Newsletter: September 2023
Dear Friends of Joseph House:
The last few months have been tough for our Joseph House family. Our Sr. Clare died of cancer last May, and in July we tragically lost Gregory Dennis, a Crisis Center staff member, in a hit-and-run accident. Two sharp blows, one after the other. We carry on (we have no choice), but it’s not the same. Memories remain and traces of their lives are still with us, etching out the contours of their absence. To show our love for Sr. Clare and Greg, we pray for them, that they may rest forever in the peace of Heaven.
A few days before Greg was killed was the anniversary of when our founder, Sr. Mary Elizabeth, chose the name for our community (July 18). She said it took some time and prayerful discernment, but there was one thing she was sure of from the very beginning: we would be called little sisters.
Prior to starting her own community, Sister had been a Little Sister of the Poor for 21 years, and being a “little sister” was a term with which she strongly identified. What was the attraction? For Sr. Mary Elizabeth, being little was essential to her understanding of living out the Gospel. It meant depending on God for everything. It also meant being humble enough to do whatever was required to love her neighbor. Helping the poor is certainly not glamorous work, and Sister never hesitated to do what needed to be done. If an elderly woman needed help cleaning her vermin-infested home, Sister would grab a mop. She had no puffed-up pride to defend. And if she could not reject any task, she could not reject any person either.
Being a little sister is an identity each member of our community embraces. It calls back to the life Jesus lived in Nazareth and being small in the eyes of the world. The spiritual father of our community, St. Charles de Foucauld, followed the life of Nazareth wholeheartedly. His humility and littleness made him approachable and non-threatening to other people. Everyone, rich and poor alike, felt at ease in his presence.
We try to practice these same virtues because so many people feel excluded today; they’re being judged for who they are and given a clear message that they don’t belong. Greg found his place among us, and it’s always a joy when people do that. We must be doing something right. All we can say is thank you God! And thank you Sr. Mary Elizabeth and St. Charles for the gift of your example!
Although our community is small in number, there are plenty of honorary “little sisters” and “little brothers” among our volunteers and staff. We are blessed in that regard.
People who need assistance are always in good hands at our Crisis Center. Eugenia, for example, needed extensive dental work that she could not afford. She is 74 and lives in a tiny bungalow on a fixed income. Our staff were able to use money from the daily budget plus funds set aside for seniors to make a total payment of $500 to Eugenia’s oral surgeon. Hopefully, her days of living with pain and infections will soon be in the past.
Kristen, 32, and her husband have five children. She and her husband were both working until Kristen was in a serious car accident. Her injuries left her unable to walk and so she had to leave her job. They were on a budget plan with the electric company, but without Kristen’s income they missed a payment; that caused the entire back balance to be due. Kristen has a long recovery ahead and her husband has been taking care of her and their children. His paycheck alone only goes so far and before too long the power was cut off in their home. Kristen and her husband have applied for an energy assistance grant from the state. That will only pay for some of what they owe, so we sent in $300 to help make up the difference.
Nathaniel, 38, is a victim of gun violence. It happened on his birthday: his friends took him out to celebrate and he got caught in a gun battle. He was shot in the chest and the stomach. His right lung had to be removed along with two feet of his large intestines. His stomach and bladder also required surgery. Nathaniel is now living on disability ($750 per month). He tried to go back to work at a fast food restaurant, but it was too much for his spine. Making ends meet is difficult, especially since his son lives with him. The rent is $525 each month. When Nathaniel fell behind in his payments, we sent $300 to his landlord.
Bethany, 30, finally received a subsidized housing voucher after being on the waiting list for three years. She is a very attentive mother to her four children. Their father left the family and Bethany has a court date scheduled for child support. Three of her children are frequently sick, which interferes with her ability to work outside the home. The lack of a steady source of income made the threat of becoming homeless very real. Fortunately, the housing voucher will effectively remove that threat, but there was a problem: in order to move into the new apartment, Bethany had to pay a deposit of $1,365! Why such a burden is placed on financially-stressed families is beyond our understanding. We contributed $300 so Bethany could pay the deposit before the deadline.
Miguel, 41, is a self-employed handyman. Business has been slow, and he is looking for an additional job. Miguel and his wife have three young children. He needed help paying his bills for the first time in his life. We paid $300 toward his overdue rent.
Sr. Mary Elizabeth told us that the “beautiful name” of our community “should be the explanation of our lives.” When asked to say more about why she named our ministry after St. Joseph and our community after Jesus and Mary, she replied, “Well, I wanted to get everybody in the family in there”!
In so many ways, the inspirations of our founder affect not just what we do, but how we do it. Her life is the gift in which we see what God desires of the Joseph House.
Another thing Sister knew from the beginning was that our mission would depend on free-will offerings. All that we have to give comes from you. Every gift you share with us is gratefully received, and in return we promise to do our best to help people in need and to pray for you every day.
Life can get hard—and we’ve had more reminders than usual these past few months. Our faith in God and love for each other are how we get by. Keeping you close to our hearts,
Your Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary
Praying for people is an important part of our life. Please send us your special intentions: Contact Form.
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