Dear Friends, Ash Wednesday is upon us!

Melissa Gonzalez, SLW’s new Communications Coordinator will be assisting Amanda Waldhauser, Director of Mission Advancement.

February is Black History Month, and it’s an important time for reflection, celebration and acknowledgement.

Sister Mary Louise Coccimiglio was born May 28, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan where she lived with her parents, Ernest and Catherine (Chudy) Coccimiglio, and brothers, Carmon Anthony and Ernest Coccimiglio. She passed away on January 13, 2023.

“With righteous indignation, we all must act!”

“If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders labour” (Psalm 127:1)

This week the YWCA Evanston/North Shore’s Equity Institute is hosting free events and reflection centered on the work of Mariame Kaba who offers another vision of leadership, another vision of community, another vision of safety, and another vision of care.

In this time of holiday preparations, we can feel like we are running out of time, rather than living in the fullness of time

And so it’s almost time. Time for the birth of Jesus. The birth of a child is a happy time, a time to look forward to the new life in the family and the joy that brings. But this week’s gospel puts our focus on Joseph. Mary is apparently expecting somebody else’s child. This is a problem. What is Joseph to do?

The readings for this Gaudete Sunday urge us to look closely at what is happening around us yet not get overwhelmed by the darkness we may see. God is still in control of creation. God is in our midst. And the presence of Emmanuel, God- with-us, is our true cause for joy. (Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 & Matthew 11:2-11)

Last week, Isaiah described the desire of all the people to travel to the Lord’s mountain. Then Paul and Jesus urged us to stay awake and be ready to make the journey. And so we move into Week Two of Advent with readings that are more about peace, what it will looks like and what we have to do to make peace happen.

Advent invites us to a new awareness of Christ in our lives.  In the busyness of our everyday lives, and especially in the busyness of preparation for the holiday season, we need to take time to slow down and reflect on the depth and quality of our personal relationship with Jesus and with others. During the next four weeks of Advent, we take time to reflect on what we truly need to do to wake from our “sleep,” that frantic and often mindless rush from one thing to another.

We, the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, are committed to work toward a world where reverence for all living beings finds expression in an approach to life free from violence. Our hearts and prayers go out to those family members, friends, and members of the LGBTQ+ community as they grieve the loss of those killed and injured in the Colorado Springs shooting on Saturday, November 19.

Paul exhorts us, “In everything give thanks.”  1 Thes.5:18

There can be great blessing in giving thanks to God for everything! The rain and snow, the cold and heat, the friends and opponents, days of great harvest and scarcity, etc.

Our 2022 All That Jazz fundraising event will take place from August 1st through August 7th.

This year’s event will be supporting the Sisters of the Living Word, while also honoring the memory of Josette and Glenn Buehlman.

May we all find a way to do our part to stop the violence that is killing our children, our families and our spirit.

– The Sisters of the Living Word

We, the Sisters of the Living Word, as members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, commit to the work of understanding the wrongful ideology of white supremacy in our nation and to be proactive in the work toward anti-racism attitudes and anti-racist systemic change.

With nearly three decades experience in all aspects of graphic design and visual communications, Brian Kahle brings a world of creative perspective to his new position at Sisters of the Living Word.

Join us this Thursday, April 28th, 2022, at 12pm CT as we speak with Sister Mary Joel Curcio about the Nuns on the Bus and their work toward driving systemic change.

As Sisters and Associates of the Living Word we know we are called to be witnesses to Christ alive in our world, in each other and all creation. As we enter into Holy Week today, here is a brief reflection we would like to share with you.