Cross Currents Magazine, Winter 2018, Vol. 14, Issue 1

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur • Ohio Province

CROSS CURRENTS

Winter/Spring 2018 | Vol. 14/Issue 1

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur change lives by making known God’s goodness with you.

Throughout the world, we are committed to education. We take our stand with those living in poverty, especially women and children in the most abandoned places. Cross Currents is published two times a year for friends of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur by the Ohio Province Development Office.

We invite reader responses on the content of this publication or on the work of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Comments may be submitted to Sister Mary Ann Barnhorn, Director of Development, at barnhorn@sndden.org.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

Ohio Province

701 E. Columbia Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45215

513-761-7636 / 513-761-6159 (fax) www.sndohio.org

Leadership Team:

Sister Carol Lichtenberg, SNDdeN, Provincial

Sister Kathleen Harmon, SNDdeN

Sister Kristin Matthes, SNDdeN

Sister Linda Soucek, SNDdeN

Publisher:

Sister Mary Ann Barnhorn, SNDdeN barnhorn@sndden.org

513-679-8117

Writer: Joe Foley

Production Manager: Angela Weisgerber

Photography:

Cover, Pages 3-5: Rooloph René

Photography

Pages 6-7: Ivan Martinez

Photography

Page 8 top: Courtesy of Badin High School

Page 9: Todd Muskopf Photography

All others by staff.

DEAR FRIEND,

It’s always about the mission!

This was Julie’s conviction. A conviction that led her to insist that the mission of Notre Dame was too big for one city, or even one country. When Amiens in France became too constricting, she moved her congregation to Namur in Belgium. When her Sisters learned of the need of immigrant families in Cincinnati, eight of them sailed across the ocean. When we in Cincinnati heard of the need to educate the children of field workers in Arizona, we boarded the train and were there—and we still are.

And in this century, when the call came to go to Haiti, we went to Haiti.

Wherever the mission has called us, we’ve gone.

THE HAITIAN PEOPLE BUILT THIS!

In this issue of Cross Currents, read about two of our Sisters who embrace Julie’s mission in Haiti and in our newest program, a program we call Live the Good Volunteers.

Live the Good is an invitation for all our friends to share in Julie’s mission just as we have. It’s an opportunity, in your own city, to work side-by-side with our Sisters as they serve the less fortunate. A Live the Good Volunteers experience might be for a few hours, a day or a weekend. But it’s always about one thing.

It’s always about the mission.

It wasn’t an auspicious beginning:

• After years of planning, organizing, sweating the details, they had the land. Then they didn’t. It was too close to the sea, the humidity too high for a bakery.

• Not a cloud for cover, they dug with their shovels. They dug from the surface then dug in the trenches; and each evening, blistered, five dollars more in their pockets, they marveled at the bakery coming to be. Then came the hurricane.

SISTER MARY ANN BARNHORN Director of Development

• For years they raised money for the bakery’s oven. Once purchased, it arrived by ship to Portau-Prince. And wouldn’t fit on the truck.

In each instance, the words of St. Julie rang down through the ages: “If we see the good God sending us many sufferings, sorrows and crosses, let us take care to make good use of them. Let them serve as the foundation for the good to be accomplished…”

Or, as a Haitian man said to Sister Katherine “Sissy” Corr, as he climbed from the debris field of the hurricane, “This is really, really bad, Sister… but give us a week.”

Never mind that the hurricane ruined all their bags of cement,

bought with pennies and nickels and dimes. Never mind that there wasn’t a bag of salvageable cement in all of Les Cayes, a city of 126,000 people. Never mind that the foundation’s trenches were filled with water, or collapsed.

Never mind that Customs held up the oven, the oven wouldn’t fit on the truck, the truck couldn’t turn in the towns.

”Give us a week,” said the Haitian man.

Three of the Notre Dame Boulangerie’s 13 new employees hard at work.

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“Listen,” says Sister Sissy, Director of International Programs for the Notre Dame Mission Volunteer Program, and the bakery’s de-facto project manager, “ I talk to God about this every day. I say ‘how did you get me into this?’” And the Haitians, what do they do? “They don’t have a car or a truck or a van. They bring in supplies on the back of a mini-bike!

"They’re the ones who got this done. The Haitian engineer designed it and the Haitian people got it done.”

AND IT IS DONE.

The Notre Dame Boulangerie (French for bakery) held its open house January 25, and is now baking. Cinderblock, built by hand, no power except from a standalone generator, it’s providing the most precious commodity in all of Haiti—jobs. Because it’s not just the

thirteen employees benefitting, it’s whole families, extended families even, including families who can now afford to put their children in a classroom—and to feed them.

“I was thinking the people would tell me to build a school,” says Sister Sissy. “I’ve never baked a thing in my life. But no, they told me a bakery. They needed jobs. They were pushing us, pushing us, and we were catching up.

“So I was thinking, ‘How do you run a business in Haiti? How do you build in Haiti? How do you build a bakery in Haiti?’”

But Sister Sissy knows about building from the ground up. For twenty-one years she led the Notre Dame Mission Volunteer Program. She began

its association with AmeriCorps, and expanded from six full-time volunteers to 450, and from four cities to 26.

“The first day, when we started the bakery,” she says, “the day we put the first shovel in the ground, you think it would be the best day. But it wasn’t. So many people showed up! They wanted those first thirty or so construction jobs, and there were so many, many of them and we just didn’t have that number of jobs to give them.

“But it was a prayer point moment. It showed we were on the right track. Jobs are what people said they most wanted, and they showed up for them.”

In addition to the bakery itself, Notre Dame Boulangerie includes a small café where baked goods

can be enjoyed on site, and where Sister Sissy, working with Sister Jeannette Pierre-Louis at the nearby Notre Dame Education Center, hopes to offer English, math and computer classes. “We’re training people how to run a business, down to the basics,” she says.

“We put this in the hands of the Haitian people, and they got it done. They adjusted, were resourceful,

ABOVE Concentration: learning a new trade.

“But we’re up and running now,” says Sister Sissy, “baking and selling. Keep in mind it’s modest, but we’re on our way.”

LEFT New jobs: laying the foundation.

resilient… and they never gave up. Nothing deterred them.”

WHAT’S YET TO DO?

A new well needs to be sunk, down to 150 feet, to provide clean water. Currently, water is purchased. A rear fence needs to be added for security, and solar panels need to be installed to lessen reliance on the generator, and the expensive diesel it consumes.

St. Julie, from Paris in 1808, wrote: “I have seen somewhere, my good friend, that the more crosses the good God prepares for anyone, the more lights and graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit He gives him.”

Sister Sissy, shoulder to shoulder with those who dug the trenches, laid the cinderblocks, readied the oven, has seen these “lights and graces and gifts” each and every day. She has seen them in the faces of the people of Haiti!

For more about the work of our Sisters in Haiti, visit our website www.sndohio.org.

I have seen somewhere, my good friend, that the more crosses the good God prepares for anyone, the more lights and graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit He gives him.”

—ST. JULIE BILLIART

The end of the line: bread ready for market.

BELOW

CROSS CURRENTS

Antonette Yunker who, with her 16-year-old daughter, volunteered for the Live the Good service day in Chicago.

“We both came away with a deep appreciation for our community and how people come together to help others in need.”

And that’s the goal, to bring together lay women and men with Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to experience Notre Dame ministries first-hand.

“Our work transforms us and the lives of everyone we work with and encounter,” says Sister Kristin Matthes, who directs the program. Sister Kristin participates in each of the events, including the ten scheduled for this year. She is also organizing an international Live the Good mission experience in Nicaragua, to happen later in 2018.

“I would love to do something like this more frequently,” says Bernice Perez. “To others, I’d say come along, help feed God’s children. You don’t need money to do this. You just need time. And the desire to do it.”

The back page of this issue of Cross Currents has dates and registration information for all 2018 mission experiences. More information is also available on our website at www.sndohio.org or by contacting Sister Kristin at kristin@ohsnd.org.

LIVE THE GOOD VOLUNTEERS

Some worked in the garden, some washed dishes, some served the 100 or so people who needed a meal. It was another day, another opportunity for service for Live the Good Volunteers.

This time it was in Arizona, at the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Mesa dining room and vegetable garden. More than a dozen volunteers gathered for service, prayer and reflection, including Bernice Perez, a Live the Good Volunteer and Notre Dame Associate.

“It’s part of my calling to ministry,” she says, “to give of myself. Some people don’t have the time, but I have the time. It’s my way of giving back, especially for those people who need it the most. It was gratifying for me.”

Live the Good Volunteers, now in its second year, has served the homeless in Cincinnati, sorted food and clothing for a Chicago food pantry, helped paint the St. Julie Center in Baltimore, and split firewood in Appalachia in service to those who are poor. All while working side by side with Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

“We were deeply touched by the warmth of our fellow volunteers. And by how caring, welcoming and devoted the Sisters are,” says

LEFT Sisters and Live the Good Volunteers in Mesa, Arizona.

Sister Kristin Matthes, Director of Live the Good Volunteers, in Kermit, West Virginia.

NEWSBRIEFS

BRAVA SISTER

"IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. JULIE" PILGRIMAGE

Sister Marie Kelly will lead a pilgrimage following in the footsteps of St. Julie Billiart, foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, on July 5-18, 2018. The pilgrimage will travel to the motherhouse in Namur, to Julie’s birthplace in Cuvilly, to Compiègne, where she met co-foundress Françoise Blin de Bourdon and on to Amiens where she founded the Congregation. For more information, please visit our website at www.sndohio.org.

AFFILIATION WITH BADIN HIGH SCHOOL

Meg Sharp, Director of Mission Integration, and Sisters Rita Sturwold, Paula Marie Becker and Claire Foley (above left to right) attended the October 18 Heritage Mass at Badin High School in Hamilton, Ohio. Afterward, the school officially reestablished its affiliation with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Badin High School was formed by the consolidation of Hamilton Catholic and Notre Dame High School in 1966. Notre Dame High School was established by our Sisters in 1886, and its charism continues today with Badin’s reaffiliation.

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

Over 150 alums of Notre Dame High School for Girls in Chicago attended the 3rd annual All School Reunion on Saturday, November 11, at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare.

Representatives of classes from 1941 through 2005 attended, including the 50th anniversary class of 1967 and the 25th anniversary class of 1992.

If you’d like to stay in touch with your NDHS Chicago classmates, visit the NDHS on Mango-Chicago Facebook page.

St. Ursula School in Baltimore, Maryland recently named its gym in honor of Sister Joan Kelly for her many years of inspiring, dedicated and loving service to the school and parish. The sign dedicating the gym is in Sister Joan’s own handwriting, taken from a long lost note sent home with a student.

CLEAN WATER LENTEN PROGRAM UPDATE

With Notre Dame students and our friends across the country, the dream of bringing clean water to our Sisters, families and children in Africa continues through the Clean Water Lenten program. This year, approximately 40 schools and parishes in Chicago, Cincinnati, Dayton, Phoenix and

other cities are raising funds to purchase photovoltaic and borehole components as well as water purification packets to supply clean, safe drinking water to villages in Nigeria and Congo. These resources will help many families get the clean water they need for drinking, cooking and daily activities.

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Students of Mount Notre Dame High School and Chaminade Julienne High School recently hosted the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to express their gratitude for scholarships made on their behalf. Each year, the Sisters provide grants for school leadership to award to young scholars based on merit and need.

Chaminade Julienne students host a breakfast in honor of the Sisters.

LEFT

The Sisters of Notre Dame motherhouse in Namur, Belgium.

RIGHT

Alums from the Class of 2002: Dalila Duarte, Denise Vivanco Martinez and Lorena Mendez.

LEFT

SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR

WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER

SISTER ANNE M cCARRICK

Formerly Monica Marie

May 1, 1930 – Feb. 6, 2018

Sister Anne was recognized for her work as a pioneer in the field of Montessori education. She was known as a good listener, for her kindness, her energetic approach to life, her humor and her sense of fun.

For More Details

To read a more detailed obituary or to leave a comment, visit “About Us” at: www.sndohio.org

SISTER JOANNE SEISER

Formerly Mary Gregory

Jan. 29, 1928 – July 28, 2017

Sister Joanne had a passion for everyone she came into contact with, a relentless commitment to her Sisters and a profound care for truth, growth and a better world.

SISTER MICKI FLYNN

Formerly Patrick Ann

WHAT'S NEW… IN TAXES

The new revisions to our tax laws are front-and-center of the nation’s attention, dominating TV news, the internet and local newspapers. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 has left many people with questions. How will it impact making gifts to favorite charities? What are some of the most effective ways to give this year?

SISTER ANN RENE M cCONN

July 18, 1938 – Jan. 22, 2018

Sister Ann Rene was known for her organized thinking, creativity, tenacity and love for communitybased work. She brought an energy to everything she did that deeply impacted those around her.

SISTER BERNADETTE METZGER

Formerly Daniel Joseph

Nov. 15, 1930 – Sept. 15, 2017

One of Sister Bernadette’s greatest joys was her years of teaching children and the reward of watching them grow and progress.

Sister Micki was known for infusing her teaching with rigor, thoroughness, enthusiasm and humor. She inspired her students and

Sept. 4, 1937 – Jan. 24, 2018 those around her with wit, creativity and a passion for life.

SISTER MARIAN SHELLEDY

Feb. 16, 1928 – Nov. 5, 2017

The spiritual depth and independence that had led Sister Marian to Catholicism and religious life were balanced by her sensitivity, gentleness and quiet grace.

SISTER MARY ELLEN DOW

Nov. 28, 1948 – Oct. 4, 2017

Sister Mary Ellen found fulfillment in campus ministry, in seeing the light in the eyes of young adults as they found God within themselves, or the spirituality they had been searching for.

The answers will depend on individual circumstances, so it’s always wise to discuss any giving ideas with your advisors.

Generally speaking, the charitable deduction was preserved as part of the new law, and the allowable deduction—as a percent of a person’s adjusted gross income— was expanded in some cases. Fewer people will be subject to the estate tax than ever before. And more good news: many of the tax advantages of giving from retirement plans, giving securities and numerous other methods of supporting charitable organizations, such as the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, remain in place.

For example, arranging gifts of stocks or mutual funds that may have increased in value may be particularly attractive. This way of giving allows you to conserve cash and to complete your gift using profits that have never been taxed. Another example: making gifts from your IRA. If you are age 70½ or older, you can direct funds from your IRA to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur tax-free. You may even be able to count these donations toward your required minimum distribution. This is a tax-wise way of making gifts to charitable organizations regardless of whether or not you expect to itemize deductions.

I’m happy to discuss charitable giving ideas and to offer ways to continue your support of the Sisters into the future. Contact me today at khadden@ohsnd.org or 513-679-8106.

KAREN HADDEN Associate Director of Development

Live the Good Volunteers

In May 2017, we launched a new program with our friends across the country called Live the Good Volunteers. You may remember it was originally called Notre Dame Service Corps. That name quickly evolved to our new name and logo. Live the Good Volunteers feels just right!

We are very excited about our plans for this year. Mission experiences are planned two times in each of these locations: Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Phoenix and Kermit, WV. Plans are also underway for the first international mission experience to Nicaragua in the fall.

We are making known God’s goodness by engaging adults of all ages in our mission through service, domestically and internationally. Won’t you join us?

To learn more and to register online, visit us at www.sndohio.org/join-us/live-the-good-volunteers

CROSS CURRENTS CALENDAR

Sunday, April 8 @ 11:00 a.m

Our Lady of the Window Society Mass & Luncheon, Chicago, IL • European Crystal Banquet & Conference Center

Saturday, April 28 @ 8:30 a.m.

Live the Good Volunteers, Baltimore, MD • Julie Community Center

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur 701 E. Columbia Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45215-3999

Address Service Requested

Thursday, May 10 @ Noon Cincinnati Partners in Action Luncheon • Cintas Center at Xavier University

Friday, May 18 – Sunday, May 20

Live the Good Volunteers, Kermit, WV • Big Laurel Learning Center

www.facebook.com/SistersOfNotreDamedeNamurOhio

www.youtube.com/channel/UCIR4latCtInQmn0JCMSfr7Q

twitter.com/SNDdeNOhio

www.sndohio.org

Saturday, June 2 @ 11:00 a.m. St. Joseph Academy Alumnae Association’s June Day Reunion, Columbus, OH • Berwick Manor

Date TBA

Live the Good Volunteers, Matagalpa, Nicaragua • Special Families of St. Julie Billiart

Thursday, July 5 – Wednesday, July 18

“In the footsteps of St. Julie” Pilgrimage Namur, BE • Cuvilly, FR • Compiègne, FR • Amiens, FR

VISIT OUR WEBSITE CALENDAR TO REGISTER AND FOR MORE DETAILS

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

Sisters Kristin Matthes and Kathy O’Hagan stop for supplies in Kermit, West Virginia.