Newsletter: January 2022
Dear Friends of Joseph House:
January is the sunrise of the year, the dawn of a new beginning. For us Little Sisters, there’s a prayer we say at the start of each day, and it seems to be fitting as we go forth into another year. It is the Abandonment Prayer of Charles de Foucauld:
Father, I abandon myself into Your hands;
do with me what You will.
Whatever You may do, I thank You:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only Your will be done in me,
and in all Your creatures—
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into Your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to You with all the love of my heart,
for I love You Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into Your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for You are my Father.
We never know what the day will bring, let alone the year. Placing ourselves in the hands of Divine Providence is the only security possible in this world. We do know, however, that there will be a very joyous occasion this spring: on May 15, Charles will be canonized a saint!
We are so happy to finally share this news with you. Many people have been waiting for this, but as Scripture reminds us we often have to wait until the time is right for things to happen (see Ecc 3:1 or Eph 1:9-10). Sr. Mary Elizabeth, our founder, knew nothing about Charles when she was growing up, but one day, decades ago, she saw his picture and had a sudden inspiration that he would be important to her as she searched for God’s will in her life. That’s how it is with the saints: many times they are the ones who choose us because they know they can help us acquire the graces we need. We are thrilled that Charles is finally getting the official stamp of approval. He will become St. Charles, but to us he will always be “Br. Charles.”
As Sr. Mary Elizabeth learned more about Charles she discovered a kindred spirit. He became a guide on how to imitate Christ by living the life of Nazareth, of being open to people of other faiths and cultures, of loving them as children of God. “Cry the Gospel with your life,” Charles said, and Sister adopted that for her own work. He’s been a good friend to our community, and since you are friends of the Joseph House, he’s also your friend. You can watch a video about his life and find out why he is special to us by clicking on this link: Brother Charles Video Presentation.
Joseph House Workshop News
The Workshop opened in 2005. It is next door to our Crisis Center, and it allows homeless men to stay up to two years as they follow a comprehensive program to help them begin new lives. Attention is given to their education, health care, and personal development needs. They learn a variety of skills that will benefit them in their jobs and in life in general.
We currently have three men living at the Workshop. All were homeless and dealing with addiction to drugs and alcohol. They came directly from a detox center to the Workshop, where they will live in an environment that supports their commitment to sobriety.
Two of the residents are in Phase One (classroom-based) and the other is in Phase Two (employment-based) and has started working at one of the local poultry companies. They’re all doing great.
Thanks to your support, we were able to do some much needed improvements to the Workshop’s facilities. A new floor was installed in the kitchen along with two new refrigerators. Nick, the Director of the Workshop, explains how kitchen duties are handled:
“Each resident takes turns with cooking chores. They each cook for a week, which gives them experience in shopping for the menu they choose and how to make and stick to a budget. The dishes they prepare vary from pork chops to pizza. If a resident doesn’t know how to cook when he comes in, he will be given help by other residents. The purpose is to make each resident self-sufficient.
“The residents make their own breakfasts and lunches, but for dinner we eat together each night at the table. As for groceries, we go shopping every two weeks. The two residents that are cooking for those weeks make their menus and write out a shopping list and we go shopping on Monday mornings.
“We have students from UMES (University of Maryland Eastern Shore) teaching a nutrition class to the residents. I heard of the program where students gain credits to teach on the subject they are studying. I contacted the nutrition department, and after a lengthy conversation they agreed to come and teach a 12-week class on nutrition to our Phase One residents. The topics are how to prepare healthy foods, what to look for on packages, how to read nutrition labels on packages, etc.”
Below is a photo of the kitchen at the Workshop:
We are so proud of the Workshop and of the men in the program. Not everyone is willing to make meaningful changes in life, but our men are, and that takes tremendous strength and courage. Your support makes it all possible! Thank you for everything you do for the Joseph House.
With our prayers for blessings in the New Year,
Your Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary
We would like to pray for you. Please send us your prayer requests: Contact Form.
Your support keeps the Joseph House Crisis Center and the Joseph House Workshop in operation. You can learn how to make a donation here: Donate.
Our featured community member this month is Sr. Mary Joseph, who joined the Little Sisters in 1989. You can read her profile here: Sr. Mary Joseph.
