Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PROVINCE
SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET AND ASSOCIATES ST. LOUIS PROVINCE SEPTEMBER 2014
Let light fill you,
surround you, lift you
As every day you rise in joy.
Page 2 September 2014 PNN
Province News Notes is a publication of
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet,
St. Louis Province. Its purpose is to
promote dialogue and unity within the
St. Louis province and to keep members
informed on those subjects that promote
community and ministry.
We welcome your submissions!
Submit articles and photos to Sarah Baker
(e-mail preferred to sbaker@csjsl.org).
**Materials are subject to editing and
will be published at the discretion of the
editor.
STAFF
Jenny Beatrice
Editor
Sarah Baker
Graphic Design
Susan Narrow &
Print Shop Volunteers
Production, printing and mailing
S. Jane Behlmann, CSJ
S. Charline Sullivan, CSJ
Madeleine Reilly
Proofreading
Inside this Issue
Contents
Province Leadership Message .........................................................................................3
Vocation/Formation ...................................................................................................... 4-6
Senior Ministry ..................................................................................................................7
Association ..................................................................................................................... 8-9
Liturgy ................................................................................................................................10
Justice Ministry ................................................................................................................11
Archives .............................................................................................................................12
Necrology: Sister Catherine Mary Boucher ..............................................................13
Necrology: Sister Jean Meier ........................................................................................14
Necrology: Sister James Lorene Hogan .....................................................................15
Sharing of the Heart .......................................................................................................16
CSJ News ..........................................................................................................................17
Development Ofce .......................................................................................................18
CSJ Book Club .................................................................................................................19
Calendars ..........................................................................................................................20
Living the Charism Through Justice Ministry
Page 11
Justice Coordinator Anna Sandidge shares new ways the CSJ
Justice Ministry will move forward in partnership with liturgy,
vocation/formation, association and communication.
Reections of a Proud CSJ Mother
Pages 4-5
Clare Bass shares a reection given by her mother Susie Bass
to a crowd gathered at the Bass familys home parish in Biloxi,
Miss., for Clares vows recognition Mass.
On the Cover
Each new day rise in joy.
Let your praise join the universal song that rises.
Lift yourself to God
And let your presence in this world
Be your gift.
Let your gift be exactly who you are.
Let light ll you, surround you, lift you
As every day you rise in joy.
by Sister Kate Filla
www.csjsl.org Page 3
Back: Sisters Moe Freeman, Rita Marie Schmitz
and Mary Margaret Lazio.
Front: Sisters Marilyn Lott and Linda Straub.
After the Province Assembly I came down to my sisters
beautiful home on Lake Barkley in Western Kentucky. I was
sitting on her back porch overlooking the lake and reading
Te New Normal, a talk given by Sister Sandra Schneiders
at the CORI Conference in April, when I became very
distracted. My sister has a hummingbird feeder on her porch
and it was quite popular. I actually felt like I was sitting on a
runway with all the comings and goings. At one point, I even
had to duck as one raced to the feeder. All of this reminded
me of a wonderful fable I learned from Wangari Maathia,
founder of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, Africa.
One day a terrible re broke out in a foresta huge
woodlands was suddenly engulfed by a raging wild re.
Frightened, all the animals ed their homes and ran out of
the forest. As they came to the edge of a stream they stopped
to watch the re and they were feeling very discouraged and
powerless. Tey were all bemoaning the destruction of their
homes. Every one of them thought there was nothing they
could do about the re, except for one little hummingbird.
Tis particular hummingbird decided it would do
something. It swooped into the stream and picked up a few
drops of water and went into the forest and put them on the
re. Ten it went back to the stream and did it again, and
it kept going back, again and again and again. All the other
animals watched in disbelief. Some tried to discourage the
hummingbird with comments like, "Don't bother, it is too
much, you are too little, your wings will burn, your beak is
too tiny, it's only a drop, you can't put out this re."
And, as the animals stood around disparaging the little
bird's eorts, the bird noticed how hopeless and forlorn they
looked. Ten one of the animals shouted out and challenged
the hummingbird in a mocking voice, "What do you think
you are doing?" And the hummingbird, without wasting
time or losing a beat, looked back and said, "I am doing
what I can.
Like the hummingbird, as we move forward in this
transformation process, we each must do what we can
but we must do something.
Doing Something
by Sister Maureen Freeman
Province Leadership
Page 4 September 2014 PNN
The following is a reection given by Susie
Bass, mother of Sister Clare Bass, to the
crowd gathered in Biloxi, Miss., for a vows
recognition Mass at the Bass familys
home parish of Our Lady of Fatima.
Hello everyone, thank you all for
joining us tonight. Tirty-one years ago
as I was holding our rst redheaded
baby girl, if someone would have
told me that she was going to be a
religious, I would have laughed and
changed churches. Five years ago,
Clare announced to us that she had
been discerning about being a religious
sister. I cried for a month and Mike
smiled for a monthno for ve
years because hes weird.
Even though I was a cradle Catholic
and was one of the faithful praying for
more young people to make vocations,
I didnt mean my own child. Clare had
been looking at the many orders of
sisters and decided on the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Louis.
Really, St. Louis? I didnt even like her
going as far north as Starkville, where
she attended college at Mississippi
State!
Where did all this holy thinking begin?
Clare was a normal child. She had her
early education beginnings at Linda
Bourgeois house (whom she and her
sister Chele call Nanny). At Nannys
with Aunt Vetsie as a side kick, Clare
learned the joy of good eating, a
Croatian tradition, and how to love
and serve God joyfully. She attended
First Baptist Church Pre-School and
Kindergarten. It was a good thing I
moved her to Catholic school or today
I might be calling her preacher. She was
educated from
rst grade
to twelfth
in Catholic
schools. She
was one of
the fortunate
students to
be educated
by the Mercy
Sisters from
Ireland. So
I credit or
blame them
for helping
inuence
Clares
decision.
At Mercy Cross High School, Clare
was on the campus ministry team
and loved it. At the MS Gulf Coast
CollegePerk campus, Clare sort
of waivered toward the protestant
movement again as she was a paid
Methodist youth leader because the
Catholic group was not active. But,
at Mississippi State, she found her
way back to St. Josephs Church. I
think thats when the Spirit must have
started working on her.
Another inuence was our extended
family. Tey are faithful Catholics, and
like my cousin FoFo said at his fathers
funeral, we were all pushed to go to
church. Certain things were expected
and being fully Catholic, sacraments
and all were not negotiable. So there
you have it!
I guess in todays world the call to
religious life only gets to one in a
million and Clare answered it.
When I tell people about Clare many
of them say, and I quote, Im not
surprised, Clare was always dierent!
Dierent, maybe, but after these ve
years of getting familiar and closer to
the Sisters of St. Joseph, I am changing
dierent to special. For Clare has
picked her community wisely.
Te Sisters of St. Joseph are a super
dynamic community of spiritual ladies
with a rich history and love of God.
Te consensus statement found in their
constitution states:
Te Sister of St. Joseph moves
always toward profound love of
God and love of neighbor without
distinction from whom she does not
separate herself and for whom, in
the following of Christ she works in
order to achieve unity of neighbor
with neighbor and neighbor with
God directly in this apostolate and
indirectly through works of charity.
Reections of a Proud CSJ Mother
by Susie Bass, Mother of Sister Clare Bass
Vocation/Formation
Susie, Clare
and Mike Bass
www.csjsl.org Page 5
Te sisters trace their origin
to the foundation made in
LePuy, France about 1650. Te
French Revolution interrupted
the community until the
Archbishop of Lyon requested
that the sisters re-establish
their community in his diocese.
Mother St. John Fontbonne,
superior in Lyon, sent six
sisters to America in 1836 to
open a school for the deaf in
St. Louis.
Te settlement at Carondelet
was destined to become
the cradle of the American
Congregation. Today the
United States Federation has
5,000 who work in ministries
of various kinds, which include
doctors, lawyers, teachers,
social workers, accountants,
and even farmers. If the work is
needed one of these sisters can
and will do it!
And they do it well. On one
of our visits to St. Louis, Mike
and I were shopping, and
someone asked us where we
were from and for what reason
were we in St. Louis. When we
told him about Clare joining
the CSJs he replied, Tose
sisters have hearts of gold!
If in all of my life work I have
been successful in imparting
a heart of love and concern
for others, I will be pleased. I
think I have with both of our
daughters. I know Clare has
been a good student in learning
about her community. She is
smart, a rule follower, a team
player and, oh, so loyal. She is a
loyal daughter, sister, friend and
sports fan.
I am told that the rst group
of sisters she lived with were
forced to participate in more
sports activities than they
wished. She calls her dad and
they discuss sports events,
teams and games endlessly.
Tats weird!
But no matter what happens in
her everyday chores and work
I know that Clare is dedicated
and committed to following
her call to be a Sister of St.
Joseph. Her happiness for this
quest spills over into everyone
she encounters, and in 2017, I
will be proud to put a bumper
sticker on my car that reads, A
proud mother of a Sister of St.
Joseph of Carondelet!
Te following sisters moved to Nazareth Living Center
in St. Louis and serve in prayer and witness:
Mary Charity Dalton, CSJ
Marie deMontfort Deken, CSJ
Jean Iadevito, CSJ
Ruth Lavar, CSJ
Ministry Changes
Rest in Peace
16 S. Mary Loran Aubuchon
August
Thank You
From S. Kate Kitslaar
Sincere thanks for the prayers, masses and
condolences at the time of my nephews death.
Mark is at peace after a hard struggle with cancer.
My family and I appreciate your concern.
From S. Roberta Houliban
It isnt possible to adequately express my
gratitude for your personal prayers and notes
of sympathy received since my sister Mary
Merdian was granted relief from her suerings.
She peacefully breathed her last after spending
only one day on hospice with her three children
present. Ill always be thankful for the gift of
vocation and that it was to the Sisters of St.
Joseph to whom God called me. I pray daily for
each of you.
5
6
10
22
Ignatius John Sonny Martino, brother of
Associate Santa Cuddihee
Esther Diekmann Aydlett, sister of
S. Marian Cowan
Mary Merdian, sister of S. Roberta
Houlihan
Martha Cox, sister of S. Ruth Butler
]uly
Clare recites her rst vows and
commitment to the CSJs on
June 29.
Page 6 September 2014 PNN
Imagine Community Action Items
From Members of the Imagine If Community Gatherings
Te following Imagine Community action items were
presented at the August Province Assembly. Tose who
participated in the various Imagine If gatherings want to
share these initiatives with the province at large and invite
interested persons to participate in the events.
For those not living in the immediate St. Louis area, there is
the possibility of creating one or more of these gatherings in
your region.
Design for Transformation/
Deepening Community
August 30
Carondelet Motherhouse
Sisters are invited to participate in monthly gatherings to
deepen community and plan action around Gods call to
us through Sharing of the Heart, State of the House and
communal discernment process. For those interested, sisters
were invited to attend the Aug. 30 information/orientation
session. If you werent able to make it on the 30th but would
like to be a part of the movement, e-mail Sarah Heger at
sheger@csjsl.org.
Order of the House
Sunday, September 21
Saturday, December 20
Saturday, March 21
Sunday, June 21
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Carondelet Motherhouse, St. Josephs Hall
Sisters and associates are invited to quarterly gatherings to
discover what is emerging among us and/or how the Spirit is
moving within us in order to further our mission of unifying
love. RSVP to motherhousersvp@csjsl.org if you plan to
attend. If you have any questions about these gatherings,
contact Sisters Clare Bass or Linda Markway.
Got Carondelet?
Got Carondelet? is a plan to enhance living at Carondelet
by inviting people to participate in events and to consider
living at Carondelet. Te facilitators of this action step
are Srs. Patty Johnson and Sandy Schmid. Look for
announcements, attend advertised events and consider living
at Carondelet.
Inter-Congregational Community Living
Sisters are invited to imagine living in community with
sisters from various congregations. Te community would
have a focus on the earth community and would be located
within an eco-village. Sisters are invited to visit, have coee
and share in a conversation with Sister Amy Hereford
about this action step. For more information, e-mail Amy at
a.hereford@yahoo.com.
Multi-Cultural Community Living
Sisters Margaret Guzzardo and Janet Kuciejczyk are
forming a local community to focus attention on multi-
cultural sensitivity and provide opportunities to converse,
pray and celebrate in dierent languages.
Vocation/Formation
Come and See the CSJ Way
Thursday, Sept. 11 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Carondelet Motherhouse,
Celestine Auditorium
Sisters and associates are asked to invite anyone whom
they think might have an interest and/or desire to be in a
relationship with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet,
i.e. vowed life, association, prayer partners, partners in
ministry, etc.
If you know of someone and would like us to send them
an invitation, e-mail S. Helen Oates at hoates@csjsl.org
or call Associate Peggy Maguire at 678-0318 or S. Linda
at 678-0315.
A repeat presentation will be held Sept. 18.
www.csjsl.org Page 7
Senior Ministry
Gleanings
Are You Happy?
by Sister Bonnie Murray
After our summer hiatus, we are back
again at our computer keyboards,
reecting on ways to cope with our
aging process. As we age, we can tend
to get disgruntled with the physical
diminishments in our lives. Perhaps,
from time to time, we ought to take a
look at our happiness level. Sometimes a happy outlook on
life can improve our health. Let us take time to review some
ways that may contribute to our happiness and make them
our own, which hopefully will result in our overall well-
being.
Tere are chemicals in our bodies that help us get happy:
endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin (I think
Trish Callahan, assistant director of senior ministry, has
written about these in earlier columns). In addition to these
physical helps, there are other ways to assist us in being
happy.
If we are naturally pessimistic, banish our negative ways
of thinking. Try keeping a mental tally of all we have to be
grateful for or by doing kind deeds for others. Te pursuit
of gratitude and compassion will make us happier. Go a step
further by expressing our gratitude.
Other practices that may contribute to our happiness are:
wishing others well, showing kindness to those around us,
cultivating relationships and forgiving others. For a quick
picker-upper, step outside. Nature tends to be a mood
enhancer.
Pope Francis, in an interview published in part in the
Argentine weekly Viva ( July 27), listed some tips for
greater happiness in ones life. Among them were:
Live and let live
Proceed calmly in life
Have a healthy sense of leisure
Respect and take care of nature
Stop being negative
Respect others beliefs
Work for peace
Each evening when I return to my apartment at the Village,
I see this sign outside another apartment: Happiness is
wanting what you get. Te rst time I read it, I had to stop
and think what it was really saying. So many times, our
culture preaches that happiness is getting what you want.
So I encourage each of us to be grateful for what weve been
given. Put a smile in our voice when we answer the phone.
Share a piece of good news with others on a regular basis.
Take time to stop, breathe and enjoy the gift of life.
Be happywe only pass by this way once in our lives.
Page 8 September 2014 PNN
On Pentecost weekend, June 7-8, over 100 sisters and
associates gathered for the Associate Assembly. It was a
time to discover together what happens when you spend a
year sharing your heart with one another about a charism
that shapes who you are. One outcome was a deeper
understanding and appreciation of one another as we
realized the importance of community, mission and the
spiritual journey to each of us as the foundation of who we
are and what we are committed to as associates.
Troughout the past year and during Pentecost weekend,
we dared to listen to the God within; had the courage to
share our hearts with one another; and together discerned
the movement of the Spirit among us, the province, the
congregation and our world.
Our hoped for outcomes were:
A rmation of the direction(s) we wish to pursue as CSJ
associates with action steps for the advisory board to
carry out.
A model we can support for taking responsibility for
ourselves and continuing in relationship with the sisters.
In addition to our own experiences as associates, we
used our Prayer for Transformation that emerged as
our expression of who we are from the 2013 Associate
Assembly; the results of our deepening dialogue in our
sister/associate communities and with one another over the
past year; the Priority Chapter Direction of the sisters who
committed to participate in the Mystery of Transformation;
and the Congregational Calls to Action to guide us in
discerning our emerging direction(s).
Te Spirit was truly present among us as we came to
understand that our need for structures and resources
owed from our commitment to community, mission and
the spiritual journey. We claried our desire to stay in
relationship with the sisters for the sake of our charism
as lived out in mission, and we a rmed our respect of the
canonical boundaries and our commitment to giving of our
gifts and nancial resources.
We acknowledged
and accepted our
responsibility to
one another and
committed to evolving
structures that will
move us forward in
relationship with the
sisters while taking
more responsibility for
ourselves.
We renamed the
Associate Advisory
Board to Associate
Leadership, a change
that acknowledges the
need for a structure to
work collaboratively
with the director of
association in carrying
out the decisions of the
associates.
We empowered the
associate leadership to
implement and carry
out the action steps
needed to move us
forward in the areas of
community, mission and
spiritual journey.
We re-a rmed
the Prayer for
Transformation as an expression of who we are and what we
are committed to.
More was shared about our dreams and hopes of how
powerful unifying love can be for our world in need at
the August assembly. If we can dream it, we can make it
happen, and we want to make it happen with the sisters
who have inspired us to be love for a world in need.
Unleashing the Power of Unifying Love
by Associate Michelle Piranio
Association
Prayer for
Transformation
We are a community of people
connected, committed, and
grounded in unifying love.
We embrace our baptismal
charism of unifying love,
empowered through our
membership in the community
of St. Joseph.
We engage in a continual cycle
of renewal hospicing old ideas
and midwing new.
We open ourselves to the
graciousness of God's
transformative action in and
among us and our world.
Tis requires us letting go,
embracing the gifts and talents
of each other so that together,
we might envision the possible
and bring it to life.
If we can dream it, we can make
it happen.
From the Associate
Assembly-Retreat 2013
www.csjsl.org Page 9
As an artist, Associate Kristen Hall, a student
at Fontbonne University, felt called to deepen
her understanding of the Sisters of St. Josephs
communal transformation through painting. Tis
is the story of how her creation came to be.
From tbe Past...
During my spring 2014 semester at
Fontbonne University, I felt called to deepen
my understanding of our communitys
transformation through painting. I remember
reading Sister Jane Behlmanns Jewels from
Jane e-mails and looking at the archived
photographs. Te photos seemed to possess a
certainty about the traditions and identity of
the community years ago. We know who we
were and who we are now, but the uncertainty
lies in the identity of the future.
As I continued to look at these photographs, I realized
that these archives are a look into the past but the future as
well. S. Jane sent out the photo below of a postulant about
to receive the habit. I rst noticed the old traditions and
style in the photograph but did not think that was what the
artist was trying to capture. I looked closer and realized this
photo was about transformation. Changing from the person
that she used to be and
evolving into a vowed
Sister of St. Joseph. Te
photo was about joy,
uncertainty, commitment
and trust that God
would guide her in life.
Today, these emotions
still take place in our
transformation journey.
Into tbe Future...
I was satised with my reection on the photo but still
struggled with how I could visually express and research
our future. I smiled and thought, Why not use the tools I
have at hand. I have maxims, poems, a constitution, photos
and the Internet. I immediately got on my computer and
Googled the word transformation. Many dierent photos
popped up, but what struck me the most were the images
of space. It reminded me of one night when I felt upset and
very unsure of my future. Even though I only got four hours
of sleep, the sun still rose in the morning and it set in the
evening. Te natural cycle of transformation has always been
at work in the community. My reection with the earths
rotation brought me to the conclusion that things may look
dierent but the spirit is still the same.
In the center of my painting, I placed the blessed sacrament.
God is the driving force of our individual lives, the earth and
the community. He will guide us in our transformation into
the future if we are open to it. In the mean time, we have
to be aware of the tools of our time and the willingness to
change our ways. I had to redene my process of reections
and research for my paintings. I could no longer ignore the
use of tools like Photoshop and images on the Internet.
Using a photo, as a collage in a painting, was a rst for me.
I had to change my ways to respond to Gods call for my
paintings.
I am excited to see how my painting and research process
evolves in the future. Use the past, nd the spirit and make
something new!
Find the Spirit!
by Associate Kristen Hall
Page 10 September 2014 PNN
Source and Summit
Instruments of Peace
by Associate Mary Kay Christian, liturgist
Liturgy
September
3 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
10 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
17 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
24 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
October
1 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
4 Fall Sectionals
8 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
11 Fall Sectionals
15 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
22 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
29 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
Liturgy Calendar
I can be reached best by phone from 9 a.m.
to noon, Monday through Friday. If I do
not answer, please leave a voice mail message
or send an e-mail. Calls and e-mails will
be returned within 24 hours. If you need
immediate attention, you can contact me on
my cell phone at 314-497-0640.
Te Prayer of St. Francis has been on my mind these days. Te specter of
violence lling our television screens, computer monitors and our minds is
overwhelming. In Syria, Gaza, Iraq, Nigeria, and now even at our own door in
Ferguson, families and children who have nothing to do with the political unrest
around them are at risk and are directly in harms way. As anger, fear and death
rages in our world and in our own citys streets, I wonder how we could have
gotten to this point. And then I hear the words of St. Francis in my mind, where
there is hatred, let me sow love, where there is injury pardon.
I am searching my heart for the ways in which I have turned my head when there
has been injury and injustice. Each little act of racism, judgment and most of
all my own inaction contributes to my growing tolerance for gross acts of anger,
violence and injustice on a much larger scale. It is easy for me to see the misdeeds
of others and blame the system. But St. Francis words are calling me, calling us,
to nd ways to become instruments of peace, compassion and healing.
In the days ahead, lets try to nd ways to pray together and work together,
actively seeking to console rather than to be consoled, to pardon rather than to
be pardoned, to truly become instruments of peace. Our world, our city and the
future are depending on it.
More than 190 sisters and associates gathered in Holy
Family Chapel for the 2014 Province Assembly. We
opened with the prayer: In these days to come, may we
think about, reect on and explore faith with open minds
and freedom to move beyond where we are now, so that
we may accept the challenge of shaping religious faith that
embraces all people living in love and living in God.
Facilitators Sisters Jean Wincek and Colleen OMalley,
CSJs from the St. Paul province, led the assembly through
the three days of presentations and sessions. Keynote
speaker theologian and author Michael Morwood shared
his perspectives on traditional theological thought and
emerging paradigms in the 21st century.
Reports and updates were given from various groups
and departments including Association (p. 4),
Imagine If groups (p. 10), and Justice Ministry (p. 7).
Te Congregational Leadership Report came via pre-
recorded video from Sister Miriam Ukeritis, liaison to St.
Louis province. Te Province Leadership gave reports on
Association, Sponsored Institutions and the Concept of
Team.
Te generosity of the community was abundant, as school
supplies were collected for Most Holy Trinity School
in St. Louis and more than $700 was collected from the
Goodies for Gulu sale.
We closed with prayer for the journey that has been, for
all that life is for us now, for all that the future holds, and
for the mystery of life beyond death. Amen!
For the complete reports of the days, visit our Members
Only section at www.csjsl.org.
Province Assembly Recap: August 1-3
www.csjsl.org Page 11
Living the Charism Through Justice Ministry
by Anna Sandidge, Justice Coordinator
Justice Ministry
Where do we even begin? As I write this, we have been
witness to anger and violence in the streets of Ferguson,
Mo. As we know, the story is never so easy or simple as it
is portrayed. Emotions are high, old wounds reopened and
many do not know how to respond in a way that doesnt
trivialize the situation or exacerbate fear and distrust. I
wish I could say that this is an aberration, unique to one
small community, but, as we see, it is the public face of deep
community injustices sustained for prolonged periods of
time. Te system is broken and no one knows how to x it.
How do we engage a world that is hurting and in such
great need of healing? As was shared during the Province
Assembly we are taking the opportunity to build on the
work that has gone before. We are shifting from a justice
o ce toward a justice ministry. Te reason for this is an
o ce is where you get things done; a ministry is something
we are all a part of. I will continue to be available to you as
you seek ways of living your justice ministry and sharing
the charism with the broader community. As we explore
new ways of sharing our collective justice ministry we will
lay down the current structure of the justice committee and
see what new possibilities emerge as we move forward. We
hope to move forward in partnership with liturgy, vocation/
formation, association and communication by developing
three programs: Grandmas Grace, Sacred Conversations
and the Together in Faith Event Series.
Grandmas Grace
In iconic form, grandmothers embody unconditional love
and acceptance. Tey evoke a sense of safety, wisdom and
comfort. Often grandmothers can reect the truth in loving
ways, inviting us into our best selves. For many in the world
today, we have lost the gifts of our grandmothers and have
forgotten how to be grandmothers. Trough Grandmas
Grace we hope to create workshops, trainings and retreats
grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, theology and the
charism. Here individuals in the community will identify
issues of concern and areas of engagement where they
personally are called. We will develop personal and collective
strategies using the lens of the grandmother and the CSJ
charism to facilitate healing around those issues working
toward not just change but systemic transformation.
Sacred Conversations
Sacred Conversations will build on
the skills and shared experiences
of Grandmas Grace. Together, in
community, we will explore topics of
relevance and controversy in healing
this world. We will examine our
shared beliefs and possible conict
around issues of LGBTQ and the
church, racism and violence, the great
political divide and much more. Sacred Conversations
will invite us to listen not only to one another with a
compassionate and caring ear but also with the grace
and presence of the Holy Spirit. Tis will deepen our
understanding of ourselves and the world beyond,
strengthening our loving presence and ministry.
Togetber in Faitb Event Series
Together in Faith is our opportunity to share in learning
and celebrating our charism with sisters, associates and the
broader St. Louis community. Whether through singing,
fellowship or the opportunity to hear the wisdom of others,
we will create an environment of learning and discovery that
again builds on what it means to be CSJ today.
Finally, all that we engage through our justice ministry
will be evaluated and tested through the charism. Before
engaging and while in process we will ask ourselves, does
this action/project practice right relationship, provide
opportunity for reconciliation, work toward unity and
provide an environment of hospitality? If yes, how? And, if
not, then how do I have a ministry of presence to those who
have asked us?
Perhaps our partnering with new eyes is not just nding
new people to engage, but a chance for us to see ourselves
and others with the lens of the charism in a new way. What
was implied before now becomes integrated and intentional
in every aspect of the justice ministry. I am excited to join
this part of the journey with you. Well need your patience
as we let go of old practices to make way for the creation
of the new. Well need your wisdom, your knowledge and
your willingness to help us not only transform ourselves but
indeed, the world around us.
Anna Sandidge
Page 12 September 2014 PNN
Meeting Our Ancestors
Prole of an Early Sister Who Died in the Month of September
Sister John Joseph Rouse
Archives
Sister John Joseph Rouse died at the Convent of Our Lady
of Good Counsel, St. Louis, on September 4, 1916, in the
56th year of her age, and the 30th of her religious life.
With the death of Sister John Joseph, a life of singular
beauty was brought to a close, the life of one who valued
the things of time in the light of eternity, and whose clear
vision pierced through the workings of a loving Providence.
She had but one criterion by which to judge any act, "Is it
right?" She sought one approval, that of her Divine Master.
Assured of this, she felt all else was well.
For many years, as Superior of St. Joseph's Hospital, Kansas
City, she gave to all an example of fervent piety and devotion
to duty. When obedience called her to another eld of labor,
she took up her new work with the same self-eacing and
God-seeking spirit.
When smitten by the disease that left her no hopes of
recovery, she calmly awaited death. She had done her best.
She felt no fear. God favored her with almost daily visits
in the Sacrament of His Love, and she died, happy in the
thought that she would be near Him for all eternity. [From
the Necrology Book]
Sister John Joseph (Mary) was born in Massachusetts in
1860 to Julia Lally and Patrick Rouse from Ireland. Her early
missions are not recorded. From 1898 until 1911 she was
superior at St. Josephs Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. She
replaced Mother Liguori McNamara, who was superior of the
hospital, when she was sent to care for soldiers in the Spanish
American War. Sister John Joseph moved to Our Lady of Good
Counsel Convent (Cass Avenue) in 1911 and died there in
1916 of pernicious anemia/chronic myocarditis. She is buried in
Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis.
First St. Josephs Hospital, Kansas City, MO
on Seventh and Pennexpanded in 1888.
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A branch which stops sending
forth new growth...eventually dies.
Mother Eucharista Galvin
August 1, 1956