Serving the worldGod loves

Jesus said:“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

A Narrative Budget for The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, 2013

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The Sisterhood

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

“Transformation essentially denotes change, permanent change and change that endures. It is in our ability to change continuously that we grow and flourish . . . . Change keeps us supple, fluid, and open to the new. . . .”

– Diarmuid O’Murchu, p. 91, Adult Faith

It has been through this journey into the deep solitude and silence

of the monastic life that I have been able to find the confidence to stand – not trembling or afraid, but peacefully – before God, naked and unadorned. And now I understand that this is all I can, and need, to offer in order to receive this sac-ramental gift of his love with deep gratitude and adoration. As I now journey back out into the world, I carry with me forever the words of the Eucharist dismissal, “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord!” Amen!

– Susan MurphyAlongsider (2011-2012)

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Prayer, Worship, Music

Resources required to sustain and grow this ministry: $106,000

“The real quest... is to learn to pray our lives. It’s to practice the pres-ence of God in every moment, every place that we move, every person whom we touch, every word that we speak or hear.” (Br. Curtis Almquist, SSJE) Through my oblation to the Sisterhood, I learn, follow, and am loved into the trans-formation of my life: from a life with prayer into a prayed life.

“My stay at the Convent ...was grace-filled. . . .Silence is so healing . . . it cushioned the effect of the harsh reality of what I was there to contend with.”

– a visitor

– Julie Poskitt (Oblate)

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Guest House

Resources required to sustain and grow this ministry: $317,700

“The monastery is that model of a place where the doors are always open, the environment is always gentle, the rhythm is always ordered, and God is always the center of life.”

– Joan Chittister, p. 164, The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages

“Thank you for shar-ing your sacred space, your warm hospital-ity and your quiet presence. My soul is uplifted in this place of beauty and tranquil-lity.”

– Gratefully, a guest

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Outreach

Resources required to sustain and grow this ministry: $132,600

“Like Christ we are to be words of God; we are to be the signs of his presence in the world; we are to wit-ness through joy to his transforming pres-ence.” – Monty Williams, p.19 Stepping into Mystery

“Nothing is outside the redemptive care and transforming love of God.”

– Walter Wink, p. 33 The Powers that Be

“From this truly amazing and transforming ex-perience [Women at a Crossroads], my spiritual journey took a totally new path which led me to become an SSJD Oblate, a vocation within the monastic life. And I know, for the first time in my life, that I am exactly on the path God wants me to be on.”

– Sandy Austin,An Oblate

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Pastoral & Spiritual

Resources required to sustain and grow this ministry: $98,600

“The compassionate person identi-fies with the suffering of others in such a way that she or he makes a space within the heart to allow the suffering of another to enter, not to heal them or remove their pain but to be with them in solidarity.”

— Ilia Delio, OSF, p. 47Compassion: living in the

Spirit of St. Francis

“I am very thankful that our paths have crossed; I have learned a lot from you; I am a better human be-ing for having spent the time with you.”

— Staff member, SJRH

“Thank you . . . for the pastoral care in the Rehab hospital. I am deeply grateful and I appreciate all you did to minister to me.

– A patient

“Being nurtured and challenged by you is helping me grow spiritu-ally and as a whole person, which seems even more important in the second half of life than in the first half.”

– a Directee

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Education

Resources required to sustain and grow this ministry: $114,200

“All transformation is linguistic. We need to focus on possibility, gener-osity and restoration not on prob-lems & fears. How will the world be different as a result of what I do today?”

– Peter Block, p. 31,Community

“Through workshops and retreats St. John’s Convent creates a safe environment that allows participants to fully explore (spiritually) informa-tion, concepts and ideas.

– a retreatant

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Community Life

Resources required to sustain and grow this ministry: $715,600

“Benedictine spirituality is about caring for the people you live with and loving the people you don’t and loving God more than yourself. Benedictine spirituality depends on listening for the voice of God everywhere in life, especially in one another and here.”

– Joan Chittister, p. 178,The Rule of Benedict:

Insights for the Ages

The Sovereignty of Jesus is very dif-ferent from that of a king or emper-or. Jesus’ Kingdom “is a transform-ing spiritual experience of living in a community of love and justice.”

– Bill Whitla The goal of life . . . is not to become something we’re not – divine – but to become what we truly are – human.”

– Walter Wink, p. 29, Community

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Stewardship of Resources

Resources required to sustain and grow this ministry: $178,300

Every conscious act that gives witness to new possibilities and

great awareness contributes to the transformation of the whole. There is no insignificant thought, word, or action. Each act of courage and strength shifts the energy and increases the potential for others to become aware, too. No matter what we do, we are always affecting the energy around us, in either a nega-tive or positive way. Why should we not then become aware of our power and choose consciously rather than unconsciously how we will shape our world.

– Judy Cannato, p. 6, Field of Compassion

I love coming here into a healing atmosphere, and I love the services; I find it an important part of my life.

– a Volunteer

The atmosphere is quiet, prayerful, restful, safe, friendly, an oasis in the midst of confusion and stress.

– a Volunteer

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Investment in ministriesThe cost

“There’s a difference between change and transformation. Change hap-pens when something old dies and something new begins. Transformation happens when we personally change in the process of outer change.”

– Richard Rohr p. 273, On the Threshold of Transformation

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The call to support

“The place God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s hunger meet.”

– Frederick Buechner

Jesus said: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

(John 10:10)

Thank you for the generosity of you, our donors, in 2012! It was a year of extraordinary

building and upgrade expenses for the Guest House, as well as other areas of the Convent You will no-tice that our annual expense budget is allocated to seven ministry areas. It includes all operating expenses as well as salaries for our paid employ-ees.

Including the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine in your charitable giving is a wonderful way to link your life with our ministry and mission. To meet our budget in recent years, we have had to take more from our Founders Fund than it earns. This is partly the result of increased expenses and an unfavourable investment environment. We are therefore in the dangerous position of drawing down a Fund that rep-resents faithful bequests and dona-tions of many generations. For a sustainable future, we need to keep our donations healthy and reduce our dependence on our Founders Fund.

We estimate investment income from our Founders Fund, without relying on gains on the capital, will be $325,000. We therefore have a gap of about $100,000 – a chal-lenge if we are to go forward into a sustainable future. We need your help to close the GAP between the donations we receive from our stable and generous donor-base, and the donations we need to meet our goals and carry out our minis-tries without relying too heavily on our Founders Fund.

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Fundraising DirectorThe Sisterhood of

St. John the Divine233 Cummer Avenue

Toronto, ON M2M 2E8416-226-2201, ext. 303

Fax: 416-222-4442fundraisingdir@ssjd

If you would like to make a donation, please contact the