for the Day of Prayer

Sr Victoria and Julie spent the morning creating a red, white, and blue balloon display and a blue and yellow balloon display to acknowledge support for Ukraine. They attended the ceremony with over 100 participants on The Green in Morristown including Senator Anthony Bucco.  The ceremony included live music and eleven prayers by representatives from MSM, clients from MSM, and ecumenical leaders. MSM hosts this event annually and invites you to join their prayer team each year for a 10-day prayer series to lift up our neighbors and communities before the event.  This prayer series can be used year-round, and each of the 10 days includes a prayer and Bible verse for reflection.

You can view the following Proclamations, Prayer, and Ceremony Video:
The President of the United States 2022 Proclamation
The Governor of New Jersey 2022 Proclamation
National Day of Prayer 2022 Prayer
Video Market Street Mission National Day of Prayer Event on The Green
 
More information about Market Street Mission and opportunities to Volunteer at their Shelter, Food Pantry, or Thrift Shop or to add Support or Donations.  More information on NJ National Day of Prayer Task Force Teams
​

Participants in the National Day of Prayer on the Morristown Green. 
Photo: Bob Karp, Daily Record

PREPARING FOR ROGATION DAYS: 
GOOD NEWS GARDENS and COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
​By CSJB Associate Julie Crawford

Rogation Days are the three days before Ascension on which the litany is sung or recited in procession as an act of intercession. This celebration originated in the fifth century in Vienne, France when Bishop Mamertus introduced days of fasting and prayer to ward off a threatened disaster. In England, the Days became associated with the blessing of the fields at planting. The vicar "beat the bounds" of the parish, processing around the fields reciting psalms and the litany. In the United States, they have been associated with rural life and with agriculture and fishing. 

​The propers in the BCP (pp. 207-208, 258-259, 930) have widened their scope to include commerce and industry and the stewardship of creation. The BCP also permits their celebration at other times to accommodate different regional growing seasons. The Book of Occasional Services (BOS) contains material for a Rogation procession, including petitions to be added to the Great Litany and the prayers of the people. The term is from the Latin rogatio, “asking.”

​Sr Victoria Michelle continued her service this year at Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center by spending a day at their Good News Garden.  She worked on bed preparation by weeding and moving fresh compost to the beds which were established last year. She also planted a variety of tomatoes and seeds including beans, squashes, radishes, beets, and chard. She ended her work by providing two special prayers to start the season.

​Produce from the Cross Roads garden and The Garden of Hope is shared with food pantries throughout the region.  The gardens also serve as an educational center for Cross Road campers and Garden of Hope gardeners. Sister Linda Clare, Sister Pamela, and Staff Member Donna MacKenzie also assist by providing seedlings grown at the Community and by offering garden support during the season.

Sisters (L) show support alongside The Sharing Project at St Mark’s Annual Spring Event April 29, 2002
​

(L to R) Sr Deborah Francis, Sr Victoria Michelle, Sr Monica Clare promoting the NunBetter Shop at St Mark’s Spring Event
​

Sister Victoria Michelle reading a ‘Blessing for Harvest’ Prayer at Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center's Good News Garden

Sister Pamela with one of the Garden of Hope's new raised beds, constructed by the Eagle Scouts
​

The Sharing Project Ongoing Plant Sales Inventory featuring Sister Suzanne Elizabeth’s Bearded Irises

Renovation progress continues at the on-site Garden of Hope. Eagle Scout candidate Bret Kiefer's work team has constructed three new raised beds and completed the greenhouse.  The Community looks forward to the completion of his project. In addition, Sister Linda Clare met with Eagle Scout candidate David Braun to discuss ideas to address the garden's water supply by using gravity-fed irrigation as a possible option to help defer water costs. Members from the Church of Messiah have planted two beds and three raised trugs, and Sister Linda Clare has planted three beds and one raised trug.   We look forward to the participation of  St. Marguerite's Retreat House chef RJ Lewis who has adopted a bed to cultivate herbs for use in Retreat House meals.

The Garden of Hope behind. St. Marguerite's, with new greenhouse built by the Eagle Scouts.
​

SEPTIC PROJECT 

Many thanks to the generous donors who have given CSJB enough funds to begin the work of replacing our 114-year-old septic system!

​We are now only $60,000 short of our adjusted estimate, which had to be raised due to rising costs of parts and fuel during the pandemic, but we have enough for the work to start. The project has been plotted out by R&R Construction, the path of the system has been marked, and the heavy brush around the old septic area has been cleared out. 

Believe it or not, our 114-year-old system is partly made up of terra cotta pipes and structures.

We are extremely attached to the 100+-year-old heirloom trees on our property, so we worked with R&R to ensure that the least number of trees would need to be removed for the project. In the end, only one large tree had to be cut down – the large multi-trunked one that stood near the driveway next to the bell tower of the Main Chapel – but it was still difficult for us to watch it go. Two more small, less visible, trees will also be removed.

All Affordable Tree Service workers felling an enormous tree next to the Main Chapel to make way for the septic project.

The main part of the septic replacement will commence in early June. We give thanks for the miracle that our septic system has held out this long, and we look forward to a new system to serve the Convent, St. Marguerites, our guest cottage, and our Estate Manager’s house.

The tree service workers efficiently cleared out the area within a couple of hours.

​NEW YORK SERVICE & JUSTICE COLLABORATIVE

On May 19, Sister Monica Clare was a panelist at the annual New York Service and Justice Collaborative fundraiser at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City. Sister was one of six panelists who were invited to discuss the topic “A Balm for Our Time: In Search of Healing from Current Crises.” Other panelists included the Rev. Dr. Michael Battle (Director of the Desmond Tutu Center, General Theological Seminary,) ​The Rev. Anne Marie Witchger (Associate Rector, Chief of Staff, Church of the Heavenly Rest,) Ms. Emma Coles (NYSJC fellow,) and Ms. Angie Langdon (NYSJC fellow.) The panel was moderated by the Rev. Dr. Gawain de Leeuw, Vicar at Holy Trinity, Inwood. Sister Pamela, CSJB, also attended the event.

The New York Service & Justice Collaborative is a ministry of the Episcopal Service Corps in the Diocese of New York where young people live and work among communities experiencing deprivation and suffering injustice. To learn more, go to www.nysjc.org
​

Panelists at the NYSJC fundraiser in NYC May 19.

NYSJC Advisory Board Chair Paula Roberts speaking at the May 19 event.

SISTER LINDA CLARE AT CALVARY CHURCH
Flemington, NJ

The Rev. Ann Holt, CSJB Associate

In early May, Sr Linda Clare participated in a panel discussion about the Rule of Life for a religious. Joining in the discussion were three Dominican Sisters from Caldwell. Sister Linda Clare says: “We met at Calvary Episcopal Church in Flemington at the invitation of The Rev. Ann Holt, an associate of CSJB.

We considered what is the Rule of Life for our communities and how it affects our daily life. While our orders differed in many ways the common undergirding was the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

The Dominican Sisters – Alice, Eleanor, and Sue – were teachers or principals and their order’s mission took them away from the mother house most of the day. CSJB is a mixed community that prays the daily office and participates in individual ministries which may be at the convent or at outside venues.
​
Our audience was a women’s prayer group from Calvary Church led by Rev. Holt. They are a dedicated group of women who have been meeting for many years. Their questions covered mission, the call to the religious life, coming to the convent and living in community. The Sisters were honored to be invited to join them.“

SISTER VICTORIA MICHELLE LEADING BIBLE STUDY

The Rev. Margaret Otterburn, rector of the Church of the Messiah in Chester, has asked Sister Victoria Michelle to lead the parish Bible study group after Margaret's retirement in June.

Margaret says: “Sister Victoria Michelle has shown a deep knowledge of the Bible and willingness to reflect upon it and discuss it in the work she did as a student of Education for Ministry (EfM) at Messiah. She is graduating this June, having completed all 4 years of the EfM program. In awareness of this, I invited her to take over as the mentor of our weekly Bible study group at Messiah. Sister will lead the discussion based on the scripture being read. Currently, the group is in the middle of 2 Samuel, having read many other books, including most recently, 1 Samuel.

​I am so appreciative of her willingness to be the group mentor.  This Bible study group has been working together for a great many years, and since covid began has been successfully using the Free Conference Call.com system.
 
Thank you, Sister Victoria Michelle!”
The Rev. Margaret Otterburn

Sister Victoria Michelle loves studying the Bible, and has completed many Bible studies over the years.

The Rev. Margaret Otterburn celebrating mass at the Church of the Messiah on May 22. Margaret is a CSJB Associate and a good friend to us all.

​

CONFERENCE OF ANGLICAN RELIGIOUS ORDERS
​IN THE AMERICAS

From May 2 to May 6, Sister Monica Clare and Sister Pamela attended the Conference of Anglican Religious Orders in the Americas/National Association of Episcopal Christian Communities conference on Zoom. Over eighty representatives from traditional, vowed religious orders as well as dispersed Christian communities gathered for the annual business meetings and discussion of issues related to religious life.
 

One of the slides from Sr. Monica Clare's presentation on a toolkit for forming Beloved Community within CAROA

Some of the CAROA attendees on Zoom

Sister Monica Clare worked with The Rev. Masud Ibn Syedullah, TSSF, and Brother Reginald Crenshaw from the Order of the Holy Cross to present the second installment of “Repairing Our Vision” which seeks to address issues of race in order to successfully form the Beloved Community. Last year’s program brought awareness of racial bias to the attention of CAROA and NAECC members, and this year’s program checked in with communities about their inclusion efforts and provided an anti-racism toolkit to assist them in their ongoing work. CLICK HERE to see the book list from our CAROA toolkit.

CSJB SEARCHERS

Niambi Mercado

Diana Baudelaire

Two young women are coming to CSJB this summer for their official Vocational Visits.

Diana Baudelaire is from Snohomish, Washington and she first came to our Search Program in Feb. 2020. Our other Aspirant,

​Niambi Mercado, has been a friend of the Convent for several years. She currently lives in Pennsylvania, works as a parish administrator, and is a Third Order Franciscan. Both young women, and all our other Aspirants, appreciate your ongoing prayers as they discern their call to religious life. 

If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about the religious life, we encourage you to check out our Search Programs. These Zoom gatherings are held in February and August every year, and are not only for those discerning a call to be a Sister. They are for anyone who is discerning a call to any ministry or to a deeper connection with God.

If you'd like to learn more about the Search program, please contact our Novice Director Sister Pamela at:

973-543-4641 ext. 9 or email
​sr-pamela@csjb.org for more information.

​CSJB ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Did you know that the Community of St. John Baptist is on Facebook and Instagram? Please feel free to visit our social media accounts. The more visitors we get, the more we are visible to the wider public.

​Sister Monica Clare was recently featured in the New York Times as part of an article on Sisters who are using Tiktok – the video sharing platform – to spread the Gospel. CLICK HERE to read the article. Her social media presence is part of her work on the Communications Committee of the Conference on Anglican Religious Orders in the Americas. The committee's goal is to raise awareness that Episcopal Religious Orders exist since even most Episcopalians (and some Episcopal clergy!) are not aware of our existence.

​

Sister Monica, Photographed by Daniel Dorsa for the New York Times

ASSOCIATES AND OBLATES

Sister Eleanor Francis says “The last Oblates meeting of the year was held on May 14. We have had many discussions about how to hold meetings in these times. Since we now have Oblates living from coast to coast, some met on Zoom. Those who live close by were able to come to the convent cloister in person. The fall Associates’ retreat will be held on Saturday, October 22 at 10:00 am on Zoom. Fr. Jim Warnke will lead the retreat. Associates’ retreats are especially for CSJB Associates and those hoping to become Associates.” – Sr. Eleanor Francis

​

CSJB Associate Junia Nicolas

CSJB Oblates gathering on the cloister before the May 14 meeting. (L to R): Carolyn Dunham, John Van Dine, Carol Albert, Vanessa Foster.

​CSJB Associate Junia Nicolas was ordained as a minister in the Haitian Baptist Church on May 22. Congratulations, Junia, and blessings on your ministry!


Sister Eleanor Francis officiated at the interment of CSJB Associate Margaret Dohnalek’s mother, Elizabeth S. Halpin, in our Convent cemetery on May 6. A reception for the family was held afterward at St. Marguerite's Retreat House.

If you'd like to learn more about becoming an Associate or Oblate, please contact Sr. Eleanor Francis at sref@csjb.org.
 

ST. JOHN BAPTIST SCHOOL ALUMNAE

One of the alums posted a 1965 list of
​St. John Baptist School rules from 1965 on the SJBS Facebook page:

1. Uniforms must be clean, and blouses must be ironed. Socks or tights must be worn with shoes at all times.
   
   
2. Gym suits must be clean and ironed. Bloomers must be worn at all times. Socks must be white
   
   
3. The morning Gong rings at 6:15am. Breakfast is served promptly at 7AM
   
   
4. Every student must walk to the bottom of the hill and back after breakfast - rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
   
   
5. Your assigned 'work" must be completed to BoBo's satisfaction (Sr.Ora Mary) before classes start for the day.
   
   
6. No Smoking
   
   
7. Lights out at 9:45 PM (??) 10:00 for Seniors (???) You must be in your own room 15 minutes before lights out.
   
   
8. No food of any kind in your room.
   
   
9. Young men may visit on Sunday afternoons from 1PM until 3 PM. You may visit in the parlor or walk around the grounds.
   
   
10. You may use the laundry room on Friday after 5PM study hall or on Saturdays only.
    
    

If you're a St. John Baptist School alumna and you'd like to stay connected, join the Facebook Group for alums HERE.

​

St. John Baptist School faculty in 1965.

Boating on the pond at St. John Baptist School in the 1960s

Mail call at St. John Baptist School in 1965

SJBS Sophomores in 1965

BOOKS BY THE SISTERS

Sister Margo Elizabeth’s book Not Just an Ordinary Pony is now available from many booksellers online. The book tells the extraordinary story of Pony, who lived at the Convent for 27 years and gave spiritual comfort and strength to so many. If you have already purchased the book, we’d like to suggest it as a great gift item for your loved ones. All proceeds go directly to the many ministries of CSJB.

So many of you have told us you loved the book! Please get the word out.

You may purchase Not Just an Ordinary Pony at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and others.

​

Sister Eleanor Francis’ story of being a second-generation Holocaust survivor was officially released in Apri 2022 as part of a new book called From Generation to Generation: Essays by Children of Holocaust Survivors. 

The book was edited by Dr. Robert Ready and Dr. Ann I. Saltzman as part of the Drew University Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study. We will provide a link to the book on our CSJB home page and our CSJB Facebook page when it is available for sale.

Please email Sister Eleanor Francis at sref@csjb.org if you'd like more information.

​

LOOKING AHEAD

CENTERING PRAYER
​Every Thursday from 7:15 to 8:15
On Zoom
​
Our Centering Prayer group has been meeting for many years and it is one of our most popular ministries. 

Guests can gather on Zoom. Please email Sister Eleanor Francis at sref@csjb.org if you are interested in joining.

​

CLASS: THE JEWISHNESS OF JESUS
​Every Friday morning
​On Zoom
​
This class brings together participants from all faiths to discuss topics and materials related to Jesus' Jewish perspective. The current class reading is Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi
By: Amy-Jill Levine

If you'd like to participate, please email Sister Eleanor Francis at sref@csjb.org.

​

JOIN US FOR PRAYER ON ZOOM
Friday June 10
​10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Eastern time.
​ALL ARE WELCOME

Join us on the 2nd Friday of each month for informal intercessory prayers to give us strength and hope during these trying times.  We begin with a check-in time of 10:15am Eastern and praying starts at 10:30am. 
A special thanks to Interweave for the use of their online platform.

​

ONLINE COMMEMORATION DAY
Saturday, June 25 at 10:00 AM ON ZOOM
 Save the date! This year we're going to have the CSJB Commemoration Day online. We've set the date for June 25, 2021, at 10:00 AM. 

Our preacher will be the Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool, Bishop Assistant in the Diocese of New York. This will be a Service of the Word with several speakers, followed by a time for socializing on Zoom.

Many thanks to Jan Paxton and John Rollins for being our tech hosts for the event!

To register, email Sister Monica Clare at srmc@csjb.org

​

THE AUGUST SEARCH PROGRAM
August 15-20 on Zoom

Our SEARCH program is not only for those feeling called to be Sisters, but for anyone who is hoping to determine God's call in their lives, whatever that call may be.

The Summer SEARCH program takes place in August every year. The program lasts for six days, but you may attend for a portion of it if your work schedule does not allow you to attend all six days.

Our Zoom Search program includes classes in prayer, our history and ministries, and discussions with Sisters.
​
Please call Sister Pamela at:
973-543-4641 ext. 9 or email
​sr-pamela@csjb.org for more information.

CELTIC JOURNEYS
Due to the Corona Virus pandemic, many of our 2021 Celtic Journeys were canceled, but Please see our trips for 2022!
 
https://www.celticjourneys.org/copy-of-ireland 

​https://www.celticjourneys.org/cornwall
​
For more information, contact Sister Margo Elizabeth:
Phone: 973 543 4641 ext 4                      
Email: srmargo@gmail.com

​

LABYRINTH WALKS
Walk our labyrinth and learn about this ancient way of prayer.  

Our Labyrinth is  available for socially-distanced walks, with all participants wearing masks and keeping 6-foot distances between non-household/family members.

To schedule an individual or a group labyrinth walk, email Sister Monica Clare at srmc@csjb.org

PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR

All who have suffered from gun violence.
​
The people of Ukraine and Russia, and all people affected by military conflict.

For Sister Suzanne Elizabeth recovering from spinal surgery on May 23.

​For all victims of human trafficking.

All who are suffering from COVID, for all who have died from COVID, and for all who have lost loved ones to COVID.

For peace in the Middle East,

For all healthcare workers and other essential workers,
​
For our Searchers who are discerning a call to the Religious life,       

Pink dogwood tree outside the refectory. Photo by Sister Margo Elizabeth

Andy
Annette
Anthony
Aurora
Autumn
Barbara
Bill and Carol
Carolyn
Chase
Cheryl
Chris
The Clewer Initiative
Sam and her children
Claire
Daniel
Dean
Diane
​Donna
Doug
Ellen
​Elsie
Erin
The Flood family
Greg and Pat
Gretchen
Heather
Honor
Hugh
India
Ingrid
Jack Grier's family
James
Janet

J​arad and Monica
Maria
Marne
Matthew
Maureen and DonaldJason
Jay
Jean
Jeanette
Jeff and his children
Jennifer
Jess
Jessica and Brendan
Jim
Joanna
Joseph
John
John and Family
Jon
Joyce
Judith
Juli and family
Julian
Kamala
Kathleen
Kia
Lana
Larry and his daughter
Lee
Linda and Paul
Linda Lee
Lisa
Margaret
Margaret and family

Maureen
​McGrath family
Meg
Michael
Michelle
Myles
Myram
Nicole
Nikki
Norman
Pat and Ellie
Patrick
Patty
Phoebe
Rayvon and Beth
Rebecca and her family
River
Rob
Salma
Sarah
Shane
Sheila
Sister Barbara Jean
Stephanie
Sully
Susan and family
Suzanne
Tiffany
Tommy
The Trout Family
The Van Dine Family
Virginia
Warren

We pray especially for the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed.

​OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO

Jennie and Sister Laura Katharine in the library

All who have given so generously to our ministries.

All who sent donations, gifts, and cards to CSJB for Christmas.
​
All who have contributed to the children of the Good Shepherd Home,

All who have contributed time, talent, and donations to help reopen our retreat house.
 
Our many helpers, volunteers, and those who encourage us

Magdalena Aders
Peter J. Arney and George W. Jordan III
​Kathleen Shea Aregood
Donna Aubel
Barbara Barbeau
MaryJane Boland
Joe Boney
Christine Brodeur
Chris Chrystal and Myram Borders
Julie Crawford
Rosemary DaCuna
Hans Dekker and the Hyde and Watson Foundation
Rosina B. Dixon
Margaret Dohnalek
Mary Donovan
Gerrie Dressler
Lorraine Emanuel
Kay & Frank Failla
Joanne Foster
Susan Fuller and family
Mayor Christine Glassner
Bill and Gay Grier
The Rev. Deacon Cathy Brunson
In memorium, Elizabeth S. Halpin

Jane Hayden
​Margaret Johnson
Bradley Kalos
Judi Kerr
The Very Rev. H. Scott Kirby and family
Linda Lee Mundy
Janet Maulbeck and Interweave
Patrice and Doug McKenzie
Jane and Peter Mercer
Connie Moore
Mayor Sarah Neibart
Bart Oates
Jan Paxton
Judy Picciano
Susan and Joseph Pigott
J. Vincent Reppert
Jack and Penny Rohrbach
Michael Reiter
Ed Roworth
Anne Salvatore and family
Juli Towell
​Nick Vytell
Alix Weisz
Joannah Wilmerding

The DCLM Fund
The S.A.D. Foundation
The Community of the Transfiguration
The Rt. Rev. Carlye J. Hughes
​The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin
The Rt. Rev. Mary Glasspool
The Rev. Kevin Coffey
The Rev. Cynthia L. Black, DD, and the people of the Church of the Redeemer
The Rev. John A. Rollins
The Rev. Lorna Erixson and the people of St. Mark's Mendham
The Rev. Margaret Otterburn and the people of the Church of the Messiah
The Rev. Victoria McGrath and the people of All Saints Millington
The Rev. Anne C. Thatcher and the people of St. Peters Morristown​
​

TO SUPPORT OUR GENERAL FUND

Because the pandemic suspended our ministry of hospitality for 19 months we, like many nonprofits, are having a very difficult time covering our monthly operating costs.
 
If you'd like to help us continue our ministries, please consider making a gift to our general fund through our online Paypal portal:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/CommunityofStJohnBap

We thank all our generous friends, Associates, Oblates, and benefactors who generously give to CSJB to keep Mother Harriet Monsell's dreams alive.

Jennie on the cloister

​YOUR LEGACY FOR CSJB

The Convent was restored in 1960 by a legacy gift.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO INCLUDE CSJB IN YOUR ESTATE PLANNING?
If you’d like information on how to arrange a legacy gift, please email Sister Monica Clare at srmc@csjb.org or call 973-543-4641 ext. 2.
 
The majority of our buildings, chapel furnishings, Convent and Retreat House furnishings, and ongoing ministry funds were made possible through legacies. It is mainly through the kindness of legacy donors who believed in our mission that we have carried forward the plans of the Holy Spirit for our Community from 1852 to the present time.
​
The restoration of the Convent in 1960 was made possible by a legacy gift. Before that gift, the Sisters lived at St. Marguerite's for ten years because the Convent repairs were too expensive to undertake.

​Many thanks to all the kind people who have expressed interest in being CSJB Legacy donors. Our promise to you is that your legacy will continue God's work.
​​