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April 2014

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In This Issue
Upcoming Meeting
The Primacy of Peace
Sisters in Action
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Sisters Prepare for Upcoming Justice & Peace Initiative in Belgium
Sister Eucharia Madueke from Nigeria and Sisters Margaret McCarthy and Maura Browne from the United States were among those Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who attended the recent Washington, DC, peace conference in preparation for a Congregation-wide justice and peace meeting. The Sisters' event is scheduled for April 29 through May 3, 2014, at the Congregational  Mother House in  Namur, Belgium.
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Promote Peace
As symbols of peace, 1,000 cranes provided a colorful backdrop for speakers at a recent peace conference in Washington, DC. 
For three days in March, five Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur attended the Ecumenical Advocacy Days Peace & Justice Conference in Washington, DC. Through prayer, worship, workshops, inspirational speakers and advocacy training, attendees prepared for meetings with Congressional representatives. The day following the conference, hundreds of peace-makers swarmed Capitol Hill to place the primacy of peace in front of  law-makers.
"The culture of violence that exists today is not being adequately addressed by policy-makers," says Sister Maura Browne, conference attendee and Coordinator of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Justice and Peace Office in Washington, DC. "It's up to people of hope to make more peace-filled tomorrows." 
"... Justice and Peace Shall Embrace..."
Across the globe, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur live out the hope and directive of Psalm 85 -- that "justice and peace shall embrace." Whether teaching impoverished children in the Amazon, providing job training for homeless women in Cincinnati or supplying clean water to isolated communities in Africa, Sisters strive for peace. As women religious, our Congregation stands with those whose lives are viewed as disposable commodities. We challenge systems that perpetuate cycles of dis-empowerment and poverty. We promote a culture of caring. We co-exist in peace. 
Building a Beloved and Peaceful Community
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have long maintained an office at the United Nations and partnered with other NGOs, private businesses and governmental agencies. Our objective is to help realize the UN Millennial Development Goals designed to eradicate abject poverty on the planet by 2015. Ridding the world of poverty increases the possibility of peace. Please join in our efforts. 

Where there is justice, peace abides.

With a Peace-Filled and Grateful Heart,
Sister Leonore Coan
Director of Mission Support