Issuu

FEBRUARY 2020

VOL. XXV, NO. 3

Ursuline Sister Martha Buser to lead Associates Day discussion By Dan Heckel, OSUA

rsuline Sister of Louisville Martha Buser – an author, international speaker and retreat leader – will be the main speaker at Associates and Sisters Day on June 27, 2020. As associate groups continue their discussions this year of “returning to our roots,” the Associate Advisory Board recommended the topic for Associates and Sisters Day be “Charism isn’t Taught – it’s Caught.” Discussion will center on the Ursuline charism: once it’s caught, where will it lead us? Who should lead such a discussion was answered during the Ursuline Convocation of 2019, when Sister Martha Buser told Mount Saint Joseph Sister Cecelia Joseph Olinger that she wanted to talk to the Associates from Mount Saint Joseph. Sister Martha’s credentials are unparalleled. A native of Louisville, she was taught by Ursuline Sisters before joining the community. She taught grade school for seven years and high school for 13. In 1972 she became her community’s novice director and went back to study Saint Angela Merici’s teachings. That experience led her to

“Angela’s first company was all lay people,” Sister Martha said. “It was meant for lay people. My experience with associates is that they understand Angela’s charism quickly.” She uses her books to share with associates how Angela teaches us to live a Christian life. “When I talk to associates, I always begin with what Angela taught us about a relationship with God, with self, with others and with creation,” Sister Martha said. “Essentially, Angela told us how to live our lives. I think people are looking for clarity on how to live a Christian life. Angela showed us what a good Christian life is like. Her emphasis was always on love.” The word “charism” can tend to confuse lay people, but Sister Martha defines it as “a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. It gets interpreted by how people relate their own experiences.” In the Ursuline community, she said, the charism is “the contemplative love for God that results in the openness and eagerness to serve the needs of others.” She believes that “charism is caught, not taught,” and equates it

Sister Martha Buser is an Ursuline Sister of Louisville and well-known, especially in Ursuline circles, as the author of two Saint Angela Merici books, "Also in Your Midst" and "Lover of Us All." She will be the keynote speaker at Associates Day in June.

begin talking about Saint Angela to other Ursuline communities. In 1980 she led an institute in Brescia, Italy, about Saint Angela and Ursuline Spirituality. She has given talks in every Ursuline motherhouse in North America. She is the author of two popular books concerning Saint Angela, “Also in Your Midst” and “Lover of Us All.” She earned her

The word “charism” can tend to confuse lay people, but Sister Martha defines it as “a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church." bachelor’s degree in English from Creighton University in 1958, then her master’s from Duquesne University in 1964. These days she serves as a spiritual director and directs associate formation in Louisville. Talking to associates about Saint Angela is one of Sister Martha’s passions.

Continued on page 2

Associates and Sisters Day – Saturday, June 27 Learn how "Charism isn't Taught–it's Caught" with Sister Martha Buser