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List Of Active Communities Who Help The Poor...


cartermia

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For religion class we have to do a paper for Maryknoll Student essay contest 2013 The pope, the poor, and you. I had a great idea of doing it on religious orders who help the poor (teaching, foo, clothes, and etc...)  I was wondering if anyone had any great stories or knowledge of what some of the communities do.  Any help that you could offer me would be awe.some! thanks!!!

 

+TJTM

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littlesister

Little Sisters of the Poor, Missionaries of Charity, Glenmary Home Missionaries, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) ...that's just a start, and all have websites. Good luck!

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Sister Marie

Why don't you do something on the Jesuits since our Holy Father is one and the Jesuit gift in education as a way of combating systemic poverty.  As a student it would have a lot of relevance for you too.

 

In the US Jesuits started the Cristo Rey Schools.  You can find more information on them here http://www.cristoreynetwork.org/

 

In South America the Fe y Alegria Schools, also started by a Jesuit, are a ministry of education to those in need.

 

 

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Thanks guys! Paper is due September 11 (first draft).  Sister Marie, great idea. That idea will surely get me some brownie points.

 

 

I also thought, since I was daydreaming in religion class about this paper when Father ... was talking about the early church, I could do something not just poor in the physical world but also in the spiritual world also.  "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..." gave me the idea.

I could it about priest and brothers how they preach the gospel also....

 

 

 

 

 

So many ideas!!!

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Cartermia,

 

You might want to check out the Dominican Sisters of Bethany and Bl. Jean Joseph Lataste, OP, their founder (who was beatified just a year or so ago...).

 

They were founded as one of the few religious communities to let women who had been in prison (some for VERY serious crimes!) become sisters after they had completed their sentences.   There are two branches of them in France and Holland, respectively, and they used to be in the USA... but now the US branch is in the process of BECOMING a religious community (they are a recognized association of the faithful in Casco, Maine, (The Community of the Resurrection).   Right now all the sisters are technically members of the Dominican laity ,but all they need is some more good vocations.... Those sisters do prison ministry as well as adoration of the Blessed Sacrament....

 

AND... one of their sisters was responsible for the first community of Dominican Laity to have a chapter IN a prison... and the members of the OPL who are NOT prisoners go TO the prison for their meeting....!!!!  How neat is that!!!!!

 

Can give you links if you want more info....

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FFI Griswold

Ave Maria!

 

The Franciscans of the Immaculate help the poor in various ways depending on the specific location of the friary/convent mission One friary that is in the outskirts of a city may send some friars to visit the soup kitchens on a weekly basis, while another friary in the heart of a city may be more involved by providing food and necessities on a regular basis. Friars in Africa have established Catholic radio stations and helped poor villages dig water wells and meet other basic needs. Here's a video of the friars http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T7V3iYeZU0E

 

The sisters in the same way have convents all over the world, living among peoples in various states of life, including lepers in Africa.

About some other missions in Africa and other continents, http://franciscansoftheimmaculate.com/missions.html

 

Orphanage in Brazil

"We feature in our site this beautiful and inspiring footage of the orphanage run by our Sisters in Brazil, where the first House of Charity of Padre Pio has been built. Here the girls live under the care of the Sisters. The House of Charity was built wholly on the generous donations of benefactors, as the Franciscans of the Immaculate live totally on Divine Providence."

Sisters Mission and Orphanage in Brazil video http://www.franciscansoftheimmaculate.com/religious-life/vocations/videos.html?task=videodirectlink&id=5

 

"The second House of Charity of Padre Pio was built in Nigeria and just as the one in Brazil, it was done so on the generous donation of benefactors. As you will see in the film, our Sisters care for both the lepers and the children of the lepers. This House of Charity can house up to 80 girls, all under the supervision and care of the Sisters. Here, the girls receive medical, spiritual, physical and moral assistance. Due to generous donations we are able to take care of all their needs, including sending them to school for the hope of a happy future."

 

fp_missions-a.jpg

 

I'm sure there are more FI ministries to the poor in the world that I'm not even aware of. There might be FI websites in other languages that might have something, too, so I'll be sure to post any discoveries.

 

"We can sum up our life of poverty in this way: to live like truly poor

people, happy with what is strictly necessary and purely indispensable for supporting

ourselves and doing our work, that is, in the words of our Holy Mother Saint Clare,

"always to practice the poverty and humility of our Lord Jesus Christ and His most

holy Mother." We therefore forsake any right to the effective ownership of anything,

either as individuals or in common. Even strictly necessary things are not ours, but

charitably entrusted to us by our benefactors for our use.
 

St. Maximilian explained in a conference to the brothers on May 6, 1937,
 

"We of the Order take the vow of poverty, in virtue of which we cannot own anything

and must furthermore ask permission for the use of things. At the same time, we

cannot lend anything of our own accord. None of us can have even a cent. Not even

what we wear is ours. It is only given us for use."

...

While the materially poor in the world can strive to better their condition in society, we

must rule out every possibility of bettering ourselves, of raising our level from being

poor.

...

We are ready and glad to give all without receiving anything.

...

Franciscan poverty is the source of great joy and peace for us, since it is, in the words of

St. Maximilian, "the bottomless money-box of Divine Providence." It is "a virtue of

royal rank," our Holy Father Saint Francis insisted, "for above every other it shone in

the King and Queen," and "truly makes us heirs and kings of the kingdom of heaven,

poor in earthly goods, but rich in virtues" (HOLY RULE, CH. VI)."
-from The Traccia Mariana: A Marian Plan for Franciscan Life

 

Ave Maria!

 

In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,

 

Friar John Paul

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Cartermia,

 

You might want to check out the Dominican Sisters of Bethany and Bl. Jean Joseph Lataste, OP, their founder (who was beatified just a year or so ago...).

 

They were founded as one of the few religious communities to let women who had been in prison (some for VERY serious crimes!) become sisters after they had completed their sentences.   There are two branches of them in France and Holland, respectively, and they used to be in the USA... but now the US branch is in the process of BECOMING a religious community (they are a recognized association of the faithful in Casco, Maine, (The Community of the Resurrection).   Right now all the sisters are technically members of the Dominican laity ,but all they need is some more good vocations.... Those sisters do prison ministry as well as adoration of the Blessed Sacrament....

 

AND... one of their sisters was responsible for the first community of Dominican Laity to have a chapter IN a prison... and the members of the OPL who are NOT prisoners go TO the prison for their meeting....!!!!  How neat is that!!!!!

 

Can give you links if you want more info....

 

 

Yes links please!!! and may I have some links for Glenmarys?

 

 

Information about Bl. Jean Joseph Lataste and the Dominican Sisters of Bethany

http://bethanyhouseministry.com/fr_jean_joseph_lataste_op

 

http://www.op-stjoseph.org/blog/miracle_approved_for_pere_lataste/

 

Cartermia, this is a really interesting PDF article.  And I have a personal connection with it.  It outlines the information regarding the founding of a chapter  (Community) of the Dominican Laity in the Norfolk Prison near Boston.   Just before it happened, I was on an internet discussion group (predecessor to things like Phatmass) which discussed Dominican Spirituality.  (I am in a Dominican parish, and have had an interest in their spirituality, and especially that of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany for many years.)  

 

One of the people on that discussion list was the Sister Imelda who is mentioned in this article, who was a member of that Community in England.  I remember her telling us about the execution of Jonathan Nobles (and his requesting the Blessed Sacrament for his final meal!) -- exactly as is described in this article -- and sharing her hopes and outrage at the problems the prisoners were having at being allowed to set up a community of Dominican Laity.   Shortly after that, Sister Imelda passed away.... and it was only many years later that I learned that her hopes and prayers had been answered so beautifully.  This PDF tells you the whole story, as well as more info about Fr. Lataste and the Dominican Sisters of Bethany.

 

http://bethanyhouseministry.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/awordofhope_final.18064237.pdf

 

 

The Community of the Resurrection is an American group that is currently an Association of the Faithful and hopes to become an American version of the Sisters of Bethany.  It is being started by several former Bethany sisters who felt they should stay in the USA and keep Fr. Lataste's vision alive in America.  

 

http://www.communityoftheresurrection.com/

 

 

 

I'm afraid I can't help with the Glenmary's, but I know they work (or worked?) in Appalachia....

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I don't know if you speak French, but here is the website of the French 'Dominicaines de Bethanie' -- Dominican Bethany sisters... you should still be able to make some sense out of the websites, especially if you have read the info above in English.

 

In French

 

http://dominicainesdebethanie.org/

 

groupe_communaute--56f8e.jpg

 

And a really beautiful video in French about Bl. Jean Joseph and the first Sisters.... again, you'll be able to follow it if you know the story of Alcide (Jean Joseph) Lataste and the founding of these Dominican Sisters... along with their founding member, Mere Henri Dominique.  Their current Mother General, Sr. Pia Elizabeth, also is interviewed.

 

It shows the Prison at Cadillac where he preached to the women prisoners, photos of women prisoners of that time,   (The prisoners' clothing looks a lot like that of the Daughters of Charity -- because THEY were wearing what the poor wore in that time!)

 

The drawings are done by prisoners in the Dominican Laity community....

 

This video is specifically about Bl. Jean Joseph (was prepared at the time of his beatification)

 

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ2ch5-ZXkw[/media]

 

And this one is about the community itself:

 

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sGhWIELeGM[/media]

 

 

 

Edited by AnneLine
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salveregina10

We are active and we help the poor around the world, in 20 countries, here is our site: Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing: http://www.osb-tutzing.it/  We also have a congregation of priests and brothers, this is their site: http://www.abtei-muensterschwarzach.de/ams/english/index.html  Our charism is to proclaim the gospel where Christ is not known, or not sufficiently known.  We serve wherever the Church is in need, and witness to God's love through our monastic life and missionary apostolate.  Check us out :)  Here are two videos as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvIFp97-P44

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjmM8ILAjMc

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