Franciscan Missionaries of Mary USA Province Volume 39 No. 1 Spring 2009

The concluding prayer at the EPC in March was a tapestry of prayers, prepared by each of the groups.

We share some of these with you and invite you to join in this prayer ….

O God of Wonder and Surprise we bless you ...,

for the gift of God’s Spirit living in and through Mary of the Pas-sion and all our Sisters - the leaders in mission who have gone before us.

for our weaknesses and our joys.

for living in times of uncertainty,

Lord, we are living in a world that is suffering - where disasters, violence of all kind

and human exploitation tear apart the fiber of creation;

where the tears, pain and fears of children,

women and men, those without jobs, food, shelter and far away from their own countries

hold for us the image of God.

Blessed are you loving God of all peoples.

Your spirit dwells within each of us, calling, inspiring, guiding and giving light.

May we ever turn to you to be filled with love,

compassion and strength for our communities, places of ministry and everywhere we go.

Praise and thanks to you, my Lord, for your compassion which we long to follow

to bring comfort to others.

Praise and thanks to you, my Lord, for your Presence to us in the Eucharist, in one another, in the people we serve,

and in all creation.

for all your gifts, we praise and thank you1

Forgive our sins, Lord, and plant in our hearts a firm purpose to love ourselves and our neighbor,

to protect others, and to live peacefully and in harmony with everyone.

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Editors Notes

Christ is Risen, Alleluia! Christ will come again!

Joyful alleluias continue to resound in our Paschal liturgies as we bring you the spring edition of Sharings. This issue is full of province activities. Much more could have been included had space allowed.

We have experienced the loss of two more of our Sisters, Frances Callanan and Jerry Iozzo. We believe that they are with our Risen Lord and that they will remember us as we remember them with gratitude and love.

Lois Ann Pereira’s visit to all of the communities has elicited a wealth of information concerning our Sisters’ minis-tries. We hope to find a means of sharing them with a wider readership of Sharings.

As winter reluctantly loosens its tenacious grip on our climate we see signs of new life all around us. Flowers, trees, grass and bushes are all bursting with buds ready to bloom at any moment. Now we can continue to do our part caring for our creation by our outdoors activities.

We wish all of our readers a blessed Paschaltide!

, Maryann Alukonis, fmm, Rosemarie Higgins, fmm, Anne Turbini, fmm

NEXT ISSUE: SUMMER

Contents Our Deceased & Sick, Eulogies …………….. 3 El Paso, Texas, Ghana ……... ………….. …. 4 Teenagers, The Journey .. …………………...5 Bethany, Circle the City .. ………………. .. …6 Mission Handbook, Province Missionings …..7 Pre– Novitiate News ………………………….8 Viet Nam ……………………………………...9

Sharings is published at: Provincial Communications Office 399 Fruit Hill Ave- North Providence, RI 02911 Tel: (401) 353-5804 Ext: 130 Fax (401)

A Powerful Noise ………………………..……… 10

Roslyn ……………………...……………………. 11

I can say nothing ..……………………………… 12

Front L-R: Sisters Rosemarie Higgins, Barbara Dopierala, Kim Loan Nguyen, Betty Keegan, Marie Cinotti 2nd row: Sisters Agnes Begley, Nzenzili Mboma, Alma Dufault, Elizabeth Ann Conyers, Malgorzata Bukowska Back row: Sisters Anne Turbini, Pauline Boris, Joyce Gardella, Patricia Barrett, Liliane Alam, Nancy Cabral, Pauline Gilmore, Lois Ann Pereira, Noreen Murray

EPC March ‘09

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“Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” Let us place our-selves very close to her on this feast and let us try to understand how far our Immaculate Queen aban-doned herself to the good pleasure of God. In imita-tion of her, let us say in all its fullness the Fiat of obedi-ence. “The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us.” (1John 1:14) What a day was that! No one will ever make so complete an offering of her entire being to her Creator as Mary made. …. Oh, if Franciscan Missionaries of Mary knew how to understand it…how powerful their work would be on earth and in the obscurity of the hidden life! Frances loved her name in religion, Mary of the An-nunciation. She was a mystery known to God. Frances strove to imitate Mary and her fiat throughout her life in her various ministries. She abandoned herself to the good pleasure of God. These last years she lived in the obscurity of the hidden life but at the same time witnessed to so many of us her goodness as she gave us her beautiful smile. I believe that she is now giving God that smile and God is saying to her, Be-hold my handmaid, welcome to the kingdom you yearned for during your lifetime of service and love.

Josephine Iozzo, fmm

On December 21, 1884 in her letter to Mother Marie de Sainte-Cecile, Mary of the Passion, our foundress, wrote, “…Have no fear about the love of Jesus. He is, he has all beauty, but each creature has only share of this and that is why He finds pleasure in all. To Him, one is a rose, another a garden lily, whilst this one is hidden in the fields, another among thorns, one is in the woods and another has the fragrance of the vio-let. And so it is with those who are consecrated to Him. He has been a loving Lord for you. Within an incomparable tenderness He has sought you out. Even though He saw in you only His own handiwork, He would have looked upon you with pleasure. Love Him then, love Him more and more and let Him see it in everything. …” I believe that anyone whose life has been touched by our sister Jerry knows that she loved her God and showed this love in all she did. Knowing she was loved by her God Jerry imitated this love as she found and loved each of us. She recognized us as different flowers no matter where we were and gave the same love and care to each of us as her God gave her. She lived her life in a quiet peacefulness - and in this same attitude she has returned to her loving God. Jerry, may you rest in the loving, peaceful arms of your God.

Our Deceased Sisters & Relatives

Frances Callanan, fmm (M. of the Annunciation) Born to Eternal Life March 7, 2009

Josephine J (Jerry) Iozzo, fmm (M. Restituta) Born to Eternal Life March 28, 2009 Fermin Palma , brother of Emilia & Rose Rita Huot, long tome friend and volunteer with her husband Jerry. Loretta Houlihan Holland, cousin of Lois Houlihan, fmm Mark Smith, nephew of Beatrice Coté, fmm Jackie Nerbonne, director of nurses St. Antoine’s. She assisted us greatly in our licensure efforts at the FMM Nursing Center. She was the niece of Cecile Ledoux, fmm (M. Eleusippe)

Our Sick Sisters & Relatives Mary D, Sullivan ,fmm Therese Landry, fmm Maria Silva, fmm Virginia Falk, fmm Cathy Boudreau, fmm Cathy Powers, niece of Jackie LaVie, fmm

Eulogies for … Frances Callanan, fmm

In our Customs Book: Way of Life, Mary of the Passion wrote: “The feast of the Annunciation is dear to all Catholic hearts but especially to the heart of a Franciscan Missionary of Mary. On this day, our Immaculate Mother pointed out our way when she replied to the Angel:

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A Joyful Encounter In October I made my annual retreat at the beautiful Oblate Renewal Center in San Antonio,Texas. On my first day I met the president of the Oblate School of Theology, Fr. Ronald Rolheiser,OMI. Fr. Ronald asked me if I was an FMM and when I replied in the affirmative he told me that back in the seventies he served our sisters as chaplain at our house in San Francisco. He then went on to say that he remembered the name of one sister, Assunta. It made me very happy to know that this famous theo-logian and renowned author had engraved her name in his memory for over thirty years. Sister Assunta Kis-litzin who now resides at St. Antoine's Residence, was and still is a gentle, self-effacing person like her name-sake, Blessed Assunta who radiates peace and inner joy to all. Beatrice Costagliola, fmm

Mary, Mother of Migrants Community Here in El Paso each sister has a particular ministry and during our evening meals we share the stories and incidents of our daily lives. There have been oc-casions when one sister has been able to accompany another in her ministry. An example of this was when Marie invited Leti to join her in giving vocation talks to a confirmation class at her parish. Marie gave her talk in English and Leti in Spanish. The following week they returned to speak to the parents. Leti also has accom-panied Marie on several occasions to pray in Spanish with patients at the hospital. Yen was a great help to Bea when she visited two young Vietnamese women who were despondent at their long stay in the Detention Center - (one for over 14 months). She asked Yen to speak with them and they poured out their hopes and fears to her. It was a real consolation to speak to someone in their own lan-guage. Yen encouraged them and promised them her prayers. The following day coincided with the begin-ning of the Lunar New Year and it happened that

both were given release papers. Bea saw them practi-cally dancing with joy. That evening Yen received a call from the Greyhound bus terminal from two very happy Vietnamese who told her she had brought them good luck! These are only two examples of very tangible experi-ences of "Mutual Accompaniment" we have lived in our small community.

Maggie celebration - Ghana

The Parish really did them-selves out. They did every-

thing. All I did was renew my vows, get a beautiful candle to give to Our Blessed Mother and sit down. This was after the

homily. Then after the post communion WOW.

THEY READ WHAT I SENT YOU...but our Parish priest

added... entered in 1958 Sept just one year after our Independence Had final vows 1964 just ahead of the birth of Obama. Came to Ghana in 1973 just a little before I was born - our PP. Then came my citation... They gave me a beautiful medal and gifts. This was Sunday, March 22. A lovely cake and a basket full of foodstuffs, soap, face towels, etc. Naturally we all got one each as we are 12 right now At St. Rose of Lima. Thinking that it was over .... no way. He called me to go out with the procession. Then we moved outside the church on the front steps and took pictures. Then I came home. Love, Maggie Jacobs, fmm

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time. I have been asked to help out with teaching Eng-lish writing skills and New Mexico history from April on, especially during July and August when the program has more students. The director is a deeply religious and loving person and delighted to have a Catholic Sister for the staff. Purposely the employees come from different ethic groups and ages to provide role models for the teenagers. Mrs. Le Cuyer also likes to hire some for their "wisdom and experience" so, in other words, I will probably be a "grandma" figure for the teenagers! Anyway, I am very excited about this new ministry pos-sibility that has opened up for me. It will not be heavy work, but will be very enriching and satisfying, helping a population very much in danger of falling between cracks and going back to crime if they don't get help at this stage when they are so vulnerable. Please keep the director, staff, and students in your prayers that this beautiful ministry may continue to flourish.

Sheila Patenaude, fmm THE JOURNEY Lord Jesus, we have been together many years, You and I, - oh, so many years. Now, I am old. My former ministries for You have mostly ceased. Now, there is more prayer. Now, there is more suffering. And so, Lent is a good time for me. I think of You often in Your many sufferings, and unite mine with Yours. I think of You seeking times alone to talk with Your Father, and am spured on to do the same So, Lent encourages me, it fills me with love, with peace. Lord Jesus, stay with me, as I struggle on in my journey to be with You forever.

Lois Houlihan, fmm

Teenagers at Risk: One Solution Though I am still teaching two English courses at Doña Ana Community College, I have time to do another small part-time ministry dur-ing the regular year, as well as something during July and August when I don't teach at DACC. I was very lucky to find something very much in line with our FMM charism and mission! Beginning in April, besides teaching at DACC, I will teach part-time at Rivers Academy in Las Cruces, just four and a half miles from our home. This small center, filled with an atmosphere of love and hope, is the only one of its kind in this area. It is run by a Catholic lay-woman, who spent 20 years in the public school sys-tem, was discouraged by the huge school dropout rate, and then opened a special ed school for children from low-income families. She ran this for 10 years un-til funding for this program stopped. But for her, the work with vulnerable children and teens is a real voca-tion! Then last year in 2008 the founder/director, Mrs. Nema Rivers-Le Cuyer, was able to begin a new pro-gram, funded partly by the NM State Legislature and partly from other sources. It is a program for teenag-ers coming out of the juvenile detention center, drug treatment facilities, and foster care. If they go right back into the regular public high schools, they fail and soon drop out. This small center rented from FYI (Family and Youth, Inc.) provides therapy and counsel-ing in the morning, both to the students and their families, with academic classes in the afternoon that make up credits they missed or failed previously. The classes are one on one or small group tutoring in eve-rything from reading, writing skills, math, social sci-ences, etc. to art, cooking, gardening, and environ-mental studies. They can also prepare for their GED or the workforce. The credits gained at the center are ac-cepted by the Las Cruces Independent School District, and Rivers Academy has full accreditation. The goal is to give these teenagers at risk spiritual, emotional, social, and academic support so they can re-enter the real world and a regular school situation successfully. The center is non-sectarian, but since it is a private, non-profit organization, the staff feel free to teach spiritual and moral values. A strong emphasis is put on respect, accountability, etc. Counselors and teachers work together in a team to provide a custom-ized program for each student, but social workers and juvenile probation officers also come in from time to

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Beginning the Year 2009 Here we are at Bethany beginning the new year of 2009. This year began with welcoming old faces and

groups and being privileged to serve new ones. Among the old groups

that started 2009 was Our Lady of Good Counsel’s confirmation class. Susan Cieneri is happy to say that they have been coming to Bethany for fifteen years. An-other faithful group who has

been coming for more than fif-teen years is St. Raphael’s Acad-

emy. But this year they are with a new teacher. Rita Pratt, after leading

the students for so many years has retired but not be-fore bragging about Bethany. As a result, Christine Estes, the new teacher, is now also bringing St. Raph-ael’s students to us. Perhaps the most interesting and exciting event was the weekend when Bethany welcomed a Teen Mis-sionary group headed by our longtime friend, Father Frank Santilli. These teenagers are scheduled to go to Jamaica in June to work at an orphanage. Father Frank wanted them to experience a weekend retreat and was delighted to come home to Bethany for this. Father Frank asked Sr. Alma Dufault to give them a mission presentation at the Mission Resource Center. Sr. Alicia Alambra joined Sr. Alma and both reported that these teenagers were indeed very enthused.

Speaking of welcoming folks, can a place welcome new things? Well, it happened. The kitchen welcomed brand new cabinets. How bright the kitchen looks. Our men and the contractor worked very hard to finish the work just before the weekend. In fact, everything was finished a mere forty five minutes before the weekend people arrived. God is good and so are people. We look forward to meeting other great per-sons and who knows, maybe other brand new things. Yvette Hubert, fmm

CIRCLE THE CITY WITH LOVE Nearly 7000 years ago human beings began to gather together to live in what eventually came to be known as cities. Cities were places that concentrated power and wealth. Thus they were places that eventually at-tracted people from afar. They became places where strangers came to reside in close proximity, bound not by blood or race but by a common vision and laws. The phenomenon of strangers living next to one an-other, seeking to do so peacefully while working to-gether toward a common good, remains a powerful motivating vision for urban life. This was the theme of the seminar. But in today’s time of consumerism, grasping for power, and privilege by the “haves,” and unemploy-ment, I found myself looking for the “good news” in the city. An inculturation seminar on “A City in Mission urbani-zation, globalization)” on January 26 to 30, 2009, at Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, Con-necticut, gave me an insightful experience. We were 24 participants from the continents of Asia (Burma, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, China, India), Africa (South Africa, Uganda, Nigeria), Europe (France), USA (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Virginia, NY). Aside

from the loaded lectures and exchanges we were made to see by a day’s insertion in New York City how the Protestants and the Catholics in the city of Manhat-tan, New York respond to the needs of the poor and the marginalized. We met groups coming from the middle class and dedicating their lives to serve the most destitute from serving food (soup kitchens) com-ing from food bank (excesses of the restaurants), offer-ing beds and showers, finding ways to give livelihood/decent jobs, assisting medical and educational needs, providing grocery items to those families who cannot make both ends meet. The groups are somewhat in contrast to the skyscrapers, affluent places of service and technology, places of prostitutions and gangs in the city. The destitute were welcomed without much inquiry and they were respected like guests. Still what

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was most touching, among those who serve, is that they are people of deep faith and trust in God. Not only do they think of service to their most needy broth-ers and sisters, but also they continue to invoke God’s mercy. Imagine groups going to the Empire State Building praying for the city of God.

Circle the City with LOVE,

come and give your heart away Circle the city with love, it’s time we showed the way

Feed the hungry, heal the hurts, build bridges that unite

Be the voice for those who have no rights.

(All is One, Kathy Sherman)

The following week back in Fruit Hill, (February 7, 2009) at Mission Resource Center with the inspired leader-ship of Fr. Frank Santilli, a Parish Priest of St. Paul Par-ish, Cranston, a group of 11 high school (junior and senior ) and college students asked Sr. Alma and me to give them mission orientation. They are going for a week of volunteering to Jamaica to an orphanage of disabled children and teenagers. We reflected with them on what it is to go on mission, the attitudes of a missionary and the origin of the Spirit of Mission. They also watched a short documentary on the people of the Caribbean where they are going. It is one of the poorest Central American countries, where most of the population came from Africa, taken as slaves to work in the banana and sugar plantations.

These are young people who help in their own parish and are drawn to see with faith something of the un-known, docile to connect to the world of another cul-ture , ready and willing to share their service, talents and time, they also expect to learn from the people they will meet. These eleven young people reflected seriously at the prospect of encountering another culture. At the outset of the exchanges they expressed their fear, “that they go as somebody who has everything.” But at the end, they understood that the attitude of “ethnocentrism” is not appropriate for those encountering another cul-ture.

We must walk in God’s light and sing without fear of God’s love.

We are a power when together we believe.

(All is One , Kathy Sherman)

Alicia Alambra, fmm

Mission Handbook. We all have our to do's, too much to read, info over-load, etc. When the Blue Booklet containing the packet of Mission Handbook appeared, I thought to myself (and was not the only one to do so) 'not now, maybe later'. Upon my delightful visit with you at FH, I ran into Mary-ann Alukonis. She remarked so POSITIVELY and with such enthusiasm on the Handbook that I made a mental note then and there to get my hands on it. (Enthusiasm is catching, so is apathy) I have finished booklets 3,5,6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and have 11 on hand. I, too, am very impressed and delighted with this data and look forward to my own book. Please give a big Thank you to Maryann for me... and tell her to give that message to every FMM she meets along the road. I will do the same....so inspired, impressed and proud I am. Maureen Conway, fmm

Province Missionings Between March and June of this year several sis-ters will be missioned to new communities within the province. Sr..Virginia Falk is now missioned to Emmanuel Community in Pine Mountain. St AmaIia Gandarellis has been missioned from Holy Name Community in Manhattan to Queen of Peace Community at Fruit Hill. Sr. Ruth Tamulis has been missioned from Naz-areth Novitiate to Holy Family Community at Fruit Hill. Sr. Lucie Kristofik has been missioned from Myriam Community to Our Lady of Millbrook Com-munity. Sr. Thérèse Landry has been missioned from Ein Karim Community to Trinity community at Fruit Hill. Sr. Trinidad Castrillon has been missioned from Myriam Community to Trinity Community at Fruit Hill.

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March 20th, 2009 would be remembered as a very special day for our two pre-novices, Kyong and Thuy, as well as in our province history. On that day the dawn quickly came whether it was welcomed or not. Early morning the two of them hit the road toward Fruit Hill with their two guardians (one is their mother mis-tress;, the other is their teacher who is also called a rabbi). You might wonder why they began their jour-ney to Fruit Hill so early. They were invited to give a presentation about the Pentateuch to our sisters in Fruit Hill. This invitation came to them in an unex-pected way. Actually, the two pre-novices have been studying the Hebrew Scriptures with me (Lucia) for al-most 9 months. In early February they finished the Pentateuch, and I gave them homework to prepare a presentation and to write a paper to introduce the Pentateuch to someone whom they chose as their au-dience or reader. It could be a Buddhist who does not have any idea of the Bible. Or, it could be one of their friends. As for the presentation, they prepared for the community, it was excellent. I was so proud of them. Not only me, but also all the sisters were so amazed by their creativity and uniqueness which was re-vealed in their presentations. When Loan went to Fruit Hill for a Council meeting, she shared this experience with the sis-ters, and Sr. Lois suggested sharing it with our sisters in Fruit Hill. Thus, the invitation was made and accepted. When we went to the community room after Mass in order to set the computer and projector for the pres-entation, we found a flyer which informed the sisters of this event. It was beautifully made. It showed how much our sisters were waiting for this event. It already touched us. While we were setting the room, sisters

appeared one by one, full of curiosity and interest. That attitude encouraged Kyong and Thuy. With Sr. Conchi’s tip, Kyong and Thuy decided to dress up like one of the biblical figures. Sr. Gloria, earnestly wished to be present, but unfortunately her appointment with a doctor prevented her, suggested to choose one of the female biblical figures. Thus Kyong chose Miriam, and Thuy chose Sarah. The process of make-up could not be accomplished without the huge sponsorship of the Mission Resource Center, Sr. Gloria (bracelets), and Sr. Conchi (The last moment, she provided Thuy with beautiful earrings.) Sr. Pat tried to contribute some for this make-up process, but she could not find her age-old earrings. She went up to her room to get those earrings, but reappeared almost half an hour later with a empty hand. However we believed that her efforts to help them would bear abundant fruits in whatever way.

Finally the time was up and the room was filled with sisters. With Loan’s short introduc-

tion, the presentation began. First, Kyong, dressed up as Miriam, gave her presen-

tation of the Pentateuch, so-called K-source of the Pentateuch. Scholars have agreed that The Pentateuch was composed of the four different sources (J, E, D and P sources). Kyong is mimicking this theory. She prepared her presentation with Power-point program in or-der that the sisters could follow her easily. After she gave a gen-eral introduction of the Penta-teuch within 25 minutes (it is al-

most an impossible task, but she did it), Kyong shared her own exodus and wilderness experience which led her to join FMM life as the Israelites became a nation through the process of Exodus and Wilderness

A Very Special Day for Kyong and Thuy

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wanderings. Then, Thuy took her turn, dressed up as Sarah. That room was very hot. Part of her clothes that she wrapped herself up is made of wool. She was per-spiring, but nothing could stop her. Thuy presented to the sisters her own spiritual digestion of the Pentateuch. Several slides are made of her own drawings. She fin-ished her presentation with a concluding remark of how much her studies of the Pentateuch helped her to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pet 3:15). When Thuy finished her presentation, some sisters asked her to share her own exodus experience, but she promised to do that another time since they had been asked to give the presentation within an hour. While I was taking some pictures of them and of our sisters, I was amazed by the sisters who were really concentrated on our precious presenters, and showing their deep love for them. Their faces were glowing with admiration for what God has done with the younger members of FMM and with happy memories of their own formation stage. I thought that this presentation is not only a moment for sharing some knowledge that Kyong and Thuy have got, but also a moment for shar-ing our own lives by listening to one another. It was a really enriching moment for all of us. As their rabbi, I have tried to help them to understand how deeply bibli-cal passages are connected with their own lives. I feel grateful for the fact that Kyong and Thuy have read the Pentateuch not just as a written text, but as a living source which enlightens their own life journey. Indeed, the word of God is alive and full of power (cf. Heb 4:12). I hope that all of us would experience such active, opera-tive, energizing and effective power of the word of God in our everyday life as we had experienced with our pre-novices on March 20th. Lucia Kim, fmm

March 2009March 2009March 2009 Greetings to the sisters of the province, I am just back in Vietnam after my home visit to the U.S. It was a good visit, but very different from the last time. I am sorry I was not able to visit any FMM com-munities. It was a deci-sion I made based on the health of my parents and in part on the weather. My parents’ health is good, they are just much slower than before and I was glad to have as much time with them as I did. I was also able to see all of my brothers and sisters and their families at Christ-mas. It was wonderful to be home for Christmas again after so many years. As you can imagine, it’s the hardest time to be away. Thanks to all the communities for your Christmas cards and letters. I had them all here waiting for me when I got back. It was good to hear how all of you are doing and where you are now living. It is hard to keep up with changes of communities. Thanks also to the communications office for the updated address book-let for the province. Among my Christmas letters was a clipping sent by my friend in Saigon, Martin Dockery. He’s the lawyer from New York who was recom-mended by Fr. Connerton of St. Agustine’s in Provi-dence to help our sisters here at the blind school. The clipping was from his alumni newsletter from Boston College and was written by a Sr. Beatrice Costagliola, fmm. He wondered if I knew her. It just goes to show us what a small world we live in. After almost six years in Vietnam, I finally got the op-portunity to change communities. I am now living in the mountain city of Dalat, where I continue to teach at a foreign language center and help the sisters at home. This community serves as the prenovitiate for the province. We currently have 15 prenovices, who are all learning intensive English to prepare for life in the Institute. In many of our communities we now have Mass in English once a week. I have included with this letter a picture of some of the young sisters after Mass with Father Pat, who comes to Vietnam regularly from California. He and others like him are a great gift to our communities. Br. Rufino Zaragoza, O.F.M. has also been very active in developing English liturgy for ours, as well as many other religious com-munities.

At the request of the com-munities residing on the “campus” of Fruit Hill, Mary Motte and Nzenzili Mboma gave a presentation on the Mission Handbook, which was greatly appreciated.

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Vietnam is now fully active in the business of sending and receiving. We have now missioned sisters to Ja-pan, Malaysia, Rome, East Africa, and are awaiting sendings to Poland and Taiwan. We have sisters do-ing studies in India, Sri Lanka, and France. We are also expecting the temporary sending of a sister from India to help with teaching English for one year. I am looking forward to that.

As for my family, they are well and have grown in number since last I saw them. I got to meet my three-year old niece and nephew when I went home. I went once again to the Catholic school which my sister Maureen’s children attend in Kansas to talk about my mission in Vietnam. I always see this as important vocation work. I still remember the visit of missionaries to my school when I was in the fifth grade and the im-pact it had on me. The children always have interest-ing questions. The middle-schoolers were able to talk more about their faith life, while the third graders were very excited to learn some words in Vietnamese. My nieces and nephews all know how to say “Happy New Year!” in Vietnamese. They went with me to visit an all-Vietnamese parish in Dallas. Students from a similar parish near my brother in Denver came to Saigon last summer to help young sisters and priests at the Catholic Center to learn English. Many people are now taking advantage of the opportunity to come to Vietnam and other parts of Asia to teach English. My brother-in-law, Tom, continues to come to Vietnam about once every two years to collaborate on medical research. This is a great gift for me and a chance to catch up on the happenings of my family. His wife - my sister, Mary Ann - has opened a clinic in her area to help people with breast-feeding issues. Their daughter, Sophia, now has a little sister, Lily. Mau-reen’s family received little Ryan, bringing their children to two boys and two girls. Unfortunately, I did not get to see my aunts in the Chi-cago/Michigan area for the same reasons I did not go back East. Aunt Irma, whom many of you got to know at Fruit Hill before my vow ceremony, is still relatively strong and living at home. My father’s other two sis-ters, Anna Marie and Velma are also well. His brother, Felix, passed away about two years ago from a stroke. My mother’s sister, Bridget, who also came to my vow ceremony with her daughter and grandson, has been slowed down by a stroke as well. I phoned Bishop Dunne while I was home. Last year he celebrated 20 years as an auxiliary bishop for the diocese of New York City. He is well and sends his

love to all. I was delighted last year to catch sight of him twice during CNN’s broadcast of Pope Benedict’s visit to the U.S. I thank you all once again for your prayers that help to sustain me. I wish you a Blessed Easter and all that follows. I also ask your prayers for Sr. Marie Pham Thi Hue, a young sister who recently returned to heaven after a short bout with liver cancer. May God have mercy on her and lead her to eternal life. In peace and love, Sheila Lehmkuhle, fmm Vietnam On Thursday, March 5, 2009, A POWERFUL NOISE Live appeared in 450 movie theatres across the United States. This one-night event featured the acclaimed documentary followed by a town hall discussion broadcast live from New York City to each theatre. Background Women and girls are the most impoverished, discrimi-nated-against group in the world. Consider the follow-ing:

Of the world's 1 billion poorest people, 60 percent are women and girls.

Women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, yet earn only 10 percent of the income.

Women produce half the world’s food, yet own only 1 percent of its land. Women make up two-thirds of the estimated 776 mil-lion adults worldwide who cannot read or write; and girls make up 55 percent of the 75 million children not attending school. In most societies, women face discrimination, exploita-tion and exclusion that limit their access to resources and assets. This disempowerment is a universal factor

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in extreme poverty. Rather than working with women as victims of poverty, more and more non-governmental organizations are working to empower marginalized women to challenge and change the contexts in which they live. A POWERFUL NOISE Live is a film produced by Sheila C. Johnson, chronicling the lives of three women who dis-play power in the midst of struggle. On March 5, Interna-tional Women’s Day, “A Powerful Noise” played in 450 theaters across the nation, followed by a panel discus-sion broadcast from New York City. The theaters were packed with people who are willing to take a careful ex-amination of these women who represent thousands of others in similar situations. Along with the film, this movement has compiled multiple outlets, non profit or-ganization for active participation in the bettering of women suffering throughout our world. Jacqueline Dembele, "Madame Urbain," challenges

forced labor prac-tices in Mali by run-ning a program that provides both edu-cation and voca-tional skills to women in an effort to remove them from abusive situations in the workplace.

Madam Urbain has maintained, "If you educate a woman, you educate a village and a nation." She has also been active in the fight against female circumcision. In Bosnia, Nada Markovic, a refugee and survivor of the

Bosnian war, works with a women’s pro-gram that provides opportunities for em-ployment and access to fair-trade markets for widows and their families.

In Vietnam, Bui My Hanh, an HIV positive widow, has started a group for the support of women who have lost family and friends to this disease, just as she has.

In solidarity with women around the world, four of us from 97th street attended this national event. If these

women can rise up from deep despair and help their communities to improve their lives, we too can live in hope that we can also give back in light of their amaz-ing optimism. Those behind “A Powerful Noise” are challenging us to become aware of the women’s is-sues around the world and to raise awareness and educate each other on these horrible realities. FMM sisters @ 97th Street

Roslyn

A Gift from God and a Gift for Others (Editors’ Note: Due to the limits of space we were un-able to publish the whole article: Contact Carol for more details of this talk.) Saturday, March 7th, five of us from Roslyn attended a talk given by Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC and spon-sored by the Office of Vicars of Religious of the two dio-ceses, Rockville Center and Brooklyn, NY. The talk was entitled “A Gift from God and a Gift for Others”. Brother Paul opened his talk with a reflection on Genesis 18, the story of the three visitors who informed Abraham that Sarah would conceive a child in her old age. Sarah was listening in the background and at that news, she laughed! The response of the visitors was “Is anything too marvelous for God?”

The Feast of St. Joseph this year was dear to Elisa Fer-nando and Mari Garesché. Fifty years ago, in 1959, each of us received the habit of the Franciscan Mis-sionaries of Mary - Elisa in Tagaytay City, Phillipines and Mari at Fruit Hill. Elisa became Sr. M. Iluminada of the Blessed Sacrament and Mari, Mary of St. Mi-chael. Fifty years later we renewed our vows at the morning community Mass celebrated by Fr. Chris Ike from Nigeria. The joyful day continued with a festive lunch and supper and plenty of time to enjoy each other's company Mari Garesché, fmm

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I am always happy when I see my daughters at the level God is asking of them.”

We are living in a world today in which there are pain-ful polarities. The credibility of our lives has been chal-lenged. “Is there really a future for us?” There is a temptation to say, “We served well. We did our work. There are new types of works. It’s now the age of the laity. It’s now their time.” But as we celebrate our lives, we, too, might ask “Is nothing too marvelous for God?” Brother Paul said, “I’m guilty of believing in the future of religious life. I believe in poverty, chastity and obedi-ence. We need to re-define our consecrated lives in a deeper relationship. I believe in our young people who want to be for service and religious life.” Our task is to live the life faithfully with God’s grace. Why do so many stay and still have happiness if it’s not for some-thing greater? That something is GOD. It’s not just about getting new vocations but it’s about nurturing and sustaining those we already have by fidelity to our community life, prayer and ministry. Reli-gious life is an art and we need to work at it. In a study on religious life by the National Religious Vocation Conference the question was asked “Why have you come into Religious Life today? The over-whelming response was to deepen their commitment to God and the Church. How can we personally care and nurture our voca-tion? We need to ponder and reflect on prayer and on grace. When Pope Paul VI made his annual Retreats, he had a French theologian as his Retreat Master. The Pope said, “I have an ecstasy and a terror of the call.” The Retreat Director said, “Your Holiness, it must be very frightening to be a Pope.” Paul VI responded, “No, no, no. I have an ecstasy and a terror of the call.” His director said, “It must be difficult to be a priest.” Again, Paul VI responded, “No, no, no. I have an ec-stasy and a terror at being a child of God through the Sacrament of Baptism.” Brother Paul said we’re given the unconditional grace of salvation in Baptism. We, as Religious felt some-thing more. We deepened our consecration by re-sponding to God’s call. All of our belonging could only be found in God. We believe in God’s promises that the best is yet to come.

Brother Paul concluded his talk with two questions for which he asked us to be quiet for five minutes before we shared our responses with the person next to us:

How do I experience my vocation as gift? Where do you find your hope to continue in this life?

Carol Flaherty, fmm

(to Marie Ste Cecile, 3-8-1904)

I can say nothing of God except …

Recently I have been reflecting with Thuy and Kyong on our images of God, the limitations of language and our posture of awe. A thought of William Bausch – “I can say nothing of God except…” prompted me to give them some ‘homework’. Here are few of their thoughts –

After a long draught of cold and dry winter weather, a spring morning surprised me with dewy warmth one morning of March

I can say nothing of God except looking deep into crying eyes of a child (Omar) who is un-able to communicate or move today.

I saw the crocus bloomed in its fullness after the cold frozen ground begin to thaw out.

I can say nothing of God today except looking at the candle’s flame and its reflection danc-ing “hand in hand” in the candle’s glass dur-ing Adoration. It’s like I am dancing with the Lord.

How would you complete this phrase? Anne Turbini, fmm

From Blessed Mary of the Passion ...