Each month, School Sisters around the globe gather in local groups to pray and take action on the most pressing social justice and peace issues. This SSND international network for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation is called Shalom. Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace and implies “restoring all things to their right order or original integrity.”
At Villa Assumpta, a Shalom Center in Baltimore, sisters gather the last Thursday of each month for Solidarity Day. Sister Mary Frances Angermaier explains, “This is one way we can stand in solidarity with people who are materially poor. We meet at the end of the month, because that is a time when many people in Baltimore lack sufficient money to make ends meet – they run out of money by this time.“ The gathering begins with a prayer or presentation to raise awareness on a particular justice or solidarity issue. Each of the seven communities in Villa Assumpta takes a turn preparing and coordinating the monthly gatherings, based on a theme and prayer service shared by the SSND International Shalom office at the Generalate in Rome.
In the past year, the sisters at Villa Assumpta have taken action on a number of issues by learning about and supporting the efforts of non-profit organizations at work in Baltimore and beyond. Sister Margaret Juskelis from Mother Seton Academy, an SSND co-sponsored ministry, spoke about the work taking place at the middle school for and by students from urban, low-income families and of all faiths and cultures. A husband and wife team talked to the sisters about the non-profit organization they started to provide a backpack of food at the end of each week, sufficient for a family of three, to school students in Baltimore City who would otherwise have little to no food over the weekends. Other topics addressed include recycling and water conservation; human trafficking; immigration; and work in Haiti and Puerto Rico.
Following the presentations, sisters share a simple meal of soup and bread in solidarity with those most vulnerable. They also take up a collection, contributing on average $300 to the local organization or cause they discussed. To help in the recovery from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, sisters contributed over a $1000 to be used in the most remote areas of the island.
Sister Mary Frances described the focus of the June meeting her community coordinated for World Environment Day. A donation was collected to purchase a redbud tree that will be planted at Notch Cliff cemetery. The redbud tree, a gift from the sisters of Villa Assumpta and Maria Healthcare Center, will go in later this month or in early October. The remaining funds were donated to A.W.E. (Asylee Women Enterprises), which provides support to asylum-seekers in the Baltimore area.
Like much of the transformative work of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Mary Frances said of Solidarity Day, “It’s very low-profile. All sisters are called to celebrate Solidarity Day.” When asked to talk about the impact their contributions have had, she went on to say, “We’ve retired six times and are still not retired. It’s a good life and good to still be able to keep going. We anticipate many more meaningful ways to help those who are suffering from poverty.”
More than 2,500 sisters, associates, and friends of SSND across five continents make up the Shalom Network and take action each month to support justice and peace efforts in their communities.
