By Laura Whitford, President
St. Elizabeth Mission Society & Dr. Lyle F. Renodin Foundation
Have you ever heard a priest ask you to give God a round of applause during mass? You would if you visited Alvernia Prep School in Kingston, Jamaica. This is how my first visit to a mission of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany started in February. Overall, my adventure was exciting, inspirational and most definitely humbling. However, one of my defining moments there was this simple, and very Franciscan, act of being joyful.
The last five months in my new role as president of the St. Elizabeth Mission Society and the Dr. Lyle F. Renodin Foundation have been a whirlwind of meeting new people and learning new things. Part of my role is to raise money to support the Franciscan Sisters’ ministries. While I’m feeling better acclimated, I often long for a more “hands-on” experience with the mission. My visit to Jamaica was just that. How wonderful it was to finally be able to put faces and places to the names and numbers that I see daily!
Alvernia Prep was just one of seven schools I visited in Kingston where the Franciscan Sisters still have a presence. All of the children that I encountered were beautiful, respectful and so loving that they almost knocked me over with their group hugs. The Mission Society provides monthly support to many of these schools to help with the Feeding Program for children who can’t afford lunch.
Another key component of our Jamaican mission is Franciscan Ministries, which is also supported by the Mission Society. Sr. Grace Yap, OSF heads Franciscan Ministries, which is the outreach arm of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany in Jamaica. Coordinating Canadian groups to build houses for those in dire conditions, bringing doctors in for travelling health clinics, and empowering leaders to make effective change are just some of the ways that Sr. Grace works to bring hope to the hopeless. Sr. Grace took me to three of the poorest areas in Kingston, which opened my eyes to levels of poverty that I never could have imagined.
I spent my 38th birthday visiting Porziuncula Farm in Braes River, which Franciscan Ministries. Someone gave the farm to Sr. Grace, and she hires young men to live and work there to give them a future. Still in its early development stages, the goal of the farm is to produce honey, pumpkins, sorrel and scotch bonnet peppers to sell while at the same time teaching these young men how to be self-sustaining.
Finally, one of the best parts of my trip was staying at Immaculate Conception Convent and getting acquainted with our Jamaican Sisters. I truly enjoyed the fellowship with them (not to mention the delicious Jamaican food) and was assured that I now have another family when I’m able to return. In my many conversations with them, peppered with a seemingly endless string of questions, I heard the same message several times – they are able to do all that they do because God has blessed them in their work.
The Mission Society provides over $150,000 per year in grant funding and ongoing support to programs where the Franciscan Sisters are actively serving in Jamaica, Brazil, Bolivia and the United States. We are only able to do this through the generous support of our donors. If you are feeling called to give, please CLICK HERE.
