Community Days 2008

Hearts on Fire with Hope
Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great
Celebrate Independence Day and Community Days

The 4th of July is a holiday that holds a special place in the history of our country, a day during which we pay tribute to the men and women who, hearts on fire with hope, bravely faced the might of an empire and were willing to sacrifice their lives to ensures that others might enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in a sovereign state. For the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great, this year's 4th of July festivities combined a tradition celebration with a weekend of reflection, prayer, and discussion on important issues. Like the colonists, who gathered in Philadelphia to draft and sign a document that would forever change the world, the Sisters of Jesus, Lover of Humanity Province gathered in their Motherhouse to address issues and strategies that, with God’s grace, will change their community and the global community for the better. Fittingly, the theme the Sisters selected for their Community Days was Hearts on Fire with Hope.

Community Days opened on July 2, with Matins and Divine Liturgy. After a formal welcome by Sister Laura Palka, Provincial Superior, she turned over the meeting to Sister Dorothy Ann Busowski, who facilitated the program. The first order of business was a presentation by Sister Joann, who addressed the need for networking, collaboration, and consolidation as the Province prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2011. The afternoon program featured a special guest speaker, Melanne Verveer, who served as Chief of Staff to former First Lady Hillary Clinton and currently serves on Council of Women Leaders of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Co-founder of Vital Voices Global Partnership, a nonprofit organization focusing on emerging women leaders, Ms. Verveer is internationally recognized as an expert the problem of human trafficking and has helped to coordinate U.S. response to human trafficking worldwide. She was invited to speak at the Sisters’ Community Days by Sister Dorothy Ann in connection with an agenda established during the Order’s 2007 General Chapter in Rome that directed the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great to identify and align the community’s strengths to combat human trafficking by serving as a catalyst of influence against this heinous crime; to network with government agencies, non-governmental agencies, and other religious communities to accomplish this; and to boycott products of companies that exploit others through trafficking. Ms. Verveer spoke at length about the current status of trafficking abuses, what is being done nationally and internationally to curtail such abuses, and how the Sisters can help.

The July 3 program featured a presentation by Sister Monica about the status of properties owned by the Sisters and a presentation by Sister Dolores about environmental issues. The presentations were followed by an open forum during which the Sisters attending were given the opportunity to discuss and comment on the topics presented and a ceremony concluding the formal portion of Community Days followed. On July 4, the Sisters shared a gala Independence Day celebration.