Sharing & Caring Fall 2017

Sharing & Caring Volume 28 Number 2 • Fall 2017 Sisters of the Precious Blood • Dayton, Ohio • www.preciousbloodsistersdayton.org

A place of peace, prayer and hospitality Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics

From the President’s Desk

Letting go and holding fast

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his issue of Sharing and Caring will give you lots of facts and plenty of stories related to the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics. You’ll find as much history as can be reasonably put into a newsletter, Sisters’ recollections of the Shrine in their youth and as adults, how it is presently a ministry of evangelization and hospitality and how the local people have expressed their appreciation for the Shrine by working to keep it going while the Sisters work to pass it on.

Every time I go into the main chapel at Maria Stein, I am vividly aware of the utter sanctity of that place. In my mind’s eye I see the Sisters in the early days praying there, whether in stifling heat in their serge wool habits or shivering in the cold of a barely heated building. I see the two or three before the Blessed Sacrament in profound adoration at night or during the day. They are there rising from sleep, from field work or studies, kitchen duties or teaching, caring for the sick or slopping the hogs and shearing the sheep. The hour before the Blessed Sacrament draws their attention away from their duties and allows them to engage in the deeply nourishing respite of prayer. The needs of the world and their own needs are gathered together and placed in God’s hands. Whether reciting prayers, chanting the psalms or sitting in silent contemplation, these women held and still hold us all in the heart of God. 2

Sharing & Caring

A few steps away is the awesome sight of a thousand relics. Although not necessarily an uplifting thought on their own — these bits of bone and hair and clothing — the individuals they represent comprise part of the “cloud of witness” that the author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes about. These are the women and men whose lives shone with goodness, courage, compassion, humility and most of all a deep abiding love of the God who created, redeemed and sanctified them. And amazingly, when searching their stories, we find that they are not all that different from any one of us: human beings responding to the “universal call to holiness,” in search of the Love and Goodness made flesh in Jesus Christ. Saints are a reminder that life’s ultimate meaning is found in our God. By our baptism we are called to the same sanctity they exhibited: responding with “yes” to the invitation for deeper and deeper union with God. The hours of prayer by the Sisters and by the countless pilgrims who have come to Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics over the years make this place very holy ground indeed. And we Sisters of the Precious Blood have tried to be faithful guardians of this treasure of holiness, building it up, sharing it, reminding others that this is everyone’s place.

As we reflect on our final act of stewardship of this treasure that is the Shrine, we are confident that those into whose

hands we are entrusting it will build on the legacy that was given to us and that we leave to them. They will continue to make the Shrine a place of peace, prayer and hospitality, will continue both to be and to spread Good News to a world all too often hurting, confused or adrift, and will continue to be a sign of hope to those who are searching.

Although acknowledging with sadness this very necessary letting go, the Sisters forever will hold fast in prayer the saintly men and women, yet uncanonized, who will work to conserve this treasure and who will companion on the path of holiness all those who come to the Shrine. Thank you to everyone who visits, supports and tells others of the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics. 

Sister Joyce Lehman President, Sisters of the Precious Blood

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ister Karen Elliott recently joined Mount St. Joseph University as director of mission and ministry. Sister Karen most recently served as the Catholic campus minister at Wright State University. Prior to her role at Wright State, Sister Karen served as chairperson and professor of religious studies at Mercy College of Ohio for 12 years. While at Mercy College, Sister Karen also held the positions of interim director of graduate studies and director of curricular service learning.

In addition to a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Wright State University, Sister Karen also holds a master’s degree in theology from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. Sister Karen has served as a faculty presenter on Sacred Scripture in the Lay Ministry Formation Program and a homiletics assessor for the Permanent Diaconate Program in the Diocese of

Established in 1989, Sharing & Caring is published quarterly by the Sisters of the Precious Blood, Dayton, Ohio, to communicate news of the Congregation and Precious Blood Spirituality, and to promote the Sisters’ mission.

All editorial content and photographs in Sharing & Caring are copyrighted. For reprint permission, please contact the communications coordinator.

Toledo. She is the author of the book Women in Ministry and the Writings of Paul, published in 2010 by Anselm Academic.

She has led numerous retreats and has taught a variety of adult education classes on the Scriptures throughout the United States, Canada and India. She’s eager to meet the students and to share stories of her adventures around the world, including her time as an NCAA Division I athlete in three sports (volleyball, basketball and softball) during her years as an undergraduate at Wright State.

Sister Karen has a strong commitment to the ministry of Catholic higher education and a passion for service learning. “I am so impressed

with the Mount’s mission and its focus on respect for all persons and service to others.

The Mount’s stewardship of the Sisters of Charity mission is both inspiring and exciting,” she said.  Story by Kathleen Cardwell, Mount St. Joseph University; contributed photo

CPPS Mission Statement Urged by the redeeming love of Jesus the Christ and rooted in Eucharistic prayer, we Sisters of the Precious Blood proclaim God’s love by being a life-giving, reconciling presence in our fractured world.

phone: (937) 274-2707 email: mbodine@cppsadmin.org

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Editorial Content Mary Knapke, Communications Assistant

Ministry

Sister Karen Elliott accepts leadership role at the Mount

Address communications to: Office of Communications Sisters of the Precious Blood 4000 Denlinger Road Dayton, OH 45426

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Fall 2017

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Ministry

South Side Hospitality

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s part of my second year of novitiate, I had the opportunity to learn, meet and share more closely in the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (PBMR) in Chicago. How can I describe my experience during these three months? PBMR is a special and unique place; the first thing that you notice is that every person is welcome!

When people come in to the center there is always a cup of coffee or tea to offer them. This is a very nice way to welcome each person and make each one feel special and honored! Sitting down then at the welcome table, usually a very pleasant conversation is initiated with some of the young people who attend the program or one of the mothers or some other visitor. This gives a warm feeling and a feeling of being at home.

During my three-month summertime experience, I had the opportunity to interact with many different people in various activities. One of the activities was helping in the garden.

There, I began to realize how the people marvel at seeing the garden with so many fresh vegetables. It was very nice to see people leaving the garden so happy with their vegetables and talking about how they would prepare them. The garden and flowers located in the center of the PBMR offer the neighbors a nice and healing space to meet and contemplate the beauty of God in nature.

I was able to realize that the needs that come each day to PBMR are diverse and oftentimes are difficult to hear.

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However, it is the offering time to listen, just being present, providing a safe place where stories can be told and youth can share their fears and concerns in circle with others who understand. It is about giving a helping hand and encouraging our youth to discover their talents and to dream of living beyond Sister Bela Mis with a girl from the PBMR com25. This type of presence munity; contributed photo may not be noticeable to the naked eye, but it helps our yond to the infinite because youth feel supported and motithey walk with their children vated to continue making their regardless of the circumstances. way toward a better future.

Some of the families have chil It is very exciting for me, as dren incarcerated, murdered a native Guatemalan, to see or caught up in the streets, and PBMR inviting the Hispanic those families remain steadfast families who live in the neighin their love for their children. borhood to a closer relationIt is such an example of unconship. Because I speak Spanditional love — the same love ish, I was able to assist with God has for all of us! connecting Hispanic families This has been an experience with PBMR. As I became more of faith and action. The “Amen” acquainted with the neighborthat I profess in the Eucharist — hood, I could welcome our and I will profess my first vows Hispanic neighbors to the Reas a Sister of the Precious Blood storative Justice Café at PBMR. on December 9 — invites me to There, we had space and time meet my brothers and sisters to talk about different topics who suffer in different ways and the many struggles that in our society with that same unour neighbors have to face. We conditional love. I feel my main gathered and shared stories, call is to love, to serve and to food and laughter, showing walk with those who are suffersolidarity with each other but ing even when it is not easy. It also celebrating our joys and having such a welcoming place. is Christ who unites us through his Precious Blood and invites The opportunity to share us to be Eucharist, to be givers of with the mothers that particilife in our broken world, to bring pate in PBMR made me think hope, healing and hospitality. a lot about God’s love because [Ed. note. This article originally when someone asks, “How appeared in PBMR's New Cremuch can a mother love her ation column. Used with permischild?” the answer could be that a mother has a huge heart sion.]  to love into infinity. The truth is that their love does go beStory by Sister Bela Mis

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olleen Kammer is settling into her new position as coordinator of peace, justice and ecology ministry for both the Sisters of the Precious Blood and the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. She’s meeting people in both Congregations, traveling to ministry sites and talking with the CPPS sisters, priests and brothers about their dreams for a better world.

“I love brainstorming with people — the possibilities are endless,” she said. “I don’t come in with a certain agenda.

I want to understand what people’s interests are, collaborate with the members, and let it all be guided by the Holy Spirit.”

Kammer is the first to hold the position, which the Sisters and the Missionaries created earlier this year. She will help both Congregations further realize their commitment to social justice through Catholic social teaching.

The Sisters welcome her as a helpmate in a stance they have long held, said Sister Joyce Lehman, President of the Sisters of the Precious Blood.

“The Sisters of the Precious Blood have a long history of commitment to and involvement in justice efforts, especially those that effect systemic change,” she said. “As the issues and needs continue to grow in our country, the necessity of engaging someone with a similar passion for justice to collaborate with us became evident.”

For the Missionaries, too, working with and ministering to people at the margins of society is a priority, said Father Larry Hemmelgarn, Provincial Director of the Cincinnati Province. “We hope that having Colleen working with us will bring a sharper focus to the charism of our Community, which is to bring all people near through the Blood of Christ,” he said. “Sometimes people feel left out or left behind in the modern world.

Colleen will help us be on the lookout for those who need our attention.”

Prior to accepting the new position, which began in October, Kammer worked at nonprofits including the Marianist Mission (Society of Mary), where she was patron relations manager. She had direct contact with both donors and the Marianists she served, and loved to bring them together through events, written communications and other opportunities.

Before that, she worked 11 years for private corporations in the field of environmental health and safety. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Dayton.

She has been active in peace and justice initiatives for many years, including as a 20-year volunteer for Cooperative for Education, an organization that advances literacy and education in Guatemala. She is also a member of Weavers of Justice, a Catholic collabora-

News

Sisters and Missionaries create role in peace, justice and ecology ministry

tive of social justice organizations and parishes in Dayton; she also founded an annual prayer service and tree-planting in memory of Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN. A Dayton native whose home parish was Our Lady of the Rosary in Old North Dayton, Kammer grew up in a neighborhood with families of different nationalities connected to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

She was outdoors as much as possible and later earned her Gold Award as a Girl Scout (the equivalent to the Boy Scouts’ Eagle Scout rank) developing a nature preserve.

Kammer is now a parishioner at Incarnation Church in Dayton and is a member of St. Francis of Assisi’s Precious Planet ministry. She enjoys spending time with friends and her family, which includes her parents, brother, sister and their families; being active in the out-of-doors; traveling; — continued on Page 22 Story and photo by Jean Giesige

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Ministry

Renovated dining room dedicated at Salem Heights

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fresh coat of paint.

Touches of blue. New carpet. New window fixtures that let natural light stream in. A refreshed design, completed by the Miller-Valentine Group, brightens the dining room at Salem Heights.

The renovated room was blessed and dedicated Sept. 21.

“Next to chapel, this room is the heart of this house,” Sister Joyce Lehman said during the dedication. “It is where we gather, like we do for Mass, to celebrate God’s goodness to us, to take pleasure in God’s good gifts to us and to welcome family, friends and strangers to take a meal with us.

“Meals are sacred,” Sister Joyce added, “and we pray that each meal taken here will strengthen us to do God’s will and work, will cause us to delight in God’s gifts and enable us to reach out to each other remembering those both absent and present.”  Story by Mary Knapke

Top, the dedication with Sisters and staff; bottom, the new chairs have been added. Michelle Bodine photos

Happy Birthday In each issue of Sharing & Caring we recognize the birthdays of the Sisters of the Precious Blood.

Congratulations to the Sisters celebrating fall and winter birthdays.

5 9 12 12 14 22 23

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NOVEMBER

Rae Marie Ratermann Rita Yahl Angeline Hoffman Maria Luisa Miller Charmaine Grilliot Ann Catherine Merkle Anna Maria Sanders

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1 2 2 8 8 22 27 31 31

DECEMBER

Barbara Brown Berenice Janszen Eleanor McNally Mary Garke Patricia Will LaKesha Church Gerri McGeorge Ritamary Bulach Donna Liette

2 6 10 12 17 17 18 19 29

JANUARY

Anne Schulz Nancy Raley Pat Gist Madonna Ratermann Catherine Lett Cecilia Taphorn Mary Anne Schiller Carolyn Hoying Rosemary Lindemann

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Maria Stein Shrine offers “peace, prayer and hospitality” with events and tours

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aria Stein Shrine offers a place for quiet prayer with the relics of the saints, as well as beautiful grounds for a serene stroll. At other times, the Shrine buzzes with activity as staff and volunteers welcome tour groups and families, host events and work to create an environment that seeks to provide faith formation and prayer experiences that meet the community’s needs.

The traditions and the deeply rooted faith of this area’s German Catholic settlers remain vibrant here in the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches.

Ministry at the Shrine helps contribute to that vibrancy — and at the heart of that ministry is a mission of showing hospitality, said Matt Hess, hospitality and ministries coordinator at the Shrine.

“Hospitality is really what the place is about. So anything that we do comes from that hospitality,” Hess said. “We get a lot of school groups. A lot of parishes send out busloads. Families will come out, too. Greeting them, making them feel at home, letting them know where things are, providing lunch for groups.

Asking them if they need help finding their saint in the altars, which can be kind of daunting.

It’s about meeting people and chatting with them.”

Sister Joyce Lehman, President of the Congregation, also discussed the Shrine’s mission of hospitality at a recent volunteer training. “I have a

Top, Sister Mary Ellen (M. de Montfort) Andrisin with youth on a nature walk; contributed photo. Bottom, Sister Joyce Ann (M. Karen Edward) Zimmerman gives a workshop on liturgy in the chapel; Sister Mary Ellen Andrisin photo.

feeling that in our society, we are building a culture of fear, and by that culture of fear, what we are tempted to do is put people outside. And that’s exactly the opposite of what Precious Blood Spirituality does to us, because Precious Blood Spirituality keeps inviting the outside in,” she said.

Don Rosenbeck, president of

the Shrine, said the site’s guest book “includes pilgrims from far and wide,” with recent visitors coming from a variety of states, from Florida and South Carolina to Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Recent international visitors have come from Ontario, Luxembourg, Japan and Story by Mary Knapke

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Shrine Hours Monday - Thursday: 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sunday: 12 - 4 p.m.

Closed on Major Holidays

Liturgical Schedule Monday - Friday: Mid-Day Prayer: 11:45 a.m.

Tuesday - Thursday: Eucharistic Adoration: 1 - 5 p.m.

Saturdays: Mass: 10 a.m.

Visit: 2291 St. Johns Road Maria Stein, Ohio 45860 mariasteinshrine.org

Sister Barbara Ann (M. Emma) Hoying gives a tour to a group of youth; Sister Mary Ellen Andrisin photo

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Chapel in the Woods; Mary Knapke photo.

South Korea.

The Maria Stein Shrine also fulfills its mission of hospitality with a calendar that is active throughout the year — and at the core of the Shrine’s ministry is Eucharistic praying and living. “The Eucharist is our center, our strength, our hope, our promise, our guide. … It’s our place to adore the God made flesh,” Sister Joyce said.

The Maria Stein Adoration Guild is composed of over 100 laypeople who pray in adoration every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.

The group also hosts talks on various topics each spring and fall. The guild celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

Hess said that next year, he would also like to introduce a Tenebrae service at the Shrine.

The Holy Week service features readings and psalms that are read as a series of candles is gradually extinguished. At the end of the service, a single candle is lit to show the hope found in the resurrection.

Community prayer services take advantage of the Shrine’s

treasure of more than 1,100 relics of the saints. While individuals, families and groups may pray with the relics in the Relic Chapel any time, the prayer services allow for the community to gather together, and they include elements such as a Scripture reading, reflection on the life of the saint, music, witness and fellowship.

Twice a year, people affected by cancer can pray with the relics of St. Peregrine. Each January, a St. Dymphna Prayer Service is scheduled for those affected by mental illness or neurological issues; in August, people praying for loved ones to come to — or return to — the church may attend a St. Monica Prayer Service.

Susan Jenkins, pastoral activities minister at the Shrine, prays for the intentions left there and coordinates the prayer intention candle requests. The Shrine burns hundreds of candles every week, Jenkins said. About 100 of these are yearlong candles that — continued on Page 20

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ince 1846, the Maria Stein Shrine has served a variety of roles: as a motherhouse for the Sisters of the Precious Blood; a working farm; a home for orphaned children; and a place of local enterprise, where altar breads were made by hand and sold to parishes locally and across the country.

The Shrine’s role in the community has evolved over time, but it will remain a place of “peace, prayer and hospitality” as responsibility for the Shrine is transferred from the Congregation to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.

“This is a bittersweet time,” said Sister Joyce Lehman, President of the Congregation.

“We’re giving up something that has been with us since our beginnings in the United States. But it’s good in the sense that we’ve spent more than six years putting it in good hands.”

The nonprofit corporation Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics was established in 2010.

At that time, the five Sisters serving as the Congregation’s Councilors also served as board of directors for the newly formed nonprofit. The board changed and grew over time; it is now composed of eight laypeople and Sisters Nancy Kinross, Joyce Lehman, Linda Pleiman and Florence Seifert. New members are approved by the current board and serve three-year terms.

Six committees — mission and spirituality, finance, invest-

ment, fund development, compensation, and nomination and governance — are composed of both board members and non-board members.

“The whole purpose of setting up the board and the involvement of the laity was the best way we could conceive of the mission of the Shrine continuing — and because we felt that the opportunity for evangelization at the Shrine was one needed in the world today,” Sister Joyce said. “I’ve been really impressed and edified by the board and their commitment to the Shrine.

They really want it to succeed, want it to stay there, want it to be there for the people.”

Minster resident Orval Homan now serves as chair of the board, providing leadership in corporate governance and assisting with the management of the nonprofit. “I would like to see the Shrine be a resource to help nourish the faith of people of all ages by providing programs on a variety of religious topics, by having prayer services for special needs, and by creating awareness of modern-day saints such as Padre Pio, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II and others so that we realize that saints didn’t just live centuries ago,” Homan said.

“With the laity taking respon-

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Nonprofit corporation assumes responsibility for Maria Stein Shrine

sibility for managing the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics, we will need the support of many people who are willing to donate their time and/or money if we are to be successful.”

The Congregation and the nonprofit board of directors have also undertaken a series of steps to fulfill various requirements under canon law to establish the Shrine as a separate entity. As part of that process, the archdiocese has appointed a rector: Father John Tonkin, who serves as pastor of St. Christopher Catholic Church in Vandalia. Father John said the Shrine is a special place for him personally, — continued on Page 14 Story and photo by Mary Knapke

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Cover Story

Maria Stein Shrine: A beacon of faith since 1846

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hen eight Precious Blood Sisters arrived at Maria Stein in western Ohio in 1846, they had only recently completed a journey from Switzerland — but were just beginning a journey of 170 years for the Sisters of the Precious Blood.

Through Civil War and the Great Depression, two world wars and the turn of two centuries, Precious Blood Sisters have lived and worked at Maria Stein, the Congregation’s original motherhouse and home to over 1,000 holy relics. Beginning that first night, September 24, 1846, the Sisters entered into adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — a tradition which would continue for over 100 years. They farmed the land and made altar bread and wine, candles, vestments, linen, lace, shoes, papier-mâché crucifixes, wax infants and other works, both artistic and

'The Shrine provides a genuine, healing and nonthreatening environment to build and enhance our individual faith journeys.'

— Fred Wiswell, gift shop manager functional. They brought up local children who had been orphaned by cholera and influenza. They cared for the 10

Sharing & Caring

The Sisters make molasses from sugar cane at Maria Stein Convent sometime before 1911; CPPS archives photo

holy relics. They reached out to neighbors in need.

“The Sisters lived a monastic and an apostolic life at the same time. They were cloistered and prayerful and didn’t go home to family; they stayed in the convent — and yet, when somebody needed help, they were out there,” said Sister Noreen Jutte, the Congregation’s archivist.

“We were never founded for a particular ministry. Where there’s a need, that’s where you find us.”

In the heart of what is called “God’s country,” Maria Stein will continue to be “a place of peace, prayer and hospitality” — the Shrine’s motto — as the building and 24 acres are transferred from the Congregation to a nonprofit corporation.

Sister Joyce Lehman, President of the Congregation,

spoke about the spirituality and legacy of Maria Stein Shrine at a recent volunteer training event.

“One of the values that we as Sisters of the Precious Blood hope will continue as the Shrine continues is, first of all, hospitality. When you read some of the early stories of our Sisters, it didn’t make them any difference who it was who came to the door.

They welcomed all as Christ and saw to their needs,” she said. “You become the healing presence that Christ offers. We never know, when we stand in front of a person, what their needs are and how we are being Christ to them.”

Fred Wiswell, manager of the Shrine’s gift shop, echoed Sister Joyce’s comments. “BeStory by Mary Knapke

Cover Story

The Maria Stein chapel in 1958; CPPS archives photo. The Ohio historical marker sign near the entrance of the building; Mary Knapke photo.

ing able to ‘work’ or minister at the Shrine is one of the most meaningful aspects of my personal and spiritual being.

The opportunities are endless to build relationships on so many different levels with pilgrims from virtually all over the world who visit,” he said. “Undoubtedly, the most memorable and rewarding opportunities are those when I can enter that space with individuals who are challenged, offering prayer, compassion and empathy — in most of these instances, we both walk away from our sharing and caring with deep appreciation for all that God provides us even in those moments when we feel that He is absent. The Shrine provides a genuine, healing and nonthreatening environment to build and enhance our individual faith journeys.”

Maria Stein is one of 10 convents established by Missionary of the Precious Blood Father Francis de Sales Brunner — and the only one that still survives. Bishop John Baptist Purcell asked Father Brunner to bring Precious Blood Sisters from Switzerland to serve as teachers of the German-speaking immigrants in west central Ohio. Father Brunner also brought relics from Europe, where vandals were desecrating holy objects. The Sisters cared for and venerated the relics and worked within the community. More relics were brought to Maria Stein by Father J.M. Gartner in 1875. The Precious Blood motherhouse moved to Dayton in 1923, but the mission of the Shrine continued, and it continued to grow as an anchor for the rich faith among the German Catholic community in the area.

In the 1950s, the Sisters began offering retreats, and the retreat house (now the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein) was built in 1961. The Shrine was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. A museum was inaugurated at the Shrine in 1982 and renovated in 2015. Today, the Shrine continues to serve the community through programs, prayer services, tours and pilgrimages.

“I have deep respect for those who have gone before us,” Sister Noreen said. “If it weren’t for those people, I wouldn’t be a Sister of the Precious Blood. If it weren’t for those Sisters, we wouldn’t have a place of peace, prayer and hospitality. I love our history. I have such great respect for those Sisters. And we’re here because of them.”  Fall 2017

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Maria Stein reflections: Precious Blood Sisters

Sister Regina Albers —

My love for the Shrine goes to my childhood when my parents came often to pray during the hard times of the Depression. My very first memory as a four-year-old is hearing the rosary being said by the Sisters on the other side of the open window between the chapels, never dreaming I would someday be one of them.

Another happy memory is the many school picnics we had there. On my first school picnic when I was entering first grade, I got a blister on my heel from my shoe. I told Sister Angela Post.

She took me to the nurse who put on a Band-Aid, then took me to one of the infirm Sisters. The Sister was happy to see me, and we talked a bit. She then gave me a few candy marshmallows. I treasured them until they were simply hard lumps.

The annual pilgrimage, which our family never missed, was also very special. Walking from St. John Church to the Shrine, praying the rosary in that long line of pilgrims were moments of grace I felt even as a child. These blessings continued in special ways when I came to work at the Shrine as curator of the relics and having charge of the museum and doing many tours. I have no doubt that all the saints on those altars will be waiting for me when I meet them someday.

Sister Martha Bertke —

Since I grew up on a farm just across the fields from the Shrine, a sight of the building and prop-

erty were etched into my mind from early childhood days. Our family could see the Shrine from our kitchen window and whenever we were outside. Many times, when I helped my mother hang clothes on the line in our backyard, we looked to the Shrine to see how many cars and buses were there, so we would know if it was an ordinary day or if something special was going on that day.

For many years the Sisters prayed hours of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament in the “Sisters Chapel” (today known as the Adoration Chapel).

At least two Sisters were in chapel at all times.

Outside on the property, they had an “hour bell,” which rang 10 minutes before each hour, letting Sisters know that two more had to go to chapel to pray for an hour. At our farm, we could hear the hour bell ring. As children, oftentimes when we heard the bell ring we would say, “Oh, two more Sisters have to pray.” But it also served as a reminder to us to pray too. Each time I walk into the Adoration Chapel, in my head I can still hear the voices of a group of Sisters praying, who over the years spent many hours in prayer in that chapel.

I attended St. Johns Grade School in Maria Stein, which at that time was across the street from the parish church, and I was taught by Sisters. Each year for our annual school picnic, we walked to the Shrine. There we watched Sisters make hosts (altar breads), we tasted the host bread, saw the many statues made by Sisters, and learned about Christmas cribs made from coal clinkers. A visit to the Relic Chapel along with

Above left, Sister Regina Albers with her parents, Henry and Marcella Albers, in 1948; above right, Sister Martha Bertke; contributed photos.

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receiving a holy card that was pierced by a relic of the True Cross was included in the day. I still hold on dearly to some precious medals, holy cards, pamphlets and rosaries from those years.

Sister Marita Beumer —

I have several vivid and sacred memories of visiting Maria Stein as a child. It seems that for my mother, August 15 was a special day of pilgrimage. So, our family went the 25 miles to Maria Stein to pray with the Sisters in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The silence, the prayerful awe surrounded me with a “very special feeling” of being close to God in the recitation of the oral prayers as well as in the silent adoration. We usually made a visit to the Relic Chapel as well.

Also, as a child I remember going to visit my great, great aunt, Sister Bertranda Fecher, who was stationed at Maria Stein. I remember the quiet again, the dimly lit room and the conversations that my Mom had with Sister. Naturally, Sister always made a fuss over “the little ones” probably hoping with my Mom that someday one of the girls would be a Sister of the Precious Blood.

As I grew up I remember participating each year in the Pilgrimage for Peace, which was sponsored by the Knights of St. John. For my Mom, Dad and my siblings, walking from St. John Church to the Maria Stein Shrine grounds while praying the rosary was a sacred yearly ritual.

Also, I remember my Mom going to Maria

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share memories of the Shrine

Stein with the women of the St. Peter parish area for their regular Hours of Adoration. This was very special for her, and she looked forward to these hours. I think that through her perseverance, I also felt an appreciation of the devotion of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Sister Barbara Ann (M. Emma) Hoying —

I liked my teachers all through grade and high school — all Sisters of the Precious Blood. I admired my aunt, Sister M. Justiniana — superintendent for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The influence of the Sisters of the Precious Blood was a strong and positive impact on my life.

Sister Carolyn (M. Agnese) Hoying — My memories of the Maria Stein Shrine while growing up are many. I love the Shrine. It is a place of quiet, prayerful peace just six miles from where I was born. As a family we would go for visits on Sunday afternoon during Lent.

We would make visits in the Relic Chapel and peek through the window to see if our teachers, Sisters Leanarda and Firmina, were in the main chapel. We really did not have a great view, but we were sure we heard their voices.

Years later when on vacation, I would go for the hour of adoration Tuesday afternoon from 2

Above left, Sister Marita Beumer in Somerton, Arizona, 1981; above right, Sister Barbara Hoying (7 or 8 years old) at home; contributed photos.

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Cover Story to 3 with my mother, Agnes, and neighbor, Verona Schmeising. The hour of adoration became a high point of my vacations, listening to the now laity praying the prayers we Sisters used to pray during our hour of adoration. It reminded me of all those special night hours of adoration we had prayed over the years as candidates and novices.

I was profoundly influenced by the Sisters praying and my mother’s deep faith and the gift of prayer we joined in on as kids at Maria Stein.

It was a part of our way of life growing up. The Shrine has the aroma of sweetness, an inclusivity about it that all are welcome to come pray and seek solace, peace, healing, reconciliation and for hope renewed. I know that I am on holy ground every time I enter the Maria Stein Shrine.

Sister Noreen Jutte —

I grew up in St. Peter’s Parish, Fort Recovery, which was about a 20-minute drive from Maria Stein Convent. When I reflect on my experiences as a child and think about Maria Stein, my first memory goes back to the Pilgrimages of walking every year from St. John’s Parish Church to the Maria Stein Convent. While we walked, we prayed the rosary led by Father Harold Diller, who was in an open car with a megaphone. When we arrived at the Convent, there was Benediction and special prayers. I remember seeing the Sisters in the big Chapel. I was in awe at all my “not everyday” experiences. 

Above left, Sister Carolyn Hoying in her youth; contributed photo. Above right, Sister Noreen Jutte works in the archives department; Michelle Bodine photo

— continued from Page 9

as he prayed there “for clarity, peace and courage to follow God’s will” when he first felt a calling to the priesthood.

“A person doesn’t have to travel to the Holy Land or the Vatican to go on pilgrimage. A visit to any Christian holy site is a pilgrimage when we open ourselves to encounter with Divine Presence. And that Divine Presence is especially prevalent at the Shrine through the witness of enduring prayer from the earliest days of the Sisters right down through the years to those who come to the Shrine today,” Father John 14

Sharing & Caring

said. “I believe one of my missions as rector is to spread the word about the Shrine as a place of hospitality, prayer, peace and pilgrimage. My hope is that more people will learn of the Shrine and come to experience a deepening of their faith in relationship with God and neighbor.”

In the months ahead, the deed for the building and the property will be transferred to the nonprofit corporation. Finally, the board will seek permission from the Holy See for transfer of the stewardship of the Shrine’s holy relics from the Sisters to the Shrine board. 

"E

nter devoutly, O Pilgrim, for no place is holier than this on the new continent.”

Visitors to the Relic Chapel at the Maria Stein Shrine have been greeted by this inscription over the door since the chapel was dedicated by Archbishop William Henry Elder in 1892. But the treasure trove of saints’ relics graced the Maria Stein Shrine for decades even before the Chapel was built.

In 1846, Father Francis de Sales Brunner brought a collection of relics to Maria Stein, where they were kept in the original convent. Thirty years later, Father J.M. Gartner brought relics to the United States for safekeeping from Europe, where churches and relics were being vandalized and desecrated. Initially, the relics were to be distributed to parishes around the country; when Father Gartner heard about the relics in the care of the Precious Blood Sisters of Maria Stein, he brought them here instead. Over 140 years later, that is where they remain.

It is among the largest collections of relics in the United States, with over 1,100 relics representing nearly 850 saints.

“Sometimes people ask, ‘Why do we keep all these bones?’ It’s so that we can remember these heroic lives, these people that lived the Gospel values, lived the Eucharist,” said Matt Hess, hospitality and ministries coordinator at the Shrine. “As the early church grew, dedicated places for worship were

Matt Hess gives a tour of the Relic Chapel.

built. It was desired to build the altar over the tombs of the martyrs, because they gave the ultimate sacrifice, just like the sacrifice of Christ that’s being celebrated on that altar.

And so we’re called to enter into that, too. Enter into that cycle of death and rebirth that comes with Eucharist, that comes with dying to self and rising in Christ’s glory.”

Sister Regina Albers said the “constant flow of people coming in to pray with the relics is very uplifting. People respect the relics. You can feel their faith when they are praying with the saints.”

Sister Regina served as curator of the Relic Chapel for 10 years and continues to volStory and photos by Mary Knapke

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Cover Story

Relic Chapel provides sanctuary with the saints

Cover Story Relics of St. Peregrine, St. Concordia and others.

unteer at the Shrine. She said she enjoys interacting with children when she gives tours of the Chapel, telling them that praying to the saints is like asking a sibling to speak to a parent on their behalf.

“We’re asking somebody that’s close to Jesus to intercede for us — and miracles do happen,” she said.

Hess also gives tours of the Relic Chapel and helped develop an app called eShrine, a program for Apple products available for free on the App Store. Users may search the relic directory and access an image of each relic; work is still underway on adding saints’ images, life stories and prayers.

He is also working to add to the relic collection. “My goal is to get modern ones that speak to American Catholic sensibilities,” such as two American saints, St. Mother Theodore Guerin, foundress of the Sisters of Providence of St. Maryof-the-Woods, Indiana, and St. Katharine Drexel, foundress of the Sisters of the Blessed 16

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Sacrament, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania. “The question I get probably three times a week is, ‘Where’s your John Paul II relic?’ I’d like to find one of those. But it actually is not easy to get somebody that’s willing to trust you to care for one, even as an institution.”

Sister Regina added to the collection twice during her tenure. She said the process of requesting relics from the Vatican involved gathering a lot of information about the Shrine, including photos of the Relic Chapel and a letter from the archbishop. She was surprised, then, when the Vatican responded to one request by saying the archbishop’s letter of support had to come directly from the archdiocese — not from Sister Regina.

“That experience impressed upon me that the church is very exact about the veracity of those relics,” she said. Each relic is sealed and has official documentation. Ninety-five percent of the Shrine’s relics are classified as first-class, meaning they are from the

body of the saint.

Susan Jenkins, pastoral activities minister at the Shrine, said, “I’ve heard a lot that people see the Relic Chapel as like going to a cemetery and visiting your loved ones.

For me, it’s more like a family

'These were just ordinary people living ordinary lives, which is what we’re called to. That inspiration from the lives of the saints is a key piece of what the Shrine is all about.'

— Sister Joyce Lehman reunion because you are with your brothers and sisters in Christ, and they’re cheering you on. It’s joyful. I also think it’s important for our young people to experience the Relic Chapel because a lot of our saints passed away young.

Cover Story Candles illuminate the Father Brunner Collection; the St. Gaspar case and Memorial case, on the east wall of the Chapel, contain more recently acquired relics; the Sorrowful Mother altar.

Many were teenagers. And if they could stand up for their faith, then so can we,” she said.

Sister Regina said she also likes to impress upon people that sainthood remains relevant today. “When we talk about the martyrdom of the saints, we think of something that happened a long time ago,” she said. “But we don’t realize sometimes how much martyrdom is happening right now with the persecution of Christians in other parts of the world. They need prayer, too.”

Don Rosenbeck, president of the Shrine, said he is often moved by the deep faith exhibited by the pilgrims who come to the Shrine. “This past summer, several busloads of Chaldeans — many of whom were first-generation Americans — made pilgrimage to the Shrine,” he said. “The depth of their faith was truly inspirational as they venerated the relics of the saints, crawling on their knees from the back of the Chapel to venerate the relic of the True Cross. So we find that those of us privileged to min-

ister at the Shrine are not only influenced by the inspiration of the lives of the saints, but also by the pilgrims who visit the Shrine.”

Speaking to the design of the building itself, Sister Joyce Lehman, President of the Congregation, explained that the Relic Chapel was built with a separate entrance because, at that time, the building served as the motherhouse for the Sisters of the Precious Blood.

“The laity wanted to be able to venerate the relics, and the Sisters wanted them to be able to,” she said. With the separate entrance, the public could pray in the Relic Chapel without breaking cloister for the Sisters who were praying in the adjoining Adoration Chapel.

When praying with relics, “it’s not about those pieces of bone or hair. It’s about taking inspiration from the life of the saint,” Sister Joyce said. “These were just ordinary people living ordinary lives, which is what we’re called to. That inspiration from the lives of the saints is a key piece of what the

Shrine is all about.”

Sister Regina described a picture of Maria Stein, or “Mary of the Rock” in Switzerland, that hangs in the back of the Chapel. It is alleged that before departing for America, Father Brunner received the picture as a gift from the Benedictine abbot at Maria Stein in Switzerland. During the transatlantic voyage, there was a storm so severe it tore the anchor off the ship, and the people feared for their lives. Father Brunner brought the picture out, and the people prayed. The storm subsided, and there was peace.

Jenkins said she draws inspiration from that incident.

“Many people come into our doors suffering from the storms in their lives,” Jenkins said.

“When they come into the Chapel, they find peace. Quite often, we have been given the opportunity to pray with these people, and it is amazing how the peace of Christ enfolds them and strengthens them for whatever is facing them outside of our doors.”  Fall 2017

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Legacy Fund to provide for Shrine’s financial future

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s responsibility for the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics is transferred from the Sisters of the Precious Blood to a nonprofit corporation, a fund development drive is underway to ensure the Shrine’s financial stability.

“We pray in thanksgiving for the legacy that the Sisters have created here, and we hope to carry that out for them into the future,” said Diana Russell, director of fund development for the Shrine.

The Sisters of the Precious Blood contributed the first $2 million to the Legacy Fund.

An anonymous donor pledged another $2 million in matching gifts for any gifts or pledges made until December 31, 2017. As of Nov. 8, $316,000 is needed to fulfill the fund’s $6 million goal.

Over half the Shrine’s revenue comes from fund development. Other sources of revenue include the gift shop, prayer intention candles, Country Fest, Heritage Day Celebration and the Art Show.

“But this is only a part of what it takes to operate the Shrine.

The other half came from the Sisters’ support each year,” Russell said. “So they knew if they were going to make a plan to transfer the Shrine to laity, they needed to make a plan for financial support that helps the Shrine continue.”

The earnings from the $6 million will replace the financial support the Sisters had given each year.

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Any gifts or pledges made to the Legacy Fund

by Dec. 31, 2017, will be matched by the anonymous donor, up to $2 million, giving donors an opportunity to “double their money.” Any pledges made by Dec. 31 may be paid within five years.

For example, a $5,000 pledge may be paid all at once, or as installments over time. Donors who give or pledge $2,500 or more are listed on the Shrine’s donor wall, Susie Bergman, marketing coordinator at the Shrine, deman interactive touch onstrates how to use the touchscreen on the Legacy Fund donor wall. Diana Russell photo screen featuring donor names, photos tucky — went on a pilgrimage or business logos. to the Holy Land, where she Russell meets with individumet a woman from Versailles. als and groups throughout the Some time later, Russell came area to promote the Legacy to this area to attend the womFund, emphasizing that “it’s an’s wedding, and during her not just about the money; it’s stay, her friend suggested that about bringing an awareness she visit the Shrine. of what’s here at the Shrine,” “I was just in awe when I she said. “I like to put it like came here,” she said. “I always this: The Legacy Fund is an say, ‘Don’t make people go to opportunity to be a part of the the Holy Land to find about future of the Shrine. I feel like this place! Tell somebody it’s an honor to be a part of about the Shrine!’” the Shrine. And I believe that “Just as parishes in the Unitother people do as well. If we ed States have needed to rely don’t tell people about this opmore on the laity for the opportunity, they can’t be a part eration of parishes, so too does of it. Like I always say, it’s our the Shrine need to rely more job to get the word out there.” on the laity,” said Don Rosen In the early 1990s, Russell — who is from Louisville, KenStory by Mary Knapke

munity. “The ministry that we have here of promoting the saints as inspiration for our faith is the most important thing. The business part of it is only there to support that and allow it to happen,” she said. “That’s the reason why the Legacy Fund is there. The Shrine is a wonderful ministry and a spiritual gift, and we as Catholics have a responsibility

to support it, for the upkeep of the building, paying utilities, security, staffing, getting the word out.

“I see the Legacy Fund as the hope of the future,” Sister Joyce added. “By building that fund even beyond their goals will ensure that the relics remain in that building at Maria Stein, where they have been for over 170 years.” 

History of the Convent Cemetery at Maria Stein Shrine

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aria Stein Convent Cemetery started in 1878; prior to 1878, Sisters were buried in St. John’s Parish cemetery in Maria Stein. When identifying cemeteries, the words “convent” and “parish” are important when referring to Maria Stein.

Sisters came to live at Salem Heights in 1923, but the Salem Heights Cemetery was not ready until 1926. Sisters who died at Salem Heights prior to 1926 were buried in Maria Stein Convent Cemetery.

When calculating the total number of Sisters who have died and are buried in different cemetery plots, let it be remembered that in some of the early chronicles and the death register, orphan children who were buried among the Sisters are included in the number of burials in that specific cemetery.

There are 534 Sisters buried in the Maria Stein Convent Cemetery.

• 291 Sisters were buried in

the Maria Stein Convent Cemetery from 1878 to 1967.

• 131 Sisters were buried at Gruenenwald Convent (near Cassella) from 1853 to 1923; their remains were transferred to Maria Stein Convent Cemetery in November 1951.

• 58 Sisters were buried at Mary’s Home in Jay County, Indiana, from 1864 to 1918; their remains were transferred in July 1940.

• 52 Sisters were A monument dedicated to the Sisters whose bodies were transferred from the Gruenenwald Cemetery. buried in Himmelgarten Convent • One Sister was buried at Col(near St. Henry) from 1852 to legeville, Indiana, in 1902; her 1911; their remains were transremains were transferred in ferred in July 1931.

1947.  • One Sister was buried in Temple, Texas, in 1890; her reStory by Sister Noreen Jutte; Mary Knapke photo mains were transferred in 1899.

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beck, president of the Shrine.

“One of our challenges with the transition to the laity is to ensure the charism and spirit of the Sisters of the Precious Blood remains and flourishes, continuing the mission and ministries of the Shrine.”

Sister Joyce Lehman, President of the Congregation, emphasized the important role the Shrine plays in the com-

Cover Story / News

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burn in the Adoration Chapel.

The Relic Chapel holds mainly weeklong or monthlong candles. Many prayer requests also come in from the Chapel in the Woods, a small building where sugar and molasses were once made by the Sisters.

“I get to see the heartbreak and the sorrow and the grief, and I get to see the joy and the answers to prayer and the miracles. That’s a really significant part of seeing God’s hand at work,” Jenkins said.

Activities at the Shrine also offer an opportunity for faith formation and transformation. Most area faith formation classes visit the Shrine; many of the students are approaching confirmation, and viewing the relics helps them learn about the saints as they decide on confirmation names.

Pastoral programs are oc-

casionally offered; recent examples include a discussion of end-of-life issues hosted

by Dayton Right to Life and a workshop for family and home caregivers hosted by the Mercer County Council on Aging.

“Maria Stein is kind of a neutral location,” Hess said.

“Priests from all over can come in, and we can draw people in from the St. Henry Cluster, Maria Stein, Fort Recovery, Coldwater, North Star, Minster … I look at the needs of the community, look at what are we grounded in, and go from there.”

A group called Wrapped in God’s Love, led by local resident Judy Zimmerman, holds regular events at the Shrine.

Volunteers gather for prayer and then work together to make clothing, blankets, burp cloths, and hats and scarves

for children, victims of domestic violence, the needy and missionaries.

In December, St. Nicholas makes an appearance at the Shrine. The afternoon begins with a prayer service; St. Nick arrives, and children find that their shoes — which have been left in the hallway — are filled with chocolate coins, a cookie and a prayer card. Also in December this year, local resident Tim Nealeigh will display part of his collection of Nativities and classic Advent calendars.

Another popular event, Country Fest, is a Marion community festival hosted at the Shrine on the last weekend of June every year.

More information about the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics is available on the website: mariasteinshrine.org. 

Sisters recognized as outstanding caregivers

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n Sunday, November 19, Sisters Jane Francis Hoffman and Judy Kroeger were honored to receive an Outstanding Caregiver Award for 2017 at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati. A little more than 80 people were honored at the White Mass. A White Mass is named for the traditional white garb worn by physicians and medical professionals. In the church, white symbolizes hope and comfort for the ill.

The caregivers were recognized for the hope they bring to those they care and minister with and for.

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Sisters Jane Francis and Judy were also honored to be chosen to present the gifts at the Mass. At the end of Mass, each caregiver’s name was called and they were given a white rose. Certificates were presented at the reception after the Mass. Both Sisters were happy to represent the caring and life-giving spirit of the Sisters of the Precious Blood.  Story by Sister Judy Kroeger; contributed photo

Sisters Jane Francis Hoffman and Judy Kroeger

I

n 1917, Arizona had been a state for just five years.

Two Sisters of the Precious Blood — Sister Mary Celesta Grimmelsman and Sister Mary Pancratia Berting — left Ohio to establish St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Phoenix, which opened on Sept. 17, 1917, with 17 students in a borrowed classroom at St. Anthony’s Grammar School. It was the first Catholic high school in Arizona.

On Oct. 21, 2017, Precious Blood Sisters Ann Clark and Benita (M. Denis Anthony) Volk represented the Sisters of the Precious Blood at the school’s centennial celebration.

The three living Precious Blood Sisters who served at the school are Sister Eleanor (M. Thomas) McNally, Sister Ruth Ann (M. Giovanni) Meyer and Sister Joyce Ann (M. Karen Edward) Zimmerman.

Because they were unable to travel to Phoenix, the Precious Blood communications office produced video greetings by Sisters Eleanor and Joyce Ann. “Congratulations, St. Mary’s, on your first hundred years,” Sister Eleanor says in the video.

“You have produced thousands of young men and women who have been well-educated and also enriched with God’s love that you can give to a hungry world.”

In an interview, Sister Eleanor added, “I’m so impressed by the faith and determination shown by Sister Celesta and Sister Pancratia. What came out of that was 100 years of wonderful education.” Sister Eleanor taught English at St.

News

Precious Blood Sisters celebrate St. Mary’s Catholic High School centennial Mary’s in the 1950s.

“I have such fond memories of St. Mary’s High School in my four years there,” Sister Joyce Ann says in the video. “The students taught me so much as I taught religion. They taught me that my faith must be deep and honest. … That’s a lesson and a gift that the St. Mary’s students gave to me that I’ve carried with me all the years since being there.” Sister Joyce Ann taught at St. Mary’s from 1976 to 1980; she also helped coach volleyball and softball and began a tennis program.

Sister Ann Clark, who attended the centennial celebration, said it was “a joyful, spirited event. Many alumni were present, which I think reflects not only the way they feel about the school, but also the success they have had in life because of the education they got there.”  Story by Mary Knapke

Top, the Saint Mary's High School Centennial logo. Middle, Sister Celesta Grimmelsman, the first principal of St. Mary’s High School in 1917; CPPS archives photo. Bottom, Sisters Benita Volk and Ann Clark attended the celebration; contributed photo.

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Peace & Justice

We are all migrants on the journey

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s we recall the migrant journey that the Precious Blood Sisters made from Switzerland to Ohio in 1844, we are aware of modern-day migrants in our communities and around the world. Do these migrants receive the same positive welcome that the Sisters received from the German immigrants in Ohio? Unfortunately for many of them, the answer is no.

Though people migrate for a variety of reasons, such as the Precious Blood did for ministry, or for better work or educational opportunities, some are forced to flee life-threatening war, natural disasters, persecution and poverty. They leave behind family members and the familiarity of their homeland. How frightening it must be, not knowing where they will end up or how they will attain food, water and shelter.

What are our attitudes toward strangers seeking to live among us? As Christians, we are called to welcome the stranger, and when we do so,

we welcome God in person. Through God’s grace, we can overcome our fear and our concerns about refugees and immigrants and look for the face of Jesus in our migrant brothers and sisters. In doing this, we will be made richer through their gifts of culture and faith.

Pope Francis calls us to walk with migrants and refugees in support and solidarity through the two-year campaign launched in September called “Share the Journey.”

The Holy Father said, “We must strive and ask for the grace to create a culture of encounter that restores to each person his/her own dignity.”

One way you can participate in Share the Journey is to join the U.S. bishops and urge Congress to pass the Dream Act of 2017 (S. 1615/H.R. 3440) to pro-

tect from deportation young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. And always, your prayer is needed for the vulnerable 65 million displaced people in our world today.

During the Advent season, we remember that the Holy Family was a migrant family. Our duty is to be like the innkeeper, offering refuge to those in need.  Story by Colleen Kammer

— continued from Page 5

birdwatching; and the theater.

She divides her working days between the Missionaries’ provincial office in downtown Dayton and the Sisters’ administrative office near Salem Heights. “Because of their shared history and spirituality, there are avenues for collaborating” between the two Congregations, she said. “Along with that will come collaboration with other groups and or22

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ders and organizations that are also doing this work. Together, we can accomplish more than we can do individually.”

With help from both Congregations, she’s feeling her way into the new position, she said.

“I hope to work within their Spirituality to bring greater awareness of Catholic social teaching into people’s consciousness. Concentrating on the priests, brothers and sis-

ters, and the Companions (the Missionaries’ lay associates), it’s an educational position.

The other half will be advocacy and action, to really advance peace and justice in our world through the lens of Precious Blood Spirituality, and to bring that into people’s daily lives. I hope to build upon all the good work that Precious Blood people are doing, and have done historically.” 

Vocations

Vocations poster features men and women in religious formation

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or the fourth year in a row, the Sisters of the Precious Blood have collaborated with other religious communities and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to create a full-color poster featuring men and women in formation for consecrated life.

The 2017-18 poster features photos of 60 men and women representing about 25 religious communities. Each person is either from a parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati or is in the archdiocese for formation or work here. Also included is each person’s name, religious community, stage in formation and home parish or diocese.

“With not as many consecrated women and men in our schools, I believe this poster is an effective way to let parishioners and our young people in our colleges, universities and high schools know that young women and men are entering communities of consecrated life today,” said Sister Marilyn Kerber, SNDdeN, director of the archdiocese Office of Consecrated Life.

The poster was first produced in 2014 and at that time featured 13 men and women from eight religious communities. Each of the posters produced since then has been designed by the Precious Blood Sisters’ communications office, using photos and information provided by the religious communities. The poster is being distributed to every parish in the archdiocese, university campus ministry programs, Catholic high schools and the major

superior of each community represented on the poster. It is also on display in archdiocesan offices.

The production of the poster is a result of collaboration between the Sisters of the Precious Blood, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Office of Consecrated Life and Office of Vocations, and the major superiors who made a monetary contribution to help cover production costs. 

Sister Judy Niday on the death of her brother-in-law, Ray, October 13.

Sister Barbara Jean Backs on the death of her sister-in-law, Edith Backs, September 20.

Remembering

Story by Mary Knapke

In Sympathy Sister Lou Ann Roof on the death of her brother, Marcus (Jack) Roof, November 8.

Sister Anna Maria Sanders on the death of her sister, Carol Jean Meyer, October 30.

LaVerne Gerlach, former CPPS member.

Martha Dieringer, former CPPS member.

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID DAYTON, OH Permit No. 966

4000 Denlinger Road Dayton, OH 45426-2399

Evening prayer in the Alpine Room

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lthough vespers is about a 15-minute prayer, the “Twelve Sisters” gathered each evening in the Alpine Room of Salem Heights have phased out their prayer and sharing time to a half hour.

Using the People’s Companion to the Breviary, composed by the Carmelites of Indianapolis, we come — a few from active ministry, the majority from prayerful (sometimes busy) retirement — bringing to our 4 o’clock prayer all of you out there who have been or presently are a part of our life.

The Companion brings us not only the praise psalms of ancient Israel, but also readings from Scripture as well as from the most contemporary of our writers. Petitions from the breviary address today’s most pressing needs. To these intercessions, we add our own prayers of petition, personal and worldwide.

Sharing our own needs becomes personal, often inviting us into one another’s sacred space. We remember on individual dates the Sisters who from 1836 to the present day have slipped into eternity. Usually 24

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one or two of us share cherished memories of a departed Sister whom we knew in the past. We all feel a part of that living community we call the Sisters of the Precious Blood, 1834 until today.

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of” is a quote from the British poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson. We hope, good reader, that you feel our evening prayer.  Story by Sister Eleanor McNally; photos by Mary Knapke

Top, People's Companion to the Breviary, daily prayer book, candle; bottom, from left, Sisters Maureen (M. Adrienne) Mangen, Rita (M. Melania) Yahl, Maryann (M. Veronica) Bremke, Genny (M. Adelaide) Volk, Irene (M. Florine) Holz, Helen (M. Herbert) Weber, Katie (M. Herman Joseph/Joseph Marie) Lett, Eleanor (M. Thomas) McNally (not shown) and Nadine Kaschalk.