January - February - March 2012 Issue

Summary

dare to act

Columns

Spiritual Life

Cooperation - A Practice of Liberty - André Gadbois

The notion of cooperation abounds in both marvellous episodes depicted in the Exodus account and in the Multiplication of Loaves...[READ MORE]

Cultures and Mission

Coposa: Healthcare for the Poor- Diego Jacques Laneuville

COPOSA, meaning a public health cooperative, is located in Llallagua, a poor city (3,800 meters altitude) in the mountainous region of North Potosi, southwest of Bolivia...[READ MORE]

Youth

WYD 2011- The Pope's Youthfulness - Véronique Martel

The World Youth Days (WYD) are a great opportunity for the Christian youth from around the world to meet the Pope and to celebrate their faith together. The activities are not only for Catholics but for all young people who wish to live an unforgettable experience of prayer and sharing....[READ MORE]

Are You Zen? - Louisa Nicole, M.I.C.

To be ZEN is a pretty sophisticated expression, don’t you think? Are you ZEN? – Yes, you might say, I have those kinds of perfumes, oils, incense, soaps. I light candles to help me relax. I am ZEN! – No! Not yet...[READ MORE]

In Focus: Dare to Act!

A Radical Optimist Brings Hope - Edita Telan, M.I.C.

When a person has insight, initiative, a generous caring heart and does not fear bending low to raise up the poor, then beautiful things begin to happen...[READ MORE]

Say, Can You Plant Cabbages? - Véronique Martel

It's already 2012. This New Year could resemble previous years; however, I hope that it will bring some changes and that there will be an evolution in thinking and acting. This obliges me to reconsider my own choices and decisions. If I wish a change to take place and before demanding
it of others I must first of all be the driving force behind it...[READ MORE]

Reaching-Out Thought The Sun Sets - Léonie Therrien, M.I.C.

‘Sun sets’ – can this natural phenomenon be seen another way? Can it be seen symbolically? Gradually our society has seen a change in its population; a group of people, the so called elderly, has risen to unprecedented levels. How many times we hear the expressions: “getting old”, “an ageing society”, “an ageing personnel”, “an ageing Church and clergy”...[READ MORE]

About The MICs

Letters From Haiti...[READ MORE]

A Missionary Turn-Out - Thérèse Chabot, M.I.C.

When speaking about co-operation, we can sometimes note that opening up to the world’s poorest populations begins with small steps taken by convinced individuals who transmit their convictions to the next generation. As they went about telling their mission stories with great enthusiasm, Sisters Thérèse Chabot and Marie Leclair captured the attention of a parish community. Sr. Thérèse relates the event....[READ MORE]

ACPC 2011 - Award Winner...[READ MORE]

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Editorial

think big

Nowadays, performance and productivity are a ‘must’. To think big is a priority. Politically—in Quebec, Canada, it’s all about the Northern Plan, one of the largest sites of economic, social and environmental development of our time. Commercially—large retail establishments keep expanding. Financially—reaping massive profits is essential; recently, this greed has provoked non-violent protesters to Occupy Wall Street. Agriculturally—excessive production has no limit. We live in a society where success has to be attained. We invest to be efficient and to accumulate greater profits. We always want more!

Could we say that Jesus Himself would have had His place in such a society? Did He not multiply the five loaves and two fish to feed the hungry crowd? Did He not fill to the brim the six stone water jars with the best of wine? And what about the miraculous catch of fish which surprised the apostles who had worked hard all night without catching anything.

There is nothing wrong with performance and thinking big. It is important to risk and take action. New inventions, new techniques can enhance our performance but, there is a “but”. Jesus did not act to dazzle but to feed the hungry; He did not act to become rich but to help the less fortunate.

We are well aware that world-wide, the gap between the rich and the poor is becoming wider. Narrowing the wealth gap proves to be most challenging; however, there are humanitarian organizations who work at it. Consider—CECI (Center for International Studies and Cooperation), Peace and Development, Oxfam, Terre Sans Frontières (World Without Borders), these and others work diligently to improve the lives of many and we congratulate them. There are also individuals whose actions touch the hearts and lives of the multitude. Think of Tony Meloto in the Philippines and elsewhere in Asia or in Haiti where people take charge with ingenuity. Closer to home and to highlight the International Year of Cooperatives, let’s take a look at all the work that is being done in collective kitchens, community gardens and in centers where volunteers reach out to the elderly.

God created us to live with dignity and not to live a life of misery. He counts on each one of us to make this world a better place to live in and we are called to take action in whatever way possible. The Lenten Season invites us to think big and to dare take action.

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The Team

MIC MISSION NEWS TEAM

Editorial Board 

                               

Marie-Paule Sanfaçon, Directress of publication

Originally from Quebec, Sr. Marie-Paule was a missionary in Haiti; she worked with high-school students in the field of catechesis and also in youth ministry.  She is now directress of the MIC Missionary Press and Provincial Superior of the MIC Canadian Province.

André Gadbois, Journalist 

Married and father of two children, André Gadbois, after several years in pastoral work, taught children with serious learning disabilities for 20 years and was school director for ten years. He has been very involved with catechumens of the church in Montreal, and is the editor of their journal, le Sénevé. 

 

Louisa Nicole, journaliste

  Léonie Therrien, Journalist

Occupation:  She is a member of the editorial team for the missionary magazine Le Précurseur/MIC Mission News.  She is also responsible for a group of MIC Associates (ASMIC).

Experiences:  Educator; youth group animator as well as animating groups of Associates; member of an intercommunity mission animation team.

 

  Claudette Bouchard, Translation and Journalist

Sr. Claudette is a former missionary in Malawi, C. Africa.  She also worked in the Archdioceses of San Francisco, Ca.; Toronto, Ont.; and Vancouver, B.C. as Archdiocesan coordinator and promoter of mission awareness activities. Within parish contexts, she coordinated religious education programs and accompanied youngsters on their faith journey.

 

Carole Guévin, Direction's assistant

Assistant Director of the MIC Missionary Press, Carole lived in Nicaragua and Lebanon as a lay missionary.

 

Véronique Martel, Journalist

Véronique Martel has a BA degree in linguistics and French literature, and she is now completing her MA. She is also interested in cultures and visual arts. The author is a literary chronicler on the Radio Ville-Marie station.

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