Sisterhood of St. John the Divine

Another construction update.

https://ssjd.ca/2024/07/31/creative-musings-from-the-convent-reflections-for-sale/

Do you enjoy Sister Doreen’s Weekly Creative Musings from the Convent Reflections?
Take them home with you to return to again and again!

These books contain weekly reflections by Sr. Doreen and are compiled into two volumes. Volume One spans the first year of her reflections. Volume Two, the second year. Each book is sold separately.

Cost:
$25/each

How can I get my copy?
Copies are available in the Book Room at the Convent, or you can order them from the Convent using the order form below and we will mail them to you.

Mailing Costs:
One book $25 + $10 postage
Two books $50 + $20 postage
Three books $75 + $20 postage
Four Books $100 + $20 postage

Books are mailed in either a manila envelope or a flat-rate box. An order of 1 book is mailed in an envelope. Orders of 2- 4 books are mailed in a flat-rate box.

To place an order by cheque, make cheques out to the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine and add “Creative Musings From The Convent Books” in the memo line. Please include a paper with your address, how many and which volume of the books you would like to purchase. Address the envelope to Attn: Guest House.
Follow the link for the order form.

Creative Musings From The Convent Reflections For Sale! - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine Do you enjoy Sister Doreen’s Weekly Creative Musings from the Convent Reflections? Take them home with you to return to again and again! These books contain weekly reflections by Sr. Doreen and are compiled into two volumes. Volume One spans the first year of her reflections. Volume Two, the secon...

https://ssjd.ca/2024/08/03/glory-glory-glory/

Glory! Glory! Glory! - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine Sister Doreen’s Reflections The August Anglican Church of Canada Calendar scripture reflection “The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1) I found myself thinking about De Chardin’s book “A Hymn to the Universe”, a poetic and spiritual ce...

Heeeeere's Johnny!!!" was the way Johnny Carson was introduced by Ed MacMahon on NBC’s long running late-night television show, the Tonight Show. The sisters had a similarly enthusiastic response to the long-awaited appearance of construction crews on our property in the last two weeks of July. The workers are here from 7 am to 3 pm through the week and we can see them assembling for their daily work.

The appearance of the construction crews is a visible, and welcome, sign of the progress of our Guest House renovation. The preparations have been fascinating to observe. First a trailer was brought in to provide office space for the contractor and the crew. Then all kinds of signage was installed on the property, signage which reflects just some of the incredible amount of detail which has to be considered behind the scenes. Signage has been put up around the south driveway fence showing a muster point, advising caution when reversing on the driveway (flag person required) and a warning for drivers to drive slowly because of possible pedestrians (although the sisters have been advised to avoid the area for our own safety) and a sign with contact information for the general contractor. And, if something goes wrong, a sign tells you there is a first aid station in the construction trailer! All these signs and precautions demonstrate that the safety of both the construction workers (and the sisters) is a priority for the construction company.

Last month I spoke of delays in traffic caused by road construction which, by the way, I am still experiencing as I suppose many of you are too. Although road construction can feel never ending it can also be a sign of progress, a sign that work is being completed. All of the signs around our property are signs of progress. Work has indeed begun in earnest on the guest house renewal and renovation. The first part of the renewal is focused on breaking down before the work of building up begins (cf. Ecclesiastes 3.4).

We’ve heard the noise as the concrete block walls (also known as cinder blocks or breeze blocks) of the bedroom closets are being removed. We’ve seen that the two aluminum-clad outside vestibules at the Guest House entrance have been taken away. That is an occasion for rejoicing as their removal opens up space for the new accessible entrance envisioned in the architectural plans. You can see what the new entrance will look like in the drawing we have been using as the project logo. All of this tearing down creates a lot of debris and we’ve seen many huge skips brought in empty and sent away full only to be replaced with more empty ones. Our hope is that some of the removed material will be reusable in some form rather than merely added to landfill. We look forward to the end of the tearing down – perhaps by the end of August – and then the building up can begin. We also look forward to sharing news of the ongoing guest house renewal and renovation with you.

Another excitement has been the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris and the increased number of sports and categories so that more and more people are able to compete. A highlight for us, and for many despite the rain, was Celine Dion’s glorious singing of an Edith Piaf song at the foot of the iconic Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremonies. Unfortunately, we’ve also been disappointed by the revelation of cheating, in direct opposition to the Olympic ideal of fair play. We hope and pray that the athletes will do their best for the countries they represent. We pray that they will take the best of the Olympic Games home with them and will continue to live the Olympic ideals once the games are over.

We ask for your continued prayers while our Guest House renovations continue. Please pray for the safety of all the workers and our sisters. Pray for all those affected by wildfires, flooding, and excessive heat brought about by the climate crisis. Pray for the areas of the world where there is war and conflict that the spirit of the Olympic Games will help bring peace and an end to violence.

To end on a lighter note – why did I invoke Johnny Carson at the beginning of this reflection? In addition to the construction trailer on our property there are also several portable toilets for the use of the construction crew. As the sisters walk on the property (when the workers are absent) and walk past the portable toilets we can say to each other, “theeeeere's Johnny!”

Have a blessed August and look forward with us to Sunday September 8th when we will be celebrating our 140th Anniversary of the foundation of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine. We hope many of you will be able to join us in person or on-line for the celebration so save the date!

~~ Sr. Elizabeth Ann Eckert, SSJD

Sunny day 🌞Good food 🍦🥗🍉🍗🥩🍹Sweet company 👯‍♂️..that's our Associates BBQ lunch

https://ssjd.ca/2024/07/27/the-perfect-moment-is-now/

The Perfect Moment is NOW - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine Sister Doreen’s Reflections When I began to think about this, I found myself looking at one of Terry Pratchett’s quotes (he is Sir Terry Pratchett, an English author, humorist, and satirist who died in 2015) he mentions the following about the life of Wen the Eternally Surprised, and notes that ...

https://ssjd.ca/2024/07/20/the-best-way-to-get-there-is-to-start/

The Best Way to Get There is to Start - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine Sister Doreen’s Reflections It was my morning coffee Splenda that again sparked my ponderings today with the message ‘the best way to get there is to start’. It was Walt Disney who said: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”. I began to wonder why it was often so hard...

https://ssjd.ca/2024/07/19/love-one-another/

Love One Another - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine By the Rev Michael Burgess Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15: 12). Jesus said a great many challenging things to his followers during his earthly life, but surely this has to be the most challenging of all. How seriously do we need to [....

https://ssjd.ca/2024/07/11/canada-day-homily/

Canada Day Homily - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine By Sr. Constance Joanna, SSJD Isaiah 32:1-5, 16-18 Psalm 85:7-13Colossians 3:12-17John 15:12-17 In 1939, in response to the violation of sovereign borders between the countries of Europe at the beginning of WW 2, Winston Churchill described the relationship between Canada and the United States: “T...

Meditation Group
Come away and rest awhile.

Whether you are a beginner in contemplative prayer, or a seasoned contemplative, we welcome you to join our online meditation group.

When: Sundays at 7:30pm EST
Cost: Free.

To join us, or to find out more, please email [email protected]

Prayer Requests
Do you have prayer requests that you would like to share with the Sisters?
The Sisters will remember your intentions in a special way for a week during their daily worship.

Submit intentions to: [email protected]

https://ssjd.ca/2024/07/13/why-do-you-worry/

Why Do You Worry? - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine Sister Doreen’s Reflections The July Anglican Church of Canada Calendar scripture reflection. “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.” (Matthew 6:28) I thought to myself you really could put whatever word you wanted to replace the ...

A sonnet for St. Benedict On his feast day I am reposting this sonnet on St. Benedict. My recent experience of diving deep into the Psalter has made me appreciate the Benedictine tradition even more deeply, for of cou…

https://ssjd.ca/2024/07/06/leave-a-little-sparkle-wherever-you-go/

Leave a Little Sparkle Wherever You Go - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine Sister Doreen’s Reflections Today as I opened the Splenda package to stir it into my decaf-coffee, this message “leave a little sparkle wherever you go” created such a smile and a challenge! It made me ask myself ‘do I brighten or light up the space around me? I wondered also, do we as a c....

https://ssjd.ca/2024/07/03/seed-of-the-word/

Seed of the Word - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine By the Most Rev’d Fred Hiltz In his teaching about the kingdom of God, Jesus paints images drawn from fields and vineyards and seashores, and marketplaces and homes. He speaks of seeds and vines and fish, of yeast and salt and light, of coins and pearls of great price. The people can readily ident...

Retreat format: In person
Date: July 13th , 2024
Registration Fee: $30 if you bring your lunch; $50 if you have lunch with the Sisters.
Associates: $25 if you bring your lunch; $45 if you have lunch with the Sisters
Registration Deadline: July 6, 2024
Led by: Barb Rosen. Barb is a retired teacher, certified yoga teacher experienced in practices of meditation and writing. She has volunteered at St. John’s Convent and is currently offering QiGong and Meditation at the Meaford Public Library. She writes in The Meaford Independent newspaper.

Arrive: between 10:00 and 10:30 am
Depart: 3:00 pm

Day Retreats at the Convent
The Sisters invite guests to visit the convent while the Guest House is closed. Available most Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9:30 am to 4pm, visitors may walk designated portions of the grounds including the labyrinth, explore the Sisters' Library, attend the Eucharist and share a silent lunch with the Sisters.
Please contact us 2-3 days before you wish to come to check for availability.

For more information or to book a day retreat email us at [email protected].

The Sisters offer a huge THANK YOU to the Sunnybrook Foundation for their generous gift of $500,000, which helped us raise over $3.6 million. With the Sisters' contribution of $2 million this means that we have over $5.6 million towards our $6.3 million project goal.

With lots of help, we can raise the last $600,000!

We have identified the General Contractor that we will be using and will be able to announce that next month once the contract has been signed.

We anticipate that construction will begin before the second week of July. We look forward to welcoming back friends and guests including more family members of Sunnybrook patients.

I’ve previously written about my experiences with monasticism, specifically as experienced in the quiet halls of St. Augustine’s House, a Lutheran Benedictine Monastery in Oxford, Michigan. I currently serve as a chaplain resident at the bustling Mayo Clinic, a world renowned hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. Though the two spaces could hardly differ more in pace, the time I spent learning about the monastic tradition and vocation at St. Augustine’s House has profoundly shaped how I approach my role here at Mayo, and I’ve discovered that Mayo’s overall existence is inextricably tied to the work of a monastic community.

St. Mary’s Hospital was founded in 1889 through a collaboration between members of the Mayo family and the Sisters of Saint Francis. Mother Mary Alfred Moes led the sisters at the time of the hospital’s founding, and since then, the sisters have served as nurses, spiritual care providers, greeters, and much more. They have served as the backbone of the now world-class medical facility since its very beginning. This rich history is reflected through the buildings named after members of the community, pictures of the sisters on the walls, the continued presence of the sisters today, and many of Mayo Clinic’s rich traditions……

Monasticism and the Mayo Clinic A chaplaincy resident reflects on the intersections between monasticism and his work at Mayo Clinic

The summer equinox was on June 21st marking the first official day of summer. However, we could almost mark the beginning of summer by the amount of road construction taking place all across the city and probably across your city and on the highways between. There seems to be road construction everywhere you go. I head out for an appointment and must leave plenty of extra time to account for the heavy traffic due to the construction. Where the convent is located, there is construction on Steeles Ave. to the north of us and construction on Sheppard Ave. to the south of us. This is pushing traffic along Cu**er Ave. and along Finch Ave. as drivers are trying to find ways around the bottlenecks of construction. I know that people used to joke about there only being two seasons each year, winter and construction, but it is truly what it seems like this year.

Well going anywhere in a car in the city of Toronto takes time so it presents an opportunity to strengthen the virtue of patience and the habit of prayer! We can let our cars literally drive us to prayer and pray for those who cut us off, and for the ones who won’t do the zipper move when two lanes are merging into one. And while you are at it, pray for and bless those who are courteous and kind to others. Pray for the truck drivers negotiating narrow city roads and doing their best to provide on-time deliveries. Pray for bus drivers who are doing their best to make transit “the better way” by getting people to where they want to go. Pray for those on motorcycles because even with helmets on, they look so exposed and vulnerable next to vehicles. Pray for those brave souls on bicycles too as we learn to make allowances for bike lanes. Pray for crossing guards at street corners alerting drivers to pedestrians crossing the road. St. Benedict advises us that every time we begin a good work, we must pray that God in heaven might bring it to perfection, or as we might also say, to completion or our journey’s end. So perhaps every time you get into your car or leave your house to go somewhere, you might intentionally begin your journey with a prayer.

Well, this July, the Sisters of St. John the Divine are finally moving into a season of construction for the renovation of the Guest House. As with road construction, and like all of you who have had renovations in your house while you were still living in it, there will be noise, dirt, dust, chaos and an upsetting of routines. We will be driven by this season of construction to pray for all those involved: the architects, the contractors, the construction workers, the trades, the suppliers. We will be praying for the renewal of our Guest House ministry and for all those who will come through our doors to find inner peace in a place where the unceasing prayer has permeated the very walls.

We ask for your prayers for us and for the renovation of the Guest House during this season of construction. Pray, as St. Benedict advised, that this work will be brought to perfection and be completed and renewed to the glory of God. God bless your summer, may it be free of construction, but when you encounter it, may it drive you to pray for all those around you.

~~ Sr. Elizabeth Ann Eckert, SSJD

☺️Canada Day celebration feels more special with Br. James, SSJE, Sr. Joycelyn, OHP and Sr. Dorothy Stella, OHP and Archbishop Linda in our midst.

Almighty and merciful God, we yield thee hearty thanks for thy loving-kindness in appointing this good land of Canada to be our dwelling-place; for the wealth and glory of its plains and mountains, its fruitful fields and teeming waters. May we live here in harmony, peace and mutual respect with those who lived here first, that all may prosper and share our nation’s bounty. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.

https://ssjd.ca/2024/06/29/the-feast-of-st-peter-and-st-paul-why-are-these-saints-hugging/

The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul: Why are these Saints hugging? - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine Sister Doreen’s Reflections I looked at this icon a long time, as today is the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, two mighty saints celebrated together. Two very different saints, different in personality and in their approach, who often confronted each other with accusations. Why are they kept toge...

We are grateful for your continued support to our church community following the devastating loss of our historic church. Help us rebuild and make a church that reflects our faith through contemporary Canadian art.
A Go Fund Me campaign has been launched
You may donate to that campaign at https://gofund.me/7e3a78a9 or donate directly to us using our Canada Helps page. Information is posted on our website at www.saintanne.ca .
Please share this widely. We are a church for all people and we will work together with the arts community to be a visible sign of who we are.

🙏🙏🙏 We are praying.

https://ssjd.ca/2024/06/08/we-need-an-eraser/

We Need an Eraser! - The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine Sister Doreen’s Reflections “Only the hand that erases can write the true thing.” (Meister Eckhart) I began to read Dag Hammarskjold’s book called “Markings” again after a long time had passed since my first reading of it. The cover page to the first entry in the book has the above quota...

Celebrating an amazing woman 🧑‍🦳 Sister Beryl continues to share her wisdom and strength with us in her 24 + 70 years.