Journey: Spring 2002
Contents
• Congregation Elects New President, Council
• A Time of Change by Lucy Silvio, CSJ
• Values, Caring at Heart of Award-Winning Principal's Ministry
• S. Helen, Author of "Dead Man Walking," Speaks in Cincinnati
• 'Dead Man Walking' to Play in Cincinnati
• S. Janice Miller Celebrates Half-Century as CSJ
• S. Jane Aucoin Describes CSJ Finances in Early 1900s
• Congregation Looks Back, Ahead in Chapter Meeting
• Viewpoint on Spirituality A Model of Spiritual Leadership
• The Advantages of Making a Bequest
Congregation Elects New President, Council
At the General Chapter meetings held in Baton Rouge on February 6-12, the CSJs elected the officers who will lead them for the next five years.
S. Phyllis Manda was elected president, S. Eleanor Bernstein is the new vice-president, and the two general councilors are S. Anne Meridier and S. Caroline Benken. The leadership team will take office on July 1 and will oversee the administration of the entire Congregation from the CSJs’ Central Office in Cincinnati.
S. Phyllis, currently Executive Director of the Sisters of St. Joseph U.S. Federation and living in Baton Rouge, served as the Congregation’s vice-president from 1990 to 1994 and again from 1994 to 1998. She made the following comment: “As I look ahead to the coming five years of this leadership term, I am convinced that as a Congregation we will focus our attention on furthering our mission into the future: the mission of Jesus and all Sisters of St. Joseph, ‘that all may be one.’ We are called as CSJs to be women of ‘active, inclusive love, women of unity and reconciliation.’ “Our recent General Chapter provided excellent challenges for us for the next five years. As a new leadership team, we will be guided by these Chapter Calls as we faithfully strive to serve the Congregation.”
S. Eleanor resigned from the University of Notre Dame in August 2001 after 19 years in a liturgy ministry, most recently as Director of the University’s Center for Pastoral Liturgy. At present she is fulfilling speaking engagements and completing other assignments at Notre Dame. S. Eleanor stated: “The General Chapter was a blessed time for all of us, I believe; all of the discussions and decisions were in the context of prayerful reflection. I am especially excited about the call to ‘reclaim with a new passion the mission that is at the heart of our existence, ‘“that they all may be one.”’ I look forward to the challenge of the next years as we journey together in response to that call, every sister claiming that mission anew. Our growth in sharing the ‘state of the heart and the state of the house’ will be a concrete way of responding to this call.” S. Anne, currently serving in New Orleans as the Congregation’s Director of Formation, spoke as follows about the leadership role: “The most important area I see that we as a Council have to attend to in the next five years is to find ways with the regional communities to make the calls of the Chapter a reality. In this way we will be better able to be faithful to our mission as Sisters of St. Joseph and to the mission of Jesus.”
S. Caroline, a Cincinnati native, now enters her second term as general councilor. Before joining the leadership team, she served on numerous regional and congregational committees. She also worked as Pastoral Associate at a Jesuit parish in downtown Cincinnati. S. Caroline stated: “I see each of our Chapter Calls as rooted in the desire to carry out our mission ‘that all may be one.’ Since that is such an urgent need in our society and in our understanding of our ecosystem, I feel that whatever we do in the next five years to understand and model our mission will be beneficial to us and our world. I would hope to see us deepen our convictions by prayer and contemplation and to model our belief in community life and choice of ministries.
“I would like to see us and our homes as sources of energy and vitality sparked by a depth of spirituality and commitment to justice, so that others will seek to be associated with us because they are drawn to the vision we carry.”
A Time of Change
by Lucy Silvio, CSJ
The season of winter has become spring, and the season of Lent has blossomed into Eastertide, a prelude to the days of Pentecost, which lead into summer. These natural and spiritual landscapes in which we live constantly remind us that change is everywhere—not only in the universe, which is constantly shifting and moving, but also within us and within our communities.
St. Joseph can be our example in experiencing these transitions—beginnings which are also endings, endings which are new beginnings, and the in-between times, which sometimes seem the most difficult of all. Because we know that St. Joseph experienced the pilgrim road of searching and exile as well as the everydayness of life in Nazareth, we look to him in our own times of change. And as you will see in this issue of Journey, we find ourselves as a Congregation very much in the midst of endings and new beginnings. Chapter 2002, with its theme “Our Past Meets the Future,” moved us significantly into this time of change and transition.
Chapter was a special grace-filled moment in the life of the Congregation as well as in each of our personal lives as Sisters of St. Joseph. Through its process, members in prayerful discernment chose a course of action on issues that touch our future, with ways to deepen our commitment to continue the mission of Jesus and our relationships with God, each other, the dear neighbor, and all of creation. We also elected new congregational leaders, who will officially begin their term on July 1.
We hope that the pictures and articles you find in this issue will give you a flavor of those Chapter days and a sense of our deepest community hopes and goals. We welcome this time of revitalization, of development, of renewal, and are grateful that you are our companions on the journey.
Values Caring at Heart of Award-Winning Principal’s Ministry
S. Pat Sullivan’s concern for her pupils is visible in everything she does, from instilling good manners to upgrading her school’s computer system. S. Pat, Principal of the Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Baton Rouge since 1985, was named the diocese’s Distinguished Elementary School Principal for 2001-2002. She has ministered in Catholic education for 45 years, and is the twelfth in an unbroken line of CSJs to head the school since it was founded in 1929.
S. Pat’s devoted leadership is evident throughout the school. She has added a full-time counselor, a computer teacher, “floating” aides for the classrooms above grade 1, a full-time art teacher, a librarian, and a full-time athletic director. The school now offers accelerated programs in reading and math. A new library, information, and media center, renovated from part of an existing building, opened in October; a science lab for the upper grades is in the works. The school has also enlarged its technology program: the Internet now operates throughout the school, and the use of computers in the classroom has expanded.
These improvements have brought measurable results. During S. Pat’s years as principal, Sacred Heart’s enrollment has doubled, class sizes have been reduced, and achievement test scores have risen. Still, the hard facts are only part of the school’s success story. Personal values and behavior are even more important. “We have religion classes daily,” says S. Pat, “but we bring religion into everything. We teach respect for each other, how to deal with each other, what it means to love your neighbor on the practical level—for example, cleaning up after yourself in the cafeteria.
“We do not tolerate people making fun of each other. As far as I can manage it, we don’t allow putdowns, mean teasing, cruelty. “Also, we try to teach the children to say ‘Thank you’ and ‘Excuse me,’ and to hold the door when adults come through. This has caught on, even with the little kids. If we don’t teach this, some will never learn it. “We don’t have many discipline problems. We have certain rules, and we try to be consistent. What we say we do, we do. We try to be fair—you can’t do one thing for one person and another thing for another. “The most important part of my work,” adds S. Pat, “is trying to communicate with the teachers and the children as much as possible.” She meets frequently with the teachers, and a newsletter is published weekly for everyone in the school. “There’s a lot of communicating among ourselves,” she points out. “Everyone knows what everyone else is doing.”
S. Pat says, “I want the children to know me as a person, not just as someone who’s in charge. I want them to know that I’m human and that I care about them.”With this aim in mind, she has initiated “Pizza With the Principal.” Once a month, the teachers name two children from each grade to have lunch with S. Pat. They’re chosen because “they have behaved especially well, have given their best, are trying hard.” As a result, explains S. Pat, “the kids see me in a different capacity, not just as the principal who hands out discipline. I pour the Coke and serve the pizza.”
Looking over the changes she has created, S. Pat says, “I’m very grateful that this school has worked as well as it has. It’s a very satisfying place to be; we work well together. If you don’t make this happen, it won’t happen.”
S. Helen, Author of ‘Dead Man Walking,’ Speaks in Cincinnati
by Ruth Kettman, CSJ
Editor’s note: On April 2, S. Helen Prejean spoke at St. Xavier Church in downtown Cincinnati as part of the Opera Rap Series in preparation for the city’s 2002 opera season. S. Ruth Kettman, director of the Peace and Justice Department for the Diocese of Covington (KY), reports here on S. Helen’s talk.
As S. Helen shared her personal journey, people were obviously
deeply moved. We were challenged to allow ourselves to be
awakened to a deeper spirituality.
Growing up in a privileged family in Baton Rouge, S. Helen
had been protected from evil and suffering. She now walks
with people on both sides of the suffering: the victims’
families, and those who are incarcerated and sentenced to
death for the crime—and their families. In 1983, after
witnessing the execution of Patrick Sonnier (her first execution),
S. Helen knew she had to write a book. Dead Man Walking was
the first personal story to be written about the death penalty.
The book was published in 1993, and in 1996 was followed by
the film, starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. The opera
premiered in San Francisco in October 2000. The next performance
will be held in Cincinnati in July 2002.
Are all those sentenced to death guilty of the crime that brought them to death row? No—just recently the hundredth person in this country since 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated, was freed from death row. S. Helen’s second book, Innocence Betrayed, includes the stories of two people who were probably innocent. The book is scheduled for publication this fall.
The opera is magnificent and significant. There is such power in the music and the words! According to S. Helen, “Music can take us places we don’t know yet.” The story is “a journey in the quest for redemption,” and the journey is everything. We’re all on a journey of revenge and compassion, death and life. May a deeper spirituality be the fruit!
‘Dead Man Walking’ to Play in Cincinnati
Opera lovers and friends of the Congregation will be happy to learn that Dead Man Walking is coming to Cincinnati in July.
The opera, based on the film and on S. Helen Prejean’s book of the same title, premiered in San Francisco in October 2000 and played to full houses for eight performances. Created by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrence McNally, the opera dramatizes S. Helen’s work with death row inmates, their families, and the victims’ families.
Renowned mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, who appeared in the San Francisco production as the mother of death row inmate Patrick de Rocher, will fill this role again in Cincinnati. Baritone John Packard, another member of the original cast, returns for a repeat performance as de Rocher. S. Helen’s role will be sung by soprano Margaret Jane Wray.
The production is scheduled for July 11, 13, and 19 at Cincinnati’s Music Hall. The Congregation has reserved more than 150 seats for July 19. On that evening S. Helen will be present at a reception to be held before the performance.
The Details
Place: Music Hall, Cincinnati
Date: Friday, July 19, 2002
Tickets for the July 19 performance are available. Orchestra, $85 and $74; balcony, $62; gallery, $48. (Other gallery seats are available for as little as $14, but the sight lines are poor.) To order tickets, call (513) 241-2742 and request Dead Man Walking tickets for July 19 in the Sisters of St. Joseph block. The Opera will hold these tickets until June 28; those which are not sold will be made available to the general public.
If you have any questions, call Judy Sandquist at (513)761-4143.
S. Janice Miller Celebrates Half-Century as CSJ
At an open house held on March 17 at the Marywood Residence, S. Janice Miller was honored for 50 years as a Sister of St. Joseph.
For much of this time, S. Janice has served in various capacities in the Diocese of Crookston. Beginning in 1952, she taught school at all levels in Crookston and Argyle. In the 1980s she turned to pastoral ministry and administration; her work in the parishes of Florian and Alma in the early 1990s received favorable publicity. For the past four years S. Janice has been the pastoral administrator at St. Joseph Parish in Bagley.
Elsewhere, S. Janice taught at Brady High School in West St. Paul and served as teacher and principal of St. Joseph’s School, also in that city. She was involved in novitiate formation in Crookston, St. Paul, and San Antonio. From 1995 to 1998, S. Janice was part of the Congregation’s leadership team.
Much of the information printed here is based on an article published in the March 7 issue of Our Northland Diocese, the newspaper for the Diocese of Crookston.
S. Jane Aucoin Describes CSJ Finances in Early 1900s
Financial issues are nothing new, as shown by the following excerpt from Mother St. Rose Thiberville: A Thoroughly American CSJ of Bourg, 1854-1940. In this work, S. Jane Aucoin offers a picture of the Congregation’s financial development in the early 1900s. A shorter version will be included in a book to be published by the Archdiocese of New Orleans, relating the lives of pioneering women and men religious who ministered in Louisiana.
Community finances figure doubly in St. Rose’s response to news of a General Chapter of Elections called to convene in France August 10, 1907. With characteristic bluntness, she wrote, “I am very annoyed to be obliged to absent myself [from New Orleans] during vacation, because I was preparing myself to go collecting in order to face a payment of three thousand dollars due in the month of September....Moreover, our expenses are so large, we find it impossible for us to pay for our trip to France if you do not help us.”
The superior general sent a hundred dollars for travel expenses with the promise of more help for the return voyage. She wisely authorized St. Rose to be represented at Chapter by an alternate if she had a serious reason not to come. St. Rose did in fact attend, accompanied by Sister Marie Euphrasie Randolph....
As
[St. Rose] had expected, the creditors of the New Orleans
Academy were “beside themselves” as they awaited
her return:
[T]hey wanted their money at any price; you can’t imagine
the hours of anxiety through which I have passed. It is not
two thousand dollars that they are asking for, but four thousand
five hundred dollars. St. Joseph came to help us with the
$1958 that you had the kindness to send us, and with what
the Sisters were able to get, we were able to pacify them....Our
schools are good, we will be able during the year to pay some
more.”
Historical note: Mother St. Rose served as superior in Cincinnati from 1895 to 1902, and as Resident Visitatrix, or major superior, in New Orleans from 1895 to 1930. Her mandate as Visitatrix included Argyle, MN from 1902 to 1904 and Salix, IA until 1907.
Congregation Looks Back, Ahead in Chapter Meeting
by Caroline Benken, CSJ
“Our Past Meets the Future” was the theme of our Congregational Chapter, held February 6-12 at the Bishop Robert E. Tracy Center in Baton Rouge. The CSJ Chapter, which takes place every five years, is pivotal to major decision making for the directions we will take and the leaders we choose for the near future.
Lucy Silvio, our current president, described Chapter as “a special time of communal discernment.” That discernment was shared by 77 voting delegates and began long before the actual meeting as members prayed, planned, studied, and nominated candidates for leadership. Their efforts were supported by the input and prayer of nonvoting delegates, by the prayers of sisters, associates, and friends unable to attend, by facilitators, and by our guest speaker.
Prayer rituals that rooted us in our past incorporated a litany of saints, a mingling of waters from Bourg, France and the Congregation’s five regions, and a message from Mother St. John Fontbonne, whom we honor as a founder. Maintaining a spirit of prayer, the present General Council reported on the Congregation’s life since the last Chapter. This report centered around the results of the viability study and the implementation of the plans we made at the last Chapter to deal with these findings.
Processes of prayer, input from the past and challenges for the future, and constant dialogue among all the delegates led to our decision to create five specific Calls for Action that will sustain and challenge us to live out our charism.
Having set our course of action, we engaged again in prayerful discernment to elect our leadership team for the next five years. This process led to the election of Phyllis Manda as president, Eleanor Bernstein as vice-president, and Anne Meridier and Caroline Benken as general councilors.True to our belief in holistic living, we held parties with Cajun and Mardi Gras flavors, joined protestors in front of the governor’s mansion to oppose the death penalty, shared our talents with displays of art and crafts, told many stories, and joined in prayer through liturgies and services.
Each of us returned to our homes and ministries transformed in some way by these experiences. I was moved by the awareness of being part of something much bigger than any one of us. I left with energy and a conviction that the gifts God offers the world through our living out of our charism are key to the healing needed in and for our world today. I was enriched by witnessing the generosity, courage, and determination of this band of CSJ women gathered for this chapter of our lives, and I hold onto the hope that we will live out Jesus’ mission to us, “That all may be one.”
S. Caroline is serving a second term as a General Councilor.
Viewpoint on Spirituality
“Follow the Spirit”
by Terri Holman
“Follow the Spirit.” Those were the last words
of wisdom from the late Bishop Raymond Lucker to the people
of the New Ulm Diocese in Minnesota. I was deeply touched
by his admonition, but how could I follow the Spirit in
my life?
I found myself opening up to situations I had not looked
at twice in the past. In my work as Director of Development
of the northern region for the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Medaille, I had met S. Margie Navarro only once. However,
I kept up with news about her work in Batahola and other
parts of Latin America. I also read the daily e-mails from
the people who remained with her in Batahola until her death.
On a trip to New Orleans, I had dinner with S. Helen Prejean,
S. Kathleen Babin, and three of my friends from Minnesota.
Helen and Kathleen spoke of the late S. Margie’s work
in Nicaragua, and of how the Cultural Center was holding
up after her death and the death of Fr. Angel Torrellas.
Helen talked about the great people at the Cultural Center,
and said that a few people in the United States have formed
a group called The Friends of Batahola. The group was going
to Managua in March 2002 to be with the people and staff,
experience the Cultural Center in action, and attend a retreat.
Helen invited us to come along, saying “You will love
these people.”
I prayed, opening myself to follow the Spirit. Everything
seemed to fall into place: March came, and nine of us went
off to Managua. The wonderful people of the Cultural Center
greeted us at the airport. Four of us stayed with a woman
named Connie and her family. The rest stayed at S. Julie’s
house and S. Dianne’s house, a few blocks away. All
of us were well taken care of by the people of Batahola.
The Cultural Center was most impressive. We saw children
in dance lessons, listened to children practicing the Hallelujah
Chorus, and watched a creative drama class act as the teacher
told a story. It was beautiful to see the cooking, sewing,
computer, and art classes in action and to know that what
S. Margie and Fr. Angel had birthed will continue with the
help of many. They empowered very special people to take
the Center to a new level.
The language of love was easily communicated. The Spanish
language proved a little more difficult for me, but with
the help of our interpreters we were able to communicate.
On the day of the retreat, when I saw the pain the team
was still feeling from the loss of their leaders, and the
uncertainty that lies ahead, I felt compelled to help. Someone
from the group said that you couldn’t experience this
and walk away. There is no turning back.
In contrast, the poverty of the country was hard to see.
The large, colorful mural at the Center, titled New Dawn,
gives hope daily. I did not experience the people as poor
in spirit. They “follow the Spirit” every day,
as they have hope for the “New Dawn.” I believe
this is how they have survived so far.
I will never forget the beautiful eyes of the Nicaraguan
people, nor will I forget their warm hearts.
Terri Holman is the Director of
Development for the North Region.
The Advantages of Making a Bequest
Now that you have filed your tax returns for 2001, you may wish to consider the long-term tax benefits of a charitable bequest. At the time of death, the federal estate tax can take as much as 37% to 55% of one’s estate, a bigger bite than the income tax.
To save dollars and to reduce the estate tax, you may make a charitable bequest in your will to benefit the needs of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille. The process is simple: in most cases you can add the Sisters’ name to your will through a simple amendment called a codicil. There’s no need to change the entire will.
To work out the details, see your attorney or financial advisor. It pays to plan ahead.