December 2019
Immaculate Heart Community
News Notes
Christmas Hospitality “We see the tracks of entire families forced to set out in our own day,” Francis said, describing the Gospel story of Jesus and Mary being forced to set out for Bethlehem, where Mary would eventually give birth to the baby Jesus. “We see the tracks of millions of persons who do not choose to go away, but driven from their land, leave behind their dear ones,” the pope said. “In many cases this departure is filled with hope, hope for the future; yet for many others this departure can only have one name: survival. “Mary and Joseph, for whom there was no room, are the first to embrace the One who comes to give all of us our document of citizenship.” “The faith we proclaim makes us see God present in all those situations where we think he is absent,” the pope said. “He is present in the unwelcomed visitor, often unrecognizable, who walks through our cities and our neighborhoods, who travels on our buses and knocks on our doors.” In the teeth of those realities, Francis called for a “new social imagination,” one that welcomes newcomers rather than ostracizing them. “This same faith impels us to make space for a new social imagination, and not to be afraid of experiencing new forms of relationship, in which none have to feel that there is no room for them on this earth,” Francis said. The pope argued that Christians are obliged by their origins to show hospitality for today’s displaced persons, including immigrants and refugees. “In this Child, God invites us to be messengers of hope,” he said. “He invites us to become sentinels for all those bowed down by the despair born of encountering so many closed doors.” “In this child, God makes us agents of his hospitality. John Allen, National Catholic Reporter Pope Francis, Christmas message 2017, excerpt.
December 2019
Contents Page 2 Christmas Blessings Ethel Swain Joann Connors Page 3, 4, 5 Corita Art Center Page 6 Casa Esperanza Page 7 Kenmore Residence La Casa de Maria Page 8 Message from the President Page 9 Judy Vaughn Page 10 LA Times: Letter to the Editor Page 11, 12, 13 Helen Kelly Page 14 Prayers & Messages Birthdays Back Page Save the Date
December 2019
Christmas Blessings Vice president
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory‌the son who came from the Father, full of Grace and Truth. --- John 1:14 As the years roll by it seems to me after the first Sunday in Advent that Christmas seems to come faster and faster, like a celestial speed-up of time. And as we resist the commercialism of the season in favor of opening our hearts to others, we begin to get a glimpse of the joy and love the Christ intends for us all. As we mature spiritually, we find ourselves experiencing much more joy in giving rather than receiving. We look forward to opportunities to spread compassion and uplift the spirits of those around us. May the peace and love of the season fill your hearts this Christmas. may the blessings of Christmas warm your hearts all year long. No matter the chaos in the external world, rest assured the spirit of Christ is with us. He came in peace and His peace is with us still. Have a Blessed Christmas as we trust in hope for a better world in the New Year. Victoria Berry, Vice President
Ethel Swain Celebrates Her 100th Birthday
One hundred years ago, on December 23, 1919, Ethel Swain began her wonderful life in Denver, Colorado. In 1986, before her junior year in high school, she entered the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart. An artist (painting, sculpture, needlepoint, banner-making) and primary teacher/administrator, Ethel has been known for her creativity, sense of humor, outgoing personality, and love of community. She has blessed us all with her stories, her ready smile, and her warm embrace. We bless Ethel on this milestone with love and gratitude for her devotion to our Community and ministries. Happy birthday, dearest Ethel!
A Surprise Visit!
On Saturday, November 9th three IHMs traipsed out to Yucaipa to take Joann Connors out for lunch on her birthday. Maria Arroyo drove Pauline & Moira to surprise Joann with a birthday visit. Each of them enjoyed talking about their many years of working together at the Center for Spiritual Renewal. That restaurant rewards birthday celebrants with an allAmerican hat. Joann is just as fun as she ever was. This was a very Happy Birthday day in Yucaipa land due to the love and devotion among friends.
December 2019
Corita Art Center It feels very kismet that this month of reflection and gratitude is also my one-year anniversary as Director of the Corita Art Center. It washard not to get misty-eyed on my way to the chambers to accept recognition on behalf of one of the most courageous and creative spirits of the last century. At the podium, I was inspired by Karol’s beautiful words that our North Star is the ‘stirring up of hope.’ What an honor to be Corita’s champion. I feel so fortunate to work with such an incredible team and to align with partners that truly go the extra mile at every turn. The larger team fueled the fire to make such a notable month happen with their passion for the possible. Below is a glance of highlights from this last month by the team that I would like to happily share: •
While in Louisville, Kentucky for a conference, Annette Ciketic and Casa Esperanza Director, Jaren Sorkow visit an exhibition coordinated between CAC team and the Muhammad Ali Center titled Corita Kent: Heroes and Sheroes
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Hollywood Forever Cemetery Dia de los Muertos in partnership with Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) entitled Corita Art Center x Chirla: Amar La Justicia which drew over 30,000 attendees.
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Acknowledgement of Corita Day in LA on November 20th, with public commendation ceremonies from both Councilman Ryu’s office and Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas for Los Angeles County. This was brought together with teams working over 5 months to successfully coordinate.
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CSULA Design Class presentation on Corita and historical importance of the art department at Immaculate Heart College.
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A reboot of the Immaculate Heart College’s “Great Men Series” to “Great Human Series” - we sold over 260 tickets and created millions of impressions thanks to marketing and PR efforts, along with a large increase in website traffic and social media followers brought together by a digital “happening” celebrating #CoritaDayinLA with partners and enthusiasts around the world.
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We also built a series of partnerships including an advertising partnership with KCRW partnership that resulted in an additional 9-minute feature on Corita’s importance to the visual landscape of Los Angeles.
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We released a t-shirt in partnership with Art Girl Rising that places Corita’s name alongside other notable female artists such as Ray Eames, Hilma af Klint, Elaine Lustig Cohen and Faith Ringgold. The shirt is sustainably sourced and raises money for Corita Art Center with each purchase.
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We released of MoMA 2020 Calendar and Think Big, Little One, a board book for young children featuring Corita alongside women of historical note.
What a November! Now we turn our heads to the year ahead. There is a quote about December that I would like to share from Corita’s 1969 article for Ladies Home Journal, titled “We Need Decembers.” It perfectly summarizes the end of this decade, fifty years later. It sparks hope for the future and animates our call to action for 2020. “…we need Decembers - and don’t really care what time of year they come because they promise Spring...”
Nellie Scott, Director of the Corita Art Center
December 2019
The City and County of Los Angeles Name November 20th “Corita Day” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Councilman David Ryu Honor the Iconic Pop Artist and Educator Corita Kent with Designation (Los Angeles, CA, November 14th)
The Los Angeles City Council and the County Board of Supervisors will declare Wednesday, November 20th "Corita Day" in Los Angeles, California at their respective meetings this week. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will present the resolution to the Board of Supervisors and Councilman David Ryu will announce it for the Los Angeles City Council to approve. Corita Kent was an iconic pop artist and influential educator. Her legacy in Los Angeles lives on at the Corita Art Center in Hollywood, which invites the public to see Corita's vibrant issues-based art firsthand. “The Immaculate Heart College art department became a thriving creative and engaged community under Corita’s direction in the ‘60s and the reverberation of her art, teachings and passion for social justice continue to inspire folks across Los Angeles today,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. “Her legacy, stewarded admirably by the Corita Art Center, is so deserving of recognition and we are pleased to work to celebrate this important day.” "Corita Kent moved to Hollywood in 1923 and remained here for 45 years, becoming an important fixture in the community,” said Councilman Ryu. "Corita’s stamp on the city of Los Angeles is evident today in both the people she inspired and her artwork- proudly displayed at the Corita Art Center. I am pleased to introduce this resolution to honor Corita’s legacy in the community on the date that would have been her 101st birthday.”
L+R: Nellie Scott, Family of Corita Kent Linda Kent, IHC President Karol Schulkin, Councilman David Ryu, Family of Corita Kent Pam Hoff, and Bob Kent
December 2019
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Corita Art Center Director Nellie Scott, IHC President Karol Schulkin, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, IHC Executive Director Linda Alexander, Supervisor Janice Hahn.
L+R IHC Media & Marketing Beatina Theopold, Director of Corita Art Center Nellie Scott, IHC President Karol Schulkin, IHM Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, IHC Executive Director Linda
“Corita tremendously affected the art and impact space in Los Angeles with her progressive thinking and cultivated views on art and activism,” says the Corita Art Center Director Nellie Scott. “She was a true pioneer, an inspiring educator and an immensely talented artist. We are proud to see her honored in this way.” Born in 1918, Francis Elizabeth Kent entered the Order of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the age of 18, taking the name Sister Mary Corita. There, she trained as an art teacher and was inspired to begin creating her own pieces. Through her bold and colorful serigraphs, Corita shared ideas about faith, love, hope and justice, challenging racial and economic inequality at home, protesting the war abroad, standing up for the rights of women and girls, and pushing boundaries in the church and the art world. While teaching in the art department at Immaculate Heart College, Corita helped transform the tiny college into a creative enclave. She encouraged her students to engage with the world beyond the classroom both artistically and socially, hosting events including the “Great Men Series,” at which Buckminster Fuller, Charles Eames, John Cage and many other illustrious lecturers spoke. By the late-1960s, Sister Corita had become a household name. The Los Angeles Times named Corita one of the “Women of the Year” in 1966 and in 1967, Newsweek featured her on the cover with the headline, “The Nun: Going Modern”. In 1968, Corita took a dispensation of her vows and relocated to Boston. Corita Kent, as she was known for the last 18 years of her life, continued her pioneering pop art screen prints, but also began working in watercolors and undertaking public art commissions.
by Colleen Dunn, Elle Communications
December 2019
New Art & New Staff at Casa Esperanza
Mural created by staff and Georgia Van Cuylenburg.
On November 11, we transformed the previously drab back wall of Casa Esperanza into a wonderful mural. The project was led by our staff and Georgia Van Cuylenburg. Georgia is the founder of Arts Bridging the Gap, a nonprofit that provides arts education to undeserved communities. Georgia has helped produce several murals for the LAPD, and when the LAPD found out about our renewed focus on arts education, they connected us to her. The mural is the second mural we have completed in the last six months, following the mural we finished in our Multipurpose Room in the summer. We are excited about continuing our mural efforts and plan to expand our projects in 2020. I am excited to announce that Kristy Sandoval, one of the artists who was instrumental in the completion of our mural in the summer, is now our full time Volunteer and Program Coordinator. This position was open for several months, as we were searching for someone who had experience with program development, was familiar with our area, and was dedicated to the mission. Needless to say, Kristy fits all these characteristics. Kristy is a Los Angeles native who grew up Pacoima, close by Casa Esperanza, and has dedicated her career to activism. In 2015, she was the first woman to participate in the Mural Istanbul Festival. While there she worked on a second project where a design workshop was facilitated with Syrian refugee children in collaboration with the American Consulate and a nearby ASSAM center. Soon after, she was presented with the Phenomenal Woman Award in 2016 by the Department of Gender & Women's Studies at Cal State University Northridge. Welcome to the Casa Esperanza and the Immaculate Heart Community family, Kristy. The holiday season brings about several traditions for us, including our annual Posada event. For those unfamiliar, Posada is a 9-day Mexican Christmas tradition based on the biblical journey of Mary and Joseph and their search of safe place, or inn, to stay before the birth of Jesus. As part of the event, we will be having a toy give away for youth, facilitated by the LAPD. If anyone is interested in donating for the Posada, or for other events, please don’t hesitate to contact me at Jaren@casaesperanzaihm.org. Happy Holidays! Jaren Sorkow Director of Casa Esperanza
December 2019
Amahl Visits the Residence As part of our homespun Christmas festivities, we have decided to produce ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’, with some taking the principal roles & others the shepherds’ chorus. (I wonder if we can get the mini goats back for the performance, as stand-ins for sheep?) As you know, “Amahl” is an opera, but we’ll convert it to a musical, with most dialogue spoken rather than sung, and all of us singing together the main songs. We know its ambitious, and may require a good bit of lip-synching, but it will be our gift to ourselves. We’ll use a projector and screen to backlight our action with changing scenes. We’ll find common objects around the Residence for our props. We’ll use dish towels for the shepherds’ headpieces, and we’ll each raid our own collection of vintage costume jewelry to outfit the three kings. Amahl and his mother, well, we know we can piece them together. It is a worthwhile exercise to create a world of joy using the basic stuff of life. This little opera is about just that: a poor widow and her crippled boy, making room in their hut for the Three Magi en route to Bethlehem. They marvel at the licorice, spices & finery, and yet they still give what they can to the poor one in a manger destined to insist the kingdom of heaven is all around. Spoiler Alert: Amahl is so intent on a gift, he decides he will present the baby Jesus with his crutch. “Look, mother! I can walk!” We all can do without the crutch, no? This Christmas at the Residence, we are happy in proportion to the things we can do without. - Henry David Thoreau Deidra Goulding Director of Kenmore Residence
Autumn’s Bounty at La Casa de Maria
“A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose. Loveliness extreme.” - Gertrude Stein, excerpt from Sacred bushesEmily and
We’ve been working hard to trim back the oaks, hedges, brush and have cleaned up the back acreage and swale. The property is well coiffed and looks amazing. The CET crew works exceptionally well in these cooler weather conditions and I’m so grateful for the CA State and Federal funds which have given us so much aid through the worst of times and for continuing to support us through the end of this year. In addition to our sweet and juicy oranges, we’ve got apples, pomegranates and delicious persimmons ripening (I’ve had a few!). In Jan, our avocados will be ripe as well we will have a crew from Backyard Bounty back to pick the crop for donation to Santa Barbara Food Bank. I attended a Santa Barbara County Meeting on Nov 4 about Randall Road water basin. The County has already committed 5MM to the project in which they anticipate completion by Fall 2021. There’s lots of fundraising to do but everyone working on the project is very confident of its success. On our end, an end of the year appeal was craftily put together by Beatina – what a great job! Watch your mailbox and email! Cindy Faith Swain Retreat Manager
December 2019
Medicare and Beyond From now through December 7, 2019 is the open enrollment period during which you can make changes to your Medicare coverage. Supplemental Medi-Gap policies can also be purchased from private insurance carriers. Medi-Gap or supplemental policies are useful to those who are on traditional Medicare, not Medicare Advantage programs. If you have traditional Medicare, the supplemental coverage of a Medi-Gap policy provides better coverage than Medicare alone and usually results in lower out-of-pocket expenses, outside of the monthly premium. Another form of insurance that can be helpful to seniors are long term care (LTC) insurance plans, as Medicare does not cover them. It’s important to consider an LTC policy before you need it, usually between the ages of 45 and 65. When considering purchasing an LTC insurance policy, you should consider your income level, and compare what you would pay towards a policy versus investing or saving that money. Make sure you read the policy carefully and understand the type of care and coverage you are paying for. LTC insurance policies are not limited to open enrollment periods and can be purchased any time of year. If you make less than $22,000 per year, you may qualify for government programs that will assist you in paying for your LTC needs. You may also qualify for Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid, which is health insurance for low income persons. Some people associate Medi-Cal with welfare, but it also serves as a supplemental insurance for low-income Medicare beneficiaries. I will cover more specifics about Medi-Cal eligibility and the benefits and programs available through Medi-Cal in next month’s news notes. If you would like more information, please call me 213-388-5783 x 201 or via email at dtraboulsi@ihmresidence.org Denise Traboulsi, MSW IHC Care Coordinator
LA Times Letter to the Editor
Inmate Firefighter Save Lives. Let Them Find Work After Release As a volunteer who regularly visits Fire Camp 13 deep in the mountains near Malibu, I can attest to the valuable human resource these female firefighters offer to our society. Devoted, skilled, generous and brave, these women have found new personal dignity and worth in the incredible devotion they bring to the people they serve. (“Inmates risking their lives to fight California’s wildfires deserve a chance at full-time jobs,” editorial, Nov. 1) They are not the same people they were when they were arrested for nonviolent crimes. Despite a state law that prevents them from doing so, they deserve the opportunity to apply their new skills in an area where their expertise is urgently needed. Last year, these women fought the Woolsey Fire, first trying to save their own camp engulfed in flames, and then the homes of their neighbors like me. I trust them completely. Submitted by Nan Cano, IHM
December 2019
Forever Grateful to Helen and the IHC Community
“A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose. Loveliness extreme.” - Gertrude Stein, excerpt from Sacred Emily
Helen Kelley, IHM With Msgr Jeremiah Murphy
On one of the hottest weekends in Chicago during the summer of 1995, Judy Molosky came to visit. She just happened to mention that the Immaculate Heart Community had a home on Alexandria Avenue that they were hoping to use for women and children. Anxious to return to my home city of Los Angeles after working in Chicago for nine years, I thought to myself: “I would like to offer a proposal for the use of this house.” It was, and continues to be, such an amazing and generous offer. I met with Helen in early 1996 to share the idea of creating a house of hospitality that would serve as a transitional residence for women and children who are homeless, a neighborhood center, and a base for doing theological reflection and systemic change work. She listened, offered some ideas, and then invited me to share the proposal at the next meeting of the Immaculate Heart Community. I am forever grateful for the “yes” and thus Alexandria House was born. We opened our doors on September 21, 1996. Helen served on the Advisory Circle, along with IHM community members Lenore Dowling and Socorro Meza, and ten other women. Helen was a member of the initial Board and rarely missed a meeting though she frequently reminded me how much she did not like them. Helen also volunteered in the early days, taking residents to appointments and meetings. She was our “lyft driver” long before such a service existed. Women who rode with her still remember to this day Helen’s wit and wisdom, along with the fact she was always on time! Over the years we have offered hospitality to more than 200 families, many of whom are still connected to the Alexandria House community. Ninety-three percent still remain in permanent housing. A number of women who are part of the Alexandria House Alumnae speak out at meetings, public hearings, and demonstrations about the systemic injustices that keep women and children living in poverty. We are an integral part of our neighborhood and are always looking for new ways to strengthen this bond. All of this because of the vision and leadership of Helen, and the commitment of the Immaculate Heart Community members. All of this (and more to come) because you said “yes.” On the opening day in 1996, those who gathered to bless Alexandria House prayed: May this house continue to be a place where miracles happen, and where Lives are changed forever by the love that exists. We count on Helen’s spirit and the IHM community love and support to continue to make miracles happen.
Judy Vaughan Founding Director of Alexandria House
December 2019
Frances is Living Elsewhere Now A poem in honor of Frances Snyder, IHM Some years ago Frances told me, “You have a poet’s heart.” I demurred, though excited by the possibility it were true. Last year she insisted, “Write me a poem at the time of my death.” And so I have. It was her belief in the specialness of each one of us that was her power. She looked deeply at us, seeing as “actual” what we might otherwise name “perhaps.” Eye to eye, tho bend we must to be her equal, she met us with a kiss, a gnarled hand gentle to our cheek. Her greeting a blessing, a welcome of the heart. When Frances asked, “How are you?” it was not a 5cent on the-run inquiry. No. Her ask a blue-eyed laser beam wrapped in love, cutting through pretense and pretend, to “the real”. What were we involved in? What did we care about these days? What were we reading? About it all she cared too, repeating our story to another and theirs to us, cross pollinating, honey for the comb, food for our common journey. Frances was ever a teacher, to large classes or a class of one. Consider the facts, know history, stretch your mind, open your heart. Facilitator, Board member, organizer, advocate, her reach crossed boundaries of race, culture, spirituality, age. Toward the end her body limited her mobility but not her mind. Her spirit grew more active, inquisitive…. Exploring new realms of theology, spirituality and practice. A frequent question: “What are you reading now?” Amazon became her magic carpet. She began shrinking before our very eyes, lightening up, giving away belongings and treasures, simplifying…needing less in the time of her new fullness. At night now when I step outside to have a word with the moon, I sometimes see a star twinkling its bright smallness, and I remember Frances. She who always asked the best of us, offering her own musings and her widen-your-heart questions. Now she has entered a larger brightness. Shine on dear friend. We hold you in our hearts.
Karol Schulkin, IHM President November 16, 2019
December 2019
Prayer Requests and Messages Dear Hearts, Please let Community members know that Joe is now in the hospital so that the staff can help him work through the pain until the inflammation in his back subsides. We hope he will be able to get enough rest to be able to heal and go home soon. With Appreciation, Mary Corlei Prieto will be having surgery on Monday, December 9. She is Anna Maria’s niece and the whole family is requesting your continual prayers for this day. Please pray for Donna Stueck, Julie Friese’s sister, who has been in the hospital for the past 10 days with complications from a serious infection. Prayers for the doctors to discover the right treatment too. Gratefully, Julie Friese, IHM Nelson Small is recovering from open heart surgery, He thanks you for your powerful prayers for his recovery and is home now. Theresa di Rocco’s niece Laurine had hip replacement surgery Nov. 19th at St. Vincent Hospital in Los Angeles. Please send your powerful prayers for her and her surgeons as well. She is home and doing well. My dear Michael was supposed to have had a two-hour heart procedure at Cedars that turned out to take seven hours. It was successful, and he is fine. He and I would like to thank you for your powerful prayers. Thank you, Tristine Rainer, IHM My sincere thanks to each and every one of you who promised to pray for Martha; who phoned, sent cards, attended the Memorial service and had Masses offered for her The memorial service was beautiful and meaningful thanks to your attendance and participation—Martha would have loved it! She is home now and at peace. Alleluia! Gratefully, Gloria One hundred years ago, on December 23, 1919, Ethel Swain began her wonderful life in Denver, Colorado. In 1986, before her junior year in high school, she entered the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart. An artist (painting, sculpture, needlepoint, banner-making) and primary teacher/administrator, Ethel has been known for her creativity, sense of humor, outgoing personality, and love of community. She has blessed us all with her stories, her ready smile, and her warm embrace. We bless Ethel on this milestone with love and gratitude for her devotion to our Community and ministries. Happy birthday, dearest Ethel!
December Birthdays 1 13 14 20 23
Charmaine Aghill Catherine A. Smith Christine Monroe Ruth Anne Murray Ethel Swain
24 Frances Lester 26 Jean Scott 27 Michael Jones 27 Kathryn Clare 29 Diane Greenberg
December 2019
Eulogy Helen Kelley, IHM Helen Kelley came to the Immaculate Heart Community with intelligence and devotion both keenly tested in her 94 years. The day she entered, though, was fraught with indecision. She recalls: “The day I entered the convent, August 26, 1945 was the longest day of my life. I spent the afternoon at the drugstore soda fountain across the street from the Hollywood motherhouse and college, downing coffee and trying to finish off the last of my cigarettes. Waste not, want not, I thought.” …. After prayers in the chapel she joined two dozen young women for the 90-mile trip to the novitiate in Montecito. Her car, driven by Sister Regis, stalled on the way and she arrived last. She almost asked for carfare home. “By the end of the day I had made the beginnings of friendships that endure to the present; I discovered that I was living in twenty six acres of earthly paradise in which flourished half the trees and plants cited in the Bible; and I had fallen under the sway of Mother Regina, our novice mistress--one of the most complete, most adult, most human beings to mark my life. From the end of that day, I never seriously entertained the question of leaving. And it certainly never occurred to me that I might be asked to leave.” In 1991, looking back on those convent years, Kelley realized that “the conventual experience set a fire under my moral imagination.” She lit that same fire within her Immaculate Heart College students. As college president Sister William considered the defense of academic freedom central to intellectual integrity. Every semester she faced archdiocesan scrutiny over required readings, faculty assignments, speakers, events. She encouraged student opinions, freethinking from faculty including sisters, engagement in public forums and individual political expression. The stream of letters from the chancery forbade all of this noting “immature assessments by students should not be made.” When Mother Humiliata, PhD , (Anita Caspary) was invited to speak on Mauriac by the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, Cardinal McIntyre demanded that a lay professor be sent in her stead. Sister William, with determination and restraint, replied: “I can say in all honesty that there is no lay professor on our staff who could lecture on the subject of Francois Mauriac with the same depth or skill that Reverend Mother would bring to the subject. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that there is no one in southern California, in Catholic or secular universities, who would be as qualified as she. I will, of course, abide by our recommendation, if this continues to be your wish, although it will be embarrassing both to us and to the University of Judaism. With every wish to cooperate in a difficult situation, I am Faithfully yours in Christ, Sister Mary William, I.H.M. President” Mother Humiliata spoke. I see her in those years with a flower crown on her veiled head, joyfully marching in the Mary's Day parade down the hill when we declared Mary was the juiciest tomato of them all. I see her marching erectly down the auditorium aisle for convocation, her very stride communicating that this, young ladies, was extraordinary. Pay attention. Her first convocation speech affected the lives of every one of us who heard it. This excerpt echoes in our hearts 56
December 2019
“Don’t let anyone persuade you that things are or recently were as good as they can become. We are still on the pesky side of paradise and there is a great deal more to be done—more to be changed, to be risked, to be chosen—before the city of man achieves its destined likeness to the city of God. Choose life—only that, and always, and at whatever risk. Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. To let life leak out, to let it wear away by the mere passage of time, to withhold giving it and spending it is to choose nothing. The ultimate betrayal of your education is to refuse to choose life with all the anguish and terror and delight and peace which are attendant upon that choice.” – Helen Kelley, IHM She delivered that speech weeks before President Kennedy was assassinated 56 years ago today. The 1960’s were halcyon years for the college, horrifying ones for our country facing assassinations, civil rights abuses, and the Vietnam War. She helped students travel to the South for voter registration drives. She sent us out energetically to work in campaign offices saying we would love it and did we have money for gas? Kelley empowered the college women, to march, to write, to show up. She did. We did. We still do. After the complete rejection of their post Vatican II reforms for relevance in the contemporary world, 225 Immaculate Heart Sisters, cheered on by Helen, created a new lay, ecumenical community in March 1970. Helen embraced our new community with its potential for good. However, its traumatic beginning left unresolved rage within her. To make sense of the life she chose dissolving as she lived it, Helen wrote: “I write so that rage will not die in me. Why rage? It can be and was energizing for us. How else does one summon up the courage to do what is necessary in the face of powers, popes and respecters? How else cast out demons with whom we had been living in eerie comfort for so many generations? How else call a halt to the witting and unwitting complicity in forming false consciences in generation after generation of young Catholics--all in the name of a higher virtue?” Her rage was tempered by prayer. “I can't see how a life of prayer that is not identified with the plight of the oppressed can be good. I also, don’t see how a life devoted to social wrongs without prayer can be good. Some things must remain: Building in prayer must be one of them. I for one, never really learned to pray--never found my way down to my starved center so that prayer sprang up uncalled and unstoppable. In the context of rape of nuns by priests in Rwanda and the acknowledged pedophilia of clerics in many nations, Helen reflected honestly: “I take no satisfaction in the Church's misery and disarray. From infancy I have inhabited the Church, the Church has inhabited me; I am in and around and surrounded by the Church; I am the Church. But I am tormented by the question: how will God, who entrusted the Church to protect and prolong the Gospel of a loving Jesus, how will God judge me if I, who am the Church, do not cry out that the Church, far from being infallible, is incredible?” Ultimately, even as the college closed, Kelley offered an exuberant wish for all of us: ”This is my wish for you and for me: that we may be counted among the mad great--among those who have by love and learning been misfit for that part of our world which is cheap, exploitative, comfortable and despairing. And is that necessary? I call that religion. And I say yes, it is”.
December 2019
Helen Kelley was more than her intellect. She was a woman. She was a great friend, a loving aunt who enjoyed babies, dogs, listening to the children play at Alexandria House from our deck. She missed her IHM sisters, especially Mary Gerald, Anita, and Corita. Of Corita, she said: “She had the habit of attentiveness. I learned that from her. Not to the degree that she had it, but that is what disciples are for.” She missed the afternoons she and Gerald hiked up their habits, tied back their veils and played serious tennis. In the last years, so much drifted away...her small, pleasures in a good smoke and a good drink, her vision, her ability to use a phone. But beloved Esperanza watched her with love every day and arranged her beautiful white hair and got her close to the tv where she relished Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow, who, she was pretty sure, went to the college. Thank you, Esperanza, staff and IHM residents who showered her with tender mercies. She told me she hoped the girls from the college would sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic at her funeral and that I was to see it. So, give it all you've got. She would be so happy that 2 alumnae, Patty Sikorski and Andrea Martinez-Gonzalez, are providing today’s music. Our new candidate, Allis Druffel, is also singing. Not long ago she asked if I had been on campus lately. She meant our old campus, of course. “Yes, I have,” I told her. “The front lawn is green and Gramps just planted new flowers on the way up to the library. The admin building has fresh paint and the library is lovely. I saw a deer just as I left.” Kelley perked up. “I know that deer! She comes out just as I leave my office late every day. Rabbits come out, too. She was there again, breathing in the college. John Donne tells us that, “Our life is but a parenthesis, our receiving of soul, and delivering it back again, makes up the perfect sentence; Christ is Alpha and Omega, and our Alpha and Omega is all we are to consider." Helen Kelley's life was a wonderfully constructed sentence, full of honest language, consistent voice, a variety of passionate clauses with an inspirational ending. Nan Cano, IHM November 22, 2019
Mother Humiliata + Sister M. William
December 2019
LA Times: Letter to the Editor It is sad to read of the desperation of parents who send their children unaccompanied to this land of plenty, hoping for their safety and union with family. The young immigrants are trying to escape the dreadful, life-threatening conditions in the camps at the border in search of security with their relatives who live in the United States. There is disorder and delay at the border because refugees who legally have a right to seek asylum are now forced to remain in Mexico. Does our system have the means to unite children with relatives who are in the U.S.? It is an indictment of our government’s “remain in Mexico” policy and an indictment of policymakers and immigration officials that the unaccompanied children who languish in U.S. custody are in limbo, separated from their parents, having crossed the bridge alone, but unable to join relatives in the U.S. Lenore Navarro Dowling, IHM
LA Times Letter to the Editor
Inmate Firefighter Save Lives. Let Them Find Work After Release
As a volunteer who regularly visits Fire Camp 13 deep in the mountains near Malibu, I can attest to the valuable human resource these female firefighters offer to our society. Devoted, skilled, generous and brave, these women have found new personal dignity and worth in the incredible devotion they bring to the people they serve. (“Inmates risking their lives to fight California’s wildfires deserve a chance at full-time jobs,” editorial, Nov. 1) They are not the same people they were when they were arrested for nonviolent crimes. Despite a state law that prevents them from doing so, they deserve the opportunity to apply their new skills in an area where their expertise is urgently needed. Last year, these women fought the Woolsey Fire, first trying to save their own camp engulfed in flames, and then the homes of their neighbors like me. I trust them completely. Submitted by Nan Cano, IHM
December 2019
Immaculate Heart Community 5515 Franklin Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323)466-2157
News Notes is published by and for members of the Immaculate Heart Community Editors: Victoria Berry, IHM, Lenore Dowling, IHM, Rose Chamberlin, IHM Production: Nickie Strother If you would like to submit something for publication in January New Notes, please submit your article and/or information no later than December 15th to Nickie Strother (Production) at nickie.strother@ihworks.org and Victoria Berry at vberry@ihmoffice.org. Printed on Recycled paper
Save The Date December 6 Board of Trustees Meeting
The Nonprofit Partnership 4900 E. Conant Street, Bldg O, Upstairs Long Beach, CA
December 25 MERRY CHRISTMAS! December 31 Happy New Year's Eve January 4 Board of Trustees Meeting IHC Office January 25 Theresa Di Rocco's Mass 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Mary Star of the Sea Church, 570 W 8th St. San Pedro 90731 *IHC Office will be closed December 25th through New Year’s Day in observance of the Holidays*