Seeds of Hope Women of Solidarity, Celebration and Service

Newsletter/Autumn 2018

Autumn greetings from Seeds of Hope!

The season of harvest and thanksgiving is an ideal time to reflect on the

process of growth and abundance which has characterized our Seeds of

Hope journey in recent times. In this edition of our newsletter we are

eager to share a variety of experiences which have marked our life

together as an intentional community committed to solidarity and justice.

In particular, we will be highlighting how nurturing the seeds of our identity

over time has brought forth a deeper communal vision and fruitfulness of

mission.

As women committed to deep listening, we seek out and draw inspiration

from spaces of spiritual exploration and awakening. During one of our

annual retreats we received the instructions: “Allow yourself to be fully

released from the old way of doing things and bask in the energy of self-

renewal. Believe colourful new beginnings want to emerge for you”. The

time spent with this wonderful invitation

elicited artful surprises of divine energy

which we include here.

Most recently, we have been harvesting

the fruits of a long time friendship with

Hearts-Links which has evolved into a

dynamic relationship of collaboration.

Through this collaboration we have

been able to continue supporting

women in their desire to have an encounter of solidarity with the people of

Peru through the establishment of a bursary for the Heart Links’ Solidarity

Trip and by facilitating a retreat experience for their participants. Finally,

as we celebrate with grateful hearts the new moments of our unfolding

journey and “with our feet firmly planted in the soil of so many hearts both

near and far” we leave you with some member updates and snapshots

from the Seeds’ photo album. ¡Qué viva el Perú! ¡Qué viva el Canadá!

May the Spirit of solidarity be upon us all.

Vision and Mission

We are women who

express passion for

justice in many ways in

our world.

We are women who

nurture and support

one another’s hopes

and dreams through

gatherings of deep

listening.

We are women who

encourage the work and

aspirations of our sister

communities in Canada

and Peru.

We are women who

value connection,

solidarity and the

importance of face-to-

face dialogue.

We are women who

celebrate each person’s

uniqueness and how

that informs what each

does.

We are women daring to

reach out with our gifts

in the world.

We are women who

create reflective space.

Supported by:

Ursuline Sisters of

Chatham

Living our Spirituality ~ The members of Seeds of Hope community hold as a sacred gift our

yearly retreats. During recent times we have used artistic expressions to delve into the Divine in our lives. These spaces allow us to articulate a deeper understanding of our identity as has been expressed by Dianna Hardy in her poem Seeds of Hope:

Daring to reach out with our gifts To heal a wounded world There lies a seed of hope inside my heart Held safely deep within

~ it holds the dreams of who I am

And cradles the beginnings of rebirth.

Waiting… in protection of the darkness,

Anticipating the blossoming

~ a time when sacred restlessness,

dares to push through

that which holds the future to make itself manifest.

We are seeds, planted into the world

to gift humankind’s journey throughout time

with the singular beauty

each is meant to offer,

while nurtured in the loving presence

and care of those around.

We hold one another

In the sacred time and space we’re borne into

Drawing sustenance from a ground, that’s fertile

with admiration and respect.

And then graced with new courage, we share our uniqueness

to be in the world... a seed of hope. … We are seeds, planted into the world to gift humankind’s journey throughout time with the singular beauty each is meant to offer, Daring to reach out with our gifts and to BE in the world…. A seed of hope. To Be in the world... a seed of hope.

Seeds of Hope

Growing Together in Solidarity

Preparing for the Journey

In early May, the Seeds of Hope community and the women planning to go to Peru with

Heart-Links met at Brescia University College for a day of retreat in preparation for their

visit. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. We entered into a meditative reflection and

sharing regarding ‘Mutuality as the Key to Solidarity’ which led to much interaction. We had a

delicious lunch together after which we were free to wander outside and think on what we

had heard. After our check out and closing prayer we concluded with a blessing upon the

program participants as they looked forward to the experience in Peru.

Highlights from the Participant trip of 2018

“My time in Peru was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. For someone who’s only beginning to explore the world, and has lived a life of privilege, it was truly eye-opening. The people in Peru are generous, vibrant and passionate. I was honored to learn about their culture, food, traditions and programs from the people who are doing that work every day. In many ways, it felt like home. The way that people live, the choices they make and how they build their lives is so relatable. In another world, I can see making the same choices, living the same lives. It was so powerful to realize that we are all one people, and that only oppression sets us apart. Everyone I met in Peru was kind and open. When I struggled with sickness, I was offered fresh Anise tea, homemade soup and Cocao sugar. When I was cold, I was given a winter coat and hat to wear. When I needed time to myself to rest and recuperate, I was given it without judgement. They were so proud to show the work they had been doing in their communities, and I understand why. It’s important work, and the people who are doing it are strong leaders in their community. I can’t wait to go back and learn more in the coming years.”

“The Solidarity Trip to Peru was a

nourishing experience for my soul.

The opportunity to get to know in

person the different Heart-Links’

projects, interact and share

experiences with the communities,

their people and hard workers has

shown me what human beings can

do in community and their great

creativity. Their passion and effort

to improve their communities even

in adversity is a clear example of

resiliency.

The interaction with our Peruvian

and Canadian friends through this

Solidarity Trip reminds both nations that we share this world together and we have brothers

and sisters in other parts who care and are willing to put their shoulders together to support

each other and celebrate their achievements in time. I want to express my gratitude to Heart-

Links and Seeds of Hope for this wonderful experience.”

Member News… What have we been harvesting lately?

While the communal experience within Seeds of Hope over the years has been fluid and ever changing, what does remain constant is the faithful participation of a core group of lay women Sheila Horrell, Dianna Hardy, Lina Bowden, Paula Papel along with Ursuline sisters Pauline Maheux, May O’Hanlon, Noreen Allossery-Walsh. In recent times, our members have been active bringing to life their dreams in a variety of ways. In 2008/2009 I was excited to go to Peru with Seeds of Hope and was accompanied by the

women of the Lay Community. Over the next 12 years (except for the year of the last El Nino event), I have had the privilege of bringing groups of Canadians down to Chiclayo, the Zana Valley and Cajamarca to introduce them to friends who are partners in the work of Heart-Links. The Canadians have little idea of the complexities of life in such poverty, but are always amazed by the resilience and courage, intelligence and persistence of the Peruvians – especially the women! It's a real eye opener for many of them and they return to Canada with a much better understanding of their part in making the world a more just place for all.

I am always amazed by the deep sense of community that imbues life in Peru. This sense of community has led many of our partners to delve deeper into the sources of the problems and engage the leaders – municipal, district and federal – in being a part of the solution. One of the other things that always inspires me is the depth of the rituals these women use to begin their work – whether it is personal gatherings or conferences for others. It reminds me that all work is work of the spirit, and unless we engage that aspect of ourselves, we miss the point of our connections. Seeing this happen, especially with the Leadership School, is evidence of the strength of leading from the heart, a new way of influencing the minds and hearts of the community. As facilitator, I witness the connections that are made and see the mutuality that helps bring our world together. It is a privilege. (Sheila Horrell)

On June 9, I attended Convocation at Athabasca University in Alberta to graduate with my Bachelor of General Studies, Arts and Sciences designation. I enrolled at Athabasca late in 2007 and chose to study part time for my degree through a decade of change. In 2007, I sold my home in an effort to become more mobile for a job search and began studying for a degree in hopes of improving employment prospects. Studying part time allowed me to continue in a job search, take a year to train for a second career (Conestoga College for Career Development Practitioner Certificate-2012), work part time and finally full time in my new chosen career. Through that

time, my studies flowed from a linguistic and cultural anthropology focus to psychology. Being able to attend university and graduating with a Bachelor degree has been a life long goal and I feel excited and accomplished for having persisted through some challenging times and into a new direction. The journey has been interesting and extremely worthwhile and I am grateful to Seeds of Hope for their encouragement and friendship all along the way. (Dianna Hardy)

Through a partnership with Heart Links, our family foundation,

Cambia, has been supporting a two year project to help build the

future leaders for Centre St. Angela and the district of Jose Leonardo

Ortiz. During my visit to Chiclayo in the fall of 2016, the leadership

team at the Centre identified the development of leaders as an

important need for the future of the Centre. There are so many youth

leaders who have been involved.

This project allows the leadership team time and resources to

develop formalized training modules that give these youth the skills

needed to be the future leaders of the Centre or within the community. (Lina Bowden)

Along life's path appear certain interstitial moments where we

find ourselves living tentatively -- fluidly organic spaces between

what has already been solidly accomplished and that which is

still beckoning to us from the horizon, with sombre trepidation or

scintillating with promise, for the journey yet to be travelled.

My son's departure to university this autumn (striking out on his

own burgeoning life path) has been the catalyst for my own

interstitial times --shoving me squarely along that very bumpy

transition road. At heart (and mind also), the challenge for me is

no longer where I need to lead my son, rather where I need to lead myself.

Such transitions are nothing if not challenging; however, within these fluctuating spaces

reside definitive sparks of hope: Hope for further career prospects with the help of project

management courses I am taking. Hope for a successful hand-over of the Cinema Politica

project (which Seeds of Hope supported over the last few years) in order to pass the torch on

to the next awareness-building, consciousness-raising community-minded

organization. Hope for more soul-filling, vibrantly-voiced "choral" spaces and those

intentionally diversified opportunities for connecting with others, personably, living in that very

moment...

As Emily Dickinson so vividly wrote: "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul,

and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all." So as we experience these

interstitial moments at different points in our lives, may these transition times be ever life-

giving and hope-filled for us all. (Paula Papel)

As the future unfolds and with our feet firmly planted in the soil of so many

hearts both near and far…we journey on with justice and solidarity.

Rich harvest blessings to all!

SEEDS of HOPE welcomes and is open

to new members. Donations to support

cross cultural experiences in Peru for

Canadian women can be sent c/o:

Chatham Ursuline Charities

Villa Angela, 20 Merici Way, Chatham, Ontario, N7L 3L8 For more information:

ursulinesisterschatham@ursulines.org