Terri MacKenzie:
– Chicagoan, north side
– Entered the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ) in 1952
– Called “Sister/Mother Ellen Mary” until the mid-1970’s
– Recently (June 2019) moved from Chicago to Haverford Estates, Haverford, PA.

Society of the Holy Child Jesus:
(The Society of the Holy Child)
– international congregation founded by Philadelphian Cornelia Connelly in 1846 in England
– SHCJ came to the United States in 1862
– mission is to help others believe that God lives and acts in them and in our world, and to rejoice in the divine presence

Terri’s ministry has included
– teaching and administration
– Global Education Associates
– NGO representative of National Catholic Educational Association at the UN
– Educators for Global Transformation
– TV and video production with Joyful Light Catholic Television: Poor Promises: Faith and the Economy
– initiating and editing SHCJ Voices
– initiating (in 2001) and chairing her province’s EcoSpirituality Group
– publishing poetry and videos
– writing Advent and Lent resources and Laudato Si’ Reflection Resource (NCR judged LSRR among five “standout” resources that brought that encyclical to life.)
– writing weekly blurbs for her parish (St. Gertrude, Chicago) on Caring for Our Common Home

A National Catholic Reporter‘s Eco Catholic post Feb. 13, 2013 includes this information about Terri’s ministry and website:
“Spirituality of Soil: A Lenten Journey from Cosmic Dust to Easter Garden” is part of the 78-year-old sister’s new online project with EcospiritualityResources.com. Launched in June [2012], her free downloadable resource features both Lenten and Advent reflections and an informational video on hydraulic fracking, “Time for an Energy Change,” that she wrote*. There are YouTube videos, suggested books and contemporary eco-music resources by Kathy Sherman and Jan Novotka. The rich assortment is there for Catholics and Christians to better understand the evolving worldview coming from the new science and new theology “so that they can better integrate their beliefs into that worldview,” she explains on her website. (Cf. http://ncronline.org/blogs/eco-catholic/sisters.)

Lent and Advent resources:  Terri was asked by her sisters to write reflections on water for Lent 2003. After that Terri wrote Lent and Advent material sporadically until 2012, when she completed or updated this material. Since the Sunday Scripture readings follow a three-year cycle, the same focus is revisited each third year: Water, Soil, and Air during Lent, and Light, Spirituality, and Peace during Advent. The booklets are downloadable in order to be both more current and more sustainable than if printed and mailed. Lent 2015 will offer a second theme option: Creation Covenant that deals with species extinctions and the interconnections with ecosystems. The most widely-used group resource is her five-session reflection on Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’.

Media:

• Poor Promises: Faith and the Economy: is a 2-hour program on the Bishops’ Pastoral on the Economy edited from the award-winning 26-part TV series of the same name. The four 1/2 hour segments includes interviews with men and women experts, an arts segment, and input to spark discussion. Topics include Highlights of the Pastoral, The Option for the Poor, Connecting the Eucharist and the Economy, and Actions to Promote Economic Justice. Completed in 1986 (before the bishops were concerned about ecology), it is surprisingly (and sadly) relevant today.

*Time for an Energy Change: This video resulted from the Sisters of the Holy Child’s celebration of their 150th anniversary of coming to the United States. One of the suggestions made to honor this anniversary was to take a united justice focus for the year. Because Cornelia Connelly visited “her own dear country” in Pennsylvania, and used the port at New York, we focused on a problem specific to this area yet also worldwide. Sisters learned about and took action concerning fracking and its impacted on other issues of concern to them. We transitioned to renewable energy sources for our electricity.

Matins, Lauds, and Vespers were written by Terri and turned into videos by Michael Hanson, one of Terri’s students in 1955! Michael’s wife Sharyi collaborated. These three videos were sold (out) with the title Wake to Wonderment.

In/Sight was published in Sacred Journey. Len Sroka created the DVD.

Other videos were done by Terri for the American Province of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus’ Monthly Meditation series.

Suggested Resources:  These brief reviews tell the story of the writer’s experience with material that helped him/her better understand God’s presence in our world, especially in light of new scientific discoveries about creation and the threats to it. It started as a project of the EcoSpirituality Group of the American Province of the SHCJ. Anyone is welcome to send suggestions to Terri for inclusion in this series. Guidelines are available.

Blog: I originally hesitated to take on the responsibility of changing content as often as I assumed a blog had to be updated. But I wanted a way to add current content. The page that became a blog will change as is pertinent and contain material written by me or by others, as the season/timing suggests.

 

 

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