Reflection

from Mount Mary Magazine Fall 2020

Class Notes

By S. Joan Penzenstadler, SSND, Vice President for Mission and Identity

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” This passage from Charles Dickens is one you may have heard quoted in these past months of pandemic and protests, fires and floods, job loss and school and business closings. Just how do we claim this as the best of times or the season of light? Examples of courage and commitment, creativity and community-building have abounded on the news, in our hospitals and nursing homes, on the frontlines of natural disasters, and in our educational institutions. Is the response of those who have taken leadership enough to evoke a season of light? Are the efforts enough to transform the hearts of others so that care and compassion are the norm for all human beings? Over the decades, we School Sisters of Notre Dame have learned the truth of Mother Caroline’s words that what cannot be achieved by love is unattainable. Actions that emerge from love have a lasting effect and truly help to shape our world. This anchoring conviction, of course, comes from the sisters’ belief that the way of Jesus in binding up wounds, giving sight to the blind and including all at the table is the only way that leads to the season of light and the spring of hope. Focusing on that Gospel way guided the sisters through the epidemics of the 19th and 20th centuries, even when it meant sharing their home with the children they were educating because their parents had died. The stock market crash of 1929 brought out all the resourcefulness of the sisters at Mount Mary, who found ways to remain hope-filled and to offer an exceptional education in the midst of great loss and deprivation. These “worst of times” were guided by the light that could not be seen, by a faith pulsating in darkness. Today, one of the ways the sisters of the Central Pacific Province live out the mandate of Jesus is through our corporate stance for Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace. Every Sunday since June, sisters, associates and friends gather on a street corner in Milwaukee to publicly pray together for deeper understanding, compassion and just action concerning our Black and Brown sisters and brothers.

S. Joan Penzenstadler, SSND

In a very real sense, the core values that summarize the mission of Mount Mary emerge from the bedrock of the spirit of the School Sisters of Notre Dame—competence, community, compassion and commitment. These values emerge from the everexpansive call to love that resonates in competencies shared and compassion lived out. “There are three things that last: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.” [1Corinthians 13:13] Sue Monk Kidd has said, “Stories have to be told or they die. And when they die, we don’t remember who we are or why we are here.” With her words as encouragement, let me close with one story from SSND history. After WWII, Europe was in shambles, the Munich Motherhouse had been bombed beyond repair, and Germans were looked upon with suspicion if not hatred. The General Superior, Mother Almeda, had taken her team to a remote village in Germany to discern whether SSND around the world were meant to stay united or if this was the time to separate and become national congregations. At that very time, a letter from Mother Fidelis in the United States found its way to the remote village. In it, Mother Fidelis asked how the SSNDs in America might be able to help. She wrote, “No sacrifice will be too big for us.” She concluded with, “Even if the whole world lets you down, we will remain faithful to you.” Fidelity at a time of crisis meant the difference between closing in or seeing a way forward. It was the light that dispelled darkness and announced that unity was still possible. It was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom.

Filled with GRATITUDE! “Nudge us, Gracious God, into pondering what we have been given, so that we can move into the next season with trust in our hearts.”

S. Joan Penzenstadler, SSND

THANK YOU to our alumnae and donors for helping us weather the storm of this unprecedented year. Your faith and belief in Mount Mary gives students the education they deserve so they can find their vocation and make a difference in their communities.