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February 2010, Vol. XXX, No. 2
Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters
Convent of the Holy Spirit – Techny, Illinois 60082-6026
IIII n Lent, God’s invitation to us becomes very focused: “Come back to me with all your heart, don’t let sin keep us apart.” “Turn away from sin and live the Gospel.” To sin is to miss the
mark, like when an archer’s arrow doesn’t hit the center. When we sin, we miss the mark, the purpose of our existence, of who we are created to be. Then how do we turn away from sin? By going back to the center, to the essentials of who we are: Beloved sons and daughters of a Trinitarian God whose streams of life and love continu-ally flood every part of our universe creating new life, redeeming what is broken and connecting all in relationships of trinitarian mutuality. Sin is disconnecting ourselves from God, ourselves, others, life and reality. As a human race, we have certainly missed the point, sinned gravely and caused much suffering in our world. In the last century alone more than 100 million human persons were violently killed by the hands of their fellow human beings. How we need to come back to the source of Life and Love in Whose image all of us are created and not let fear and violence keep us apart. The Good News is this is possible; it is God’s invitation to us and God is always there for us, active and present with Redeeming Love. Our spirituality as Holy Spirit missionaries is Trinitarian. We allow the love of our Father/Mother, God, to embrace us and make us women disciples, the liberating love of the crucified and Risen Lord to transform our being and the Spirit-love poured into our hearts to pervade all our being and doing. Our missionary charism, then, urges us to make known to others this great stream of life and love
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Let us allow God’s Let us allow God’s Let us allow God’s Let us allow God’s ttttransforming love ransforming love ransforming love ransforming love to lead us right to lead us right to lead us right to lead us right smack into the smack into the smack into the smack into the center of who we center of who we center of who we center of who we are created and are created and are created and are created and called to becalled to becalled to becalled to be. . . .
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which is at the Center and source of their lives as well. We do this by how we live. Do we as Holy Spirit missionaries keep our focus on the mark, the essentials of who we are? Or do we miss the mark and sin? To see how we are keeping centered in our religious missionary vocation we could evaluate our living of the 13th General Chapter Directions. Do I live in communion in our multicultural and intergenerational way of life or do I exclude someone? Do I witness to the interconnectedness of all of life by mutuality and collabora-tion? Do I acknowledge the violence in myself and open myself to the Spirit’s movements of compassion, gentleness and reconciliation? Am I always ready to learn, to open myself to God’s presence and revelation in each experience? Do I recognize our vital relationships with all of creation and move from consumerism to a conscientious use of resources? Am I committed to life in all its forms? Do I allow the realities of life especially my encounters with the suffering, the excluded and marginalized to challenge and trans-form me? Our God is also inviting each of us and all of us as SSpS: “Come back to me with all your heart, don’t let fear keep us apart.” “Turn away from sin and live the Gospel.”
Sr. Carol Welp Sr. Carol Welp Sr. Carol Welp Sr. Carol Welp
The Sisters are from Argentina, Brazil
and Paraguay and are doing pastoral
social work with parish teams in the
SVD parishes. Sr. Monica Mabel Balbuena and Sr. Carol
Welp attended the opening of the Pan Am Novi-tiate in Paraguay and the Assembly of Pan Am
Provincials. Sr. Monica was on her way home
for leave and she served as translator for Sr.
Carol and Sr. Estela Parmisano, General Councilor, who also attended the assembly. The
Pan Am Novitiate boasts of nine novices: five
from Argentina and one each from Bolivia,
Paraguay, Brazil and the U.S.A.-Mexico. Our
Sara Guardado is seen in the photo to the right with her novitiate group.
In the Assembly, we had evaluations of com-
mon projects: Pan Am Tertiate and ongoing
formation programs. We planned and budgeted
for the novitiate and upcoming assemblies. Our
common mission project, Venlanas in Ecuador,
is growing. There are now four Sisters working
there and another will be coming soon.
Opening of the Pan Am Novitiate
Sara Guardado (back row, right)
with novices from many countries. The Assembly of Pan Am Provincials
From the homily of Fr. Bob Kelly,
SVD, Ash Wednesday:
“Listen well
Criticize little
Affirm much.”
On February 17, the new leadership team was
installed during a simple prayer service in
Techny. In their first meetings, they made
the following decisions: Sr. Margaret
Hansen, SSpS, was elected as Assistant
Provincial; Sr. Agathe Bramkamp, SSpS,
was elected as Provincial Admonitor; Sr.
Elwira Dziuk, SSpS, was elected as
Provincial Secretary; Sr. Priscilla Burke,
SSpS was appointed Provincial Treasurer.
Sr. Margaret Hansen has been here on leave since February 9. She has spent most of her
time with her parents. Her mother had knee
surgery and Sr. Margaret was there to nurse
her through her recuperation. Sr. Margaret
was also here in Techny for the PLT installa-
tion and for the meetings. Welcome, Sr.
Margaret! Sr. Monica Balbuena has left for her home leave. She was with me in Mexico
and Paraguay to help with translations and to
bond with Sara, our novice. She will visit
Sara again on her way home through
Paraguay in May. Sr. Judy Vallimont will be with us here in the Province from
March 29 through April 29. She will be on
home leave, meeting with the VIVAT team
in New York and attending a USA VIVAT
meeting in Washington, D.C., plus
celebrating her golden Jubilee with us.
Hearty welcome, Sr. Judy!
Sr. Carol
On February 3, the Catholic Theological
Union hosted a workshop of the ILP
(Instituto de Liderazgo Pastoral) of the
Archdiocese of Chicago. The Church in
the U.S. has many immigrant members,
especially Latinos (from countries where
Spanish is spoken). We wondered how the
Church will grow in its approach of
bringing people together into the one body
of Christ. Efforts must go beyond Masses
said in Spanish or Polish or Chinese. The
ILP is concerned with and trains people to
build up integrated parish councils, to shift
from dominant cultures (often the minority
in parish membership) to representative
bodies of parish councils and sponsored
activities. Intercultural living as church
(and community living also) would mean:
the common place is shared so that various
groups impact each other; there is to be
negotiation, cultivation of relationships,
participation by all parties, each party
actively contributing; understanding,
acknowledging and appreciating
differences is actively pursued; learning to
perceive our differences in a celebratory
not antithetical way. Church (and our
community) is to give us the experience of
God’s wondrous all-embracing love.
Sr. Agathe Bramkamp
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Installation of the New Province
Leadership Team
L to R: Srs. Elwira, Margaret, Carol, Agathe and
AnnIta Walsh.
Comings and Goings
From Multi-Cultural to Inter-Cultural
Srs. Monica Darrichon and Rose Martin
Glenn attended the Consecrated Life celebra-
tion on February 6. Bishop Terry Steib,
SVD, presided and held an open discussion. On Feburary 13, they attended the Lunar New
Year Celebration with Fr. Joseph Dao Vu,
SVD, at Sacred Heart Church. The parish youth group provided entertainment.
Sr. Rose Martin Glenn
About 15 children were baptized at the
Cathedral recently and Sr. Miryan Ines
Cespedes is preparing the parents and godpar-ents of eight children who will be baptized
during the Spanish Mass on February 28.
The St. John’s preschool concert took place on
February 14 and Sr. Alexis Tjahjani helped prepare a group that sang. She also helped
with their costumes, made a wonderful banner
and lots of hearts that were hung on the audi-
torium wall. The 99 little ones, ages 3-6, were
most entertaining.
The economic situation in Antigua is affecting
everyone negatively, including the govern-
ment. Yesterday’s newspaper said that as of
February 28 there will be a tax on many more
food items.
Sr. Margaret Anne Norris
The SSpS contingent of eleven attended the
Ministry with Immigrants Day that had been
organized by the Sisters and Brothers of
Immigrants (SBI) on February 20, 2010, at St.
Benedict the African Parish. The main
speaker was Daniel G. Groody, CSC, from the University of Notre Dame. He
developed ‘Migration and Theology’ on
three levels – pastoral, spiritual and
theological, giving us a framework for
migration, mission and spirituality while
looking at the what, who and where of
migration. Depending upon our concep-
tions, we consider the migrant as aliens,
workers or people deserving human respect.
This is a complex, but ethical issue. At the
end he presented Jesus who migrated from
God and crossed many divides. Jesus came
so that we could migrate back to God.
There were two powerful prayer services, a
presentation on the history of the SBI and
possibilities for legislative action as well as
the Julia Center Mexican Folk Dance Class
entertainment and display of organizations
that focus on immigrants. Sr. Rose
Therese Nolta and Sr. Dinah Marie
Aguirre were working in the background that the day would be successful.
News from Memphis
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News from Antigua
Ministry with Immigrants Day
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On Tuesday, February 16, members of
Campaign for Better Health Care Faith
Caucus staged "die-ins" as a part of the
release of a new report by Families USA
detailing the number of lives lost in Illinois
due to a lack of health insurance. Sr. Rose
Therese Nolta was one of the members who lay down to represent a fraction of the
thousands of Illinoisans who have died
because they lack health insurance.
According to the report in the 15 year period
from 1995-2009, 10,800 people died in
Illinois alone. If Congress fails to pass health
reform, the number of Americans who lose
their lives will continue to grow. For the full
report see: http://www.cbhconline.org/
documents/Lives_on_the_Line_ EMB_
Feb_16.pdf
During the week of February 14-20, Jubilee
USA had an action week for the Debt Relief
of the poorest countries of our world.
Besides writing to our Representatives
regarding the Jubilee Act (HR 4405) and HR
2932, a Candle/Prayer Vigil took place near
Glenview Train Station. Sr. Rose Therese
Nolta and Br. Brian McLaughlin organized
the event on February 17, 2010, 6:30-7:30
pm. Sr. Dinah Marie Aguirre and Sr.
Aprilia Untarto took part in the vigil.
Sr. Mary Antonia Rademacher, who was hospitalized for pneumonia. While in the
hospital, she fell and dislocated her
shoulder and broke her clavicle. She is now
at Abington.
Sr. Maria Burke, who is slowly gaining strength thanks to our nursing staff in Maria
Hall.
Sr. Mary Agnes Fahrland, who is recovering nicely after her back surgery,
but will not be able to bend for six weeks.
Sr. Pat Snider, who is recuperating slowly. She is now struggling to be able to go up
and down stairs.
Sr. Mary Miller, who had laproscopic back surgery on Saturday, February 19, in
Rome. She is now recovering.
Mother of Sr. Margaret Hansen, who had knee surgery, but is doing very well with
her daughter nurse’s tender loving care.
Sr. Therese Mary Martinez, who has begun treatment for metastasized breast
cancer in her lung and is doing better.
Gilbert Heredia, Sr. Anita Marie
Gutierrez’ brother-in-law, who died on February 25 of cancer.
Mary, sister of Sr. Margaret Anne
Norris, who was taken back to the hospital with medical problems and was transferred
to a nursing home.
Theresa, niece of Sr. Sienna Ressel, who had a knee replacement and now is
suffering from allergies due to the
medications.
For your prayerful remembrance Healthcare
Candle/Prayer Vigil for
Debt Relief
February 2010
Our Lenten Journey with Immigrants
Our Province continues to focus on im-
migration and immigrants. One of the
ways that we have done this is through
advocacy -- the USCCB, Justice for Im-
migrants’ postcard campaign. We have
helped sign over 500 postcards for Com-
prehensive Immigration Reform and will
see that they are delivered to our Sena-
tors and Representatives.
Salud Osornio, postulant, helping with postcard
signing at St. Jerome Parish Church.
Some of us are fasting and praying that a Comprehensive Immigration Reform
will be
passed
here in
the US.
From
the
middle
of Janu-
ary un-
til the
end of March, some priests and religious
are fasting and praying. Please join us
and do what you can. Thank you.
JPIC
SSpS
USA
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Our Lenten Journey
During our Lenten Journey we are
challenged to choose to be, to live and to act
as Jesus did. Lent calls us to a deeper part
of ourselves and calls us out of ourselves to
make a difference in our world today.
The Message of Pope Benedict XVI for Lent
of 2010 is based on Rom. 3:21-22, “The
justice of God has been manifested through
faith in Jesus Christ.” It gives us an impor-
tant perspective regarding justice, and Christ
being the Justice of God. For the whole
text see: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20091030_lent-2010_en.html The United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops (USCCB) has a number of
resources to facilitate your Lenten practice
and your journey with Christ.
See http://www.usccb.org/lent/
God is attentive to the cry of the poor and in
return asks to be listened to: He asks for jus-
tice towards the poor (cf. Sir 4,4-5, 8-9), the
stranger (cf. Ex 22,20), the slave (cf. Dt 15,
12-18). In order to enter into justice, it is
thus necessary to leave that illusion of self-
sufficiency, the profound state of closure,
which is the very origin of injustice.
7
A Joint Project of the SSpS-SVD-SSpSAP
on Immigration is currently involved in
prayer, education and awareness, advocacy
and action and service. Each of us can re-
spond in the way that is possible for us. The
Lenten Calendar 2010 focuses
on immigrants. It provides ac-
tivities, prayers, reflection and
opportunities to nourish a
deeper compassion and a lived
spirituality of following the
cross of Christ. See www.
archchicago.org/immigration
Another resource that you may
find helpful is the Migrants
Way of the Cross from USCCB. See
http://usccb.org/lent/migrants_way.pdf
Prayer at Broadview Detention Center
Every Friday morning the rosary is said in
front of the Broadview Detention Center for
those that will be deported that day, for all
immigrants and their families and for
Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
In your area see if there is an immigration
action or prayer service.
Our Lenten Journey
with the Environment
Another focus for this Lent is acting as wise
stewards of God’s Creation. A concrete
way is through the Lenten Carbon Fast
2010. “The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a
responsibility towards the poor, towards
future generations and towards humanity as a
whole.” -- Pope Benedict, Encyclical Caritas
in Veritate. You can find this calendar at http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/wp-
content/uploads/2010/01/Lenten-Carbon-Fast-
Calendar-2010.pdf
Our Lenten Journey - Non-Violence
This week I attended a Social Analysis Day
with a focus on Non-Violence at the 8th Day
Center. It was an enriching and a challeng-
ing day to again look at how I follow Jesus in
a non-violent way. Through a video on Brazil
and the land reform, through activities and
discussion, I saw that we have various ideas
of what makes an action non-violent or
violent. Nonviolence is a challenging focus
for Lent. One quote from the day from
Nancy Schreck’s The Faithful Nonviolence of
Jesus:
Blessings on our Lenten Journey –
Sr. Rose Therese Nolta, SSpS
“Therefore, before we can explore Jesus’ non-
violent response to particular situations we
must first see that we are talking about a
person whose life is committed to the
inclusion of all at one table, the well-being of
all, and the worship of a God of life, not
death. This means a lifestyle built on a
commitment to compassion, humility, non-
retaliation, forgiveness, truth-seeking,
reconciliation and love of others, including
one’s enemies. This grows out of giving,
fasting, praying, trusting, and setting our
hearts on the reign of God.”