AMOR MEUS Magazine, Spring 2023

Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, SATX

We are an apostolic, international, intercultural Congregation founded by Bishop Claude Marie Dubuis in 1869. The mystery of the Incarnation is the foundation of our lives and at the heart of our ministries. Dedicated to our mission “to make real and tangible the saving and healing love of Jesus, the Incarnate Word, by promoting human dignity”, we serve God’s people, especially those who are economically poor and vulnerable, through health care, education, pastoral and social services. In each ministry, we use our energy, expertise and resources to respond to urgent and evolving needs in society and we strive to promote human dignity, peace, justice and the integrity of creation. We currently serve in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and the United States.

General Leadership Team

Congregational Leader:

Sr. Yolanda Tarango

General Councilors:

Sr. Peggy Bonnot

Sr. Emilia Gracia

Sr. Leticia de Jesus Rodriguez

Sr. Cecilia Zavala

AMOR MEUS Magazine

Issue 001, Spring 2023

This is the inaugural issue of the AMOR MEUS Magazine. It serves the CCVI family by providing readers with insight and information about the Congregation’s plans and how the Sisters continue to live the Mission. The magazine is published four times a year; twice printed and all four times sent electronically.

The Seal of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word is the crown of thorns, pierced heart, cross and nails (at top of heart) which are symbols associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word. The name Jesus, shown in the first three Greek letters of that name, IHS, symbolizes Jesus’ presence in the hearts of those who are His presence to others in the world. Amor Meus, the name of our magazine is Latin for My Love, and represents God’s love for us and ours for God.

Contact Us / Update

Mailing or Email address:

communications@amormeus.org

On the Cover:

As a congregation we have created a robust tree that expands toward the sky while remaining rooted in our mission. Each flower, butterfly, and blossom in the painting represents a prayer offered for each of you and your families. May the image remind you our prayers are with you as you help us to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Cover artwork by Joy Fisher Hein.

Welcome!

Dear CCVI Family:

With great joy, I share with you the inaugural issue of our magazine AMOR MEUS, through which we will share news and reflections on the history, charism and ministries of our Congregation, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word (CCVI). As we embark on the 155th anniversary of our founding in San Antonio, Texas in 1869, we look back with gratitude to God and to our Sisters who have worked tirelessly to fulfill our mission of making God’s love real and tangible in the world, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Through our health care, education, social and spiritual ministries and care of creation, we have created a robust tree that expands toward the sky while remaining rooted in our mission. We look to the future with hope and the assurance of God’s continued presence and guidance.

We are blessed to have you as our companions on our journey. You, our associates, collaborators, benefactors and friends are a fundamental part of our Congregation. YOU are our CCVI Family.

On behalf of all the Sisters in our Congregation, I express my sincere gratitude to each of you who have chosen to travel with us. Be assured of a remembrance in our daily prayers.

Praised be the Incarnate Word!

Sr. Yolanda Tarango, CCVI Congregational Leader

Rooted in our Heritage, growing our Legacy

By Sr. Mary Henry, CCVI

From my office window, I look out on our convent cemetery, and beyond what I can see, I know there is a large oak tree. Both are sources of inspiration, in their own way: the Sisters who dedicated thousands of years of service to the People of God; and a massive oak tree that has survived drought, flood, freeze, and unskilled pruners!

I have learned through my work here that the oak tree is a Heritage Oak. It is estimated to be over 400 years old. It is strong and healthy, with its roots spreading out as wide as its canopy. Larger limbs have good bark growth supporting their weight. Now, we are very careful about how and when it is trimmed, that it is fertilized annually, and that we don’t encroach on its root system. This oak tree is part of our patrimony, and we respect and care for it as attentively as we do all the gifts we’ve been given.

Next door to my office is our convent chapel, the Chapel of the Incarnate Word. Since it was built in 1907, it is the place where women are welcomed into the Congregation, where we gather for prayer and other celebrations, and where we are brought when we die. It is the last building for which our foundress, Mother Madeleine Chollet, provided oversight. Despite the challenges of her age, the Chapel is breathtakingly beautiful,

The Chapel of the Incarnate Word.

looking essentially the way she did over 100 years ago.

Beneath my office is our archives, where our Congregation’s story is preserved in artifacts, written documents and digital files. There is also an exhibit, “A Life for God and a Heart for Others”, installed in 2016, which tells the story of the Congregation through stories of the Sisters and their lay collaborators with whom we have worked from the very beginning.

These places are part of what we describe as a Heritage Trail. The Heritage Trail, established in 2014,

comprises physical sites on our property that are historically significant to the Congregation. It includes the Convent Cemetery, The Chapel of the Incarnate Word, the Motherhouse, Brackenridge Villa, Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, the Blue Hole and the Headwaters at Incarnate Word.

The Heritage Center is more than a place, a trail, or a collection of sites. It is a place of welcome and outreach, where guests are invited to experience the healing love and mercy of God through prayer, reflection, nature, art, and music. It is a place of formation that reveals,

through stories, the living God, the Incarnate Word, present in each one of us. These stories are told to inspire and embolden others to participate in the building up of the Kingdom of God here and now.

Each place on our Heritage Trail has its own story. The Brackenridge Villa was acquired by the Sisters in 1897 when they purchased almost 300 acres from San Antonio businessman and philanthropist, Colonel George Brackenridge. The Villa served as our first Motherhouse, when the administration of the Congregation and Sisters in formation moved from the Santa Rosa Infirmary where they had been living alongside patients. It also served as classroom space for the students from the original Incarnate Word Academy.

After the Motherhouse was built in 1900 and the

The Heritage Oak and the Incarnate Word Cemetery.

In 1909, Mother Mary John O’Shaughnessy proposed that Incarnate Word Academy be expanded to the college level, as women were not accepted at the colleges and universities conducted by men for men. College classes began in 1910. Photograph taken on the lawn in front of the Motherhouse / Academy.

The Brackenridge Villa.

Sisters moved in, so did the students, living and having classes on the fourth floor. The building was called the Motherhouse and Academy of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Subsequently, the Villa served for many years as a home for our chaplains. During the Mexican revolution, it housed exiled priests and Bishops.

The Motherhouse was razed in 1986 to make way for a new ministry of the Congregation, the Village at Incarnate Word. Although it was very painful for us to demolish our original Convent, a new and updated building was needed to provide adequate care for the elderly. Lay women and men live side by side with our retired Sisters, sharing life and death.

A short walk past the Motherhouse is Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto. It was constructed in 1904, as a replica of the famous shrine in Lourdes, France. At its dedication on December 7, 1904, a group of sisters, novices and students joined together in procession from the Motherhouse to the Grotto, inaugurating a devotional custom that has been observed henceforth on the principal feasts of Our Lady.

When the Sisters purchased this property from Colonel Brackenridge, they became the caretakers of the headwaters of the San Antonio River, the main spring being known as the “Blue Hole.” The land at the time was described as “gently rolling grasslands through which a mighty river flows, and dotted with live oaks, laurels, and pecan trees, so beautiful and so well suited to our needs. The spring provides 90 gallons of water per day” (Annals of the Congregation).

In 2008, the ministry of the Headwaters at Incarnate Word was established and preserves 53 acres of spring-filled land. The Sisters dedicated this area to the conservation of the land as an expression of their commitment to care for the Earth. The Congregation’s Headwaters ministry restores ecological health to this land and

fosters a deeper relationship with God through the love and care of creation. In 2020, the Congregation signed a conservation easement with Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas. The conservation easement will preserve in perpetuity a 50acre natural area encompassing the headwaters of the San Antonio River in the heart of San Antonio.

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto.

Sisters in the Brackenridge Villa, the original Motherhouse.

The anchor of the Heritage Trail is the Chapel of the Incarnate Word. Its steeple with four trumpeting angels for many years was the tallest structure in the surrounding area, and continues today to serve as the sign of our presence in the community. The Chapel is the symbolic center of our international Congregation and is the place where we celebrate our major feast days and holidays. The profile of the steeple is featured prominently in the logos of many of the Congregation’s ministries. This is appropriate as the Chapel belongs to all of our ministries, and in many ways, to the community in which it stands. It is always a place of welcome, especially when we gather to pray.

Built in 1907, the Romanesque interior of the Chapel of the Incarnate Word features rounded arches, columns with gilded Corinthian capitals and cherub angels looking down on the assembly. Above the apse is the congregational emblem with the words, “Laudetur Verbum

Incarnatum” – “Praised be the Incarnate Word.” Around the sanctuary are the words (in Latin), “O ineffable Sacrament of admirable love. This is the Bread of Life. This is the Food of the Soul.” Seating in the Chapel consists of monastic stalls carved in golden oak, providing individual seating and facilitates the chanting of the psalms in alternating choirs. Fourteen large stained-glass windows portray the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The windows were designed and installed by Emil Frei of St. Louis, Missouri, under the direction of Mother Madeleine Chollet. Additionally, a choir of angels with musical instruments fill the windows above the altar.

In 2007, the second major restoration of the chapel was undertaken on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. At that time, a new altar of white and rose Italian Carrara marble was placed in the enlarged sanctuary. Carvings depicting the Annunciation, and smaller images

When the Sisters purchased this property from Colonel Brackenridge, they became the caretakers of the headwaters of the San Antonio River, the main spring being known as the “Blue Hole.” The land at the time was described as “gently rolling grasslands through which a mighty river flows, and dotted with live oaks, laurels, and pecan trees, so beautiful and so well suited to our needs. The spring provides 90 gallons of water per day” (Annals of the Congregation.)

showing the founder and foundresses of the Congregation, and the present and future life of the Congregation replaced niches that had previously held statues. A Eucharistic Adoration Chapel replaced a side altar. Other details hold paintings of the national flowers of the countries that are significant to the Congregation: France, Mexico, Peru, Zambia, Ireland, and Texas (the United States).

Also added was a suspended crucifix, with the cross-inserted into the whole earth, surrounded by a crown of thorns, drawing our attention to all the suffering in our world and its transformation in the Risen Christ. On the opposite end of the Chapel is the choir loft, which holds the 27 rank Schoenstein pipe organ, installed in 2010 as part of the 2007 renovation.

Aside from the primary purpose of the Chapel (celebrating Mass and other prayer), it is used for weddings and concerts. Those having a signif-

icant relationship with the Sisters or ministries of the Congregation can celebrate a Catholic wedding there. A number of concerts are held in the Chapel each year, featuring local and national choirs, vocal and instrumental ensembles, and organ and instrumental soloists.

Our sponsored ministries often hold their major celebrations in the Chapel: ring ceremonies for juniors of both Incarnate Word High School and the University of the Incarnate Word; Welcome Mass for the University, held at the beginning of each academic year; blessing of new board members; Heritage Day; Thanksgiving Mass; pinning of graduating nurses from the University school of nursing, and many others.

What is most prominent about the Chapel of the Incarnate Word is the spirit and holiness that are palpable

when one enters the space: years of prayers uplifted by more than a thousand Sisters over 116 years in rosaries prayed, Masses offered, and tears shed; the hopes and dreams of hundreds of brides and grooms shared with the Congregation they hold dear; the sound of music of every sort soaked into the very fabric of the wood and stone. Of all the places we hold as treasures, this Chapel is the sum and substance of our heritage, and the legacy we know we must preserve.

As a Congregation, we have our own history, but we are also part of the history of this city, state, and region and of Mexico and Peru. Our first Sisters went to Mexico in 1885 to teach in the school in Saltillo, establishing our presence in that country. We have been a significant part of the growth there in healthcare, education, and pastoral ministries. It

has been over 50 years we have established presence in Peru with our health care ministries. In none of these places have we acted alone; we have always relied on our friends and colleagues to be our partners. So many of our stories are shared stories, and stories must be told over and over again. Storytelling is Incarnational: it is a fundamental part of being human; storytelling reminds us that we are not alone.

The Heritage Trail, the Heritage Center, is the place where we as Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word tell our story. It is the place where we invite our friends, companions, students, associates, and colleagues to hear our story, and consider how each is writing one’s own story, perhaps weaving theirs into the collective. We each have a story to tell.

What is yours?

In 2007, as part of the renovation of the Chapel of the Incarnate Word, a new 27rank Schoenstein pipe organ was installed, signifying the primacy of place that music holds in the Congregation’s communal worship.

Does a Sister ever retire?really

By Sr. Corine Walsh, CCVI

On March 19, 2022, with the blessing of my community, I took the final step of moving from a life of “Active Ministry” to “Retirement”.

For the past seventy years, I have lived as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word, and to sum up my experiences would be more than I am capable of doing at the moment. Suffice it to say that they were blessed, strewn with joys and sorrows, achievements and failures that are the ingredients of life in general.

I grew up in a large, loving and supportive family in Ireland and experienced my first heartbreak when I left my home and country to serve the Incarnate Word in Texas. However, youth is resilient, and soon I was caught up in the excitement and anticipation of horizons yet to be discovered.

These seventy years of ministry introduced me to places and

people who have supported me, challenged me and formed me in many different ways. I served in classrooms, hospitals, orphanages, retirement centers and congregational ministries. I followed paths that led me from San Antonio to Chicago to St. Louis to Dallas to El Paso and beyond.

Now, at the age of 87, I am comfortably retired at The Village at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Adjusting to life in such a large setting has taken time, but since The Village is a ministry of the Congregation and I had previously worked here, the transition was relatively easy.

Contrary to what I had imagined, it is a place teaming with “life”-- life in slower motion but life! My day can be as full or as empty as I want it to be. Because “empty” does not sit well with me, I opt for the happy medium. In a setting where there are over two hundred women and men, some recently arrived and some moving to a more fragile state of wellness, there are always

opportunities to assist, to encourage and to enjoy. Also residing here are forty-two Incarnate Word Sisters in different stages of health. I love to visit with them and enjoy our reminiscing and our wonder at how we ever got here!

Perhaps what I appreciate most is having the time to BE; time to sit with my thoughts and with my God. I do so with a heart overflowing with gratitude. My life has been rich and full. The lows were few but daunting, and from those experiences I arose stronger and wiser. The high points were numerous and for them I give thanks.

The last twelve years of my “active life” were spent in the Congregation’s Development office -- well development and other sundry tasks! Here I became more acutely aware of the role our benefactors have played in the success and expansion of our ministries. Their generous giving through the years has made them our partners and coworkers. We owe them a debt of

gratitude and know that only the Incarnate Word can adequately reward them. Each morning as I sit in my “retirement chair” to pray, I give thanks for them, for those who have gone before us and for those who will follow.

Lastly, I give thanks to God: for my vocation, for guiding and protecting me through the years, and for the privilege of serving as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

Sister Corine is so humble and will tell you she is retired, but is busier now more than ever. She continues to “work”. You will find she never sleeps in unless you call 6 a.m. sleeping in! She can occasionally be found covering the main phone at the Generalate office, answering all incoming calls. She visits the Sisters and many residents at The Village at Incarnate Word to keep them company and see what they might need. Sr. Corine now rolls in style in what she calls her Lamborghini, but nothing is stopping her from still being very active with the Congregation.

Emerging Ministries:

Migrant, Immigrant, and Refugee Network

By Alejandra Buitron & Sr. Adriana Calzada, CCVI

Upper picture: Map showing train routes and shelters in Mexico. This picture: The Suchiate River, natural border between Mexico and Guatemala, post-caravans. November 2018.

We, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, are a congregation founded by immigrants for immigrants. We believe that all people are worthy of respect, and that their inherent human rights must be protected and, convinced that we are called to oppose the globalization of indifference, are committed to promoting a culture of encounter, compassion, cooperation, and solidarity.

In 2018 we founded the Migrant, Immigrant and Refugee Network (MIRN) in response to the escalation of the migration crisis and the difficult images and stories we saw and heard at US-Mexico border and facing the Venezuelan exodus and their arrival at neighboring countries, like Peru. MIRN goals include: promote educational programs; help meet the basic needs of individuals and families along migration routes; develop effective tools to share accurate information about the migration crisis and reality; and advocate for fair practices and resources for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

During the pandemic we partnered with the Hilton Foundation to strengthen the daily work of 9 organizations located from Tapachula (Chiapas) to Tijuana (Baja California Norte) and even San Antonio (Texas); this benefited thousands of people from Central America, Mexico, Haiti, and transcontinental migrants, partially easing the work and emotional burden faced by shelters and non-profit organizations on the field during these difficult times.

We also learned to harness the benefits of “virtuality”. In 2021, we inaugurated our webinar series with the topic of globalizing compassion. Since then, we have repeated this activity every year, focusing on the importance of advocacy and human displacement due to climate change and environmental exploitation. Our goal is to be a platform where voices from different countries, origins and areas of expertise can gather, discuss, and teach how these various topics affect thousands of individuals, their families, and communities, forcing many of them to migrate, and how we can respond and help as part of the CCVI family.

MIRN also serves as the operational branch that links the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate WordCatholic Sisters Inter-Congregational Network (CCVI-CSI) project with non-profit organizations in Mexico and the United States and we are currently working with 10 organizations on different projects. Most of the projects have focused on providing humanitarian aid, but there were also some initiatives aimed at educating and engaging young people in advocating for the human rights of this population on the move. Also, this year and within the framework of the CCVI-CSI

project, we partnered with Las Hormigas Comunidad en Desarrollo to provide mental health care to migrants in Ciudad Juárez, a city on the border between United States and Mexico where thousands of people await the opportunity to find a safe space.

Our Network has also partnered with other CCVI ministries. Last year, with the financial help of CHRISTUS Community Impact Fund, we were able to support and strengthen the daily work of 3 organizations: CCVI Migrant Ministry (Jefferson City, Missouri), Visitation

House Ministries (San Antonio, Texas), and Hospitality and Solidarity (Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico). Also last year, during the Christmas holidays, CHRISTUS Muguerza collaborators decided to accompany and celebrate the Christmas spirit together with migrant children and teenagers who, due to various circumstances, were separated from their parents and are now in the custody of local authorities (DIF Monterrey). Young people between the ages of 14 and 17 who did not spend December holidays with their biological family were received by women and men committed to extending them a hospitable embrace.

This year, CHRISTUS Sinergia (Cali, Colombia), CHRISTUS Community Impact Fund and the Sisters of St. John the Evangelist have launched a joint effort to offer migrant women, most of them from Venezuela and single mothers, medical and mental health care, as well as nutritious food and entrepreneurship workshops to support their economic situation. MIRN was invited to offer a series of educational workshops aimed at contextualizing CHRISTUS staff, the Juanistas Sisters and their collaborators on the challenges of working with people in vulnerable situations.

With a network of allies such as ours, we are certain that we can face this year’s emerging challenges.

TNK members and partners discuss international prices and coffee sales in the Nuevo Orizaba community.

Some of MIRN’s members.

Living the Ministry in Daily Life by: Sr. Adriana Calzada, CCVI

Three months ago, I came to live in Palenque, Chiapas. My Sisters arrived in this state almost 40 years ago invited by Bishop Samuel Ruiz, where they were welcomed by the Ch’ol people and invited to accompany them in their process of selling coffee, promoting health, educating about Mexican laws, and studying the Word of God. Thus, the coffee farmers and the Sisters embarked together on a path that would lead them to form the Tiemelonlá Nich’Klum Social Solidarity Society (TNK). TNK grew by incorporating partners from the Ch’ol and Tzeltal ethnic groups, achieving organic and fair-trade coffee certifications, which allows them to export the product to European cli-

ents. I have always felt a lot of admiration and respect for this work of accompanying the communities in Chiapas. They have walked, in the style of Jesus, side by side with the people to seek and find the conditions that allow a more dignified life for the production partners and their families.

I came to Chiapas without much clarity -and without the need to have any- about my ministry. I knew that in this community (of Hermanas and Palenque) I would find a space to be, explore, discern and decide. I had imagined walking with the

Sr. Pilar (CCVI) shares the importance of responding to the call to welcome, promote, protect and integrate migrants and refugees with the staff of CHRISTUS Sinergia, Sisters of Saint John the Evangelist and their collaborators within the framework of the "Care for migrant women in Cali" project.

In 2018 we founded the Migrant, Immigrant and Refugee Network (MIRN) in response to the escalation of the migration crisis and the difficult images and stories we saw and heard at US-Mexico border and facing the Venezuelan exodus and their arrival at neighboring countries, like Peru.

indigenous communities, learning from them, from their worldview, deepening my consecration from that space. The reality was different and I found that, at this moment in history, hundreds of people from other countries continue to arrive in this city, migrants, displaced persons and people seeking refugee status due to the realities experienced in their country. The first time I went to visit the Casa

CHRISTUS Muguerza collaborators celebrating Christmas with migrant children and teenagers.

del Caminante Jtatic Samuel Ruiz García I was very clear that that was where I wanted to live my ministry. I found a space where the urgent need for care by those who are on their way or who arrive looking to stay was the call that I heard to make the decision.

The shelter belongs to the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas and is directed and cared for by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vin-

cent de Paul, whom I have also admired for many years -since I first met them- for their dedication to working with the most vulnerable people. This shelter, like so many others throughout the country, is a space where those who walk can find relief. It is a place where they can sleep peacefully after many nights of not doing so, it is a safe space where nothing and no one will harm them, this is one of the reasons for which they are most grateful. Delicious hot food, served with a smile, the possibility to do laundry and take a nice shower. Finding people who listen to so many things that the heart needs to share after a path with so much suffering and very painful reasons to leave

the country of origin. From finding psychological support, social work, health, and legal resources to guide them to the joyful and restful moment of enjoying a good game of dominoes or cards.

La Casa del Caminante has given me the opportunity to experience in a different way the work that I have accompanied for a few years from MIRN and the desk. It gives me great joy to be part of such an important effort, like so many others that we have supported and will continue to support with projects. The educational and advocacy efforts we have made and will continue to make take on a new dimension for me as I meet new names and faces every day. Another gift that it offers me is the possibility of inter-congregational collaboration and with other organizations that offer their services at La Casa. This enriches my experience of the spirituality of the Incarnation and strengthens my work. This is a certainty in Religious Life today, we do

TNK members and partners meet in the Pactium community to remember the history of the organization and receive information about coffee collection.

TNK member Jerónimo encourages his community, Alan Bolontiná, to continue working as a group to obtain greater benefits.

not advance alone, and we need to continue building bridges and joining efforts.

In every CCVI ministry we live: “a life for God and a heart for others”. The Word becomes PRESENCE and calls us to welcome Him/She in another person, regardless of their nationality or immigration status. The Word becomes COMPASSION and calls us to feel the other person’s pain and offer them comfort, regardless of which side of the border they are on.

Today my sisters Lupita, Lola, and I form a community as we accompany different people. From this diversity of ministries, we know we are in communion with the rest of our sisters and the CCVI family with whom we share the mission.

Eduardo Galeano once said: many small people, in small places, doing small things, can change the world... Can you imagine what we could achieve if, as CCVI international family, we open our hearts and join efforts to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants and refugees into our communities?

Mural representing the Promised Land with the different meaning it has for those who arrive at the shelter. It shows the “Encuentro” between Jtatic Samuel and Jesus who practiced solidarity in a radical way.

Members of SEPAZ (a Colombian nonprofit), staff from CHRISTUS Sinergia, Sisters of San Juan Evangelist, their collaborators and MIRN staff learned together about the difficulties and challenges migrants face during their transit within the framework of the “Care for migrant women in Cali” project.

We are called to see God in each person and respond to the needs of our time. We live in community and serve the people of God in cities, rural areas and indigenous villages in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and the United States. Originated in 1869 by the commitment of three young women responding to a call, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word are now the founders and sponsored congregation for many ministries in Mexico, Peru and the United States. We are One Congregation with Many Ministries… we are One CCVI Family.

We invite you to see the many ministries we sponsor, and welcome you to attend their upcoming events.

One Congregation. Many Ministries. One CCVI Family.

Calendar of Events

MIRN

April 18- Series of Webinars: A Common Home…for Everyone? A Common Home for All: Ready to take Action! 7pm (Mexico City time) / 8pm (Central Time) Featuring: Pablo Escribano (International Organization for Migration) and Jason Weidner (Universidad de Monterrey.)

SURGE

July 25-28- First international meeting of young people “SURGE 2023: Young to you, I say, rise” This is an international meeting of young people where we will make known our different cultures and realities of each place they come from. Where young people will know more about our spirituality of the incarnation and emerge their different gifts and talents among them are leaders and young transformers within their own realities.

IWHS

For more information on these events please contact 210.829.3109 or marevalos@iwhs.org

• Every first Thursday of the month, the Alumni Association hosts an alumni social event for all IWHS Alumni and supporters. Shamrock Shenanigans @ Paseo Bar located in Estancia Del Norte, 37 NE Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78216.

- April 6th from 5-7pm

- May 4th from 5-7pm

- June 1st from 5-7pm

• IWHS Theater Presents: Allison and Wonder Land

- Shows: April 12-15th, Shows start at 6pm

St. Anthony Catholic High School

• Annual Yellow Jacket Tee-Off- 9/28/23 Canyon Springs Golf Course. For more information contact Ethan Gonzales at etgonzal@uiwtx.edu

University of the Incarnate Word

• April 1, 2023- Alumni Easter Egg Hunt, 10amUIW Broadway Campus. Alumni and their families come back to campus for an Easter Egg hunt and games. For more information contact, Alumni Association, Cal Riley criley@uiwtx.edu, 210-890-8985

• April 27, 2023- Cardinal Jazz Band Concert, 7:30pm- Diane Bennack Concert Hall. For more information contact Melinda Wright mtwright@uiwtx.edu

• May 18, 2023- Annual Swing In Auction Party6pm- McCombs Center- Rosenberg Skyroom. For more information contact bribiesc@uiwtx.edu

• May 19, 2023- Annual Swing In Golf Tournament- 7 am- Alamo Quarry Golf Course. For more information contact bribiesc@uiwtx.edu

Visitation House

• Summer Sojourn, Thursday, June 22, 2023 at UIW Skyroom. A fantastic night of great food, drinks, raffles, silent and live auction and entertainment all benefiting the Visitation House. For more information contact 210.735.6910 or cynthina.bossard@amormeus.org

Incarnate Word Academy

For information on the following events contact Warren Laird at wlaird@iwacademy.org

• April 15, 2023 - The Red & Gold Gala- IWA’s 2023 Annual Dinner Auction celebrates the 90th anniversary of the school’s founding by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

• April 27, 2023 - The Spring Boutique- All proceeds from this evening of shopping and sampling benefit both the Katie Campanella Visual Arts Scholarship and the Alumnae Legacy Scholarship at IWA.

• May 5, 2023 - IWA Awards Ceremony- Student achievement on every level is recognized during this ceremony, which includes the announcement of the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2023.

• May 12, 2023 - Rose & Candle CeremonyDuring this ceremony, a long standing IWA tradition, each senior lights a candle and passes the lit candle to a junior. The light of this candle symbolizes the leadership and responsibilities that the current senior class holds, and is now passing onto the junior class. Then, each junior presents a senior with a rose. This rose symbolizes the beautiful and everlasting friendships and fidelity among the senior class that they are taking with them as the graduate.

• May 21, 2023 - Baccalaureate Mass- The entire IWA community gathers for this final liturgy of the school year to give thanks for the blessings God has bestowed upon the graduates of the Class of 2023 and their families.

• May 22, 2023 - Graduation- Commencement exercises for the Class of 2023 mark the official conclusion to the 90th anniversary celebration of Incarnate Word Academy.

• June 12-15, 2023 - Girl POWER- Girl POWER is a leadership program sponsored by IWA for all rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls. “POWER” is an acronym which stands for: Promoting Opportunities Where Everyone Rises.

Jubilarians

Sr. Ana Luisa Montiel Castellanos

Sister Ana Luisa is now retired and served in various congregational ministries, including Instituto América de Chihuahua, Colegio La Paz de Torreón, Coahuila; Colegio Saltillense, Saltillo; Colegio de Manzanillo; Colegio de Oaxaca; Colegio Central de Puebla, and Instituto Miguel Ángel, Mexico City. During her years of service, she was recognized for her sense of responsibility and her joy in working with young girls. Her greatest happiness was teaching them to read and write. She tried to make them understand and enjoy class.

She devoted part of her life to making the Virgin Queen of Peace known, taking her to Puebla and Colima, to temples, schools, hospitals, and prisons. During her visits, which lasted 5-8 days, she explained the 10 Commandments and prayed the Rosary. The priests allowed her to speak in the churches. On the last day of her visit, many people received the sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion and Marriage. This motivated her and made her happy. She considers herself a missionary.

Another of her passions is traveling to various countries: Medjugorje, Bosnia; the Holy Land; basilicas and other main sites in Rome.

(Written on behalf of Sr. Ana Luisa.)

Sr. Maria Guadalupe Valdivia Gonzalez

Sister Maria Guadalupe is now retired and was passionate about education. She served in various school over the years including Colegio Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz and Instituto América in Chihuahua.

She enjoyed being a teacher, was a teacher for groups and catechism, and loved working with elementary school children.

She was characterized by her jovial character, always optimistic, friendly and cheerful. She had a close relationship with students and parents who highly appreciated and valued her.

She was honest, spoke frankly, was responsible, hardworking, simple, calm, generous, and loved singing. She was kind and close to the Sisters and to those around her. She offered her gifts in service to others, enthusiastically participated in community recreation and other activities, and built community.

(Written on behalf of Sr. Maria Guadalupe.)

The following Sisters are this year’s Jubilarians celebrating 20, 60 and 75 years with The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

“This is the day the Lord has made!” I celebrate and give thanks for my 60 years of service as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word. My acquaintance with the Congregation began when I was in first grade in St. Louis, Missouri, and continued through the eight years of primary school, followed by high school at Incarnate Word Academy, and finally at Incarnate Word College where I received a Bachelor of Science degree (BSN) in Nursing. I have had the privilege of serving for 25 years in our healthcare ministry at three different institutions. Two days after graduation with a BSN, I was appointed the Director of Nursing at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paris, Texas. Three years later, I studied for a Master’s degree in Health Administration at St. Louis University. Following graduation I served as the President at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Amarillo, Texas for seven years, and at the Spohn Health System in Corpus Christi, Texas for fifteen years. It was a blessing to work with talented and dedicated nurses and doctors making the healing ministry of Jesus Christ a lived reality in their lives and the lives of those they served.

My last ministry was as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at the University of the Incarnate Word for twenty-one years. Myself and our team through the years were instrumental in raising millions and millions of dollars for scholarships and new programs. I have been blessed to serve in leadership roles at a local, state and national level. It has been a privilege to represent the Congregation and its mission.

I thank God for giving me the gifts to serve the people of God in so many ways.

Throughout my life I have heard God’s call in varied and persistent ways. I am very grateful to my religious community for the many opportunities I’ve had to follow that call.

I grew up in New Orleans, LA, in the time of segregation, and though I didn’t realize it at the time, the seeds of a future life direction were being planted both by the injustice I was conscious of and by that which I unconsciously imbibed.

The first years of my religious life, after formation, were spent in teaching. While chemistry still fascinates me, I felt God’s tug towards justice and peace ministry.

I lived for two years with CCVIs in Oaxaca, Mexico. While I returned still pretty pathetic in Spanish, the experience was a life-changing one for me. Once my eyes were opened to a new perspective, I couldn’t go back to seeing things as they were before.

Returning to San Antonio, I worked with an ecumenical project called Refugee Aid Project. It has also been a real privilege to be involved with the CCVI Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Committee and the CCVI Migrant, Immigrant, and Refugee Network (MIRN). Now with the influx of refugees and migrants coming through San Antonio, I volunteer with the Interfaith Welcome Coalition.

I am so grateful to the many friends I have – from hiking to yoga to social justice issues – who have stretched me and inspired me by their example to do and to be more than I thought I could be.

Sr. Kathleen Coughlin

Sr. Jean Durel

S. Kathleen Coughlin, Bridget Flood and Sr. Helena Monahan during a Papal visit.

Sr. Jean Durel rallying with others for social justice.

When I reflect on sixty years of profession as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word, I feel nothing but gratitude for a truly blessed life. That gratitude goes first to my parents who provided me with a wonderful early life, filled with love and family. It continues with my sister Mary, my brother Jim, and each of their families who support and encourage me every day.

I was able to attend Incarnate Word Academy in St. Louis on a scholarship. My high school days provided me a great education and overflowing memories of fun and friends. Had it not been for that experience, I would never have met the CCVIs or come to know our charism. The Sisters at IWA and my IWA friends, who joined them while I was still too young, are the persons who inspired me to consider traveling to faraway Texas for formation.

The power of the CCVI charism is what has kept me going through the happy and rough times we all face. My understanding of the call “To actualize the saving and healing love of the Incarnate Word by the promotion of human dignity” has deepened over time. It enables me to see Jesus present in every person,

even those who live and view important issues very differently from me. Every religious congregation has a strong mission, but I unabashedly claim ours as the most compelling!

I enjoyed every ministry in which I served—St. Francis Xavier in Taos, Missouri, St. Dismas in St. Louis, Immaculate Conception in Jefferson City, and Our Lady of the Valley in El Paso. Without the Congregation, I would never have received the gift of my education. For that, I am eternally grateful. I spent most of my life teaching or administering at The University of the Incarnate Word—abundant years of joyful interacting with amazing faculty, staff, and students.

Now, as I face the end of my career, I have the grace of working at Incarnate Word Foundation in St. Louis, where we collaborate and network for justice, peace, and the care of creation, aligning ourselves with poor and vulnerable persons and uniting our daily efforts to incarnate Jesus in the world.

I end where I began—with gratitude.

“I thank You God for most this amazing day

For the leaping greenly spirits of trees

And a blue true dream of sky

And for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.”

(E. E. Cummings)

Sr. Helena Monahan

Sr. Helena was Congregational Leader from 2002-2008. During her leadership tenure, the Congregation created the “Headwaters Coalition” which legally preserves 56 acres of remaining green space on the UIW campus.

Gaudium et Spes no. 1 reminds us that the joys, hopes, griefs, and anxieties of people in our time are also ours as baptized followers of Christ.

This realization calls us to participate in God’s mission and keep in mind that the mission belongs to God. Our task is to be aware of God’s presence and action in the here and now and to discern what God is doing. God has already prepared the soil by entering into the ordinariness of our lives. Our task is to listen, look, and be present with hearts filled with love, compassion, and generosity and to let people know that God is nearer to them than they are to themselves, and that God cares and wants to help. Of course, God’s help comes through our being attentive to individuals’ contexts in a loving and caring way and serving them with a listening ear, which demands real moments of silence, as well as a courageous heart that advocates for their needs and a respectful demeanor that empowers them to find their own voice.

Sr. Maria Guadalupe Angulo Fonseca

I want to express my gratitude to God and to my congregation for all my years of service in which the Incarnate Word has been faithful every day with his loving tenderness, and my congregation has supported me in every circumstance.

I trained in nursing at the Muguerza Hospital School. Later I served at the San José Hospital, Zamora, Michoacán; the Hospital de Jesús, Mexico City; San José Hospital, Monterrey and the Central Hospital, Chihuahua. Later, I served at the Red Cross in Cuernavaca. I then returned to the Central Hospital of Chihuahua. I gave my service to people in extreme poverty in every sense.

After the provincial assembly, where we decided as a congregation to opt for the poor, listening to our foundational letter, which mentions: “the suffering of a multitude who seeks relief at our hands”, with three other sisters we founded a community in Chiapas with the intention of knowing and accompanying the native people in whatever they needed. I thank God and my sisters for their love, support and understanding throughout so many years lived to the fullest and being very happy.

Sr. Walter Maher

Sr. Walter Maher during ministry in Zambia.

Sr. Guadalupe Angulo Fonseca, Sr. Dolores Maria and Sr. Isaura Campos. Chiapas, 1987.

Sr. Maria Elena Cervantes Morales

Sister Maria Elena is now retired and served in the Ministry of Education at Colegio Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz; Colegio Central, Puebla; Colegio Mexicano, Monterrey, Nuevo León; Instituto Miguel Ángel, Mexico City; Colegio La Paz, Torreón, Coahuila and Instituto América, Chihuahua. She has very pleasant memories of all of these schools. She was a group teacher, section director, catechism teacher, and high school principal. During her service as a primary school teacher, she enjoyed the closeness with students and parents.

She was also involved in family ministry. While she took care of her mother, she participated in the parish catechism classes and visited the sick. She is a woman sensitive to the needs of her loved ones. When her mother died, she returned to the Ministry of Education to support teachers in the preschool department of Instituto Miguel Ángel.

Her coworkers remember her as a responsible, hard-working, friendly, close, talkative, pleasant, and easy-going woman.

(Written on behalf of Sr. Maria Elena.)

Sr. Maria Teresa Fernandez Villegas

In this reflection, I wish to summarize my life, ministerial as well as spiritual and congregational. My intention is to share what has been given to me.

What has been given to me? Many things. Perhaps I have not discovered all of them and my dedication has been small, but what I am able to see in life is a certain ease with words, which diminishes over the years. However, I have used it while participating in a ministry, both in catechesis as in significant events. I wish to share my faith and my sense of life, which is essential in the communities where I have been, in Education, Popular Pastoral, Initial Formation, etc., manifesting as much as possible a predilection for my poorest brothers and sisters, because I feel it is part of our Christian and congregational identity. This is how we try to live the Gospel of Jesus, the Incarnate Word, by loving and serving.

I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for the congregational inheritance that has been given to me by God to serve the people of God; the strength of the Incarnation of the Word as the driving motivation that has given meaning to my life; encouragement by the wonderful example of Sisters and significant people, many of whom have departed for eternal Life, and others who continue to share their brightness in this life.

Sr. Maria Elena in a congregational meeting.

Sr. Teresa Fernandez during a pilgrimage.

It was very important for me to be present the summers that I accompanied Sisters from different congregations in the thirty-day Ignatian Exercises. It was a source of grace and blessing that enriched my life. I also lovingly thank my family to whom I owe my existence and the gift of faith that motivates and identifies us.

To my friends, within and outside the Congregation, who have constructively left their mark on my history, and to you, my dear Sisters, with whom I have grown in response to the initial call: MANY AND ABUNDANT THANKS AND BLESSINGS! The ones I have received and what I have, I give to you.

Sr. Mary Henry

How thankful I am that I will celebrate, officially, 20 years of vowed life as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Thankful for this life, and grateful that my request to celebrate 20 years (rather than the customary 25) was granted.

Thank you to our General Leadership Team.

Mine is a “late vocation”. I entered the Congregation when I was 48 years of age. I came to know our Sisters many years before that, having gone to St. Peter Prince of the Apostles School, studied piano from a very early age with Sr. Maria Goretti Zehr, and graduated from Incarnate Word College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Music degree. My music was my “pathway” into the Congregation. It was working with the Sisters’ choir that I experienced the very appealing community life of religious sisters. It was also incarnational spirituality that drew me: that God became human in the person of Jesus, and in that, made all creation sacred and holy.

My life in the Congregation has been a short one, and never as I imagined it would be. I reluctantly moved to St. Louis, and stayed there for 15 years. After my novitiate, I was able to study, and after three years received a Master’s degree in Theology/Liturgy. That

Congratulations to the Jubilarians!

led me to pastoral ministry, and I spent 12 years at St. Pius V parish in St. Louis as a Pastoral Associate. My time there was happy and fulfilling. I learned so much about how “church” should be, and the beauty and power of community.

I’ve spent the last few years using similar gifts as I’ve worked in our Heritage Center, and for the Chapel of the Incarnate Word. What a privilege to be part of caring for our stories, preserving our heritage, and helping to share our beautiful spaces for worship and music. I thank God for my life as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word, and I thank my family and my Sisters who have loved and supported me.

Sr. Mary Henry and beloved Sr. Maria Goretti Zehr along with the Sisters’ Choir.