May 2021


Bi-monthly e-newsletter giving witness to our Precious Blood Spirituality,
grounded in Catholic Social Teaching and Gospel values

Miami Valley Meals tour with Sisters of the Precious Blood
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Sister Judy Niday - seed packets_TGW
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Council visits Miami Valley Meals

On March 25, Council made a visit to Miami Valley Meals, a nonprofit organization in Dayton that started as a result of the pandemic. Besides giving recently unemployed chefs a job, unused food from The Foodbank would have a good purpose, and many hungry people would be fed. It started as a collaboration with the House of Bread and has quickly grown to feed many more homeless and other hungry people in the Dayton area. Read More


Welcoming those who seek asylum

With the influx of asylum seekers arriving at our U.S. southern border, volunteers in many cities are mobilizing to greet those arriving by bus. Dayton has answered the call to be a welcoming face to these weary travelers and we CPPS Sisters are not only involved in greeting the buses with information, assistance, water and snacks, diapers, hygiene items, and blankets and coats, but many Sisters have also volunteered to stuff snack bags and prepare bags with diapers and baby wipes that can be handed out.

On a recent Thursday afternoon at Salem Heights, diapers and wipes were laid out on tables according to size, and all was ready for a 1 p.m. “stuffing party.” It was with heartfelt gratitude that I watched each Sister arrive, mostly one by one, and quietly step up to a table and begin bagging diapers. As more Sisters arrived, they were able to work side by side, since our Sisters at our central house in Dayton have received the COVID vaccine. Read More


Sister Margo assists with vaccination efforts

Sister Margo Young recently volunteered at a COVID vaccination center for two days, administering the Moderna vaccine. It was a drive-through event sponsored by Dignity Health in California. Sister Margo commented, “More than 4,000 people a day were vaccinated with their second dose over the five-day clinic. The surrounding community is diversely of color. It was long, tiring days but enormously gratifying.”

As a physician, Sister Margo was last year’s recipient of the St. Luke Award from the Diocese of San Bernardino in California. She continues to provide support for area projects in San Bernardino related to low-income housing initiatives and mental health services for youth. Read More


Garden-to-Go kits

Last spring as the pandemic came upon us, volunteering was halted at Five Rivers MetroParks, located here in the Dayton area. New ways of doing things in and with nature grew. A program called the Virtual Victory Garden was created, and “Garden-to-Go” kits were provided to 370 families in need. The kits include seeds, seedlings and planting information.

MetroParks is now continuing this activity, providing volunteers with 500 envelopes and various seeds to fill them. I have done dahlia, collard and marigold seeds. On a recent Saturday, I asked some Sisters to help me fill the envelopes with cucumber seeds (pictured above).

I have been volunteering with MetroParks for three years (pictured, right). Before the pandemic, I helped children ages 3-10 and 12-16 at Wegerzyn Gardens and Possum Creek with planting, weeding, harvesting, and preparing and eating a meal from the produce. At a mitigation area, I helped plant native trees and shrubs after invasive honeysuckle was taken out of the area. Read More


EarthLinks: For people and the planet

Let’s say you live in Denver, Colorado. Wait — to live somewhere usually implies you have a permanent address, probably a phone — and you don’t have those things, because you’re homeless. Or let’s say you used to live on the street, but recently you were able to rent a small room. The shared bathroom is down the hall, the hot water is usually cool, the room is about 6 feet by 6 feet. Read More


Memorial service for victims of homicide

Daily statistics from the coronavirus pandemic can lead to insensitivity as regards other deaths. Such could easily happen in the case of homicidal deaths. A significant part of our mission as members of the Community Homicide Prayer Vigils has been our presence at the sites of the homicides, where we pray after a homicide has occurred. Restrictions on public gatherings have meant that we could no longer go to those sites. Read More



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