Franciscan Service Award

On July 28, 2010 the Franciscan Federation Conference was held in Buffalo, NY.  Over 370 Franciscan Sisters, Brothers Priests and guests attended.  Sr. Margaret Therese Yennock was chosen by her community – the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception – to receive the service award.  Sr. Margaret Therese is originally from Our Lady of Pompei Parish in Syracuse, NY.  Her brother, Msgr. Eugene Yennock, pastor of St. Daniel’s Church in Syracuse, NY attended as her guest.  Gratefully celebrating Sister Margaret Therese, her peers praised her “for being alive with passion, for allowing the light of Christ to shine with radiance, transparency, clarity and optimism through her, for being a beacon of light for others, especially the marginalized, and for being witness to the challenge and power of gospel values in daily living”.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2010 

ELIZABETH HAYES GRANT RECIPIENTS  

We are happy to present our five recipients of this year's Elizabeth Hayes Grants:

 

Sr. Veronica Weygand  Albany, GA     $2,500

Neighbors in Need, is an outreach center in one of the neediest area of Albany, Georgia. We work with St. Clare’s Center which is located on the same grounds, and both are sponsored by St. Teresa Catholic Church.  Together, our mission is “to assist at-risk individuals and families who are in need and/or in crisis situations with various services.  We also provide programs to help people move beyond crisis toward self sufficiency and to become transformative agents of positive change in our city.” We will use our Elizabeth Hayes Grant of $2,500 to purchase two new uniforms @ $50 each for fifty students.

  

Sr. Janet Roddy    Augusta, GA      $2,500

The Employment Empowerment Program will be a continuing project of Catholic Social Services of Augusta, GA, assisting all eligible clients who come to us, or who are referred to us by a partner agency, for the benefits of this program. The program aims to empower our unemployed, but job-able, clients to procure and retain jobs that support their dignity and lead to greater personal/financial independence. Already, in its incipience, it has promoted and facilitated numerous temporary job placements, some of which have become long-term positions. The fruits of this program touch, and positively affect, the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of the client, often restoring hope and a sense of self-worth. Also affected are the client’s significant others (family, friends, etc.). Our Elizabeth Hayes Grant of $2,500 will give badly needed financial support to the program.

    

Sr. Maureen Coyle   Pirua, Peru    $2,500

The Shekina/Integrated Health Center has received help from the Elizabeth Hayes Grant Fund in past years. This year we would like to buy a “Ceragem Master RL-1“ bed which would help greatly in the healing of our people. Ceragem combines the technology with many traditional principles of oriental medicine as the Moxibustion and the acupresión, as well as the Quiropractice, etc.  to relax and alleviate the signs of health problems of the body which cause pain and stress. It is expensive. The cost is 8000.00 soles or $2826.86 USD, but with our Elizabeth Hayes Fund grant for $2,500, we will put up the remainder of the money ($326.86) to make up the balance.

Sr. Pat Coyle:  Syracuse, NY   $1,000

The Literacy Learning Center at Cathedral Academy at Pompei (CAP) provides resources to immigrant school children (and their refugee families) seeking to escape oppression and to start new lives in the United States. This project will provide hands-on educational materials that will be utilized at the Center in order to enhance the literacy skills of not only the many immigrant students attending CAP but also their family members who struggle with literacy issues.  Immigrant students comprise over 75% of the school’s enrollment and their ability to progress educationally depends upon their mastery of literacy skills.  Similarly, the ability of the parents and other family members to support their children at CAP also depends upon their success in strengthening their own literacy skills. We will use our Elizabeth Hayes Grant of $1,000 to purchase language learning software for children, adolescents and adults.

Sr. Jean Morrissey:  Coroico, Bolivia     $1,000

The UAC-CP (Unidad Académica Campesina-Carmen Pampa) is a unique Catholic college in rural Bolivia that provides higher education for poor, indigenous young men and women. The College’s Theology Department and Pastoral Ministry Program encompass UAC-CP theology classes (all students are required to pass five religion classes before graduation), psychology/counseling services, spirituality and leadership retreats, and traditional and liturgical music groups. The Theology Department, under  direction, is a critical component of the UAC-CP’s mission. All aspects of the Theology Department provide ways for the College to incorporate and reinforce Catholic Social Teachings and Christian values into students’ academic work and personal lives. We will use our Elizabeth Hayes Grant of $1,000 to purchase two sets of theological reference books and texts for two UAC-CP libraries.