Unwavering faith: the unforgettable history tour

Sister Pauline Siesegh entered the novitiate last year. As part of her year of active novitiate formation and ministry, she recently undertook a tour of the Ten Foundations, the original settlements of the Sisters of the Precious Blood in the U.S.

Formation in this 21st century is different from former times as formators expose the formatees to the core values of the particular religious congregation or institute for serious discernment. One such exposure is the historical tour of the Ten Foundations of the Sisters of the Precious Blood in Ohio and Indiana: New Riegel, Marywood, Maria Stein, Glandorf, Maria Camp, Gruenenwald, Minster, Himmelgarten, Mary’s Home and Egypt. We visited all of the Ten Foundations, as well as Peru, Ohio, where Sisters first arrived but did not establish a permanent home.

The journey to the Ten Foundations was challenging but very educational. I was pondering what it was going to be like, the joy of seeing the places where our early Sisters sowed the Master’s seeds of the Sisters of the Precious Blood and nurtured them to grow. How did they get here? By what transport? God wanted me to experience an iota of what happened many years ago to our Sisters when they traveled from Switzerland to Ohio. A cargo train stopped and blocked our way to St. Alphonsus Church in Peru. We changed our route and, much to our dismay, encountered another train. Wow, we went ’round and ’round and eventually ate our lunch in the car at a park near a river. Sister Ann Clark, my novice director, was the driver, and Sarah Aisenbrey, the Congregation’s archivist, was tour guide and assistant driver.

When we finally got to our first stop in Peru, we went to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, where our first Sisters began their ministry of prayer and education. Nobody was around on the day of our visit. But there was a big bell that reminded me of missionary activities. We entered St. John Neumann Prayer Center and what caught my attention was, “When God Closes a Door, He Always Opens a Window.”

Well, the door of the first generation was closed, l thought to myself — those first Sisters are no longer with us here in this life. But that is the reality.

We then stopped at St. Gaspar Catholic Church in Bellevue and went to St. Michael Cemetery, a quiet and peaceful place where the gravestones of some of the early Sisters are kept. Hundreds of the Sisters are resting here. From there we moved on to the Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Bellevue and then went to the Cradle of the Community at New Riegel. There are still signs to prove that Sisters lived and worked there before fire destroyed the convent in June 2001. Many of the Sisters’ graves are in the All Saints Cemetery. At the All Saints Catholic Church, we met a man who told us that the Sisters used to live there but that fire had burnt up the convent.

Next, at Glandorf, where the Sisters founded Mary at the Holy Sepulchre Convent, things were not different at St. John the Baptist Church and cemetery. A good number of Sisters’ gravemarkers showed how committed they worked during their time in proclaiming the redeeming love of Jesus.

Accordingly, Maria Camp, where the Sisters founded Our

Story by Sister Pauline Siesegh

Lady of Good Counsel Convent, used to produce more food because of the fertile land and the river, but now it is only a cornfield. All the Sisters who were buried there have been relocated together with those at Glandorf. There is a monument in honor of all of them.

We then continued our tour and stopped at St. Henry, near the former site of Himmelgarten convent, and where Father Joseph Albrecht left with some of the Sisters. Some of the Sisters eventually formed the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and some eventually founded the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon.

From there we made another stop at St. Aloysius Cemetery in Carthagena, and all Sisters’ marked graves proved the presence of the Sisters in that vicinity. Gruenenwald, where the Sisters founded the Mary, Mother of God Convent, was not left out.

We then went to Maria Stein. A number of Sisters are buried at the St. John the Baptist Parish cemetery. From there we headed to the first Motherhouse in Ohio, built in 1846. When we got to the Shrine of the Holy Relics, the chapel was opened with exposition of the

Blessed Sacrament. At the Maria Stein Shrine cemetery, over 530 Sisters are resting there, including Mother Kunigunda Wehrle and Mother Ludovica Scharf. What a glorious site to have Mothers General in the same eternal community with Sisters.

Oh death, why have you taken thousands of our Sisters away? But that is the plan of God. They sowed the seed, nurtured its growth and then passed it on. That door is closed and a window is opened. May their lovely souls find peace in God and may they continue to intercede for us.

Many of the early Sisters crossed the ocean to bring the redeeming love of Jesus to the German immigrant children in Ohio. In an act of great faith, many of these women left their homes and families, never to see them again but to raise a future generation of God’s children. Each of them, young and old, who made the journey had good stories.

Here are a few you may not have heard of: it took the Sisters approximately 30 days from Europe to New York over the ocean; two to three weeks from New York to Ohio by canal boat; and by wagon or on foot to their final destination. That was a very cumbersome journey, l suppose. They did not speak much English and understood even less. I am impressed with the devotion and heroism of our early Sisters. They were incredible. God placed within them divine qualities of virtue, love, willingness to sacrifice and the strength to do it. They had an unwavering faith and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. The heroic accounts of what these early Sisters sacrificed and accomplished as they came to Ohio is a priceless legacy to the Church.

I am moved by the accounts of Mothers Kunigunda, Ludovica and Emma, and how they zealously kept the Congregation alive until women from the United States

— continued from Page 4 to take the time to reflect and find our own words to use. At our event on March 18, one of the grace moments was seeing participants hear words that other parts of our Precious Blood family use to describe our spirituality and making the connection that they could use those same words. joined. I deeply and gratefully acknowledge the service, sacrifice, commitment and contributions of the early Sisters. Much of what we accomplish today is due to their selfless service. These Sisters played key roles in the Church, schools and family life, and as individuals. Most of their responsibilities did not provide much economic compensation but gave satisfaction and are eternally significant. Even when the Sisters serve, they are thinking, “If only l could have done more!” Though they are not perfect and all face individual struggles, their faith in a loving Father in heaven and the assurance of the aligning sacrifice of the Savior permeates their lives. They were loyal to God and to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Precious Blood.

For 179 years, the Congregation has done amazing work in Ohio and beyond. Going through a lot of challenges since Vatican II did not deter or distract our faith in God. The Sisters kept focus. They tried to serve people and prayed for insight, wisdom and the seeds they planted in people’s lives to grow. I believe many of them have been smiling over the fruits of their labor.

They left a big legacy for us. I love to acknowledge the legacy of Sister Noreen Jutte, for all the wonderful work she has done as archivist. None of our early Sisters are lost. Sister Noreen worked to put all the grave markers, headstones or plaques on the graves, so that none would be forgotten. May this legacy motivate us to work hard in proclaiming the redeeming love of Jesus.

I discovered great moments in the history of the Sisters of the Precious Blood in the Ten Foundations. The cultural experience was that of the graves or tombs in the cemeteries. Hundreds of our Sisters are buried in the cemetery communities. I got closer to the Sisters on this journey and felt the peaceful atmosphere which indicates how they were devoted to prayer life.

Long live Mother Maria Anna Brunner! Garabenye (good job)! 

Our Precious Blood family was made up of people willing to take the time to adapt to the culture and world of their day. It is now our turn. While the language within our communities to speak about our spirituality is familiar and comfortable, I hope we can embrace new words as we talk more about our spirituality with others. We don’t need to build a new boat; we need a bigger one.

If you were not able to attend our March 18 gathering, please visit our website, pbspiritualityinstitute.org, at the end of May to view the video of the event. 

Creative pursuits of all types allow us to express thoughts and feelings that can sometimes be difficult to put into words. Color, form, texture or sound can take us to a place beyond language as we continually seek transcendent experiences that elevate, challenge and inspire.

Many Sisters of the Precious Blood make art and crafts, and while the forms of their creations vary widely — carving, painting, quilting, singing and many more — they share in common a means of communion with others, and a way to reflect the beauty of God.

Here, Sister Joyce Ann Zimmerman writes about the challenge and gift of Eucharist. Artwork created by Sister Joyce Ann represents both the physical nourishment we receive from God in the form of bread and wine, as well as the spiritual sustenance we receive from Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist.

The eucharistic ritual flows from the Introductory Rites (during which we recognize ourselves as an assembly before our God) into the Liturgy of the Word (during which we are confronted with God’s prophetic words that urge us to live the gospel more fully) into the Liturgy of the Eucharist (during which we are transformed into being ever more perfect members of the body of Christ) into the Concluding Rite (during which we are sent forth to live as Christ). Our own personal needs and desires during this dynamic ritual flow are subsumed under this communal action of transforming us ever more perfectly into our common identity as the body of Christ. It is in the rhythm of this weekly action that we receive the impetus to be ministers of reconciliation, because it is in this weekly action that we celebrate the union of the sacrifice of our own lives with Christ and in that union share in his identity. Eucharist as nourishment for our journey to the cross and as gift of identity as members of the body of Christ is the double prong of Eucharist’s reconciling action. It is both challenge and gift.

… Paying attention to the divisions and injuries among us and trying to heal them calls us to a renewed commitment to celebrate Eucharist faithfully and fruitfully, for that is the sacrament where we approach the messianic table as Christ’s body to be nourished and strengthened. Without its strength we cannot heal the divisions among us. Without its nourishment we cannot have the strength to forgive the injuries we inflict on each other. Without Eucharist we are a divided body of Christ. With Eucharist we are a dynamic organism continuing the salvific work of its Head. Healing divisions among us restores us to our common identity as body of Christ. Thus, Eucharist is the manifestation of the healing process as together we eat and drink from the common table. This common action challenges us to acknowledge and live out of our common identity. It challenges us to realize that when we harm another or exclude another we harm and exclude ourselves. It challenges us to remember that whatever we do to the least members of the body, we do to Christ himself (cf. Matt 25:40). It challenges us to examine ourselves on how well we surrender to the eucharistic action and live it out in our daily lives. It challenges us to take up our cross with Christ by surrendering our wills for reconciling with others. Reconciliation brings us to Eucharist with a renewed commitment to be one with each other and share in the fruits of the risen Christ’s peace. 

Story by Sister Joyce Ann Zimmerman. Excerpt from “Eucharist and Reconciliation: A Jubilee Year Gift,” Liturgical Ministry 9 (Winter 2000): 19-27. Reprinted with permission.

Precious Blood Sisters have been busy with a variety of recent events. In all that we do, we strive to continue to fulfill our mission to proclaim God’s love by being a life-giving, reconciling presence in our fractured world.

March 1-3 — Sister Edna Hess, president of the Congregation, hosted the Precious Blood Leadership Conference at Salem Heights, our central house in Dayton. The participants were Sister Vicki Bergkamp, ASC, regional leader of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ; Sister Janice Bader, CPPS, president of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of O’Fallon, MO; and Father Jeffrey Kirch, CPPS, provincial director of the United States Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.

March 8-14 — To celebrate Catholic Sisters Week, the Congregation highlighted our commitment to Laudato Si by giving reusable grocery bags to each Sister, as well as to Gem City Market, Miami Valley Meals and west Dayton food pantries. The initiative was a collaboration between Peace, Justice and Ecology Coordinator Jen Morin-Williamson and the vocations team.

March 14 — Sister Joyce Ann Zimmerman presented “What We Do & Use at Mass” as part of the Lenten Learning Series at the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics, former Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Precious Blood. She presented a second session on March 23. Sister Joyce Ann is founding director of the Institute for Liturgical Ministry in Dayton; an adjunct professor of liturgy; a facilitator of liturgy workshops; and a prolific author of scholarly and pastoral liturgical books and articles.

March 18 — Sister Joyce Lehman, former president of the Congregation, represented the Sisters of the Precious Blood at a panel discussion, “Coming Together to Celebrate Connections and Diversity.” The panel was hosted by the Precious Blood Spirituality Institute and held in person and virtually at the Precious Blood Renewal Center in Liberty, Missouri.

March 30 — Homefull held a groundbreaking on Gettysburg Avenue in Dayton for the first phase of their 16-acre Healthy Living in West Dayton Project. The project will include a grocery store, primary care physician’s office, a locally owned and operated pharmacy and a regional food hub for area farmers. Sister Margo Young, Peace, Justice and Ecology Coordinator Jen Morin-Williamson and Executive Assistant Peg Birkemeyer attended the ceremony. In 1988, Precious Blood Sister Dorothy Kammerer founded The Other Place, which evolved into Homefull and works to end homelessness.

March 31 — Sister Karen Elliot was honored with a Women of the Mount Impact Award, presented by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati. Sister Karen serves as chief mission officer at the Mount.

March 31 — Sister Mary E. Wendeln and Peace, Justice and Ecology Coordinator Jen Morin-Williamson hosted a gathering to re-vision the Ohio Nuns on the Bus organization with a new identity as the Ohio Sisters Justice Network. Nuns on the Bus is a Catholic advocacy group that began in 2012, touring the country to visit community agencies and advocate for the principles of Catholic social teaching.

April 19 — Sister Mūmbi Kīgūtha participated in a panel discussion, “Change, Hope, and the Catholic Church,” cosponsored by Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and Discerning Deacons, a project dedicated to engaging Catholics in conversation about women and the diaconate.

April 22 — The Dayton Catholic Women’s Club celebrated its centennial jubilee with a Mass at Emmanuel Catholic Church in Dayton and a dinner at the Presidential Banquet Center. The club engages in religious, educational, social and charitable works. Sister Thelma Wurzelbacher currently serves as the group’s spiritual adviser.

May 12-13 — Sisters Mi-kyoung Hwang and Mūmbi Kīgūtha participated in a symposium, “A Praxis of Reconciliation: Trauma, Culture, and Spirituality” at the Robert J. Schreiter, CPPS, Institute for Precious Blood Spirituality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. The symposium explored opportunities and challenges for interculturally recognizing, narrating and healing various manifestations of trauma in praxes of reconciliation and restorative justice.

May 13 — Shannen Dee Williams, associate professor of history at the University of Dayton, gave a presentation at Salem Heights titled “America’s Real Sister Act: The Hidden History of Black Catholic Nuns in the United States.” Williams is the author of Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle (Duke University Press, 2022), named a 2022 top five book in religion by Publishers Weekly and recipient of the 2022 Letitia Woods Brown Award for best book in African American women’s history from the Association of Black Women Historians.

May 16 — Sister Mūmbi Kīgūtha hosted a webinar titled “The Hope I Saw in South Sudan,” in which she shared photos and stories from her visit to Solidarity with South Sudan ministries. Sister Mūmbi currently serves as president of Friends in Solidarity, an initiative of U.S. Catholic religious men and women in support of religious working in South Sudan and beyond. 