VOLUME 7 • NO. 3 • 2006
Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis
MISSION STATEMENT OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF THE THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS Dedication to Jesus Christ involves us intimately in the liberating and reconciling Gathering Place is published to keep
mission—to make God more deeply known and loved, and in so doing, draw all persons to fuller and freer life.
the public informed of the mission and ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the
Together with all our sisters and brothers who strive for a more just world, we undertake those activities which will promote the material and spiritual development of the human family.
Third Order of St. Francis.
EDITOR Reneta E.Webb, Ph.D., CAE
EDITORIAL BOARD Sr. Carolyn Bronk Sr. Judith David Theresa Kobak Dr. Arlene Lennox Irene McGrane Sr. Marygrace Puchacz Sr. Jane Zoltek
Words have power. They have most power when they arise from the
PROOFING STAFF
depth. God’s word “let there be…” erupted all of creation from the
Sr. Mary Adalbert Stal Sr. Dolores Mary Koza Sr. Louise Szerpicki
depths of divine being. Loving words of a parent spoken to a hugged
PRODUCTION & LAYOUT
child draw the same love from the depths of the child’s soul. From
Newcomb Marketing Solutions/ The Printed Word
soul of the speaker and carry spirit to the listener, touching the same
heart to heart, from mind to mind, from imagination to imagination, words are powerful messengers between people. The ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis lives in this communication of the word and the Word. Much of the ministry is preserved in the written word and
OFFICE Public Relations Office P.O. Box 388129 Chicago, IL 60638-8129 Telephone: 1-773-581-7505 Fax: 1-773-581-7545 Web site: www.ssj-tosf.org e-mail: reneta@ssj-tosf.org
provides a legacy of historical, spiritual and intellectual wealth for us all. This issue of Gathering Place highlights some of the SSJ-TOSF authors who, even today, enrich us with their words. Read on!!!
Copyright by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.
Table of
Contents
VOLUME 7 • NO. 3 • 2006
DEPARTMENTS
The Power of the Word
Letter from the President
FEATURES
1
2
We are people of the word and people of the Word. Words and stories are the reflection of the soul of a people. Once expressed, once told, words and stories
In the News
17
have the power to reach back to the souls of people. Words and stories make communication possible from heart to heart, from mind to mind.
Smithsonian Institute Submissions Editorial Board and Proofreaders
Author
7
The Power of Prayer
The SSJ-TOSF sister authors created a literary legacy which enriched lives. Their writings preserved the history of the congregation. They inspired and
Development
28
engaged us spiritually, intellectually, physically and technologically.
History Sr.Theresita Polzin~ Sr. Josephine Marie Peplinski (Virginella) Spiritual Mother Virginia Bialozynski~Sr. Francis Therese Woznicki~ Sr. Jane Zoltek (Cecilia Ann)
Intellectual
Sr. Madeleine Adamczyk and Sr. Fidelia Gorcowski~ Sr. Marcella Kucia~Sr. Constance Szymandera~ Sr. Madge Karecki (Jude) Sr. Caroline Cerveny (Francis Xavier)
Hospitality
Sr. Marie Carole DeBacker (Gerard Marie)
Dear Friends, Words are powerful! We’ve all experienced their power to hurt or heal, negate or affirm, diminish or enhance, weigh down or lift up. Words do have power! The question our foundresses asked, “What will become of the children?”—only six words—generated our entire religious congregation. And, the very question itself was prompted by awareness that words, the building blocks of language, were the key to the Polish children’s inclusion in society and to the success that their families sought in the New World. The linguistic inequities faced by Polish immigrant children were named in our founding, and that very naming permitted, even created, the solution. A social justice online ministry of the Servite Sisters in Ladysmith,Wisconsin, asserts “…the power of naming challenges us to watch our language…(as) a powerful way to build and nurture a just and peaceful society.” But, more than the naming of a vision is needed to build a better society. James Redfield’s The Tenth Insight, an adventure parable and sequel to The Celestine Prophecy, illustrates the need to hold on to a vision once it has been articulated. Holding on to a vision in a rapidly expanding milieu such as ours over the last 100 years is no small task, because the vision needs to expand and keep pace with the reality, while maintaining its essence. Our foundresses’ question came from hearts filled with compassion for those who could be served in that time, in that place—the children. Today, the role of women broadens the question, but maintains compassion as its source, “What will become of the people?” What will happen to an entire culture overcome with words devoid of meaning, a culture mired in double-speak, newspeak, and media spin? The word-power problem that we now face is the relentless barrage of media—impersonal media that allows for no response—repeating blatant misinformation and factual distortions of epic proportions—in our time, a period called, ironically, the Age of Information. What happens to a people when they understand the words, but do not trust, or cannot find, the meaning—or worse, when good words are taken away? We have only to recall how, in George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, words were coined for the purpose of limiting thought and enhancing conformity. As Christians, we are grounded in the sacred power of word and naming truth and meaning.The creation story in Genesis is the setting for connecting word and power: “God said ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” The very act of naming the reality created it. And Jesus said, “The truth shall set you free.” Our religious tradition insists that word is divine; that naming is an act of power; that truth is freeing; and that ultimate meaning can be found in the word, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In the face of unprecedented change, and with the sure knowledge that here we have no lasting kingdom,Alison Hawthorne Deming’s poem “The Enigma We Answer By Living” connects our words with the rest of creation. I treasure her closing lines: …it’s wrong to think people are a thing apart from the whole, as if we’d sprung from an idea out in space, rather than emerging from the sequenced larval mess of creation that binds us with the others, all playing the endgame of a beautiful planet that’s made us want to name each thing and try to tell its story against the vanishing. Your sister,
Jeanne Conzemius, SSJ-TOSF President 1
Vol. 7 No. 3
We are in a pool of words— family discussions, Scripture readings, ball game announcing, TV programs, ipod broadcasts, text messages. All these words swirl around us constantly. Through words we learn values, ways of living, communication, and meaning. Words give us a way of learning. They provide an avenue of expressing feeling. They preserve stories for future generations. Words connect us in a vital way to ourselves and to other human beings.
~ words ~ ”Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men.” —Confucius
“The stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones. Many have fallen by the edge of the sword;
The vase, in Egyptian hieroglyphics, represented the word “heart” because the thoughts conceived and born in the heart stay a while before they can be sent out into the world by the movement of the tongue and the opening of the lips.This is why we know more than we can say. The spirit, the heart, of a word is in us, even before it is uttered. Psychologists have actually measured a distinct fraction of a second between an internal state of readiness and a conscious thought expressed in words.Words arise from our hearts, our souls. In ancient Memphis in Egypt, people held that between the role of creative thought, which they called the action of the Heart, and that of creation’s instrument, which they called the action of the Tongue, is the Word. God said the Word, and creation was pulled from the heart of God into substance. Spoken sounds bring new things to light. Our spoken words are, as we say, “in the universe,” influencing, affecting, powering all of creation. Words are used not only to express, but also to reveal, to take the contents of the heart-vase and offer it to another.
The same phenomenon happens when the sounds, the spoken words, are represented by marks and symbols. The written word conveys more than empty representations. Written words are an expression and revelation of the heart that shaped them. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used.” Whether spoken or written, words are thoughts eternalized.
~ dialogue ~ In any dialogue, words flow both ways—out to express thoughts and feeling of which we are conscious, and sometimes unconscious, and in to expand our insight, knowledge, holiness and wholeness. Paulo Friere , in his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Chapter 3) says: “As we attempt to analyze dialogue as a human phenomenon, we discover something which is the essence of dialogue itself: the word. But the word is more than just an instrument which makes dialogue possible ... There is no true word that is not at the same time a praxis.Thus, to speak a true word is to transform the world.”
but not so many as have fallen by the tongue.”
The power of the word is not only in the one who speaks or writes. It is also in the listener and the reader.
—Ecclesiastes 28:17
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the
powerof the word
~ words affect us ~
T h a n k Yo u
Yo u i d i o t ! UCHI LAKE, OK
B e fo re p r aye r
D u r i n g p r aye r
A f t e r p r aye r
Some recent research revealed that describing a scent with pleasant words before presenting it may actually cause the brain to perceive it more positively. Researchers presented a group of people with a cheddar cheese scent labeled as either cheddar cheese or body odor. The results were as might be expected. However, even the sight of the words activated the brain to respond to the odors in either a positive or negative way, as measured by MRI. Masaru Emoto’s research with water and it’s crystalline state, provides factual evidence that human energy, thoughts, words, ideas, music, effect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that comprises over seventy per cent of the human body and covers the same amount of our planet. In one part of his experiment, he and his colleagues decided too see how thoughts and words effected the formation of untreated, distilled water crystals, using words typed into paper by a word processor and taped on glass bottles overnight. The words and phrases ranged from “peace,” “love,” “appreciation,” “You’re beautiful,” to “You make me sick, I will kill you,” “You idiot!” and “Adolf Hitler.” The waters were then frozen and photographed. The resulting crystals clearly showed the influence of words on water, a huge and vital part of all living things. He then tested the effect of prayer on water. He gathered people who lived near Uchi Lake, Oklahoma, and had them offer a prayer for the water. Although it was imperceptible during the prayer, the crystalline results showed that something had changed. Even at a distance, thoughts and words had an effect on the water. Mr. Emoto had arranged that “At the same time, five hundred people from all over Japan said a prayer of love for the water. It was normal tap water which does not usually form crystals due to the chlorine, but the water formed beautiful crystals. Feelings of love have an instantaneous effect, no matter the distance or the source of the water.” (The Secret Life of Water, p. 97)
Wa t e r b e f o r e i t w a s p r a y e d f o r, Japan
Wa t e r a f t e r i t w a s p r aye d fo r by f i ve hundred people
~ let there be light ~ In the beginning God said, “Let there be light,” announcing enlightenment, clarity, realization, insight and consciousness as the first message we received from the Creator. Throughout the Old Testament, God speaks—“The word of the Lord came to” patriarchs, prophets and kings. Each time God spoke, we learned something. Sophia was leading us to wisdom, leading us out of darkness and confusion. It was the education of God’s people through the divine word.
“Kind words are a creative force, a power that
Jesus came to this earth to open our eyes to the kingdom of God that is within and among us. To continue our education, He used parables and teachings. His stories were powerful. His teachings more challenging than before. We stretched. We were led out of darkness into Godly light. With the St. Peter, we say,“To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
~ stories and words ~ When the Baal Shem had a difficult task before him, he would go to a certain place in the woods, light a fire and meditate in prayer — and what he set out to perform was done. When a generation later the “Maggid” of Messeritz was faced with the same task he would go to the same place in the woods and say: We can no longer light the fire, but we can still speak the prayer — and what he wanted done became reality. Again a generation later Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov had to perform this task. And he went into the woods and said: We can no longer light a fire, nor do we know the secret meditations belonging to the prayer, but we do know the place in the woods to which it all belongs — and that must be sufficient; and sufficient it was. But when another generation had passed and Rabbi Israel of Rishin was called upon to perform the task, he sat down on his golden chair in his castle and said: We cannot light the fire, we cannot speak the prayers, we do not know the place, but we can tell the story of how it was done. And, the story which he told had the same effect as the actions of the other three.
concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world.” —Lawrence G. Lovasik (The Hidden Power of Kindness)
(Told by S.J. Agnon to Gershom Scholem, from Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism by Gershom Scholem)
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the
powerof the word
Stories have power. The power comes from the inner dynamic of the way events of the story move, the way the characters interact so that we can identify with the story. We can tell that a story grabs us when we can’t put the book down, or a passage of Scripture seems to catch us in a way we never experienced before.That inner dynamic is where the spirit of the story resides. That is the “heart-vase” of the story. Further, each of us is living a story. If we journal daily about our thoughts, activities, emotions and relationships, soon we find that our lives are weaving a story with a particular theme. These themes reveal a particular spirit at work in our lives, unique to our being. Each of us has a dynamic that is mysteriously unfolding itself in our lives. Or, as Carl Jung said, “There is a life that is living itself out in me.” When the movement of our lives matches the movement of a story, we “lock into” the story and allow ourselves to be carried by the power of its spirit. In this way the story opens new paths of insight or action. The movement of our lives which perhaps became blocked or misdirected, gains correction through the story. The more we open ourselves to the power of the word, particularly the word of God, the more our lives will align themselves to its inner dynamic.
“Kind words
~ the word in ministry ~
and easy to speak,
The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis have incorporated the word into their ministry right from the very founding. Whether it was the sharing of the resolve to found a new congregation, or the classroom teaching of minds and hearts, or the sharing of the Word of God, the ministry formed itself around the mission
but their echoes
to make God more deeply known and loved, and in so doing, draw all persons to fuller and freer life.
can be short
are truly endless.” —Mother Theresa
“To increase,” “to originate,” “to create,” “a source of information,” “a writer” — all of these definitions follow the word “author” in the dictionary, and aptly describe the authoring activity of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis through the years.
When the congregation was founded in 1901, writing letters was the primary means of distance communication. The telephone, invented in 1876, was a luxury not everyone could afford. Much of the history of the congregation, especially the significant time of the spring of 1901, is preserved in letters flowing between sisters, bishops and priests. For the authors of the time, the typewriter with its qwerty keyboard revolutionized the ability to turn out correspondence faster than ever. Technology supported the word.And the word brought into being a new congregation of women religious, simulta-neously in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, and Detroit, Michigan. The act of creation through the word set the tone for generations of sisters to come.
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the history of the SSJ-TOSFs The stories and photos that are unique to our past provide roots for our future growth. The stories are told by those who lived the events, and the pictures capture the moments for future generations. Each event weaves into the tapestry which we inherit now as the weavers. The history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis was first translated into text by those who lived it. Mother Mary Felicia Jaskulski proposed in the Chapter of 1940 that the founding sisters write their recollections of the beginnings of the congregation and its early history. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sister Theresita Polczynski (Polzin) began to gather those written recollections as the “seed” of writing a history of the SSJ-TOSFs. Sr. Theresita explains, “Since the congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis was established as recently as 1901, a number of the original ‘Band of Pioneers’ have been contemporaries of the present writer. Some were available for interview when the work was undertaken. A number had written accounts at the request of Rev. Mothers Mary Felicia and Virginia in the early forties.” Sr. Theresita drew her research together in a three-part manuscript entitled “History of Community,” the first document to trace the beginnings and the history of the congregation. The document told of the origins of the congregation which grew out of the need to educate immigrants who sought to become fully integrated American citizens, and who came to the small rural schools without financial resources.The anawim — the little ones — are still at the heart of the congregation’s mission.
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter— tis the difference between the
When Sister Josephine Marie Peplinski completed her term of office as President of the congregation in 1976, she accepted the challenge of writing a comprehensive history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, from the time of its founding until the early 1960s. She wanted to capture the story of the sisters who took daring steps at the time of the founding for the sake of the people and the need for the education of immigrant children. She also took as her guide the question posed by H. Richard Niebuhr,“In this social situation, what is fitting for me to do in view of my responsibility to the past and to the future?” From this came the two volume work entitled A Fitting Response. The first volume, published in 1982, sets the stage for the founding of a new congregation by tracing the immigration of Poles to the Midwest in the last half of the nineteenth century. Coupled with the influx of immigrants, the Third Plenary Council in Rome in 1884 stated: “Near every church, when it does not already exist, a parochial school is to be erected (continued on page 9)
lightning bug and the lightning.” —Mark Twain
author
within two years of the promulgation of the Council...” In this churning of events, the story of the SSJ-TOSF fitting response unfolded.
(continued from page 8)
In the second volume of A Fitting Response published in 1992, Sr. Josephine Marie followed the growth and development of the congregation from 1902 to 1962.This was a time of great growth in the congregation, a time of consolidation, approved constitutions, education, property acquisition, and expanded ministries. The second volume begins with a description of “The Vowed Life in a Franciscan Community.” The history is then traced along the backdrop of each general administration beginning with Mothers Mary Clara Bialkowski and Felicia Jaskulski and ending with Mother Mary Dionysia Plucinski. The history of the congregation from the time of Vatican II to the present day is a volume yet to be written. The changes and challenges of religious life began in the late 1950s with the insights of Pius XII and spurred by the Sister Formation Movement, the documents and decisions from Vatican II, “The Nun in the World” by Leo Cardinal Suenens, and the SSJ-TOSF Community Self Study and Evaluation. The re-visioning of the Church as the People of God cast new meaning on mission and ministry. Writing Volume Three will be a fitting response of the next generation.
spirituality The soul of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis is found in those writings that stir the hearts of the members as well as the writings of the SSJ-TOSFs for more soul-stirring. The fundamental document that defines the spirit of the congregation is the Rule and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. From the very beginning, Mothers Mary Felicia and Clara stated their desire to retain the Franciscan identity of the new congregation. The Rule was accepted by the SSJ-TOSFs in its earlier form (1521), as well as the revision of 1927.
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When the Second Vatican Council called for religious congregations to re-appropriate the founder’s original spirit, the challenge for Franciscan Third Order Communities was to explore and to identify their unique charism, which is that of continuing conversion (i.e. the penitential life). Inspired by this call, in 1968, twelve Franciscan women’s communities formed the nucleus of what would become the Franciscan Federation. Among these pioneers was Mother Mary Benjamin and her council. Subsequently they appointed Sr. Francis Therese to a committee representing various congregations who were charged
with preparing a spiritual document which could be used by all Third Order Communities as a resource for their renewal efforts. In this year-long endeavor, Sr. Francis Therese became the principal writer of the document entitled, Go To My Brethren, which elaborated the aspects of the unique call and spirituality of Third Order Religious Communities. Soon after its publication, communities requested retreats and workshops on its content. Together with three other members Sr. Francis Therese formed “Tau in Pilgrimage” in 1970, which ministered to women’s and men’s communities across the country. It is in this period of time that all Franciscan communities began to hold their General Chapters of Renewal and found that both this document and the reflective retreats prepared them to renew their own Constitutions.
“Others, like seed Simultaneously, on an international level a group of Franciscan scholars and leaders held world-wide consultation in formulating a historic revision of the Third Order Rule, approved by Pope John Paul II in 1982. Never before in church history had a Rule been written corporately. Our SSJ-TOSF community played a central role in the steps leading up to this graced event. In the history of the Franciscan Federation the role that Sr. Francis Therese played in articulating, for the first time, the lived spirituality of the Third Order Penitential Life has been recognized. Currently she continues ministering in this spirit at the Franciscan Center, which she founded and whose direction she shared with Sr. Jean Ehasz since 1996. Drawn to this community by its Franciscan spirit, Sr. Francis Therese was first a teacher of sciences and then sent to Regina Mundi in Rome, the first school of Theology for women in the world. Those three years of study coincided with the preparation for Vatican Council II for whose opening ceremonies she was privileged to be present. She considers herself a “bridge vocation” in helping others to embrace the prophetic impact of Conciliar theology. She has done so in the ministry of formation with postulants and novices; founded the establishment of a House of Prayer; served in congregational leadership; became Associate Director of the Diocesan retreat Center; helped to begin Malachi House for the Dying and served as Pastoral Associate of Ascension Parish. In all these roles, she has ministered as spiritual director and pastoral minister. Through all these ministries, one thing has remained the same – her love and involvement in all things Franciscan. Her contribution and that of our Community leadership to the revision of the Rule is a fitting legacy.
(continued on page 11)
sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop— thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.” —John 1:1
author (continued from page 10)
The spirituality of the SSJ-TOSFs emerged in other writings as well. Mother Mary Virginia Bialozynski, starting in 1944, wrote a series of monographs entitled Sursum Corda, Lift Up Your Heart. These were letter meditations written to the sisters of the congregation calling them to deeper reflection and holiness. She wrote thirty-five issues of Sursum Corda, the last of which was entitled “The Spirit of Our Community,” in which she spoke of the sanctity of St. Joseph as an ideal for every sister. Over the last 105 years of the congregation’s existence, many sisters have contributed articles to journals and magazines on topics of spirituality and theology. There are some publications started by sisters as part of their ministry. Haversack is an example. Edited in 1989 by the then Sister Athena Calogeras, it represented the commitment of a group of sisters to delve ever deeper into the riches of the spirit of St. Francis. Sister Jane Zoltek (Cecilia Ann) continues the literary tradition of the congregation in her inspirational books. Her most recent is Awaken your Spirit Daily. This is the fifth in a series of books inviting people to wholeness and holiness. She combines her journalism background with her training in life science and natural hygiene, a dash of creative spirit, and a large dose of her artistic ability, to produce daily food for the body and the soul. Her other four books are: • • • •
Reflections and Recipes to Nourish Body, Mind and Spirit Healthy Living Through the Seasons A Year of Wellness: Nourishing Mind, Body and Spirit Senior Moments of Reflection to Nourish Body Mind and Spirit
All her publications have a practical bent, drawing on her experience of pastoral work at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Oak Park, Michigan, where she has served for the last 40 years. The power of the word is shared in these spiritual writings. They are the fruit of a life lived in the Word, spoken into a new creation and preserved for others to share.
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education The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis began in an educational setting. Many of the writings of the sisters contributed to excellence in teaching and learning. Textbooks and teaching guides dot the story of the congregation over the years. When Sister Mary Fidelia Gorcowski and Sister Madeleine Adamczyk became School Supervisors in the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1936 and 1943 respectively, they joined the ranks of SSJ-TOSF supervisors in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. Their objective was to support well-prepared teachers, and to develop smart, articulate and well-rounded students. To achieve this end, they produced several text books and workbooks. The ABC Book was a solid beginning, followed by Reading Is Fun and the associated workbooks. As the students developed language skills, they could advance to Functional English in the middle grades to learn syntax and diagramming. Later in her career, Sr. Madeleine directed a program for pre-retirement and retirement. She authored a learning guide, Becoming, for the participants in her Forever Learning Institute. While the supervisors in Chicago were producing their textbooks and workbooks, a similar phenomenon was happening in Cleveland, Ohio. Sister Marcella Kucia was working closely with Bishop Clarence Elwell who had a strong interest in Catholic schools and who was appointed superintendent of Catholic schools in the Cleveland Diocese. Together with Sister Mary Verona, HHM, and Bishop Elwell, Sr. Marcella worked to produce a series of reading and phonics texts and workbooks published in 1963. The material was so solid and well produced, that in the 1990s, when there was a resurgence of interest in teaching reading based on phonics, the Sailing Ahead series gained renewed currency in schools.
“Words and deeds are far from being one. Much that is talked about is left undone.” —Moliere
(continued on page 13)
author (continued from page 12)
Sister Constance Szymandera is a teacher, an artist, and a creative thinker. Put that all together and one can understand how she produced some outstanding teaching/ learning materials. After fifteen years of teaching in parochial schools, Sr. Constance joined the staff of the Bartlett Learning Center, now Clare Woods Academy, in Bartlett, Illinois. This special education facility was established in 1968 by Sister Rita Marie Malachinski to provide a place where children with special needs could develop to their fullest potential. Sr. Constance was up to the task. She developed learning kits through which children with special needs could learn basic skills. Over a ten year period, she produced the following: Published by Incentives for Learning, Chicago, IIlinois: • SPRead, Levels I, II and III, to teach spelling, phonics and reading • Money Counts, a teaching kit for the study of money skills and facts • Big Time a game board for learning to tell time Published by Developmental Learning Materials, Niles, IIlinois: • Sound Foundations II, a teaching kit for spelling • Telling Time, basic skills in understanding clock time • Escalando El Tiempo, telling time with Spanish captions • Moving Up in Numbers, basic math skills • Escalando Los Numeros, basic math skills with Spanish captions • Sound Foundations I, a kit for spelling, phonics and reading for individualized use
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In the twenty-one years that she was in South Africa, Sister Madge Karecki (Jude) put her teaching skills together with her M.A. in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure University, and her M.Th. and D.Th. from the University of South Africa, to produce teaching materials and academic writing in the areas of missiology, Christian sprituality and Franciscan life. Her writings reflect the varioius forms that her educational ministry assumed while in the Johannesburg area. The first years after she arrived in South Africa in 1984, she worked with the Daughters of St. Francis of Assisi, a religious congregation working toward independence. For four years, Sr. Madge worked for the Diocese of Johannesburg and founded the Office of Worship. She also taught at St. John Vianney National Seminary. In 1994, she founded the Franciscan Institute of Southern Africa with Rev. Sergius Wroblewski, OFM. In 1999, she began teaching Missiology and Christian Spirituality at the University of South Africa. Sr. Madge returned to the United States in 2005, and continues her writing ministry while residing at Lourdes Convent in Chicago, Illinois.
“No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” —Deuteronomy 30:14
(continued on page 15)
author (continued from page 14)
Sister Caroline Cerveny (Francis Xavier) produces educational material for what Angela Ann Zukowski, MHSH, calls “cyberzens,” citizens of cyberspace, the generation with cell phones and ipods as natural extensions of their beings. Sr. Caroline now teaches at St. Leo University in Oldsmar, Florida. She brings to this position her D.Min. and her experience of teaching, leading and “computerizing.” She began her ministry as an SSJ-TOSF in the classroom. By 1993, she was consulting with the Columban Fathers preparing their facilitator guide for Internationality: Columban Energy. As she developed computer skills to accompany her mastery of the teaching/learning process, a whole new area of opportunity opened. She became an advocate and lecturer on the application of technology to the field of Religious Education. She gave professional workshops on: • God on the Web • The Technology Influence of Catholic Religious Education in the 21st century • The Age of Transaction and Digital Learning in Religious Education • The World of E-Learning • Internet Resources for Parish Religious Education • Catechesis in a Digital World • Power Point for the Word • Interface Evangelizaion • Web Smart Ministry: Making It Work • WWW.Catechesis.Learn She featured a series of articles under the heading “Net Links” in diocesan newspapers, and wrote several journal and newspaper articles about the application of technology to faith life. When Sr. Caroline worked for Wm. H. Sadlier, Inc. as a Media Consultant, she was instrumental in the development of the internet interactive learning portion of the “We Believe” religion series, grades K through 6. She collaborated on the web portion of Sadlier’s “Coming to Faith” religion program as well. While Sr. Caroline works with print media, it is clear that the challenge that she offers us is to investigate the possibilities of technology and cyberspace.
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The hallmark of the Franciscan spirit in the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis is their hospitality. Even in the hardest of times, the sisters welcomed guests to their home to a simple meal made with love. Somehow, it was always tastier that way. These loving recipes were gathered into a cookbook to commemorate the establishment of a new congregational home in Bartlett, Illinois. The meals came “From the SSJ Kitchens” under the direction of Mother Mary Benjamin Golubski in the mid 1950s. It contained those special recipes from dill picklesoup and pierogi to pecan turtles. It would take almost another fifty years before Sister Marie Carole DeBacker (Gerard Marie) edited “Convent Cuisine” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the congregation. This was no small task. The book contains more than eight hundred recipes. Editing a cookbook may seem like a departure from Sr. Marie Carole’s usual ministry as librarian at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights, Ohio. But those who know Sr. Marie Carole know that her spirit of inclusiveness and hospitality reflect her Franciscan respect for all life.
“If the word has the potency to revive and make us free, it has also the power to bind, imprison and destroy.” —Ralph Ellison
In the beginning was the Word. It was simple, unique, singular. In the act of creation, it blossomed into many words, yet each carrying the creative spirit. In the SSJ-TOSF tradition, whether it preserves history, teaches different insights and skills, inspires and calls to wholeness, or provides for rest and refreshment, all the words bring us back to where they came from—the Word.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE SUBMISSIONS
Pioneers, Poets and Prophets: Catholic Sisters in America
T
o commemorate their 50th anniversary, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) presented a proposal to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC on the impact that Catholic sisters have had on the history and culture of the United States, especially in the areas of education, health care, social service and social justice. The proposal was enthusiastically welcomed and strongly affirmed. With hope that the exhibit would become a reality, the history committee engaged a design firm and development consultants. This past summer, the History Committee invited all congregations to submit up to five artifacts for consideration as part of the exhibit. The LCWR History Committee is currently reviewing hundreds of artifacts submitted for possible inclusion in the exhibit. Because this project will be illustrative, not inclusive, artifacts from every congregation will not be displayed. However, all congregations will be represented in some way. If all goes well, “Pioneers, Poets & Prophets: Catholic Sisters in America” will open in 2008 at the Smithsonian. Once on display in Washington, DC for a year or so, it could then become a traveling exhibit around the country for a number of years. We look forward to this tribute to the often untold and wondrous story of women religious in the United States. The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis submitted the following artifacts according to the guidelines given by LCWR:
1. The photo of the laying of the cornerstone of St. Joseph Academy and Convent in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, May 20, 1902 The description of the event: “The influx of Polish immigrants into the Midwest in the late 1800s, coupled with the mandate of the Plenary Council of Baltimore (1884) of “a school for every parish,” heightened the need for Polish speaking teachers who would understand the Polish traditions, and help the children to become respected American citizens. Five sisters who had been teaching at St. Peter School in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, committed themselves to separate from 17
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the School Sisters of St. Francis and form a congregation to respond to the educational need. Sisters Felicia Jaskulski and Clara Bialkowski assumed the leadership of the new congregation. With the help of Rev. Luke Pescinski, pastor of St. Peter Parish, they procured 35 acres of land in Stevens Point. St. Joseph Academy and Convent symbolized hope for higher education. It also became the ‘roots’ of the SSJ-TOSFs. “The photo shows the total support of the local people for the building project. May 20, 1902, Pentecost Tuesday, six weeks after construction began, Bishop Messmer blessed and laid the cornerstone of St. Joseph Academy and Convent. The photo appeared in the Stevens Point Journal on May 20, 1902, and in the Milwaukee Kuryer on May 22, 1902. On the top level, centrally located among the clergy is the Most Rev. Sebastian Messmer, Bishop of the Green Bay Diocese. To his right is Mayor Peter Rothman of Stevens Point. Farther to the right is Rev. Luke Pescinski who originally purchased the land that was deeded to the new congregation. The professed sisters in the front row are Sisters Damian Zanowski, Chrysantha Wozny, Ephrem Welniak, Felicia Jaskulski (co-foundress), Clara Bialkowski (co-foundress) and Boleslaus Rybicki. “The 1901 25th Jubilee Book of St. Peter Parish (Stevens Point, Wisconsin) carries an account of the founding of a new congregation. The sisters began the new venture with no financial resources. They depended on donations, good management and a good bit of ingenuity. A ‘bazaar’ was held in what would become the chapel of the convent to raise money for the academy and convent. A raffle ticket for a ‘good horse and a fine top buggy’ sold for 50 cents.” (continued on page 19)
2. Mother Mary Felicia Jaskulski’s traveling bag
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE SUBMISSIONS
Pioneers, Poets and Prophets: Catholic Sisters in America (continued from page 18)
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The congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis was officially established on July 1, 1901, to teach Polish immigrants who, at the end of the 19th century, settled in the Midwest. By September of 1901, 44 SSJ-TOSFs and 10 candidates were teaching 3,930 children in seven school in three states. Mother Mary Felicia Jaskulski, co-foundress with Mother Mary Clara Bialkowski, traveled extensively during the founding years to keep in touch with the sisters in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Missouri. In keeping with the Franciscan spirit, Mother Felicia traveled lightly. Since 1901, the SSJ-TOSFs have taught over a million children and youth in 124 elementary schools and 10 high schools in the United States, as well as five elementary schools in Puerto Rico and Peru. They served also as school supervisors, college professors, and authors of text books. They implemented innovative ways of improving the excellence of teaching, such as using television for the training of teachers in the 1950s, or, more recently, authoring computer supported religious education in 2002. Textbooks authored by the SSJ-TOSFs over the years are also available for display.
3. River Pines Sanitorium during the Tuberculosis Epidemic The early 1900s saw a scourge of tuberculosis,“the white death.” The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis began treating TB patients at St. Therese Convalescent Home in Denver, Colorado, in 1929. In 1938, the SSJ-TOSFs purchased River Pines Sanatorium which consisted of an administration building, a clubhouse, and seven cottages on 22 acres of land. Sister Cherubim Pliska served as the first administrator. Sisters Bernardine Cynoski, Michael Maciejiewski and Ernestine Matlas were registered nurses; Sister Laura Garstecke served as X-ray technician and Sister Christine managed dietary. The facility was expanded and remodeled in the early 1960s. The cases of TB dwindled with the advances of medicine, and River Pines is now a rehabilitation center. In addition to St. Therese Convalescent Home and River Pines Sanatorium, the SSJ-TOSFs established seven other hospitals: St. Joseph Hospital, Meridian, Mississippi, 1945; Sacred Heart Hospital, Loup City, Nebraska, 1945; Divine Infant Hospital, Wakefield, Michigan, 1946; St. Joseph of the Plains, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 1947; Marymount Hospital, Garfield Heights, Ohio, 1949; St. Joseph Home and Hospital, River Falls, Wisconsin, 1958; and St. Joseph Hospital and Nursing Home, Rice Lake,Wisconsin, 1966. Today only one health care entity remains under direct SSJ-TOSF sponsorship, that is, Marymount Health Care Systems (MHCS) in Garfield Heights, Ohio. Through the Special Member status of MHCS, sponsoring is extended to Marymount Hospital which is a Cleveland Clinic Hospital. The SSJ-TOSFs have video of the sisters treating the TB patients at River Pines Sanatorium in Wisconsin in the 1930s.
4. St. Joseph Hospital, Meridian, Mississippi, during the Civil Rights Crisis A brief account of the work of the SSJ-TOSFs in Meridian, Mississippi, during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s was published in a book by the Catholic Health Association of the United States entitled A Call to Care. The sisters established St. Joseph Hospital in Meridian in 1945. “During the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960s, St. Joseph Hospital was constantly subjected to abuse because the sisters publicly recognized the rights of blacks.” There were cross burnings, media bias, and other injustices endured because of the sisters’ stand for equality.
(continued on page 21)
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE SUBMISSIONS
Pioneers, Poets and Prophets: Catholic Sisters in America
Through the years, the SSJ-TOSFs marched in Selma, cooked for Cesar Chavez, nursed troops in Vietnam, stood with the people of Peru during the slaughter by the Shining Path, demonstrated at SOA, stood for women’s equality, educated and counseled disadvantaged youth, and always ministered to the minores, the “little ones.” Today, the work for peace and justice continues in the congregation. The work of Sister Dorothy Pagosa at the Eighth Day Center for Justice in Chicago, Illinois, is entirely supported by the congregation. The SSJ-TOSF mission statement declares:
Together with all our sisters and brothers who strive for a more just world, we undertake those activities which will promote the material and spiritual development of the human family.
(continued from page 20) 21
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5. Painting by Sister Mary Luciana Kolasinski Sister Mary Luciana Kolasinski’s (1896-1966) paintings still hang in the halls of St. Joseph Congregational Home in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Sister Luciana entered the congregation on December 26, 1911. She taught in elementary schools in Cleveland and in Chicago from 1916 to 1934. While in Chicago, she studied at the Chicago Art Institute. In 1936, she returned to Stevens Point,Wisconsin, and opened an art studio at St. Joseph Convent. Sr. Luciana is best known for her small oils, water colors and pastels. Many of these are found in private homes and in public institutions in all parts of the United States. She had eleven oils copyrighted and registered with the Library of Congress. Two were printed by permission and distributed world-wide. Her art was her ministry. When she died February 20, 1966, her eulogy underscored that “Her greatest desire was to spread a genuine love of God, likewise a reverence for sacred objects... Visitors to the art studio left with a greater awareness of God and a feeling of gratitude for having come in contact with the frail sister of dynamic personality.” The painting of the Boy Jesus with the lion and lamb is appraised at $8,000.The SSJ-TOSFs have 40 different oil paintings by Sr. Luciana at St. Joseph Congregational Home in Stevens Point,Wisconsin.
EDITORIAL BOARD & PROOFREADERS
A Significant Moment for the Editorial Board The Editorial Board of Gathering Place came to a significant moment during their annual meeting on September 16, 2006. The last of the Charter Members completed their terms of service. Six years ago when the Editorial Board was established, the original members of the Editorial Board randomly drew slips of paper designating the length of their term, to assure an appropriate rotation of new members. Everyone agreed to serve a three year term and then accepted the following rotation: Sharon McElmeel Sister Carlene Blavat Sister MaryLou Wojtusik (Pius) Sister Judith David (Ellen Marie) Sister Marygrace Puchacz (Dismas)
Sharon McElmeel
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Sister Carlene Blavat
Sister MaryLou Wojtusik
3 Years 3 Years 3 Years + 1 3 Years + 2 3 Years + 2
Sister Judith David
Sister Marygrace Puchacz
The role of the Editorial Board was refined by the charter members and is spelled out clearly in the following description:
Sister Carolyn Bronk
The Editorial Board for Gathering Place and Beyond Gathering Place is a small group of volunteer people (maximum five) whose main task is to advise and assist the Editor in the editorial production of both publications and in setting policy and direction for the publications. Gathering Place is intended to communicate the congregation’s spirit to the external public and to be part of a donor contact plan of the Development Office. Beyond Gathering Place is directed to the sisters and associates. It is meant to provide timely news in more detail than the e-mail SSJ-TOSF News Bulletin.
Irene McGrane
Specifically, the responsibilities of the Editorial Board regarding both publications are: Theresa Kobak
Arlene Lennox
• To review the previous year’s issues of both publications for clarity, interest, timeliness and meaning (relevancy to the intended audience) • To assure that the mission of the congregation is faithfully represented in the publication; • To maintain, in the publications, the positive image of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis; • To select themes and features annually that would be of interest to the internal and/or external public, as it applies.
Sister Jane Zoltek
We thank them all for their dedication to making the
Over the last three years, the charter members have rotated off the Editorial Board and new members accepted the responsibilities for three year terms. The current Editorial Board consists of five members along with Sister Valerie Kulbacki, Central Board Liaison, and Reneta Webb, Editor:
publications of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third
Sr. Carolyn Bronk (Savio), 2005 - 2008 Theresa Kobak, 2006 - 2009 Arlene Lennox, 2004 - 2007 Irene McGrane, 2006 - 2009 Sr. Jane Zoltek (Cecilia Ann), 2005 - 2008
Order of St. Francis quality reflections of the spirit of the congregation.
EDITORIAL BOARD & PROOFREADERS
Gathering Place Proofreaders It takes many people to produce Gathering Place. The ones who assure the quality of the magazine are surely the proof readers who have offered their services to this effort since 2001: • Sister Louise Szerpicki (Ann Marie), Garfield Heights, Ohio; • Sister Dolores Koza (Aurelia), Chicago, Illinois; • Sister Adalbert Stal, Stevens Point,Wisconsin, along with Sister Virgiose Ozog. Sister Valerie Kulbacki, as Central Board Liaison to Public Relations, also proofs the publication. From all of us who benefit by their unswerving dedication to excellence, we say thank you. Gratitude also to Sister Judith David who, although she has completed her term on the Editorial Board, volunteered her services as proof reader for Gathering Place.
Sister Louise Szerpicki
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Sister Dolores Koza
Sister Adalbert Stal
Sister Virgiose Ozog
THE POWER OF PRAYER
All it takes is a knitter and a prayer partner or two. Sister Suzanne Dietz (Gregory)— Sr. Sue — showed the sisters how to create a prayer shawl. She and Sister Henrietta Gesinski (Marida) drove from their homes in Little Chute and Kimberly, Wisconsin, to St. Joseph Congregational Home in Stevens Point. There they joined the sisters for their weekly morning rosary. While the sisters prayed the rosary, Sr. Sue knit their prayers into a prayer shawl. The shawl was then given to someone in Sr. Sue’s Heart to Heart Care ministry — providing transportation and support services for the elderly and infirm.
Sister Suzanne Dietz
Sister Mary Evelyn Omachinski prays while Sister Sue knits the prayers into the prayer shawl
Sister Sue gives a prayer shawl during one of her home visits
THE POWER OF PRAYER (continued from page 26)
Please contact Heart to Heart Care Directors Sister Sue Dietz and Associate Irene Skarban 1411 Washington St. Little Chute,WI 54140 Phone: (920) 423-3099 E-mail: suedietz7@aol.com
Sister Miranda Soppa with her prayer partner Sister Eugenia Lipski created a prayer shawl in turn. With all the love, warmth and prayer that went into it, the prayer shawl was given to an elderly homebound woman in Menasha, Wisconsin. The shawls Sister Miranda Soppa and Sister Eugenia Lipski produce a have been multiplying and the prayer shawl with love power of prayer is spreading. Sr. Sue recalled, “As I worked on my first prayer shawl, I had You can participate a 95 year young woman as a prayer partner. Each week I in the Prayer Shawl would take the shawl to her to show her the progress we ministry by: were making. Each time, she would take the shawl in her hands and gently run her fingers over the knitting and say, • volunteering as a prayer ‘You can feel the power of prayer!’” partner so that your prayers can weave into the prayer shawls, • being a knitter or crochetter, producing the prayer shawls for Heart to Heart Care ministry, or • contributing yarn (each prayer shawl requires three skeins of yarn), or money to purchase yarn,
The sisters in Maria Center gather for prayer
• sending the name and address of someone you know who would like to receive a prayer shawl, Contact Heart to Heart Care
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Dear Friends,
As the fall display of color reflects the beauty of God’s creation we can’t help saying, “Thank You, God!” We may express this quietly in our hearts or we may use the power of the written word to convey what we feel. Sister Denise Seymour
Sometimes it is not easy to express what we truly mean, but we always try. We would love to make known to all of you, our spiritual and financial benefactors, our prayerful gratitude Sisters of St. Joseph
because it seems that a simple “Thank You” is so very inadequate. We pray you know our
of the Third Order
simple “Thank You” comes with deepest sincerity and many prayers of gratitude for you.
of St. Francis Development Office
Usually at this time of year we hold our Appreciation Dinners and, as you know, we are unable
P.O. Box 388129 Chicago, IL 60638-8129
to host them this year because of the renovations taking place at Immaculata Convent in Bartlett, Illinois, and at St. Joseph Congregational Home in Stevens Point,Wisconsin. We are
Phone: (773) 581-7505
holding an Appreciation Day at Marymount Convent in Garfield Heights, Ohio on November
Fax: (773) 581-7545
19th and all will be remembered at this time. Next year we will resume our regular yearly celebration of you.
A bit of Development Office information—We have been working on an additional method for making donations to the Sisters of St. Joseph, TOSF, on our web site for those who use computers. We will launch a secure site accepting Visa or MasterCard. We will explain more in detail as the plans are completed for this service. Our web site address is www.ssj-tosf.org. If you use computers you may want to check out our site. We will be adding more information to our Development link as we progress with our Development site improvement plans. We would appreciate any feedback you send as we proceed with the up-dates.
May all of you find peace and joy in your hearts and lives. God’s blessings always,
Sister Denise Seymour, SSJ-TOSF Director of Development
e-mail: dev@ssj-tosf.org
Available now for purchase! Visit the Sisters Store
www.ssj-tosf.org “Anawim on Holy Ground ...” A music CD produced by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. Twelve selections of inspirational music, approximately an hour.
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHICAGO, IL PERMIT #5504
Sisters of St. Joseph,TOSF Public Relations Office P.O. Box 388129 Chicago, Illinois 60638-8129 www.ssj-tosf.org