The J
URNEY
SHARING OUR SCN HOME
VOL. III 2020
Letter from Leadership In the midst of COVID-19, expressions of systemic racism, and the anti-immigration movement, which perhaps was pushed to the back burner only temporarily, it is so good to hear of people trying to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with their God (Micah 6:8). In this edition of The Journey magazine, you will read of an SCN and a Kentucky District Magistrate collaborating to assist a humble woman to move from living in her car to living in her mobile home. You will read about an SCN in India and her team of social workers successfully working with village leaders and government officials, to ensure that 95 hungry families receive their full monthly food rations from public distributors. You will read of an SCN Retreat Center in Maryland collaborating with an area soup kitchen and food bank to feed ever-increasing numbers of people experiencing food insecurity because of COVID-19. You will read about SCNs in Pittsburgh collaborating with other religious communities in the area to provide a welcoming, safe, temporary home for refugees on their long journey toward autonomous living. And you will read of SCN teachers across the globe trying their best to ensure that their students do not fall behind in the new normal of COVID-19 restrictions. What these stories highlight is that hearts and lives are changed when one takes action to meet a need. Sometimes the one whose heart is most affected is the one who seeks to assist. Such actions further put us in touch with God and make us realize that we are simply instruments in a “God-led moment.” These stories also illustrate that through collaboration with others we can do much more together than we could ever do on our own. It truly takes a community of people working together to bring about justice and to meet the need that otherwise can seem overwhelming. May we all experience being more than we can ask or imagine, by opening our eyes to the needs that exist all around us, and collaborating with others to address that need. We will not solve all the world’s problems, but we will be changed by the experience, those whose lives we touch will be changed and the world will seem like a better place to inhabit.
Adeline Fehribach, SCN Vice President
2
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
Inside this Issue 3
Where Her Heart Belongs
8
Food is Love
12 Lifting Tribal Voices 16 Sharing Our SCN Home 20 Navigating a New Normal in Classrooms 24 Highlights 26 Obituaries
WHERE HER HEART BELONGS Overrun by regulations and misfortune, one woman’s perseverance and positive outlook took her from the unbelievable reality of living inside her car for over five years to coming home again. A place just out of arm's reach.
On the C over Linda Soltis, SCN, is pictured with members of some of the refugee families that have stayed at Charity House in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, over the years.
The Journey is produced by the Office of Mission Advancement for the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Contributors include Diane Curtis, Dana Hinton, Spalding Hurst, Dianne Smith, Janice White, Leslie Wilson, and SCN Associate Patsy O’Toole; SCNs Sangeeta Ayithamattam, Adeline Fehribach, Jackulin Jesu, Mary Margaret Nirmala and Ankita Thomas.
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
3
Where Her Heart Belongs 4
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
Mary’s Story Eric Shelburne is the 5th District Magistrate in Nelson County, Kentucky near Nazareth. He connected with Luke Boiarski, SCN, to ask if the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth could help a woman in the local area. Eric remembers first hearing about Mary, a resident in his district. “A lady that lives in Chaplin got in touch with me and told me the story about Mary, living in her car up here. She said, ‘She has a mobile home there but she can’t move in it because she is restricted by some local ordinances that wouldn’t allow her to live in it. She is living in her car and has been living in it for a long time.’” It was very cold on the day that Eric met Mary. Everything he had heard was true. When he arrived, there she was, parked alone in front of her home, living in the cramped car. “It all seemed so unbelievable,” he says. Mary is from New Haven, Kentucky. She moved to Chaplin, Kentucky, when she was 16-years-old and has lived there for most of her life. For the past five and a half years she has been living in her car, trying to get back into her home.
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
5
“In the summertime, it was pick a spot if you could find a shady spot, but there wasn’t much because most of the shade trees were taken down with the old house,” says Mary.
Luke Boiarski, SCN, visited Mary to see how she was progressing in her home and to offer the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth’s encouragement and support.
Sister Luke met with Mary and asked about what she did in the winter. Mary joked that her car has good insulation because of all of the stuff she has inside. “I got used to it. I would have loved to have lights or running water so I didn’t have to run and pack my water or turn my headlights on every now and then to see what’s going on out here. Outside of that I got used to it,” she shares. In June of this year, Eric called the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth to collaborate in helping Mary. The Sisters recognized Mary's desperate need to get back into her home. They worked with the district magistrate to help with the expenses related to meeting the ordinances so she could move back into her trailer on the land that she loves. “A place where she feels her heart is supposed to be,” Eric explains.
6
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
Eric feels touched by the whole situation, “I do feel like this is a God-led moment. I believe that Mary saying those prayers in that car has brought me here, has brought the Sisters here, to give her mercy.” Through the help of her community, Mary is back in her home in accordance with all county regulations and now working to prepare the home for the winter months. Mary is happy to be back in her home and is very grateful to all who have helped her along the way. She says she is blessed, “God has done a lot of wonderful things for me and I can’t say that I actually deserve them, but I feel really good.” This is the car that Mary used for shelter and lived in for more than five years. She still drives it today for errands.
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
7
FOOD IS LOVE Camp Maria Retreat Center was eerily quiet in June, an unusual occurrence, especially in the heart of summer. Overlooking beautiful Breton Bay in Leonardtown, Maryland, campers would usually be laughing, or swimming, or praying. Instead the cabins were empty, a reality brought about by COVID-19. When retreat programs were canceled due to the pandemic, Camp Maria Retreat Center staff regrouped to identify pressing needs in southern Maryland. They could see the strain of COVID-19 across southern Maryland, as residents dealt with the loss of loved ones, heightened anxiety over keeping safe and healthy, and at times struggled to put food on the table.
8
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
Top: Camp Maria staff members prepared hundreds of meals recently in collaboration with St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. Food insecurity has dramatically increased during the pandemic. Bottom: Terri Williams-Pressley, Food Service Director at Camp Maria, spearheaded the partnership with St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen.
In June, Ann Kovalcik, director of Camp Maria Retreat Center, spoke about the ministry of Camp Maria, and reflected on the desire to help others during the pandemic. “We do a lot around recovery from addiction, grief, families dealing with grief and loss, and we’ll continue to do that, but at this point with COVID-19 and these challenging times, we’re really trying to think about how we can be creative in reaching out and meeting needs and sharing ministry here at Camp Maria.” So the large kitchen sprang to life this summer with kitchen staff preparing meals to take to St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen. Donning masks, working in shifts, and maintaining social distance in the kitchen, a small group of dedicated employees did what they could to help address food insecurity in St. Mary’s County. Terri Williams-Pressley has been overseeing meals at Camp Maria for the last three years, often for very large groups. Her heart went out to those unsure of where their next meal might be coming from, “the problem with hunger in St. Mary’s County has certainly been exacerbated by COVID-19.” In partnership with St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen, and Feed St. Mary’s, a local organization that obtains food to feed the hungry, and under the direction of Ann and Terri, the Camp Maria family became a beacon of hope. “Food is love...food is always love, it’s one of the things that is a common denominator regardless of anything else happening,” says Terri. “And that’s our goal, is to love people through what we prepare here.”
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
9
The Executive Director of St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen, Kristine Millen, says since March they have seen firsthand how COVID-19 is impacting food insecurity in the county. They are averaging over 8,700 free meals per month, with many of the recipients being first-time guests. Staffed by mostly volunteers, the soup kitchen provides breakfast and lunch six days a week. Last year they served 41,702 meals, that’s an average of 3,475 meals a month. COVID-19 brought a huge jump in the number of meals needed to serve guests. They are doing all of this, says Kristine, on a skeleton crew and with safety, as always, a priority. “Many of our volunteers are unable to leave their homes during COVID-19, as they are seniors or they have compromised immune systems. This in addition to the fact that we’re such a small facility, our building is so small, I don’t allow any more than a handful of volunteers here at a time, and you see we’ve got the floor marked for social distancing. We’ve been proactive all along with this, because if we’re down, nobody eats.” The folks at Camp Maria, says Kristine, have been a godsend.
The Executive Director of St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen, Kristine Millen (left), is pictured with the Director of Camp Maria Retreat Center, Ann Kovalcik (right). Ann was visiting St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen in June to discuss collaboration between the two Maryland nonprofits.
“What we’ve been able to do, is come alongside St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen and Feed St. Mary’s, to provide some volunteer types of support that they would not have normally,” says Terri. “In addition, we have the kitchen space to prepare a large quantity of food at one time enabling them to have some foods immediately available to feed the homeless, and to have some things to store away to feed them at a later time, because the homelessness isn't going anywhere and the hungry aren't going anywhere.” At the time of this interview this summer, Kristine noted that St. Mary’s Cares Soup Kitchen was the only one feeding people in St. Mary’s County in Maryland. “The other pantries are just now starting to open back up in June but most of them have totally closed down due to COVID-19. 10
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
Now with the numbers that we are doing and the volume of food that we are going through, we can not keep up.” Adding that the situation is further compounded following safety guidelines which allow for only five people in the facility, and only three in the kitchen. “And so when Terri volunteered to see if there was anything Camp Maria could do to help us, we were extremely excited. They’ve been helping us catch up, so that we’ve got a little back up here.’ The whole experience has been one of unity shares Ann. “We want our community to know Camp Maria is here, and I think that it’s evidenced by our participation in the WARM program (for the homeless), and it’s evidenced by our kitchen staff being able to process food that can be delivered to the soup kitchen, and also working with many other groups” to find a way together to move forward during the pandemic. For 83 years Camp Maria has been a place of peace and serenity, an opportunity to connect with nature and God. During “normal” times, Camp Maria Retreat Center is packed with families, school groups, church groups, veterans, and others who come seeking spiritual refreshment. It’s been hard to watch Camp Maria sit mostly empty in recent months, says Ann. In 2019, Camp Maria offered 87 retreats and hosted 2,700 guests. Ann misses the many families and groups that have been coming to Camp Maria for decades, “to feel that peace and serenity … to find acceptance and connection with the people … but also with the beauty that is here and that beauty is God. That’s what Camp Maria is about.”
The Camp Maria family has been steadfast in listening to where God is calling Camp Maria, like being drawn to show love through preparing meals. “It’s a really beautiful relationship and we are extremely grateful and feel really blessed,” says the Executive Director of St. Mary’s. “She’s (Terri) bringing in different food than we would normally cook and it’s really wonderful for our guests to be able to have that.” “Corona (virus) could take a lot of things away but it hasn't taken away our need to be merciful, to be kind, to be loving,” reflects Terri. “Even if we can’t touch someone, we still have to find a way to do those things and to be those things to people.”
St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen is blessed with faithful volunteers who help prepare and serve meals to those dealing with food insecurity in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
11
LIFTING TRIBAL VOICES For nearly 50 years, Sisters have been a compassionate presence in the district of Jharkhand, India. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth first began ministry in the area in 1971 at Chaibasa. The Sisters have made a profound impact, often empowering and advocating on behalf of families in the villages. Life can be very difficult for those living in this part of India.
12
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
Left: Sisters help educate and empower residents living in villages in and around Chakradharpur, India. Pictured is a committee from the villages working to ensure that all ration card holders receive their rations. Right: Many living in Chakradharpur, India face food insecurity and rely on rations to feed their families.
Kitamai Sinku, SCN, ministers in the village of Chakradharpur which is surrounded by mountains on most sides, with the river Sanjay in the southeastern periphery. With a mostly tribal population comprised of Ho, Munda, and Santhal tribes, the villages in and around Chakradharpur depend on small farming for their livelihood. It’s a difficult life, one in which a great deal of support is necessary from various government systems, particularly the Indian food security system of the Public Distribution System. The need for food is so great, that when 95 families from these two villages were left without their monthly ration from the government for 16 months, from September 2018 to December 2019, some experienced starvation. A few families were able to scrape together meals, maybe two a day, but others could afford only one. Adults would often go without a meal to make sure little ones ate. Some days, families found themselves with no food at all. Sister Kitamai helped the people find ways to help themselves. With the support and legal guidance from the Tribal Research and Training Center and Mahila Kalyan Kendra, the villagers organized. Village leaders, together with selected community leaders, filed an official complaint.
Members of this committee in Chakradharpur, India assist food ration card holders concerned about feeding their families.
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
13
SCNs Kitamai Sinku and Leena Padam were among the speakers at a gathering to discuss food rations in the village of Chakradharpur. About 95 families were not receiving their rations.
Sister Kitamai shares that there was little response at first. Leaders, however, continued to appeal. Although the process was long and at times discouraging, the villagers did not give up. They stood together, even peacefully gathering at the District Collector’s office. As a last resort, an appeal was filed with the National Food Security Council. Finally, on January 8, 2020, a hearing was granted in the National Food Security office in Ranchi. Selected community leaders, heads of the villages, and several ration card holders attended the hearing. Immediately, an order was issued to key officials to distribute the allotted ration to the families of these two villages. Finally, on January 10, 2020, all 95 families received the full ration with compensation. It is believed that this is the first victory in the history of Jharkhand. In addition, the Food Security Council’s order has brought transparency in the functioning of systems from the state to the village level. It has also alerted other ration distributors to carry out distribution in a forthright manner and follow the letter of the law. Sister Kitamai and the social work team say the people’s fight for justice was not an easy one as families had to face hunger. Leaders had to navigate at times in fear. However, the villagers sought help,
14
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
became aware of their rights, and learned how to bring about change in a nonviolent manner with an emphasis on the values of unity, harmony, acceptance, and understanding. Many are inspired by the commitment and bravery shown by village and community leaders for their never-say-die spirit, including a new generation of the tribal community. Prayers and words of thanksgiving are offered for all involved in bringing food to these families.
Following a series of appeals and hearings, families asking to receive rightfully deserved food rations, received full compensation. Shared concerns and collaboration brought those living in the villages even closer to one another.
This recent experience is just one of many ways that Sisters, like Sister Kitamai, impelled by the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and Mother Catherine Spalding are reaching out to the marginalized and poor, and putting into action a commitment made at the Congregation’s General Assembly: Focus on bringing about systemic change as we (SCNs) are present to people in all aspects of our mission.
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
15
SHARING OUR SCN HOME
“It was God’s plan, we had this property. We say we risk our lives and resources, so in this way, we put into action what we say. They're not just words.” Linda Soltis, SCN, reflects upon Charity House and how the SCN ministry came to be a place of hope and healing for refugees. Charity House, a beautiful old stone house located on St. Louise campus in Pittsburgh, is original to the property that the Sisters have called home for over 100 years. Sister Linda was among the Sisters who spoke up about converting the stone house on campus into temporary housing for refugees in Pennsylvania. Under her guidance and the guidance of others, it moved from an idea on paper to a reality, becoming Charity House. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth joined other Catholic Sisters across western Pennsylvania who felt called to action by their faith to minister to immigrants and refugees, especially as the United 16
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
States has faced various humanitarian crises in recent years at the southern border. Driven by their commitment to serve all of God’s people, Sisters from multiple Congregations combined resources. This collaboration was highlighted in America Magazine. Tiziana C. Dearing, co-director of the Boston College Center, described how Charity House came to be. “A local refugee resettlement agency had put out a call to charitable groups seeking housing for refugees... many of whom had arrived in the Pittsburgh area. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth responded, offering to convert a house they own.” That decision by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth to convert the house was described as “a profoundly welcoming action that shows a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable... Some might not think providing temporary housing for refugee families is particularly S C N FA M I LY.O R G
the decision to leave homes and families behind. “I always picture myself, like what if I were a refugee, what would that be like,” shares Sister Linda. “We are just trying to make life a little easier for them.” The families come from all different backgrounds and circumstances, some are refugees others are asylum seekers. The road to the United States can be a very long one, as processes and paperwork can take years. A family from Pakistan, for example, after a significant period of time, was vetted and approved by the United Nations so that they were able to work. The most recent family to stay at the home, a family from Africa, had an especially long process awaiting much needed documents to seek permanent work and residence in the United States. Sisters were able to watch the family expand, as a new baby, Victor, was brought home from the hospital.
Linda Soltis, SCN, smiles at Victor, a toddler recently living with his family at Charity House, a temporary home for refugees. Charity House is a SCN ministry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
innovative,” however, she noted, “most people are not moving out of their homes and giving them to someone else. Sometimes innovation is just being radical with what you’ve got.” Charity House opened in 2017. Sister Linda says from the very beginning, the various Congregations, as well other churches and faiths in Pittsburgh, came together committed to ease the process of resettlement for a growing population of refugees. “Our mayor is very welcoming, we are one of the sanctuary cities,” says Sister Linda. The first families arrived at Charity House in July of that year. That family, a Honduran family lived on campus for a short time, Sister Linda recalls the excitement of the arrival and their warmth and friendliness. Each family has heartrending stories of
Corrine Giel, SCN, recalls another guest, a mother with a five-month-old baby, who rode a bus for three days, unable to speak the language of those around her, and with little money to her name. She rode from Texas to Pittsburgh, that was just part of her journey, but she was determined to make a new life. She found respite at Charity House. “I admire her tremendously,” says Sister Corrine. “She was a young woman, a woman in her twenties, to have that much courage.” Sister Corrine says that each family’s background and story may be very sensitive, in some cases they have had to flee circumstances in which their lives or the lives of their loved ones are at risk. Personal stories are not always shared. What is shared are the smiles and joy of a family once they begin to feel safe and settled in new surroundings. Such is the case with the family from Africa. Those smiles and joy have been often returned by the Sisters who have watched the youngest member, Victor, grow from a baby to a toddler. Denise Hibel, SCN, who watched Victor each Thursday, describes with great joy seeing some of his first steps. Another joy are the friendships that take root. The family from Africa and the family from Pakistan became close while living at Charity House. The children of the two families would play together and the parents would share meals. Sister Denise describes those meals as moments of bonding and happiness. SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
17
She recalls one meal in particular, “When I took my first bite, it was very spicy, and they started laughing (at the face I made)... what it did is that you are learning and experiencing different cultures.” Many Sisters of Charity of Nazareth have become a part of the fabric of the Charity House ministry. Sisters Tonya Severin and Barbara Maynard, lifelong educators, are devoted to teaching English as a second language. Sister Tonya offers tutoring and recalls one family in particular. “It has been a real joy for us to see their openness to this whole new country for them, and that they’re feeling a little more secure because they have been here with us and they wanted to learn English,” shares Sister Tonya. “They know for them to be able to function, they need to be able to speak English.” Many of these families have fled poverty, persecution, and living in fear for their lives. “In the midst of teaching them English, you learn some of their stories and you experience some of their frustration with English, first of all, but also because of the situations that they are coming from,” says Sister Tonya. Indeed, as Sister Tonya notes, the families staying at Charity House have become close to many Sisters. Over the years, families have been welcomed to the convent, and have joined in celebrations and special occasions, like Halloween. Sister Corrine describes how in recent years, every Sister in the room would light up when Victor arrived, “he went from arm to arm.” One of the more touching moments, a bond between Victor, age two, and Sister Mary Clemente, age 103, the exchange captured in a photo as 100 years spans between the two. Little Victor, and his parents, Ellen and Victor, recently moved from Charity House to the south hills of Pittsburgh. They, like so many families that have for a time called Charity House their home, have gotten the support and guidance they needed to adjust to life in the United States. Ellen and Victor now both have jobs at Amazon, Victor Jr. is making friends and learning much at his daycare. The Sisters stay in touch with the families. Many of the families have chosen to stay in the Pittsburgh area including the Honduran family, the family from 18
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
Eritrea, and families from Guatemala and Pakistan. Two of the Congolese families are also staying in Pittsburgh including Aaron and Sophia, who now have two children. The Congolese family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Minouche and Theirry, and their daughter and son, moved into an apartment to be closer to other refugee families. A third Congolese family, a mother and her three children, chose to move to Maine. Two Angolan families moved to Buffalo, New York to join a settlement of other refugees from Angola. Sisters say this latest outreach is a continuation of their roots in Pennsylvania. The founding of the Vincentian Sisters of Charity (now members of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth), took place in 1902, as five Sisters emigrated from Austria-Hungary to Pittsburgh in order to serve the growing Slovak immigrant population in Pennsylvania. These Sisters, dedicated to serving God through teaching and ministering to the sick, helped countless new families settle. That spirit and dedication to immigrants continues today. The Sisters at St. Louise campus are making a concrete and lasting difference in the lives of many families. However, now, like so many ministries impacted by COVID-19, ministry at the Charity House is being temporarily suspended. S C N FA M I LY.O R G
Across the United States, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth are part of multiple collaborative efforts in ministry to refugees. Among them, partnerships with Charity Federation. Sisters have volunteered on the border in Texas. In Louisville, Kentucky, SCNs Julie Driscoll and Maggie Cooper wait at the Greyhound bus station to welcome and provide basic support to weary travelers. The SCN ministry, Doors to Hope, in Louisville, creates learning opportunities and advocates for immigrant women and families. In Memphis, Tennessee, Trudy Foster, SCN, teaches English to Spanish speaking families. At the Motherhouse in Nazareth, Kentucky, Mary Assumpta Dwyer, SCN, raises money to support traveling immigrants, and Paschal Maria Fernicola, SCN, knits clothing. The Office of Social and Environmental Justice promotes systemic change that emphasizes justice and the dignity of all. Associates advocate for the rights of immigrant workers. In Quincy, Massachusetts, Martha Walsh, SCN, ministers to Asian immigrants. In Boston, SCNs Tess Browne, Anne Marie O’Shea, and Ann Whittaker mobilize groups to speak out on behalf of migrant brothers and sisters. And Sisters tirelessly raise awareness with vigils and prayer gatherings. Sisters in Pittsburgh and around the country will continue to minister in whatever way they can as they navigate the new normal that COVID-19 brings. It may be through tutoring now via on-line technology versus in person, or raising funds or sewing clothes, or any other myriad of outreach activities.
Victor and his mother, Ellen, became close to the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth while they lived at Charity House. Sisters are staying in touch with the family following a move into more permanent housing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Sister Linda shares her hope for every family that Sisters encounter, “We want to be that welcoming presence and help them reach that American dream.” Sister Denise adds with a laugh that her hope is Victor will grow up to have a happy life, and will return some day to give her a hug.
SCNs Denise Hibel and Linda Soltis are in ministry at the Charity House. It is temporary housing for refugees located on the property where Sisters live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are pictured with the children of two of the families that once lived at Charity House.
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
19
NAVIGATING A NEW NORMAL IN CLASSROOMS With many countries seeing spikes in COVID-19 cases this fall, schools are faced with a multitude of decisions including choosing to offer classes online or have students in the classroom, or a combination of both. With no end in sight to the current pandemic, around the world, families are doing their best to cope with a new normal. Across the Congregation as Sisters continue to minister in any way they can during COVID-19, nearly 100 Sisters are engaged in education during this historic and challenging time. The desire to offer students structure and some normalcy when all around them has been turned upside down is foremost. So, too, is the desire to model faith and compassion. One school with students back in the classroom is Presentation Academy in Louisville, Kentucky, where Amina Bejos, SCN, teaches theology. Founded in 1831, this isn’t the first pandemic for the academy. In 1918, the school navigated the flu pandemic. Fast forward to 2020, and the school again found itself making decisions regarding student safety. Thanks to technology, in the early months of the pandemic, educators were able to shift out of the classroom to online classes. 20
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
Now with the pandemic continuing into the fall, Presentation is figuring out how to adapt. Currently, the curriculum is a hybrid, in-class instruction with masks and social distancing is offered, but parents and/ or pupils can request on-line learning. Every day Sister Amina has a lot to navigate. She has students physically present in each class and students joining in the classroom discussion from home via computer. Such options allow students quarantining to keep up with their studies. It’s also mindful of those students with health concerns, or those who have grandparents or vulnerable family members living with them. Sister Amina describes a typical day in the classroom, “I have students spread six feet apart with masks on and students also joining online using Zoom. I have to stand at my desk so that the on-line students S C N FA M I LY.O R G
She emphasizes, “My mission at Pres goes far beyond teaching the material in a theology book. It is about being present to each teenager as she strives to be the best person she can possibly be.”
Left: Amina Bejos, SCN, teaches theology at Presentation Academy, a school founded in Louisville, Kentucky, by SCN foundress Mother Catherine Spalding. Right: Students can attend in person or classes online. Strict safety guidelines are followed at all times including masks and social distancing in classrooms.
can hear me and project my voice strong enough so that students in the back can hear me through my mask. Students in the classroom can hear the on-line students because their voices go through speakers, but on-line students often cannot hear comments by students in the classroom. I frequently have to repeat much of what is said.” This can make for a long day and can inhibit group discussions. Sister Amina spends countless hours figuring what works best for her students. “My whole manner of teaching has had to change. I went from moving about the classroom doing conversational talking to students working in groups, to a more lecture based approach with questions and answers. We also do Zoom breakout rooms where on-line and in person students mix. I can visit each group as a host, and one person reports from each group to the whole class, but there is not the ease of conversation across groups that you would have in an all in-person classroom.” Despite the challenges, all are grateful to get to spend time together. “We are trying our best to meet the needs of the students and have those students online feel a part of the Pres community as much as possible,” says Sister Amina. “Twice a week we begin class by giving every student a chance to talk about how they are doing with COVID-19 restrictions, recent racial tensions in the Louisville community, and anything else that may be weighing on their souls.”
Camille Panich, SCN, echoes Sister Amina, sharing that the shift from in-person to online though necessary was challenging. In March, Sister Camille had just returned to teaching from retirement, within two weeks of being back in the classroom in her school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she found herself teaching from home instead. She wanted her three chemistry classes to be fun and different, so she began her first day of online classes by showing the students around her apartment. The students enjoyed getting to know her on this more personal level. For Sister Camille, the shift to classes online was important to keep all safe while helping students stay on top of their studies, and seniors graduate on time. She says there was definitely a learning curve in identifying the most effective approach to connecting with students out of the classroom. The early weeks were challenging for both students and teachers. “All
Camille Panich, SCN, came out of retirement to teach again this year, within two weeks of returning to the classroom she was teaching online classes from home due to the pandemic. She is pictured here receiving recognition at Vincentian Academy graduation for five decades of teaching.
weekend I would be preparing for the start of the school week, every week was just exhausting,” she relays. Assignments had to be converted into digital documents, videos had to be generated or found to explain experiments that would normally be carried out in person in chemistry labs, rules had to be put into place for acceptable behavior and procedures in SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
21
Zoom classrooms. Days were spent “checking papers, grading assignments and getting comments back to them,” says Sister Camille. “And often an exchange of additional emails for clarification around assignments or grades.” Eventually Sister Camille moved towards having “office hours” so that communication moved away from being nearly 24/7. Despite challenges, Sister Camille enjoyed her time out of retirement. Sister Camille maintained a sense of humor and was grateful for technology, but says she prefers the camaraderie of the classroom. “There’s such a difference (for me) between being in the classroom face-to-face, to have questions asked and answered in person, and to see student faces and expressions and interactions with peers in order to see how they are picking up on the material.” In Boston, Marth Walsh, SCN, recently shared her excitement at being able to once again bring her students together. She’s doing this via Zoom as her students are all Chinese senior citizens. Sister Martha is grateful to use technology to keep all safe as she marks her 13th year of teaching English as a second language classes. In Nazareth, Kentucky, Brenda Gonzales, SCN, director of Doors to Hope, has also been using Zoom from her home to tutor young clients in Louisville in order to help them keep up with their school assignments, and to assist them in learning English. In India meanwhile, Mary Margaret Nirmala (Nimmie), SCN, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics at Jyoti Nivas College Autonomous in Bangalore finds her days during the pandemic are also long and rewarding. She, too, counts technology as a blessing for being connected. “I have found online classes very appealing since it gives me the time and space to prepare the lessons meticulously for a digital presentation,” says Sister Nimmie. “The students too have responded positively to the classes… All things, being new, online classes have been testing our creativity.” She worries, however, about the variables to online instruction, the pupil’s study environment, access to
22
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
Mary Margaret Nirmala, SCN, is a professor of mathematics at Jyoti Nivas College Autonomous in Bangalore, India. All instruction at the university has gone on-line during this period of the pandemic.
the internet and devices available to them, and social isolation. She is concerned that while many may have the tools they need to maintain their studies online, others may not due to their socioeconomic conditions. Sister Nimmie, like other SCN educators, is committed to going above and beyond during this difficult time. “The challenge is for us to be present more than six or eight hours each day…I teach two or three hours than I am constantly connected to the internet. After class, messages have to be sent, we have to receive and review messages and assignments,” says Sister Nimmie. She gets 85 to 100 emails a day. Sister Nimmie says she pays close attention to the abilities of students and how they best learn, she strives to be well prepared, if not over prepared, for each of her online classes and to hold the attention of her students. While grateful for online options, Sister Nimmie reflects that “this is no substitute to an actual classroom for it has given me no time to engage students in a dialogue on social concerns of the country and the world. That, for me, is the role of a teacher irrespective of the subjects we teach.” According to a World Economic Forum report earlier this summer, COVID-19 resulted in schools shut all across the world. While countries have been at different points in their COVID-19 infection rates,
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
worldwide more than 1.2 billion students in 186 countries have been affected by school closures. With the transition to online instruction, many wonder how online learning will evolve throughout the pandemic and beyond.
steps had to be met including the completion of the requirement of the Department of Health Service and Ministry of Basic Education procedures, followed by a COVID-19 Committee inspection. Finally, the school received a permit to reopen.
That’s a question that Sister Nimmie has been asking herself. She served as a resource person in a webinar on “Cynosure of Higher Education Today: e-learning and teaching.” She presented a paper on the topic “Transformation of an educator: challenges of e-learning.”
School looks much different than it did before the pandemic. Children, as they enter the school each morning, have their temperature checked and wash their hands with soap and warm water. This is repeated during the course of the day. All wear face shields and maintain a social distance of one meter. Classroom tables, chairs, doors, and windows are disinfected every two hours. Sisters and students are happy to be back in the classroom.
Many Sisters throughout the pandemic have been profoundly concerned that some who do not have access to devices or the internet will fall through the cracks. Sisters and peers in education are working hard to bridge gaps.
For example, in India, especially in the interior and more rural areas, some children do not have devices that allow them to learn, and some schools are in extremely remote and undeveloped places. This means those on the margins are falling behind educationally. Sister Nimmie shares that in many of the interior locations because students do not have seamless access to the internet, online live classes is a distant reality in schools. However, teachers of Students are returning to classrooms in Botswana and SCNs are welcoming them. these institutions, with creativity and Many safety measures are in place including masks, handwashing upon arrival, determination to bridge gaps, record and frequent sanitizing of classrooms. classes and post the videos along with learning materials on WhatsApp which can be accessed by students on phones. Also, many Throughout all this, in every place in which the Sisters families, with several children, have to share one teach, they say they are seeing families grapple with device, and again, often the family phone. Whether loss, loss of a loved one, loss of a job, or income, and a attending classes in person or online, or having access way of life. Sisters too, are sometimes struggling with to a device or not, Sisters are committed in making loss and isolation. Together, the Sisters and families, sure students feel supported and heard. move forward with hope and in ways that are creative, compassionate and prayerful. In Botswana, after a long lockdown due to the pandemic from March 23 to August 31, St. Mary’s Preschool in Lobatse and St. Bakita Preschool in Kanye resumed class instruction in September. Several
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
23
Highlights In October, SCNs Sharon Gray and Rebecca Miles were both recognized with Tower Awards given by Presentation Academy. The annual event honors women around the country who are leaders in their fields. Proceeds from the Tower Awards benefit Presentation’s tuition assistance program.
SCN Associate Beth Vetter has been appointed as the new director of the SCN Associate Office. Beth has been an SCN Associate since 2017. She recently retired from Kentucky State Government after 18 years as a social worker. Beth has been very active as a RCIA sponsor and member of the Parish Pastoral Council at Epiphany Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.
SCN Associate Dorothy Zimmerman is the newest SCN Associate Core Council member. Dorothy has the council seat held by Tootsie Gish who passed away. Dorothy started her term on September 1, 2020.
24
On September 7, 2020, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth celebrated SCN Foundation Day in Botswana. This year marks 20 years of compassionate presence by the Sisters to the people of Botswana, Africa.
Julia Gerwe is serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer this year on Nazareth Campus, Nazareth, Kentucky, through the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers program. She is working with the SCN’s Environmental Sustainability Team, assisting with ecorestoration efforts and sustainability research and solutions for local and global SCN communities.
On September 2, 2020, Charity Alive members held a virtual prayer service. This is how members have been coming together during COVID-19. All expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be in fellowship with one another during the pandemic.
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
In August, Sisters in Louisville, Kentucky, collected food items and monetary donations for St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.
August 20, 2020, seven senior citizens, including Julie Driscoll, SCN, held a Thursday morning sit-in on the lawn of the Kentucky Attorney General’s Louisville, Kentucky home. The seniors were hosting the sit-in to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, who was shot multiple times and killed by police as they were carrying out a no-knock warrant in Louisville.
Higinia Bol, SCN, continues to provide pastoral support to rural Belize communities. During the pandemic, Sister Higinia says the people’s source of inspiration is their deep faith.
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
Highlights Judy Donohue, SCN, renewed her vows on July 18, 2020. She renewed her vows with the surrounding local community in Louisville, Kentucky. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a small prayer service was held.
Volunteers for the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth recently helped renovate a men’s shelter in Bardstown, Kentucky.
In Louisville, Kentucky, a prayer vigil and protest against racial injustice was held at Spalding University. It began on the green, Mother Catherine Square, where the president of the school, Tori Murden, read and affirmed the statement made previously by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
This summer, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in ministry at Pabalelong Hospice were featured on Botswana National Television for their service to the sick of the country. On July 10, 2020, candidates of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth were received into the pre-novitiate in India with a eucharistic celebration held at Nazareth Convent, Bangalore.
Sisters Asunta Rose Kujur, Amal Rani, Asha Kattepogu, Reema Tigga, and Stella Mary professed their final vows in the presence of SCNs, novices, and candidates on May 16, 2020, in Chandapura, India.
SCN Associate member María Melendez in Puerto Rico, presented aid from SCNs to “La Fondita de Jesus,” an organization that cares for the homeless.
Also in July, four Sisters, across two continents, celebrated their Jubilee as one. The Sisters share, “Indeed, we were blessed with the best jubilee gift ever possible given the unique pandemic times we are experiencing.”
In June, Sisters Jyotsana George, Richa Tripti Sah, Priyanka Murmu, Sweta Baskey, Prema Tudu, Nitya Toppo, Alisha Anthony, and Florina Joseph all renewed their vows as Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in the Bangalore Province, India.
A celebration recently took place to honor Carlette Gentle, SCN, who completed her Masters in Social Work (MSW) degree at St. Louis University. Sister Carlette was honored with cake and many cards from Sisters, friends and family.
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
25
J O U R N E Y I N G
Agnes Mary Deley, SCN, 96, a native of Swissvale, Pennsylvania, died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 24, 2020. She was a professed Sister for 70 years. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Notre Dame University. Her teaching ministry included nine years in elementary and 21 years in secondary education in the Dioceses of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Youngstown, Ohio. Her career in education was followed by serving as an accountant at Vincentian Academy, Vincentian Regency Nursing Home in Pittsburgh, and Assumption Nursing Home in Youngstown. Sister Agnes Mary then served as assistant treasurer and then treasurer for the Vincentian Sisters of Charity for 15 years. She retired in 2008. Sister Agnes Mary was an intelligent, highly independent, and determined woman. Sister Agnes Mary is survived by her brothers John and Joseph Deley; nieces and nephews; and by her religious community.
O N
Irene Satory, SCN, formerly Sister Louis Anthony, 89, a native of Adena, Ohio, died at Nazareth Home, Louisville, Kentucky, July 10, 2020. She was a professed Sister for 65 years.
Patricia Hill, SCN, 88, formerly Sister Patricia Marie, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, died at the Motherhouse, Nazareth, Kentucky, July 28, 2020. She was a professed Sister for 68 years.
Sister Irene served in elementary education. She taught first grade at St. Andrew School in Roanoke, Virginia. She taught primary grades at St. Agnes in Louisville; at St. Joseph in Tiltonsville, Ohio; and at St. Mary in Paris, Kentucky. She also taught at Nazareth Montessori Children’s Center.
Sister Pat served in educational ministries, teaching primary grades at schools in Kentucky and Ohio from 1952-1972. She was also principal at St. Mary Grade School in St. Clairsville, Ohio.
From 1976-1982, Sister Irene served her SCN Community as the Provincial Secretary for the Louisville area. She later served her Community in the Catherine Spalding Bookshop, in the Motherhouse Archival Center, and in Community Service for Russell Hall and the Motherhouse. She served in health care ministries as a librarian at Our Lady of Peace in Louisville and as librarian at St. Vincent Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Sister Irene is survived by her sister Regina McQueen of Canton, Ohio; her brother John Satory (Louise) of Independence, Ohio; her extended family; and by her religious community.
In 1972, Sister Pat began an internship at Montessori School in Columbus, Ohio and earned a Master’s Degree in Montessori Education at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was inspired by this innovative approach to education and founded the King Center Montessori School in Nazareth, Kentucky in 1973. It was later renamed Nazareth Montessori Children’s Center and is now called the St. Joseph Montessori Children’s Center. Sister Pat taught at Montessori School for 46 years, until her retirement last year. Sister Pat enjoyed the arts and served as a volunteer with the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville for 40 years. Sister Pat is survived by her siblings, Martha Owens, Frankie Mills, Jerry Hill, Doris Lincoln, Evie Gallusser, and sister-in-law Katie Hill; several nieces and nephews; and by her religious community.
Honorary and Memorial Donations With gratitude, gifts are acknowledged that support ministries of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in memory or in honor of others. To view a listing visit: scnfamily.org/hons
26
SIS TERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARE TH • VOL . III 2020
S C N FA M I LY.O R G
J O U R N E Y I N G
Charlotte Gambol, SCN, 90, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, died at Nazareth Home in Louisville, Kentucky, Aug. 15, 2020. She was a professed Sister for 73 years. She received her Bachelor of Education degree from Duquesne University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Catholic University. As a dedicated English, Religion, and Art teacher, Sister Charlotte devoted herself to the teaching profession for 48 years in the dioceses of Pittsburgh and Greensburg, Pennsylvania. At the age of 70, she went back to school to get her license in cosmetology. Although she didn’t know anything about this field, she bravely undertook this ministry because she felt it would benefit the community. After obtaining her license, she operated a small beauty salon for the older Sisters. As an artist, many people are the proud owners of a set of her “one-of-a-kind” Christmas carolers. She began making these adorable caroler sets in 1975. Sister Charlotte also used her artistic talent to scour the thrift stores for clothes for the Sisters. She likened it to a treasure hunt. Sister Charlotte spent her retirement years at St. Louise Convent in Pittsburgh. Sister Charlotte is survived by her cousins; friends; and by her religious community.
Elaine McCarron, SCN, 88, formerly Sister Michael Maria, a native of Washington, D.C., died at Nazareth Home, Louisville, Kentucky, Sept. 21, 2020. She was a professed Sister for 67 years. Sister Elaine served in educational ministries, teaching primary grades at schools in Kentucky and Virginia from 1953-1967. She was principal at St. Mary School in Richmond, Virginia. From 1967-1978, Sister Elaine served the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, as an educational consultant. She later served as the minister of religious education for parishes in Virginia and Maryland. At the request of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Sister Elaine assisted in preparing teachers to teach religion in Riga, Latvia as a way of developing the Church in Eastern Europe; she continued her work with the USCCB in a leadership capacity for many years in catechetics. For several summers, Sister Elaine was an adjunct professor in catechetics at the Toronto School of Theology. She also spent time in Belize to help establish and strengthen catechetical programs.
O N
Sisters prayerfully remember the following former students of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth: Patricia Roche Noplis, St. Catherine Academy, Lexington, Class of 1951 Connie Lusher, SCNA, Presentation Academy 1950; St. Joseph Infirmary, 1953; Spalding University, 1979 James H. East, Sacred Heart Academy, Helena, Arkansas, 1954 Mildred Black Carruthers, Sacred Heart School, Memphis, Tennessee, 1946 Patricia Buren Meyer, Nazareth Academy, Nazareth, 1955 Mary Margaret Mulvihill, Presentation Academy, 1960 Lucille Greenfield Barnes, St. Joseph School of Nursing, 1937
Sister Elaine served her SCN Community as a volunteer in the Archives at Nazareth from 2009-2019. She is survived by her sisters, Joan M. Robinson and Maureen M. Mahoney; her extended family; and by her religious community.
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA ZARETH • VOL. III 2020
27
Nonprofit U.S. Postage
PAID
Office of Mission Advancement
Louisville, KY Permit No. 715
P.O. Box 9 Nazareth, Kentucky 40048
scnfamily.org | 502-348-1500
Thank you to all who attended our first virtual Join the Journey program online. We are grateful for the outpouring of generous support for ministries of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. If you weren’t able to attend the live program, you can watch the replay on the SCN website at https://scnfamily.org/journey2020.
WATCH THE REPLAY AT: SCNFAMILY.ORG/JOURNEY2020