Gathering the Daughters:
Becoming the Compassion
of God.
April 26-29, 2007

If you heard that the earth shook near Nazareth, Kentucky between April 26-29, be assured that it wasn't an earthquake of the usual kind. Instead, what had Kentucky rocking was the energy of nearly 50 candidates, novices, initially and recently perpetually professed Sisters of St. Joseph in the Federation and nearly 50 of their directors, the event planners and staff! The Daughters gathered at Catherine Spaulding Conference Center for this four day event. Candidates met one another in a special session beginning at 3:30 on Thursday. Directors met with one another on Sunday, April 30 from 9AM until 4 PM.

Why do we gather? This event marks the third time newer members in the Federation have gathered together as Daughters of Joseph. In coming together, these women are given the opportunity to experience themselves as a critical mass and to give voice to the issues, passions, hopes and dreams that they are birthing as new women religious. As they hear one another into voice, shared insights and ideas emerge to help shape religious life in the twenty-first century.

What did we talk about? The focus for this gathering was "Becoming the Compassion of God." Jane Morrissey, SSJ (Springfield) built upon Dr. Alfredo Sfeir-Younis' presentation last summer at Federation Event 2006, when we were challenged to consider what it would take to form a Global Society and to become Global Beings. Jane, a poet and a storyteller, explored with us (and embodied for us) ways we can put flesh to Alfredo's challenges through developing:

• personal compassion (How am I living in a way that brings compassion to the world? How do I embody the Beatitudes?)
• communal compassion (How do we leave behind our broken-cloister roots to collectively carry active, inclusive love into the Global Neighborhood)
• a communion of compassion (how do we empty ourselves enough to partner/network/create/birth compassion in new ways, such as through world centers/cities of compassion)

Throughout the gathering, each represented group met with their peers to discuss and process what we were hearing. We met together in the larger assembly to listen to what one another was thinking/feeling and to explore what that meant for the mission. Over the weekend, there was a balance of presentation, reflection, conversation, ritual, and time together for fun!

Where do we go from here? Our time together was rich! Our personal and communal reflection invited us to look at both our gifts and our growing edges of compassion. As we prepared to leave one another, we were more deeply aware of the value of developing and offering our authentic presence to the other without judgment, assumptions, or expectations. Nourished by Jane and by one another, we hope to integrate and implement all that we learned so that we might become Global Women of Action, offering a new depth of compassion and renewed zeal for serving God and the dear neighbor throughout the Global Neighborhood!

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