Sister Genny welcomed the opportunity to share the dedication of her congregation with the CWL: primarily to protect, educate and help women and girls around the world. The Roman Catholic Order of the Good Shepherd (there is now an Anglican community for women which has the same name) was originally a branch of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, founded in 17th century France by St John Eudes. He was personally dedicated to opening safe-houses for prostitutes and abused women and children. After the French Revolution, these established communities rehabilitated displaced women and orphaned infants. Sister Genny reminded us that in times of war and social depravation, women and children are often still the most affected.
The congregation was modelled on St John Eudes' order, founded by St Mary Euphrasia (Pelletier) in Angers, France, in 1835. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd today are guided in their missions by her words; she believed that "One person is of more value than a world". Canonised in 1940 for her lifelong devotion, she originally used donations to "purchase" and house female African slaves who had been brought to Europe. In her lifetime, 110 Good Shepherd convents were opened, establishing 16 provinces throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and The United States. In 2010, the congregation was comprised of more than 5,000 Sisters working in 72 countries, now including provinces in Oceania. Originally a cloistered order, it is now largely apostolic: Sister Genny explained that Sisters work in deprived communities as outreach workers, social workers, special needs teachers, health care advisers, nurses and advocates for social justice and change.
St Mary Euphrasia
She spoke of the work of the order in her homeland, the Philippines. The Philippines is a huge archipelago of islands and the Sisters now have communities spanning 100 of them. Her family are indigenous to the country; the Philippines have multiple ethnicities, having been claimed by several empires over the centuries, only gaining independence in 1945. Sister Genny told us that the indigenous population has historically been forced further into the mountains and forests. These areas are not only vulnerable to the scores of typhoons and seasonal floods which hit the islands each year, but have also been plundered by overseas mining and wood-trade corporations. She stressed that it's often difficult to talk about a loving God with a hungry stomach. As well as educating previously unschooled children, the Sisters are involved in re-working rural areas to provide local trades and goods. Sister Genny's village now produces internationally acclaimed jams, marmalade and peanut butter!
With the twelfth largest population in the world, an additional 11 million Filipinos live overseas; 81% of these migrant workers are women, traditionally sending money home to the Philippines. Sister Genny explained that sex-trafficking is still rife in the Philippines, as it is elsewhere in the world. Often, "jobs overseas" are promised to girls by neighbours or even family members; the girls are unwittingly sent across the world to a life of modern slavery. The Sisters provide a presence in airports and areas known to be part of this trade. As well as counselling abused women and children and providing sanctuary, there are Good Shepherd centres providing guidance on International Labour Laws and advising migrant workers on Benefits and of course loneliness. Sister Genny had recently asked to visit the "red-light" areas in Hampshire's own Southampton. She told us that her personal preconceptions have been challenged by her experiences: how love for families and the need to survive and provide still force the disadvantaged and marginalised to compromise themselves.
In 1996, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd became affiliated with the United Nations as an NGO (Non-governmental Organisation). This enables them to actively work with or on occasion challenge the UN to promote justice and peace where there is poverty, inequality, victimisation and conflict. In the UK, some Good Shepherd homes have been taken over by Social Services, but there are still communities in Newcastle, Manchester, Kent and London, and also in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Sisters in the UK sell Fairtrade produce from Thailand to raise funds. "HandCrafting Justice" was created by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1997 as a fairtrade marketplace for goods produced in developing regions sponsored by the order. The approach is holistic, providing spiritual empowerment and economic opportunity; telling the stories of the craftsmen and women. As well as Thailand and the Philippines, goods are marketed from Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Pacific. And of course, you can shop "HandCrafting Justice" online!
Sister Genny will be returning to the Philippines in May, to learn where her next mission will be. She spoke to me of working in her beloved homeland but also of her concern for women and children in stricken Syria and Lebanon. Wherever she finds herself needed, I hope Sister Genny will stay in touch with her new friends in the UK.
Report and photo by Gigi
