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VOLUME 9 • NO. 1 • 2008
Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis
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MISSION STATEMENT OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF THE THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS Dedication to Jesus Christ involves us intimately in the liberating and reconciling Gathering Place is published to keep
mission—to make God more deeply known and loved, and in so doing, draw all persons to fuller and freer life.
the public informed of the mission and ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the
Together with all our sisters and brothers who strive for a more just world, we undertake those activities which will promote the material and spiritual development of the human family.
Third Order of St. Francis.
The theme for this issue of Gathering Place started, as always, with the Editorial Board. One of the members asked, “What do you desire for your children –— that they be good or that they be happy?” That got us thinking. Parenting would look different in
EDITOR Reneta E.Webb, Ph.D., CAE
EDITORIAL BOARD Sr. Carolyn Bronk Sr. Carol Ann Killoran Theresa Kobak Sr. Sandy Lasecke James Mascal Irene McGrane Sr. Jane Zoltek
each case. But how do you know if your children are “good?” PROOFING STAFF
What do you mean by “happy?” Are they mutually exclusive? Is the question directed only to children, or can we ask the same of the entire human family?
Sr. Mary Adalbert Stal Sr. Dolores Mary Koza Sr. Louise Szerpicki Sr. Judith David
PRODUCTION & LAYOUT Newcomb Integrated Marketing Solutions/ The Printed Word
You are invited to ponder these questions as you travel through the pages of this issue. The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis have many examples of how good and happy can co-exist, and even strengthen each other. Enter into good and happy.
OFFICE Public Relations Office P.O. Box 8441 Bartlett, IL 60103-8441 Telephone: 630-289-3831 Fax: 630-289-0606 Web site: www.ssj-tosf.org e-mail: reneta@ssj-tosf.org
Copyright by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.
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Table of
Contents
VOLUME 9 • NO. 1 • 2008
FEATURES Good and Happy
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God saw that all of creation was good. Living by the criteria for “good” that existed in God is the path to happiness. Jesus revealed to us the joy and peace that life in God can bring.
DEPARTMENTS
Perfect Joy
Sr. Jeanne’s Letter
St. Francis told Brother Leo the meaning of perfect joy.
In the News
1 19
Central Board 2008-2013
Good and Happy People
2008 Peacemakers of the Year
Sister Charlotte Wachadlo
Sister Edmund Antoniewicz
9 11
Sister Michelle Wronkowski
Sister Irmina Bula
Obituaries
34
Sister Marian Mocadlo
Vocation / Formation
Sister Virginia Kendzierski (Alfreda)
Six Professions
Sister Narcissa Blaszczak
Arizona Associates
24
Sister Esther Spychalski Sister Marie Carole DeBacker (Gerard Marie) Sister Rosette Rospotynski Sister Mary Berchmans Majchrowski
Development
2008 Jubilees
31
In Memoriam - Dr. Arlene Lennox
33
Readers’ Response
35
36 What is Spirituality? Sister Elaine Haiduk Sister Roselle Lesinski
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June 2008 Dear Friends, Can we be good and happy at the same time? The integration of happiness and goodness is the work of a lifetime, but small children seem to know how to do this from the start.They can be totally happy playing with the shining sunlight as it disappears into shadow, listening to the profound music of a brook splashing over and around stones on its way to somewhere, or stroking the warm fur of the family pet. Happiness is awareness of the good in the present moment, and the two come together perfectly in childhood enjoyment of the present. The caveat is that we can never be happy clinging to the good of that present moment. Again, children can exhibit complete openness to what the next moment will bring.They have an attitude of contentment in the exploration of now, along with a happy anticipation of the future: “Is it tomorrow yet?” As we grow older, we know when tomorrow will come, but our appreciation of the good of today may diminish our relish for the changes that tomorrow will surely bring—unless we become the change. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see.” Change doesn’t just happen, we create it with each decision we make. As we grow older we learn to go with the flow, loving the change from minute to minute, day to day, year to year, and we gradually shed the awkwardness of youth, donning a gracefulness that comes with age and wisdom. This is my last letter to you as President of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. Thanks for the memories of the journey we have walked together over these past twelve years. I look forward to Sister Jane Blabolil’s and the new Central Board members’ leadership of our congregation, confident that good things are in store for us in the coming years. Be the change, embrace the change, love the change. Can we be good and happy at the same time? It doesn’t matter what the question is, love is the answer. And so, my friends, the next Gathering Place letter will be from Sister Jane. I close this, my last letter to you, with excerpts from a favorite poem by Ranier Maria Rilke: Want the change. Be inspired by the flame Where everything shines as it disappears. What locks itself in sameness has congealed. Pour yourself out like a fountain, Flow into the knowledge that what you are seeking Finishes often at the start, and, with ending, begins. Your sister,
Sister Jeanne Conzemius President
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Good & Happy GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD. —GENESIS 1:10 ach of us — even God, it seems — is constantly evaluating, sorting, deciding “good”
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and “not good” by some internal barometer. We ordinarily don’t put these evaluations into words, or even think them consciously. But they are at the heart of the
choices we make throughout each day, from a pleasing flavor of ice cream to a heroic act of bravery. Something is at work.
Good, by Law In the beginning, the criteria for determining “good” resided in God. The ability to know good and evil came to human beings in a “happy fault,” coming from their grasping nature, wanting it all. God observes that “the human has become like one of us, knowing good and evil ...” Genesis 3:22 Once given this weighty ability, human beings also received the burden of using it well. It was almost more than they had bargained for. Smart people began to realize that good decision making required a lot of wisdom. Wise people began to depend on one another to articulate positive experiences and gain insight into what works to the good. They came to know that treating others in the same way that they would like to be treated was a good measuring stick, a golden rule, for behavior. Much of this wisdom was codified into rules and laws, the greatest of which were the command(continued on page 3)
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Good & Happy (continued from page 2)
ments given by God. It was good for human beings to worship one God, to honor their parents, not to kill, cheat or covet. It was also good to make restitution for evils done. It was good to study the law, to educate children, and to join with others in ceremonies of worship.
…even if Law, then, is the articulation of the best of human
we were
experience and covers a wide range of actions.
to fulfill That which is legal, is the least one can do to be “good.” “Legal” is the common denomina-
all the
tor of basic civility. If people are to live together, wisely using the resources of the earth, relating to one another in a good way, the law of the land points the way.The best known
requirements of these laws,
legal code was that of Hammurabi (ca. 1760 BC), although there are earlier collections as far back as 2000 BC. Hammurabi set down 282 rules that clarified what was good, and ways to deal with behavior that was not good. By 1500-1400 BC, the law was enriched with the
clvil and
ten commandments received by Moses from God. The Torah then expanded the law into 613 mitzvot, “commandments.” Throughout history, societies have established courts of
ecclesial, would that
justice, using written laws as the basis for their determinations.The Catholic Church began collecting decretals of the popes during the 1200s AD which developed into the current Canon Law.All of this was to guide our decisions and behavior toward the good.
make us The law helps us to participate in the wisdom of the ages.“Come up to me on the moun-
“Good?”
tain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commands I have written for their instruction,” God said to Moses. Exodus 24:12 But even if we were to fulfill all the requirements of these laws, civil and ecclesial, would that make us “good?” We all have a fundamental sense that goodness reaches farther than the law. Jesus was very clear that it was not external conformity to the law that makes us “good.” Rather, the internalizing of the law, making the law live within, is what transforms each of us. Even as early as the writing of the first five books of the Bible, the patriarchs encouraged us to treasure the law and make it our own. “For this law which I am laying down for you today is neither obscure for you nor beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we can hear and practice it?’ Nor is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, ‘ Who will cross the seas for us, and bring it back to us, so that we can hear and practice it?’ No, the word is very near to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart for you to put into practice.” Deuteronomy 30 :11-14
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As moral human beings, we are drawn to a higher level of goodness. Being a moral person rests on the internalization of the law.A moral person does not have to consult the law in order to know what is good and what is evil. Moral persons so live in the law that they no longer must consult the law to know what is good and not good. And more, they live in such a way that their “good” goes beyond the law.They contribute more than is required.
Moral people
The whole situation is better for their having been a part of it.
have a vision Moral people have a vision greater than the law and are able to see the law for what it is
greater than
— human-made guides of human behavior.The Decalogue being an exception, laws, rules and regulations can be reviewed and re-evaluated and sometimes rewritten. In the Sermon
the law and
on the Mount, Jesus repeated “You have heard it said ... but I say to you ...,” going beyond
are able to
the law to higher moral living.
see the law Those who have internalized the law are in touch with the intent and meaning of the law. Moral people know the profound truth to which the law is guiding them. For that reason,
for what
Jesus could challenge the Pharisees with regard to the Sabbath practices, or the touch of
it is—
a sinner. He knew the Spirit from which the law was written.
human-made
Good, by Spirit The descriptive “good” appears in the Bible about 600 times, depending on the translation.
guides of
It refers to a good spirit, a good death, doing good, knowing good and evil, good faith, good land, good master, good shepherd.The term is used freely, as though there is an expectation that everyone has a sense of what it means.
human behavior.
Jesus gave us the key to goodness of spirit and how one can enter such a state. It was in His conversation with the rich young man: And someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing should I do that I may obtain eternal life? And He said to him,“Why are you asking me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder.You shall not commit adultery.You shall not steal.You shall not bear false witness.You shall honor your father and mother.And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these things I have kept.What am I still lacking?” Jesus said to him,“If you wish to be complete, go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow me.” Matthew 19:16-21 (continued on page 5)
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Good & Happy (continued from page 4)
The first step is obeying the commandments.And again, the question — If we obey all the rules and commandments, are we good? What are we still lacking? “If you wish to be complete, go sell your possessions and give to the poor ...” We ordi-
In HIM
narily think of possessions as material things, but there is a broader meaning to it as well. What are those things which we would like to hold tightly? We value time.We hold on to
we live and move
the good opinion of others.We are convinced of our opinion as right.We enjoy positions of power. Sell your “possessions.” Give them to the ones who need them. Spend time with the ones who are imprisoned in grief. Rejoice at the success of others. Give your atten-
and have our being.
tion to a child. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Then, what are we still lacking? “Come follow me.” Following Jesus means walking with God, an image that runs through the Old and New Testaments.The prophet Micah clearly states,
Acts 17:28
“You have been told what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do right, to love goodness and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 “So, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him ...” Colossians 2:6 Walking with God means living in the spirit of Jesus who said,“I am the Way.” I am the way you hug your children. I am the way you give of your time. I am the way you take “time out” when things are not going well. I am the way you respect all of creation. I am the way events unfold each day. I am the way under your feet.“And look, I am with you always.Yes, even to the end of time.” Matthew 28:20 So the idea of “goodness” ends up where it began — in God. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28 If we live in the spirit of God, we live in goodness. In God, in good.
Pursuing Happiness The pursuit of happiness can be deceptive.We deceive ourselves into thinking that we can be relieved of all unhappiness, and that relief will make us happy. In the year 2000, we spent $13.4 billion on Prozac.We have an obesity crisis in the United States.We are developing a dependence on passive entertainment. The louder the music, the better time we think we’re having. We look forward to “happy hour.” Financial success, the corner office, this year’s model car, sexual pleasure, cosmetic surgery, all become “must haves.” Pursuing “happiness” gets sidetracked into thrills, distraction, self-indulgence and fraudulent bonhomie. We expect happiness to come from some external thing, event, or person.
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Good & Happy (continued from page 5)
Pursuing happiness has to do with gratification. It seeks reward and recompense, as though we are owed this. Pursuing happiness sets us up for disappointment because it comes to an end.The new car smell fades.The video game gets boring.We continue to age.We blame others for not making our lives happier. It’s a doomed cycle. Imagine your hand being drawn through water.You are making the effort.You are moving ahead.The swirls follow every time. Happiness is like that. It is not the happiness we pursue, it is the goal toward which we move with happiness in its wake; doing those things, living life in such a way, that brings happiness. It is not pursuing happiness. It is finding happiness as a result of good living. Jimmy Durante, the big nosed comedian of the 1900s radio and TV, had it right when he sang, “Make someone happy. Make just one someone happy, and you will be happy, too.”
The State of Happiness Happiness is a state of being. It is the abiding presence of peace and joy that comes from being good and doing good. It is the assurance that one is loved, first by God, and then by those for whom one’s life is given. Because it is an internal state, it cannot be taken away. Even in the face of suffering, disappointment, and reverses of life, there is a steady river of joy. As Christophe Andre says in his book The Art of Happiness,“Accept that there will be unpleasant things in life. All the time, every day, you’ll face hindrances: you’ll be too late, or make a mistake, or say something stupid. It’s the rent you pay to live in the house of life.There’s no point in being disappointed when things don’t go your way.” A sense of mission enriches the ecology of joy, particularly if it is focused on service of others. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, her spirit rejoiced. When a family prepares a Thanksgiving dinner, they are not thinking about the drudgery of kitchen work. When parents envision their child’s graduation, the daily routine becomes energized. So, while the journey makes us happy, it needs a destination.The goal makes it a journey rather than wandering. Love and relationship are necessary to happiness. When all the external trappings of happiness are gone, that which endures is our relationship to others. Living in love, in communion and community with others, incarnates the law of love that Jesus gave us,“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second law is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 There is a Zulu word “abunto” 7
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which is often translated to mean community, but more accurately it is rendered “I am because we are; we are because I am.” Or another translation has it, “A person becomes a person with others.” Happiness lives in relatedness. Brother David Steindl-Rast has long been a proponent of gratefulness. His web site,
A sense of
www.gratefulness.org, carries the tag line “Alive with the joy of gratitude.” He has written a book entitled Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer in which he describes this thankful attitude of prayer. Sarah Ban Breathnach, who wrote Simple Abundance, says on her web site “At
mission enriches
the heart of simple abundance is the belief that true contentment lies not in some distant horizon, attainable only by immense sacrifice, but is found all around us. It exists in the
the ecology
creative choices we make each day and the awareness and appreciation of simple pleasures, bountiful blessings and everyday epiphanies.” Christophe Andre continues in his The Art of Happiness,“Take time out.The ability to pause, mentally as well as in your actions,
of joy, particularly
is important. Taking breaks is a prerequisite for experiencing happiness. Pay attention to your family and friends. Social ties are important for happiness. Don’t let a day go by with-
if it is
out thinking of, or seeing, someone you love. Try to get in touch with nature every day. Take a walk in the park and spend a few minutes looking at nature. Express your gratitude and respect for the good things you experience. Being thankful makes you happy and
focused on service
increases the chance of social connection.” Happiness and gratefulness grow together.
of others. Being good in the spirit is living in the state of happiness. Mend a quarrel. Search out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion, and replace it with trust.Write a love letter. Share some treasure. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in a word or deed. Keep a promise. Find the time. Forego a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Listen. Apologize if you were wrong.Try to understand. Flout envy. Examine your demands on others.Think first of someone else. Appreciate, be kind, be gentle. Laugh a little more. Deserve confidence. Meet malice with peace. Decry complacency. Express your gratitude.Worship your God. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love. Speak it again. Speak it still again. Speak it still once again.
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ne winter day, St. Francis was coming to St. Mary of the Angels from Perugia with
O
Brother Leo, and the bitter cold made them suffer keenly. St. Francis called to Brother Leo, who was walking a bit ahead of him, and he said,“Brother Leo, even
if the Friars Minor in every country give a great example of holiness and integrity and good edification, nevertheless, write down and note carefully that perfect joy is not in that.” And when he had walked on a bit, St. Francis called to him again, saying,“Brother Leo, even if a Friar Minor gives sight to the blind, heals the paralyzed, drives out devils, gives hearing back to the deaf, makes the lame walk, and restores speech to the dumb, and what is still more, bring back to life a man who has been dead for four days, write that perfect joy is not in that.” And going on a bit, St. Francis cried out again in a strong voice, “Brother Leo, if a Friar Minor knew all languages and all sciences and Scripture, if he also knew how to prophesy and to reveal, not only the future, but also the secrets of the consciences and minds of others, write down and note carefully that true joy is not in that.” And as they walked on, after a while St. Francis called again forcefully, “Brother Leo, Little Lamb of God, even if a Friar Minor could speak with the voice of an angel, and knew the courses of the stars and the powers of herbs, and knew all about the treasures in the earth, and if he knew the qualities of the birds and the fishes, animals, humans, roots, trees, rocks and waters, write down and note carefully that true joy is not in that.” And going on a bit further, St. Francis called again strongly, “Brother Leo, even if a Friar Minor could preach so well that he could convert all infidels to the faith of Christ, write that perfect joy is not there.” Now, when he had been talking this way for a distance of two miles, Brother Leo in great amazement asked him, “Father, I beg you in God’s name to tell me where perfect joy is.” And St. Francis replied,“When we come to St. Mary of the Angels, soaked by the rain and frozen by the cold, all soiled with mud and suffering from hunger, and we ring at the gate of the place and the brother porter comes and says angrily, ‘Who are you?’ And we say ‘We are two of your brothers.’ And he contradicts us, saying,‘You are not telling the truth. 9
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Rather you are two rascals who go around deceiving peo-
grasping us by
ple and stealing what they give to the poor. Go away!’ And
the cowl throws
he does not open for us, but makes us stand outside in the
us to the ground,
snow and rain, cold and hungry, until night falls — then if
rolling us in the mud and
we endure all those insults and cruel rebuffs patiently, without being troubled and without complaining, and if we reflect humbly and charitably that that porter really knows us and that God makes him speak against us, oh, Brother Leo, write that perfect joy is there!
snow, and beats us with that club so much that he covers our bodies with wounds — if we endure all those evils and insults and blows with joy and patience, reflecting that we must accept and bear the sufferings of the Blessed Christ patiently for
“And if we continue to knock, and the porter comes out in
love of Him, oh, Brother Leo, write: that is perfect joy!
anger, and drives us away with curses and hard blows like bothersome scoundrels, saying, ‘Get away from here, you
“And, now hear the conclusion, Brother Leo.Above all the
dirty thieves. Go to the hospital! Who do you think you
graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit which Christ gives to His
are? You certainly won’t eat or sleep here.’ And if we bear
friends is that of conquering oneself and willingly enduring
it patiently and take the insults with joy and love in our
sufferings, insults, humiliations, and hardships for the love of
hearts, oh, Brother Leo, write that that is perfect joy!
Christ. For we cannot glory in all those other marvelous gifts of God, as they are not ours but God’s, as the Apostle
“And if later, suffering intensely from hunger and the painful
says, ‘What have you that you have not received?’ But we
cold, with night falling, we still knock and call, and crying
can glory in the cross of tribulations and afflictions, because
loudly beg to open for us and let us come in for the love
that is ours, and so the Apostle says,‘I will not glory save in
of God, and he grows still more angry and says, ‘Those fel-
the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ.’’
lows are bold and shameless ruffians. I’ll give them what they deserve.’ And he comes out with a knotty club, and
To whom be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
From the Little Flowers of St. Francis, The Fioretti
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– S R . M A RY C H A R L O T T E WA C H A D L O –
A Life for God Elsie Wachadlo entered the convent three times.There was no escaping the determination she had to live a life for God. She was born in East Chicago, Indiana, June 16, 1923, a twin and the sixth of the seven children of Mary and Stanislaus Wachadlo. She attended St. Stanislaus School in East Chicago where she came to know the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. She knew in her heart that this was the way she wanted to live her life for God. After two years at Roosevelt High School, she entered the congregation in 1940. A fainting spell sent her home again for some rest and recuperation. In the summer of 1942, she entered the SSJ-TOSFs a second time, determined to give her whole self to the congregation’s mission and ministry. The congregation was undergoing some changes at the time and was not prepared to accept candidates, so Elsie left for a few months and returned a third time in the fall of 1942.The third time was the charm. She became a postulant, and entered the novitiate on August 10, 1943, receiving the name Sister Mary Charlotte. There is a certain peaceful resilience to people who are good and happy. Their “houses,” as Jesus described, are built on solid rock. The foundation remains solid no matter what the weather. Sr. Charlotte is one of those persons with a grounding in God, in good. Her joy in every situation comes from that foundation.
The first candidature A postulant in 1943
Elsie before entering the convent
First Vows 1945
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Investing Day 1943
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Visiting barrios and working with ungraded children
She began her teaching ministry in 1945, teaching kindergarten at St. Mary of Czestochowa School in Cicero, Illinois. After a year, there was a need for a kindergarten teacher at Transfiguration School in Chicago, Illinois, and Sr. Charlotte was there with a smile, teaching primary grades for the next ten years. In 1956, she went to St. Mary of Perpetual Help School in Chicago, Illinois, all the while honing her skills as an educator. A Fitting Response, the history of the SSJ- TOSFs written by Sister Josephine Marie Peplinski, states that in 1961,
Sr. Charlotte and her class at Our Lady of Monserrate in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, 1963
“Right Reverend Agostino Casseroli, under secretary of the pontifical commission for Latin America, presented to [the Institute of Higher Superiors] a ten-year plan. He urged the religious superiors of the United States to tithe, that is, to send ten percent of their active sisters
“My teaching experience was the basis of my ability to open a school in
to South America within the next ten years.” (p. 477) This call came during Sr. Charlotte’s years at St. Mary’s. She responded to that call, and in 1963, she and three other sisters opened Our Lady of Monserrate School in Jayuya, Puerto Rico. Sr. Charlotte was the principal,
Puerto Rico. My work with the children in Puerto Rico led me to my ministry with special children and adults.
superior and teacher. “My teaching experience was the basis of my ability to open a school in Puerto Rico. My work with the children in Puerto Rico led me to my ministry with special children and adults. Life unfolds in (continued on page 13)
Life unfolds in beautiful ways.”
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– SR. MARY CHARLOTTE –
A Life for God
(continued from page 12) beautiful ways,” said Sr. Charlotte. After six years of teaching in the Catholic school, Sr. Charlotte took a position with the public schools in Puerto Rico teaching the ungraded and developmentally disabled children. In many cases, they were ungraded because of the lack of opportunity to learn.This was a turning point in Sr. Charlotte’s ministry. She was convinced of the beauty and unlimited potential of all of God’s children, and set her energy to calling the best from each of them. Her passion for enabling those who, to many, seemed unable led her back to the United States as a teacher at the Bartlett Learning Center in Bartlett, Illinois. The Bartlett Learning Center, now Clare Woods Academy, is an SSJTOSF sponsored ministry dedicated to educating the developmentally disabled, and providing work and living skills for independent living. For eight years, Sr. Charlotte devoted her life to God in each of her students. All the while, God was weaving out the next phase of Sr. Charlotte’s ministry. For one school year, 1978-79, Sr. Charlotte taught at Immaculate Conception School in Fairbanks, Alaska, joining Sr. Sylvia Dolores Plochocki and several other sisters who staffed the school. The weather
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As director of residential services at St.Vincent Home for Children, Freeport, Illinois
was different from Puerto Rico or from Illinois, but the needs of the children were the same. When Sr. Charlotte became the Director of Residential Services at St. Vincent Home for Children in Freeport, Illinois, in 1979, she had no idea that her ministry would reside there for the next twenty-five years. She was drawn to serve the developmentally disabled and it continued to grow into a beautiful ministry. At St. Vincent Home there were a number of women who did housekeeping and cleaning chores
As director of the Group Home, Freeport, Illinois
around the campus.They were themselves developmentally challenged, but were more than capable of maintaining their responsibilities around the campus, some for as long as 20 or 30 years. In 1985, a group of eight of these women moved
Sr. Charlotte has managed to blend goodness and
into a convent building “with Sister Charlotte Wachadlo, who had taken the
happiness into a beautiful
women under her wing like a mother hen,� said a 2004 article in The Journal-
life of God that is still
Standard of Freeport, Illinois. For almost twenty years, Sr. Charlotte served as
brightening lives.
director of this group home, providing service and security for the women. In 2004, Sr. Charlotte provided for the care of the last of the residents, and she herself retired. Sr. Charlotte has managed to blend goodness and happiness into a beautiful life for God that still is brightening lives. She now resides in Clare Oaks, a continuing care retirement community in Bartlett, Illinois. She fills the home with happiness that comes from a life lived for God.
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– SR. MICHELLE WRONKOWSKI –
Doing the Work of Jesu s “Everything in the school radiates from here,” said Sister Michelle Wronkowski as she passed the chapel of Lourdes High School in Oshkosh,Wisconsin, where she serves as principal. The doors of the chapel were open wide, soft music played invitingly and the focused lighting led the visitor into quiet prayer. Somehow, it was a reflection of the spirituality of Sr. Michelle, a solid grounding in Jesus, a deep respect for the Sacred Meal, and a conviction about the love that joins all human beings into a family. These were life lessons that Sr. Michelle learned as she was being raised in Wausau, Wisconsin, the middle child of seven siblings. She was born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on February 4, 1961, and her family moved to Wausau when she was a year and a half old. By the time she was in high school, she was working in a pizza parlor, playing three high school sports and being a good and happy teen. It wasn’t until she graduated from D.C. Everest High School in Schofield, Wisconsin, that the pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Schofield introduced her to the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. She found kindred spirits and was drawn to the Franciscan way of life. “I knew then, as I do now, that we are on mission together, doing the work of Jesus,” said Sr. Michelle. Sr. Michelle completed her novitiate and graduated from St. Norbert College in DePere,Wisconsin, with a bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Theology and Math, graduating magna cum laude. In 1989, she began teaching middle school Math, Art and Drama at St. John Nepomucene School in Little Chute, Wisconsin. One of the fourteen years she spent there, she served as Assistant Principal. She earned two master’s degrees, one in Education and the other in Administration. Further, while ”doing the
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“I am fortunate to belong to a family that helps me celebrate life and focus on togetherness.” work of Jesus,” she also made a mark as the only sister to ever play on a local restaurant’s baseball team as a star player for two years. Somewhere along the line, she acquired a motorcycle license. But, keeping the balance of action and quiet time, she is drawn to the serenity of Wisconsin fishing.“I am fortunate to belong to a family that helps me celebrate life and focus on togetherness,” said Sr. Michelle. Her “family” includes both her relatives and her sisters in community. For all of them she cares deeply.
(continued on page 17)
Fun time on the water with her nephew
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– SR. MICHELLE WRONKOWSKI –
Doing the Work of Jesu s (continued from page 16) She co-founded the Anawim music ministry with her friend, Sr. Sandy Lasecke, who shares ministry in education. Sr. Michelle plays a seven piece drum set, and is also gifted in playing other stringed instruments. It doesn’t take much time with Sr. Michelle to know that she has a source of life and zest that springs from God. “I am a member of the community first,” said Sr. Michelle. “I am grateful that I have a challenging and faith-journeying community that allows me the freedom to discern my responsibilities as a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis.” Sr. Michelle is living “good and happy” and in the process is making a difference in the world. In 2001, she became a principal of St. Francis Cabrini School in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. She was then invited to be the principal of Lourdes High School, and for a while, held both principalships until a replacement could be found for the grade school.
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Sr. Michelle is leaving her position as principal of Lourdes High School at the end of the 2007-08 school year to do the work of Jesus in another way. In February 2008, she was elected First Vice-President of Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. She will be serving in that position for the next five years until the next General Chapter in 2013. When asked what she desires for the SSJTOSFs, that they be good or that they be happy, she quickly responded — good. And what is good? “That they live in the spirit of Jesus,” she asserted, true to the Franciscan way of bringing goodness and joy together in Gospel living.
When asked what she desires for the SSJ-TOSFs, that they be good or that they be happy, she quickly responded — good. And what is good? “That they live in the spirit of Jesus.”
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THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF THE THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS
ELECT LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR 2008-2013 The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis elected the congregation’s leadership team at the 25th General Chapter held in South Bend, Indiana, February 8-11, 2008:
Sister Dorothy Pagosa, Second Vice-President Sister Linda Szocik,Third Vice-President Sister Jane Blabolil, President Sister Michelle Wronkowski, First Vice-President
The election represented an enthusiastic endorsement of the leadership of these four women, all of whom will complete their term of office in June 2013.
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Sister Therese Duclos calls the Chapter session to prayer.
he new term of office will begin July 1, 2008,
T
and end with the next General Chapter five years from now in 2013. From experience, the
members of the congregation know that the four persons in leadership truly operate as a team. Even
Sister Jane Blabolil receives the support of the sisters following the election.
though separated geographically, the leadership team remains in close contact with one another personally, as well as through technology. On the first day of the 25th General Chapter, February 8, 2008, the voting participants invoked the guidance of the Holy Spirit in choosing the leadership that will move the congregation forward, witnessing the Franciscan way of Gospel living.After the balloting, the chapter participants blessed each of the newly elected leadership and pledged their support in carrying out the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis: Dedication to Jesus Christ involves us intimately with his liberating and reconciling mission - to make God more deeply known and loved and in so doing draw all persons to a fuller and freer life. Together with all our sisters and brothers who strive for a more just world, we undertake those activities which will promote the material and spiritual development of the human family. In turn, the newly elected leadership team committed themselves to journey with the congregation as they move to a new phase of the congregation’s history.
Sister Jeanne Conzemius, the SSJ-TOSF President until July 1, 2008, presided over the balloting at the 25th General Chapter. Sister Jo Ann Poplar and Sister Susanne Skorich served as tellers.
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L
The transition team: Srs. Mary Alice Jarosz, Dorothy Pagosa, Valerie Kulbacki, Linda Szocik, Jane Blabolil, Jeanne Conzemius, Michelle Wronkowski, and Katherine Wyszynski
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Sister Jane Blabolil, elected as President, resides in Cleveland, Ohio. She has served in the missions in Tahuantinsuyo, Lima, Peru, for over twenty years. She has now concluded her ministry with the Isaias Duarte Center in Cleveland, focusing on the immigration situation in the United States.
Sister Dorothy Pagosa, Second VicePresident, is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. She has been a resident of Chicago, Illinois, for over twenty years. During that time she has ministered as a staff member of the 8th Day Center for Justice. She also serves as chair of the congregation’s Social Justice Commission.
Sister Michelle Wronkowski is originally from Manitowoc,Wisconsin. She is a gifted educator and, at the end of the past school year, has completed her ministry as principal of Lourdes High School in Oshkosh,Wisconsin. She will serve as First Vice-President.
The Third VicePresident, Sister Linda Szocik (Eva Marie), previously served as President of the congregation. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner and Spiritual Guide at St. Ben’s Clinic in Milwaukee,Wisconsin, a facility serving the poor and homeless.
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2008
PEACEMAKERS OF THE YEAR
Sister Mary Irmina Bula
Sister Mary Edmund Antoniewicz
Sister Mary Edmund Antoniewicz and Sister Mary Irmina Bula have been chosen as the congregation’s 2008 Peacemakers of the Year. They will be honored at the annual Franciscan Federation Conference “Pilgrims and Strangers: Eyes Fixed on Christ,” July 24-27, 2008, in Denver, Colorado. Srs. Edmund and Irmina have provided foster care to 84 children and adults during the thirty-five years they have ministered together at the Sisters’ Treatment Home in Two Rivers,Wisconsin. They provide total care twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. At one time, a newspaper reporter asked if they ever take a vacation. They responded,
“Our vocation is our vacation.”
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Sr. Edmund is originally from SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After high school, she worked several jobs before she entered the congregation at the age of 33. She was invested on August 10, 1957. When she completed the two years of novitiate, she went to Marymount Hospital in Garfield Heights, Ohio, to complete her studies as a medical records librarian. Meanwhile, Sr. Irmina entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis in 1940 from St. Hyacinth’s Parish in Antigo, Wisconsin. She became a novice on August 5, 1941. She began her ministry as a teacher in kindergarten and first grade, a ministry she enjoyed for seventeen years. In 1959, Sr. Irmina went to St. Mary Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, for training as a dietician. She became a registered dietician and consulting dietician in hospitals and nursing homes for the next fourteen years. It was at St. Joseph Home and Hospital in River Falls, Wisconsin, in 1941, that Sr. Edmund and Sr. Irmina first met.They shared the same dream of opening a foster home for severely handicapped children. It took several years for the plans to gel, but on November 16, 1972, with the approval of the Manitowoc County Department of Social Services, they took the first four children into their home. For the first years, Sr. Edmund continued with her work in medical records, and Sr. Irmina served as a hospital dietician, each on different shifts so that someone could be with the children at all times. By 1977, it was apparent that the ministry to the children was full time.“From the very beginning,” said Sr. Edmund,“we decided to ‘sacrifice our steady footing’ and lay our lives on the line in dedication to foster children. Our goal was and is to live out a life for the glory of God through service to His people, especially the poor — in this case, the mentally and/or physically handicapped children. ‘Before you, O Lord, our lives. What good a life if it is not given away?’” The Sisters’ Treatment Home, a not-for-profit organization supported by the Manitowoc County Department of Social Services, functions as a private school, and the children receive therapy treatments in the home from Occupational, Physical, Speech and Inhalation Therapists, as well as assistance from child care workers. Srs. Edmund and Irmina give their all to the children. They get their energy, in their words,“from the Lord’s providential presence; the gift of Franciscan, loving, caring and joyful sisters; and our love for the Lord’s very special children. His work, our hands.”
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VOCATION / FORMATION
Six Professions S I X WO M E N M A K E VOW E D C O M M I T M E N T
W IT H T HE S IS TERS O F S T. JO S EPH O F THE THIRD O RD E R OF ST. FRANC IS
Between April and August of 2008, the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis accepted the vowed commitment of six women: Sisters Arlid Barrera, Anne Marie Luberda, Barbara Suntava, Judith Wood, Kimberly Mulhearn and Shannon Fox. Sister Arlid Barrera professed first vows on April 5, 2008, at St. Joseph Motherhouse, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Rev. Patrick Hussey, SJ, was the celebrant of the Mass during which Sister Jeanne Conzemius, SSJ-TOSF President, assisted by Sister Mary Alice Jarosz, Central Board Member, received Sr. Arlid’s vows on behalf of the congregation. Sr. Arlid was born and raised in Colombia, South America, the oldest of seven children. She came to the United States when she was 22 years old, and became a U.S. citizen in 1996. She worked a factory job, taught Spanish and English as a second language; she worked as a pastoral minister in North Carolina and Ohio, particularly on peace and justice issues relating to the poor and marginalized. She found kindred spirits in the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, the congregation she entered on January 25, 2007. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay; a Lay Ministry Certificate from the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina; and a Certificate from the Pastoral Studies Program at South East Pastoral Institute in Florida. On May 10, 2008, at an 11:00 a.m. liturgy, Sisters Anne Marie Luberda and Barbara Suntava professed perpetual vows in Clare Hall Chapel at Marymount Convent in Garfield Heights, Ohio. Srs. Anne Marie and Barbara have each spent years of ministry, prior to this final commitment with the SSJTOSF congregation. (continued on page 25)
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Six Professions
(continued from page 24)
Sister Anne Marie Luberda is a registered nurse. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and entered the congregation from St. Hyacinth Parish where she attended grade school. She graduated from St. John College, Cleveland, and served briefly at Marymount Hospital before going to St. Joseph Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, where she served through the challenging 1960s. She prepared for hospital administration with a degree from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, and served for seven years as Assistant Vice President of St. Joseph Hospital in Grand Blanc, Michigan. She currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Sister Barbara Suntava was born in Bristol, Connecticut, where she attended St. Stanislaus Grade School. She moved to Garfield Heights, Ohio, graduating from Marymount High School. She began her career as a teacher, but after four years became a student nurse at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and completed her nursing degree at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She worked with Sr. Anne Marie Luberda for several years at St. Joseph Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, and spent almost ten years at Marymount Hospital in Garfield Heights, Ohio.With further study at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, she became an Assistant Director of Nursing Services at DePaul Hospital in Clayton, Missouri. Again, she worked as R.N. with Sr.Anne Marie Luberda at St. Joseph Hospital in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Sr. Barbara resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sister Judith Wood professed first vows on May 10, 2008, at a vesper service in Assisi Chapel of the Village at Marymount, Garfield Heights, Ohio. Sr. Judith was raised in Cleveland, Ohio.At the time she was attending Kent State University, she had the opportunity to join the faculty of St. Stanislaus School as a fourth grade teacher. It was there that she became acquainted with the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. After several years of teaching, she became a full time student at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois. The degree in Pastoral Ministry prepared her to become Director of Adult Education at St.Angela Parish in Fairview Park, Ohio, and then, Pastoral Minister at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Macedonia, Ohio. She completed a second master’s degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio. For the last seventeen years, Sr. Judith has been on the staff of the Bellflower Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse in Cleveland, Ohio. Her current title is Supervisor.
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Sister Kimberly Mulhearn professed final vows on July 5, 2008, at an 11:00 a.m. liturgy in the Clare Oaks Chapel, Bartlett, Illinois. Sr. Kim was born in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of the three children of Rose and James Mulhearn. She attended Our Lady of the Snows Grade School, and entered the SSJ-TOSFs after her graduation from Lourdes High School in 2003. Sr. Kim attended Indiana University in South Bend, Indiana, completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. Sr. Kim is also part of the Franciscan Chords, the SSJ-TOSF music group, and is the youngest vowed member of the congregation. “Each day of my vowed life, I learn more profoundly how community living supports my sharing the Franciscan charism with every person I meet,” said Sr. Kim. Sister Shannon Fox will profess perpetual vows on August 9, 2008, at an 11:00 a.m. liturgy in Assisi Chapel, Marymount Village, Garfield Heights, Ohio. Sr. Shannon was the first of three children born to Dennis and Linda Fox. Although she was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She comes from a family of teachers — both her parents and her sister. She also developed a love for teaching while working for two years with Americorps, administering after-school programs. In 2007, Sr. Shannon completed a Master of Science Degree in Special Education from Indiana University in South Bend, Indiana, with a 4.0 GPA. This past year, she taught special education at Harrison Primary School in South Bend. On recalling the occasion of her first vows, Sr. Shannon said, “One of the happiest days of my life was the day I first professed the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as a Sister of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis.”
“One of the happiest days of my life was the day I first professed the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as a Sister of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis.”—Sr. Shannon Fox
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Ten Arizona Associates VOCATION / FORMATION
Back Row: Peggy Medley, Charlene Krushinski, Patricia DeVito, Jean Herring, Mary Frances Cieszynski, Jan Tappan Front Row: Dian Radtke, Doris Klag, Jennifer Perez-Florez, Maria Davis, Sister Francesca Grzeslo, Sister Jane Blabolil
n Thursday, May 15, 2008, four SSJ-TOSF Asso-
O
ciates renewed their commitment and six more Associates made their first commitment at
St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Avondale, Arizona. Sr. Francesca Grzeslo, who serves at St.Thomas Aquinas Catholic Community, and Sr. Jane Blabolil, who is the President of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, received the commitments on behalf of the congregation. 27
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The Arizona Associates introduce themselves: Patricia DeVito I just celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary. We
My desire is to continue to live my life through the words of St. Francis: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.”
have four sons who have been the light of our lives.
Jean Herring I have been married for
My sons are Michael,Tim,Tom
fifteen years, and am the
and John. My husband is Mike. I’ve been teaching in the Diocese of Phoenix for eleven
mother of two great girls.
years. I completed my master’s degree in
I am a school nurse at
Curriculum and Instruction this year.
St.Thomas Aquinas Grade School. I feel very blessed to be
This is the second year of my commitment to the
part of the SSJ-TOSF family.
SSJ-TOSF mission and ministry, and I have relied on the community support during this past year after losing my mother. I somehow felt that our group
Mary Frances Cieszynski
had a direct link to heaven, especially with our
I am a single mother of
moderator, Sr. Francesca Grzeslo. It is with great
three beautiful children
humility that I open my mind and heart to wherever
and their spouses, ages
the Spirit of God may lead me.
35-40, and “Grammy” of six fantastic and adorable grand-chil-
Charlene Krushinsky I am a mother of three
dren, ages 10 months to 17 years. I am very proud of all of them and their achievements.
beautiful daughters who are the love of my life!
I attended Catholic grade school and college. I still
My oldest, Kelsey will be
correspond with Sr. Raymond Joseph, my second
a freshman in high school;
grade teacher who was my mentor.Throughout my
Kaitlyn is a 7th grader; and Jessica
63 years, I have entertained thoughts of becoming a
will be a 3rd grader next school year. I have been a
nun and giving my life fully to the Lord. After I was
teacher at St.Thomas Aquinas Grade School for the
divorced 21 years ago, I seriously contemplated the
last three years and have been in education for
idea. I made my Cursillo 26 years ago and learned
fifteen years.With a master’s degree in Education
how to live in closer union with the Lord, and to
Administration from NAU (Northern Arizona
grow in my community.
University), I have been appointed as the new principal for 2008-2009 at Pope John XXIII School.
(continued on page 29)
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VOCATION / FORMATION
Ten Arizona Associates
(continued from page 28)
I have been the school/financial secretary at
nephews who I hold dear to my heart. I am the sec-
St.Thomas Aquinas school for the past four years.
ond grade teacher at St.Thomas Aquinas Grade
It is there that I befriended Sr. Francesca Grzeslo
School. I have been blessed with the opportunity of
and became interested in the Associate Relationship
teaching at such an AWESOME school. For my stu-
of the SSJ-TOSFs.This is my second year of commit-
dents and their parents, I am grateful.They are, and
ment. I will be venturing out in a new direction this
continue to be, my special gifts from heaven. I am
summer.With my faith, new sisters of SSJ-TOSF, and
now an Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the
St. Francis beside me, I will achieve the new life that
Third Order of St. Francis.To my new sisters, thank
our Lord has in store for me.
you for accepting me as part of your family.
Maria Davis
Doris Klag
My 30-plus years of office
I have been married for
administration has taught
fifty-five years, mother
me many valuable lessons,
of five, grandmother of
most of all, patience.
seventeen. My family is
My relationship with God has
priority #1.
been at the forefront of my life, helping to make all my endeavors successful in the
After nurse’s training, I worked in newborn and
way God intended.With the sisters and associates,
premature nurseries for twenty years, followed by
I hope to enlarge my vision of Gospel living, deepen
thirteen years as a Medical Assistant to six ortho-
my respect for the values they reflect, and live in the
pedic surgeons. I am now retired.
Holy Spirit of God.
Jennifer Perez-Florez I am the wife of Ruben P.
Margaret (Peggy) Medley I have been married for
Florez, Jr. We were united
forty years. I have a twenty-
as one on May 27, 2005,
one year old son attending
celebrating our third anniversary this year. My husband is my life and my rock!
Northern Arizona University. I made my Cursillo nineteen years ago and am active in the Cursillo community.
I am also the daughter of Alfred and Connie Perez
I am an instructional assistant and substitute
who have twelve children, seven boys and five girls.
kindergarten teacher, certified catechist for religious
I also have been blessed with several nieces and
education in the Dioceses of Phoenix and Washington, DC. I have always wanted to be a nun,
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and it is an honor to be an Associate of the Sisters
learn more about the Catholic faith and understand
of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis.
my place in life.
Dian Radtke
Jan Tappan
I was born on December
I am the mother of two
14, 1941, in Massillon,
wonderful girls, ages
Ohio; orphaned at age 15
seventeen and eleven.They
and brought up by relatives. I graduated from Perry High School, Massillon, Ohio, in 1960, and attended Akron University. Sewing is an
are the light of my life! In June of this year, I am to be married to a wonderful man. He has made our lives very happy.
interest of mine, and has been for most of my life. After making wedding gowns for my two daughters
I am honored to be an Associate of the Sisters
in 1980, I started my own business.
of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis.
I made my Cursillo in September 2005. I am constantly seeking a closer relationship with the Lord. I believe that by taking the avenue of the SSJ-TOSF Associate Relationship, I will be able to
Ten Arizona Associates
~ Patricia DeVito ~ Charlene Krushinsky ~ Jean Herring ~ ~ Mary Frances Cieszynski ~ Maria Davis ~ Jennifer Perez-Florez ~ ~ Doris Klag ~ Margaret (Peggy) Medley ~ ~ Dian Radtke ~ Jan Tappan ~
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75th
Sr. Agnes Marie Adasiewicz (Alphonsette)
Sr. Albina Sadowski
Sr. Bonaventa Kazmierski
Sr. Joselle Queoff
Sr. Leandra Chraca
Sr. Maximilia Olejnik
Sr. Perpetua Guzak
Sr. Relinette Pochron
Sr. Rose Ann Kolbus
Sr.Veronette Dzieginski
Jubilarians 70th
Sr. Grace Briskey
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Sr. Raphael Kmiecik
Sr.Virginette Czerwinski
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60th
Sr. Alice Trebatoski (Gabriel)
50th
Sr. Ann Mary Wundrach (Luanne)
Sr. Agnes Jendras
Sr. Alice Chmura
Sr. Barbara Jean Peplinski
Sr. Claire Gonsowski
Sr. Damian Peplinski
Sr. Jane Zoltek (Cecilia Marie)
Sr. Laurentine Andreasik
Sr. Marianne Wiora
Sr. Therese Francis Waldowski
Sr. Virgianne Wantuch
Sr. Eymard Chrusciel
Sr. Maria Kurrie (Pierre)
Sr. Marygrace Puchacz (Dismas)
25th Sr. Theresa Marie Slonina (Dymphna)
Sr. Suzanne Dietz (Gregory)
Sr. Jane Blabolil
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Dr. Arlene Lennox Entered this life: December 3, 1942 Entered Eternal Life: May 24, 2008
IN MEMORIAM For three years, Dr. Arlene Lennox gave the same spirited support of Gathering Place as she did to her work at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. She served on the Editorial Board of Gathering Place from 2004 to 2007, steering the quality of the magazine and its content in ministry to its readers. As a member of the Editorial Board, she helped shape the themes of each issue. She guided the magazine from a “newsletter” concept to one of a written ministry.
Dr. Lennox left a legacy in the medical field as well. She was a medical physicist and considered one of the world’s leading experts in neutron therapy. She was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in elementary particle physics from the University of Notre Dame. She began her career while working on a research project at Argonne National Laboratory near Lemont. That is when she met her husband, David Eartly. Dr. Lennox accepted a post-doctoral position at Fermi National Accelerator Lab (Fermilab) where she worked on experiments involving Tevatron, the most powerful accelerator in the world. In 1985 she made a career change from quantum physics to a medical application, becoming department head at the Fermi Neutron Therapy Facility. She discovered that neurons can be more effective at killing cancerous tumors than conventional radiation therapy. She worked on the accelerator now used for proton therapy at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California. She was named a fellow of the prestigious American Physical Society in recognition of her contributions to neutron therapy. She was a frequent invited speaker at national and international conferences on medical physics. Yet, she had time to play first violin with the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and serve as an adjunct professor at Northern Illinois University Graduate School in De Kalb, Illinois.
Arlene always loved the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. She supported their mission and ministry in a variety of ways over the years. It was her desire that memorials in her name would be directed to Support our Aging Religious (SOAR) in Washington, DC. Arlene passed away peacefully on May 24, 2008, at her residence in Elburn, Illinois.
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Sister Marian Mocadlo Born to this life: November 11, 1914 Born to eternal life: December 13, 2007
Sister Marian served with joy and dedication as homemaker for sisters at St. Joseph Motherhouse in Stevens Point,Wisconsin and as Supervisor of laundry services at Divine Infant Hospital in Wakefield, Michigan. Sister Virginia Kendzierski (Alfreda) Born to this life: June 15, 1921 Born to eternal life: December 21, 2007
Sister Marie Carole DeBacker
(Gerard Marie) Born to this life: October 29, 1944 Born to eternal life: June 6, 2008
With quiet dignity and joy, Sr. Marie Carole was sister, friend and neighbor to the students and staff of Trinity High School for forty years, and to her family, friends and community for a lifetime. Sister Rosette Rospotynski
Sister Virginia lived in the spirit of the foundress Mother Felicia Jaskulski, ministering in schools in Connecticut, Michigan and Ohio. She served as librarian at Regina High School, then in Harper Woods, Michigan, for twenty-six years. Sister Narcissa Blaszczak Born to this life: May 29, 1914 Born to eternal life: February 26, 2008
Sister Narcissa’s creative spirit filled her teaching ministry for over fifty years. She served in elementary schools and high schools in Michigan and Ohio. Modeling the Master Teacher, she led her students to God and to a fuller life. Sister Esther Spychalski Born to this life: December 1, 1906 Born to eternal life: March 19, 2008
Sister Esther lived to be 101 years old. Seventy-seven of those years were lived as a Sister of St. Joseph,TOSF — teacher, administrator, friend, mentor — in schools and convents in Indiana,Wisconsin and Illinois.
Born to this life: November 19, 1909 Born to eternal life: June 10, 2008
Sr. Rosette shared her gentle spirit as a teacher in schools in the Cleveland area; Mistress of Postulants of the SSJ-TOSFs; missionary in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico; pastoral minister for the Hispanic community at St. John Cantius in Cleveland, Ohio; and manager of a Hunger Center at St. John Cantius. Sister Mary Berchmans Majchrowski Born to this life: November 14, 1913 Born to eternal life: June 17, 2008
As a teacher, principal, school supervisor, or counselor in schools in Ohio and Michigan, Sr. Berchmans’ quiet, competent, spiritual and prayerful personality touched the lives of all she met.
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Readers’ Response to:
what is spirituality?
As I reflected on my faith development, three themes seem to predominate, namely prayer, compassion and obedience. Luke, in his gospel, presents Christ in this way — as the prayerful, compassionate, and obedient servant. This is, perhaps, why the gospel of Luke has a strong appeal to me. From childhood on, I found a need to pray. In religious life, I experienced new forms of prayer, formal meditation and Liturgy of the Hours. Music has always been uplifting for me, and sacred song has provided me with much sunlight on the foggy days of my life. Prayer is the basis of my spirituality, the way in which we all become one in God. Even before I could read the life of Jesus, I witnessed the threads of compassion being woven into the fabric of our family life. Even during the difficult days of the Depression, our home was always open to those in need. I believe in the Jesus who is open, friendly and compassionate to the lost sheep, the prodigal son, the sinful woman, all sinners and outcasts. To me,“love” and “obey” are synonymous in our relationship to God as well as our human relationships. I grew up knowing that my parents loved me, so I never wanted to hurt them with an act of disobedience. Spirituality means knowing Jesus, seeing his life in relationship to the Father, learning how to live in a Holy Spirit. In that process, spirituality means becoming a prayerful, compassionate and obedient person.
Sister Elaine Haiduk What is spirituality? In Baptism, the seed of faith is planted in our souls. The seeds may yield different fruits. Spirituality in each person is different, yet the one Spirit is at work in all of us, uniting us in God. There are different gifts, but one Lord. Whatever our gift is, it gives us life and energy. Spirituality steers our lives toward God.There is a close relationship, an intertwining of spirit and humanity. Spirituality is not only in the immaterial, it is “incarnate.” Spirituality is a very real experience of goodness and righteousness. The gifts of the Spirit always show themselves in action.
Sister Roselle Lesinski
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Vol. 9 No. 1
There will be a “Readers’ Response” section in the next issue of Gathering Place featuring your insights.
the next Readers’ Response question: How do you know if someone or something is good? or What is your definition of happiness? Share your thoughts in 100-200 words, and send them to: Reneta Webb, Editor Gathering Place P.O. Box 8441 Bartlett, IL 60103-8441 or e-mail your response to: reneta@ssj-tosf.org
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Dear Friends, We pray you are having a good and happy day! As we move into these summer days, we experience the loveliness of God’s creations all around us.This beauty leads us to express more deeply our praise and gratitude to Our Heavenly Father which includes our thanks and gratitude for you, our friends and partners in ministry. Much has transpired over the last few months. We have moved our office to our
Sister Denise Seymour
Continuing Care Community at Clare Oaks in Bartlett, Illinois. Our office is now located in the East wing of the original building, next to the Chapel.
Sisters of St. Joseph
Our new address is:
of the Third Order
The Sisters of St. Joseph,TOSF
of St. Francis Development Office
Development Office
P.O. Box 8441
P.O. Box 8441
Bartlett, IL 60103-8441
Bartlett, Illinois 60103-8441 We have printed new envelopes with our new address, so we ask that you discard any envelopes with our old address. The post office does not always forward all mail. News on our renovation projects - St. Joseph Motherhouse in Stevens Point has completed the major renovations, but we are still seeking donations to help with the expenses; Marymount Convent in Garfield Heights, Ohio, is in the process of renovation: Immaculata Convent in Bartlett, Illinois, is now Clare Oaks Continuing Care Retirement Community and the Chapel renovations are nearly completed and will be blessed in August 2008. As you know, the costs of renovation and construction are very high, so again we turn to you, our faithful partners to help us reach our goal. We know that with your help and God’s blessing it will be realized. Asking God to bless all of us! Sincerely in Christ,
Sister Denise Seymour, SSJ-TOSF Director of Development
Phone: (630) 289-0505 Fax: (630) 289-0606 e-mail: dev@ssj-tosf.org
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LITURGY OF CONSECRATION AND DEDICATION OF THE CLARE OAKS CHAPEL AND BLESSING OF CLARE OAKS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY ON THE FEAST OF ST. CLARE
AUGUST 11, 2008 BARTLETT, ILLINOIS
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHICAGO, IL PERMIT #5504
Sisters of St. Joseph,TOSF Public Relations Office P.O. Box 8441 Bartlett, Illinois 60103-8441 www.ssj-tosf.org