Intercom
Volume I, 2022
S i s t e r s
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C h a r i t y
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C i n c i n n at i
A Letter From Our Sister
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Leadership
“Were not our hearts burning within us …” Dear Sisters, Associates and Friends,
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he story of the two despondent disciples encountering Jesus as they made their way together from Jerusalem to Emmaus is a familiar one. Stories of journeying and being on the way together have been central to the Christian faith and imagination since its very beginnings. Throughout the Gospels, we follow Jesus as he walks with his disciples through the countryside of Judea. No doubt, each of us can tell our own stories of encounters with God in the journey of our lives when our hearts burned inside of us.
Contents Features Justice Seekers.................................... 6-7 Sisters, Associate attend Title 42 rally in Washington, D.C. Hazard Yet Forward............................ 8-9 S. Delia Sizler’s call to meet unmet needs. When the Holy Spirit Comes Knocking....................................... 12-13 S. Juana Mendez follows her heart. Counting Her Blessings.................. 16-17 S. Roslyn Hafertepe reflects on her years in community and ministry. Called to Community..........................19 Associate Mariela Jaen lives the SC mission. A Patron Saint for the United Stations.......................................... 22-23 Elizabeth Seton – a saint for everyone.
Departments Timeless Treasures..................................3 San Felipe de Neri in Albuquerque, New Mexico Living Laudato Si’.......................... 10-11 Laudato Si’ Action Platform EarthConnection.................................18 Protecting Our Earth On the Cover: S. Juana Mendez (center) has been ministering as pastoral associate at St. Michael parish in Cleveland, Ohio since 2020. Read more on pages 12-13. Disclaimer: The information contained in Intercom is intended for general information and educational purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are the views of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.
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One can look at this issue of Intercom as a collection of the journey stories of Sisters of Charity over the decades. We begin in colonial America with Elizabeth Seton and the case for naming her – a convert, mother, founder and educator – the patron saint for the United States. The account of the founding of San Felipe de Neri School in Old Town, Albuquerque offers a glimpse into the journey of two immigrants, Sisters Blandina Segale and Pauline Leo, as they journeyed to meet the needs of the pioneer West. S. Blandina also figures large in the story of the early years of Santa Maria and its mission to serve the poor and marginalized in Cincinnati. Stories of more contemporary journeys include S. Roslyn Hafertepe’s look back through the years and articles about S. Juana Mendez’s return north to minister to the poor in the Cleveland area and S. Delia Sizler’s ministries through the years, including accompanying the poor in Cincinnati. Our focus shifts to the future in the articles about the Synod on Synodality and the Sisters of Charity Statement regarding the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Journeys are meaningful, even life changing, not because of the miles traveled but because of the people and places we encounter along the way. In his homily opening the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis calls us to be mindful that, “Every encounter … calls for openness, courage and a willingness to let ourselves be challenged by the presence and the stories of others.” Journey well. S. Joanne Burrows, SC In Memoriam Please visit “In Memoriam” at www.srcharitycinti.org for biographical information and reflections on the Sisters of Charity and Associates who have died. May our Sisters and Associates enjoy the fruits of their labor as well as peace with their God. S. John Michael Geis February 18, 2022
S. Rita Schmutte December 21, 2021
S. Margaret Marie Anthony December 30, 2021
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Timeless Treasures:
San Felipe de Neri, Old Town, Albuquerque By S. Judith Metz
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he Sisters of Charity join the faculty, staff, and 170 students of San Felipe de Neri School in Old Town, Albuquerque, in celebrating the 140th anniversary of the school’s founding. A “timeless treasure” of the founding days in our Archives, is a sepia photograph of S. Pauline Leo with her class of young boys. An Irish immigrant, S. Pauline joined the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in 1854. Small in stature and of quiet demeanor, she is S. Pauline Leo (second row, center) with her class of boys at San Felipe de Neri School in Old Town, Albuquerque, described as having a “sweet New Mexico. She and S. Blandina Segale opened the mission in 1881. and simple approach to her ministry.” This young Sister was one of the pioneers who private lessons in painting, drawing, wax work, and piano. opened St. Vincent’s, Santa Fe, in 1865. Here she taught the From their inception, the school served Hispanic and Native youngest students and cared for the orphans who lovingly American students as well as “American young ladies of all called her “Hermana Pablita.” Along with S. Blandina Segale, denominations.” S. Pauline was named to open the new mission at San Felipe One student from the early 1900s recalled how “S. Mary de Neri in Albuquerque in 1881. Their initial task was to Nolasco Brazan-Sanchez and S. Renetta Hughes were regular assess progress on the construction of the new convent, the mothers to us. They were concerned about us getting enough first two-story adobe built in Old Town (now Sister Blandina to eat and that we were dressed right.” Another recalled that Convent). Next the two Sisters gathered pillows, mattresses the Sisters rang two bells at the end of lunch hour, the first and other necessities from the convent in Santa Fe to prepare was a five-minute warning, “by the second bell,” he said, “you the house for the arrival of the four additional Sisters assigned had better be standing in your line, in your assigned place, to staff the mission. ready to march into class…. The military wasn’t better at School opened Sept. 21, 1881. Our Lady of the Angels Public School #1 occupied a building the Jesuits had constructed several years earlier on Romero Street. Receiving $12 per month pay from the school board, the Sisters taught elementary and intermediate subjects for girls and boys. The curriculum included religion, reading, writing, arithmetic, English and Spanish for all students, with history and geography added for the intermediate learners. In addition, a select school for girls opened in five classrooms on the first floor of the convent that was adjacent to and connected to Our Lady of the Angels. Here students paid tuition for V olume I , 2 0 2 2
formations than we were.” The spirit of care and concern for the students along with a firm commitment to offering a good education that prepared them to move forward well prepared for their future continued under the Sisters’ guidance through most of the 20th century. They formed strong bonds with the students and families of San Felipe as they continued the work of those who arrived in 1881.
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Communion, participation and mission By S. Marge Kloos
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n the months ahead, Pope Francis envisions Catholics engaging one another as companions – equally, openly, and universally – about our lived experiences of being Church. “Look others in the eye and listen to what they have to say,” the Pope encourages. “I wonder what voices can speak to the church today?” Francis wants to hear especially from those who journey at the margins. The youth. Those who identify as LGBTQ. Individuals in prisons. Women. Refugees and trafficked persons. Parishioners. Those who feel disenfranchised or alienated from the Church and those who accompany them. In calling a “Synod on Synodality,” the Pope acknowledges the challenges of breaking through tribal divisions within the Church. “It is urgent that we set aside preferences to promote the common good, and so our good example is fundamental: it is essential that Christians pursue the path toward full visible unity.” Pope Francis repeatedly and unapologetically declares that doing things the way we have always done them is “a poisonous logic.” A Church that is relevant, alive with God’s Spirit, is not closed off from the world by walls it builds to preserve itself from change or one that is blind to the world’s suffering in deference to practices of piety. If he has his way, the Church will be turned-inside-out, spilling mercy into a troubled world and offering hope for a planet on the brink of environmental destruction.
Through open engagement with laity, Bishops are being empowered and aggressively challenged by Pope Francis to harvest the fruit of “reciprocity between consultation and discernment.” They are to listen as laity speak their truth about the Church of today. For synodality to bear fruit, fruit that likely will lead to a significant period of renewal and reform, laity are encouraged to speak openly about their lived experience of being Catholic in the modern world. As Cardinal Joseph Tobin has remarked, the process will likely bring to the surface the messy distress that frustrates unity within the Church. In the distress, however, the Spirit is sowing seeds of hope.
An Important Role in Synodality for Women Religious and Associates From the beginning of his papacy, the Pope has openly resonated with the lived experience of women religious. As our world spins in trauma, riddled with unnecessary suffering, calculated inequalities, tribal divisions, planetary degradation, devastating poverty, and catastrophic wars, he has looked to women religious who are on the frontlines of human experience. As witnesses to God’s demonstrated mercy toward the broken, the powerless, the marginalized, and those left behind, women religious offer context as backdrop to the questions about the Church in the modern world. It is for this reason that the Pope has asked the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) to hold Synodal listening sessions with leaders of religious communities from across the United States. A report from LCWR will be submitted directly to Rome following the February and March member-sessions. In preparation for our participation, the Leadership Team of the Sisters of Charity held Zoom sessions in January to hear the wisdom of our Sisters and Associates. Eighty-three Sisters and Associates attended three listening sessions.
Listening Sessions Call for Renewal and Reform … Now is the Time To date, the insights raised during the SC sharing resonate with those spoken in LCWR sessions. In broad strokes, what follows are some of the emerging themes. In our lived experience of the Church, the Eucharist is central to our Catholic spirituality. We encounter God in the Eucharist and incarnate the encounter for ministry in the world. We practice living the beatitudes as makers of peace 4
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Welcome New Associates
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ongratulations to Phyllis Finch, Rhonda Pfaltzgraff-Carlson and Faith Kemper, our newest Associates in Mission. Phyllis made her commitment on Jan. 9, 2022 at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church in Springhill, Florida. In her discernment statement, she wrote, “The part of the SC Mission Statement that speaks to me right now is ‘journey together toward wholeness.’ I have found a group of like-minded gentle spirits, and I have been told I have a gentle spirit.”
and justice, committed to selfless acts of love, amplified by courageous compassion and reconciliation. Along the path, our encounter with Eucharist creates within and among us a deep desire for unity. Living faithfully in right relationship must be the Church’s priority. Right relationship is central to the Gospel mandate, orienting Catholic imagination. Participants are sending a clarion call “for the Church to confront and purge sinful influences that undermine the Church’s relevance and moral authority: patriarchy, clericalism, and tribalism. There is great concern that the Church really listen and act to dismantle systems of power, authority, and privilege within the Church.” Now is the time.
On Feb. 9, 2022, Rhonda Pfaltzgraff-Carlson and Faith Kemper made their commitments on Zoom. More than 30 Sisters and Associates gathered together virtually for the celebration. Rhonda commented, “I’ve come to identify with the spirituality of the Community’s foundress, and I believe that participating in its charism will help me grow into greater wholeness and service.” Faith said, “Two points of the SC Vision Statement that call to me in my life right now are risking to be prophetic in Church and society, and journeying together toward wholeness. Today, more than ever, I’ve found that even being in a small community I learn more about myself on my journey to healing and wholeness because of the community experience.”
For many, parish life is not the spiritually inspiring environment that it was in the years immediately following Vatican II. “Younger/newer pastors seem removed from, if not completely unaware of, the insights of Vatican II about lay involvement in parish life and the overall quality of the Eucharistic liturgy.” It would seem that in today’s world, the Church must widen the tent for “full, inclusive participation in the sacraments and sacramental ministers should be ordained from among those currently excluded from receiving this sacrament.” The time is now. If there is to be a future, the Church must pay attention to younger generations. Participants recognize “the decreasing presence of younger lay Catholics in parish life,” acknowledging that younger generations are “deeply committed to the common good but not so much to institutionalized religion.” Many seek to create a society based on equality and nonviolence, yet do not feel the Church fully embraces those who identify as LGBTQ. Environmental consciousness is a grounding source of spiritual empowerment, yet “parishes are not reducing their carbon footprint as central to living the faith.” Will the voices of younger generations be heard? Now is the time. V olume I , 2 0 2 2
Associate Phyllis Finch (front, center) made her commitment in the presence of a number of Florida Associates in January.
Associate Rhonda PfaltzgraffCarlson
Associate Faith Kemper 5
Justice Seekers By Erin Reder
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Jean Miller is no stranger to political rallies and protests. Through the years she can’t begin to count the number of times she has attended a demonstration on behalf of a particular issue she is passionate about. “Wherever the cause is!” she says. So back in December when she heard NETWORK was planning a rally in Washington, D.C. related to the safety of migrants at the border, she was compelled to act. “Title 42 is related to my ministry,” S. Jean explains. “My experience with immigrants is long and deeply important to me. I lived in their countries, learned their culture, was awakened by their wisdom, grieved with them over their poverty and imposed violence. I have worked with them at the border and gone to the border when rushes are coming in.” S. Jean passionately believes in respecting all human rights, including migrants’ rights to come to this country. In her volunteer work with Ohio Nuns on the Bus, she learned more about Title 42, a Trump-era rule inhumanely used to turn away migrants and asylum seekers at the southern border, and saw it as a violation of human rights that needed to be brought to the forefront. NETWORK’s planned rally felt like the perfect way to express her opposition to the president and ask for change. As she began to plan her participation, S. Jean thought back to 2018 when she and a few Community members took part in a Catholic Day of Action to stand in solidarity with immigrant sisters and brothers. On that particular occasion, she was invited by Sisters Andrea Koverman and Tracy Kemme to participate and also risk arrest. While this time arrest was not a possibility, she remembered those two Sisters who had previously invited her and thought maybe they would return the favor. “So I called Sisters Tracy and Andrea and said ‘you called me two years ago and now I’m calling you, will you go with me?’” she recalled. “When our S. Jean Miller, a justice seeker for many decades, invited me directly to go with her, the decision was clear,” says S. Tracy. “Working for justice is a central part of our Catholic faith and of our vowed life as Sisters of Charity. Our congregational mission proclaims: ‘Urged by the love of Christ ... we choose to act justly.’ Title 42 and similar policies threaten the sanctity of life, contrary to the Church’s social teachings.” Added S. Andrea, “It was a way to draw focused attention on a specific aspect of national immigration policy that many citizens do not really understand and that is the cause of incredible human suffering along the southern border. I 6
(From left) Associate Chess Campbell, S. Jean Miller and S. Louise Lears felt called to bring their concerns to the forefront and to President Biden.
have the benefit, if you can call it that, of having firsthand experiences and witnessing with my own eyes some of what is happening to people, even though working with migrants is not my primary ministry. I feel a responsibility for sharing that with people who can’t see for themselves what is going on.” Joining them were more than 80 Catholic Sisters and advocacy partners, including Sisters of Charity Mary Gallagher, Lois Jean Goettke, Louise Lears, Caroljean Willie and Associate Chess Campbell, an activist and longtime friend of S. Jean. Their objective: to express opposition to Title 42 due to its cruelty and ineffectiveness. S. Tracy elaborates: “In November, at my Cincinnati parish, I met a Mexican family who had recently arrived from the U.S./Mexico border. After escaping a dangerous situation in their hometown and making the arduous journey to the border to seek asylum, they were forced to wait in Juarez, Mexico, living in a tent village for four months. They have four children. As the mother told me their story, she broke down and wept in my arms. This is the impact of inhumane border policies like Title 42.” I ntercom
S. Jean says that it’s something deep within that calls her to continue participating in rallies and protests and bringing these issues to the forefront. And while she says that her participation outside the Cincinnati area is probably coming to an end, she is thrilled to see the Community’s passion for justice continue with its newer members. “Young people come to religious life now because of justice,” she says. “We are in a very important part of history; something new is going to come out of the crisis we are currently living through. They are going to be a part of it and it’s going to have to be very creative.”
(From left) S. Mary Gallagher, Associate Chess Campbell, S. Jean Miller, S. Louise Lears, S. Tracy Kemme, S. Lois Jean Goettke, S. Caroljean Willie and S. Andrea Koverman attended the Title 42 rally in Washington, D.C. in December on behalf of the SC congregation.
S. Mary Gallagher also attended and said, “I felt an urgency to ‘put my whole self in’ and to speak in unison with many others about the injustices and oppression faced by our brothers and sisters at the border.” She added that it’s important to speak up otherwise the issue remains low on the priority list. “Persons listen more when the conversation involves those whom they know or are acquainted with. The president is always attentive to those who put him in office. He must know what is on the mind of those who support him.” The rally took place on Dec. 3, 2021, and the energy and atmosphere filled with joy and hope. Says S. Tracy, “There is a sense of holy power generated when people come together to speak truth to power in the name of justice and liberation. It was a gift to stand with my Sisters and, even more so, with the brave activists from different communities whose lives have been directly impacted by the policies we protested. I was also aware of my privilege, as a white U.S. citizen gathered with many other white, U.S. citizen Sisters, that I could fly to D.C. for this action and fly home again to resume ‘normal’ life. There is no fear of repercussions for speaking out, and there is no required follow-up. I pray that we continue to live out the justice we demand through our daily lives and ministries, standing behind and beside those for whom seeking justice is not an optional activity but life or death.” S. Andrea added, “I don’t think anyone expected that we would have an immediate impact on national policy, but being gathered with a broad representation of Sisters from many congregations, NETWORK staff and people giving personal testimony of their journey as migrants was powerful and energizing. It reminds you that though it sometimes feels like we’re up against great odds, that we are not alone in pursuing a just and humane immigration system.” V olume I , 2 0 2 2
Excerpt from S. Andrea Koverman’s December 3 remarks to President Biden “I could share many more stories, but what I want most to say to President Biden and all of you today is that we know that things do not have to be this way. This is a conscious choice we are making as a nation. I personally don’t know of anyone who advocates for a complete dismantling of the immigration system and that is not what we are asking for. Nationally recognized immigration expert Ruben Garcia, who has been assisting migrants at the El Paso border for more than 40 years, explained that humane and proven alternatives already exist that could be put in place, alternatives that would afford migrants due process while being treated the way all God’s children should be treated: with respect, compassion and justice. My Advent prayer is that we don’t just wait for the Light of the World to come but that we make the choice to help it shine brightly by the way we address our migrating sisters and brothers.
S. Andrea Koverman (right) gave remarks to the crowd gathered outside the White House on Dec. 3, 2021, demonstrating their opposition to Title 42.
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Hazard Yet Forward By S. Georgia Kitt
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At the invitation of the Juneau, Alaska Associates, n her 56 years as a Sister of S. Delia Sizler (left) moved to Juneau in 2010 to Charity, S. Delia Sizler has lived serve the people of Southeast Alaska. through many transitions in a world and religious community and it continues as a necessary presence experiencing rapid change. S. Dee in Cincinnati today. has been a teacher, counselor, Another lure for S. Dee was adult administrator, founder, social justice basic education. So in 1986, while advocate, supervisor, proponent of working with Vista Volunteers, S. Dee, the environment, facilitator, caregiver, as director, learned ways of meeting tour guide and traveler, advocate and Bethany House Services wouldn’t be the organization needs of those enrolled in the East End entrepreneur. What has remained it is today without the dedication and efforts of (from Community Learning Center who were left) Sisters Delia Sizler, Mary Stanton, RSM, and Mary with her through these varied roles seeking their GED. She was willing to Grafe. is that she feels called to initiate new be led by God’s spirit, open to what programs and ministries when she sees an unmet need. It’s a calling, a way to ask what is needed here needed to be in place for an individual’s success. to bring about a better way. What needs to be put in place? Twenty years into her SC vocation, burnout hit hard, How can I help? Hazard yet forward! but after a few months of respite the embers of serving found her responding to a new position at Catholic Community It began early when teaching second grade at Cure of Services in the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky. As a pastoral Ars in Cincinnati. S. Dee started a program for parents of children preparing for the sacraments; many were not church- counselor she focused on helping lay ministers serving in parishes. The impetus from this listening experience led goers, yet they desired to reinforce what their children were S. Dee to begin her own counseling practice after the grant learning. It brought parents back to the faith. In 1981, while expired for the Kentucky program. This allowed her to serve serving as the assistant dean of students at the College of Mount St. Joseph, she developed the role of resident assistants low-income families in her own NewSpring counseling practice in Price Hill for the next 17 years. The center was (RAs) and became aware of the issue of homelessness among funded by an SC Ministry Foundation grant allowing S. Dee single women as well as the poverty of many families and to serve persons with no insurance or to pay on a generous the lack of services. This led to the inspiration for Bethany House, a homeless shelter for women and children which she sliding fee scale. While working there she was living at Santa began with S. Mary Grafe. Many contributed to its founding Maria House; she left to start a new house, thinking it could be another place for small community living. Always thinking 8
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about new possibilities, she is never deterred by the work entailed. This living space continues for Sisters today, being home for several Sisters over the years as Mayhew House.
professionals, including doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and staff. She gets to work with a variety of persons from other countries and cultures.
The listening to unmet needs continued to find S. Dee’s attention, this time in her own family in 2009 when her sister and brother-in-law, living in Cleveland, were both diagnosed with cancer and needed caregiving. Her gift for assessing the setting and finding ways to call forth what was needed for her sister’s comfort occurred. It is a gift she developed early on as the oldest of seven in her close-knit, faith-filled family. She closed the counseling service, trusting other services in the area could address the needs that were surfacing and waited for what was next.
Throughout her years of ministering S. Dee has remained active in parish life as lector, Eucharistic minister, parish council or worship committee. She gave service early on as a board member of Western Wildlife Corridor, feeding her passion for the environment locally, and helping to preserve our own beautiful SC hillsides. She was involved with the early Auxiliary members to the Community and has found her relationship with co-members/Associates enriching for her life as a vowed member. The growth of Associate vocations has been a joy for her. Involvement and support of difference-making programs has served as a source of growth, learning and healing for S. Dee.
The seeds of the Juneau, Alaska ‘call’ were already being laid when she joined friends on a trip to Alaska and met the SC Associates there. After the death of her sister, the Juneau Associates invited S. Dee to move to Juneau to minister. After prayerful discernment and the support of the SC Community, she answered God’s call, trusting that the God who brought her there would provide. Once again there was a need for a Family Pastoral Service, a women’s shelter and a new venture, creating a home for women released from prison. S. Dee’s gifts for calling forth the necessary skills, the persons willing and the available resources would result in needs being addressed. The challenge of another ‘start-up’ and her ability to see what was needed for it to happen came together. Haven House came into being as a Christian faithbased home for women prisoners as they completed their sentences. Prayer could be a part of the setting and residents willingly nurtured one another’s adjustment. The staff found peer counseling and opportunities for debriefing invaluable skills. In time this interfaith ministry will do its part in becoming a solution to a larger societal challenge – reform of attitudes toward correction practices. Those participating in establishing Haven House made the road by walking; committed volunteers became the heart of the mission. Just prior to S. Dee’s decision to return to Cincinnati in 2017, the facility’s governance board invited two of the tribes native to Southeast Alaska to take over the responsibility for administering Haven House. It remains a labor of love. Currently S. Dee ministers parttime as a chaplain at Crossroad Health Center in Over-the-Rhine, serving as their spiritual presence. Her responsibilities are primarily to the staff of 40 medical V olume I , 2 0 2 2
In summing up her years of such varied ministries S. Dee would say that it has been about families, their struggles and their needs. A motto that has served her well and has remained true for her – I did what I could; I took the stage, I sing a song and then I leave the stage. She believes that she has a sense of when the time is right to begin, to listen, to affirm the gifts she sees in another and then let go. She remains grateful to God for being able to identify the pieces that need to be present or the process that needs to be in place for a startup to launch. She would say, “It’s God’s work. I may be important, but not that important.” Hazard Yet Forward.
Throughout her years of ministry, S. Delia Sizler (right) has had a gift for initiating new programs and ministries when she sees an unmet need, like the Family Pastoral Service in Juneau, Alaska, that offered spiritual counseling as an alternative to traditional counseling services. 9
Caring for Our Common Home By S. Caroljean Willie
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n May of 2021, the Vatican launched the seven-year Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP). Its aim is to have every Catholic institution, from the family to large organizations, become ecologically sustainable in seven years. Pope Francis’ goal is “to help lead the world’s Catholics along a journey of intensified action in caring for creation.” In his video message on May 24, Pope Francis stated that, “We need a new ecological approach that can transform our way of dwelling in the world, our styles of life, our relationship with the resources of the Earth and, in general, our way of looking at humanity and of living life. “Our selfishness, our indifference and our irresponsible ways are threatening the future of our children … I therefore renew my appeal: let us overcome the temptation of selfishness that makes us predators of resources; let us cultivate respect for the gifts of the Earth and creation, let us inaugurate a lifestyle and a society that is finally ecosustainable,” he continued. In his encyclical Laudato Si’, published in 2015, Pope Francis identified the ecological crisis as “a summons to profound interior conversion; a reexamining of our relationships with the Creator, with creation, and with our sisters and brothers.” He also noted that “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue … and calls for a spiritual and cultural revolution to realize integral ecology.” The LSAP is designed to empower the universal Church, as well as people of good will in every faith tradition, to recognize the urgency of the ecological crisis and to be proactive in addressing the climate challenges facing the world today. Exploring the ancient teachings of our faith in the light of today’s ecological crisis, Laudato Si’ teaches us that “everything is connected” (LS 91). Pope Francis notes that as our relationship with our Creator has been neglected, 10
human relationships have faltered, and our world has grown hotter, less stable, and more lifeless. As a result, we all suffer, and the poorest and most vulnerable suffer above all. The encyclical states that we face a “complex crisis that is both social and environmental” (LS 139). Pope Francis calls us to develop a “loving awareness” of this home we share and to act on the values we hold dear (LS 220). The Laudato Si’ Action Platform empowers the universal Church and all people of good will to respond I ntercom
to Pope Francis’ encyclical on caring for our common home. Standing on the firm ground of “three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbor, and with the Earth itself,” we commit to setting out “on the long path of renewal” (LS 66, 202). We embrace our rightful place in the “order and dynamism” that our Creator ordained, and we urgently embark on new ways of living with “creativity and enthusiasm” (LS 221, 220). Although the LSAP focuses on seven sectors: families, parishes, schools, hospitals, businesses, organizations, and religious orders, we will focus on the latter. Our Congregation will be forming a Laudato Si’ committee to develop the overall process of actualizing the LSAP. This committee will provide coordination, facilitation, and reporting of engagement and implementation. The guide provided for religious congregations states that “congregations are gifted with charisms to live the Gospel by engaging in the LSAP.” The guide continues, “With our own planning, actions, and attitudes we hope to bring about a global conversion to ‘total sustainability in the spirit of integral ecology.’ We need networks strong enough for systemic change. The first step in this process was the writing and public sharing of our Sisters of Charity Laudato Si’ Action Platform Statement. It reads as follows: “Because we Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati dwell in this house of love and encounter God, we commit ourselves to choose to live simply in a complex world committed to the healing of our global home” (SC Vision Statement). We hear the summons of Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si’ “to profound interior conversion; a reexamining of our relationship with the Creator, with creation and with our brothers and sisters” (LS217). As a Congregation, we embrace the Laudato Si’ Action Platform and commit ourselves to journey together towards ecological conversion. We recognize that we have entered a new age, one which thrusts us into a new relationship with God and with the community of all of creation. This new understanding, this new sense of communion with planet Earth, has entered our minds and hearts. Reading the signs of the times we see the intersectionality of the devastation of Earth, poverty, racism, migration and other social injustices. We will enter into this process of ecological conversion through education, advocacy efforts, use of renewable energies, and the responsible use of our resources for the benefit of Earth and all creation. Imbued with a deep faith in the active presence of God, we will continually seek to integrate our spirituality and sustainability as we prayerfully commit to allowing the awareness of the sacredness of all creation to guide our actions. V olume I , 2 0 2 2
The LSAP has seven goals:
1) The response to the cry of the earth calls us to protect our common home for the wellbeing of all, as we equally address the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and ecological sustainability; 2) The response to the cry of the poor is a call to promote eco-justice, aware that we are called to defend human life from conception to death, and all forms of life on Earth; 3) Ecological economics calls us to acknowledge that the economy is a sub-system of human society, which itself is embedded within the biosphere - our common home; 4) The adoption of sustainable lifestyles asks us to focus on the idea of sufficiency, and promoting moderation in the use of resources and energy; 5) Ecological education calls for a re-thinking and re-designing of curricula and institutional reform in the spirit of integral ecology in order to foster ecological awareness and transformative action; 6) Ecological spirituality calls for a profound ecological conversion and helps us to ‘discover God in all things,’ both in the beauty of creation and in the suffering of so many, aware that the life of the spirit is not dissociated from worldly realities; and 7) Community resilience and empowerment calls for a synodal journey of community engagement and participatory action at various levels.
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When the Holy Spirit Comes Knocking By S. Regina Kusnir
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he routed journey of the GPS of the heart is rarely direct. It is mapped over many years and marked with stops created by a variety of circumstances. Sometimes it is a journey we want to retrace. Sometimes it is an entirely different route. No matter, the Holy Spirit is the navigator and the journey never grows old. S. Juana Mendez finds the Holy Spirit a worthy navigator. Over the years of her ministerial journey the route is not a straight line. S. Juana was born in Puerto Rico and at the age of 8 her family journeyed to Cleveland, Ohio. The distance from the airport in Puerto Rico to that in Cleveland is some 1,839 miles. She grew up in Cleveland, attended Catholic elementary and high school there and raised a family. In 1995, when the children were grown, the Spirit directed her to the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. Her gentle and compassionate heart has always had a sensitivity to the poor. The Covington Diocese in Northern Kentucky, and a number of parishes there, were recipients of her ministry for many years. Her heart found a home ministering to immigrants. Fluent in Spanish, her skills allowed her to help those who, like her own family, also came to the U.S. in search of hope and a better life. This unpretentious Sister reflected: “I have been ministering to the Hispanic community since I can remember. I love helping those in need. I am a good listener and nonjudgmental. I am willing to give up what I 12
While ministering with the Covington Diocese, S. Juana Mendez was given accreditation through the diocese to practice immigration law.
have for my neighbor. I had the privilege of working with immigrants in the Northern Kentucky area for 21 years. That opportunity helped me to grow spiritually and to become humbler.” While in this ministry she was accredited as a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) representative for the Department of Justice and was given accreditation through the diocese to practice immigration law. The Holy Spirit urges the heart to reset the GPS when the time is right. In 2019 S. Juana felt that urge. “I was trying to decide if I was ready to leave the Diocese of Kentucky. I prayed for many months. When I met Father Mark Riley, the pastor of St. Michael the Archangel parish in Cleveland, Ohio, he was looking for someone, fluent in Spanish, who would minister in the parish. Before the conversation ended, he invited me to join his staff.” S. Juana entered into a time of reflection and prayer after the invitation from Father Riley to “make sure this is what I was being called to do.” The refrain from the song “Anthem” by Tom Conry* was the center of her reflection. It reads: “We are called, we are chosen. We are Christ for one another. We are promised to tomorrow, while we are for him today. We are sign, we are wonder. We are sower, we are seed. We are harvest, we are hunger. We are question, we are creed.” I ntercom
Prayerful discernment considers all aspects of the decision as well as its implications. S. Juana reflects, “I was chosen to be Christ-like and a sign of God’s love to the people to whom I ministered in Kentucky. I was able to sow and plant the seed of Christ’s love there. I was now being called to plant, sow and harvest God’s seed in a different location. I felt at peace and ready to follow the journey that the Holy Spirit has for me.” The GPS of her journey to St. Michael the Archangel parish in Cleveland, Ohio was about to get very interesting. One might say that the Holy Spirit has a sense of humor. S. Juana looked forward to becoming the pastoral associate at St. Michael in March 2020. She worked for a week when the Diocese closed all the parishes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The parish was closed for about two to three months. A detour for sure! Though the majority of aspects of parish life have entered a “new normal” stage, her responsibilities change from day-to-day because of the varied nuances of the pandemic. The role of the pastoral associate is multi-faceted. One highlight of her ministry includes teaching RCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation of Children). Because she has high school and elementary students, she meets with them on two separate days. She is a lector, spiritual director for the charismatic group, works with Eucharistic Ministers, the Legion of Mary, and the Social Justice committee. “The ministry is life-giving because I get to work with young people as well as those who are more mature.” St. Michael’s is composed of people from Latin and Central America and European countries. Most parishioners are third and fourth generation. “The community I work with at St Michael’s are mostly from Puerto Rico. I am not doing immigration work like I did at my previous ministry. However, I have helped a few parishioners complete filling
As a pastoral associate at St. Michael parish in Cleveland, Ohio, S. Juana Mendez’s role is multi-faceted.
out papers for Naturalization and attending the interviews as the interpreter. Honestly, my passion is immigration.” Inspiration for ministry is another aspect of the GPS of the heart. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is close to the heart of the Sisters of Charity. Elizabeth was a prolific writer and provides much wisdom to those who follow in her footsteps. A quote from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton that resonates in the heart of S. Juana is: “God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer His Will to every wish of my own.” Conversations with S. Juana find her lighting up when speaking of her ministry to others. A creative spirit leads her to be attentive to the needs of individuals in the context of their GPS. When asked what she does for relaxation or fun, she says that there is no particular activity that she prefers to do. However, “I like playing Bingo and UNO when together with friends and family.” Perhaps the Holy Spirit turns on the winning GPS for her in these games. *Text and music © 1978, 1979, Tom Conry. Published by OCP. All rights reserved.
For 12 years, S. Juana Mendez served the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, ministering to immigrants.
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S a n t a M a r i a C o m m u n i t y S e r vic e s : 1 2 5 y e a r s o f h e l p i n g f a m i l i e s h e l p t h e m s e l v e s
Santa Maria the early years By S. Judith Metz
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et us celebrate 125 years of social, educational, and health services outreach to the poor and needy in Cincinnati, Ohio through Santa Maria Institute. Sisters Justina and Blandina Segale began their work among Catholic Italian immigrants in September 1897, and the “The Santa Maria Italian Educational and Industrial Home” was incorporated on Dec. 8 of that year. The Sisters’ outreach quickly expanded to other immigrant groups as well as to anyone in need regardless of faith or nationality. That work has continued without interruption, always evolving and adapting as the needs of the people of Cincinnati have changed. Sisters Justina and Blandina were born in a small mountain village near Genoa, Italy, and immigrated to the United States with their family when they were young girls. Despite the family’s early economic struggles, both received fine educations that included attending Mount St. Vincent Academy. Their compassionate hearts were evident even in their youths when they brought solace and assistance to cholera patients in their homes. The sisters’ generous spirits continued when they both joined the Sisters of Charity in 1866. By the time the two young women were called upon to work among the Italians in Cincinnati they were veteran women religious who had served in the Frontier West (S. Justina for 15 years, S. Blandina for 21 years) as well as in schools in Ohio and Michigan. Their new endeavor began in August 1897 when Mother Mary Blanche Davis asked S. Justina if she and S. Blandina “could do anything for the poor Italian children of the city.” S. Justina assured Mother that they “would gladly undertake anything on their behalf.” Given five dollars to “go and explore the conditions,” the two Sisters agreed: “If it is God’s work it will succeed despite opposition – if it is not his work, we do not want it to succeed.” Despite a difficult beginning, they confidently believed it was God’s work, “so we do not fear though we have nothing to begin with.” Assured of the assistance of the Sisters of Charity, they immediately enlisted the support of local priests as well as Catholic Italian families. Their first efforts involved gathering the newly arrived in small groups to encourage them in the practice of their faith and to determine their needs. After early struggles to start a parochial school for Italian children, they realized the necessity of a neighborhood center for their work. Finding a penny on the street, S. Justina wrote, “that is the nucleus of our funds for the purchase of a 14
(From left) Sisters Blandina and Justina Segale opened The Santa Maria Italian Educational and Industrial Home in 1897.
house. … A penny and two sisters are nothing. A penny, two sisters and God are omnipotent.” Despite their optimism, the Sisters spent their early years in donated and rented space. Having no money, they held bazaars, accepted donations, and relied on Divine Providence. More than once it seemed they would not be able to continue. However, with the help of volunteers dubbed “Willing Workers,” they continued and expanded their outreach. In addition to the schools and home visiting, a small army of Santa Maria volunteers assisted in teaching Sunday school and evening classes, visiting hospitals and the sick in their homes, and the city jail, workhouse, and house of refuge. They assisted the Sisters in starting sewing classes as well as many other activities. By 1905 the Sisters were able to acquire a small brick house on West 7th Street. They had been in their new home but a day when the first applicants appeared, asking to live there. The acquisition of this building allowed Santa Maria to begin expanding its programs. Activities included a nursery for infants and small children, a kindergarten, sending the resident girls off to school, and running the domestic science department that included sewing, dressmaking, millinery and cooking classes. They also sponsored clubs for the girls and their mothers, clubs for boys, and night school. In addition, a steady stream of people came to the door applying for help, advice, employment, and a home. That same year, when the city organized Juvenile Court, Santa Maria was invited to attend the initial meeting. To assist the court, Santa Maria formed a Juvenile Court Committee of volunteers. Later S. Blandina was appointed a probation officer by the judge. I ntercom
As the work expanded so did the need for space. In 1912 Santa Maria purchased a building on West 8th Street that eventually expanded into four adjacent properties allowing for a burgeoning list of programs and activities. Another 15 years would pass before they were able to move to even larger quarters, this time to 13th and Republic streets in 1926. Besides those services already mentioned, the Center sponsored an employment bureau, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, a milk station, Americanization classes, and classes in Italian, English, Braille, singing, and dramatics. Their work also included an exhaustive record of home visits that included the distribution of food, clothing and books. As the Sisters and their co-workers visited the jails and hospital charity wards, S. Blandina became involved in the issue of human trafficking. When she encountered a young woman who had been trafficked, the intrepid Sister confronted the madam who operated the house of prostitution. Her action spurred others to take up the issue, including the Federation of (Cincinnati) Catholic Women’s Societies, who held their meetings at Santa Maria. In her book celebrating the 25th anniversary of Santa Maria, Anna Minogue observed, “There is not in Cincinnati any organization that has expended stronger efforts for the overthrow of commercialized vice than the Santa Maria Institute.” As their work grew the Sisters kept abreast of the latest trends in social work. They kept meticulous records, trained social workers at Santa Maria, and collaborated with other agencies serving the poor. In 1916 Santa Maria became a charter member of the Council of Social Agencies, now United Way of Greater Cincinnati. In that same year the Bureau of Catholic Charities, of which Santa Maria was a key member, was established by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. As the immigrant communities spread from downtown, Protestant proselytizers became particularly active among Italians who settled in Walnut Hills. In response the Sisters
After its expansion in 1905, the organization was able to provide a nursery for infants and small children.
visited the neighborhood every Sunday for years to gather the children for Sunday school and Mass at the Church of the Assumption. Eventually they opened a neighborhood center that was instantly popular with families in the area. In 1919 this facility became the Kenton Welfare Center, an organization independent from Santa Maria. Likewise, in Fairmount, on the near west side of Cincinnati, an Italian community had gathered. The Sisters first visited the area in 1906, urging the Italians to attend nearby St. Bonaventure Church. They continued their work in the neighborhood, and by 1917 Sisters and volunteers from Santa Maria were making home visits, teaching catechism classes, and preparing children for First Communion. In 1922 the San Antonio Welfare Center officially opened as a location for social, educational, and religious activities. Mass was said regularly at the center; soon the peoples’ focus shifted from welfare activities to establishing an Italian parish, San Antonio di Padova. As the work of Santa Maria proceeded into the 1920s, Sisters Justina and Blandina founded Veritas, a magazine devoted to Catholic news and educational matters. Each of the Sisters often contributed articles, writing in both Italian and English. In addition, S. Justina kept a comprehensive record of the work of Santa Maria from its beginning until her sudden death in 1929. Her 22 journals and scrapbooks contain a narrative of the work of Santa Maria and also include annual reports, news clippings and other items of interest. S. Blandina continued her work at Santa Maria until 1933 when she retired to her Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse. For more than 35 years these two Sisters built a strong foundation and a legacy that was handed on to future generations who proved to be equally dedicated to the work of Santa Maria.
S. Blandina Segale (second from left) founded Santa Maria in 1897 with her sister, S. Justina Segale, to welcome new immigrant populations to Cincinnati. V olume I , 2 0 2 2
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Counting Her Blessings By S. Joan Elizabeth Cook
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Roslyn (Roz) Hafertepe loves to count the blessings she has received throughout her entire life. She credits her parents for instilling in her the values she holds dear: living simply, gathering people together for community-building; serving other people’s needs; fixing things, especially with wood; and caring for our Earth. In fact, all of us SCs have been blessed because Roz has shared those blessings with us throughout her community life.
were making something of their life, and I thought, ‘What am I doing?’” She realized God was nudging her toward the Sisters of Charity. In September 1950, Roz entered the Community, and brought with her the values she had learned throughout her childhood and early adulthood. Just two months later, in November, her brother Edward was drafted into the Army and her parents’ home was suddenly an empty nest. Roz’s mother prayed that he would be safe; when his leg was seriously injured in an accident, her mother’s prayers were answered: he returned home. Ed eventually married, and he and his wife, Alice, had seven children. Once again the family home was the gathering place for relatives and family friends.
During her growing-up years, Roz met members of several women’s congregations. Her childhood parish and school was St. Bonaventure. Saint Bonaventure was a feeder school for Mother of Mercy High School, S. Roslyn Hafertepe served as the Community’s which Roz attended even though executive treasurer from 1975 to 1983 and again Seton was only a few blocks from her from 1987 until 2000. home. In high school Roz became Roz’s first mission was at Good Samaritan Hospital, acquainted with the Dominicans of the Sick Poor when she Dayton, in cost accounting. She laughs, recalling her early helped organize the Dominicanettes, who served the local experience with technology. The accounting office used community under the Dominicans’ direction. In addition, National Cash Register machines. NCR headquarters were she and her good friend Charlotte worked in the dietary in Dayton, with technical assistance just a phone call away. department at St. Francis Hospital with the Oldenburg Once, when Roz had tried unsuccessfully to fix a machine, Franciscans. Then Charlotte, who attended Seton High the NCR technician recommended that she plug it in! School and knew the Sisters of Charity, arranged for them to She also served in finance at Good Sam, Cincinnati; work in the office at Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati. St. Joseph Hospital, Albuquerque; and St. Joseph Hospital, At Good Sam, two Sisters in particular, Sisters Marie Theresa Mount Clemens, Michigan. Each new assignment Seidman and Helen Regina Kuss, made a strong impression challenged her to learn new skills in accounting, then as on her. Roz explains, “They were in touch with this world, head of accounting, Chief Financial Officer, and assistant but they were not of this world. It was sort of that American administrator. During that time she earned a Bachelor’s spirit within them. They were well aware of the realities Degree in Business at the College of Mount St. Joseph and around them, and they were also fun people. They enjoyed a Master’s Degree in Hospital Administration at Xavier life, but, believe me, what we did was serious business, and we University, Cincinnati. needed to do it right. That contact started Roz’s connection These experiences gave her valuable opportunities to with the Sisters of Charity and her long association with practice the lessons she had learned from her parents: to live Good Sam. simply, to share what we have with those who have less than Roz worked for five years at Good Sam, during which we do, to care for our Earth, and to bring people together many of her friends were being drafted into the U.S. Army for the sake of friendship and service, especially to those who while she was enjoying a busy social life. She reflects, “They are less able to deal with political and economic systems. 16
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For example, she lobbied the New Mexico State Legislature for payment for services to people who were living in poverty. In Dayton she and S. Frances Catherine Royce, who was an attorney, petitioned the city council for assistance for the poor – particularly difficult and frustrating because the council insisted on handling each request individually. Roz remembers gratefully the lesson Frances taught her: Don’t let the details get you down when council members speak disparagingly of those in poverty. Keep your eye on the big picture and remember the goal: to serve the people on whose behalf we are here.
(From left) Mr. William Finn, legal council, S. Roslyn Hafertepe, executive treasurer, and Mr. Herman Wilson, managing director, Cooperative Assistance Fund, Inc., meet in 1981.
After Vatican II, when all religious congregations were encouraged to adapt to the world’s many changing realities, Roz brought her learnings from all these experiences to her new ministries in Congregational service. As Congregational Health Care Coordinator, then Executive Treasurer, she brought together the people who served in our different ministries to share ideas and best practices. Roz’s gift for bringing
people together led to cooperative steps around the need for accreditation in our educational and health care institutions, expansion in our hospitals and the College of Mount St. Joseph, protection of Congregational assets from liability, consolidation of services in order to manage rising costs. She led efforts to consolidate the purchasing departments in different institutions, centralize our financial investments, invest in Medicare, organize the Corporation Board for Sponsored Ministries, and set aside funds for us to support people in need. Roz credits Congregational Treasurers Sisters Elise Halloran and Mary Assunta Stang with having the vision and expertise to take these collaborative steps. Throughout her 25 years in Congregational Service, Roz made it a priority to welcome suggestions and explain to the entire Community the realities that were emerging and the steps being taken to “risk a caring response.” These steps have truly been a blessing to us and all those we serve. And Roz continues to share her wisdom and her lighthearted humor as we embrace the challenges that confront us today.
together As Congregational Health Care Coordinator, S. Roslyn Hafertepe (left) brought . practices best and ideas share to administrators from all over the country
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Protecting Our Earth By S. Caroljean Willie
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ope Francis has called for a change of heart and mind regarding protection of Earth. He has stated very clearly that actions which support the future of the planet “presuppose a transformation on a deeper level” and has reiterated St. Pope John Paul II’s words, “We must encourage and support an ecological conversion.” Leading global sustainability scientist, Dr. Kimberly Nicholas, says it is time for humanity to adopt a new mindset. Dr. Nicholas says very bluntly that humans are standing on the edge of a cliff brought on by an Exploitation Mindset which sees producing and consuming more material goods as the path to progress and purpose. She proposes a Regeneration Mindset where “we’d conceptualize ‘growth’ as a process of renewal and restoration and care for what matters most.” “This point of view,” she continues, “means finding a way for everyone, now and in the future, to live a good life, within the limits of the biosphere.” Both are calling for a transformation in the way we view the world and interact with it. EarthConnection (EC) strives through programs on-site, webinars, blogs, movies, newsletters, reflections, and outreach programs to provide people of all ages with ideas and strategies for engaging in processes that will, hopefully, lead to a deeper understanding of the need for ecological conversion and a desire to participate in creating a future that recognizes and appreciates the dignity of all who call Earth home (human and non-human). Girl Scout Troops of all ages continue to visit EC. If weather permits, their visit usually starts with a nature scavenger hunt, followed by a talk on and tour of the EC
Girl Scouts from St. Antoninus School learn more about EarthConnection and its mission.
facility, an art activity and a few games of environmental bingo. Recent troops created animals out of fall leaves, made colorful vases using recycled bottles, and used Gelli plates to create environmental art. A prayer group met at EC to do a session on Zentangle, an art form developed by a Zen Buddhist monk and an artist, which uses nature as a springboard for creativity and prayer. EC showed the film “Dark Waters,” a true story about a Cincinnati attorney who takes on a major corporation which is polluting the waters of a small West Virginia community. It details his determination and the hours he spent to hold the corporation accountable. It was a 10-year journey, but the courts finally recognized the damage the corporation had caused to the health and well-being of this small community. S. Winnie Brubach continues to offer sessions for Cincinnati State on the EC facility and gives tours of the garden when the weather permits.
Using fall leaves Girl Scouts create animals to complete the activity and earn a patch. 18
S. Caroljean (Cj) Willie gave presentations for the Lay Mission Helpers in Los Angeles, the 2021 Thanksgiving Diversity Breakfast hosted by the American Jewish Committee, the Cincinnati chapter of the Climate Reality Project, the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor and facilitated a webinar for Green Umbrella’s Faith Communities Go Green initiative on forming congregational Green Teams. She continues to work as a member of the Charity Earth Network, Sisters of Earth core committee, and the Archdiocesan Care for Creation Task Force. I ntercom
Called to Community By Associate Vicki Welsh
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any of our Associates come to know the Sisters of Charity as seasoned adults. You are about to meet our longtime Associate (since the age of 19), Mariela Jaen. Her experience is an immigrant’s story. She was a teenager, born and raised in Las Tablas, Panama. Mariela is one of two daughters raised by a farmer and his teacher wife. Panama’s history is a troubled one during the 1980s because of the notorious authoritarian drug lord Manuel Noriega who controlled the Panamanian military. Mariela’s mother wanted her and her sister to leave Panama due to the affect the dictatorship was having on education. The girls applied for several scholarships along with 150 others from Las Tablas. Mariela was one of only three chosen! You can imagine the difficult task of choosing which college out of the entire United States to attend. Thanks to the Cincinnati Reds, Mariela came to Cincinnati and the College of Mount St. Joseph. So in the summer of 1988, Mariela set off for Westside Cincinnati and enrollment at the Mount. The first Sister of Charity Mariela met was S. Mary Gonzaga Cuni who was a tutor in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. S. Mary’s help was immeasurable in Mariela’s grasp of the English language and the completion of her degree in four years. As an aside, the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series in 1990! Everyone in Mariela’s family and town were so proud of her and their adopted team. After Mariela graduated with her teaching degree she returned to Panama. Mariela shares, “During my college years at the Mount, the Sisters of Charity were a foundational part of my growing as an effective educator and a social justice advocate for the ones in need. My first mentors were the Sisters that used to live on the sixth floor of the residence dorm.” Mariela returned to the United States in 1994. Within five years of her return she married her boyfriend from college, gave birth to daughter, Daniela, and son, Gabe, earned her U.S. citizenship and began her teaching career in Cincinnati. Mariela met S. Kateri Koverman upon Sister’s return from El Salvador. She took a class from S. Kateri on social justice. Mariela recalls, “S. Kateri opened my eyes to the harm that we Latin Americans have done and continue doing to our indigenous brothers and sisters in Christ. There was no turning back. With the guidance of so many Sisters like S. Kateri, I became a work in progress with my mission to be a voice for people in need, especially for those that share my same native language and culture, the then growing community of Latinx, Hispanic living in the Lower Price Hill areas.” Next, Mariela would meet S. Margarita Brewer, who is also a native of Panama. Mariela shares, “She became more than V olume i , 2 0 2 2
In 2004, at the young age of 19, Mariela Jaen (back row, right) made her commitment as an Associate in Mission of the Sisters of Charity.
a mentor for me; she became a mom.” S. Margarita enlisted Mariela to aide the new immigrant families, mostly indigenous to Guatemala. Mariela’s job was to see to it that the children of these new families were enrolled in school, supported, and attending. The ‘support’ part of Mariela’s job was as translator between the immigrant families and Cincinnati Public Schools. As Mariela met more and more Sisters, and through them, met many Associates, she felt Association was a way to become more connected to the Sisters of Charity. She yearned to learn more of the SC spirituality and mission. She was able to accompany S. Marge Kloos on a trip to the border where she learned invaluable information about why and how various immigrant groups make the difficult decisions to leave their homelands. And she met all the amazing Sisters living and working in Anthony, New Mexico. She was able to make a mission trip to Guatemala and learn at the feet of S. Sarah Mulligan. She volunteered with S. Mary Jo Gasdorf at The Women’s Connection where she met immigrants at every stage of their journey. She made retreats, joined small groups, and learned so much from the Associates who were all much older, wiser, and more experienced. In 1992, S. Kateri had this advice for Mariela, today spoken in her own words. “She told me that my native language was going to be a tool for me to continue the mission that Mother Seton has for me. At the time these words did not make sense to me because I knew I was going back to my country. As a Catholic child from a small town in Panama, I learned about the lives of so many saints, but I did not know who Mother Seton was until I came to the Mount … but Mother Seton knew who I was. It was not a coincidence that I was selected from 150 students from my small town to study in the U.S., to have selected the Mount as my college, and to have the opportunity to meet the Sisters from the sixth floor that summer of 1988. There is no coincidence.” 19
Spiritual Enrichment By Erin Reder
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he Sisters of Charity Spirituality Center has undergone a few changes and challenges the last two years. As the Community planned for the demolition of Seton Hall in 2020, congregational offices were made aware that their locations would be moving; with the Spirituality Center relocating to the first floor of St. Mary’s, the former home to Human Resources. In addition, and also in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the Center’s ability to host retreats and programs. As the country shut down, the campus was forced to do the same to protect the Sisters living at the Motherhouse and Mother Margaret Hall. Two years later, Spirituality Center Director S. Marty Dermody looks to new and exciting possibilities around the corner. The Center provides opportunities for spiritual enrichment to the Sisters and the community through a wide variety of programs, including weekend/overnight retreats,
The Spirituality Center’s Emmaus Room provides space for up to 20 guests and is now equipped with video capabilities.
private retreats, days of reflection, prayer programs, massage therapy and individual spiritual direction. The challenge in moving locations was to find a home that would be able to comfortably provide the space, quiet and nurturing environment retreatants and directees would be looking for. The newly remodeled space includes four spiritual direction rooms, a large gathering space (the Emmaus Room) in an intimate prayer room for a small group, such as centering prayer. S. Marty says that the newly remodeled location allows easy access for visitors and guests in an inviting setting. The Bistro, a new addition, provides a space for coffee and quiet discussion before or after a gathering. The four spiritual direction rooms, named Humility, Simplicity, Charity and Presence, offer private space for one-on-one meetings. The atmosphere and ambiance was most important when renovating the space. The rooms needed to be welcoming and warm with comfortable furniture and also offer private space for those entering. Soundproofing the walls was a priority and sound machines to offer a calming, peaceful effect were also added to each room. The Emmaus Room is large enough to hold approximately 15-20 guests. New video equipment was installed and has the capability to assist with PowerPoint presentations and even project a film for the well-loved Friday Night at the Movies series.
S. Marty Dermody, director of the Sisters of Charity Spirituality Center, looks forward to the future re-opening of the Center to directees and retreatants. 20
Toward the back of the building is an intimate prayer space that allows for no more than 10 individuals to occupy at a time. Currently it’s being used by Centering Prayer groups on Mondays and Wednesdays. S. Marty says the intent of the room is to provide a quiet, meditative place for individuals to share, be still, and reflect on God’s goodness in their lives. I ntercom
She adds the space, which replaces the prayer room that used to be located in the Motherhouse Center, can be used by any vaccinated individual who is looking for a simple space to sit and reflect in peace. As restrictions continue to be evaluated at the Motherhouse, eventually the Spirituality Center will offer rooms for overnight guests or those looking to make a private retreat on campus. With the offices ready to welcome guests when the time is right, S. Marty now looks to the future and planning programming. She reflects that the last two years have been difficult as the Center mostly had to cease operation of its programs and retreats due to the pandemic. Taking things day-by-day has been essential in moving forward and remaining positive in a time of such uncertainty. She knows that people are craving the ability to be together and she’s looking into programming that will offer those opportunities in the months ahead. Helping others to build and deepen their relationship with their loving God will be at the center of her efforts and those of the team, Micki Trentman, administrative assistant, and Sisters Mary Fran Davisson and Maureen Heverin. Since taking on her position in 2015, S. Marty has absorbed herself in the conversations, presentations and topics shared through the Spirituality Center. Staying connected to the conversations, and throwing herself into each program and retreat offered, allows her and staff members to provide the best experience possible for individuals to deepen their faith life. While the circumstances of the campus re-opening are essentially out of all our hands, most assured when the Spirituality Center is once again operating at its full strength, the Spirituality Center team is equipped and excited to do so.
The Spirituality Center’s Bistro area provides a space for coffee and quiet discussion.
Four spiritual directions rooms, named Humility, Simplicity, Charity and Presence, offer private space for one-on-one meetings.
The spiritual direction rooms offer a comfortable, welcoming space to guests.
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Elizabeth Seton:
A Patron Saint for the United States By S. Judith Metz
Representation of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton by S. Augusta Zimmer.
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t the 200th anniversary Mass commemorating Saint Elizabeth Seton’s death (Jan. 4, 2021), Baltimore Archbishop William Lori proposed that “our first nativeborn American saint is a saint for everyone” – “an ideal patron for the Church in the United States.” The Archbishop spoke of Elizabeth’s enduring influence among women and men of every vocation and state of life in the Church – for those who are married; for parents; for the widowed; for those who have experienced the death of their own child; for those who have struggled to discover the truth; and for those in consecrated life. Elizabeth Seton is, in fact, a model for all Christians. Her life overflowed with charity – for her family, for poor widows in New York, for the poor and ill in the environs of Emmitsburg, for the students she educated, and for all those she befriended and guided throughout her life. In her lifetime Elizabeth was recognized by early Church leaders such as Archbishop John Carroll who saw her as indispensable to the success of the Sisters of Charity. Bishops William Dubourg, John Dubois, and John Cheverus esteemed her as a holy woman capable of doing great work in spreading the Gospel in the United States. Rev. Simon Brute, a dear friend and spiritual confidant of Elizabeth, recognized her sanctity and 22
significance as he urged her Sister of Charity companions to preserve her papers that he assured them would be of enduring value. In the years following her death, James Roosevelt Bayley, Elizabeth’s nephew and later Archbishop of Baltimore, attributed his decision to convert to Catholicism to the influence of his deceased aunt to whom he referred as “a saint in heaven.” In the 1880s another Archbishop of Baltimore, Cardinal James Gibbons, while saying Mass at Elizabeth’s tomb, pondered whether the day would come when the Church would recognize Elizabeth’s sanctity. He noted that doing so would not only benefit the Sisters and their ministries, but also the entire U.S. Church because she had been “an American Lady of American ancestry and parentage.” Other prominent clerics and scholars advocated for Seton as well. Apostolic Delegate, Amlito Cicognani, spoke with Vatican Secretary of State, Eugenio Pacelli, about Seton’s cause for canonization on his visit to the United States in 1936. When Pacelli later became Pope Pius XII, Elizabeth’s cause was officially introduced, perhaps due to his prodding. Even President Franklin Roosevelt claimed a connection, writing, “In our family we have many traditions of the saintly character of Mother Seton.” I ntercom
Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York advocated for Elizabeth’s canonization, proclaiming, “Elizabeth Ann Seton was wholly American!” At the time of her canonization in 1975, Pope Paul VI proclaimed: “Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is an American. All of us say this with spiritual joy, and with the intention of honoring the land and the nation from which she marvelously sprang forth as the first flower in the calendar of the saints. … Rejoice for your glorious daughter. Be proud of her. And know how to preserve her fruitful heritage.” Elizabeth’s canonization received headlines and press coverage throughout the country including a cover story in the New York Times magazine. Clearly a direct line was drawn between her sanctity and her nationality. The desire and need for a national patron saint was identified by the American bishops as early as the 1880s. They emphasized that having models of holiness “drawn from their very midst” would “inspire devotion to the faithful in this country” and “afford it native patrons.” In her recent book, A Saint of Our Own, Kathleen Sprows Cummings traces the quest of the American Church to have local models of holiness recognized for their sanctity, beginning with the French Jesuit martyrs, Isaac Jogues and Rene Goupil, along with Kateri Tekakwitha. Through the years the causes for canonization of a number of holy men and women associated with the American Church (including our own S. Blandina Segale) have been introduced in Rome. Some have been canonized, none have been named patron saint of the U.S. Church. Those, like Archbishop Lori, who advocate for Elizabeth Seton to be designated as such, point out that she is a “saint for everyone” – that her broad and diverse experiences, her struggles and her sorrows, her deep spirituality that inspired many, and her downto-earth approach to life serve as models to many. She is a woman whose name is widely recognized both in the Catholic Church and beyond. The works she began more than 200 years ago expanded throughout the nation through the ministries of the Sisters and Daughters of Charity who call her foundress. Thousands upon thousands of Americans are familiar with her story and have been served through the educational, health care, and social service work of these women and their Associates. The Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg, Maryland, touches thousands each year offering in-person and online opportunities to connect to Elizabeth’s charism and spirituality. There are close to 100 Catholic parishes and approximately 80 schools in the United States named for her, and she is recognized as a saint in the Episcopal Church. According to historian Kathleen Sprows Cummings, “Seton has endured as an American icon in the American Church for more than two centuries.... [She] occupies a unique perch at the nexus of holiness and American history.” A recent example of the recognition Seton holds in the American consciousness occurred during the 2015 visit of Pope Francis to the United States. President Barack Obama chose a key to Elizabeth’s home in Emmitsburg as a gift to the Pope to symbolize a meaningful connection between the Catholic Church and the United States. Pope Francis, in fact, had already noted Seton’s heroic charity and extraordinary sacrifice at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, observing that her holiness had helped Catholicism flourish in the nation’s founding period and beyond. Why is Elizabeth Seton an appropriate patron saint of the American church? She traces her roots to the very foundation of our country. She lived through the Revolutionary War and associated with some of our nation’s early leaders. She rubbed shoulders with immigrants, endured quarantine, and experienced financial strains. Elizabeth embraced the values and systems that formed our country while at the same time recognizing its weaknesses and inequalities. In equal measure her strong roots in her Christian faith fostered a deep prayer life that supported and motivated her to serve others. She was one of us, American at her core and a follower of Christ in her deepest self – a model of virtue and now an advocate for us before God. [This piece is heavily indebted to Kathleen Sprows Cummings article, “Elizabeth Ann Seton: A Wholly American Saint,” in American Catholic Studies, 132, 3 (2021), 107-115.] V olume I , 2 0 2 2
Intercom is the official magazine of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. This apostolic Catholic women’s religious community exists to carry out the Gospel of Jesus Christ through service and prayer in the world. Approximately 210 Sisters are joined in their mission by 206 Associates (lay women and men). Sisters, using their professional talents as ministers of education, health care, social services and environmental justice, live and minister in 17 U.S. dioceses and in two foreign countries. They also sponsor institutions to address education, health care and social service needs, with particular concern for direct service to the poor.
Intercom Staff Editor Erin Reder Graphic Design/Layout Michelle Bley Director of Communications S. Georgia Kitt Executive Council Liaison S. Monica Gundler Advisory Board Members: Veronica Buchanan S. Mary Ann Flannery S. Tracy Kemme S. Joyce Richter Debbie Weber Vicki Welsh Letters to the editor, articles and photos are welcome. The staff reserves the right to edit for space and readability. Make submissions to: Communications Office 5900 Delhi Road Mount St. Joseph, OH 45051 Phone: 513-347-5447 Fax: 513-347-5467 Email: erin.reder@srcharitycinti.org Subscriptions: $15 per year
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6 Community members joined more than 80 Catholic Sisters and advocacy partners in December 2021 to demonstrate their opposition to Title 42.
The Sisters of Charity Spirituality Center is looking forward to the future with new programming and a new location.
16 Throughout her years in ministry and community, S. Roslyn Hafertepe (center) has had a gift for bringing people together for the sake of friendship and service.
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