December 2010, Vol. XXX, No. 10
Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters Convent of the Holy Spirit – Techny, Illinois
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n a Dominican Retreat Center in South Carolina is a picture of the pregnant Madonna tacked on the wall with these words: “This image represents each person who is trying to birth the Real Self, the Imago Dei that is taking shape within.” Meister Eckhart, the fourteenth-century theologian and mystic, used imagery which highlighted the truth that divine life, like human life, is implanted internally and comes about through a process of gestation and birth. “We are each meant to be mothers of God,” he wrote. For Eckhart, birthing God essentially meant birthing compassion. He believed compassion to be the ultimate fruit of our birthing, a slow breaking out of divinity from within us. God is compassion, he insisted; therefore, as God is born more deeply in the soul, so too is the compassionate life.
“Christ is born to us today, in order that he may appear to the whole world through us.” ~Thomas Merton
Sue Monk Kidd writes beautifully about compassion and she once told this story about herself. She was going through a difficult time and cried as she talked with her husband. He touched his fingers to the tears rolling down her face, then touched his wet finger to his own cheek. His gesture spoke volumes. It said, “Your tears run down my face, too. Your suffering aches inside my heart as well. I share your wounded place.” “Be compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate,” Jesus tells us (Luke 6:36). We need to take these words very seriously and lift our finger to the world’s teary face. (continued on page 2)
(continued from page 1) There is too much suffering in our world. Too many homeless, hungry, abused and oppressed people who are your and my brothers and sisters. There are too many bombs, too many wars, too many murders in our cities. The world is deep in tears and to birth God in our world we wipe these tears on our own cheeks and respond with caring, compassionate love. How much room do we have in our hearts for the needy and pain filled hearts around us? Whatsoever you do for the least………you do for me. I, in my essence, and you in your essence, are love. We are created in God’s image and God’s own love is poured into our hearts by the Spirit who is given to us. Let us use our lives to birth God in our world. May God be born deeply in our souls and consciousness and may we show our God to the world by living a compassionate life, a God-like life.
Sr. Carol Welp, SSpS
Celebration
News Notes
Our community in Techny gave a retirement party for Sr. Catherine Mueller, SSpS, on November 18. She worked for 26 years in the business office in Techny after retiring from the medical profession. The same week she received a certificate from the American Society for Clinical Pathology in recognition of 50 years of Board Certification.
On December 10, Rebecca David will be officially received into the prenovitiate and on January 7, Sr. Stela Maris Martins will renew her vows for two years.
Ms. Rebecca David
Srs. Carol Welp and Margaret Hansen express gratitude from the community for Sr. Catherine’s many years of service.
Sr. Stela Maris Martins
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News from Memphis The SSpS and SVD Memphis Communities, including Bishop Terry Steib, who made it in time for dessert, along with three Indonesian missionary Sisters of St. Charles Boromeo, Sr. Ancilla, Sr. Josepha and Sr. Edna and two Indian missionary priests of the Blessed Sacrament, Fr. Saji, and Fr. Mathew, were united on Thanksgiving evening with grateful hearts and a delicious meal hosted at the SVD House on Lauderdale. It included all the trimmings and was prepared mainly by Fr. Tony Clark, SVD. Dessert (rum cake), cornbread and lamb were prepared by Sr. Monica Darrichon and Sr. Rose Martin Glenn. We were thirteen in number, but we could only count our "good luck" in blessings, as we began the meal with a prayer service prepared by Fr. Simon Thoi Hoang, SVD. On November 27, a well-attended day of recollection on the Spirituality of St. Fr. Arnold Janssen was given by Sr. Monica Darrichon and Fr. Carlos Monroy-Paniagua to the Eucharistic ministers, choir directors and lectors from two of the SVD parishes, St. Joseph and Sacred Heart. The day was hosted by St. Joseph Parish with Fr. Tony Clark celebrating the Eucharist.
Vocations During the month of November there were a few happenings in the vocation office. At the beginning of the month there was the National Religious Vocation Conference Convocation in Cleveland, OH, which I attended with about 400 other vocation ministers in the country. I was also invited to be a part of the vocation discernment weekend at St. Leo University near Tampa, FL. There were about 11 young people altogether who are seriously discerning
religious life and priesthood and our weekend was full of sharing and fun! It was good to be there and also to meet one young lady who would like to be a missionary in the future. Over Thanksgiving weekend we welcomed another young lady from San Francisco, CA, at Techny who is in the process of discerning her vocation. Please pray for those young women who are interested and those who contact us to learn more about our community. Sr. Elwira Dziuk
VIVAT
Members of VIVAT are celebrating their ten-year anniversary. It is for both the SVD and the SSpS around the world to celebrate, for we are all members of VIVAT and are happy to have Felix Jones, SVD, and Zelia Cordeiro, SSpS, speak on our behalf for the voiceless at the United Nations. We also express our gratitude to all their predecessors.
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For Your Prayerful Remembrance Please pray for our deceased: Jerome M. Miller, brother of our Sr. Mary Miller, who died in Florida on November 9 and was buried on November 13. Officiating at the funeral Mass was Fr. Joe Miller, SVD. Helen Mallery, sister of Sr. Jean Blie, who died on the morning of November 27 and was buried on November 30. Florence Tranel, sister-in-law of Sr. Betty Tranel, who died during the night of Monday, November 29. Christopher, son of Dr. Arnie Bacigalupo. Dr. Bacigalupo did some workshops and consulting for us in the past few years. Roger F. Gelderman, who worked in the Mission Department for many years. He died on November 3 and in lieu of flowers asked that donations be sent to us. The Honorable Robert Joseph Downing of Glenview, who died in October. He was chief Justice in the Appellate Court for some years in the Northern District and also served us well in his law practice.
Sr. Angelinda Stoeztel, who fell and broke three of her ribs. She is sometimes in great pain. Sr. Marie Louise Jilk, who is still suffering from a pinched nerve. Sr. Lucille Hackenmueller, who is feeling miserable because of water retention due to her heart condition. Our elderly are all appreciative of your prayerful support as they support all of us in our mission and Province ministry.
Comings and Goings Sr. Miryan Inés Céspedes Cañete will be leaving our province on December 22. Thanks, Miryan, and we wish you every blessing as you continue your missionary service in your home province of Paraguay. Sr. Rosalia Service Galmin arrived from Indonesia on December 5. She comes from Flores West and will be with us for three years to study English and have some mission experience.
Please pray for our sick: Rose Kunkel, the grand niece of Sr. Francetta Kunkel, who is suffering from leukemia. There are four small children in the family; the youngest is just three years old. Sr. Mary Winkler, who was hospitalized for several weeks and is now home with us.
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Over the next few months, the bulletin will highlight the mission of individual houses in the U.S. Province. This month, we feature the community in St. Kitts. At present in St. Kitts, there are three sisters. We are all new. Sr. Graciela Castro has lived here the longest, for 18 months, Sr. Margaret Kissani, eight months and Sr. Uloma Akpa, two months. Because we are new there are more discoveries and journeys we have to make together. The reality of St. Kitts calls us to try to live the Gospel of Christ in our own lives. It gives us the opportunity to experience and share the love of the Triune God through and with the women, students, poor, prisoners, marginalized, sick, street people, elderly and our parishioners. As individuals we bring our different gifts. Sr. Graciela is teaching in the Immaculate Conception Catholic School in St. John Basseterre and coordinates the Catechism classes in the parish in Molineux. Below is Sr. Graciela’s reflection of her ministry in the school. “In September 2010, the two centennial schools, St. Theresa, the Convent School, and St. Joseph, the Roman School, were combined into one under the name of Immaculate Conception Catholic School. The new ICCS brought hope and challenges. Most of the staff members were used to the past system established by local people and find it hard to accept a new system which is being formed by an American point of view. There is hope for a good and competent formation for the students, but there is still resistance among some of the members of the staff. I strongly believe that changes are necessary for learning, growing and transforming realities where new life and hope may flourish.” Sr. Uloma is actively involved in the soup kitchen in Basseterre serving the poor, street people and the marginalized. She has also teamed up with some Catholic women who go to the prison for visits once every month. Here Sr. Uloma shares her experience: “At the soup kitchen God calls each person in a specific way. According to my capabilities, talents and gifts, He has placed me where I will be able to be fulfilled as a person and reach out to the most in need. St. Kitts is the place where in my heart I
feel at one with the people, especially in the soup kitchen. I serve them all according to their individual needs. Some need food, others need clothing. Some need a bath, while others just need me to be there to listen to their stories. I share their joy and pain and also encourage them. There are times we pray together. I experience the good relationship of trust. It is this kinship and relationship-building that lead me to treasure and value each new day as I wake up. Also, I visit prisoners once a month. There we read the word of God in the Scriptures and share. They have beautiful insights. Each day my heart begins to grow heavy with the desire to serve more. What I have learned is to be in solidarity with the people in St. Kitts. I learned that social justice encompasses more than just creating more meetings and conferences. It means to be among the people, aiding them, giving them your time, sharing your talents, your friendship, etc. I would like to quote from Blessed Mother Teresa, “One can help the world by helping one person at a time.” So my dear sisters, I do not just like what I do, I love what I am doing.” Sr. Uloma with students in the afterschool art class.
Students enjoy having their pictures taken with Sr. Graciela.
Sr. Margaret leads the choir during practice.
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My Mission and Ministry in Chicago There is increasing focus in our Congregation throughout the world and in our Province on the importance of our commitment for women that they may grow in awareness of their personal dignity, and their role in the family, the church and the society. And to be able to meet this challenge, I answered the call to minister and journey together with people of diverse cultures and traditions, promoting dignity of all people, especially the homeless women and men in Chicago. After several weeks of orientation, I joined the Franciscan Outreach Association (FOA) which offers opportunities in this area of ministry in Mary and Joseph House Shelter. The Mary and Joseph House Shelter houses 200 men and 40 women in separate parts of the building. Ninety-five percent of the homeless persons “guests� and staff are African-American. Presently, there are no Franciscan Friars on the staff. The Mission of FOA is to provide basic human needs of the guests – food and shelter- while offering them assistance and encouragement as they build a better life. Mary and Joseph House Shelter is an emergency overnight shelter. Every night of the year we are able to accommodate 209 men and about 40 women. We provide all of our guests with a bed, pillow, sheets and a blanket; supper of soup and a sandwich, a warm shower and towels, coffee and breakfast; visits by health-care personnel and the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and the opportunity to meet with the mental health outreach workers.
We operate on a first-come, first-served basis. However, we allow a limited number of our regular guests a reserved bed. Even though we provided over 86,500 shelter nights last year, we had to turn away over 1,504 persons because we were filled to capacity. Turning away anyone especially women, is very difficult for me, personally. I view myself as meeting the emergency needs of the homeless as well as being a point of entry for them into a wide variety of services available that can help them change their lives for the better. I started out as a case worker but I soon found out that my life experiences and the gifts God has blessed me with can be used in many more areas in the shelter. Presently I am implementing a day program where the homeless men and women can learn meaningful life and job skills which hopefully will lead them to better jobs, money, and affordable housing facilities and of course, better life. We are assisted by many dedicated, fulltime and part-time volunteers. We are always looking for volunteers who can spend at least one year working directly with the homeless and helping us do this good work. As Program Assistant, I have the opportunity and joy to work directly with the homeless, the different agencies helping us, and our wonderful staff. I am happy and blessed to be part of Franciscan Outreach House Shelter where we offer the homeless of Chicago a healthy dose of respect and dignity, along with our emergency services and one-on one practical assistance. Sr. Leonette Kaluzny, S.Sp.S
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December 2010
JPIC SSpS USA Mexico 2010 -- Migration by Sr. Salud Osornio “Mexico 2010” commemorates two fundamental events in its history: The Bicentenary of its accession to Independence and the Centenary of its Revolution. The anniversaries of these two events provide an excellent opportunity to explore the dynamic interaction between past and present with particular attention to contemporary issues of migration, children and human rights. Loyola University, Chicago, joined with the consulate of Mexico and with the local Mexican community to host a number of presentations and discussions to commemorate ''Mexico 2010.'' On Wednesday, November 17, 2010, two panels were presented at Loyola University. One panel dealt with “Migration: Political, Economic, Community and Familial Perspectives from Mexico and the United States” while the second panel looked at “Child Rights and Contemporary Immigration Issues.” I was invited by Sr. Rose Therese to attend these two panels at Loyola University on November 17. It was very interesting for me to listen to the panels as an immigrant. Three panelists were on the first panel, two of them originally from Mexico and one from Guatemala. The first panelist, Amalia Molina, an activist, talked about her own struggles and the heartbreaking experiences of immigrant families when they were separated as a result of the immigration laws. For me, it was very difficult to hear her story because I put myself in her shoes. I thought at that moment, if it were me, it would be very hard to leave my family. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for her to be separated from her children by force, as it was done to her. While in prison, she met people from all over the world. Immigration is a global problem, not only a problem for Mexicans.
The second speaker was Dr. Maria del Carmen Perez who has been engaged in research in family well-being and dynamics and mental health prevention for 20 years. She talked about the problems of Mexico and the Central America countries and stressed how everything is 7
connected. She shared how families disintegrate because one member or a couple immigrates to the United States to find a better life for their family. They leave their children with their grandmother or other relatives to care for them. The problems start when the parents stay away for a very long time. She said, “The kids start feeling lonely and feel abandoned by their parents. As teenagers, they start looking for someone who can understand and love them, and then in their despair, they lose hope. This is the reason why many of them find refuge in drugs, alcohol, prostitution and violence.”
Oscar Chacon, the Executive Director of the National Alliance of Latinos & Caribbean Communities, was the third speaker. He explained how this organization works to improve the quality of life for Latinos and Latino immigrants in their communities both in the Unites States and in the countries of their origin. The National Alliance develops transnational leadership capacity and increases immigrant civic participation, so that the immigrants can advocate effectively for public policies that address the root causes of migration, as well as address the challenges faced by immigrants in the United States. International Migrants Day -- Global Forum on Migration and Development
Ten years ago, on December 4th, 2000, the United Nations proclaimed December 18 International Migrants Day. 2010 is also special because it's the 20th Anniversary of the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Let us recognize and respect migrants, celebrate who they are to this country and support their fight for justice. This is one way we can fight the anti-immigrant hate that dominates the headlines. Learn more about the migrants and immigrants: Why did they come to the US? Act for them and pray for them. Migration is a global reality. The Fourth Conference of the Global Forum on Migration and Development was held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from November 8-11, 2010. The central theme of these days was “Partnerships for migration and human development: shared prosperity – shared responsibility”. A number of roundtable discussions were held to address the causes, challenges and effects of migration for development and of development for migration.
A Prayer for Immigrants: God of the journey, God of the traveler, we pray for those who leave their homes in search of new beginnings and possibilities, may they know your presence with them. We pray that those who seek to make a home in this country may find us welcoming and willing to help them find a path toward citizenship. We pray that our legislators, as they craft new immigration legislation may find the wisdom and courage to enact new policies that do justice for our country and for those who would immigrate here. We pray that those who fan the flames of fear and discrimination against the undocumented may be touched with your divine compassion. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen Adapted from the Archdiocese of Chicago
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