Women and Girls' Fund Announces Grant Recipients

The Women and Girls' Fund of the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut held their annual meeting at Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center on September 30, 2008. The meeting was chaired by Rep. Roberta Willis who announced the recipients of the the grants for the year. The McCall Foundation and the Susan B. Anthony Project both received $3,000 for innovative programs for women and girls.

New members were welcome to the meeting. New members are always welcome to join the Fund. For further information contact Sandy Pier, Staff Coordinator at the Community Foundation of Northwest CT: info@cfnect.org .

Sister Rosemarie Greco represents the Daughters of Wisdom on the Executive Committee for the Women's and Girls' Fund. " The initiatives of this fund are consistent with the goals of the Daughters of Wisdom to improve the lives of women and girls in society. This Fund enables us to join with area women and make a difference in the lives of women and girls in our local area of Northwest Connecticut."

Podcast: A Parade of Saints

In the podcast "A Parade of Saints" by Sister Jo-Ann, Saint Therese of Lisieux is mentioned. The Catholic Church celebrates her life and virtues during this month of October. In the book, My Life With The Saints, Jesuit John Martin recalls his first meeting with Saint Therese through the movie, Therese, directed by Alain Cavalier. Therese lived humbly as a Carmelite nun , patiently endured suffering and died at age 24.

Therese describes herself as "little" but Pope John Paul I called her a "steel bar" because she refused to let church law deter her from entering a monastery at an early age. Pope John Paul II declared Therese a doctor of the church, a teacher of the faith.

Therese had a desire to become a priest and missionary to Vietnam. The inability to do this made her express her love and concern for people through "the activities of her heart." Therese's own "dark night" of her soul is a place where many of us find a companion on the road of our contemporary lives.

The book, My Life With the Saints is available ($16) at Wisdom House (programs@wisdomhouse.org / 860-567-3163.)

The Sienna Series

Picasso

(From a self-portrait)

Dancing across

a canvas of

Eyes,

Looking back

at a world of

doubt;

He comes alive

and challenges

Those content to

be named

Among the

dead!

--Jo-Ann Iannotti, OP

The Artist

With a stare
Blanking
Paper, canvas, or screen;
Unfocused,
Removed,
Seemingly more there
than here;
Listening to what is
out of the range
of
the ear,
Preluding creation.
It is time
to
begin!

Jo-Ann Iannotti, OP