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Recent

11
OCT
2018

Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the CSF – October 2, 2018

Posted By : Dominican Sisters, Cabra
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Below is speech by the President of the Fundação João Sales Luis at the 25th Anniversary of the CSF

Today is a day of great joy.

President of the Fundação João Sales Luis

Let me begin with thanking the chamber musical quintet group of the Army Band for its excellent performance. On behalf of the whole of the Administrative Council of the Foundation, here present and also of the Congregation, I want to thank you for being here. The congregation is represented this evening by Sister Elizabeth Smyth, who is also a member of the Foundation’s Administrative Council, but many Sisters have sent messages and the Prioress-General of the Congregation, Sister Elizabeth Healy, has written a very beautiful letter to the entire Sagrada Família team remembering and thanking them for all the work done. We would like everyone to use this event to remember so many good things that have happened in the last 25 years and to reflect on the challenges and commitments for the next 25 years.

Let me start with a phrase that served as a spiritual reflection last week, here in the Centre. In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Go out and cast your fishing nets”. In the debate about this phrase someone asked: “How, at age 70, did Sister Agnes respond to the Congregation’s call to launch a Social Centre in this place?”

The answer is in the book – “A Light Undimmed” published in 2007, that tells the story of more than 375 years of the presence of the Sisters in Portugal. The book says:
“In 1993, the sisters were again called on to fulfil this vocation of as people of frontier missions, by creating a Social Centre. The Social Security and the Municipal Camera of Oeiras offered them an existing centre in Algés, in the Quinta do Leonel, consisting of two prefab huts”.

I would now like to take this opportunity to thank the Mayor of Oeiras, Dr. Isaltino de Morais, for being with us today. He has been very involved in the Centro de Sagrada Familia from the very beginning
As the book says: the Centre consisted of two prefabricated huts on stony ground in the middle of a crowded shanty town neighborhood. Undeterred by this unpromising location, Sister Agnes undertook the organisation of the centre and with the help of many partners (now I offer a special welcome to each of the partners that appears on the windows of the entrance building), the many volunteers, the support of the other Centres of the Foundation, CBS and CNS, and an excellent team of 43 employees led by Drª. Amélia Borges, co-founder of the project
The site is now very different, involving two merged and renovated sites under the designation: “Dominican Community.”
Later, the book states: “ The institutional cooperation that has been going on for 25 years between the Municipality of Oeiras and the Sagrada Família Centre is in pursuit of a common goal: to create opportunities so that families in the local community, especially those have reduced economic and cultural resources, may enjoy conditions of well-being.
It should be remembered that it was within the scope of the project against poverty that this collaboration began.
The book also contains an acknowledgement of the contribution by the Municipality of Oeiras: “Collaboration with the CSF is not only a tribute to the work of the sisters, but also a reassuring expression of the humanitarian ideals of a modern town council”.
Today, the CSF helps educate about 200 children and actively promotes its Social Project “Families with Soul” in which more than 300 people are involved.
We wish to maintain the same spirit of mission influenced by the Dominican spirituality with great transparency and a spirit of service.

João Sales Luis – 2/10/2018


Comemoração do 25 aniversário do CSF – dia 2 de Outubro de 2018
Hoje é um dia de muita alegria e começo desde já por agradecer ao Grupo musical do exercito o seu excelente desempenho. Em nome de toda de todo o CA da Fundação, aqui presente e também da Congregação, quero agradecer a vossa presença. A congregação está aqui representada pela Sister Elizabeth Smith, que também faz parte do CA da Fundação, mas muitas Sisters enviaram mensagens e a Prioreza da Congregação, Sister Elizabeth Healy, escreveu uma carta muito bonita para toda a Equipa do Centro Sagrada Família lembrando e agradecendo todo o trabalho realizado. Gostaríamos que todos aproveitassem este evento para recordar tantas coisas boas que se passaram nos últimos 25 anos e continuar a refletir sobre os desafios e compromissos para os próximos 25 anos.
Deixem –me começar por uma frase que serviu de reflexão espiritual na passada semana, aqui no Centro. No Evangelho segundo São Lucas, Jesus disse a Simão Pedro – Faz-te ao largo e lança as redes para a pesca. No debate sobre esta frase alguém se interrogou?
Como é que com 70 anos, a Irmã Inês respondeu ao apelo da Congregação para lançar um Centro Social?
A resposta vem no livro – Uma luz que não se Apaga- editado em 2007 e que relata a história de mais de 375 anos da presença das Sisters em Portugal. Diz o livro: “Em 1993, as irmãs foram novamente chamadas a desempenhar esta vocação de gente de missão, no sentido de criar um Centro Social. A Segurança Social e a Camara Municipal de Oeiras ofereceram-lhes um Centro em Algés, a Quinta do Leonel. Quero agora aproveitar para agradecer muito a presença do nosso Presidente da Camara, Dr. Isaltino de Morais que está hoje entre nós e que esteve muito envolvido desde a primeira hora. Continuando o texto: o Centro consistia em 2 Pavilhões pré-fabricados sobre chão de pedra, no meio de um bairro de lata abarrotado. Sem se deixar abalar por esta localização tão pouco prometedora, a irmã Inês começou a organizar o Centro e agora digo eu, com a ajuda de muitos parceiros (um cumprimento especial para cada um dos parceiros que aparece no vidro das janelas do edifício da entrada, muitos voluntários, o apoio dos outros Centros da Fundação, O CBS e CNS, e uma excelente equipa de 43 colaboradores liderada pela Dra. Amélia Borges fundadora do projeto . O Centro Sagrada Família está hoje muito diferente, envolvendo 2 quintas fusionadas e com um subnome de “Dominican Community “
Mais á frente o livro refere: a cooperação Institucional que se vem mantendo há vários anos, já são 25 anos entre a CMO e o Centro Sagrada Família é resultado de um objetivo comum: criar oportunidades para que as famílias da comunidade local, especialmente as que tem menos recursos económicos e culturais, possam usufruir de condições de bem-estar. Recorde-se que foi no âmbito do projeto contra a pobreza que começou esta colaboração. E no livro vem também um depoimento da CMO: A colaboração com o CSF é não só um tributo ao trabalho das irmãs, como também uma reconfortante expressão dos ideais humanitários de um município moderno.
Hoje o CSF ajuda na educação de cerca de 200 crianças e promove ativamente o seu Projeto Social “Famílias com Alma “onde estão envolvidas mais de 300 pessoas.
Desejamos manter o mesmo espirito de Missão influenciados pela Espiritualidade Dominicana com muita transparência e espirito de serviço.
Temos total consciência que para além deste espirito de missão, muito importante, precisamos de continuar a trabalhar em equipa e a aproveitar todas as oportunidades de colaboração
Muito obrigado pela amizade. Muito obrigado a todos os que organizaram este excecional evento. Contamos com todos e passo desde já a palavra à fundadora Dra. Amelia Borges.
João Sales Luis – 2/10/2018

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