bulletin_may_june_2012

May/June 2012 Vol. XXXII, No. 5

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters

B

lessed Pentecost! “God’s love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us!” “Poured into our hearts,” “given to us” – images of God’s abundant sharing and generosity. God’s love for us is richly deep, intimate and inclusive. It is God giving us His/Her very Being.

As we draw to a close our General Visitation with the theme, “Dancing through the Stages of our Lives,” we recognize so clearly God is the one who leads the dance of our lives, personally and communally. God initiates the dance by first loving us and filling us with God’s own love, the Holy Spirit.

Then he asks us to “remain in that love” – live in it, let it bless our lives, inside and out. And the dance moves out to others, all others, sharing with them the goodness and kindness of our God poured into our hearts.

The indwelling Spirit of God moves over the void, dances in the chaos, quickens, warms, sets free, blesses and continuously creates the world.

As Holy Spirit Missionaries There have been two recent deaths that have greatly we dance in tune with this Spirit impacted my life: Sr. Maria Burke and my brother, through the seasons of our life.

Charlie. Both were people with whom I shared so

much of myself and my life and they shared their lives with me. And as with people we are in close relationship with, I often projected my shadow side on them, sometimes my golden shadow and at other times my dark shadow. Although very common, doing this can certainly keep us from having true relationships which are about honoring and cherishing myself and the other as they are. When I saw Sr. Maria and Charlie during their last days so vulnerable, so soft, so much of their core selves shining through, I was faced with truth. All the warmth and (continued on page 2)

(continued from page 1) appreciation I felt for them blessed both me and them. All the hardness and closedness I had felt at different times of my life was in me – not them. And somehow it just melted away when I stood before them in their vulnerability. I thank God for this grace and I also ask myself do I have to wait until death to really honor and cherish persons as they are? Everyone in life and in death deserves to be cherished and honored.

Having received the Holy Spirit, we need to be about the business of compassionate relationships and making our world a better place for everyone. Compassion is an irresistible force drawing us into a consciousness of unity and interconnectedness. It breaks down our projections and thick walls that separate us, hardening us toward one another. We all need each other and are on the journey together. Recognizing our common humanity and that we are here to support and cherish each other, there are so many possibilities of communion and community.

Yes, the goodness and kindness of God is poured into our hearts.

Let’s not go back to squabbling over what furniture is to be put where, who should or shouldn’t be answering the phone or whether we buy this kind of rice or that. It’s time to have our big vision in mind, hang up our egos and get on with the dance of the Spirit.

Sr. Carol Welp

Vocation Day May 20, the death anniversary of Blessed Josepha Stenmans, was a Vocation Day here at the Convent in Techny. We invited young women we knew from our communities in Techny, Rogers Park and Waukegan to come and bring a friend.

Eight young women came and for most, it was their first time in a Convent.

Together we had a joyful afternoon of stories about who we are as Holy Spirit Missionaries and how we experience the Holy Spirit at work in our lives – embracing the world. We prayed together the Pentecost Novena and continued our sharing over supper.

Transfers Because of language students who will be moving on to formation experiences and further studies, there are quite a few

transfers about to take place. In the July/ August bulletin we will list the members in the different communities as we start again in September.

Congratulations Sr. Salud Osornio graduated from the Called and Gifted Program on May 5 in Mundelein.

Sr. Xaveriana Ngene graduated from College of Lake County with an Associate Degree in Sociology on May 12.

Sr. Rose Martin Glenn received the 4th Annual Mother’s day Concert and Humanitarian Award at Holy Spirit Church in Memphis on May 13.

Sr. AnnIta Walsh graduated with a M.A. in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union on May 17. She was not able to be present for the ceremony.

2

Jubilarians 2012 “It shall be a jubilee for you … It shall be holy to you …” Leviticus 25:10-12

75 Years

Sr. Carmella Viso

Sr. Engratia Gales

Sr. Juanita Izo

In the words of the Jubilarians, Jubilee is a time for celebration, a time of exultation because we have seen that the Lord is good! This year we celebrate the jubilee in honor of those who have completed 65 and 75 years as members of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters.

Sixty –five or seventy-five years ago each of these sisters heard the call of the Holy Spirit deep in her heart, each responded and followed the plan God had for her.

The jubilee is a time for all of us to return thanks and praise for what God has so freely and abundantly given over the many years, and to recognize God’s hand in all that has been accomplished.

Sr. Betty Tranel

75 Years

Sr. Marie Sheehy

Sr. Margaret Simon

65 Years

Sr. Maryann Regensburger

3

For Your Prayerful Remembrance Our deceased: Werner Opitz, brother-in-law of Sr. Mary Winkler, who died on April 17.

Stanislaw Motal, uncle of Sr. Elwira Dziuk, who died on April 14.

Bernice Brown, sister of Sr. Mary Helen Sullivan, who died on April 21.

Charles Welp, brother of Sr. Carol Welp, who died on April 23.

Sr. Helen Sheehy, O.P., sister of Sr. Marie Sheehy, who died on April 12.

Our sick: Emiliano Carrera, our faithful employee in housekeeping, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer which has spread to his second lung.

Mike Bogard, our convent engineer, who had a hip replacement and will be at home for a five to six week recovery. We are missing you, Mike.

Moving On

Long-time employee Chris Llamas was honored at a retirement party in April. Best wishes, Chris!

Comings and Goings Sr. Stela Maris Martins has completed her CCME and will be leaving for Brazil on May 31 to prepare for her perpetual vows.

We and the Waukegan parishes will certainly miss Sr. Stela. She is a very dedicated and service-oriented missionary. Many blessings, Sr. Stela!

Sr. Theresa Tawiah from Ghana arrived in the Province on April 29. She is presently visiting some of the communities around the Chicago area as well as preschools and kindergartens. In this way she gets to know the Province and gets ideas and resources for beginning the school in Jamaica. She will be going to New York to visit two brothers and a cousin and to visit our Sisters and the parish school there.

During June and July Sr. Barbara Miensopust and Sr. Theresa will be part of the Mission Cooperation Plan in the diocese try to raise money for our new mission in Jamaica. Srs. Barbara, Theresa and Rosalia Service Galmin will have a Community-building workshop at the end of July to build up their own relationships and strengthen their ability to consciously support one another and cooperate for our mission in Jamaica.

Sr. Odila Ganzer from Brazil South, who originally came to the USA only to study English, is now appointed for three years of ministry once she finishes her English studies in December.

Sr. Odila, we are gladdened and grateful that you will remain with us!

4

Ongoing Formation

Techny Visitor

May 1-4, Srs. Julita Bele Bau, Alexis Tjahjani and Theresa Tawiah went to Ypsilanti, Michigan to learn more about using the High Scope Curriculum in preschools. Later this summer Sr. Julita will be taking more preschool curriculum courses to qualify her as a High Scope preschool teacher and trainer.

During a visit last month with her aunt, Sr. Carol, Olivia Welp talked to the Sisters about her time spent recently in Haiti.

She will be returning this summer to continSr. Angelica Chavol and Sr. Yuliana Meno will ue helping rebuild the be participants in the International Leadership earthquake-damaged Development Program organized by the Sisters of nation. the Holy Cross and given at St. Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana. The program has four phases: Orientation:

June 18-29, 2012 at St. Mary’s

Study:

June 30, 2012 – June 3, 2013 (Independent Study)

Assessment:

June 3 – June 14, 2013 at St. Mary’s

Internship:

Six to twelve months, beginning June 15. 2013.

Sr. Agathe Bramkamp is taking part in the program as a supervisor for Srs. Angelica and Yuliana

Sisters on Home Leave The following Sisters will be on home leave this summer: May 20 – Sr. Kristina Jawa Lajar to Indonesia May 24 – Sr. Alexis Tjahjani to Indonesia June 15 – Sr. Elwira Dziuk to Germany and Poland

World Catholicism Week 2012, "Real Presences: Eucharist, Society, and Global Catholicism," was held April 16-20 at DePaul University in Chicago. Sr. Rose Therese participated one day in the event.

The past century has seen a revival in awareness of the social dimension of the Eucharist. As Lumen Gentium, the Vatican II constitution on the Church, emphasizes, the Eucharistic mystery is not simply for individual consumption and edification; rather, "in the sacrament of the eucharistic bread, the unity of all believers who form one body in Christ is both expressed and brought about" (Lumen Gentium, 3).

The Eucharist counters the scattering of sin by gathering together the Church, a "sure seed of unity, hope and salvation for the whole human race" (Lumen Gentium, 9).

This conference explored how the EuchaWe wish each of you a wonderful time of renewal rist is enacted in--and has an impact on-and family sharing. different social contexts worldwide.

5

More Justice and Peace News Forced Out: At the Intersection of Deportation and Incarceration On April 5, 2012 a day on the exploration of deportation and incarceration was held at the University of Chicago which was organized by Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and the Adler School (Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice). Over 550 community members joined together for a conversation on the intersections of immigration and incarceration, systems that are tearing apart African-American and immigrant families alike. Sr. Rose Therese Nolta participated.

Over 2.3 million people are held in American prisons at any given time, and nearly 400,000 immigrants are deported each year – these are the highest rates of incarceration and deportation in American history.

Jenny Dale presenting at Workshop These policies of containment and removal come at an enormous cost to communities, families and taxpayers. And the same forces are at play in both systems – prison privatization, widespread criminalization, and the politics of fear.

There were educational panels as well as workshops that explored the connection between immigration and incarceration. The event highlighted Chicago and Cook County’s role at the epicenter of these critical issues. Among the speakers were: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who has supported decreasing the number of youths detained in the Cook County’s Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and instead using an approach that places more emphasis on counseling, community-based programs and job skills training for offenders.

Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who last year sponsored a measure to prohibit Cook County Jail from holding inmates based on unreasonable Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests: Cook County is one of only a handful of counties and municipalities across the nation to refuse to comply with the Federal Secure Communities Program.

6

JPIC SSpS USA

continue to practice ways of living characterized by a holistic model of development based on values of reciprocity, diversity, solidarity, accountability and harmony with Mother Earth.

May/June 2012

BEARING WITNESS Sr. Leonette Kaluzny, SSpS On May 8th, 2012 I was privileged to witness and experience a special report given on the rights of indigenous people, sponsored by the NGO Committee on the United Nation International, Mining Working Group, which was first started by VIVAT International three years ago.

2. That their efforts to live sustainably have been disrupted by an exploitative approach to development in which extractive industries have been a central element. The Indigenous Peoples’ culture, societies and econo mies, often suffer from such development.

3. The dominant model of development gives priority to economic growth at the expense of environmental sustainability, equity, social justice and respect for human rights. Companies often pressure indigenous communities for access to resource-rich land. Fragile environments and the people whose lands contain these resources are thus put at risk, even death.

4. The State has a responsibility to protect the rights of all its citizens. Agreements made often benefit the company more than the State.

Sr. Leonette with Sr. Zelia Cordeiro dos Santos The Group presented a very informative, multi-media exhibit and a heart-moving, closing commemorative service. In this presentation the Group addressed the topic of extractive industries; the negative and even catastrophic effect these activities have had on the rights of indigenous peoples, and the need to facilitate a common understanding among Indigenous Peoples, governments, and private companies about key issues and the application of the human rights standards. The Group stated that these issues will be the focus during the next few years.

They are: 1. That the Indigenous Peoples

5. There is a potential for real conflict and harm done to Indigenous Communities and their lands from uncontrolled activity by foreign and national mining companies, Governments, UN systems, and all stakeholders, working in cooperation with local communities, must establish credible and independent

7

information and monitoring mechanisms.

6. Governments must establish robust mechanisms for transparency and social responsibility in extractive industries’ operations; and to make information relating to the mining sector available to all affected local communities.

The Mining Working Group will continue to advocate for a shift in the global community’s discourse and action to more fundamentally respect human rights through a regulated, accountable, extractive industry system. The group called upon all of us to realize our responsibility as ethical consumers and to advocate for the human and ecological rights of those negatively impacted by the scale and abuses of the industry and our own consumer practices. This is not only our challenge, it is our obligation!

My Experience at the Ecumenical Advocacy Days Sr. Genobeba Amaral, SSpS On March 23 to 26, 2012 Sr. Rose Therese Nolta, and I attended Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington DC. This was the first public workshop that I have experienced after being in the United States for two years. The theme for this event was “Is this the fast I seek?”

More than 800 women and men of faith came from different places and backgrounds. However, they had the same goal and spirit in being a voice for our brothers and sisters who are voiceless. It was a good opportunity for me to learn how to be a voice for the marginal people, and be aware of the values of cooperation with other groups.

In front of Supreme Court, Washington, DC

On the last day of our activities, Sr. Rose Therese and I went to Supreme Court to attend a rally about “health care”. There were over 700 people of faith including women, men, and children -old and young. This gathering of people spoke of the need for good health care. It was a peaceful demonstration. After that, Sr. Rose Therese and I joined our lobby group and visited Capitol Hill.

The goal for our visits to Senator Richard Durbin and Senator Mark Kirk was to bring the voice of faith and morals to the federal budget. We asked the senators to keep the budget funding at the current or higher level for the marginalized and vulnerable here in the United States and internationally. The response was satisfying; they promised that they will pay more attention to this. We pray that the authorities will listen to those who fight for the interests of “small people.”

Sen. Durbin’s office

Before Sen. Mark Kirk’s office.

8