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by Sr. Sharon Anne Legere, FSP Sister Helena Raphael Burns entered the Daughters of St. Paul 18 years ago. When asked why she entered this particular congregation, she said, "I felt God calling me to a spiritual mission because I felt people’s spiritual needs are just as great, if not greater, than their physical needs. I wanted to help Average Joes and Josephines like myself. I know what it’s like to search for truth. I felt the media and personal contact was a great way to touch people’s minds and hearts directly. I wanted to give people God. And I loved the Daughters of St. Paul’s blend of action and contemplation." Since her entrance, Sr. Helena has worked in typesetting and pre-press and has been stationed in Chicago, Miami, Toronto and New Orleans. She has also worked much with young women attracted to the Pauline way of life. Now she is deeply involved giving workshops on Contemporary Christian Music as part of her mission of evangelizing with the media of communication. It all started six years ago when Sr. Helena and her community in Toronto were brainstorming for new ways to evangelize teen-agers. Sr. Helena says that music is all pervasive in the life of teens and so it seemed right to use Christian music as a primary tool for sharing God’s love and salvation with young people. Sr. Helena believes music can help support young people’s relationship with Jesus and the Church, as well as shape and strengthen their world view as Christians. After all..."faith comes through hearing...and what is heard is the word of Christ!" (Rom 10:17). Sr. Helena goes to schools and parishes, Evangelization, Catechetical and Youth Ministry conventions. With samples of Christian recordings and Christian music videos she engages young people in a dialogue about contemporary music, the Church’s use of media, the Church and contemporary music forms, and an introduction to Contemporary Christian Music. Admission is free and there are prizes and giveaways throughout the production. Sr. Helena says the response is positive. Some of the teens go away hooked on the new Christian music and tell others about it. "They’re evangelizing one another," she says. One of the guiding thoughts that fuels Sr. Helena in her out-reach to youth is the words of Pope John Paul II: "The mysteries of faith and the transcendent truth about humanity can be presented with great power by the arts.... In our own day there are new art forms which are not restricted to static depictions in paint, plaster and stone. "Can the epic of Christian faith and love not also be told in an attractive way via these forms—on TV and cinema screens, via the radio and recordings? What more should Christians be doing to inspire and stimulate today’s media to create masterpieces...which can deeply touch the human heart?"
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