Fall 2013 - Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Fall 2013 • A Publication of the Sisters of Charity, BVM
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Fall Two Thousand Thirteen
Volume 42, Number 1
Mission Statement: We are the Sisters of Charity
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a community of
Catholic women called to live the mission of
Jesus through our core values of Freedom,
Education, Charity and Justice.
SALT is published three times per year for
friends and family of the Sisters of Charity of
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
November 2013
1-2 Dubuque’s Got Sisters, Mount Carmel
3 Dubuque Benefactors’ Mass,
Mount Carmel
9 Service Experience: Human Trafficking,
St. Gertrude Social Hall, Chicago 1-3 p.m.
22-23 School of the Americas, Fort Benning, Ga.
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Seasoning
by BVMs Teri Hadro,
Mira Mosle and Kate Hendel
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Living the Gospel:
an Interview with Teri Hadro, BVM
by Mary Alma Sullivan, BVM
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SALT Briefs
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Fanning the Flame: Centre
Celebrates 40th Anniversary
by BVMs Harriet Holles
and Mary Anne Hoope
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The Postville Immigration Raid:
Five Year Anniversary
by Mary McCauley, BVM
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Summer is the Season
for Jubilees at Mount Carmel
by Jody Iler
12
St. Odilo: BVM Ministry Ends . . .
Charism Lives On
by Margaret A. McGinn, BVM
14
BVM Legacy Continues
in Guatemala
by Margaret Geraghty, BVM
16
Clarke University: Teaching the
‘Science of the Future’
by Mary Martens, BVM
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Saskia Karina Alquinga Cahuatijo:
Professing Final Vows as BVM
‘Woman of the World’
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And Mary Prayed,
‘Ba-ruch a-tah A-don-ai’:
In Quest of the Jewish Mary
by Paulette Skiba, BVM
2013–14 Calendar of Events
October 2013
3 Christine Athans Book Signing,
Mount Carmel
12 Clarke University Trolley Tour
to Mount Carmel
17-20 Arizona Immigration
Immersion Experience
20 Chicago Benefactors’ Mass,
Queen of All Saints Basilica
25-26 Service Experience: Operation
Breakthrough, Kansas City, Mo.
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Managing Editor: Jody Iler
Subscriptions: $7.50 per year, write:
SALT, 1100 Carmel Drive, Dubuque, Iowa
52003-7991, ph. (563) 588-2351, or email:
rbechen@bvmcong.org.
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S
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Global Connections
Editor/Design: Angie Connolly
aconnolly@bvmcong.org
Communication Advisory Committee:
Associate Dan Abben; Luann Brown, BVM, Lois
Dolphin, BVM; Bette Gambonini, BVM; Harriet
Holles, BVM; Mira Mosle, BVM; Mary Nolan, BVM
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In Loving Memory
December 2013
16 Mary Frances Clarke Birthday Party,
Mount Carmel
March 2014
24 Service Experience: Ecuador
Immersion Trip (TBA)
Check us out online:
www.bvmcong.org
www.facebook.com/bvmsisters
www.youtube.com/bvmsisters
twitter/bvmsisters
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For more information, visit:
www.bvmcong.org/whatsnew_calendar.cfm
On the cover: BVM Anna Priester displays a completed weaving
project as Guatemalan Maria Quema Cotiy works on another. The
buying and selling of weavings is one of Anna’s self-help projects
for women in San Tomas, who use the money for their children’s
educations and to fix their homes. In the pages ahead, discover
how, as our world evolves, BVMs continue to reach out on a global
level—moving forward even as they leave their footprints behind.
SEASONing
“We are called to live in any part of the world where
there is promise of furthering the mission of Jesus
through works of education, justice and peace.”
BVM leadership team members are (l. to r.)
Mira Mosle, Teri Hadro and Kate Hendel.
This declaration from our BVM Constitutions takes on generation commingle with the celebration of anniverflesh and blood in the stories of the BVMs highlighted in saries and the closing of long-standing ministries. Our
the following pages.
BVM legacy expresses itself in multiple and unexpected
Here are tales of ministries developed in Ghana and
ways. Our relationships with one another expand, deepen
Guatemala, nurtured for decades by BVMs and their
and radiate outwards.
collaborators. The Ghanaian and K’iche people have proThese kinds of transitions and transformations are
foundly influenced both the sisters “on the ground” there part of a wider cosmic movement. Ilia Delio, OSF,
and the wider BVM congregation. We believe that where keynote speaker at the most recent assembly of the
one BVM is, we all are, and the lives of these people,
Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR),
shared with our community, have expanded our awareidentified key lessons from our evolutionary universe:
ness of the global family intimately connected.
Here is the unique flowering of a nearly 50-year pres• We live in an unfinished universe. Life is not behind
ence in Quito, Ecuador—a testimonial to Mary Frances
us but ahead of us.
Clarke’s spirit enfleshed in our first Ecuadorian BVM.
• Death is integral to life and thus to evolution. WithHere is the experience of congregational leaders from
out death, there is no new life.
around the globe gathering in Rome for intense prayer,
• We are not fixed essences but dynamic becomings,
input, conversation and exploration of the future of reliadaptive and creative.
gious life—learning from one another the vibrancy and
• Interconnectedness lies at the core of all that exists.
diverse expressions of Christ’s mission across the conti• Nature is an “open system,” not mechanical and
nents.
static.
Closer to home, we read of BVMs entering into the
worlds of other cultures—the changing ethnicities of St.
At the heart of this evolving universe is a God who
Odilo Parish in Berwyn, Ill., and the Latin American
continues to create in rich and glorious diversity. We are
immigrants whose struggles in Postville and beyond cry
collaborators in shaping this future; it will be shaped by
out for compassion and justice.
the choices we make in love and for love for the common
Furthering the mission of Jesus through historical
good.
theological research, a BVM author draws us into the life
Wherever we reside as planetary pilgrims, “The Chrisand culture of the Jewish Mary of Nazareth, recovering
tian is one who is connected through the heart to the
lost riches of our ancestors in faith.
whole of life, attuned to the deeper intelligence of nature,
Expanded vistas of scientific inquiry and sustainable
and called forth irresistibly by the Spirit of God to creliving unfold with the completion of state-of-the-art
atively express his or her gifts in the evolution of self and
facilities at Clarke University, Dubuque, Iowa, and at
the world” (Delio).
Loyola University Chicago, the site of the former BVM
residence, Wright Hall.
“ The world is like a crystal lamp illumined
Each of these windows into BVM life and mission
by the light of divine love from within.”
also witnesses to the deeper reality of the evolutionary
nature of life. New initiatives in education for the next
—Ilia Delio, OSF
FALL TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
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Living the Gospel:
An Interview with BVM Teri Hadro
by Mary Alma Sullivan, BVM
Following the triennial meeting of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) in Rome, May 3–7, 2013, Mary Alma Sullivan, BVM (Robert Emmett) visited with BVM President Teri Hadro about her experience. Here is a portion of Mary’s interview.
MAS: Teri, you said that the UISG
meeting “was packed with fine
presentations and opportunities to
exchange views with women from
all cultures and ethnicities.” What
presentation was most useful to you?
TH: There were five major papers that
explored various aspects of authority.
Two presentations in particular appealed
to me. One was by an Italian laywoman
theologian, Bruna Costacuria, Ph.D.,
whose theme was “Authority in the Service of the Gospel.” It was a delightful
paper in which she talked about authority
in the Bible and broke open the story of
Esther, a leader willing to sacrifice herself
for the sake of her people.
The other paper, presented by Sr. Maria
Zechmeister, a systematic theologian from
the University of San Salvador, was titled
“The Authority of Those Who Suffer.” She
lives in a very poor area in San Salvador.
Instead of looking at those chosen to be
authority figures, Maria went to the absolute bottom of the pyramid for her thesis:
the people who suffer, those who are outcasts and marginalized, give us mandates
all the time—Gospel mandates. There is
the real authority. If you want to live the
Gospel, you must pay attention to this.
MAS: Was the diversity in the whole
group reflected at your table?
TH: Mine was an English language table.
I expected a group of U.S. delegates, or
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maybe Canadians or Australians. It was
much more diverse. Around the table
were Superiors General from India, England, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Germany
and Africa. There was one other American, a Marianite Sister from Louisiana.
These women represented small congregations worried about providing community
for their aging members, congregations
whose global presence or large size makes
administration most challenging, and new
congregations with lots of members and
little money in developing countries.
Also at our table was a New Yorker who is
leader of a British congregation. She spoke
of the Doctrinal Assessment and commented, “What happens in the United
States happens in Australia five years later,
in New Zealand ten years later. We will
learn from your experience how to get
ready.”
MAS: What issues at your table proved
to be a common concern?
TH: Opportunities for conversation were
so short that developing a common concern came down to seeing if tablemates
were nodding in agreement with the
speaker. A recurring theme, however,
involved African clerics, some of whom
treat women religious as property, abusing
them sexually and/or appropriating congregations’ lands and facilities at will.
MAS: Isn’t this situation an issue for
the UISG to pursue?
TH: In between the triennial meetings, the
UISG executive committee, all of whose
members must come from congregations
with residences in Rome, carries out the
UISG mission of facilitating communication between the Vatican and women
religious. But UISG doesn’t see itself as
a lobby group. As Americans, you and
I might say, “Go every day. Knock on
the door and say, People from the Sacred
Congregation and Holy Father; you must do
something about the situation in Africa!” I
don’t know how the issue gets addressed.
Some Bishops act like tribal chiefs in clerical clothing and that’s part of the culture
and the Vatican hasn’t found effective
ways of changing the behavior of its African clerics. As a result the life threatening
problems of women religious continue.
MAS: Were issues or concerns surfaced
through discussions of whole group?
TH: If there was an issue shared across the
board it was that of trafficking women
and children. UISG has diverted money
and personnel toward this issue. It is trying to set up a global network of people
working against trafficking. I was disappointed that UISG has yet to network
with anti-trafficking efforts in the U.S.
where women’s congregations are active
in almost 50 states. I ran out of paper giving UISG suggestions about contacting
already formed networks in the United
States.
MAS: What is the practical outcome for
the Life and Mission of the BVM congregation from your participation in
Rome with this group?
TH: It was painful listening to European
women representing very small, aging
communities primarily concerned with
providing care and community for members. In the United States—thanks to
LCWR and to our belief that together
we are infinitely more than we are separately—we don’t have to face those things
alone. My appreciation for, and commitment to, the collaboration among U.S.
congregations increased significantly as I
realized the isolation experienced by some
of the northern European congregations.
MAS: Did you leave Rome with signs
that “the pyramid of power,” as some
have described it, is giving way to
dialogue, respect and shared decision
making with the laity, including religious women?
TH: Most encouraging was the openness
of Cardinal Braz de Aviz from the Sacred
Congregation for Religious (CICLSAL).
He clearly has a post-Vatican II understanding of religious life. I didn’t expect to
find that. I can only hope that sometimes
he has the Pope’s ear. The one thing I
think we can all with confidence conclude is that Pope Francis seems far more
engaged with the world than previous
popes. When is the last time you heard a
pope say that those who are thought of
as the least by society are very important
people, and then take off his gloves and
shake their hands and kiss their babies? So
if women religious aren’t on his radar, I
think we will be able to weather that.
MAS: Are you optimistic about the
future of religious life globally?
Can religious women shape their
ministerial destiny to address the
needs of people as they see it?
TH: In snatches of conversation that I had
in Rome, even with those congregations
in northern Europe that are fading fast
because of age, women religious still matter locally. They listen for the needs of the
people among whom they minister. That
is as Gospel as you can get. If this is a pat-
tern among the youngest communities,
the largest, the smallest and the oldest, I
think it is tangible proof that there is a
place for religious life in a world that is
working toward transformation. I believe
that this is all part of the plan that God
has for this world. There were 800 leaders
in the room sharing commonalities, and
one of them is the fact that everybody
is missioned. Everybody is about doing
the work of the Gospels even though living in different cultures. It was a unique
and hope-filled experience of our global
church.
About the author: Mary Alma Sullivan, BVM
(Robert Emmett) ministered as communications professor and educator for many years.
SALT BRIEFS
BVM Rose Mary
Meyer (Sebastian)
was awarded the
Moxie Award,
“Changing Policies,
Changing Worlds”
given by the Illinois Coalition
Against Sexual Assault (ICASA)
for “her patient and unwavering advocacy at the Capitol on
behalf of survivors of sexual
assault, trafficking and prostitution.” Rose Mary is the director of Project IRENE (Illinois
Religious Engaging Nonviolent
Endeavors) that focuses on the
well-being of women and children in Illinois.
Lynn Winsor, BVM
was inducted into
the National High
School Athletic
Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
As girls’ golf coach, athletic
director, and vice principal
of activities at Xavier College
Preparatory in Phoenix, Lynn has
devoted 39 years to advancing
girls’ high school golf and has
led her Xavier team to several
national golf records.
Ann Harrington,
BVM (St. Remi),
Loyola University
Chicago professor emerita, was
recently invited to
give the banquet address at the
triennial Conference on the History of Women Religious at St.
Catherine University in St. Paul,
Minn. Ann titled her remarks
“From French Priests in Japan to
Irish Sisters in Iowa: A Personal
Reflection,” demonstrating the
influence the conference has
had on the development of research about women religious.
A letter written by
Helen Kerrigan,
BVM (Paulita)
is on display in
the Smithsonian
Archives of American Art exhibition: “The Art of
Handwriting” through October
2013. The exhibit illustrates the
relationship of various artists’
handwriting to their work. Helen
sent her letter to Charles Henry
Alston, noted painter and sculptor of the Harlem Renaissance,
thanking him for his help while
she studied at the Arts Students
League in New York in 1962.
She taught painting at Clarke
University, Dubuque, for more
than 35 years.
Karen Pollard,
BVM was one of
the recipients of
the Servant to the
Poor Award at
the 2013 Catholic
Women’s Recognition Ceremony
in St. Louis. She was presented
with the award by Archbishop
Robert J. Carlson and Chancellor Nancy Werner. Karen was
nominated by the parish council
of St. Margaret of Scotland in St.
Louis, where she ministers. The
council shares, “While impassioned about caring for the
poor, she conducts her service
with a steady, calm leadership.
Thank you, Sister Karen, for your
example of Christian charity!”
Kenneth Keller, BVM was
featured in the Sept. 7, 2013,
exhibition, “Celebrating the
Heroines of Computing” at the
National Museum of Computing,
Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes,
England. The first person to
receive a Ph.D. in computer
science from the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, Ken-
neth was a strong advocate for
women entering the field of
computer science. She served
as chair of the computer science
department at Clarke University.
Chancellor of the
Archdiocese of
Los Angeles, Mary
Elizabeth Galt,
BVM was recognized by the PLACE
(Partners in Los Angeles Catholic
Education) Corps for her dedication and support of the teacher
service program and all Catholic
schools in Los Angeles. She
envisioned the next generation
of Catholic school leadership
emerging from the program’s
ranks. Today, there are 11 PLACE
Corps alumni serving as Catholic
school principals.
Associate Ann E.
Michalski, former
Dubuque City
Councilwoman, was
honored with the
2013 Human Rights
Award by Dubuque Church
Women United. Ann received
the award for dedicating “virtually all her life working toward
justice in the areas of labor and
employment, inter-racial justice,
human services and community
development and services.”
FALL TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
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Centre Director Mary Anne
Hoope, BVM places the jubilee
stole on the current Archbishop
of Kumasi, Gabriel Anokye.
Fanning the Flame:
Centre Celebrates 40th Anniversary
by Harriet Holles, BVM and Mary Anne Hoope, BVM
The Centre for Spiritual Renewal
in Kumasi, Ghana, has been a place of
BVM ministry for 20 years. Mary Anne
Hoope, BVM (Bernarde Marie) is the
second-longest serving staff member
at the Centre and has been its longest
serving director, from 2001 to the
present. Therese Jacobs, BVM (Therese
Carmelle) was a member of the staff for
nine years, and numerous BVMs have
contributed to its life and ministry.
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Four decades ago, the vision for the
Centre was a tiny flame that flickered in
the hearts of its founders—Father Ernst
Sievers, a missionary of Africa from Germany, and medical missionary Sisters Ellen
Hummel and Jean Salgot—and the Centre
for Spiritual Renewal was born. Several
dioceses in Germany funded the buildings
for the Centre with grants, and various
local groups cooperated in the planning
and construction of the buildings.
As Archbishop Emeritus Peter Sarpong, who was bishop when the Centre
was founded, said in his homily for the
40th anniversary celebration on June 22,
2013, the purpose of the Centre is to
deepen the faith life of the people of God.
This is done in a variety of ways, through
various kinds of retreats, days of recollection and workshops.
BVMs Leave
Footprints in History
In her 27 years in Ghana, Mary Anne
has invited several BVMs to share in the
life and ministry of the Centre. These
included Blanche Marie Gallagher, who
gave creation spirituality workshops; Harriet Holles (Agneda), who more than once
preached and directed retreats; Paulette
Skiba, who taught a course, “Christian
Faith Life,” to religious young and old;
Irene Lukefahr, who prepared children for
receiving the sacraments and gave centering prayer days; and Marilyn Wilson,
(Claudia Mary), who offered retreats.
Other BVMs considered longer ministry in Ghana. Mary Ellen Caldwell,
(Eugenio) lived at the Centre and taught
religious studies at the minor seminary, St.
Hubert. Laurene Brady visited and saw the
need for literacy education. Jackie Cramer,
(John Kathleen) taught at a local Catholic
secondary school that ministers mainly to
the poor. Laurene was later joined by Irene
and through their persevering efforts and
the help of the congregation, there is now
the Archbishop Mensah Learning Centre—an enduring witness to BVM creativity and dedication. More than 20 BVMs
have come to Ghana since Mary Anne first
began her ministry in 1986.
Many other people have brought their
time and talents to be used—people like
Missionary of Africa Father Mike Targett
and numerous other clergy, religious,
guests, workers and staff.
Challenges of the Past
and Hope for the Future
Those present to mark the 40th anniversary of the Centre for Spiritual Renewal
BVMs Join in
‘Dressing a
Girl Around
the World’
BVMs at Mount Carmel in
Dubuque, Iowa, find ways to
minister to the people of Ghana
even if they aren’t able to go
there!
After learning of dresses
made for Ghanaian girls by
BVM Irene Lukefahr’s sister-
Little girls in Kumasi, Ghana,
proudly model their new
dresses.
included three archbishops (two retired),
many religious and priests, dedicated lay
people, and Mary Anne and Therese. The
liturgy was held outdoors under the trees
on the Centre grounds, with canopies over
the guests and the altar. Typically, voices
raised in song were accompanied by the
beat of drums and a brass band. Gratitude
and blessings were offered to all who have
ministered at the Centre and continue to
stoke the fire of faith.
Archbishop Sarpong gave an inspiring
review of the need, the challenge, the planning and the funding of the Centre. The
present Archbishop, Gabriel J. Anokye,
shared a message of thanksgiving, congratulations and blessing to all those celebrating the Centre, ending with the words: “If
life really begins at 40, then the CSR is just
in-law, Activities Director Julie
Wessels researched an internet
site, Hope4Women International, a nonprofit organization
that has been bringing dignity
to women around the world
since 2006. In its “Dress a Girl
Around the World” initiative,
Hope4Women proclaims: “We
dreamed of a world in which
every girl has at least one dress!
We want the next generation
to know that they are worthy
of love and respect. That God
loves them!”
Wessels found patterns for
both dresses and dolls on the
site, enlisted the “retired” sisters in the project, and had 39
dolls ready for Irene Lukefahr,
BVM to take with her when she
returned to Ghana this past
spring, in her role as co-director
of the Archbishop Mensah
Learning Center in Kumasi.
Next, the Mount Carmel
activities team turned their
attention to a “Dress a Girl
Around the World” party. The
“Cut-ups,” a creative group of
BVMs who meet regularly for
craft projects, made invitations
in the shape of little dresses
from recycled greeting cards.
The invitations garnered a
beginning! May the Spirit lead us all into
a future of renewed commitment so that
goodness and kindness will follow us all the
days of our lives” (Psalm 23:6).
Forty is a significant biblical number,
often noting a time of preparation and
growth as well as a time of fullness. On
this 40th anniversary of the Centre’s influence, the tiny flame of four decades ago
continues to burn for hundreds of God’s
people who seek and find support, solitude and strength there.
About the Authors: Harriet Holles, BVM
(Agneda) ministers as a spirituality resource
person and teaches in the Roberta Kuhn
Center. Mary Ann Hoope, BVM (Bernarde
Marie) continues her ministry as director of
the Centre for Spiritual Renewal.
Mary John Agnes Smith, BVM displays a dress she is sewing for
the “Dress a Girl Around the World” project.
group of 50 volunteers (sisters,
staff and friends) eager to help
a little girl receive her own colorful, handmade dress.
In May, the group gathered
for a workshop, doing whatever jobs they were able to
do, including machine sewing,
hand sewing of trims and dress
ties, and creating sewn “yo-yo”
flowers. “It makes me happy
to know that little girls will
enjoy wearing these dresses,”
says Rosalie Glanz, BVM (Victor
Ann) who worked on making
the flowers.
And since a dress is always
enhanced by jewelry, some
sisters strung bright, beaded
bracelets, while others wrote
notes of love to the future
recipients. The bracelets and
notes were tucked into the
pockets of each girl’s new dress
as an extra surprise. Maurene
Therese Thiel, BVM speaks for
the participants when she says,
“This will make the little girls
very happy.”
Twenty dresses were
completed during the first
workshop. By August 2013, 97
dresses and 17 pairs of shorts
for little boys were finished and
were taken back to Ghana by
Laurene Brady, BVM, co-director of the Archbishop Mensah
Learning Center.
FALL TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
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Postville
Immigration
Raid:
5 Years Later
by Mary McCauley, BVM
May 12, 2008
The day that marked the largest and
harshest single-site immigration raid to
date in the history of our country occurred
at Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa.
The day that separated families, shattered a town, and scarred the hearts of
many.
The day that summoned people to
stand in solidarity with one another and
with their immigrant brothers and sisters
to offer pastoral presence, legal counsel,
medical assistance, monetary aide, and
pure love to hundreds of hurting people.
The day that served as a clarion call to
raise the consciousness and consciences
of legislators and citizens alike for the
dire need for comprehensive immigration
reform.
Remember, Reconcile
and Reform
When events are so pivotal, so transformative, so historic, so morally binding—they demand a remembrance. That
is exactly what happened on May 10,
2013, when over 500 citizens and noncitizens gathered outside the Federal
Courthouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to
commemorate the Fifth Anniversary of
the Postville, Iowa, Immigration Raid.
They came because they cared. They
came because they wanted their voices to
be heard. They came because they desired
to remember and honor the 389 persons
who were arrested on the infamous day in
2008.
The threefold goal of the event was to
REMEMBER the 389 persons arrested, to
RECONCILE with those who contributed to
the injustices of that day and the days to
follow, and to advocate for the REFORM of
current immigration policies.
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Anita Therese Hayes, BVM
holds up a red carnation
during a moment of
silence to remember
those arrested during
the Postville Immigration
Raid five years ago.
In a symbolic gesture of remembrance
walkers raised 389 red carnations in honor
of those arrested. There was a moment of
silence. Then all heard the words:
We have not forgotten!
We gather as people of faith,
confident that a better future awaits;
A future free of fear, hatred, discrimination
and injustice . . .
Inspired by this message, participants
began a “Walk for Justice” to Immaculate
Conception Church, where an interfaith
prayer of reconciliation and hope was held.
Communal reflection on the events of
May 12, 2008, created within the assem-
bly a desire to reconcile with those who
were a part of the injustice, the heartache
and the pain experienced by the persons
affected by the raid, and ultimately by a
broken immigration system. Deep down
there was a yearning to make amends,
to set things straight, to heal relationships and to move on. Yes, it was time to
remember, but it was also time to reconcile and to reform.
An Invitation to Change
At this point, Pedro Lopez stepped
forward. Five years ago, Pedro captured
the hearts of many when in response to a
question, “Pedro, how are you?” he said, “I
am sad, very sad, because they have taken
away my mother.” Now a graduating high
school senior, he stood at the ambo in
the Immaculate Conception Church and
offered a powerful and irresistible invitation: “Today I am asking on behalf of
my generation of immigrants to be given
a chance . . . a chance to help shape the
future of this nation.”
Following this initial plea he added:
“Only true change can break the cycle
of injustice that my parents so longed
to escape. This will not be accomplished
with band-aid legislation that leaves us
all feeling that we do not belong . . . that
traps me and other young people without
hope. Without true change our potential
is wasted. Give me a chance to break that
cycle of injustice. Give me a chance to
contribute to this great nation.”
The question before all, the question before Congress, the Senate and the
House is, “Will we give a chance to Pedro
and the 11 million other undocumented
people currently residing in the United
States along with others who desire to call
America home?” Will we have the vision,
the moral fortitude, the generosity and the
love to pass comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform legislation in
2013? Will we be able to break the cycle
of injustice?
Hope for the Future
As this article is being written I do not
have the answer to those questions. All I
know is that with Pedro and the myriad
others who want to come out of the shadows and for those in the future who may
desire to apply for U.S. citizenship and
help to shape the future of our nation, I
can only hope.
Vaclav Havel, first president of the
Czech Republic, describes hope in this way:
. . . Hope in a deep and powerful sense is
not the same as joy that things are going
well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for
success, but rather an ability to work for
something because it is good, not just
because it has a chance to succeed.
It is this kind of hope that keeps me
going. It is this kind of hope that gives
me the energy to work tirelessly for immigration reform despite the days when it
definitely appears that our efforts are not
going well. I look at the dysfunction evident within our legislative processes; I listen to members of Congress who express
very strong fears about offering our
immigrants a path to citizenship; I hear
of others who desire to build a longer and
higher fence. All of this saddens me and I
can’t help but wonder why people are so
afraid to “give Pedro a chance!”
Yet, I refuse to lose hope! I refuse
because I know what I am working for is
good! I know what I am working for will
be good for Pedro. I know it will be good
for our country. I know that morally it is
the right thing to do. I also know, as does
Pedro, that only through true change in
our immigration policy “can we break the
cycle of injustice that Pedro’s parents so
longed to escape.”
About the author: Mary McCauley, BVM (Mercedie) served as pastoral administrator at St.
Bridget Parish at the time of the Postville Immigration Raid in 2008 and continues to work
toward immigration reform. Read Mary’s recent
blog on the USCCB website about immigration
reform: http://bit.ly/12PZ43B.
BVM and Associate
Perspective:
Taking Positions
on Today’s Issues
by Rose Mary Meyer, BVM
BVMs and associates are
dynamically shaping life, our lives
and the lives of those with whom
we interact. We are responding
to the challenge found in Micah:
What does God expect of us? To
live justly, love kindly, and walk
humbly with our God.
We BVMs and associates
respond to justice issues locally
and globally. Living justly
requires disruption of noninclusive patterns of life, restlessness regarding the unjust
status quo, compassion and
commitment, persistence and
resilience in responding to systemic injustice.
Why do we continue the
struggle for justice wherever
our geographic roots are? Signs
of our time such as Earth’s
destruction, economic exploitation, ethnic bias and gender
inequity imprison multitudes
in unjust, inhumane situations.
Signs of our time impel us to
attentiveness and action.
God’s steadfast love perme-
ates the mysteries of life which
blossom in hope, wither and
blossom again. Openness to
the Spirit empowers us to move
beyond the withering power of
fear and doubt and to engage
in the life-giving quest for freedom and justice.
Disillusion compels us to
delve deeply into the Universe
story where we re-discover
interconnections and interdependence, intimacy, creativity,
resilience and persistence. Our
mission and ministry, informed
by the joys and struggles of
humanity and the devastation and the beauty of Earth,
awaken our courage and
broaden our collaboration to
act on behalf of justice for all.
The Gospel portraits of
Jesus paint him as a person
intimate with God, others and
nature. He was nourished by
prayer, solitude, analysis, action
and companions on a shared
journey. The inclusive love
modeled in the life of Jesus
challenges us to continue the
struggle for justice wherever
we are rooted.
In addition to the Scriptures, inspiration flows abundantly from the God-life and
ministry of BVM foundress Mary
Frances Clarke. She was attuned
to the signs of her time, long
before the call of Vatican II, to
be involved in the struggles
and the joys of the people of
God. May her charism flourish
in our lives, and may justice
blossom profusely as we continue to live the dynamism of
Micah’s challenge.
About the author: Rose Mary
Meyer, BVM (Sebastian) is the director of Project IRENE, an initiative
of the Leadership Conference of
Women Religious (LCWR) in Illinois.
Photo: BVMs Elizabeth Avalos and
Marilyn Wilson (Claudia Mary), particpated in the Nuns on the Bus tour
this summer in support of immigration reform.
FALL TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
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9
Summer is the Season for
Jubilees at Mount Carme
by Jody Iler
With warm breezes stirring the waters of
the Mississippi River below Mount Carmel
in Dubuque, Iowa, the Sisters of Charity,
BVM celebrated the golden and diamond
jubilees of 13 sisters.
Golden Jubilarians
Eight Sisters of Charity, BVM marked 50
years in religious life this summer in the
Motherhouse Chapel on Sunday, July
21, 2013, with a liturgy of thanksgiving
followed by a celebration dinner. These
sisters entered the BVM congregation on
July 31, 1963. They professed their first
vows in February 1966.
Kathleen Antol, BVM is a native of
Des Moines, Iowa, and professed final
vows on Jan. 30, 1972. In Kansas City,
Mo., she taught elementary school and
was later a college teacher. She was teacher
assistant, graduate student, and graduate teaching assistant at Texas Woman’s
University in Denton, Texas. She was
a research fellow at St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. She
ministered as teacher and assistant professor at Clarke University in Dubuque.
Since 1990 she has served as biochemistry
professor at St. Mary College in Notre
Dame, Ind.
Elizabeth C. Avalos, BVM was
born in El Salvador and migrated to San
Francisco with her parents. She professed
final vows on April 17, 1971. In California, she taught in secondary schools in
Glendale, Burbank, Vallejo, San Francisco
and Los Angeles, where she was principal
of Our Lady of Loretto High School,
did literacy outreach and taught English
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Celebrating their golden jubilees are (front row, l. to r.) BVMs Veronica Higgins, Catherine E. Hendel,
Kathleen Antol, Marge M. Clark; (stairs, second row, l. to r.) Barbara Fernandes, Margaret Mear, Mary
Stasia Stafford and Elizabeth C. Avalos.
as a Second Language (ESL) at Puente
Learning Center. She was ESL coordinator and director of education at Sacred
Heart Community Service in San Jose and
ministered as director of peace and justice
for the diocese. She served for six years as
coordinator of BVM associates. “Whether
in educational institutions, social service
agencies, parishes or civic groups, I have
attempted to witness to God’s call to be
with the most vulnerable in our society,”
she says. Elizabeth is currently working
with a parish team at St. Mary Parish in
Los Gatos, Calif.
Marge M. Clark, BVM was born in
St. Louis, and professed final vows on Jan.
29, 1972. “Being a Sister of Charity, BVM,
is integral to who I am,” Marge says. She
taught in Chicago and served as principal
and assistant college professor in Portland,
Ore. She was director of graduate programs
and assistant professor at Clarke University
in Dubuque. For the past nine she has
ministered as a lobbyist for NETWORK,
a national Catholic social justice lobby, in
Washington, D.C. “Advocacy is very much
teaching,” Marge shares, “as its intent is to
open the mind and heart of legislators to a
new way of understanding an issue.”
Barbara Fernandes, BVM is a native
of Phoenix, and professed final vows on Jan.
30, 1971. She taught elementary school in
Glendale and Rialto and ministered as learning center teacher/director in Palm Springs,
all in California. She served as activity assistant at Mount Carmel in Dubuque. Since
1999, she has ministered as a school instructional aide in Phoenix.
el
Catherine E. Hendel, BVM was
born in St. Louis, and professed final vows
on Jan. 31, 1971. She taught music in
elementary and secondary school in Chicago and Phoenix. At Clarke University
in Dubuque, Catherine was professor of
music, associate academic dean, and dean
of adult and graduate studies. She is currently serving as vice president of the BVM
congregation. “I was both humbled and
awe-struck by the confidence placed in me
to serve my sisters in this way,” she shares.
Veronica Higgins, BVM is a native
of Chicago. She professed final vows on
Jan. 6, 1974. Veronica taught elementary
school in Des Moines and Iowa City,
Iowa. In Illinois, she taught elementary
and secondary school in East Moline and
Chicago, where she also served on staff at
Mundelein College, ministered in clinical
pastoral work, and was staff chaplain in
Arlington Heights, Springfield and Belleville. Since 2005, she has served as staff
chaplain in St. Louis.
Margaret Mear, BVM was born in
Kankakee, Ill., and professed final vows
on Jan. 30, 1972. She taught secondary school at St. Joseph Academy in Des
Moines, Iowa, and Mundelein, Ill. She
was a college art teacher for 34 years at St.
Mary College in Winona, Minn. “I feel
very lucky to be a BVM sister,” Margaret
says. She lives at the North Farms of Mississippi Abbey, near Dubuque, where she
continues to work on her art.
University for many years. She also
taught at St. Hubert Seminary in Kumasi,
Ghana, for two years.
Mary Stasia Stafford, BVM was
born in Davenport, Iowa, and professed
final vows on Jan. 29, 1972. In Omaha,
Neb., she taught elementary school and
later served as director of religious education at Offutt Air Force Base. She has
taught elementary school since 1978 at St.
Paul the Apostle in Davenport, where she
currently teaches religion and works with
Academic Support.
Genevieve Kordick, BVM (Basilian) taught elementary school in Chicago
and Rock Island, Ill. In Iowa, she taught
elementary school in Clinton, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls and Des Moines, where
she also served as director of a senior center and activities director for the elderly
for over 20 years, and later volunteered for
many years at the Mercy Medical Center.
Diamond Jubilarians
On Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, five Sisters of
Charity, BVM celebrated their diamond
jubilees with a liturgy of thanksgiving in
the Motherhouse Chapel followed by a
festive dinner. These sisters entered the
BVM congregation on Sept. 8, 1938. They
professed first vows March 19, 1941, and
final vows Aug. 15, 1946.
Mary Ellen Caldwell, BVM
(Eugenio) taught preschool for 12 years
in Wichita, Kan., and elementary school
in Chicago and DeKalb, Ill. In Dubuque,
Mary Ellen was superior/principal at St.
Patrick ES and on the faculty at Clarke
(St.) Philomena Rosselli, BVM
taught elementary school in Chicago;
Butte and Missoula, Mont.; and San
Francisco. In Iowa, Philomena taught
elementary school and later taught parttime at the Montessori School and the
St. Raphael Language Center, all in
Dubuque, and taught elementary school
in Maquoketa.
Stella Marie Swakoski, BVM
(Lidwina) taught elementary school in
Butte and was superior in Missoula, both
in Montana. In Iowa, she was superior/
principal at St. Anthony ES and a college teacher at Clarke University, both
in Dubuque; and she taught elementary
school in Des Moines and was teacher/
principal in Council Bluffs.
Marguerite Yezek, BVM (Valerian)
taught elementary school in Rock Island,
Ill.; and secondary school in Memphis,
Tenn.; St. Paul, Minn.; and Mundelein,
Ill. She ministered in elderly and parish
programs in Skokie, Ill., for 20 years.
Marguerite taught elementary school in
Davenport and Iowa City, both in Iowa.
To send a congratulatory message to a sister who celebrated her jubilee or to donate
to the BVM congregation on behalf of
these sisters, please go to www.bvmcong.
org/whatsnew_jubs.cfm.
About the author: Jody Iler is the communications specialist at Mount Carmel in
Dubuque, Iowa.
Visit our YouTube page to view a short
video about our diamond jubilarians:
youtube.com/bvmsisters.
Celebrating their diamond jubilees are (seated l. to r.) Stella Marie Swakowski and Mary Ellen Caldwell;
(back row, l. to r.) Philomena Rosselli, Genevieve Kordick and Marquerite Yezek.
FALL TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
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11
BVMs Bernadette Schvach (l.) and Johanna Trisoliere enjoy the reception and tribute from Rev. Anthony Brankin after a liturgy in their honor.
St. Odilo Ministry Ends . . .
BVM Charism Lives on
by Margaret A. McGinn, BVM
A liturgy celebrated at St. Odilo Church in Berwyn, Ill., on June 2, 2013, marked
the end of a chapter in the Sisters of Charity history. Bernadette Schvach, BVM
(David Ann) and (St.) Johanna Trisoliere, BVM, the last two BVMs to teach in a
Chicago archdiocesan school and live in a parish convent, are moving on. The
devotion of parishioners to the sisters was evident in the packed church and the
numbers lingering for a reception afterwards. The pastor, Rev. Anthony Brankin,
added a fitting tribute to the two sisters and the BVM community.
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Years Bring Change
Noted for its neat brick bungalows
and tidy lawns, Berwyn began as a
predominately Czech suburb with a
smattering of Irish, German, Italian and
Polish. By 2000, the census reflected a
population that was 77% Hispanic.
Named for the Chicago mayor killed
in an assassination attempt on Franklin
Roosevelt, Cermak Road cuts through
the heart of Berwyn. Although one
can still purchase houska or kolacky at
Vesecky’s Bakery on Cermak, or order
chicken paprika with spaetzel at the
Czech Plaza Restaurant, Mi Tierra,
Ixtapa and El Pescador reflect the tastes
of newer residents.
The church and school have seen the
same change—over 90% of the present
students list Hispanic surnames. Until
recently, it was common for a teacher to
scan a class list and recall older siblings,
or even parents and grandparents. Today,
the parish provides a Mass in Spanish
and the church bulletin frequently contains announcements of Quinceaneras,
Latin American celebrations of girls’
fifthteeth birthdays.
From its beginning in 1927, the parish has continued to grow and change.
The convent will now be used by four
religious sisters from India, the Daughters of St. Thomas the Apostle. They
include one teacher and three nurses
who will minister in the parish.
The path of BVMs to Berwyn led
straight down Roosevelt Road, from our
first Chicago mission at Holy Family to
West Side parishes such as Presentation,
St. Pius, St. Callistus and Blessed Sacrament, and then to the suburbs of Cicero
and Berwyn. The church in Berwyn was
an offshoot of Blessed Sacrament, and
that connection has continued. Blessed
Sacrament remains a sharing parish of
St. Odilo.
Humble Storefront Beginnings
As with most new parishes, St. Odilo
began with an overcrowded church and a
priest appointed to found a new parish.
Mass was celebrated in a storefront and
a committee was formed to raise funds
for a church and school. Since the first
pastor, Rev. William Roberts, had great
devotion to the souls in purgatory, he
asked that the parish be named after St.
Odilo, an abbot of Cluny, who helped
to promulgate that devotion. The parish
bulletin still includes in its masthead,
“National Shrine of the Poor Souls.”
Because Fr. Roberts had been taught
by BVMs at St. Pius, he requested BVM
sisters to staff the school. A group of
five arrived in the fall of 1928: Celerina
King, superior and music teacher, along
with BVMs M. Carlos Keeler, DePazzi
Cummings, Therese of Lisieux Leonard
and Delrita Daly. Properties had been
purchased for a rectory and a convent,
but the school shared the storefront
with the church.
Early convent archives exude an
optimistic tone. The sisters welcomed
the challenge of teaching with one eraser
and borrowed books, with students sitting on kneelers and using church pews
for desks. The writer heaps glowing
praise on St. Virginia Lenihan, BVM,
whose six-year term as superior began in
1937. Visitors remarked on the “excel-
St. Odilo school, circa 1940s. Courtesy of St. Odilo Parish.
lent order of the school,” but the sisters
appreciated her “charity, justice, selflessness and spirituality.” She was also a
woman of accomplishments. Realizing
the crowded conditions in the convent
as the school grew and more sisters were
assigned, she convinced the pastor and
the building committee of the feasibility
of adding a floor to the convent. When
the sisters returned from summer school
in 1940, each one found not only a
bed and chair, but space for a desk and
either a closet or a wardrobe.
Expansion and Remodeling
In the next decades, a new church,
rectory and convent were built; they
were remodeled as the school continued
to expand and sisters came and went.
Some, like BVMs Sarelle Baumbach,
Bernetta Berning, Catherine Hanrahan
(George Ann), Rose Mary Surby and
Michelle Dryzmala (Alfred), served for
many years. Also, during this time six
young women entered the BVMs from
Berwyn: Bridget Campbell (Odilo),
Bernadine Miller (Ivo), Patricia Lynch
(John Arthur), Catherine Krippner
(Claretta), Mary Ann Wilmot (Honore)
and Barbara Vicik (Stephen Mary).
When this school year ended, the
two BVMs here had each spent nearly 50
years in the western suburbs, with Bernadette teaching at St. Odilo for 44 years,
and Johanna coming to Berwyn 24 years
ago after 25 years in Cicero. Throughout
this time they have found the children
eager and respectful and the parents supportive, appreciative and generous.
To these two unassuming, hardworking women we can easily apply the accolades used for that early superior. Noted
for their “labor, zeal and kindness,” they
symbolize the best of the BVM community and our contribution to the
Chicago area parish schools. And so the
BVMS leave St. Odilo, not with regret,
but with the assurance of work well
done, and with confidence in the future
of the parish and the school.
About the author: Margaret McGinn, BVM
(Daniel Anne) serves on the adjunct faculty at
Truman College in Chicago.
FALL TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
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13
BVM Legacy
Continues in Guatemala
by Margaret Geraghty, BVM
When BVMs Mary Waddell (Valerie) and Anna Priester (Joseph Ann) arrived in
Guatemala in June 1986, the situation was very different from the current reality that
they will pass on to their successors during this coming year.
The Diocese of Helena, Mont., had
hired Mary to be the director of the Clinica Maxena, a clinic for the poor in San
Tomas, Guatemala, that began in 1966 as
a small health project and expanded over
the years thanks to the generosity of volunteers and donors.
Mary took the place of Sheila
McShane, a nurse from Butte, Mont.,
who had founded the clinic and had to
leave because of the fierce civil war that
engulfed Guatemala at that time.
Clinic Grows to Meet Needs
Under Mary’s early leadership, the
expansion of the clinic included an
operating room for eye surgery and a
medicinal plants project that produced
raw materials for different natural healing
compounds.
Over the years after Mary and Anna’s
arrival, different needs in the community
called for responses and the services of the
clinic grew to include Health Promoters
(a national movement) for education and
leadership in the communities. A midwife
outreach and training was also established.
Later, this presence in the communities of the Boca Costa of Solola was the
basis for the establishment of a pilot
project for a rural health system, to be
presented to the country for expansion
into many Guatemalan communities. The
parish clinic still profits from the system
of six health centers spread around their
vast territory, operated by the Ministry of
Health, with local health personnel training facilitated through the project.
As Mary leaves Guatemala, she reflects
that “My 28 years of living with the poor
have been a life-enriching experience.”
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Diverse Ministries
Blossom and Thrive
Meanwhile, Anna, who had come as
Mary’s companion, was left to develop her
own ministries. She began by supervising the schools which the pastor, Father
Hazelton, had founded in remote villages.
She did teacher training and provided
didactic materials and money for school
lunches. Each village was required to form
parent committees and to begin the process of getting government funding. Anna
and her co-workers kept working until all
of the villages in the area had schools.
Anna also became involved with the
Charismatic Movement and was invited
to be on the “Life in the Spirit” seminar
team for many years. She also trained
catechists and facilitated the development of catechetical materials as well as
charismatic materials in K’iche’ the native
language. BVM Dorothy Dwight (John
Edmund) helped to train musicians to
write down the K’iche’ liturgical music.
At the same time, Anna facilitated the
organization of women’s groups in the
villages and trained them and the communion ministers to visit the sick, a task that
she continued for many years.
She also visited widows and developed
self-help programs which included buying
and selling of weavings, providing school
supplies, and small business and home
improvement loans (roof, water, latrine,
etc.). The goal of the projects was always
to help the widow keep her children in
school and at the same time become
financially independent.
Through another project that Anna
administered, the Helena Diocesan Scholarship Program, funds raised in the Mon-
tana diocese were able to help roughly
60–70 Guatemalan students each year in
junior high and high school. These are
students who would have had to drop out
after 6th grade for lack of funds.
Because books were so expensive, the
fund bought books and put them in a
“library” so that the students could do
their homework. This collection eventually
grew into the best equipped and organized
library in the state of Suchitepequez, and
is now managed and staffed by the town
of Santo Tomas. BVM Associates Joann
Crowley and Mary Maas helped organize
the books into the Dewy decimal system.
During the time Anna was developing the library she also companioned the
youth and helped them build up the parish youth group. More recently she has
been involved in the training and development of small Christian communities in
the parish.
Her latest project is the “Angel Fund,”
in which she raises and accounts for funds
for clinic patients who can’t afford to get
the medical help they need.
BVMs Take, and Leave,
Riches of Ministry
BVMs Anna Priester (back row, l.) and Mary Waddell join
Antonia Ambrocio Chox (r.) in a house blessing, accompanied by her family (front row, l. to r.) Miguel Balux,
Antonia Tzep Mejia, Francisco Balux and Joel Balux.
Antonia earned money for a new house with her weavings.
As the years go by, the multiple activities continue in other capable hands. Currently Anna still does the scholarships,
weavings, school supplies, loans, Angel
Fund and small Christian community
projects.
Her hopes for the continuation of the
many projects and activities that she has
initiated are buoyed by a plan to add a
social worker to the parish staff who will
administer many of these programs.
As she looks back on her years in
ministry in Guatemala, Anna shares her
thoughts: “It is going to be hard to leave
Santo Tomas after having lived here for
more than 27 years. I have lived here longer than I have lived any place else in my
life. Me he hallado aqui—literally ‘I have
found myself here.’ The slower pace of life
and emphasis on persons and relationships suits me. In the end things we have
accumulated mean nothing. The living
faith of the people here is the treasure I
take with me.”
As Mary and Anna leave Guatemala,
they leave behind a legacy of BVM values
that continues in a ripple effect through
the health, education, spirituality and
independence of the many families with
whom they have shared their ministries.
Mother Clarke’s influence has transcended
time and distance in ways she would never
have imagined!
About the author: Margaret (Peggy) Geraghty,
BVM (St. Cabrini) serves as congregational
representative for the BVM congregation.
FALL TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
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15
Clarke
University:
Teaching the
‘Science of
the Future’
by Mary Martens, BVM
New Center to Foster
‘Integrated Learning’
The three-story, $13 million facility is
linked with Catherine Byrne Hall (CBH);
together they form the center of academic
activity. The new building replaces existing life science laboratories with what
Clarke President Joanne Burrows, SC,
described at the groundbreaking in May
of 2012 as “a contemporary, flexible science building designed to serve our students for decades to come . . . a facility
that will allow us to teach the science of
the future.”
Clarke Provost Joan Lingen, BVM
(Ramone Mary) spoke of a greater
demand for highly-prepared science and
health science graduates in today’s world.
She noted additional growth opportunities in the future because of a national
demand for graduates in science and
education. She explained that, along with
its formal learning spaces, “The new facility is designed to enhance collaboration
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Imagine being a scientist and having the opportunity to work and do research in a
spacious new facility, replete with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. For
faculty and students at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa, such an opportunity is no
longer a dream but a reality. Clarke’s newest addition, the Center for Science Inquiry,
has been 15 months in the making and is now fully functional and well used since
the beginning of the academic year—not only by science majors, but by all students,
because everyone must fulfill a science requirement.
through informal gathering spaces . . .
students can move from a casual study
group in a common area to a specific
research project in an advanced lab with
little transition. In this flexibility, learning
becomes integrated.”
Clarke Board of Trustees member
Tim Conlon co-chaired the “Impact
Tomorrow” fundraising campaign which
launched the implementation of a longterm master plan for the future of Clarke
University. During a recent conversation,
he conveyed the Board’s enthusiasm for
upgrading structures and landscaping
to define the campus and modernize its
buildings and facilities.
Master Plan Addresses Future,
Includes Ownership and
Collaboration
Even before groundbreaking, the new
Center for Science Inquiry had the ownership of all involved. “Since the beginning phases of the master plan and the
Courtesy of Clarke University
Courtesy of Clarke University
BVMs (l. to r.) Mary Lou Caffery (James Mary), Mary Martens (Loras), Eilenn McGovern and Lynn Lester
(Ann Joseph) gather for the open house at the new Center for Science Inquiry at Clarke University.
conceptual design, to July 1 of this year
when the building was turned over to the
University, there was collaboration. The
Board, various Clarke departments and
all user groups—in particular faculty and
students—gave input,” Conlon stated.
He explained that there was teamwork
between the Conlon Construction Company and its subcontractors, supervisors
and workers, with respect both for the
project itself and for the environment.
Attention to detail included everything
from flooring to wall coverings, from
color schemes and lighting to placement
of fume hoods, electrical components and
washes for chemical spills.
The building includes “green” details:
geothermal heating and cooling, green roof
technology, use of sustainable materials,
water-conserving plumbing, provision for
recycling, efficient use of space, and natural
day lighting. Its many windows bring an
outside wooded area and sky inside.
If the outside environment is one of
natural beauty, the inside environment
is student-friendly, with gathering, study
and research spaces, and faculty offices.
Pause at the building’s front entrance
on Clarke Drive, and see how well the
stone quarried in Minnesota matches the
stone in CBH from six decades past. Note
the solarium which joins the two buildings and extends the three story height of
both, letting in natural light at their juncture. Internally, the buildings link seamlessly floor to floor.
Step inside on the ground level and
notice the colorful design hand-etched in
the terrazzo floor by BVM artist Carmelle
Zserdin (photo left). The design names
the BVM core values of freedom, education, justice and charity; thus it memorializes the legacy of the entire BVM
congregation which has supported Clarke
since the institution’s beginnings.
Walk straight ahead, step outside the
back entrance door and the view encompasses Clarke’s back campus. Extending
well beyond the rear of the new building
is a large greenhouse; its entry is located
on the ground floor space containing an
exercise physiology lab and an ecology
lab. Inside the various labs—biology and
biochemistry on the first floor and chemistry on the second floor—it’s a scientist’s
dream come true.
Two biochemistry and math majors
agreed. Senior Seth Cory commented,
“With the extra space being provided,
it allows students the possibility to have
access to newer instruments such as an
atomic absorption spectrophotometer . . .
This also increases the institution’s future
in participating in research and expands
the laboratory experience . . . Clarke University has an excellent faculty and should
rightfully have an excellent facility to
operate within.”
Junior Mileva Gacanich recalled,
“When the building was started, I was
pretty excited, not just because we would
be getting updated chemistry labs. I
mean, there are only a few here at Clarke
that can get overly excited about abundant fume hoods, a research lab, and most
of all, being able to get deionized water
from the taps!”
Research Will ‘Benefit Global
Community’
Professor Diana Malone, BVM chairs
the chemistry department at Clarke.
She reflected on what the new facilities mean for her, and by extension for
faculty and students working in the new
science center. “The biochemistry lab is
enhanced with new equipment which will
extend the type of experimentation done.
Research in biology and ecology will provide experience for students in building a
foundation for continuing at a graduate
level; such research also has ramifications
for the benefit of the global community.”
Construction of the new Center for
Science Inquiry is but step one. Building
modification and renovation in Catherine
Byrne Hall have brought science facilities
in the center up to date as well. And by
autumn 2014, food science courses leading toward a major will also be housed
there, as the Clarke master plan continues
to impact the university now and in the
future.
About the author: Mary Martens, BVM
(Loras) retired as administrative assistant to
the BVM Council in August 2013, and continues to minister in social justice work.
Wright Hall in Chicago
opened its doors in 1959 to
house BVMs who were attending Mundelein College. Over
the years it served various
functions. In December 2010
the building was purchased by
Loyola University with the goal
of developing better facilities
for students, staff and faculty,
and it was renamed BVM Hall.
As part of a renovation
process by Loyola University
Chicago, BVM Hall now houses
Courtesy of Loyloa University Chicago
New ‘Institute of
Environmental
Sustainability’
Opens at Loyola
University
faculty offices and classrooms
and is linked by a greenhouse
solarium with San Francisco
Hall, an undergraduate “green”
student residence where students will live mindful of their
carbon footprint.
The new complex is known
as the Institute of Environmental Sustainability and “will lead
the way on teaching Loyola
students how to live sustainable lives in an urban setting.”
The site of the old Wright Hall
parking lot is now the portion
of the new institute that houses
labs and research spaces, with
San Francisco Hall using the
rest of the lot and the site to
the south that was occupied by
a residential building.
With the renovation completed, students and faculty
have moved into the residential
and office portion of the building. A ribbon cutting ceremony
and open house on Sept. 6 officially opened and blessed the
new institute.
FALL TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
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17
Saskia Karina Alquinga Cahuatijo:
Professing Final Vows as BVM ‘Woman of the World’
by Luann Brown, BVM
The indigenous of Ecuador symbolize the culture of North America with
the eagle, which is characterized by the
intellect. The symbol of South America, in
contrast, is the condor, which represents
the heart. In order to maintain a healthy,
balanced and flourishing universe, we
need the gifts of both. Saskia Karina
Alquinga Cahuatijo, BVM, who professed
final vows as a Sister of Charity of the
Blessed Virgin Mary on July 27, 2013, embodies the integration of what it means
to be both Ecuadorian and BVM.
Saskia Embraces
the BVM Spirit
During her final vows Saskia shared:
“. . . I make a call to all of my sisters
in the BVM community . . . to ask for
your companionship, your prayers,
and your love in this call that Jesus
has made to me, to help him carry
that yoke and to walk with his people until the end of my days.”
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One of the questions used as a tool
of mutual discernment as a woman progresses through the stages of initial membership inquires, “Is this person’s spirit
compatible with the spirit of the BVM
congregation?” In the case of Saskia, the
answer is a resounding “Yes!” She has lived
her life in fidelity to the principles of justice, charity (love), freedom and solidarity
with the poor and marginalized. Saskia is
attracted to the charism of our foundress,
Mary Frances Clarke, and describes her as
a “very close and loving woman who was,
at the same time, demanding. She encouraged the sisters to care for the neighbor
with love, supported sisters in becoming
free, and gave her companions the courage to carry on in challenging times.”
As an adolescent, Saskia was deeply
involved with youth groups interested in
personal growth and societal transformation. She met BVMs in Quito while working as a teacher at El Centro del Muchacho
Trabajador (CMT), also known as the
Working Boy’s Center (WBC). At CMT,
Saskia taught junior high school language
and religious studies. She also collaborated
with pastoral ministry at the Center and
companioned the Niños y Adolescentes
Trabajadores (NATS) group, which is an
international grassroots movement animated and led by working children and
adolescents dedicated to advocating for
their rights and protection.
BVM Answers the Call
to Minister Worldwide
As a second year novice, Saskia lived in
Ghana, Africa, for a year, where she helped
create a Montessori program at the Marist
Preparatory School and taught embroidery
at the Holy Family Vocational School.
Currently, Saskia is working at José María
Velaz School in Quito, where she has
taught mathematics, English, and Spanish
(language arts) at the primary level and
religious studies in the high school.
Saskia expresses tremendous gratitude
for all of the BVMs with whom she has
lived and worked. Some of the wisdom
that Saskia has inherited from the BVM
community includes mutual decisionmaking and trust, the sharing of resources
with each other and those in need, the
beauty of diversity, and the importance
of interconnectedness. She identifies with
our Constitutions, particularly the statements suggesting that where one BVM
sister resides, the community is there,
and our call to minister in any part of
the world where the mission of Jesus is
needed, no matter what the cost. Saskia
is also grateful for the sisters who have
nurtured her in becoming, “A woman of
the world, not just from Ecuador.” Saskia’s
family expresses that they feel blessed to
have an extended family committed to
making changes in society and the world.
About the author: Luann Brown, BVM lived
and ministered in Ecuador for 16 years. She
currently lives in Brookfield, Ill., and is completing an internship in addictions counseling
And Mary
Prayed,
‘Ba-ruch a-tah
A-don-ai’:
In Quest of the
Jewish Mary
Book Review by
Paulette Skiba, BVM
Throughout history Mary
has been able to reflect diverse
spiritualties and to wear with
graceful elegance the complexions of many peoples. But rarely
has she been allowed her own
religious and cultural identity.
Mary Christine Athans, BVM
(Christophil) unravels the forces
that created this separation and
draws on current scholarship
to illuminate the life of this first
century Jewish woman, who
would have answered to “Miriam” in her book, In Quest of the
Jewish Mary: The Mother of Jesus
in History, Theology, and Spirituality (Orbis Books, 2013).
As Christine examines the
early history it becomes clear
that gradual “parting of ways”
between Christians and Jews
need not have followed the
tragic path it did (95). Nor was
the eventual suppression of
Jesus’ Jewishness inevitable.
The reader is invited to ponder what might have been had
Christians held the developing
titles for Jesus such as Pantocrator (Ruler of All) along with
the gospel based title, “Rabbi
Jeshua bar Joseph” (100). Perhaps such a title would have
helped Christians to remember
that Jesus’ unity with suffering
humanity included his unity
with the suffering of his own
people, the Jews?
The historical narration
through the ancient and medieval period reveals a relationship
between Jews and Christians
that is rich and complex. Bright
spots of mutual exchange and
influence are uncovered in
the midst of a historical record
marked by persistent Christian
persecution of Jews.
Mary Christine unfolds the
modern flourishing of Marian devotion and the radical
rethinking of Catholic-Jewish
relations in the Council’s Nostra
Aetate (1964) in the context of
her own experience of Marian
devotion and Christian-Jewish
dialogue.
This way of narrating the
story allows the reader to locate
her or his own place in it. Some
of the most memorable and
insightful lines in the book come
from the author’s experiences in
Jewish-Christian gatherings.
In the shadow of the Shoah
the Catholic Church has grasped
that anti-Judaism and antiSemitism are essentially antiChristian. Reuniting our images
of Jesus and Mary with their
Jewishness is overdue. Drawing
on Jewish and Christian research
on first century Judaism, studies on the historical Jesus and
feminist scholarship on Mary,
Christine makes her own contribution to this work in the final
section of the book.
Although many Christians
continue to associate the
Pharisees with rigid legalism
and hypocrisy, scholars have
shown that Jesus was closer
to the Pharisees than to any
other religious group of his
time. Vatican documents, such
as “Notes on the Correct Way
to Present Jews and Judaism
in Preaching and Catechesis”
affirm this position (2002).
The agreements between
Jesus and the Pharisees are
significant. For the Pharisees
the practice of the law was to
be accessible to all and not
restricted to a religious elite.
Both refer to their leaders as
rabbi, pray in the synagogue,
practice table fellowship, share
similar interpretations of the
Torah, refer to God as Abba, and
believe in the resurrection of the
dead. New research posits that
women might have been members of the Pharisees (105-125).
Although Mary Christine
does not suggest that Jesus,
Mary and other members of
the early Christian movement
were “card-carrying Pharisees,”
she believes that if Jesus shared
many tenets of the Pharisaic
movement of his time, it is possible that Pharisaic prayer and
ritual might have permeated
the lives of the followers of
Jesus (131). In her exploration
of these areas we are offered
glimpses into how Mary might
have lived and prayed.
Mary Christine ends her
study with a series of “Ignatian
meditations” on Mary. The
entire book prepares the path
towards this eloquent and
prayerful conclusion. Here is a
selection from her contemplation on the nativity, drawing on
a celebratory Hebrew prayer,
referred to as the “She-he-cheeya-nu,” which was very likely
extant in the first century:
Finally, Joseph and I were alone
with this beautiful child. We snuggled down in the straw with the
newborn baby between us. We
were both awed by this remarkable gift of life. What can one say
at such an ecstatic moment when
the heart is so full of joy and gratitude? Suddenly I found myself
smiling, and I knew what was in
my heart. I said softly, “Joseph, do
you think we should say a Shehe-chee-ya-nu?” He nodded and
smiled, and we prayed together,
Ba-ruch a-tah A-don-ai
E-lo-hei-nu, me-lech ha-o-lam,
She-he-chee-ya-nu ve-ki-ye-ma-nu
ve-hi-gi-a-nu- la-ze-man ha-zeh.
Blessed are You, O Lord our
God, Ruler of the Universe,
who has given us life,
and sustained us,
and brought us to this
very special moment (147-148).
In these meditations we are
drawn close to the voice of Miriam whose own prayer was and
remains enfolded in the prayer
of her people. She was after all,
as one rabbi says, “A nice Jewish
girl” (65).
About the author: Paulette
Skiba, BVM is professor of religious studies at Clarke University
in Dubuque, Iowa.
IN LOVING MEMORY
“Lord, for your faithful people life is changed, not taken away.”
Please pray for the Sisters of
Charity, BVM who died
May 2012 – September 2013
(St.) Carolyn Weibeler
Oct. 18, 1915–May 7, 2013
Veronique Hennegan
June 12, 1920– May 31, 2013
Mary Jocile Valliere
Aug. 20, 1910–May 31, 2013
Mary James Orth
Dec. 22, 1917–June 8, 2013
Betty Cover (William Mary)
July 7, 1927– Aug. 8, 2013
Grace Ann Callen
July 24, 1925– Sept. 15, 2013
To read a sister’s obituary/
reflections, visit: www.bvmcong.org. A memorial fund
has been established for the
sisters. If you would like to add
to this memorial, please send
your gift to the BVM Development Office or visit our
website for online giving.
FALL TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
|
19
Sisters
of Charity
of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Freed by Love, Acting for Justice
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Dubuque, IA
WINC
1100 Carmel Drive
Dubuque, Iowa
52003-7991
Change Service Requested
Check us out online:
www.bvmcong.org
www.facebook.com/bvmsisters
www.youtube.com/bvmsisters
twitter/bvmsisters
PLANS ARE UNDER
WAY:
ORa2100-d1ay4
ECINUUSAinD
March on
JO
Trip!
Ecuador Immersion
BVM Volunteer Opportunities 2013-14
Operation Breakthrough
Kansas City, MO | Oct. 25–26, 2013
Learn about and share in the ministry of the largest singlesite early education, child care and social services facility
in the state of Missouri, serving over 400 children daily.
Human Trafficking Presentation
Chicago, IL | Nov. 9, 2013
Rose Mary Meyer, BVM provides a brief overview of human
trafficking. She is the director of Project IRENE, which focuses on the well-being of women and children in Illinois.
SET Ministry
Milwaukee, WI | Dec. 14, 2013
SET helps socially and economically disadvantaged
people establish and achieve goals that promote selfsufficiency and improve their lives. Join us in hosting a
Holiday Cheer Celebration for residents of one of Milwaukee’s low income senior housing units.
$ISCERNMENT7EEKEND
Are you interested in checking out religious life?
You are invited to quiet, to prayer and to learn
how you might experience God’s truth within you.
Join us for a day, or two, of input and reflection.
NETWORK
Washington, DC | March 21–24, 2014
Visit NETWORK and Lobbyist Marge Clark, BVM to learn
about and experience Catholic social justice in lobbying
and advocacy for the marginalized and poor.
For more information or to register, contact:
bvmoutreach@bvmcong.org | 847.650.0464
Or visit: www.bvmcong.org/join_volunteer.cfm.
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www.bvmcong.org
Friday, Nov 1 5 pm to
Saturday, Nov 26 pm
To register or for more details,
contact Sr. Lou Anglin, BVM
at langlin@bvmcong.org
or call 563-588-2351.
Sponsored by Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Dubuque Franciscan Sisters, and Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters.