Untitled Document

           Partnership with
                      Lay People

Mission Integration Office

The Sisters – Lay Professionals, Two vocations – One Mission

   One of the greatest gift of the congregation of the Sisters of the Good      Shepherd is to have been able to discouver that lay people make        evident the living of the Good Shepherd Charism and Mission.

      The Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Canada recognize that the      number of sisters and their direct involvement in managing and    providing service within their Good Shepherd Agencies is diminishing    over time. To help each agency manage this change, they have     committed their resources to establish a means for Canadian Good      Shepherd agencies to integrate their mission and values into the main       fabric of service and organizational structure. Through the ageless         best-practice principles of the “Practical Rules”, the Sisters’ hope is          that all staff will continue to celebrate their Good Shepherd spirit           and values as they further the work as partners in Good Shepherd           Mission.

Spiritual Foundation:
the Essential Charism(gift) of the Future

        “People who come in contact with our agencies and services tell us         always that there is something different about who we are and the       atmosphere we create.” What’s that all about? Our staff has often      said that the presence of sisters makes this difference. The Sisters, in      turn, point to the quality of the spiritual openness of our staff that        makes our mission and work so special. “Our people desire to be           models of the Shepherd. This is what allows them to share              their spirit and gifts with those they serve.”

How Mission Integration Works/ Our Mission

To foster the development of local leaders who will share in a partnership with the Sisters of the Good Shepherd to honour and integrate the legacy of Good Shepherd values in the work of service to women and children.

A description of the Work of Mission Integration Office

		Facilitating the work of a national CORE group comprised of agency reps who share in the annual strategic planning.
		Maintaining communications within the Province of Canada and among agency/service staffs and other Good Shepherd people through a system of e-news and a newsletter.
		Building network relationships among agencies to support the interchange of ideas, experience and expertise.
		Facilitating the organization of a Canadian Gathering every three years.
		Developing and facilitating leadership forums for supervisors and front line workers on a variety of themes related to the work.
		Supporting, as a resource person, the development of Spiritual Care Teams/Committees within each agency.
		Providing a resource support service to local Boards on vision and mission.
		Facilitating in-services that enhance the understanding and practice of the Standards of Care for Good Shepherd Agencies and the Practical Rules (best practices).
		Facilitating Days of spiritual reflection
		A participant in building a North American Collaboration among Good Shepherd People.

Good Shepherd Ministries and agencies in Canada

The Sisters have maintained a Good Shepherd presence in Canada for almost 170 years. The first foundation was established
in Montreal in 1844.

Over the years the Sisters have operated a number of social service programmes for young girls and women including residential programmes in the young offenders system, residential programmes for girls in child welfare and services for women in transition.

Currently there are a number of social service programmes which continue to operate either as programmes owned by the sisters or as partners in Good Shepherd mission in Canada.

THESE SERVICES INCLUDE:

Vancouver, BC:

A small community of Sisters provides spiritual and social supports to ethnic communities in the Vancouver area. A small but growing group of laity have joined with them in providing guidance for immigrants and refugees.

Sr. Margaret Laffey, the Coordinator

Winnipeg, MB:

Marymound, Inc. is a large residential and community based social service agency serving both Winnipeg and Thompson, Manitoba. Operation from 1911, Marymound has provided in-care services for youth and their families involved the child welfare system, a school programme and a range of community based services including treatment for sexual abuse.

Website: www.marymound.com

Mr. Ian Hughes, Executive Director

Windsor, Ont.:

Maryvale Adolescent and Family Services is a residential treatment Centre offering mental health, child welfare and detention programmes for the Windsor Community.

Connie Martin, Executive Director

Toronto, Ont.:

Pelletier Homes for Youth is a group care and foster care facility operating in the Greater Toronto Region for youth in the child welfare system.

Mr. Greg McCarney, Executive Director

Newmarket, Ont.:

Rose of Sharon is a community based service for young mothers in the region of York just north of Toronto. Rose of Sharon offers, counseling, education, early childhood development and parenting programmes for young mothers.

Website: www.therose.ca

Mr. Bruno Scorsone, Executive Director

Montreal, QC:

Logis Rose Virginie consists of two apartment complexes established in the city of Montreal offering apartment living for women in transition out of mental health, addiction rehab or domestic violence situations. These unique programmes offer an opportunity for housing and counseling for up to three years to afford the women they serve a solid chance to rebuild their personal and spiritual lives.

To be announced

Mom's Place is a community apartment/centre for men living with AIDS. Connections to the men serviced are made primarily through hospital visitations.

Sr. Lucy Bourque, RGS (514) 524-8884
Sr. Claire Benoit, RGS (514) 523 9401

Halifax, NS :

Chisholm Youth Services operates two residential programmes for young women in the child welfare system. Chisholm Treatment Centre provides residential treatment and Barnett house offers residential supports for older youth in care who are preparing for emancipation from the child welfare system.

Mr. Wade Johnston, Executive Director

In addition to the above social services, various religious communities provide assistance through a retreat centre (Centre Notre-Dame du Silence). Assistance to migrants, the poor and others in need remains at the heart of every community of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. There are several small communities of people who have committed themselves in their everyday lives to living the spirituality of the Good Shepherd as "Lay Associates of the Good Shepherd".

For more information about partnership with lay people, the work of Mission Integration you can contact us at:

e-mail : mission.integration@rogers.com

Sharing Fair - National Project

Sharing Fair markets hand made goods from women connected through Good Shepherd communities in developing countries. Sharing Fair operates out of Good Shepherd Court in Toronto. This volunteer initiative assists women in difficult social situations to earn money by carrying their goods to the market. This volunteer network spans the country.

SHARING FAIR is a project of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, an international congregation of Catholic women serving in 68 countries. For almost 200 years the congregation has focus on women and girls in circumstances of extreme distress, seeking to improve their lives and enabling them to live with dignity.

SHARING FAIR markets crafted items made by women in developing countries whose circumstances have brought them in contact with the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

Most often these women or girls are responsible for family support and they just earn money by any means – even the most unsavoury or undignified. Alternatives are scarce and eagerly sought, but real cash must be available.

In some countries, education is only available to the privileged few, often not to girls, and requires financial aid made possible by income-generating projects such as SHARING FAIR.

Sharing fair hopes to raise awarness of those less fortunate and suggests one small way we can participate in restoring and preserving the God-given dignity of a person.

Sharing fair encourages others to direct their spending power towards self-help groups, where talent and creativity are worthy of our respect and admiration, as well as a share of our more abundant resources.

Because Sharing Fair is made possible in Canada through our many volunteers, 100% of the proceeds is returned to the women and girls in the form of new orders – providing them with hope, dignity and sustainability.

You can participate in Sharing Fair and make a difference in the lives of the women in the developing world by:

Purchasing their products;

Sponsoring at Sharing Fair at your church, workplace, or home;

Volunteering with Sharing Fair.

Sharing Fair gratefully receives articles from Columbia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar,
Mexico, Myanmar, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

If our world was a village of

there would be:

564 Asians
210 Europeans
86 Africans
80 Latin Americans
60 North Americans

In this village of

500 would be hungry
60 people would control
half the income, leaving
940 of us to scramble
for the other half.

Is just one small program,
But it’s one way of getting some
Of the wealth of those 60 people
Into the hands of the 940

The creators and crafters of Sharing Fair have been invited to pray a blessing for all those who receive their articles. We encourage the purchaser to be mindful of the person who has produced the craft with care and hope, and to pray a blessing in return. The power of prayer, one for the other, is our gift through Christ even to those who may hardly know His name.

One behalf of the creators, crafters and their privileged representatives, thank you for participating in Sharing Fair.

25 Good Shepherd Court
Toronto, ON. Canada
M6B 4E7

Tel: 416-787-4285

Fax: 416-784-9282

email: sharing_fair@rogers.com