You Are aSource of All

Gracious and Loving Source of All, I strive to be in tune with you this day.

Hold me close and speak hopeful and comforting words to me.

Dissolve my fears and place within me a peaceful trust in you and in your continued presence and care.

Share with me your gifts of gentle love, compassion, and peace.

Help me to embrace nonviolence this day, and if I am called uponto confrontunjust systems in church and society today, give me the courage to do so.

Help me to be wholeheartedin pursuing your desires for me.

You are my Source, my Gracious and Loving Source.

From: I’m Still Dancing—Praying throughGood Days and Bad,By Rose Tillemans, CSJ ©2002, Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletPublished by Twenty-Third Publications

Please tear off and usethis bookmark as a companion in

your reading and prayers.

Community where you least expect it. Take a close up lookat the improbable community called Peace House, “the living room ofFranklin Avenue.” Cover story; Page 2.

The roots of community. What Sister Kathleen Judge learned about thecultural value of community during her 10 years in Moho, Peru. Page 10.

Action gets results. From easy to ambitious, 10 things you can doto cultivate a greater sense of community wherever you are. Page 16.

Visit us on the web at www.csjministriesfoundation.org for updates on previous articles you read in Possumus.

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul ProvinceMinistries Foundation1884 Randolph Ave.Saint Paul, MN 55105

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAID St. Paul, MN

Permit No.1990

POSSUMUSWe Can

A Publication of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

Ministries Foundation

S P R I N G 2007

WE CAN:

Move toward a world ofhope, reconciliation, andjustice for all people.

Eradicate extreme povertyand hunger.

Achieve universal primary education.

Promote gender equalityand empower women.

Reduce child mortality.

Improve maternal health.

Combat HIV/AIDS malariaand other diseases.

Ensure environmental sustainability.

Develop a global partnership for development.

Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletMinistries Foundation

www.csjministriesfoundation.org

UN Millennium Development Goals

The 11th way.

7. Welcome New Immigrants.

You don’t need to be part of a formal pro-gram to welcome new people on your block. Newneighbors appreciate assistance on where to shop,when to recycle, you name it. Especially if they’verecently arrived from another country. Sometimesa single act of kindness leads to a lifetime friend-ship.

8. Bring the Outside In.

Many people in our communities, whetherthey’re in nursing homes, hospitals, or home-bound, live isolated and solitary lives. Yet theyyearn for a smiling face and a meaningful con-versation. Bring cheer to a neighbor or even astranger. Volunteer and help create community ina local nursing home. Deliver Meals on Wheels.

9. Find an E-Pal.

In our high-tech world, the pen pal is nowan e-pal. Communicating through e-mail to a citizen of another country and learning what hisor her world is like is one step toward fosteringworldwide harmony and understanding. It’s alsoquick and easy.

10. Just Be There.

Be physically present and supportive tosomeone who has faced a significant loss --anelection, dream, death of a loved one, longtimejob, or the effects of a chronic crippling illness. Bethe unsung person who is simply there, quietlycaring and sustaining. Do good in your world. Seta positive example. Be a saint in our midst.

17

Of course, there is one more way you can helpbuild community. Simply give more power to thosepeople who are out there making a difference every-day. It’s not hard to do.

If you’d like to help the Sisters of St. Josephstrengthen their centuries-old commitment to the“dear neighbor,” you can pick up your pen.

If you see communities struggling to survive andwant a way to fight back, you can get out your wallet.

If you’d like to help bring diverse people togetherone-to-one so they can learn from each other, you cantake out your credit card.

If you’d like to make a positive change in thedaily lives of people here and across the globe, youcan open your heart.

If you’d like to make your neighborhood, yourcity, your state, your country and the world a betterplace for your children to live in, you can give a gen-erous donation to the Sisters of St. Joseph.

If you’d like to see all this good work continue,please, help us now.

To make a donation to support the programs of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet,please visit www.csjministriesfoundation.org

Or send your check to:Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul ProvinceMinistries Foundation1884 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105

Remember, you don’t have to be a saint or ahero, or be rich, to do enormous good. You just haveto be willing.

Thank you.

Possumus is Latin for we can. Itsums up the drive and willpower thatidentifies the Sisters of St. Joseph asone of the most influential non-profitorganizations working in Minnesotain the past 150 years.

You Are the God of Mindfulness

Today, God of Mindfulness,I want to practice contemplationin the drinking of a glass of water,the taking of a breath,the use of my good legs as I walk,my eyes as I take the bus to work.Let me take nothing for grantedand help me to be in awe of the ordinary. As I look upon people today,help me to feel kind to them and close to themin our common human struggle. Lead me to look with benevolenceupon those I pass on the street,that my loving energy toward themmight help to change the universe. Let me savor the uniqueness of each momentas a precious time of grace. May I be mindful of you todayin all the ways you dwell in others.

From: I’m Still Dancing—Praying through Good Days and Bad,By Rose Tillemans, CSJ ©2002, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Published by Twenty-Third Publications

Community.

What do we mean when we use that word? How do we live it?

Community is never static; it unfolds and changes. It is about real face-to-face settings in which people can learn how to relate to each other --with trust, shared values, responsibility, caring and mutual obligation. We need community because it provides connections for our disconnectedneighbors, relationships for those who are unattached, safety for childrenwithout loving parents or any parents at all, hope for people who are forgotten,refuge for those without homes, and care for people who are lonely or estranged.

This issue of Possumus celebrates our human desire and ability to buildcommunity. When we build community, we spread hope. The hope we spreadtells people that, in the face of the isolation and violence we see around us,we have what we need to renew our world for ourselves and our neighbors.

The stories in these pages show how Sisters of St. Joseph and the friendswho work with us build and invest in community. From Minneapolis to Peruand beyond, CSJs believe community is a value that not only is worth preserving but is essential. And as we write on page 16, we can all find waysto build community.

At the top of each page, we have highlighted quotations from JohnGardner, a true visionary on the subject of community. Gardner served asSecretary of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1965 to 1968, chaired theNational Urban Coalition, and founded Common Cause. Gardner is the authorof many books and publications and was awarded the Presidential Medal ofFreedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. We hope his words,as well as the rest of this issue, will inspire you to join us in the great work ofbuilding community.

Possumus. We can!

Sister Irene O’Neill, CSJExecutive Director

Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletMinistries Foundation

P O S S U M U S

1

Come closer to the buildingthat stands at 520 East FranklinAvenue in Minneapolis, and you’llsee that what looked like spraypaint from down the street isn’tthat at all. It’s a mosaic, put

together in one monumental, all-volunteer effortby a neighborhood artist, assisted by “whoeverhappened by,” says Sister Joanne Turgeon, CSJ, oneof the Peace House coordinators. It consists ofhundreds of thousands of pieces of multi-coloredtile and mirror, some with jagged edges, somesofter in shape. The pieces are reflective of theirsurroundings, giving off frequent flashes of brilliance that can take you by surprise. Whetherintentional or not, this mural and the building inwhich it’s embedded are an appropriatemetaphor for the community that gathersdaily at Peace House.

It was Sister Rose Tillemans whoopened the doors for the first time in1985, having first obtained the approvalof the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. PaulProvince, and the financial backing offriends and family. Rose has written that herintention was “to create a community day centerfor poor and homeless people who wanted to bewith others seeking spirituality, friendship andaffirmation.” On the first day, Rose sat alone. Noone from the neighborhood showed up. But Rose

was a very tenacious woman and, with the addition of a coffee pot and doughnuts, peoplesoon started dropping in. They liked what theyfound, and over the years the reputation of PeaceHouse grew. Sister Rose died in 2002 at age 79.Yet everyone in the current community insistsher spirit has never left the building. Indeed, allthe way down to the molecular level, her energyseems embodied in it. In some very real sense,Rose is still helping to turn on the lights andopen the door and welcome the neighborhoodto Peace House.

Sister Rose is the history this unlikely community shares. But for these people, in thisneighborhood, life is all about the here and now.It’s 11:00 a.m. on a Friday. The door has beenopen for an hour, and the housekeeping chores

have already been assigned by drawingnames from a hat.

In the Peace House “living room” thecrowd is gathering for lunch. To say it’s aneclectic group is an understatement. There

is always a Sister or two in attendance.There’s also a cadre of coordinators who

volunteer their time to keep Peace House functioning. They’ve recruited two men from the neighborhood, Curtis and Maurice, to be an everyday, steady presence in the house. In addition, an assortment of fresh-faced volunteersfrom colleges, churches and the St. Joseph

COMFORT IN A COLD WORLD.The building stands alone in the middle of an inner-city block, pressed right up against the sidewalk.Its eastern facade is covered by what appears, from a distance, to be graffiti. It looks like the kind ofbuilding you wouldn’t want on your block. You might assume it was abandoned, neglected, no lifeleft in it. A place nobody loves. But this is Peace House, so all your assumptions would be wrong.

F E AT U R E

3

“The future vitality of one’s community

depends on the sense of responsibility

of its citizens.”

“If we accept the common usage of words,

nothing can be more readily disproved than the

old saw, ‘You can’t keep a good man down.’

Most human societies of which we have

any historical record have been beautifully

organized to keep good men and women down.”

Worker program takes turns helping out. You getthe impression that these volunteers appreciatethe feeling of community they find at PeaceHouse just as much as the people who come infrom the street do.

And every day they come: people who arepoor, homeless, poorly housed, mentally ill, drugand alcohol addicted, prostitutes, lonely, lost.People of all colors, ages and backgrounds. (“The real people,” Sister Rose called them.) For 5hours a day, every Monday through Friday, allare welcome at Peace House. However, drugs,drunks and guns are never welcome on thepremises. “Many of these folks get themselvessober every day,” says Curtis, “just because theywant to come in here and visit.”

All these people find a seat in the circle.They greet each other as any old friends might,with jokes, laughter, warm hugs, backslappingand small talk:

“Did you spend Thanksgiving with your sister?”“Nah, I was in jail. Just got out.”You might sit down next to Brenda. You

quickly discover that she lives by herself in asubsidized apartment five blocks away. Whenshe’s lonely and “the walls start closing in,”Brenda comes to Peace House for the company.She says the people who gather at Peace Houseare “like family,” even though she has real familyin the area. Or you might find yourself talking toa rather large man named Earley. He’s pretty mucha regular here. He tells you he donated a small redquilt that hangs on the wall. The quilt is coveredwith names of people from the community, andhe’ll invite you to add yours. If you ask, Earleywill tell you he comes to Peace House for the“serenity.”

At 11:30 a.m., the doors to Peace House arelocked, so nothing disturbs that serenity. A gongsounds, and meditation begins. If you’re expectingbowed heads and silent prayers, you’re in for a

surprise. Meditation time at Peace House is allabout the community connecting.

A different volunteer leads each day’s session.Today the chosen topic is the upcoming SupremeCourt decision on integration of schools.Whoever has something to say on the subject iswelcome to say it. For people who are largelyignored by the world, this is a rare opportunityto be listened to. The impromptu 45-minutedebate includes mention of Thurgood Marshall,racial quotas, the Constitution, trust and distrust,J. C. Watts, the ACLU, the voucher system, forcedbusing, and the freedom to choose. You and yourfriends might have the same kind of discussionover dinner.

But meditation varies widely from day to day.It might involve selections from the Peace Housesongbook, calisthenics, relaxation exercises, newsitems of interest, spiritual topics, etc. (There’s a greatdeal of spirituality at Peace House,” says CatherineMamer, another Peace House coordinator. “Butnot much religion.”) Meditation always closes withinformal prayers. Again, anyone can contribute.Today one man, himself homeless, starts it offwith a good word for the people dispossessed by an apartment fire the night before. There’s asoft chorus of amens, then it’s time for a goodhot lunch.

Besides the daily free lunch, the volunteersserve up comfort to the community in whateverform they can. “We’re not trying to solve theproblem of homelessness,” Lila Gilbert, a St. Joseph

F E AT U R E

4

This dove is a memorial tribute to

"Iceman," one of the departed members

of the Peace House community.

Worker, explains. “We’re just trying to keep peoplefrom being homeless for 5 hours a day.”

To that end, they distribute personal hygienekits and new clothes and blankets when theyhave them --generously donated by civic andchurch groups all over the state. They hold community gatherings and summer picnics inthe park. They act as a post office for people withno mailing addresses. They keep the phonenumbers of hospitals and jails--and if someoneis missing for too long a time, they call around.They even keep tabs on community members asthey pass in and out of drug and alcohol treatment, rooting them on as if they were family. Today a greeting card and a pen arepassed around. “Before you leave, please sign this card for Carla. She’s in treatment and she’sbeen sober for 60 days!”

They hold funerals at Peace House, too, forcommunity members who couldn’t surviveanother day. They’re honored with homemadeshrines on the front wall. Their names areremembered there, if nowhere else.

It’s quite clear that Peace House provides somemeasure of love, comfort and stability in lives thathave little or none. To coordinator Maurice, PeaceHouse is “like Cheers.” He compares a walk-inshelter run by nuns and volunteers to a famousTV bar, but no one objects to the incongruity.Peace House is indeed a place where everyoneknows your name. It’s a place where people whohave little or nothing share what they have witheach other. A place where you can be yourself,whether you sleep in a four-poster or a cardboardbox. This is a place where you can commune,one-on-one, with the kind of people you mightonly see on the news--and go back to your ownlife the richer for it. A place that shows that people do crave community in spite of their surroundings --and in spite of all the obstacles

the world throws in their way. At Peace House, you realize, there is no

textbook definition of community. Here, commu-nity isn’t something you dissect and define. It’ssomething that welcomes you the minute youwalk in the door, if you’ll only let it. According toSister Joanne, community is “what you feel allaround you” every day at Peace House. It’s afeeling you’ll not soon forget. =

From: Here’s To Peace House(croon to the tune of Oh, Susannah)

Each & ev’ry one who comes here wearsa rather different hat. Though we might not know wheremoney is,we know where life is at. We’re diversity personified,and know what makes it work.We don’t just drink the coffee here,we help to make it perk…!Here’s to Peace House,the only place on earthwhere who-knows-who fromwho-knows-where isworth a world of worth.

Mike, a member of the community

F E AT U R E

5

Jesuit Father Jean Pierre Medaille wrotethose words as a radical call to 17th centurywomen to actively serve “in God, for God, andbefore God” as Sisters of St. Joseph. These womencame from different levels of French society,associating with others and ministering “in thestreets.” This changed the way women’s religiouslife had been until then: living cloistered inmonastic communities.

The original group of Sisters of St Josephlived in a small house in LePuy, France, and beganserving their neighbors from there. They becamethe first apostolic order of religious women,which differed from monastic orders by focusingon good works in addition to prayer. They broughtfood to prisoners, helped the sick, and met andencouraged the “dear neighbor” spiritually. Theyalso taught other women to make and sell lace.In those women’s homes, that often meant thedifference between supper and none.

Meeting the needs of the time in LePuymeant dividing the city, going to the differentquarters to discover what needed to be done anddoing it. But women in those days did not walkthe city streets unaccompanied. To avoid scandalor be taken as prostitutes, the Sisters dressed likewidows, wearing long black skirts, sleeves and veils.

Moving through hundreds of years of livingand loving, their ministry spreading to everycontinent in the world, the spirit of the original sixSisters and their associates can still be recognizedin modern CSJ Sisters, associates, colleagues, andfriends.

Over the centuries, Sisters of St. Joseph keptthe 17th century dress and did not change as the

fashions of the day evolved. Instead of being ableto work unnoticed, they eventually stood out intheir “habit.” In addition, life in their communitybecame more structured as they began to live inlarger groups.

In the 1950s, Pope Pius XII asked Sistersworldwide to modernize. When further directivesinstructed religious orders to research theirfounding purpose, a group of U.S. Sisters of St.Joseph went to France to study archival documents.They returned to spread the “new” idea of theirradical founding. Sisters of St. Joseph in the 21stcentury are probably closer to their original purpose than they have been since the end ofthe 17th century.

Today, the CSJ mission “to love God andneighbor without distinction” defines who we areand who we are meant to be. It encourages us toconnect with those in our broader communitywho feel called to the same goal. It calls us to bea “living community” that brings us closer to ourneighbors and closer to the street.

This broader definition of community stemsfrom our 17th century French foundation, wherea radical idea was lived out: that women couldhave a spiritual and practical ministry, thatwomen of all classes of society could live andwork in communion, and that the focus could beactive work with the “dear neighbor.”

Our spirituality rooted in serving othersinvites all of us--Sisters of St. Joseph, associates,and friends --into the streets, sharing ourselvesin ministries that will most benefit those we callour neighbors. =

Cathy Steffens, CSJ

Love God and neighbor without distinction.

I L LU M I NAT I O N

6

I grew up on Summit and Dale in St. Paul,Minnesota, attended Minnehaha Academy inMinneapolis, and after that St. Olaf College inNorthfield, like many of my family membersbefore me. I knew I wanted to commit to a yearof service after graduation, something centeredon children. I thought I wanted to go back toAfrica, where I had lived for a year, but soonrealized I didn’t even know what life was like inmy own neighborhood. So I decided to look forsomething in Minnesota.

I was walking around the Service Fair at St.Olaf when I came across the St. Joseph Workerbooth. At first I was a little hesitant, not beingCatholic. But Andrea, the program coordinator,convinced me that wouldn’t matter. The first timeI felt the presence of community was at theinterview itself. It was let’s-all-share-in-this-together, not here’s-what-you-should-do. TheSisters were so inclusive, so supportive and opento the gifts each of us applicants could bring.

I started my year of service in August 2005. I lived in the Worker house with roommatesfrom different places and backgrounds. Yet weimmediately became a community, not justbecause of the way we lived but because of thevision we shared what we wanted for each otherand for the place we lived. We identified whatthat was right away. It was reflective of the Sisters’creed: to love God and your neighbor withoutdistinction. But we also wanted to take care of ourselves so we could in turn care for thecommunity we were there to serve.

I spent my year of service at INSTEP, a nonprofit childcare for people who can’t qualifyfor government-subsidized childcare. That’salmost everyone these days. It’s a large roomwhere children, six months to six years old, allcome together while their parents go to work orto take their English classes. They may be fromten different places or cultures and speak differentlanguages, but at INSTEP they all come togetherin a safe, peaceful place. It’s a place of hope. Wecaregivers saw the innocence in these kids, andwe all wanted what was best for them. That wasthe third example of community I encounteredthat year. How things can be and how thingsshould be in any community is being acted outthere by the children, their families and those whoare caring for them. They had such unexpectedstrength and resourcefulness. It made me soaware of my own position of white privilege inthis world.

It also prompted me to choose a specific pathfor my life: working with children and families.I’m now in graduate school in Oakland, Californiagetting my Masters in Education, hoping somedayto direct a program that serves a populationwhere childcare is very difficult to access. I onlyhope that wherever life takes me, I find the kindof community feeling I had while taking part inthe St. Joseph’s Worker program. =

Berit Nelson St. Joseph Worker 2005-2006

Sharing a vision.

TU R N I N G P O I N T

7

The possibility of we.

P U R P O S E

Sisters Mary Hasbrouck, CSJ and Patrice

Neuberger, CSJ moved out of the convent at

Ascension School in North Minneapolis more than

34 years ago and into a house in the same neighbor-

hood. As part of this community, they’re living out

“dividing the city,” a value espoused by the Sisters

of St. Joseph since their inception.

Q What was the neighborhood like whenyou moved in?

A SISTER MARY: This was once a well-to-doarea of the city. There were some beautiful largehomes and the Ascension School was sizeable aswell. But the neighborhood was changing. Therewas a Caucasian migration in progress. New ethnicgroups were moving in. Soon there were hundredsof boarded up houses like the one next door tous here, and lots of vandalism and crime.

Q Why did you decide to make such abold move?

A SISTER MARY: That was the beginning of usleaving convents and moving into homes in theheart of the community. That was the goal whenour order was founded in 1650: not to be seen asdifferent or apart. And we acted on that. Weweren’t the only CSJs who did it.

Q It must have been scary at first. Howlong did it take you to get over that?

A SISTER MARY: A few years I suppose. Iremember sitting out on the back steps andbeing nervous every time a black man camedown the alley. I was preconditioned, you know.

SISTER PATRICE: I’ve been around longer thanMary, but I admit I was a little fearful, too.Fortunately, we had good neighbors on both sides.We made a point of getting to know them. Ofcourse now I think it’s a wonderful place to live.

Q So you feel a part of this community now?

A SISTER MARY: Oh absolutely! It’s never feltlike this in any place I’ve been before.

8

“Our tradition of voluntary association is still

vital. And its vitality is rooted in good soil–-

civic pride, compassion, spiritual commitments,

a sense of individual responsibility and...a

commitment to the great shared effort to

improve our life together...”

“What we need is a reasonable balance

between the claims of individuality and the

claims of community.”

P U R P O S E

Q Really? In a place an outsider wouldlook at and think there wasn’t much community here?

A SISTER PATRICE: Oh yes!

SISTER MARY: Yes! We’re living in a wonderfulneighborhood. We’re part of the Highland neighborhood, and I bet we do more togetherthan most neighborhoods in the city do. Wehave clean-up once a year. We have house toursso people can come into the North and see thatit’s safe. We were one of the tour houses once.

SISTER PATRICE: For years and years, after thespring clean-up, we’d have a potluck in ourgarage. People really got to know each other.

Q Who instigates these things?

A SISTER MARY: The neighborhood councilusually. We’re on the Welcoming Committee.There’s a lot of movement in and out so we havea lot to do.

Q Does the community know you’reSisters? What do they think of that?

A SISTER PATRICE: I think most know, andthey like it.

SISTER MARY: They like the fact that we’reSisters, but we’re still part of the community.Sometimes we’re called upon to mediate disputesbetween neighbors. One Somali family on theblock was having trouble with their African-American neighbors. We got them together, justto talk, and it worked. We didn’t know how muchthey valued that, but now they call us….well,they say, “You’re our angels.”

SISTER PATRICE: They just kind of trust us. Trustis a big thing.

SISTER MARY: Yes. Just by being here all thetime, having a stable life and home, I think wegive some of these more transient people a senseof family.

Q Do you think of what you’re doing hereas a mission?

A SISTER MARY: Mission comes from yourbaptism. This isn’t a mission, this is just life! AndI have to say one thing, make one thing clear: we receive more than we give.

SISTER PATRICE: Community is both ways: giving and receiving.

SISTER MARY: I don’t think you can have com-munity if you’re one up on everybody. You haveto be even with them. You can befriend somebody,sometimes that’s all you can do, but that’s differentthan becoming a real community with them.

Q Do people know to come here, to thishouse, when they need help?

A SISTER MARY: Some do, But you know, it’susually not for a handout. Not like you think ofcharity. We’re neighbors. They give us little gifts,too, sometimes--like any grateful neighbor would.

SISTER PATRICE: They’re good people.

Q What purpose do you think it servesthat you live in this community?

A SISTER MARY: Well, it serves our purpose,that’s for sure! We’re surrounded by wonderful,loving, caring neighbors. I’d hate to say we’redoing this for them. It’s a mutual thing, youknow. =

9

SOUL

Respect for tradition.

In Peru, on the high plateau of the Andes, about 300 miles east of the Incan ruins at MachuPicchu, there is a large lake called Titicaca. At 12,507 feet above sea level, its brilliant blue is asharp contrast to the rocky hillsides of the altiplano, or “high plain.” On the northeast shore ofthat lake is a small pueblo called Moho, where Sister Kathleen Judge, CSJ lived for 10 yearsof her life. There, she says, she learned the true meaning of community.

11

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are aworldwide order with a worldwide mission: toserve God and their neighbors without distinction,no matter where on the globe they find them.The Sisters journey far from home to provideeducation, social services, and sacraments to poorand indigenous people. In 1994, that missiontook Sister Kathleen to Moho, home to 2000 people, where she began her work in the localparish church. Built by Jesuits, the church of SanPedro in Moho dates back to the 1700s. But thatis recent history compared to the age of the civilizations that have occupied the Andes.

As long ago as 20,000 to 10,000 B.C., therewas human settlement in Peru. Classical culturesemerged before 1100 A.D. The Incans establishedtheir empire in 1438 A.D. They called Titicaca “The Sacred Lake” and believed that all of Incancivilization had quite literally arisen from itswaters. Evidence indicates they built the entirecitadel of Machu Picchu all at one time, the waythey built all their towns. Incan families lived in close-knit communities, owned the land incommon, and practiced mita, or mandatory publicservice. But in 1532, when the Spanish led byFrancisco Pizarro invaded and conquered theIncan empire, they brought a harsh form ofChristianity to the native people. A long period

of light, the Incans believed, had been ended by darkness.

“The world vision of these people had beento see things in total balance,” Sister Kathleenexplains. “Day and night, feminine and masculine,dry and wet, earth and sky, and so on. Their godwas the Sun, who was the source of life. He gavethem nourishment through the soil of MotherEarth, the producer of life.”

This ancient concept of God was notTrinitarian. They believed that all sorts of naturalthings embodied the spiritual power they calledhuaca: celestial objects, mountains, lightning,rainbows, rocks. “Of course, this belief was considered pagan by the Spanish,” says SisterKathleen.

As colonizersoften did, the Spanishestablished a feudaleconomy with themselves aslandowners, and substituted the HolyCross and Christianritual for the ancientbeliefs and symbols.The people of Peruwent along with

“Civilization is a drama lived in the

minds of the people.”

S O U L

that--but not entirely. Under Spanish rule, whichlasted until 1821, the indigenous people tooktheir ancient belief systems underground.

“They would go up into the mountains andhave their own ceremonies, but not in the sightof the Spaniards,” says Sister Kathleen. “TheSpaniards thought they’d done away with allthose practices, but they couldn’t. They’re in thesoul of those people.”

Even hundreds of years later, when it’s timefor the planting in Moho, the townspeople holda ceremony to open the earth. They apologize tothe Mother for cutting into her, make offeringsand ask for her blessing on their crops. SisterKathleen participated in ceremonies like thismany times. They were often followed by aCatholic liturgy she herself conducted. “Thosewere things that were a part of me when I wasdown there,” Sister Kathleen says. “That duality.”

Fortunately, the form of Christianity broughtto Peru by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondeletis not as doctrinaire as the one the Spaniardsbrought. The first delegation of fourteen Sistersarrived in Peru in 1962. They immediately sawthat the country was very poor and, thinkingeducation was the answer, they set to work in

various teaching institutions throughout thecountry. Sister Kathleen arrived in the country in1964, at the age of 28, and began to teach. Butthings soon changed. Following the SecondVatican Council in the early 1960s and the LatinAmerican bishops’ conference in Medellin,Columbia in 1968 (which issued strong statementson self-determination and liberation theology),the church no longer viewed native peoples asobjects to be baptized, to suffer and to serve.Rather, they were to be seen as dignified peoplein their own right. “Medellin urges us to look atpeople as individuals, and the presence of thepoor as the face of God,” says Sister Kathleen.

This new openness fit quite nicely with theglobal perspective of the Sisters of St. Joseph ofCarondelet. They left their institution-based mission in Peru and began a pastoral one, livingwith the people in their communities andbecoming a part of their lives and traditions.After 30 years in-country, Sister Kathleen wasmoved to Moho in 1994, with three other Sistersand a priest. The priest soon departed, and noreplacement followed. So, on their own, theSisters served as ministers, mediators, socialworkers, care-givers, and friends to the people ofthe three neighboring parishes, containing 120small farming communities.

Of course, they had help from the localcommunity of the faithful. Over the years, SisterKathleen trained several of the local men as“faith animators” (like deacons) to be a linkbetween the church and the community.Eventually, she expects the faith animators willbe called upon to take over the work of theparish entirely.

Some would call this missionary work. ButSister Kathleen doesn’t like the connotation of

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“Community building begins with open

communication across boundaries.”

“Think of humankind’s search for

social forms that honor liberty, justice

and the worth and dignity of every person

as a long, long story.”

S O U L

that word. “We arehere to teach aboutJesus and to call thepeople to a deeperfaith, but we aren’there to tell themthat what theybelieve in is wrong,”she says. “I preferthe idea of enculturation,meaning bringingour two belief systems together ina positive way thatbrings out the bestin people.” She addswryly, “It’s a taxing idea. It forces us to give upmany of the ideas we’ve had.”

With their ecumenical attitude, the Sisters ofSt. Joseph were free to develop a feeling ofmutual respect between the church and the localgovernment. But more importantly, they affirmedthe value of --and worked within--the centuries-old community structure that was still alive inthese pueblos.

“In Moho, some of the land is now titledbecause the government wants to collect taxes,”explains Sister Kathleen. “But the people stillwork most of the land together, harvest the landtogether, and celebrate the land together. Whensomeone needs a new house or the pueblo needsa building, they all pitch in and build it. Youoften see signs on public buildings in Peru thatsay, ‘The people built this.’”

The communities also still employ a type of mita system. In a town of 20 or 30 families,leadership changes every year--by agreement,not election. Families simply take turns overseeing

eight different administra-tive areas, such as land,money, social services, culture, legal and policing.“Every year, we’d be calledout to the communities tobless the outgoing andincoming leadership,”Sister Kathleen says.

So seamlessly havethe old and new beliefsblended in Moho thatpeople often consultSisters and shamans inequal measure. Perhapsthat unique blend ofTrinitarian and nature-

based faith is where these communities get theirability to persevere in spite of all the changes inthe world.

As far as Sister Kathleen is concerned, thereis much we could learn about community fromthe people of Moho. “Their solidarity is amazing,”she says emphatically. “They taught me what itmeans to work together as a community. Irespected the harmony they had in their livesand in their communities and with their God.More than changing those people when I wasthere, I felt that I was changed, and I thank Godfor that.”

Believing her work to be complete, SisterKathleen left Peru in 2004 for a new ministry inEl Paso, Texas. =

13

Something in common.

P E R S P E C T I V E S

14

Jim Scheibel has tackled the issueof community as a politician, a communityactivist and a non-profit executive. He’s been acouncilmember and mayor, the Director of VISTAunder President Clinton, and the CEO of Project forPride in Living. He is an acknowledged leader whenit comes to hunger, homelessness, immigration/refugee and volunteer service. The problemscommunities have are huge, but Jim says everycommunity builder has to start somewhere.

When I was in high school, my favoriteteacher, Father Ed Flahavan, missed classes for awhile because he was marching in Selma. Thatgot me to thinking about what that had to dowith me here in Minnesota. That was the firsttime my curiosity was aroused on the subject ofcommunity. Trying to make that connectionbetween Selma and St. Paul gave me an awarenessthat we all have something in common. I believethat’s the first step toward becoming a communitybuilder. Once you acknowledge that sharedhumanity, you’ll come to see that you’re a part ofmany different communities --neighborhood,school, work, church, city, country, the world. Andyou’ll start asking a lot of questions, challengingthe status quo. Why is there hunger in a land ofplenty? Why do some people not have shelter oreducation? What’s it like to live in poverty whenothers have too much? Take time to reflect on allthat. The reflection phase is important. Out of itcomes the inspiration to take action; to ask howand where you can serve our community, howyou can give back.

Jim Scheibel

What do a former mayor of St. Paul, a Sister of

St. Joseph with a bad back, and a North Minneapolis

community organizer have in common? In addition

to the fact that they all have interesting opinions

about the different worlds they inhabit, it turns out

they all believe in a universal humanity, which they

all feel is the basis of their work. Here are stories

about community building from three different

perspectives. But surely all three would agree with

the Paul Wellstone quote cited by Jim Scheibel:

“We all do better when we all do better.”

P E R S P E C T I V E S

15

Sister Jean Dummer, CSJ lives in an affordablehousing complex in St. Paul. Several other Sisterslive in the same building, in which many recentimmigrants also reside. Jean lived there for two years,trying all the while to get to know her neighbors,to make a connection with the community rightoutside her apartment door -- to no avail. They weretoo distrustful, too busy, or just too private to evensay hello. Jean’s back surgery changed all that.

My doctors told me I had to walk for onehour a day if I wanted to recover from surgery.When cold weather came, that put me inside thebuilding, walking my corridor, in both directions,six times each way. As usual, no one even lookedat me. But I got bored just walking, so I startedsaying hello to people I passed. I’d say, ‘Hello, I’mJean, who are you?’ They were pretty startled atfirst. It took a lot of patience, but finally someoneanswered me back, telling me her name and chatting a little. After awhile, I guess they had gotten used to seeing me. So other people startedtalking to me when they’d see me in the hall. Itwas quite a breakthrough. We’re getting friendlierall the time. It makes me less afraid, now that we know each other, and I’m sure they’re morecomfortable with me, too. I feel like I’m makingstrides toward community in this building, and Ican’t wait to see where it goes from here.

Sister Jean Dummer, CSJ

Alice Lynch has been working for the better-ment of her community all her life. Since 1985, shehas been the Executive Director of Black, Indian,Hispanic and Asian Women In Action (BIHA). Sheis also an accomplished mediator, working forRestorative Justice by facilitating Talking Circles inher North Minneapolis neighborhood and elsewhere.This expertise has provided her with a practicalway to bring people together within a community.

Talking circles are simply a process for solvingproblems within a community. Even though theidea is derived from aboriginal and native traditions,I can apply the process to any group of peoplewho want to resolve conflict--business, family,judicial settings, social service, any community ofpeople. The circle intentionally creates a sacredspace in which people’s voices can be heard, andtheir thoughts and feelings listened to. Throughlistening and conversing with respect, we canstrengthen relationships and bring communitiescloser together. I tell people the circle process is“simple but not easy.” It’s not a quick fix. Sometimesit takes many two-hour sessions before any realresolution occurs. But as long as there’s anyone inneed, there’s still work to be done. And believeme, all the work you put in will come back to youin a good way. After one session, a participant toldme, “I felt finally like we were a part of something…that was so powerful…and it felt like community.”

Alice Lynch

Possumus is Latin for we can. Itsums up the drive and willpower thatidentifies the Sisters of St. Joseph asone of the most influential non-profit

You Are the God of Mindfulness

Today, God of Mindfulness,I want to practice contemplationin the drinking of a glass of water,the taking of a breath,the use of my good legs as I walk,

my eyes as I take the bus to work.Let me take nothing for grantedand help me to be in awe of the ordinary. As I look upon people today,

“In the struggle for social justice,

impatience is essential.”

10 ways to build community.

VO I C E S

1. Open Your Neighborhood.

Residents of Stillwater, Minnesota’s SouthBroadway Street paid the rent for a year so aHurricane Katrina refugee could resettle in theirneighborhood. The former New Orleans residentgained a new neighborhood and the neighborsdeveloped relationships with each other thathadn’t existed before.

2. Work for Justice.

Find a local, national, or global issue thatstirs your passions-- and do something. The firststep is to find a group of people working tomake one part of our world a better place. Byjoining others and making change happen, youbecome an educated and energetic advocate,learning from others, developing new relation-ships, and strengthening your community.

3. Discover Hidden Talents.

Sister Althea Johns, CSJ works with develop-mentally challenged adults to design, cut, andpaint wooden toys and decorations to sell at agift shop. In the process, she teaches the workersand us to realize that everyone has something tooffer the greater community.

4. Visit Prisoners.

Men and women behind bars are easy tooverlook, but they need community, too. Just askthe Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary who workhard to create community in the women’s prisonin Shakopee, Minnesota.

5. Read a Good Book.

Not alone, but with others in a readinggroup. Books inspire conversation, and conversa-tions inspire action. One solid choice is The GreatTurning, David Korten’s book on how we mightact together in our communities to restore ourrelationship with others across the globe andwith the earth.

6. Help Others Help Each Other.

The women at Sarah’s…An Oasis forWomen, a home for women in transition spon-sored by the Sisters of St. Joseph, nurture eachother by creating community among themselves.They make sure no one feels alone in their strug-gles. While they live under the same roof, theycook and eat together, support each other, andhelp each other get emotionally strong enoughto move out on their own.

16

WE CAN:

Move toward a world ofhope, reconciliation, andjustice for all people.

Eradicate extreme povertyand hunger.

Achieve universal primary education.

Promote gender equalityand empower women.

Reduce child mortality.

Improve maternal health.

Combat HIV/AIDS malariaand other diseases.

Ensure environmental sustainability.

Develop a global partnership for development.

Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletMinistries Foundation

www.csjministriesfoundation.org

UN Millennium Development Goals

The 11th way.

7. Welcome New Immigrants.

You don’t need to be part of a formal pro-gram to welcome new people on your block. Newneighbors appreciate assistance on where to shop,when to recycle, you name it. Especially if they’verecently arrived from another country. Sometimesa single act of kindness leads to a lifetime friend-ship.

8. Bring the Outside In.

Many people in our communities, whetherthey’re in nursing homes, hospitals, or home-bound, live isolated and solitary lives. Yet theyyearn for a smiling face and a meaningful con-versation. Bring cheer to a neighbor or even astranger. Volunteer and help create community ina local nursing home. Deliver Meals on Wheels.

9. Find an E-Pal.

In our high-tech world, the pen pal is nowan e-pal. Communicating through e-mail to a citizen of another country and learning what hisor her world is like is one step toward fosteringworldwide harmony and understanding. It’s alsoquick and easy.

10. Just Be There.

Be physically present and supportive tosomeone who has faced a significant loss --anelection, dream, death of a loved one, longtimejob, or the effects of a chronic crippling illness. Bethe unsung person who is simply there, quietlycaring and sustaining. Do good in your world. Seta positive example. Be a saint in our midst.

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Of course, there is one more way you can helpbuild community. Simply give more power to thosepeople who are out there making a difference every-day. It’s not hard to do.

If you’d like to help the Sisters of St. Josephstrengthen their centuries-old commitment to the“dear neighbor,” you can pick up your pen.

If you see communities struggling to survive andwant a way to fight back, you can get out your wallet.

If you’d like to help bring diverse people togetherone-to-one so they can learn from each other, you cantake out your credit card.

If you’d like to make a positive change in thedaily lives of people here and across the globe, youcan open your heart.

If you’d like to make your neighborhood, yourcity, your state, your country and the world a betterplace for your children to live in, you can give a gen-erous donation to the Sisters of St. Joseph.

If you’d like to see all this good work continue,please, help us now.

To make a donation to support the programs of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet,please visit www.csjministriesfoundation.org

Or send your check to:Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul ProvinceMinistries Foundation1884 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105

Remember, you don’t have to be a saint or ahero, or be rich, to do enormous good. You just haveto be willing.

Thank you.

Possumus is Latin for we can. Itsums up the drive and willpower thatidentifies the Sisters of St. Joseph asone of the most influential non-profitorganizations working in Minnesotain the past 150 years.

You Are the God of Mindfulness

Today, God of Mindfulness,I want to practice contemplationin the drinking of a glass of water,the taking of a breath,the use of my good legs as I walk,my eyes as I take the bus to work.Let me take nothing for grantedand help me to be in awe of the ordinary. As I look upon people today,help me to feel kind to them and close to themin our common human struggle. Lead me to look with benevolenceupon those I pass on the street,that my loving energy toward themmight help to change the universe. Let me savor the uniqueness of each momentas a precious time of grace. May I be mindful of you todayin all the ways you dwell in others.

From: I’m Still Dancing—Praying through Good Days and Bad,By Rose Tillemans, CSJ ©2002, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Published by Twenty-Third Publications

You Are aSource of All

Gracious and Loving Source of All, I strive to be in tune with you this day.

Hold me close and speak hopeful and comforting words to me.

Dissolve my fears and place within me a peaceful trust in you and in your continued presence and care.

Share with me your gifts of gentle love, compassion, and peace.

Help me to embrace nonviolence this day, and if I am called uponto confrontunjust systems in church and society today, give me the courage to do so.

Help me to be wholeheartedin pursuing your desires for me.

You are my Source, my Gracious and Loving Source.

From: I’m Still Dancing—Praying throughGood Days and Bad,By Rose Tillemans, CSJ ©2002, Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletPublished by Twenty-Third Publications

Please tear off and usethis bookmark as a companion in

your reading and prayers.

Community where you least expect it. Take a close up lookat the improbable community called Peace House, “the living room ofFranklin Avenue.” Cover story; Page 2.

The roots of community. What Sister Kathleen Judge learned about thecultural value of community during her 10 years in Moho, Peru. Page 10.

Action gets results. From easy to ambitious, 10 things you can doto cultivate a greater sense of community wherever you are. Page 16.

Visit us on the web at www.csjministriesfoundation.org for updates on previous articles you read in Possumus.

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul ProvinceMinistries Foundation1884 Randolph Ave.Saint Paul, MN 55105

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAID St. Paul, MN

Permit No.1990

POSSUMUSWe Can

A Publication of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

Ministries Foundation

S P R I N G 2007