SCN Immersion

Lay Mission Volunteer Group

2012-10-01T14:49:00.003-04:00

A group of 20 students from the Egan Institute of Spalding University will be working in the Bardstown, Ky., area from October 1-5. The group and their campus minister, Audrey Cecil, will be working as Lay Mission Volunteers assisting three women by painting the exterior of their homes. They will be staying on the Nazareth campus. We are happy to continue our outreach with these young adults.

An Invitation to An Encounter in Faith and Solidarity with the People of Belize

2012-09-20T14:20:00.004-04:00

Now booking Las Flores, Belize Central America Volunteers

To sign up, please contact:

Sister Luke Boiarski, Director
SCN Lay Mission Volunteer Programs
P.O. Box 9 Nazareth, Kentucky 40048
Phone: 502-348-1581 Email: lukescn@scnky.org

Cost: $1,500 includes round-trip airfare from Louisville, KY; lodging and food; all activities and excursions. It does not include personal purchases or optional travel insurance.
A current passport is necessary with expiration date no more than 6 months from date of travel.
Participants must be able to walk some distances.
Participants need to be prepared for the heat and sun of the tropics.
Participants must be able to handle their own luggage.
Participants are encouraged to read “Belize: A Novel” by Carlos Ledson Miller, available in libraries and bookstores.
The trip is open to 12 registrants only. (Priority will be given to those who have not previously participated).
A non-refundable deposit of $750.00 is due on or before October 15, 2012. The remaining $750.00 is due by November 15, 2012.

What Will We Be About?

We will focus on meeting people, learning about other cultures, making friends and sharing faith, while we work side-by-side with people in need.

We will be working with local residents in Las Flores for home and school repairs. We will work in collaboration with our Sisters in Las Flores, Belize. Las Flores is located approximately 33 miles northwest of Belize City.

Expand Your Horizons

There is a saying in Belize that once you drink the water, you will return again and again and again...For the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and their associates, the above adage is the truth.

The SCN ministry and presence began in Belize with Sister Mary Lynn Fields. In 1975, Mary Lynn heard the call to go to Belize. Today ten SCNs and over 30 local SCN Associates serve with the people of Belize.

Belize, a beautiful Caribbean land with a population of 280,000, is located southeast of Mexico in Central America. Belize is a land of many cultures, the earliest being that of the great Mayan dynasties.

Lay Mission Volunteer Program

2012-08-13T07:50:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the students from Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree, Mass., who will be volunteering here in Kentucky this week. During their time at Nazareth, they will be painting three homes of people in need in Nelson County, Ky.

We pray for them and their journey all this week.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

2012-08-03T11:10:00.001-04:00

The SCN Lay Mission Volunteer Program is scheduling mission trips to Belize, Botswana, New Orleans, Appalachia (Southeastern Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania), Montana, Henryville, Ind., and Tutwiler, Miss., to take place starting in October of this year. The purposes of the program is to involve lay persons in meaningful ways in service to others in the spirit of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.

Contact Sister Luke today.

Sister Luke Boiarski, SCN
P.O. Box 9, Nazareth, KY 40048
(502) 348-1578
lukescn@scnky.org

Diaster Relief Orientation

2012-07-30T09:49:00.005-04:00

On Saturday the first orientation for the SCN Disaster Relief Team was held at Nazareth, Ky. This team will respond emergency relief to disasters within a 500 miles radius of the Motherhouse

View photos from the day on Facebook

Last Day at Blackfeet Native American Reservation

2012-06-22T11:55:00.000-04:00

From Sister Luke:

Today is our final day here on the reservation. We will tour Glacier Park which is a 40 minute drive. The mountains are absolutely gorgeous.

We finished all the repairs that Brother Ray needed to have done. We also built two handicap ramps in this area. One ramp for the bunkhouse and the other for his home.

Brother Ray was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, but he tries not to let that slow him down.

Yesterday, we had an opportunity to go into the town of Browning, which is the capital of the Blackfeet Nation. It is rather desolate because of the high rate of unemployment.

We board the train tomorrow morning and travel back to Louisville, Ky.

Montana Volunteers Update

2012-06-21T09:29:00.000-04:00

We received the following message from Sister Luke Boiarski…

“We arrived in Montana at 8:30 on Sunday, June 17. Br. Ray of the De La Salle Blackfeet School met us at the East Glacier train station. Our first impression of the area was one of vastness and grandeur. That night we had a brief orientation and selected our sleeping quarters in the bunkhouse or a nearby trailer. We found out Br. Ray has been by himself for almost six months at his home on the church property.

Br. Ray is a gentle and soft-spoken man who has been facing serious health problems. He asked for our assistance with several projects because he has been falling behind with all he is required to do. We learned that sometimes people like Br. Ray, who has dedicated his life to helping the children of the Blackfeet tribe, can also be in need.

The past two days our work has included: mowing, weeding, repairing fences, laying a walkway, and constructing a ramp to make the bunkhouse handicap accessible. We also gathered for an evening meal that included deep sharing and prayer. We were joined by Br. Ray, Br. Kent from St. Louis and John, a De La Salle volunteer who arrived that morning.

Later tonight we will be celebrating Trudy and Wayne Wheatley's birthdays. We have received many blessings in our days here."

Montana volunteers still en route

2012-06-17T14:00:00.004-04:00

We just heard from the volunteers on their way to Montana. They are now passing through North Dakota. They say it is a bit cloudy and about 64 degrees. Still have about 8 hours to go to reach Browning, Montana. In the photo below, Teresa, Trudie, Georgia and Jude get out in Minot, North Dakota to stretch a bit.

Volunteers travel to Montana

2012-06-16T17:29:00.001-04:00

Nine SCN Volunteers and Sister Luke left for the "Big Sky " country this morning at 2:30 a.m. They met at Nazareth, KY and drove to Louisville where they boarded the Megabus for Chicago. In Chicago, they boarded a train to Browning, Montana. In all, they will travel a total of 36 hours. While in Montana, they will be working on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Check back for photos and updates as we receive them. Please keep the group in your prayers.

Last days in Botswana

2012-04-30T11:32:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that our time here is drawing to a close. Yesterday, all the Sisters and Tootsie gathered with us in Metsimothlabe for a debriefing and evaluation of our experience. Our time together was set in the context of prayer. We gave each of the Sisters a small wooden heart as a token of our gratitude.

Today, we visited the St. Mary's Pre-School and the Sisters in Lobatse since we haven't had the chance to spend a lot of time with them. We are so impressed with the school and the work of Sisters Ann and Olive.

Tomorrow we will treat everyone to lunch before we head to the airport. It will take a long time to process all that we've experienced. We are filled with gratitude for each moment.

Volunteers continue to experience Botswana

2012-04-28T03:58:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we finished painting the alphabet, pictures, etc on the walls of the Mmopane Center. Monica and Millard also trimmed a thorn tree in the yard. We were proud of how everything looked when we finished. We were surprised today with a performance of a tribal dance by the children of the Center. The students of this Center are known in the area for their dancing and we watched in amazement.

Tonight, we enjoyed an Indian meal prepared by the sisters here and then played Jenga to finish out the night. A great time!

Today, we toured the Hospice and Millard is building supports for a trellis. This afternoon, Sister Pat and Tootsie are driving here for a visit - we've missed them so it will be a treat to see them again. Sister Nalini is helping to lead an all-day workshop for youth in a nearby village.

We stand in admiration of the work of the Sisters in each place we've visited. The spirit of Mother Catherine is so evident. The deep faith and generous hearts of the Sisters shine through in their interactions. What we have given is so small compared to what we have received. Our hope is that our presence here is a sign of our great love and support of what they do every single day.

Our time here is quickly drawing to a close. We are soaking up every minute and remain so grateful for all of this!

Volunteers begin work in Mmopane

2012-04-26T12:48:00.001-04:00

We arrived in Metsimothlabe yesterday and received a warm welcome from the sisters. In the evening, we attended a special Mass for a Brother who works in Botswana, followed by a dinner. It was truly an international event with at least 9 countries represented.

Today, we began painting a Center for orphans and vulnerable children in the village of Mmopane. Sister Vinaya is the director of the center and she provided great leadership today. The children are referred to the center through the outreach program of the Hospice. We are painting the alphabet, numbers and some pictures to help with their educational efforts. We made great progress today. We are surely grateful that Sister Olive joined us to share her artistic skills.

Project completed in Tswaaneng, Botswana

2012-04-24T14:55:00.001-04:00

We finished painting the church in Tswaaneng village today.

Each place we visit leaves us with new insights that broaden our understanding of the world. One of the many lessons learned these two days is how precious water is. When we arrived at the church, we learned that the water had been shut off to the property and the water vats were empty. An elderly woman brought two 5 gallon buckets of water for our use, and we know that she was sharing a valuable resource with us. We saw donkey carts with jugs and buckets on the wagons, lined up at the water station on the way to the village. For the people in this village, water is extremely precious. This experience makes us think about the ways we use water.

Tomorrow we leave for Metsimothlabe where we will visit with the Sisters and paint a day care in the village of Mmopane. Thanks for sharing in our journey in this way and for your prayers for our continued safe travels.

Monday in Botswana

2012-04-23T14:28:00.001-04:00

Today, we traveled to the remote village of Tswaaneng to begin the work of painting the church and replacing the doors. As we arrived at the village, we stopped to meet the village chief. Then we stopped at the school, where the children sang for us. The headmistress then asked what song we would sing. We decided that "My Old Kentucky Home" was appropriate, and we were grateful that the students didn't laugh at our pathetic rendition!

The village is about 1 1/2 hours from Kanye where we are staying. One thing that has made an impression on us is gentleness of the people. We've met many people and most tell us their name, followed by the meaning of their name. We've met a woman whose name means "thanksgiving", and another whose name means "comfort". Thandi, who drove us to the village told us that her name means "love", and we worked today with a young woman whose name means "tears". Gracious, loving, and heart-filled people.

We've almost finished painting the inside of the small church. Tomorrow we'll touch up the inside, and we hope to complete the painting of the outside of the church also. Millard worked hard on the doors and with a lot of muscle-power and a hand-saw, the front doors are almost finished.

On Wednesday, we'll head to Metsimothlabe where we will visit with the Sisters there, visit their ministry sites, and help to paint a day care center in Mmopane.

We continue to feel very blessed.

Sunday in Botswana

2012-04-22T13:39:00.001-04:00

This morning we met Anna, an SCNA, before we attended the Setswana Mass in Kanye. Jane, an SCNA, taught Sunday school in the church yard. During Mass, we were filled with spirit as the choir sang with their whole hearts. At the end of the two and a half hour liturgy, we felt like we had truly celebrated God's goodness. It is obvious that Sr. Pat is loved very much in the parish. Her smile and the light in her eyes as she greeted parishioners tell of her great love for them also.

This afternoon we visited an orphanage in Jwaneng that the Sisters of Charity helped to found. There are currently 52 children there and they have a waiting list. There are 10 small homes on the campus - each with a house mother- where they live as a family. We were so impressed with the facility and pleased to see how the seeds the SCNs planted there are now vibrant with life.

On the way back to Kanye, we drove through a game park. We spotted several giraffes, wart hogs, a wildebeest and impalas. What made the day, though, was when we turned a corner and saw a ZEBRA!

Tomorrow, we head to the village of Tswaneng where we will paint the church and replace the doors over the next few days. Stay tuned! Thanks for your prayers.

Saturday in Botswana

2012-04-21T13:41:00.001-04:00

This morning we visited the museum of Botswana in Gaborone and learned about the rich history of the country. Tootsie introduced us to a wonderful tea garden for lunch.

In the afternoon and early evening, the SCN Associates and SCNs gathered here. We shared fun and games and came to know one another. Each person had a chance to share about themselves and it was a great time for bonding.

Tomorrow we will attend the Setswana Mass in Kanye and we look forward to experiencing the liturgy in this country.

Update from volunteers in Botswana

2012-04-20T14:03:00.001-04:00

Another wonderful day! We attended Mass in Kanye at 7:00am. Then, Tootsie took us to the Boiteko Day Care Center in the village of Nthlantle. We met about twenty-five children there where they sang and welcomed us. We all fell in love with them, but Millard especially was tempted to either stay with them or bring a few along with us.

Then, we traveled on to Lobatse where we visited Sisters Ann and Olive at the St. Mary's Pre-School. We visited the classrooms and then enjoyed watching the students practice for a sports competition. They will compete against 10 other schools in the area and are hoping to keep the trophy that they won last year. We are betting they will!

Tonight we met with all the sisters and SCNAs Tootsie and Jane for an orientation to Botswana. They had arranged a traditional pot over a staged "fire" in the center of the room. Sister Nalini introduced the presentation by explaining that sacred stories are told around a fire. She then welcomed us to a "sacred journey into the heart of Africa". Sacred is the perfect word to describe this experience thus far. Our hearts are filled to overflowing.

First days in Botswana

2012-04-19T18:22:00.001-04:00

Four of us traveled to Botswana as part of the SCN Lay Mission Volunteer program. The goal of our trip is to immerse ourselves in the culture of this country, learn about and experience the ministries of the SCNs, and offer support. Before arriving at the ministry sites, we spent the past two days in the Chobe National Park area. We have been overwhelmed at the natural beauty here. Tonight, we arrived in Kanye where we will be with Sister Pat and Tootsie. We were greeted at the Gaborone airport by each SCN and Tootsie Gish,SCNA - a heart-warming welcome for this next phase of our experience. They'll put us to work and we'll share proof of that in future blogs. We'll also update you on their ministries.

In the meantime,though, let us share with you some of the beauty of these past two days. When we first arrived, we met a huge elephant on the road and our guide told us that after two days, we'll have seen so many elephants that we would hardly pay attention to them. Well, I must now have 845 photos of elephants (not really that many), and my heart still jumps when we come across one. We've laughed at how the animals stare at us staring at them. We've learned about wart hogs, and water buffalo and baboons. We've watched hippos come out from underwater spewing water only to quickly submerge again. We were breathless when we finally spotted several lions. In all of this, we have marveled at the beauty of God's creation - at the order of nature and the way the different species live together. There's a watering hole behind the property where we stayed. Throughout the day, all kinds of animals come for water and we were privileged to be witnesses for these days. We are filled with profound respect and gratitude for this opportunity. Truly, this is an amazing world we live in. Enjoy this short video that captures only some of the beauty. All the animals pictured are in their natural habitat, roaming freely. We took the photos from a jeep and boat.

Volunteers to Botswana

2012-04-13T04:27:00.001-04:00

Four volunteers will travel to Botswana from April 15 - May 2. While there, they will visit the SCN ministry sites, paint the church in Tswaneng and paint the day care in Mmopane. The volunteers were commissioned at the Saturday, April 14th liturgy at St. Vincent Church at Nazareth, KY. SCNs Angela Hicks and Teresa Kotturan helped to lead the commissioning and join the volunteers in the photo below. Volunteers are Millard Boggs and SCNAs Monica Boggs, Sharon Cecil and Patsy O'Toole. You can follow their travels on this page, as they hope to keep us updated along the way. Please keep them in your prayers.

Disaster Relief Effort Continues Outside Marysville, Ind.

2012-03-09T16:31:00.001-05:00

From Sister Luke working outside Marysville

Today, we collected and separated debris at the home of Joanne, an elderly woman who lived alone. She loved photography. She was an army captain and a Vietnam-veteran.

At the time of the tornado, she took shelter in a closet.

How she survived, I will never know.

Nelson County answers call to crisis

2012-03-09T08:46:00.005-05:00

From The Kentucky Standard

Sister of Charity of Nazareth Sister Luke Boiarski recently returned from the St. Francis Xavier church
in Henryville, Ind. She leaves again today, taking 12 people back with her.

Sister of Charity of Nazareth Luke Boiarski recently returned from St. Francis Xavier Church in Henryville. She will leave again Friday taking 12 people back with her. Boiarski isn’t a stranger to crisis. She went to New Orleans several times to aid Hurricane Katrina victims.

“We have started a disaster relief response team here in Nazareth,” Boiarski said. “We have a trailer ordered that will carry chainsaws, rakes and other tools we will need that we can transport to a disaster area.”

The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth will compile a database of volunteers who want to help. The database will contain an individual’s area of expertise, listing his or her vocation or talent, physical limitations and emergency contact information. Each individual would undergo a background check to be considered a representative of the response team.

“This is something the Spirit is calling us to do,” Boiarski said. “I feel privileged to be able to serve these people in need. We are where we need to be as Christian people. It’s about churches working together, being not just a place of worship, but a place open for people to bond with one another.”

Send donations through the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth to:

SCN Volunteer Disaster Response

C/O O.C.A.

P.O. Box 9

Nazareth, KY 40048.

Disaster Relief Volunteers Arrive in Indiana

2012-03-07T14:53:00.000-05:00

From Sister Luke

We have been assigned to working in Marysville, Indiana about 4 miles from Henrysville, Indiana. We are working with the home owners Charles and Chris Troncin. They lost everything in this storm. The men are using their chain saws in clearing uprooted trees. The rest of us are separating all the debris.
Many thanks to all who have supported us with your prayers and donations.

Volunteers offer help in Henryville, IN

2012-03-07T10:40:00.001-05:00

The following photos show the volunteers who traveled from Nazareth, KY to Henryville, IN today to offer help to those who have been so severely affected by the recent tornadoes. Watch this site for updates on their efforts. Please join us in praying for the safety of the volunteers and for all those who are trying to recover from the devastation.

Disaster Response Team responds

2012-03-04T17:33:00.000-05:00

Sister Luke and 4 volunteers traveled to the Henryville, IN area following Friday's devastating tornado. They spent some time helping to sort clothes at St. Francis Xavier parish today. They will return to the area on Wednesday to help with clearing debris, in coordination with St. Francis Xavier parish and the United Way.

The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth are in the process of gathering and training a team of volunteers to respond to natural disasters within a 500 mile radius of Nazareth, KY.

Sister Luke shared the following photos from today's trip. Let's keep all those affected by this storm in our prayers.

Las Flores Volunteers of 2012

2012-02-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

SCNs Luke Boiarski and Dolores Greenwell, along with 10 lay mission volunteers, left for Las Flores, Belize January 9. They helped to build a concrete block house for a family of 10 in the village of Las Flores.

Click here to see this video on Vimeo.