bulletin_may_june_2012

May/June 2012 Vol. XXXII, No. 5

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters

The indwelling Spirit of God moves over the void,

dances in the chaos, quickens, warms, sets free, blesses

and continuously creates the world. As Holy Spirit Missionaries

we dance in tune with this Spirit through the seasons of our life.

B lessed Pentecost! “God’s love is

poured into our hearts by the Holy Spir-

it who is given to us!” “Poured into our

hearts,” “given to us” – images of

God’s abundant sharing and generosity. God’s love

for us is richly deep, intimate and inclusive. It is

God giving us His/Her very Being.

As we draw to a close our General Visitation with

the theme, “Dancing through the Stages of our

Lives,” we recognize so clearly God is the one who

leads the dance of our lives, personally and commu-

nally. God initiates the dance by first loving us and

filling us with God’s own love, the Holy Spirit.

Then he asks us to “remain in that love” – live in it,

let it bless our lives, inside and out. And the dance

moves out to others, all others, sharing with them

the goodness and kindness of our God poured into

our hearts.

There have been two recent deaths that have greatly

impacted my life: Sr. Maria Burke and my brother,

Charlie. Both were people with whom I shared so

much of myself and my life and they shared their

lives with me. And as with people we are in close

relationship with, I often projected my shadow side

on them, sometimes my golden shadow and at other

times my dark shadow. Although very common,

doing this can certainly keep us from having true

relationships which are about honoring and cherish-

ing myself and the other as they are. When I saw

Sr. Maria and Charlie during their last days so vul-

nerable, so soft, so much of their core selves shining

through, I was faced with truth. All the warmth and

(continued on page 2)

(continued from page 1)

appreciation I felt for them blessed both me and them. All the hardness and closedness I had

felt at different times of my life was in me – not them. And somehow it just melted away when

I stood before them in their vulnerability. I thank God for this grace and I also ask myself do I

have to wait until death to really honor and cherish persons as they are? Everyone in life and in

death deserves to be cherished and honored.

Having received the Holy Spirit, we need to be about the business of compassionate relation-

ships and making our world a better place for everyone. Compassion is an irresistible force

drawing us into a consciousness of unity and interconnectedness. It breaks down our projec-

tions and thick walls that separate us, hardening us toward one another. We all need each other

and are on the journey together. Recognizing our common humanity and that we are here to

support and cherish each other, there are so many possibilities of communion and community.

Yes, the goodness and kindness of God is poured into our hearts.

Let’s not go back to squabbling over what furniture is to be put where, who should or shouldn’t

be answering the phone or whether we buy this kind of rice or that. It’s time to have our big

vision in mind, hang up our egos and get on with the dance of the Spirit.

Sr. Carol Welp

Vocation Day

2

May 20, the death anniversary of Blessed

Josepha Stenmans, was a Vocation Day

here at the Convent in Techny. We

invited young women we knew from our

communities in Techny, Rogers Park and

Waukegan to come and bring a friend.

Eight young women came and for most, it

was their first time in a Convent.

Together we had a joyful afternoon of

stories about who we are as Holy Spirit

Missionaries and how we experience the

Holy Spirit at work in our lives –

embracing the world. We prayed together

the Pentecost Novena and continued our

sharing over supper.

Because of language students who will be

moving on to formation experiences and

further studies, there are quite a few

transfers about to take place. In the July/

August bulletin we will list the members in

the different communities as we start again

in September.

Sr. Salud Osornio graduated from the

Called and Gifted Program on May 5 in

Mundelein.

Sr. Xaveriana Ngene graduated from Col-

lege of Lake County with an Associate De-

gree in Sociology on May 12.

Sr. Rose Martin Glenn received the 4th An-

nual Mother’s day Concert and Humanitari-

an Award at Holy Spirit Church in Memphis

on May 13.

Sr. AnnIta Walsh graduated with a M.A. in

Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological

Union on May 17. She was not able to be

present for the ceremony.

Congratulations

Transfers

3

Jubilarians 2012

“It shall be a jubilee for you … It shall be holy to you …” Leviticus 25:10-12

In the words of the Jubilarians,

Jubilee is a time for celebration, a

time of exultation because we have

seen that the Lord is good! This

year we celebrate the jubilee in

honor of those who have complet-

ed 65 and 75 years as members of

the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters.

Sixty –five or seventy-five years

ago each of these sisters heard the

call of the Holy Spirit deep in her

heart, each responded and

followed the plan God had for her.

The jubilee is a time for all of us to

return thanks and praise for what

God has so freely and abundantly

given over the many years, and to

recognize God’s hand in all that

has been accomplished.

75 Years

Sr. Carmella Viso

Sr. Engratia Gales

Sr. Juanita Izo

65 Years

Sr. Betty Tranel

Sr. Marie Sheehy

Sr. Maryann

Regensburger Sr. Margaret Simon

75 Years

4

Our deceased:

Werner Opitz, brother-in-law of Sr.

Mary Winkler, who died on April 17.

Stanislaw Motal, uncle of Sr. Elwira

Dziuk, who died on April 14.

Bernice Brown, sister of Sr. Mary Helen

Sullivan, who died on April 21.

Charles Welp, brother of Sr. Carol

Welp, who died on April 23.

Sr. Helen Sheehy, O.P., sister of Sr. Ma-

rie Sheehy, who died on April 12.

Our sick:

Emiliano Carrera, our faithful employee

in housekeeping, who is undergoing chem-

otherapy treatments for cancer which has

spread to his second lung.

Mike Bogard, our convent engineer, who

had a hip replacement and will be at home

for a five to six week recovery. We are

missing you, Mike.

Sr. Stela Maris

Martins has completed

her CCME and will be

leaving for Brazil on

May 31 to prepare for

her perpetual vows.

We and the Waukegan

parishes will certainly

miss Sr. Stela. She is a very dedicated and

service-oriented missionary. Many blessings,

Sr. Stela!

Sr. Theresa Tawiah

from Ghana arrived in

the Province on April

29. She is presently

visiting some of the

communities around the

Chicago area as well as

preschools and kinder-

gartens. In this way she gets to know the Prov-

ince and gets ideas and resources for beginning

the school in Jamaica. She will be going to

New York to visit two brothers and a cousin and

to visit our Sisters and the parish school there.

During June and July Sr. Barbara Miensopust

and Sr. Theresa will be part of the Mission Co-

operation Plan in the diocese try to raise money

for our new mission in Jamaica. Srs. Barbara,

Theresa and Rosalia Service Galmin will have

a Community-building workshop at the end of

July to build up their own relationships and

strengthen their ability to consciously support

one another and cooperate for our mission in

Jamaica.

Sr. Odila Ganzer from Brazil South, who orig-

inally came to the USA only to study English, is

now appointed for three years of ministry once

she finishes her English studies in December.

Sr. Odila, we are gladdened and grateful that

you will remain with us!

For Your Prayerful Remembrance Comings and Goings

Moving On

Long-time employee Chris Llamas was honored at

a retirement party in April. Best wishes, Chris!

5

During a visit last

month with her aunt,

Sr. Carol, Olivia

Welp talked to the

Sisters about her time

spent recently in Haiti.

She will be returning

this summer to contin-

ue helping rebuild the

earthquake-damaged

nation.

World Catholicism Week 2012, "Real

Presences: Eucharist, Society, and Global

Catholicism," was held April 16-20 at De-

Paul University in Chicago. Sr. Rose

Therese participated one day in the event.

The past century has seen a revival in

awareness of the social dimension of the

Eucharist. As Lumen Gentium, the Vatican

II constitution on the Church, emphasizes,

the Eucharistic mystery is not simply for

individual consumption and edification;

rather, "in the sacrament of the eucharistic

bread, the unity of all believers who form

one body in Christ is both expressed and

brought about" (Lumen Gentium, 3).

The Eucharist counters the scattering of sin

by gathering together the Church, a "sure

seed of unity, hope and salvation for the

whole human race" (Lumen Gentium, 9).

This conference explored how the Eucha-

rist is enacted in--and has an impact on--

different social contexts worldwide.

May 1-4, Srs. Julita Bele Bau, Alexis Tjahjani

and Theresa Tawiah went to Ypsilanti, Michigan

to learn more about using the High Scope

Curriculum in preschools. Later this summer Sr.

Julita will be taking more preschool curriculum

courses to qualify her as a High Scope preschool

teacher and trainer.

Sr. Angelica Chavol and Sr. Yuliana Meno will

be participants in the International Leadership

Development Program organized by the Sisters of

the Holy Cross and given at St. Mary’s, Notre

Dame, Indiana. The program has four phases:

Orientation: June 18-29, 2012 at St. Mary’s

Study: June 30, 2012 – June 3, 2013

(Independent Study)

Assessment: June 3 – June 14, 2013 at St.

Mary’s

Internship: Six to twelve months, beginning

June 15. 2013.

Sr. Agathe Bramkamp is taking part in the

program as a supervisor for Srs. Angelica and

Yuliana

The following Sisters will be on home leave this

summer:

May 20 – Sr. Kristina Jawa Lajar to Indonesia

May 24 – Sr. Alexis Tjahjani to Indonesia

June 15 – Sr. Elwira Dziuk to Germany and

Poland

We wish each of you a wonderful time of renewal

and family sharing.

Ongoing Formation

Sisters on Home Leave

Techny Visitor

6

Forced Out: At the Intersection of

Deportation and Incarceration

On April 5, 2012 a day on the exploration of deportation and

incarceration was held at the University of Chicago which was

organized by Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights

(ICIRR) and the Adler School (Institute on Public Safety and

Social Justice). Over 550 community members joined together for a

conversation on the intersections of immigration and incarceration,

systems that are tearing apart African-American and immigrant

families alike. Sr. Rose Therese Nolta participated.

Over 2.3 million people are held in American prisons at any given time, and nearly 400,000

immigrants are deported each year – these are the highest

rates of incarceration and deportation in American history.

These policies of containment and removal come at an

enormous cost to communities, families and taxpay-

ers. And the same forces are at play in both systems –

prison privatization, widespread criminalization, and the

politics of fear.

There were educational panels as well as workshops that

explored the connection between immigration and

incarceration. The event highlighted Chicago and Cook County’s role at the epicenter of

these critical issues. Among the speakers were:

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who has

supported decreasing the number of youths detained in the

Cook County’s Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and

instead using an approach that places more emphasis on

counseling, community-based programs and job skills train-

ing for offenders.

Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who

last year sponsored a measure to prohibit Cook County Jail

from holding inmates based on unreasonable Immigration

and Customs Enforcement requests: Cook County is one of only a handful of counties and

municipalities across the nation to refuse to comply with the Federal Secure Communities

Program.

More Justice and Peace News

Jenny Dale presenting at

Workshop

JPIC

SSpS

USA

7

BEARING WITNESS

Sr. Leonette Kaluzny, SSpS

On May 8th, 2012 I was privileged to witness

and experience a special report given on the

rights of indigenous people, sponsored by the

NGO Committee on the United Nation Interna-

tional, Mining Working Group, which was first

started by VIVAT International three years ago.

The Group presented a very informative,

multi-media exhibit and a heart-moving, closing

commemorative service. In this presentation the

Group addressed the topic of extractive

industries; the negative and even catastrophic

effect these activities have had on the rights of

indigenous peoples, and the need to facilitate a

common understanding among Indigenous

Peoples, governments, and private companies

about key issues and the application of the human

rights standards. The Group stated that these

issues will be the focus during the next few years.

They are:

1. That the Indigenous Peoples

May/June

2012

continue to practice ways of living characterized by a holistic model of development based on values of reciprocity, diversity, solidarity, accountability and harmony with Mother Earth.

2. That their efforts to live sustainably have been disrupted by an exploitative approach to development in which extractive industries have been a

central element. The Indigenous Peoples’ culture, societies and econo

mies, often suffer from such develop-ment.

3. The dominant model of development

gives priority to economic growth at the expense of environmental sustainabil-ity, equity, social justice and respect for human rights. Companies often pres-sure indigenous communities for access to resource-rich land. Fragile environ-ments and the people whose lands con-tain these resources are thus put at risk, even death.

4. The State has a responsibility to protect

the rights of all its citizens. Agreements made often benefit the company more than the State.

5. There is a potential for real conflict and

harm done to Indigenous Communities and their lands from uncontrolled activi-ty by foreign and national mining com-panies, Governments, UN systems, and all stakeholders, working in cooperation with local communities, must establish credible and independent

Sr. Leonette with Sr. Zelia Cordeiro dos Santos

8

information and monitoring

mechanisms.

6. Governments must establish robust

mechanisms for transparency and

social responsibility in extractive

industries’ operations; and to make

information relating to the mining

sector available to all affected local

communities. The Mining Working Group will contin-

ue to advocate for a shift in the global

community’s discourse and action to

more fundamentally respect human rights

through a regulated, accountable, extrac-

tive industry system. The group called

upon all of us to realize our responsibility

as ethical consumers and to advocate for

the human and ecological rights of those

negatively impacted by the scale and

abuses of the industry and our own

consumer practices. This is not only our

challenge, it is our obligation!

My Experience at the Ecumenical

Advocacy Days Sr. Genobeba Amaral, SSpS

On March 23 to 26, 2012 Sr. Rose

Therese Nolta, and I attended Ecumeni-

cal Advocacy Days in Washington DC.

This was the first public workshop that I

have experienced after being in the Unit-

ed States for two years. The theme for

this event was “Is this the fast I seek?”

More than 800 women and men of faith

came from different places and back-

grounds. However, they had the same

goal and spirit in being a voice for our

brothers and sisters who are voiceless. It

was a good opportunity for me to learn

how to be a voice for the marginal

people, and be aware of the values of

cooperation with other groups.

In front of Supreme Court, Washington, DC

On the last day of our activities, Sr. Rose Therese

and I went to Supreme Court to attend a rally

about “health care”. There were over 700 people

of faith including women, men, and children --

old and young. This gathering of people spoke of

the need for good health care. It was a peaceful

demonstration. After that, Sr. Rose Therese and I

joined our lobby group and visited Capitol Hill.

The goal for our visits to Senator Richard Durbin

and Senator Mark Kirk was to bring the voice of

faith and morals to the federal budget. We asked

the senators to keep the budget funding at the

current or higher level for the marginalized and

vulnerable here in the United States and interna-

tionally. The response was satisfying; they prom-

ised that they will pay more attention to this. We

pray that the authorities will listen to those who

fight for the interests of “small people.”

Sen. Durbin’s office

Before Sen. Mark Kirk’s office.