open and closed: the half-door - Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary

RSHM SOUNDINGS is a quarterly
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Sacred Heart of Mary, Eastern and
Western American and Northern
European Provinces, and Zambezi
Region. Waves sent out, reflected
back, reveal an inner reality not always evident on the surface. Thus
SOUNDINGS probes RSHM life in
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Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary
English Speaking Provinces
Volume XX, Number 1
Spring 2012
OPEN AND CLOSED: THE HALF-DOOR
by Mary Gough, RSHM
FERRYBANK, IRELAND. Many of
us remember living in a house that
had a half-door. This was very useful. It kept small children safe inside
and kept small animals and chickens outside! It also allowed fresh air
and light into the house. Furthermore, it enabled those inside to see
what was going on outside and to
see visitors arriving, and it enabled
those outside to see if the occupants were at home. It was a very
useful type of door.
Nowadays many of us are afraid
to leave our house doors open for
security reasons. We have locks,
spy holes, alarms and cctv cameras. Whereas years ago the door
was left ‘on the latch’, some people
even leaving their door unlocked all
night, nowadays our fears mean we
check and double check the locks
before we retire to bed.
I wonder what this concern
about safety, appropriate as it is in
our world, does to our spirits? Do
we transfer this anxiety about safety
and self protection to our relationships? Are we closed, open, or half
- closed/open? In my experience,
people want to be open. They want
to have free, easy relationships. I
have never met someone who
in through the doorway. I feel drawn
to step out through this door into the
light beyond. There are trees or a
garden outside and it looks very
inviting. It interests me that the
doors open inward. I have to make
the effort of pulling them open if I
am to go outside. Sometimes this is
easy to do; at other times it is
tempting to stay inside. The fully
open doors allow a lot of light to
come in and reduce the division
between inside and outside. Sometimes, however, it is restful to step
out of the light and have the comfort
of shade and coolness. In this picture there is a nice balance between
light and shade.
wants to be a closed person. Yet
there is an appropriate level of self
protection and self disclosure that is
nicely symbolised by the half-door.
Pictures of doors can help us to
think about our lives. A few years
ago a friend sent me a calendar.
One of the pictures in it was this
open door. I liked it immediately. It
attracted me. There is a lovely
warm feeling about the light coming
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As I stand on the threshold, what
do I desire? Do I want to move on in
work, relationships, ministry? or do I
seek safety and security—protected
by locks and bolts of various kinds?
Have I dealt sufficiently with the affairs of ‘inside’ to be able to venture
‘outside’? Am I ready to move from
the past, through the present into
the future? Perhaps the best I can
do most of the time is be the halfdoor—a balance between being
open and closed—to others, to the
future and to new life wherever and
whatever it may be.
A DOOR THAT OPENS EVERY DAY
by Marcella Tyson, RSHM
BRONX, NEW YORK - Part Of The
Solution (POTS) was founded by
Rev. Ned Murphy SJ, Sr. Jane Iannucelli, SC, and Tim Boon on January 6, 1982, as the 35th Emergency
Food Program in New York City.
Thirty years later, POTS remains a
leader in NYC’s anti-hunger community and one of the few programs
open seven days a week. Over the
years, POTS has welcomed thousands of individuals with different
needs, backgrounds, and stories, all
of whom share one common goal:
to have their dignity restored.
POTS’ services and facilities have
expanded to meet the growing
needs of its community.
The New York Times reported
on one of these services in May,
2010: “Part of the Solution offers
legal assistance, free meals served
on tablecloths, and showers for the
homeless and the destitute. But it is
the haircut program—relatively unusual in New York’s social service
constellation—that provides a look
at the most unguarded moments of
and revealing surprises about the
lives of people stuck on the city’s
margins. The barber chair is part
confessional, part salon; some
come to sharpen up for a job interview or a court appearance, others
to pour out their troubles, a few just
for the camaraderie.”
The growing programs require
space. A milestone in expansion of
facilities was reached in the opening
of a beautiful new building on January 6, 2012. The opening of our new
building was a wonderful celebration. Wally Johns (‘Mayor’ of POTS)
RSHM at the ceremony marking the opening
of POTS’ new facility.
cut the ribbon to mark the beginning of the new facility. Archbishop
Dolan was present to bless the
building and visited the staff and
guests at our agency on January
11th. I would like to thank both
those who attended the ceremony,
and those who have prayed and
supported us with donations and
encouragement through the years.
It is greatly appreciated.
VOLUNTEER
PROGRAM
GETS UNDERWAY
by Susannah Bourbeau
TARRYTOWN, NY. What happens
when you open the door? What
kind of world are you willing to step
into? I picture Lucy from the Lion
the Witch and the Wardrobe and
her inquisitive innocence.
Do we have the curiosity of a six
year old? The gumption to experience what is unknown? To step out
of our comfort zone? The character
of Lucy in the Chronicles of Narnia
took a risk, and to take a risk, one
must have a trust in someone or
something that will provide support
and security. How much trust are
we willing to put in the hands of
God and the hands of others?
Lucy is the epitome of a Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary!
Lucy is the most faithful of the chil2
dren. She is curious, full of courage,
and a yearning for adventure. Lucy
is genuine, loving with an open
heart and a great desire to help others. Lucy demonstrates the zeal
and passion for life that each RSHM
expresses through word and action.
The RSHM have said yes in
various ways. They have dedicated
their lives in service to others
through their various ministries.
They continue to enter through the
open door, accepting the call, facing
obstacles, and leaving the door
open welcoming others to enter.
RSHM volunteers are called to
be like Lucy: to have an avid curiosity and the courage to say yes; to
move from what’s comfortable and
familiar to what is unknown and
new. Everyone is invited to hear the
call and answer in his/her own way
using the gifts God has granted
each of us. As a way of partnering
in this work, please consider the
RSHM EAP Volunteer Program.
At this time we are looking for
women who might like to volunteer
for a few hours visiting some of the
homebound sisters at Marymount
Convent, Tarrytown, NY. We are
beginning with the volunteers at
Marymount Convent and later we
will initiate the One-Year Domestic
Program and the Two-Year International Program. The One- and TwoYear volunteers will serve in collaboration with our RSHM and their
ministries. We are called bring life to
all, so all may enjoy the fullness of
life. Enjoy the fullness of life in the
company of the RSHM.
If you are unable to volunteer, you
may wish to sponsor a volunteer in
some way. For more information,
contact Susannah Bourbeau, at
sbourbeau@rshmeap.org or (914)
631-8872, ext. 214.
BEGINNINGS OF THE LAY RETREAT MOVEMENT
by Kathleen Connell, RSHM
BRONX, NY. At a dedication on
December 4, 2011, the Fordham
University Commons was renamed
Butler Commons in honor of Mother
Joseph Butler, RSHM. In her address at the ceremony, Kathleen
Connell, RSHM, spoke of the lay
retreat movement in which Mother
Butler and Father Shealy, SJ played
key roles:
Mother Joseph Butler would be
pleased to see her Community,
Marymount Alumnae and friends
gathered together in this Commons
now dedicated to her memory. She
would feel right at home here in the
midst of her Jesuit brothers whom
she first welcomed to Marymount
with that great-hearted hospitality
that so characterised her.
In 1908 or 1909, it was the Sunday Mass that brought Rev. Terence Shealy, SJ to Marymount and
Mother Butler who gave him a lasting welcome. Michael Kenny, SJ,
who was a friend of both Mother
Butler and Father Shealy, described
their affinity: “Irish by birth, by spirit
and by training, he had that in his
nature which most nearly corresponded with Mother Butler’s own,
a depth of sympathy and warmth
and bigness of heart, the power, ‘to
get into one’s very heart and take
the pain out of it.’ ”
Father Shealy had been chosen
by his provincial superior to assume
direction of a unique retreat movement—The
Laymen’s
Retreat
League—that would eventually include both contemplative and apostolic components. There would be
quiet time for instruction, meditation
and prayer during the retreat but
later, at what Father Shealy called
the School of Social Studies, there
would be a study of the great social
questions of the day in order to develop a sound knowledge of the
facts, and the Christian principles in
light of which these facts were to be
interpreted. Then, “as lay apostles,”
these men were to go out to teach
others.
Mother Butler’s interest in Father
Shealy’s project was genuine and
intense. She too had been eager to
find an appropriate space to give
retreats to laywomen in the United
States. Her interest in retreats for
women had begun when she was a
young teacher in the northern Portuguese city of Braga. M. de Chantal
Carvalhaes, RSHM, Portuguese
historian and a contemporary of
Mother Butler, describes what happened:
“On her own initiative, she
[Mother Butler] introduced the custom of holding ladies’ retreats at the
school. At the time, there was little
talk of closed retreats for lay people.
And were it not for the rare energy
and startling zeal of this young religious whose only support was her
superior, the idea would never have
taken root.”
In the late summer of 1911, one
hundred years ago, the first retreat
for Lay Women was offered at
Marymount in the newly constructed
“South Wing” of the Academy, now
known as Lourdes Hall.
Mother Butler did not preach
these retreats herself. But she was
present and praying for them and
the retreatants knew it. One participant described it this way: “I do not
remember that she said many
words to us, but the sympathy and
heart appeal we found in her presence, and her looks and smile had
more influence than any words
could leave upon our minds.”
WELCOME TO AMACUZAC
by Ines Gizzarelli, RSHM
AMACUZAC, MEXICO. After reading my article in the last Soundings,
some folks asked what my RSHM
sisters do in Mexico. I can better
answer that question now, though
the answer I initially gave is pretty
much the same. We do our best to
be a “presence” in this town of
7,000 people with one church, and
with about 22,000 people in the ten
tiny pueblos attached to Amacuzac.
The church of St. Francis of Assisi
is the hub of this community, where
their faith is nourished and, some of
their needs are met. We live amid a
cross-section of our church community members: the poor, merchants,
city workers, artisans, less than 1%
teachers, doctors and lawyers.
Amacuzac reminds me of a few
countries I have either lived in or
visited: Egypt; southern Italy; parts
of Brazil, and Jerusalem. The two
sisters I live with, as well as the
Continued on page 6
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Srs. Virginia (Vicki) Garza, Arcenia Escamilla,
and Ines Gizzarelli
TECHNOLOGY: A DOOR FOR TEACHERS AND LEARNERS
by Funmibi Ogunlesi and Abriana Davies
LONDON, ENGLAND. The spreading of knowledge through the use of
technology is a huge asset in our
society. In our Middle Years Programme class at Marymount London, we have used technology to its
fullest extent in order to learn and
present knowledge in an appealing
and dynamic way.
The Middle Years Programme
connects the Primary Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate to the IB Diploma Programme. Our new MYP Classes
have given us an opportunity to
debate whether we will be able to
feed the world in 2050. The likelihood of this depends on various
interrelated factors such as food
technology, climate change, conflict, land use, food miles, and population and demographics, all in an
attempt to answer the ultimate
question: “Will we be able to feed
the world in 2050?”
We divided our class into six
groups and our group researched
Food Miles. The term “Food Miles”
is used to describe the distance
food travels from its source to our
plates and shows how food production affects the environment. The
idea of using film technology to convey our points dawned on us when
we watched other students in the
school use technology. We decided
to use a video to show the effect of
Food Miles on our environment and
to encourage people to buy their
food locally. We decided to do this
in a funny yet informative way, including in the film both a “talking
cheese” and a comical pet! Comedy
aside, we stated reasons why we
should eat local foods, explained
the effects of carbon emissions on
the environment, and advised our
Funmibi Ogunlesi, Abriana Davies, and the
“talking cheese”
audience, through our snappy slogan, to “Be A Smart Shopper, Know
Where Your Food Comes From.”
First of all we showed our video
to the rest of our MYP Class and
then to the whole school at one of
our weekly assemblies. We feel that
our audience benefited from this
video. The comical element of the
video drew in the eyes of the students, allowing us to elicit laughter
from the audience. Through feedback, we discovered that our video
was a success. The students commented on how it was easy to tune
in to the video and how its simplicity
made it accessible to a wide age
bracket. The use of interviews within the video was a strong way of
presenting a variety of perspectives
in a short time.
Technology is a fun and easy
yet informative way of teaching and
learning. We greatly appreciate the
freedom we have to use film technology at Marymount London, because it provides both visual and
aural means of learning. This assists the teacher which improves
the learning process for us.
COMPASSIONATE SERVICE TO IMMIGRANTS
by Kelly Carpenter, RSHM
NEW YORK, NY. As Administrator
and Vice President of Operations at
Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation (CCNR) on the lower
east side of Manhattan, Mary
Devlin (known to many RSHM as
Joel) has been responsible for
many open doors. CCNR is a sponsored ministry of the Missionary
Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC).
The nursing home itself has 240
beds and reflects the cultural diversity of the community in which it is
situated. Despite the challenges of
meeting the needs of so many diverse ethnic groups, languages,
and beliefs, CCNR is a warm and
welcoming place for the elderly residents and their family and friends.
One of the delights of the building is
the fourth floor, named “Chinatown,”
where the many Chinese residents
can interact with staff and other residents in their own language and
enjoy familiar foods.
As part of her work at CCNR,
Mary has also overseen Cabrini
Immigrant Services. Since its inception in 1999, Cabrini Immigrant Services has grown to include legal and
social services that have 400 new
client consultations annually, ESOL
classes for 120 students each semester, and a food pantry serving
700 families every month.
Mary’s dedication to compassionate service, guidance, and support
has helped make Cabrini Immigrant
Services a welcoming place for
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thousands of newcomers to the
United States. In November 2011,
Mary was the recipient of the
Cabrini Immigrant Services Liberty
and Justice Award in recognition of
her commitment to Mother Cabrini’s
legacy of ministry with and to immigrant communities.
In light of this shining presence on
the lower east side, it is particularly
sad that CCNR’s lease is up and
the building has been sold for development. In a letter dated March
7, 2012, Patricia Krasnausky, President and CEO stated, “We deeply
regret that after 20 years serving
this community, we must close our
doors.” We are confident that Mary
Devlin will continue to find ways of
opening doors to those in need.
CORMARIA, A HEART ALWAYS OPEN
by Pat and George Farrell
SAG HARBOR, NY. We have both
experienced a wonderful relationship with Cormaria, which for Pat
dates back to the early 1990’s. She
kept notes from a retreat there dated Monday, June 28, 1993, a
very wonderful day. HIV/AIDS patients were part of a discussion
group and their remarks were profound, searching and instructive.
She noted that we learn so
much. This could not have happened were it not for the welcoming
and understanding spirit of Sr. Ann
and her staff. Today, due to advances in medicine, protese inhibitors
are giving these patients another
chance at life.
Our move to Sag Harbor in
1995 was based solely on our experiences at Cormaria, particularly,
with Sr. Ann. Cormaria became “our
home away from home.” We have
witnessed expansion of the buildings, creation of “Gardens of the
Spirit,” and, most important, the opportunity to interact with retreatants, both lay and religious. The
groups, benefiting from the aura of
quiet, range from those dedicated to
recovery from alcohol/drug use to
parish-centered missions. There are
Srs. Ann Thaddeus Marino (top), Scholastica
Gonzalez, Andrew Murcia, Catherine Browne
so many ways to experience the holiness and joy of Cormaria: the
Wednesday morning hour of prayer;
the monthly evening dinner and reflection; the Holy Week retreat; the
May Golf Tournament; the Mother’s
Day breakfast; the Strawberry Tea
and Fashion Show; the Fourth of
July Gala Fundraiser; the Advent
Day of Prayer; the Holly and Ivy
Breakfast and so much more.
Cormaria, in a quiet way, has
become an integral part of the East
End of Long Island. Every Thanksgiving, Sr. Ann and her wonderful
Sisters offer hospitality and gratitude
to many friends, local officials and
merchants who support Cormaria’s
mission and presence in the community.
Just recently, we experienced
the compassion and holiness of Sr.
Ann, Sr. Catherine, Sr. Scholastica
and Sr. Andrew. They were angels
in waiting who shepherded us
through a very sad family situation. At ages 79 and 81, we felt their
parental love and concern. How can
we ever thank them?
The Mission Statement of Cormaria says it best: “Cormaria offers
hospitality to people of all faiths for
spiritual and personal growth. The
Religious of the Sacred Heart of
Mary, who staff Cormaria, consider
this inclusive hospitality an expression of their call to celebrate God’s
love and to make that love known to
others. Aware that the spirit is present when ‘people come away and
rest a while,’ the mission of Cormaria is to create an atmosphere
where the Spirit flourishes for the
life and dignity of all”.
P.S. A few months ago, ‘Harry’,
a cute five month old Black Pug
puppy joined Cormaria’s family
and keeps everyone on their toes!
You must meet him. 
A WHOLE NEW WORLD FOR STUDENTS OF
MARYMOUNT SCHOOL OF NEW YORK
by Melanie Chow
NEW YORK, NY. At the Blessing
Ceremony attended by many RSHM
on November 4, 2011, students
sang, rang bells, read letters to
Mother Butler, and read from Scripture to announce the presence of
the Holy Spirit in the new 97th Street
Campus of Marymount School of
New York. We include here one of
many lively letters.
Dear Mother Butler,
Marymount New York is so excited to have a brand new campus
at 97th Street! It is an amazing
place, full of stunning new class-
rooms. Classes 6,7,8, and 9 think
that the new Fabrication Lab is so
awesome. We can design objects
on a special program and then we
can hook it up to the maker bot and
it prints it out! It is an amazing experience to see something that you or
your friends designed actually come
out! Another super cool classroom
is the Media Lab. There is equipment in there that actual newscasters use! The 97th Street campus is
also helping to go green. In the science lab there is a bio-wall with
pockets that can hold plants! It is
incredible! I am in the green thumb
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club, so I get to plant some marigolds. We also have a real dance
studio! There are mirrors surrounding the room; I feel like a real ballerina when I have dance class in the
dance studio. We also have a really
big gym in on the first floor. When
my class has team sports, we go
there and play basketball, soccer,
and volleyball. In the gym there is
also a stage. That is where the Uptown Broadway performance of the
Wizard Of Oz will be. There is also
a big chapel. It has real stained
glass windows! The whole building
is jaw dropping! 
continued from page 3
warm hospitality of our other RSHM
sisters in Mexico, have made my
transition very easy. We laugh a lot,
take time to listen to each other
and, of course, pray together. It is
the faith life of my RSHM sisters
and the people I have come to know
in these past two months that is
nourishing me. Life is good and simple.
Sr. Vicky has Bible study
groups during the week. They break
open the Word to make it relevant
to their lives. She also has a
“cooperative farm” in a pueblo and a
group of women from around the
area who work the land, plant vegetable seeds, pick them for their families and also sell them. Once every
six weeks on a Saturday, we take
turns with priests of the Diocese
giving reflections on the Sunday
readings over the Radio Station
103.7 in Jojutla. I have just begun to
use my music during liturgies and
meetings that Srs. Vicky and Arce
direct. Sr. Arce has asked me to
help her in forming a choir or two in
some of the nearby pueblos. One
last example of what we do involves bringing bags of groceries—
las dispensas—to needy families,
bags which are prepared by a
group of women in the parish. This
was also one of the ministries that
my RSHM sister Anna Maria was
involved in and now has been taken over by Sr. Vicky and me.
I want to close with the last
part of a final prayer we used this
evening at a meeting with our
small youth group,
"Para que cuantos conviven conmigo o se acerquen a mi encuentren en mi vida, un poquito de TI."
(For those who live with me or encounter me in my life, [may they
find] a little bit of You.) 
EDITORS:
Margaret McKenna, RSHM
Bea McMahon, RSHM
Pierre Dullaghen, RSHM
Joanne Safian, RSHM
Cathrine Chitali, RSHM
Monica Walsh, RSHM
Mary Alice Young, RSHM
ART EDITOR:
LAYOUT:
Edith Hart, RSHM
Bianca Haglich, RSHM
www.rshm.org
www.rshmnep.org
province@rshmeap.org
Printed by Commerce Press, Hawthorne, NY
NEXT ISSUE: “FRAMED”
CONTRIBUTORS
Susannah Bourbeau, MSW, a 2007 graduate of Marymount College, Tarrytown, is the Co-Coordinator of the EAP Volunteer Program.
Kelly Carpenter, RSHM, is an attorney with Cabrini Immigrant Services in New York City.
Melanie Chow is in Grade VI at Marymount School of New York.
Kathleen Connell, RSHM, is a member of the Marymount London community while she researches material on RSHM history.
Abriana Davies and Funmibi Ogunlesi wrote for Soundings in 2011, before moving up to Grade 9 at Marymount International School London.
Pat and George Farrell are friends of Cormaria Retreat House, Sag Harbor, NY, where George also serves on the Board.
Ines Gizzarelli, RSHM, is a member of the inter-provincial WAP-EAP community in Amacuzac, Mexico.
Mary Gough, RSHM, teaches at Abbey Community College, Ferrybank, Ireland.
Marcella Tyson, RSHM, is on staff at POTS (Part of the Solution) in the Bronx, NY.
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