Sharing & Caring Volume 32 Number 1 • Summer 2021 Sisters of the Precious Blood • Dayton, Ohio • www.preciousbloodsistersdayton.org
At the heart of health care:
Precious Blood Sisters in chaplaincy
From the President’s Desk
Dear friends and family,
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y now, we Sisters of the Precious Blood, myself included, were hoping that most people would be vaccinated against COVID-19 and that masks would be a thing of the past. However, a large percentage of the U.S. population refuses to be vaccinated and the delta variant is causing us to rethink putting away our masks and being with those who are not part of our “family” group. I find myself pondering: What would Jesus have done in this situation? I see a Jesus who was concerned for others, who wanted to bring healing — both physical and spiritual. I see a Jesus willing to die for us so that we might
our individualism led us down a path that no longer leaves room for the common good? As Steven J. Squires and Philip Anderson write in the article “Chaplains, Pope Francis and the Healing Encounter,” published in Health Progress, the journal of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, “the church's mission is not a cloistered one, enclosed in a cathedral with high walls differentiating, if not sequestering, itself from its community. The mission is not self-centered and more concerned with its own functioning than the plight of others. It is constantly assessing others' needs and struggles. It is enmeshed with comI ask myself: Where does personal munity, possibly indisfreedom end and the common tinguishable good begin? Has our individualism from comled us down a path that no longer munity. If were leaves room for the common good? mission movement, — Sister Edna Hess outward-towards-others have life in abundance. describes the movement, not Today, I see nurses and docinward-toward-self.” tors exhausted from caring for Why do I refer to the present COVID patients, some dying health situation? In this issue trying to save their patients. of Sharing & Caring, we are I also see people getting vachighlighting our Sister chapcinated for the good of othlains, those who have served ers. First, it was to protect our the sick and suffering in hosseniors; now to protect the pitals and nursing homes. children not eligible for the Before Vatican II in the 1960s, vaccine. I also see people who you would not have found any refuse to get vaccinated or Sister of the Precious Blood refuse to wear a mask because serving as a chaplain in a nursit limits their personal freedom ing home or in a hospital. That of choice. I ask myself: Where was considered a priest’s job. does personal freedom end and Vatican II proclaimed that the the common good begin? Has Church is the People of God 2
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and that all of us, laity and those who are ordained, have an important mission within the Church. Some Sisters who had been teachers felt called to minister to the sick and the dying, as well as to their families in hospitals and nursing homes. They prepared themselves for this ministry just as they had done to be teachers. These Sisters, urged by Jesus’ love, became a life-giving, healing and reconciling presence to thousands of people. They were Jesus’ presence to the sick and the aged, to the families of those who were dying. They companioned those whose faith was failing and were agents of reconciliation where there was need for forgiveness and healing. God bless our former and present chaplains, especially those serving during COVID-19. In Jesus’ redeeming love,
Sister Edna Hess President, Sisters of the Precious Blood
News
Rural-Urban Farm Mass
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nnually the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has a Rural-Urban Farm Mass in the northern part of the archdiocese. This year it was held July 15 at Keith and Odessa Boeckman’s Family Farm near Coldwater, Ohio. The presider was Father Richard Walling, pastor of the Coldwater Cluster of Catholic Parishes, which includes Holy Trinity in Coldwater, St. Mary in Coldwater, and St. Anthony in Ft. Recovery. The Mass is an opportunity for farmers, families, friends and neighbors to come together in a prayerful way to praise God for the blessings of faith, farm and family. Catholic Century Farm Awards were given to eligible Catholic families who have farmed the same land for 100 years or more. I was happy to be one of over 500 people at this faith and fellowship event. Story by Sister Martha Bertke Top, the Boeckman family farm in 2019; bottom, a Rural-Urban Farm Mass altar decoration from 2017. Contributed photos
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.
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.
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Contributing writers: Jenna Legg, Vocation Ministry Coordinator; Sarah Aisenbrey, Archivist
Summer 2021
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News
Mission, mercy, and memory in California:
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n early June, Sister LaKesha Church had the opportunity to travel to California. Sister LaKesha is currently enrolled in a graduate program in early childhood education at Mount St. Joseph University. She shared some highlights from her trip: While there I spent several days at a center helping our asylumseeking sisters and brothers achieve their final destinations. I helped by serving the arrival meal, showing them where the shower was, and connecting their phones to the Wi-Fi. I also had the opportunity to visit with our Sisters in mission in California and shared in community with them. A visit to California is never complete without visiting San Luis Rey, taking in our CPPS history, and visiting our dear Sister Hildebertha. I’m grateful for the hospitality of our Sisters in Redlands and the Community for this experience. Located in Oceanside, California, the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia was founded in 1798 and has played a role in many aspects of local history over the past 223 years. The Sisters of the Precious Blood, under the leadership of Mother Emma Nunlist and Sister Electa Fleck, founded a private school there in 1913. At various points in its history, it was known as The Old Mission School, the San Luis Rey Boarding School, the Academy of the Little Flower and San Luis Rey Academy, until its closing in 1977. A young Sister remembered To this day, Precious Blood 4
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Clockwise from top left, Sister LaKesha at Sister Hildebertha's grave; close-up of Sister Hildebertha's gravestone. Sister Hildebertha's name was misspelled on the original marker; a new marker with the correct spelling was placed next to it some years later; contributed photos. Painting of San Luis Rey by Sister Eileen Tomlinson.
Sister Hildebertha Gutman holds a special place in her fellow Sisters’ hearts, as they remember the young Sister who journeyed from Ohio to California but, unfortunately, died before she was able to make her final vows. She is the only Precious Blood Sister buried at the mission. Born Eulalia Gutman in 1900
in Sidney, Ohio, Sister Hildebertha first entered the Congregation in 1915. Ill health delayed her formation process, and she was sent to Rome City, Indiana, where the Sisters ran a sanatarium, a “sanitary resort for infirm Sisters” as well as laypeople. Story by Mary Knapke
News
Sister LaKesha and Sister Hildebertha and for some time, a local couple took it upon themselves to stop and visit Sister Hildebertha every Monday.
Top, Sisters Mary Yarger, Mi-Kyoung Hwang, Terry Maher and Brother Rufino Zaragoza at Sister Hildebertha's gravestone; contributed photo. Bottom, clockwise from bottom left, Brother Rufino, Sister Terry Maher, Father Michael Dallmeier, OFM, Father Peter Kirwin, OFM and Sister Mary Yarger; Sister MiKyoung Hwang photo.
Sister Hildebertha re-entered the Community at the Maria Stein Convent in Maria Stein, Ohio, in 1917 and was received as a novice the following year. She made her first profession of vows at Maria Stein in 1920 and was sent to California because it was thought that the warmer weather would help her recover from tuberculosis. But it was not to be. She died Aug. 27, 1921. Although she is the only one of the Community buried at San Luis Rey, young Sister Hildebertha has never been forgotten. Sisters traveling to the area often stop to visit her gravesite and offer their prayers
Marking 100 years Brother Rufino Zaragoza, OFM, lives in residence at the mission and serves as a liturgical music consultant on the West Coast. Having arrived at the mission in July 2020, in the midst of the COVID lockdown in California, he was unable to go out much or undertake much active ministry. “I spent a lot of time walking the beautiful grounds here, including the cemetery. In meandering through the historic section of the cemetery, I noticed the grave of Sister Hildebertha and wondered why she was buried here, and not at her motherhouse. I wondered why she had passed away at such a young age,” he said. Curious to know if Sister Hildebertha had fallen victim to another pandemic — the 1918 Spanish flu — he reached out to the Congregation’s archivist, Sarah Aisenbrey, who sent him information about the young Sister from Ohio. “Knowing that she was so far from her own Sisters and community, I wanted to be sure she was remembered and honored on the 100th anniversary of her passing,” he said. In collaboration with Gwyn Grimes, executive director of the mission, Brother Rufino arranged the event. Three Precious Blood Sisters represented the Congregation at the Aug. 27 service and expressed appreciation to Brother Rufino and Mission San Luis Rey for remembering the Congregation and Sister Hildebertha. Sisters MiKyoung Hwang, Terry Maher and Mary Yarger attended the prayer service and enjoyed lunch at the mission. They also visited the retreat center and the previous school, and spent some time with Brother Rufino, as well as Father Michael Dallmeier, OFM, and Father Peter Kirwin, OFM, two Franciscan friars who served and ministered with Precious Blood Sisters. Summer 2021
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News
Sisters attend school addition dedication in Ottawa, Ohio
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our Precious Blood Sisters attended a dedication Mass and blessing ceremony of a new addition to Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic School in Ottawa, Ohio. Bishop Daniel Thomas of the Diocese of Toledo was the main celebrant of the Aug. 22 Mass, along with Father Scott Kramer, CPPS, and several other priests. Sisters of the Precious Blood taught at Sts. Peter and Paul for over a century, from 1881 to 1990. Sisters Martha Bertke, Joan DeChristopher, Paula Gero and Della Mae Meyer were happy to attend the dedication event, along with former member and school principal Helen Moorman Umphrey. The addition includes eight classrooms, a new gymnasium, a bright and spacious meeting room for the parish,
an up-to-date office for the school’s IT staff, and a concession stand near the gym’s main entrance. After Mass, everyone gathered in the gym for a program. During part of the program, Bishop Thomas and Father Kramer, pastor of Sts. Peter & Paul Parish, went to each classroom and blessed it with holy water and prayers while the crowd stayed in the gym and prayed the rosary. Information, remarks and congratulations were then shared by several speakers. Everyone was then invited to visit with one another, tour the classrooms and enjoy refreshments. In 1969, eight Sisters of the Precious Blood were assigned to staff the school along with lay teachers. They included Sisters Martha Bertke, Joan DeChristopher, Paula Gero,
Della Mae Meyer, Elizabeth Westgerdes, Laura Schmaltz (deceased), Helen Moorman (former member) and Pat Pasternak (former member). At that time, us Sisters were young, vibrant and energetic women. The oldest in this group was age 35. The enrollment at that time for grades 1-8 was 700 students. It was so exciting to be present for this special occasion and to share with this dynamic faith community — and to know that so many of we Sisters who taught there at one time made a tremendous contribution to the parish, to the school and to the vibrant community. We deeply appreciated the words of gratitude that were expressed to us. Story by Sister Martha Bertke
Left, Helen Moorman Umphrey, Sisters Della Mae Meyer and Joan DeChristopher, Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Sisters Paula Gero and Martha Bertke; right, Sister Martha with Becky Hermiller Schnipke, a former 4th grade student. Contributed photos
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Vocations
Journey with Mary
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his summer, a Marian Pilgrimage commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It began May 16 with a Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in the northern part of the archdiocese and continued for 33 days, making stops at parishes in every deanery. A group of pilgrims carried a special statue of Our Lady of Fatima that was blessed by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr for the occasion. Honestly, I had never participated in a pilgrimage before, nor had I ever felt called to do so. I enjoyed the idea of radiating Christ through Mary, but I wasn’t sure why we needed to carry a statue of her over 300 miles to do so. In late May, during the second week, there was a plea for more pilgrims to walk and so I joined. I had the stressful job of directing traffic around the walkers who were busy praying chaplets and rosaries for the intentions submitted. The weather was wonderful, though clouds were looming behind us. Once we reached calmer roads, I relaxed a bit and felt the prayerful pace of the walk sink into my muscles and bones. As we turned a corner, going about 2 mph, there was a woman who had stopped her car on the side of the road and flung open her car door, to kneel down in tears as the statue of Our Lady was processed by her. Another woman who was walking stopped to talk and pray with her. We later learned that this woman fell away from the Catholic
faith some years ago and it was Mary who drew her back. Seeing Mary processing along her small-town country road overwhelmed the woman with joy and tears. It was a wonderful moment and my spirit smiled at how the Holy Spirit had worked. I started to understand why we do pilgrimage. We continued for another half hour or so and the woman returned to our walking caravan, this time with her four children! She pulled over and they all hopped out and started walking. In sandals, skirts and carrying siblings, the children joined us, clearly not dressed for the occasion. Their smiles and energy were contagious, however, and they joined us in prayer. What a wonderful witness this family was to us pilgrims! It was moving to see the joy and commitment of their faith in their eagerness to change a day’s plans to walk with us. Not long after, the looming clouds caught up with us and it began to rain. The children and
their mother continued with us. Those of us who had them donned raincoats and hats. A covering was hung over Mary. A man was passing in an old pickup; he stopped to talk to one of the leaders. He offered us a shelter a half mile ahead. Like a mirage in a desert, suddenly a small town appeared over a hill, complete with a picnic shelter and place to park our RV. The rain and clock said it was a good time to stop for lunch. The pilgrims, including our new friends, shared food as if we were in the Gospel story of the leftover fishes and loaves. As we were finishing up, the storm clouds disappeared, and the sun peeked out for the rest of the journey. I’m not sure what I expected from the pilgrimage, but my soul left each day with joy. The experience left me affirmed in my faith and blessed to be a part of something that has inspired and blessed so many others. Story and photo by Jenna Legg
Summer 2021
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Vocations
Sister Mi-Kyoung professes first vows
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ollowing a two-year novitiate, Sister Mi-Kyoung Teresa Hwang professed her first vows as a Sister of the Precious Blood on June 26. The rite, and the reception that followed, were made even more joyful as the Congregation’s first large event since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. “I thank all of you who accompanied me in my journey towards God, the Trinity,” Sister Mi-Kyoung wrote in the rite’s program. “You helped me to grow more in God the Father/the Mother, and to be formed and be transformed in following the footsteps of Jesus Christ.” Father Steve dos Santos, CPPS, presided at the liturgy. As part of a reflection during Mass, Sister Joyce Lehman, past president of the Congregation, said that at Sister MiKyoung’s entrance ceremony into the novitiate two years ago, she was asked what she desired. At that time, Sister Mi-Kyoung said she wanted to “put on the habit of religious life and the habit of the Sisters of the Precious Blood.” “Obviously, she was not speaking of clothing,” Sister Joyce said. “Rather she was speaking of a way of life so ingrained in her spirit that she lived it each day, each minute of each day, both consciously and unconsciously. She has spent the past two years learning how to do just that and has discerned that she is ready to take the next step. “The habit of religious life can be summed up in the vows of obedience, chastity and pov8
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Clockwise from top, Sisters Mi-Kyoung Hwang and Ann Clark with Father Steve Dos Santos; Sister Mi-Kyoung with a pair of wooden love birds; Min-Suk Sarah Chun.
erty, lived in community. The habit of the Sisters of the Precious Blood is the living out of those vows in community in a way that, individually and collectively, we are so inspired by the total and complete selfdonation of Jesus manifested in his blood ‘poured out on the cross and offered daily on the altar,’ that we are urged to proclaim God’s love by being a life-giving, reconciling presence. … Today we welcome
our Sister to participate with us in that great mystery of Love, a love modeled by Jesus who completely poured out, expended, squandered his life for us, and a love that the Holy Spirit urges us to make incarnate again.” Originally from South Korea, Sister Mi-Kyoung came to the U.S. in 2013 to earn a Doctor of Story by Mary Knapke; Michelle Bodine photos
Vocations
Renewed commitments
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Sisters Laura Will and Mi-Kyoung; Sister Laura is her piano instructor.
Ministry in Spirituality degree at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Prior to entering the program at CTU, she worked in Seoul as executive director of Korean Catholic Women’s Community for the New World. She became acquainted with the Sisters of the Precious Blood after searching Vision Vocation Network — a publication of the National Religious Vocation Conference — for congregations where she could serve in reconciliation ministry. Korean culture was included during the Mass of Profession, with Min-Suk Sarah Chun — a friend of Sister Mi-Kyoung’s from the Korean Catholic community in Dayton — reading from 1 Samuel in Korean. In addition, Korean music was part of the liturgy, and among the presentation of gifts was a pair of wooden love birds, a symbol of love in traditional Korean weddings.
ongratulations to Sisters Mumbi Kigutha and LaKesha Church, who renewed their vows this summer. Both Sisters Mumbi and LaKesha made their first profession of vows in 2018. Sister Mumbi’s vow renewal took place in Chicago, where she ministers as a parttime international consultant in reconciliation and social cohesion for Jesuit Refugee Service. Mass was held July 25, with Father Denny Kinderman, CPPS, as presider. Sister LaKesha’s vow renewal took place Aug. 24 in the chapel at Salem Heights, our central house in Dayton, with Father Bill Kramer as presider. Sister LaKesha is currently enrolled in a graduate program in early childhood education at Mount St. Joseph University.
Welcome, Juliana!
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uliana Wuur was received in the novitiate Aug. 27 with a service in the Salem Heights chapel. During her canonical year, she will study theology at Mt. St. Joseph University; meet with Sister Ann Clark for formation; continue to learn about our foundress Maria Anna Brunner and Precious Blood history and spirituality; and volunteer at Salem Heights and with Sister Jean René Hoying at Food for the Journey Project. Next year, her novitiate will continue with a religious formation program in Chicago. The Congregation welcomes
Top, Sisters Edna Hess and Mumbi during the ceremony; Sister Patty Kremer photo. Middle, Sister LaKesha with her congratulatory cake; Michelle Bodine photo. Bottom, Sister Joyce Langhals and Juliana before the ceremony; Sarah Aisenbrey photo
Juliana and continues to pray for her and for all in discernment and formation. Summer 2021
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At the heart of health care: Precious
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y mother died of cancer 16 years ago. During her illness, she lay week after week in the hospital, and day by day, her team of doctors, nurses and specialists bustled in and out of her room at all hours of the day and night. They were doing their best to help her. But they were so busy, sometimes they barely looked up at us from their armloads of charts and papers. In those challenging times,
there was one thing we looked forward to: a visit from Jackie. Jackie was part of the hospital’s spiritual care team. She brought us the Eucharist, and she prayed with us, and told us about her own life, and sometimes even just had a lighthearted chat. It always seemed like she had all the time in the world for us. Though we had never met before, she gave us a feeling of belonging, as part of a com-
munity that was praying for my mom, and for us. That is just part of what a chaplain does. The unrelenting coronavirus pandemic has underscored the vital role chaplains play in health care. Insights from just some of the Precious Blood Sisters who minister, or have ministered, as chaplains shed some light on what motivates them to walk alongside those who may be experiencing their darkest days.
On the cover, Sister Virgine Elking at a patient’s bedside, 1990s. From left, Sister Martha Bertke visiting a patient at Mercer Health Hospital in Coldwater where she is a volunteer chaplain; Sister Joan DeChristopher and her Flos Carmeli Award, given to those who gave excellent care to the elderly, 2012; contributed photos. Sister Rosemary Goubeaux with patient Judy Dale at Good Samaritan North Hospital, 2016; Dave Eck photo. Page 11, from left, Sister Berenice Janszen speaking at Mercy Siena Woods as pastoral care coordinator, late 1990s; Sister Dolores Keller receives a 2016 Outstanding Caregiver Award; contributed photos. Sister Terry Maher at St. Bernardine Medical Center, 2015; Dave Eck photo.
Sister Martha Bertke
Now in her retirement, Sister Martha Bertke is a volunteer chaplain at Mercer Health Hospital in Coldwater, Ohio. She and two other ministers of different faith denominations provide spiritual care for the patients of all religious traditions as well as those who have none. Chaplains can also provide support to families of the 10
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patients and members of the health team. In this important work, they provide a ministry of presence to those in need, including listening, communication and sensitivity to spiritual and cultural diversity. “Being a volunteer chaplain is a fulfilling role especially as I bring care and compassion to people,” Sister Martha said. “Regardless of my feel-
ings about the way a patient is dealing with their health situation, it is important to accept them where they are. Assisting people to cope with their experience in a health care setting can make all the difference to a person. Offering to pray with and for the patient can be a source of comfort and peace Story by Mary Knapke
to someone who is ill. Sharing God’s love and goodness with others is a blessing in my life.”
Sister Joan DeChristopher
Sister Joan DeChristopher ministered in pastoral care and chaplaincy for nearly two decades at a number of hospitals in Kentucky and Cincinnati. “I prayed with patients before surgery or sometimes talked to them after the doctor saw them. I talked to them about their fears or just spent time
with them,” she explained. She also held religious services in the hospital chapel and, when working with children and teens, she sometimes organized fun activities such as baking a birthday cake together. “I prayed with [patients], and I prayed to Mother Brunner for the Blood of Christ to cleanse them,” she said. “I once talked to a man from Little Italy in Cincinnati. He had said he didn’t want to see the priest. Well, we realized we happened to know some of
the same people, and we just talked. After a while, he said, ‘I think I’ll see that priest now.’ Sometimes we’re instruments and we don’t know exactly how we help people. You just don’t know how your visit will affect them,” she said. “It was wonderful, awesome work, and I loved doing it.”
Sister Virgine Elking
Following more than three decades in ministry as a teacher and educational ad-
ministrator, Sister Virgine Elking moved to the other side of the classroom and went to Kettering Medical Center to study clinical pastoral education. From 1990 to 2000, she served as director of Catholic ministry at Miami Valley Hospital, where she held prayer services, helped prepare memorial services for those who had died, and reached out to patients and families at various stages of care, from presurgery to intensive care. “I felt privileged I could be
with people in those serious conditions. After visiting with a patient, if family or friends were present, I always asked, ‘Is there anybody who wants a hug?’ They would all line up!” she said. “I was with more than 350 people when they died. It’s an honor to be there with someone when they die. And when that time comes for me, I hope I will hear the Lord say, ‘You have done a good job, faithful servant. It’s time for you to come home.’”
Sister Rosemary Goubeaux
Sister Rosemary Goubeaux served as a chaplain at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton for 15 years and has also volunteered as a chaplain at a local cancer center. “It’s so enriching,” Sister Rosemary has said of chaplaincy. “I always try to see each person as the face of Jesus and I trust they can hopefully recognize that in me, too. … A lot of it is listening. I hear so many stories, many beautiful stories and some heartbreaking experiences, so faith Summer 2021 11
Cover Story
Blood Sisters in chaplaincy
Cover Story From left, Sister Mary Ann Mozser at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, 2016; Dave Eck photo. Sister Judy Niday, 2012; contributed photo. Sister Nancy Recker in Emma Hall at the Maria Joseph Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; 2016; Dave Eck photo. Page 13, from left, Sister Anna Maria Sanders and staff of Miami Valley Hospital, 2008; contributed photo. Sisters Joyce Lehman and Alice Schoettelkotte at the ceremony honoring Sister Alice with a scholarship program in her name at Maria Joseph Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 2018; Michelle Bodine photo.
enriching. I feel blessed to be part of this holy journey,” she said. “I want people to experience that I care about what they are going through.” When the pandemic curtailed her in-person ministry, Sister Rosemary began sending handwritten notes to Sisters and friends. “I thank God for the hope, joy and love I am able to share. I am most grateful for the blessings I have received through these interactions,” she said.
people when they were dying — especially cancer patients. I met with family members, spent time with family when a patient died, and also gave a course for nurses in the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator,” she said. “I learned to really appreciate the struggles people go through when they’re ill, and I learned about different kinds of illnesses. I met so many wonderful people. I felt I meant a lot to the families, and I loved them all.”
Sister Berenice Janszen
In addition to her day-to-day duties as a chaplain at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton and Mercy Hospital in Fairfield, Ohio, Sister Dolores Keller said some of her most memorable experiences came from exceptional moments of connection and presence: Surgeons who requested a blessing for themselves and their hands; undertakers who asked her to offer prayers at a burial when family was not present. “Being a hospital chaplain was a very spiritual human
Sister Berenice Janszen served as a high school teacher and drama coach before moving on to clinical pastoral education. After serving for a year as a pastoral associate in St. Joseph, Missouri, she completed the CPE program at Methodist Medical Center in St. Joseph and then embarked on more than two decades of ministry as a chaplain and pastoral coordinator and minister. “I went bed-to-bed to visit people, and I was with many 12
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Sister Dolores Keller
experience for me,” she said. “Sharing with patients preparing for surgery or death usually became a very private and supportive conversation. Holding hands while encouraging or supporting suffering patients became a frequent gifting. Bringing Eucharist to Catholic patients usually became sacred moments of service and sharing.”
Sister Terry Maher
Sister Terry Maher, a boardcertified chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, currently serves as manager of the spiritual health department at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, California. Earlier this year, the national program CBS This Morning accompanied her as she ministered to patients and families during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The ministry of chaplaincy is assessing the patient’s spiritual health, perhaps walking through life’s hurts and joys; family relationships,
Sister Mary Ann Mozser
“The gift of time … the gift of listening … the gift of empathy … the gift of shared insights. “These are some of the gifts that a chaplain brings to the ministry of health care. Patients, and their families and people suffering from various illnesses, are seeking the care and understanding of someone who can relate to their situation. They are hungry for someone to listen
to their story and then respond with genuine compassion. The chaplain is blessed to be in the position of that someone who can give the time needed to help those who are ill to find comfort and peace. The medical personnel are focused on the illnesses afflicting the patients, but the chaplain can be focused on the patient in a more holistic way. Healing is more than treatments and medicines. Healing comes from a peaceful spirit and from the warmth and compassion of the listening heart of another person … the chaplain.”
Sister Judy Niday
“Teaching and chaplaincy share a common aspect of life — struggling with growing pains physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I consider my ministry as a teacher and chaplain a privilege to have walked with preschoolers and elders. They both experience insecurities and anxieties at a lesser or greater degree as they move through new stages of life. “The most rewarding times as chaplain were being at the bedside of the dying and their families. They taught me how
to be present along their journey in silence, song, prayer and even getting permission from the doctor for a dying patient to have his last sip of beer! “The residents, patients and students taught me humility, for I learned more about myself as a minister — how to listen to the quiet voice, the unspoken message and discern when to be present or not. “One nurse asked me how I know how much time to spend with someone. My response was one of discerning what and who is in need, be it a family member, the patient, resident or staff member. It was teamwork with all concerned and the Holy Spirit.”
Sister Nancy Recker
Sister Nancy Recker worked for many years as a dietician and has also provided spiritual care to Precious Blood Sisters at Maria Joseph Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Dayton. “When you work in dietary, you’re feeding the physical body. When you work in chaplaincy, you work in the spiritual side,” Sister Nancy has said. “It’s nour-
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discussing end-of-life care, fears, joys, what gives a patient peace, etc.,” she has said. “We offer prayer and blessings, stand with a grieving family member, companion a caregiver who is stressed, provide a quiet presence when needed. Our ministry is one title with many ways of being … not unlike lots of other ministries.” “Whatever their faith is or isn’t, we meet people at their most vulnerable time,” Sister Terry also said. “In my mind it’s how to be present, open and accepting of them because I can be the face of the church. … I can be that welcoming, open face of God that they may not have seen.”
Cover Story Sister Laura Will (right) with Sister Petronia Krietemeyer at Maria Joseph Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 2006; contributed photo.
ishment. You can’t feed one without the other. You’re still giving life. … Listening is important because you can’t help others if you don’t listen and learn what their concerns are. To me that’s a real work of mercy. It’s a human element and we all need somebody who we trust. We all need somebody to talk to.”
Sister Anna Maria Sanders
“Being a chaplain at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, I found that my 55 years of life experiences played a role in helping me to relate to and connect with the patients, family members and staff at the hospital. My immediate prior five years of working as a licensed nursing assistant at a nursing home while living with my mother who had Alzheimer’s was the springboard for choosing to train to be a chaplain. “The words of Psalm 23, ‘Though I walk in the shadow of death I fear no evil; for you are at my side. . .’ have a greater impact on me now as I saw and experienced the strong faith of patients and 14
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family members as they experienced suffering and death. Sitting with family members as they waited in surgery waiting rooms to hear the news, or standing with family members as life support is withdrawn from their loved one, or listening to a patient who has learned the cancer is spreading are all times when I saw faith strengthening people. The happier moments were when I entered a patient’s room with the Eucharist and heard the patient say, ‘You make my day. Thank you for bringing me Jesus.’”
Sister Alice Schoettelkotte
Sister Alice Schoettelkotte ministered at Maria Joseph Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for 37 years in various capacities, including as chaplain and as coordinator and director of spiritual care. “Chaplaincy to me is about holistic caring for a person, seeking with them a rounded sense of well-being which includes not only physical, mental and emotional well-being but also a felt sense of interior peace and wholeness. At the invitation
of the other person, the chaplain enters into her/his world to explore where the person currently is and where she/he wants to be,” she explained. “Together they begin to clarify what will be needed to move in the desired direction. The other person sets a goal and determines the means to move in that direction. The chaplain remains supportive and agrees to meet again to explore progress as next steps are decided, always encouraging the other person to decide what she/he can reasonably do.”
Sister Laura Will
“When I was a music teacher, I used to take the kids over to the nursing homes, and the patients there were just enthralled with our singing, and always asked us to come back. So after 44 years of teaching, I went into pastoral care classes. “As a chaplain, being very positive always helps, and just being present to the people who need security and just need your presence. For those patients who had a lot of pain, they seemed to appreciate having soft music. I would sing to them, and they seemed to like that. “I listened to them … I read to them. I just talked to them about what to expect. If they were afraid, I think I could calm their fears — because dying is just another part of living. It’s good to talk to them about heaven and all the people they’re going to meet there. I helped them to know that Jesus was coming and that he would make everything all right, and helped them to remember the compassion and mercy of God, and that there’s no need to be scared.”
Chaplains in the History of the Sisters of the Precious Blood This column showcases artifacts or documents from the CPPS Archives in each issue of Sharing & Caring.
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n researching this Archives column, I was reminded of a memory from high school marching band. My sophomore year, we played a show called “Cappella.” This title was meant to be a play on the term a cappella (music without instrumental accompaniment) and the show’s pieces focused heavily on rich instrumentation, especially in the support of soloists. The reason this memory came back to me was because the root word for “chaplain” in Italian is cappella. Cappella in Italian can translate to the word “chapel,” but I also interpreted it as “having accompaniment or support.” This is a huge part of what a chaplain does. She accompanies and supports those who are sick, who need direction, and who feel alone. The earliest Sisters of the Congregation set an example for the chaplains who would come later. In the hours before Foundress Mother Maria Anna Brunner’s death in 1836, the Sisters sat at her bedside and gave her comfort through the praying of the Stations of the Cross. In the following years, Sisters became professionally trained as chaplains in university programs and internships, as well as chaplains who learned on the job. Two Sister chaplains stand out as examples: one, a professionally trained chaplain and the other, one who was trained
“on the job.” In a tradition started in the 1940s with Sisters gaining professional degrees in their ministry fields, in the early 1970s Sisters began to gain professional experience as chaplains through schooling and internships. Sister Elizabeth Ann “Betty” Massarek (M. Irmina) is an example of this path. Sister Betty ministered in Dayton, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Bellevue, Pennsylvania. She was a certified hospital chaplain through the United States Catholic Conference and received her Master of Theology for Pastoral Counseling from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. She ministered as a chaplain for 25 years, from 1978 to 2003. Top, Sister Elizabeth Ann Massarek (right) ministers to a patient and his family at his bedside, ca. 1980. Bot Sister Mary Louise tom, Sister Mary Louise Hoelscher ministers to two Hoelscher (M. Gaspar) Native American women, ca. 1995. represents a chaplain who learned on the job. In the that capacity for over 10 years, 1990s and early 2000s, after from 1993 to 2006. retiring from a 46-year teach These two Sisters are just ing career that took her all some of the dozens who were over the United States, Sisand those who continue to be ter Mary Louise ministered chaplains in the Community; to the Navajo population in they are also part of the hunNew Mexico. One of these dreds who have been giving ministries was as a chaplain their spiritual guidance and in Gallup, New Mexico, at the love since the beginnings of Indian Health Hospital and the Community. in Manuelita, New Mexico, at the McKinley Manor NursStory by Sarah Aisenbrey; photos from the CPPS Archives collection. ing Home. She ministered in Summer 2021 15
Archives
Inside the CPPS Archives
Ministry
13 cries for "Mama"
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s I sit here on retreat in the quiet of this simple hermitage in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, watching deer pass my window, birds flirting from limb to limb singing in the rain, I pause and remember the many faces of our PBMR youth looking for hope, wanting to belong, to be welcomed, to be valued…I see the faces of the Mothers, the grandmothers who come to PBMR pouring out their pain at the shock of losing their son or daughter to homicide. Tears flow…I ask God, “Why?” As the rain and tears begin to pour down heavily, I can hear the sobbing of Grandmother Judy who has lost three of her grandchildren to the horrors of gun violence. She along with 12 other women (ages 16-76) gathered in a circle several Saturdays ago in the backyard of our Mother Brunner Family Center. All 13 had lost a loved one to the violence of Chicago streets. There they sat shoulder to shoulder in the sun as one after another checked in telling the heartbreaking story of how they lost their son, their daughter, their brother, their uncle, their grandchild, and how they carry this indescribable pain every day since they received that dreaded call. All around the circle, there were eye glances saying, “I feel you…I love you.” Alma (76) with her adult daughter by her side, spoke of Nate, whom she and her husband adopted when he was 2 months old; in between sobs she shares how she misses his singing, his humor, his love of family and his daily greeting, 16
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Top, victims' families gather in a circle in the backyard of the Mother Brunner Family Center; bottom, photos of loved ones lost to violence. Contributed photos
“Mama, what’s to eat?” How can she stand to think of him lying in the alley bleeding to death alone? Her pain is held sacred by the young 16-year-old across the circle from her who lost her uncle, nearly a brother being just a few years older than she — she weeps for the loss that she and her family feel day after day with Jammie not at the table. Cinthya tells of the loss of her brother 20 years ago. She weeps as she tells how he was her pro-
tector holding her hand as they walked to school, and how at 14 he was beaten to death with boards. She has been haunted for 20 years at how she could not save him or protect him from that dreadful night. She shares, “The pain just does not go away — there is always a void.” Story by Sister Donna Liette, Family Forward program coordinator at the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation. Originally published by PBMR.
longer with us, and the countless mothers, fathers, siblings who grieve the loss, the void, of the ones they love. As the sobbing lessened, the women were invited into a communal prayer of thanksgiving, of praise, of petition, of lament…soon the cries to God became louder and louder, then like one voice they diminished. And just when we thought the circle was complete, another amazing thing happened — a voice from the support community asked to speak. A man incarcerated for over 30 years had listened to and felt the pain of these women. He stood and told them how he was once a young boy on the streets and
how their cries brought him to the realization that those whom he had harmed had Mothers and that 30 years ago they were the women sobbing because of HIS actions. He said, I cannot apologize to those Mothers, but I want to ask your forgiveness in the hope that it can extend to them somehow. He said, “You have moved me deeply and I am a man today because of you.” I, too, am a better woman, a better Sister of the Precious Blood, because of these women and the community here at PBMR that open their wounds and let us touch their reality. The rain lightens and the sun peeks out…
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 birthdays. 8 8 11 11 12 16 22 29
SEPTEMBER
Nadine Kaschalk Ruth Ann Meyer Mary Ann Mozser Florence Seifert Noemí Flores Della Mae Meyer Rita Rogier Rosemary Laux
1 3 13 17
OCTOBER
Marie Kopin Beverly Ann Bodnar Teresa Maher Patricia Kremer
NOVEMBER
5 Rae Marie Ratermann 12 Angeline Hoffman 12 Maria Luisa Miller 23 Anna Maria Sanders
In Sympathy We offer sympathy to Sisters of the Precious Blood who have recently lost family members, and we offer prayers for our communities and the world. Sister Theresa Rizzo on the death of her sister, Josephine Rizzo, on June 11. Sister Laurene Hemmelgarn (deceased) on the death of her brother-in-law, Ralph Link, during the week of July 4.
Sister Diane Skubby (deceased) on the death of her brother-in-law, Richard Sautter, on July 16. Sarah Aisenbrey, Congregational Archivist, on the death of her grandmother on Au-
gust 9. Sister Edna Hess on the death of her sister, Rosemary Dirksen, on September 8. Sister Joyce Lehman on the death of her sister, Donna Jean Warnimont, on September 9. Summer 2021 17
Ministry
As the talking piece circled around and these stories were told, all those gathered with their individual pain were brought together into this communal lamentation. Tears. Questions. Cries. Silence… At the closing ritual the women were asked to stand and pick up a prepared “banner” from the center circle that held a large picture of their loved one, then one by one they spoke her or his name while the support community cried out, “MAMA”…followed by a remembering silence…13 banners, 13 names, 13 cries for MAMA…representing only a few of the many who are no
Palettes of Prayer
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.
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ister Eileen Tomlinson (1917-2010) entered the Sisters of the Precious Blood on Jan. 31, 1937, just shy of her 20th birthday. She had attended Regina High School in Cincinnati and the YMCA Business College; she went on to receive an education degree from the University of Dayton and a master’s degree in art from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In 1944 she became art professor at the Athenaeum in Cincinnati. She also taught art at Regina High School and became “artist in residence” at Salem Heights, the Congregation’s central house in Dayton. There she taught art to the postulants and novices and also designed vestments for the Ecclesiastical Art Department. In 1968, Sister Eileen journeyed to San Luis Rey, California, where she taught art at San Luis Rey Academy until the school closed in 1977. The academy became the San Luis Rey Parish Center, and Sister Eileen’s art studio, the Loretto House, became the place where adults of the area were taught calligraphy, water color painting and ceramics. Upon returning to Salem Heights in 1997, she continued to share her artistic talents in so many ways: jubilee and special occasion cards, program 18
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cover designs, Mother Brunner statuettes, wood carvings and so much more. She also authored writings on the liturgy and Precious Blood spirituality. Our CPPS Dialog carried her reflections on the liturgical changes following Vatican II and moved us, as a Congregation, to a deeper understanding and appreciation of those changes. The many symbols she designed for Sunday liturgies were always carefully researched, thus deepening her insights into Precious Blood spirituality and becoming sources of written reflections. Sister Eileen lived life with a deep awareness of God’s presence and love — a love which flowed outward through the works of her hands. What we saw was the fruit of her prayer, the depth of her Precious Blood spirituality, her love of the Eucharist and her devotion to our foundress Mother Brunner. At the time of her 60th jubilee, Sister Eileen wrote: “The congregation has been my life. Chosen by the Lord and endowed with talents, I try to live our Precious Blood spirituality happily and joyfully, with an ever-increasing awareness day by day.” From a remembrance for Sister Eileen Tomlinson, by Sister Jeanette Buehler
Top, Sister Eileen paints a statue of Mother Brunner; Pat Morrison photo. Second, Precious Blood and Mother Brunner woodcarvings; third, an abstract painting of Communion hosts; fourth, painting of a chalice and bread on a plate representing the Last Supper/the Eucharist. Contributed photos
May 1935 — August 11, 2021
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Mass of Christian Burial for Precious Blood Sister Rose Helene Wildenhaus was held at the Precious Blood church in Dayton on August 19. She had been a Sister of the Precious Blood for 67 years. Born in May 1935 in Dayton to Linus and Leona Wildenhaus, she was baptized Mary Louise. Her six siblings all arrived in the following 10 years. They were a tight-knit family grounded in life at St. Mary Parish. Mary Lou babysat for her siblings and others; was eager to get chores done so she could be with her friends or play softball which she loved; and she spent some summers at an aunt’s farm helping to take care of the cousins. The parish was also where Mary Lou came in contact with the Sisters of the Precious Blood. In 1954 she entered the Congregation and was given the name Sister Mary Rose Helene. Sister Rose Helene was a teacher and principal for 21 years, ministering in Phoenix, Arizona; Versailles and Troy, Ohio; and at St. Mark, Cin-
cinnati, Ohio. After six years on the leadership team of her religious congregation, she dedicated the next 30 years to providing housing for the poor and elderly. She was instrumental in the founding of St. Leonard’s Center and St. Mary Development Corporation in Dayton. Sister Rose Helene served on the boards of Greater Dayton Premier Management and the Widows Home of Dayton. She was a longtime member and chaplain of the Dayton Catholic Women’s Club. In retirement she continued to volunteer, bringing activities to the residents of Huffman Place and Twin Towers. Sister Rose Helene joins in heaven her parents, Linus and Leona, and two brothers-in-law, Dave Nellis and Ron Clingman. She is survived by her Precious Blood Community of Sisters and six siblings, Elaine Clingman, Connie Wildenhaus, Patricia Nellis, Bob and wife Mary, Tom and wife Claudia, Ed and wife Colleen, and numerous nieces and nephews. Interment took place in the Salem Heights Memorial Garden.
Sister Maureen Mangen April 1935 — July 11, 2021
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Mass of Christian Burial for Precious Blood Sister Maureen Mangen was held at the Salem Heights chapel in Dayton on July 14. She had been a Sister of the Precious Blood for 70 years. In April 1935, Maureen was born in the evening, the youngest of seven children on a farm in Darke County, Ohio, and was baptized at Holy Family Church in Frenchtown the following afternoon. The house she was born in and grew up in was a renovated one-room schoolhouse. Growing up on the farm, Maureen was busy about many things, from taking care of farm animals to plowing, planting, gardening, cooking, canning and cleaning. In September 1949, at age 14, Maureen answered God’s call and began her journey with the Sisters of the Precious Blood. Sister Maureen earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Dayton, a Master of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies from
Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York, and certification as a major catechist for religious education in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. She participated in various workshops and training programs in psychology, spirituality, systematic theology, liturgy, ecumenism, Christology, Scripture, and marriage enrichment. Sister Maureen taught many years in Rensselaer, Fort Wayne and Lafayette, Indiana, as well as Troy and Botkins, Ohio, and in North Dakota. For more than 30 years, prayer and accompanying others on their spiritual journey was Sister Maureen’s ministry at St. John XXIII Retreat Center in Hartford City, Indiana and at St. Joseph Center in Tipton, Indiana, although she gave retreats around the country and the world. Sister Maureen joins her parents and five siblings in heaven. She is survived by her Precious Blood Community of Sisters, one brother, John Mangen, nieces and nephews. Interment took place in the Salem Heights Memorial Garden. Summer 2021 19
In Memoriam
Sister Rose Helene Wildenhaus
4000 Denlinger Road Dayton, OH 45426-2399
Send-off for Chilean Sisters
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fter an extended visit in Dayton, Sisters Noemi Flores and Rita Manríquez Silva headed back to Chile Wednesday, August 4. A special blessing was given to Sisters Noemi and Rita during Mass at Salem Heights, our central house in Dayton, before their departure. Sisters gathered in the Salem Heights lobby to say their goodbyes and wish them safe travels. Sister Edna Hess, president of the Congregation, received word that they arrived safely in Chile with no delays. Sister Noemi serves as a pastoral minister at Capilla Corpus Christi in Santiago, and Sister Rita is sub-director of biblical ministry for the Archdiocese of Santiago. Sisters of the Precious Blood have served in Chile since 1957. Clockwise from right, Sisters Noemi and Rita receive a blessing; hugs and goodbyes before going to the airport; (from left) Sisters Noemi, Maria Luisa Miller, Margie Zureick, Regina Albers and Rita; Contributed photos
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