Missionary work takes sisters to numerous places around the world
Thursday, October 13, 2011
3:13 PM
When World Mission Sunday arrives later this month, it will find many religious sisters who call the Diocese of Sioux Falls home in far off places helping serve and minister to people from Africa and Central America among others.
In Kalomo, Zambia on the African continent, Presentation Sister Deb Nelson from Aberdeen is working with two other Presentation Sisters from Ireland and Zambia.
Sister Deb arrived in Zambia a year and a half ago.
Her missionary work centers on educating the people as the most effective way to attack the root causes of poverty in under-developed countries such as Zambia.
"Schools in Zambia often lack basic supplies such as pens, paper, and books," said Sister Deb.
Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world. The western province of Zambia is located on the edge of the Kalahari Desert where few have jobs and because of the sandy soil and limited water supply, it is difficult for people to produce an adequate harvest.
It is also the part of Africa that has the world’s highest rate of HIV/AIDS.
The sisters work to provide educational opportunities and they hope to give the Zambian people they work with the opportunity to reach their full potential, lead better lives and inspire future generations.
The Presentations Sisters also offer youth and adults spiritual, educational and life skill building opportunities.
Sister Deb and the others mentor, tutor, and provide resources as they work to make the most of the education system in Zambia.
Sister Deb's ministry focuses on youth and young adults as she offers a Christian Life Training course, which brings practical life skills for African young people. She meets with the parish youth executive committee in planning the youth programming.
She also began a youth mentoring program assisting sponsored orphans with their learning process.
Also doing missionary work in Zambia is Presentation Sister Virgnia McCall.
The primary purpose of Sister Virginia's ministry is to empower clients of Regina House Home Based Care (HBC), a faith-based organization under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Mongu in Zambia, Africa.
The clients are victims of HIV/AIDS. They learn and put into practice activities that will produce a more abundant and higher quality harvest and to initiate additional ways of generating income for them.
"The Kaoma Sustainability Project was originally developed and continues to build on the expressed need of the people in the area namely, hunger," said Sister Virginia. "Working with the most vulnerable people in the area, these projects help to alleviate the root causes of poverty by teaching people to help themselves through various forms of education."
The effort includes a farming project where participants learn basic conservation farming methods, a fishing project since fish is one of the primary foods in Zambia, a sewing project offering training for women to learn to be tailors, a skill that will last a lifetime and a donor funded loan fund project where $100 loans are made to groups of women who want to start a small business.
Zambia is in south central Africa and not immediately impacted by the deadly ongoing drought in east Africa but Catholic missionaries and aid organizations like Catholic Relief Services is ministering to and aiding those affected by the drought.
Bishop Paul J. Swain has authorized parishes in the diocese to take up a second collection to help African drought victims through Catholic Relief Services.
Madeleine Philbin of CRS' midwest office called what is happening in the horn of Africa "catastrophic" and "heartbreaking."
CRS has served in east Africa for years and has worked to try to anticipate catastrophic doughts and that experience has made a difference.
CRS' recent primary efforts have focused on watershed management in Somalia and Kenya.
While efforts are being made in Africa, the Presentation Sisters also have an ongoing effort in Guatemala, Central America where Presentation Sister Elizabeth Remily from Aberdeen and Sister Joanna Bruno, from San Francisco staff a medical clinic near San Marcos, Guatemala.
The primary purpose of the clinic ministry is to provide affordable primary health care to the 68,000 Mayan-Mam speakers who inhabit the 77 villages dotted across the mountainous region.
Secondly, the sisters work to educate native staff in various skills of the clinic and entrust the administration and direction of the clinic to professional nursing Religious Sisters from Guatemala.
World Mission Sunday is October 23.
World Mission Sunday funds and helps the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and while the sisters mission work is separate from that effort, you can help by supporting the sisters through their community in Aberdeen or by contacting Father Jerome Ranek, mission director for the Diocese of Sioux Falls at P.O. Box 158, Alexandria, SD 57311.
Bishop Swain shares time with Holy Trinity students in Huron
Thursday, October 13, 2011
3:04 PM
Bishop Paul J. Swain recently visited Holy Trinity School, Huron to celebrate Mass with the students and teachers and to bless the new 6th grade class.
Pictured are (left to right): Cory Eggleston, Sam Gilbert, Max Mitchell, Bishop Swain, George Mitchell and teacher Miss Nikki Carr.
Altar servers share time at annual retreat
Thursday, October 13, 2011
3:02 PM
The altar servers of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Sioux Falls, recently had their annual retreat.
The parish has 32 altar servers ranging in age from 7 to 17.
Twenty-two altar servers were able to attend to learn about the meaning of being an altar server and the importance and beauty of serving God on the altar.
Diocese hosts regional meeting of Equestian Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
8:50 AM
The Diocese of Sioux Falls recently hosted the annual meeting of the Northern Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Pictured are His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Dr. Samir and Mary Abu-Ghazaleh, members of EOHS, during the investiture Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph.
The Equestrian Order dates to the year 1099, with the local diocesan chapter beginning in 2001.
The Order’s primary role is to support the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and assist in maintaining Christianity in the Holy Land.
The Northern Lieutenancy consists of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
More than 500 people attended including archbishops, bishops and clergy from the eight state area who are members.
Good Shepherd Center ready for annual fundraiser
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
8:45 AM
The Good Shepherd Ministry Center will hold its annual fundraiser Tuesday, October 18.
The non-profit, ecumenical ministry will be serving breakfast this year as the fundraising event which will be held at Avera Prairie Center, located at 1000 East 23rd Street, Sioux Falls.
The Good Shepherd Center is an ecumenical ministry that provides daytime shelter and services for people who are homeless, poor or newly arrived in the community.
The center’s mission is “to welcome all people in need to a caring and supportive Christian environment created to encourage and empower people to live with dignity and achieve self-sufficiency.”
“For many, these services make the difference to getting a new start and rebirth in confidence and hope that leads to a happy ending,” said Good Shepherd Center executive director Maria Krell.
In the past year, Good Shepherd Center recorded a total of 40,000 guest visits that included men, women and children.
“Our guests come to us to find a place to shower, do laundry and use our phone to search for jobs and housing,” said Krell. “Adults find respect and dignity, and kids spend precious moments just being kids.”
The event is critical to the ongoing services provided by the center because it is the major source of funds for operations.
The fundraiser breakfast is open to the public.
Additional information is available and tickets can be purchased by calling 332-3176.
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