Category: Uncategorized

November 25, 2013

Dear Newmanites! Dear Friends in Christ!

Greetings from New York! As you near your finals and I reach the end of my second month here at the UN, I wanted to send you some words of encouragement and let you know how things are going in the Big Apple.

Everything here is phenomenal! Plenty of work but an extraordinary experience! I’m learning so much and working with such a wonderful group of people, both the interns and the permanent staff. Each day brings a broadened perspective on the intricate workings of the international community, the conditions and crises of our brothers and sisters around the world, the unique role of the Church in global affairs. All the while gaining insights into those basic truths, hopes, dignity, and aspirations that bind and animate us as human beings—no matter our nationality, language, culture, political positions, socioeconomic status, or religion.

Here, seemingly at the centre of the world, you realize most profoundly that people are people, that our deepest desires are for good, and that peace starts with us, with individuals, in ways as simple as a smile.

To give you a picture of what we’re doing here and what life’s like on a day-to-day, included below is a post I wrote for the Salt + Light blog (saltandlighttv.org/blog) which will be published this Wednesday.

Be assured of my continued daily prayers and warm wishes as you embark on your finals and enter this wondrous season of Advent. May the joy of Jesus’ coming dispel any darkness and bring you hope. May your steps be guided in His peace and your hearts touched by His love!

In the words of Winston Churchill: “Never, never, never give up!”

In the words of Christ: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20)

Cor ad cor,

Your brother Julian J

The Adventures of an Intern: From Salt + Light to Peace and Security

At the end of September, I reached the end of my second summer working at Salt + Light.  It had been another enriching and exciting several months spent with wonderful, warm, and dedicated people in a close-knit and faith-filled working environment.  But this time, instead of heading back to McGill University to continue my studies, the end of my time at Salt + Light was the beginning of a journey southbound, the start of something new, something exciting: an adventure.  Thanks to the kindness and generosity of Fr. Tom Rosica, our CEO, I was off to New York to serve as an intern with the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to the United Nations!

Two months into the internship, it’s still as exciting as it sounds!  Living in New York, working at the UN, and serving the Church in such a unique way, each day brings fresh excitement and a new reason to be thankful and rejoice.

There are seven interns in total: two from Canada, two from the United States, and one each from Spain, Kenya, and Syria.  They’re all wonderful and gifted people and it’s been a blessing to experience these months together.

Each of us is assigned to a different committee or council of the UN, follows the meetings of that body, and writes daily reports on their proceedings.  My assignment is to the Security Council, which is the body entrusted with the maintenance of international peace and security on behalf of the nations of the world.  Thus, the matters addressed by the Council cover a wide range of peace and security issues, which range from eliminating chemical weapons in Syria to fighting piracy off to Somali coast to resolving the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As the most powerful organ of the UN system, the Council generates a high degree of interest and draws an impressive array of guests.  This past week alone, the it heard briefings from the Prime Ministers of Serbia and Kosovo, and one of its committees was addressed by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the importance of fighting religious extremism through education.  Needless to say, it’s an incredible place to be and work and every day brings the urge to pinch oneself to make sure you’re not dreaming.  To put it one way, it’s UN-believable!

Our day begins at 9:00 in the chapel of the Holy See Mission, where the entire staff gathers to pray Midmorning Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. From there, we have a morning meeting to review the UN Journal of the day’s meetings and events before heading to UN headquarters for the first sessions of the day, which begin at 10:00.  Between morning and afternoon meetings, we all return to the Holy See Mission to come together and share a meal.  Together with Midmorning Prayer, this is a crucial mainstay to remaining united as a community of disciples at the service of the Church.

In the same vein, during the course of our internship, we live together at Ss Peter and Paul, a vibrant and active parish in Hoboken, New Jersey—right across the river from Manhattan.  The view is spectacular and the experience of living in community is superb!

In a setting as secular but significant as the UN, how essential it is to remain focused on our true mission of serving the Lord.  Living the call to discipleship in the midst of all the prestige, power, and politics, but also the crises, the suffering, the tragedy and injustice.  In a place where debate too often outweighs decisive action, we are present not to be swept up in political division and partisan vitriol but to be a leaven: to bring hope, to see with faith, and to plant seeds of unity and peace.

Amid such a formative and exciting experience, I want to express my profound gratitude to Fr. Rosica, without whom none of this would have come about or been possible.  His strong support has been a great gift to so many young people, and I consider myself blessed to be among them.

Until next time, peace and blessings from the Big Apple! The adventure continues!

Hello Newmanites.

I’m now more than halfway into my first semester of university life and I have to say thank you to all of you for making it as great as it’s been so far. I admit, there was a fair bit of eye-rolling on my part when I came to visit McGill last April with my mom. As we walked down Peel, she spotted the Newman Center and said something to the effect of “Ooh, Newman Center, they had one of those at Queen’s when I went to school, let’s go visit!” And across the street we went. Personally, I didn’t really want to wander into a random building and see what was going on, but apparently that just wasn’t an option. Looking back, I’m really glad we went, but on my first day in a strange city…I was not so impressed with Mom’s insistence.

It was the tail end of exams here at McGill, and Newman was pretty quiet. Still, we were shown around and had a chat about some of the different things that went on around Newman: mass times, SNS, faith studies, soup and bagel…I went away with the vaguely formed idea that I would be going back, having decided only earlier that day that I would be going to McGill in the Fall after all.

This year, as I started meeting people around Newman, first through Fish Frosh, and then at things like soup and bagel and mass, it felt a little like coming home. From the moment I walked in the door, people were encouraging me to get involved at mass, with the choir, in faith studies…pretty much anything and everything that was going on. Overwhelming? Maybe a little, but also reassuring. Your welcome taught me that Newman is so much more than mass on Saturday and Sunday. It’s all of the different things going on throughout the week, and all of the people that create the Newman community. The more time I spend at the Newman center, the more it feels like home. I can take off my shoes and curl up in a chair to study…or to take a break and watch funny owl videos. Sometimes it’s quiet and I get a lot of work done, but mostly it’s alive. People come and go; we laugh or commiserate about a bad exam, and then the work goes on. I might be a little less productive those days, but I’m relaxed and school seems a little less overwhelming. At Newman I can balance friends and faith with homework, because university life is so much more than books, papers and exams. The sense of community and friendship that I find with all of you at Newman is one of the things keeping me – relatively – sane as I make my way through my first year at McGill.

Thank you all for making my experiences with the Newman Center, and with each of you, so memorable.

God Bless

Rebecca