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February 2012 Vol. XXXII, No. 2

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters

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Seekers of God

he psalmist prayed: Your face I will seek, Lord . (Ps 26:8) Addressing the issue of seeking God is to touch the very core of human life, of the Christian life and in particular of the consecrated life.

Each human person, at the deepest self, is a being open to the Mystery, a seeker of limitless horizons, and ultimately because of that, fundamentally a seeker of God. This search for God, his face, his will are three ways of saying the same thing. This cannot be an isolated 'act', but a real fundamental attitude which directs, governs, guides and accompanies us from within, as a 'mentality' or a first and permanent fact of consciousness.

Pope Benedict XVI on November 26, 2010 told the executive committee of Superiors General to consecrate the best energies of their lives to the search for God. He said, “Move beyond the unimportant and go after what is essential. That is what is truly important; seek the ultimate, seek God, keep your eye on Him." Joan Chittister has used some very strong words to us religious reminding us that the very heart of our vocation is to seek God. She says: “The person who cannot find God in the religious life makes a mistake by staying. For the person who does not seek God in it, leaving is a must.

For the person who can find God better elsewhere, leaving is a grace.” (continued on page 2)

(continued from page 1) St Joseph Freinademetz as well as our Co-Foundresses knew well that the missionary task was first and foremost to be open to the action and presence of the Word and Spirit in their own lives: to let the mystery of the Triune God transform them so that they could see the people and mission with God’s eyes, so they could see how the Word and Spirit were already active in their sacred space of mission and collaborate with this reaching out of God in their midst. In our ReligiousMissionary Life everyone must sincerely seek the will of the Father, because otherwise the reason itself for our choice of life would disappear.

Mother Maria, Blessed Helena Stollenwerk, knew well how to seek the ultimate, the face of God. She tells us, “Pray for me that I may seek nothing other than God and all that leads to Him.” The human heart is too great to be held captive by creatures. Let us pray for ourselves and for one another that we all seek God and his will. May the saintly missionaries in our family who have traveled the road before us, pray with us.

Sr. Carol Welp

News from Memphis On January 22, forty-seven high school students with four chaperones, including myself as one from Bishop Byrne Middle and High School in Memphis, Tennessee, joined thousands upon thousands of concerned citizens, mostly youth, in attendance at the March for Life Rally at the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. As we left the bus to join the march, each student was given a soft replica of a child which might represent an infant from 4-28 weeks. These little infants were carried in our hands or pockets and were to remind us why we were there. It was a drizzling rainy day. I explained to the students that these drops of water from the clouds could be the tears of the babies and even of some of the mothers who are regretting what they did to their baby or babies. The young people chanted songs of support for the unborn.

The banners carried by several groups depicted their place of origin, and a commitment to overturn the Roe vs. Wade 7-2 decision of 1973. The unborn: non-person, property of owner (mother), choose to keep or kill, pro-lifers should not impose morality on the mother, abortion is legal. For us Black Americans, the Dred Scott decision of 1857 was 7-2. Blacks: nonpersons, property of owner, choose to buy-sell-kill, abolitionists should not impose morality on slave owners, slavery is legal. Sixty-two and a half percent of abortion clinics are located in the inner city and in neighborhoods where poor and minority people live. That day we all marched in unity, but we still live separately. We pray that one day we shall overcome this, too.

Sr. Rose Martin Glenn, SSpS 2

News from Rogers Park Remembering Mona Schwartz I got to know Mona as a neighborhood character, walking her dog around the block several times a day and often stopping by to chat.

‘What’s going on? You girls all at home? I can’t keep track of you with all that coming and going. I am not joking. I hardly know you and you are gone.”

of all the arrangements had found a picture album with a few family photos and a great number of photos with us. We were, it seems, her substitute family and were blessed with her single-minded attention and watchfulness. We still feel that she should come around with her little dog any time of day. “Hey, listen… I am telling you. Everything has changed. I am not joking.” We miss her as we would a family member.

Sr. Agathe Bramkamp and the Rogers Park Community

Actually, Mona got to know many of us during the last 15 years in Rogers Park. And it is true, there have been many sisters living there during their time of study at the various language schools, at Loyola, De Paul, Catholic Theological Union… She took an interest in us (in her words, we were wonderful girls, “no kidding”), in every individual sister and in all things we were “up to”. She loved to talk and relished every minute we stopped to engage her in bantering, joking, teasing, admonishing. She was our best advertisement in the whole neighborhood, we were her “best friends,” and she was not bashful about saying “I love you.”

On December 18, we invited her to celebrate her 89th birthday in a nearby restaurant. We sang and had a piece of cake with a lighted candle. There was lots of loud conversation that could not fail to get the attention of the other guests, to Mona’s delight and satisfaction.

We were away for a workshop for a few days and upon our return did not see her. Then a neighbor called to inform us that Mona, our friend, had died. Seven of us honored her memory by attending her funeral and afterwards talked to all those who had come: two relatives, three or four neighbors and us. A young Rabbi said the prayers in Hebrew at her grave at the old Chicago Rose Hill cemetery. At the luncheon afterwards we had a chance to talk about Mona. Sr. Angelica had made a nice PowerPoint on Psalm 23 with some pictures of Mona and various sisters. The neighbor who took care

Mona and Sr. Uloma

Sr. Uloma Akpa Sr. Uloma wants to work with young people, especially young prisoners. She entered an internship at the Reconciliation Center conducted by the Fathers and Sisters of the Precious Blood on the south side of Chicago. She went to visit prisons and sat with young people in their various sessions at the center.

The little time she spent there was precious to her.

But she jumped at the opportunity to do CPE training in New York. She submitted all her application papers and four days later received a call that she should come, she had been accepted. And now she is off to New York. We wish her well and hope that the training will be beneficial in her future work with young offenders.

Sr. Agathe and the Rogers Park Community 3

For Your Prayerful Remembrance Our deceased: Sr. Agnes Marie Crabb, SSpS, died peacefully on Sunday, January 22 in the infirmary at the Convent of the Holy Spirit. Sr. Margaret Hanssen and Sr. Maria Fischer were at her side singing the Veni Creator . Her brother Harold was able to be present at her funeral.

Mary McManaman, sister of Sr. Agnes Marie, died a few hours earlier in Hawaii. Together they ran to meet the Lord.

Our sick: Sr. Marie Sheehy, who has been hospitalized for pneumonia and is now recovering at the Convent.

Sr. Maria Burke, who has been hospitalized for kidney trouble and the retention of liquid.

She is home again and appreciates your prayers as she is dealing with a lot!

Sr. Lucille Hackenmueller, who has also been very weak and suffering from water retention and a very weak heart. She is now in Glenbrook hospital.

Sr. Mathilde Steffens, who is in rehab after having a stroke.

Sr. Catherine Mueller and Sr. Martha Fass, who are also still in rehab after operations on their broken hips.

Heinrich, cousin of Sr. Adelmara Eisenmenger, who is seriously sick and hospitalized.

Kathy Andersen, sister-in law of Judy Cates, who has been hospitalized several times for severe pain, the cause of which continues to go undiagnosed.

Comings and Goings In January, two Sisters began new mission assignments: Sr. Rosalia Service Galmin has happily reached St. Kitts and is enjoying the tropical hospitality of the island as she finds where she can best help in ministry. Sr. Philippa Chen Jin Xiu has reached Memphis and is beginning her internship with Catholic Charities.

Sr. Uloma Akpa is now assigned to our New York Community. She moved to New York on February 4 where she will be doing Clinical Pastoral Education at a Catholic hospital near our community.

We wish all our Sisters well and blessings as they move, readjust and adapt themselves to the people in their new places of ministry.

On January 25 a dinner was given for Sr. Marie Louise Jilk, who retired from her volunteer position at Stroger Hospital and for Sr. Engratia Gales, who retired as organist for the Techny community.

Sr. Arnolda Chang, who is home now, recovering from a broken hip.

John, Sr. Francetta Kunkel’s nephew, who continues to deal with his advancing cancer.

Chuck Wolff, brother of Sr. Vincent, who is in hospice. Sr. Vincent asks also for prayers for Michela, a relative, who has been diagnosed with wide spread cancer of the abdomen.

Sr. Margaret Hansen writes the new year on the entrance during the feast of the Three Kings house blessing.

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A Trip Back Back to where, to what, to whom? And why?

After my retirement from University teaching at the Fu Jen Catholic University in the greater Taipei area, I left Taiwan with hope of finding another field of service, one more directly related to spiritual growth. Never did I think I would return some day to that small blessed island in the Pacific Ocean.

Therefore I was very surprised when in the middle of September I received an invitation from the president of the University who found it important to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the re-founding of Fu Jen University together with those religious and priests who had served there much of those 50 years and were no longer active there, as well as with those who are still giving a strong Catholic presence.

My first reaction to that invitation was a kind of disbelieve. How can I go back? That isn’t done in our congregation. As a matter of fact, someone told me that we don’t get to go for visits to our former missions. So I let it be, for a while. I did ask the sisters in Taiwan, however, whether they thought it would be a good idea and whether the reasons were valid and important enough. They urged me to apply for permission since the anniversary would be used to stress values of Catholic education and stress the special role of Fu Jen University among the many universities in Taiwan.

I did get permission from the CLT and was there in time to make appointments with groups of alumni and with some teachers, and then took part in the elaborate celebration. The end of the program in the big auditorium was a display of fireworks. We had to exit the auditorium and could go to the roofs of some tall buildings. From four other tall buildings the pretty and sometimes frightening display of the exploding fireworks seemed to rain the fire on the spectators. Beautiful, awesome!

It was a great joy for me to meet so many of my former students. They came with their spouses and their children and had memories of classes taught a long time ago. Some from the class of 1973 and 74 claimed to remember the books we used and even what I said. I was amused and touched by what had impressed them and what they cherished.

A re-visiting of another kind took place in a parish where I had attended Sunday masses for 11 years.

They had built a new church in the meantime, beautiful and inviting to prayer. They had an Advent retreat that Sunday morning, and the church was filled! There were young people, young couples and those faithful ones who had come to services when the church was nothing but a totally dilapidated, neglected old structure.

I was filled with gratitude and praise for the grace of faithfulness and trust that held the people together in spite of their ethnic diversity. There is a community of tribal people, a group of Taiwanese Chinese, another one of Mandarin speaking Chinese and a fairly big group of Philippine migrant workers. All have found their place there and are being tended to quite carefully. Soon a small community of SSpS will be established there in order to work together with our brothers, the SVD pastor and co-pastor, for the spiritual needs and growth of the various members of that faith community. It was heartwarming for me that many of the old parishioners came to greet me, inviting me to stay.

My ten-day stay in Taiwan rushed by quickly. I am grateful for the opportunity to be allowed to bring just my bit of religious presence to all those I met again and those I met for the first time. I also came away with a renewed urgency to pray for all those who seek and yearn for God’s presence in their lives and might be open to the many opportunities of being touched by the grace of faith in the course of their studies at Fu Jen University.

Sr. Agathe Bramkamp

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Holy Spirit Life Learning Center On January 15, the feast day of St. Arnold Janssen, the Holy Spirit Life Learning Center was officially opened by Sr. Carol Welp and blessed by Fr. Jeremy B. Thomas of St. Jerome Parish, Chicago. The Center aims to help students improve their learning skills and their chances to succeed in school by tutoring them, especially middle and high school students.

Women also will be helped to develop selfconfidence through individual counseling, support groups and spiritual companionship. The Center will also offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, a literacy program and classes in basic domestic skills.

There are many requests for spiritual help in Spanish. For the time being, this program is offered in English only. In the future, we hope that we can also offer this program in Spanish as well.

Currently, we have three clients for individual counseling.

The Holy Spirit Life Learning Center is a non-profit ministry in the Rogers Park area in Chicago. We are committed to helping people in need. We work together to reach a better standard of living, in collaborative service with other institutions and individuals as part of our missionary commitment.

Sr. Aprilia Untarto, SSpS Sr. Carol Welp cuts the ribbon to officially open the Life Learning Center

The first class starts at the Center on Wednesday, February 1. Currently, there are 30 ESL students registered in five ESL morning and evening classes, 1.5 hours for each session, three times a week for ten weeks, from level 1 to 3. Each ESL program has three subjects: grammar, listening and speaking, and pronunciation. One student is registered in English conversation class, which is offered once a week as an individual session. All classes are taught, not only by our Sisters, but also by the volunteers who come from the nearby parish and also from the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago in Rogers Park. Spanish literacy already has 11 students and we expect more students The blessing of the house with Fr. Jeremy coming in the next few weeks. Cooking classes are offered twice a week and are also taught by the volunteers. Sewing classes are delivered twice a week by our Sisters and a volunteer. We intend to offer other classes such as knitting, crochet, embroidery and recycling. We are waiting for volunteers who can help us in these programs and are in the process of recruiting volunteers who will tutor the students in science. We alSr. Sara Juarez Guardado plays for the guests. ready have three students for this program.

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Lenten Reflection on Air

JPIC SSpS USA February 2012

A Dream for the World

Breathing is essential to life and is interwoven in our spirituality. The Holy Spirit is the Breath of God. Bl. Josepha knew the meaning of breath and air. One of Bl. Josepha last words which marked her own life so profoundly, The Veni Sancte Spiritus – Come, Holy Spirit – should be the constant breath of a Servant of the Holy Spirit.

Education for Justice has given us a fiveweek Lenten Reflection Program on Air. This could be one way that you could personally reflect, learn, pray and act on the wonderful gift of air.

Lent, Week One: Air - Meaning and Metaphor Our focus is on air as God's gift and revelation for and to all creation. We are responsible to preserve it for those reasons.

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of God’s creation. Care for the earth is a duty of our faith and a sign of our concern for all people. We should strive to live simply to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We have a moral obligation to protect the planet on which we live—to respect God’s creation and to ensure a safe and hospitable environment for human beings, especially children at their most vulnerable stages of development. As stewards called by God to share the responsibility for the future of the earth, we should work for a world in which people respect and protect all of creation and seek to live simply in harmony with it for the sake of future generations.

From USCCB

Lent, Week Two: Air – Past and Present Remember that God is the breath within our breath. Breathe deeply through your nose and from your abdomen.

Lent. Week Three: Air – Pollution and Possibilities Regardless of where we live, chances are we are exposed to highly toxic mercury, acid gases, and heavy metals from America's coalfired power plants.

Lent, Week Four – Air – Truth and Consequences The gradual and significantly increased levels of these pollutants since the Industrial Revolution has resulted in a rise in the overall temperature of Earth's atmosphere: "Global Warming."

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What personal challenges do the words of the Secretary General, Mr. Sha Zukang have for us?

Objectives of Rio+20 The objectives of Rio 20 are  to ensure the renewal of the political commitment to sustainable development, Lent, Week Five – Air - We thank God for Brother Air, Good Friday, and Easter

From Education for Justice



to evaluate the progress made thus far,

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recognize the gaps that still exist in the implementation of the results of the main peaks on sustainable development, and manage new and emerging challenges.

We Prepare

Río+20 will focus on two issues:

for the Rio+20 Conference

-- A green economy in the context of sustainable development and the eradication of poverty

All eyes are on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the Rio +20 will take place there June 20-22, 2012.

The United Nations and VIVAT International as well as other NGOs are busy preparing for Rio +20 in various ways. On March 8, 2011, Sha Zukang, the secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, in New York said: 'Rio 20 is the possibility of mankind to commit to a transition to a green economy that lifts people out of poverty.

We cannot wait another 20 years.”

REFLECTION Let us consider our spirituality of communion and inclusive relationships, and try to consider what we will do in solidarity with others to promote a green economy and lift people out of poverty?

-- An international structure that promotes sustainable development.

ACTION Prayer: - Give thanks for Creation - Pray for Rio+20 - Pray for governments Learn: www.wri.org/greeneconomy www.uncsd2012.org www.stakeholderforum.org Advocacy: Write letters to our government officials.

Adapted from VIVAT International – Sr. Zelia Cordeiro dos Santos and Fr. Felix Jones

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