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The Border Pilgrimage, a journey of hope and life along the US/Mexico border - from San Diego/Tijuana to El Paso/Juarez, took place from October 26th to November 2nd. MMS of North America were one of 22 co-sponsors of the event, and were actively involved in making it a success. Local Catholic dioceses along the route welcomed the pilgrims. Workshops were held to explain the economic realities causing the migration. On All Souls' Day, bishops from both nations - separated by wall and wire - celebrated Mass for the more than 2,300 migrants who have died trying to cross the border in the past eight years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sister Margaret McKenna, Ph.D., has won a Community Service Award from The Caron Foundation for Excellence in Addiction Treatment. "Sister Margaret has a special gift for seeing God in persons who are seeking recovery," noted the foundation. "Sacrificing the benefits of solitude, she instead benefits from the joy of watching people transform and grow ... she is a great light that illuminates the world." Searching for an abandoned place to live a prayerful, simple life, Sr. Margaret settled in a very poor area of Philadelphia in 1989. There she later founded the New Jerusalem Laura treatment and housing center for recovering drug and alcohol addicts. Over 400 residents have completed the program in the past 7 years, and 70% of those have stayed clean and sober. Founded in 1957, The Caron Foundation is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide an enlightened and caring treatment community in which all those affected by alcoholism or other drug addiction may begin a new life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Several of our sisters will be attending and speaking at the American Public Health Association Meeting in San Francisco, CA, during the week of November 16th. This meeting draws between 12,000 - 14,000 attendees. A special press conference on Sunday morning will discuss the "Call for Public Health Accountability in International Trade Agreements." The Medical Mission Sisters' Alliance for Justice is one of the health organizations sponsoring this urgent action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . World AIDS Day is December 1st -- the Monday after Thanksgiving. Tragically, five people worldwide die of AIDS every minute of every day. HIV has hit every corner of the globe, infecting more than 42 million men, women, and children -- 5 million of them last year alone. 95% of all persons with HIV live in the developing world. UNAIDS has targeted HIV-related stigma and discrimination in a two-year initiative to reduce the harmful effects faced by people living with HIV. Medical Mission Sisters applaud these efforts as we continue to care for people with AIDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As our Twelfth General Chapter was nearing completion, the chapter delegates in Nairobi, Kenya had a special prayer service to celebrate Diwali. This festival of lights is largely celebrated in India. Our Sisters joined with the people of India as they commemorated the power of goodness over the darkness of evil. They wished hope, joy, and prosperity to one another, and to the whole world. They concluded with the prayer, "Christ be our light, shine in our hearts."
November 15,
2003
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