February 2010, Vol. XXX, No. 2

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters

Convent of the Holy Spirit – Techny, Illinois 60082-6026

IIII n Lent, God’s invitation to us becomes very focused: “Come back to me with all your heart, don’t let sin keep us apart.” “Turn away from sin and live the Gospel.” To sin is to miss the

mark, like when an archer’s arrow doesn’t hit the center. When we sin, we miss the mark, the purpose of our existence, of who we are created to be. Then how do we turn away from sin? By going back to the center, to the essentials of who we are: Beloved sons and daughters of a Trinitarian God whose streams of life and love continu-ally flood every part of our universe creating new life, redeeming what is broken and connecting all in relationships of trinitarian mutuality. Sin is disconnecting ourselves from God, ourselves, others, life and reality. As a human race, we have certainly missed the point, sinned gravely and caused much suffering in our world. In the last century alone more than 100 million human persons were violently killed by the hands of their fellow human beings. How we need to come back to the source of Life and Love in Whose image all of us are created and not let fear and violence keep us apart. The Good News is this is possible; it is God’s invitation to us and God is always there for us, active and present with Redeeming Love. Our spirituality as Holy Spirit missionaries is Trinitarian. We allow the love of our Father/Mother, God, to embrace us and make us women disciples, the liberating love of the crucified and Risen Lord to transform our being and the Spirit-love poured into our hearts to pervade all our being and doing. Our missionary charism, then, urges us to make known to others this great stream of life and love

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Let us allow God’s Let us allow God’s Let us allow God’s Let us allow God’s ttttransforming love ransforming love ransforming love ransforming love to lead us right to lead us right to lead us right to lead us right smack into the smack into the smack into the smack into the center of who we center of who we center of who we center of who we are created and are created and are created and are created and called to becalled to becalled to becalled to be. . . .

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(continued from page 1)

which is at the Center and source of their lives as well. We do this by how we live. Do we as Holy Spirit missionaries keep our focus on the mark, the essentials of who we are? Or do we miss the mark and sin? To see how we are keeping centered in our religious missionary vocation we could evaluate our living of the 13th General Chapter Directions. Do I live in communion in our multicultural and intergenerational way of life or do I exclude someone? Do I witness to the interconnectedness of all of life by mutuality and collabora-tion? Do I acknowledge the violence in myself and open myself to the Spirit’s movements of compassion, gentleness and reconciliation? Am I always ready to learn, to open myself to God’s presence and revelation in each experience? Do I recognize our vital relationships with all of creation and move from consumerism to a conscientious use of resources? Am I committed to life in all its forms? Do I allow the realities of life especially my encounters with the suffering, the excluded and marginalized to challenge and trans-form me? Our God is also inviting each of us and all of us as SSpS: “Come back to me with all your heart, don’t let fear keep us apart.” “Turn away from sin and live the Gospel.”

Sr. Carol Welp Sr. Carol Welp Sr. Carol Welp Sr. Carol Welp

The Sisters are from Argentina, Brazil

and Paraguay and are doing pastoral

social work with parish teams in the

SVD parishes. Sr. Monica Mabel Balbuena and Sr. Carol

Welp attended the opening of the Pan Am Novi-tiate in Paraguay and the Assembly of Pan Am

Provincials. Sr. Monica was on her way home

for leave and she served as translator for Sr.

Carol and Sr. Estela Parmisano, General Councilor, who also attended the assembly. The

Pan Am Novitiate boasts of nine novices: five

from Argentina and one each from Bolivia,

Paraguay, Brazil and the U.S.A.-Mexico. Our

Sara Guardado is seen in the photo to the right with her novitiate group.

In the Assembly, we had evaluations of com-

mon projects: Pan Am Tertiate and ongoing

formation programs. We planned and budgeted

for the novitiate and upcoming assemblies. Our

common mission project, Venlanas in Ecuador,

is growing. There are now four Sisters working

there and another will be coming soon.

Opening of the Pan Am Novitiate

Sara Guardado (back row, right)

with novices from many countries. The Assembly of Pan Am Provincials

From the homily of Fr. Bob Kelly,

SVD, Ash Wednesday:

“Listen well

Criticize little

Affirm much.”

On February 17, the new leadership team was

installed during a simple prayer service in

Techny. In their first meetings, they made

the following decisions: Sr. Margaret

Hansen, SSpS, was elected as Assistant

Provincial; Sr. Agathe Bramkamp, SSpS,

was elected as Provincial Admonitor; Sr.

Elwira Dziuk, SSpS, was elected as

Provincial Secretary; Sr. Priscilla Burke,

SSpS was appointed Provincial Treasurer.

Sr. Margaret Hansen has been here on leave since February 9. She has spent most of her

time with her parents. Her mother had knee

surgery and Sr. Margaret was there to nurse

her through her recuperation. Sr. Margaret

was also here in Techny for the PLT installa-

tion and for the meetings. Welcome, Sr.

Margaret! Sr. Monica Balbuena has left for her home leave. She was with me in Mexico

and Paraguay to help with translations and to

bond with Sara, our novice. She will visit

Sara again on her way home through

Paraguay in May. Sr. Judy Vallimont will be with us here in the Province from

March 29 through April 29. She will be on

home leave, meeting with the VIVAT team

in New York and attending a USA VIVAT

meeting in Washington, D.C., plus

celebrating her golden Jubilee with us.

Hearty welcome, Sr. Judy!

Sr. Carol

On February 3, the Catholic Theological

Union hosted a workshop of the ILP

(Instituto de Liderazgo Pastoral) of the

Archdiocese of Chicago. The Church in

the U.S. has many immigrant members,

especially Latinos (from countries where

Spanish is spoken). We wondered how the

Church will grow in its approach of

bringing people together into the one body

of Christ. Efforts must go beyond Masses

said in Spanish or Polish or Chinese. The

ILP is concerned with and trains people to

build up integrated parish councils, to shift

from dominant cultures (often the minority

in parish membership) to representative

bodies of parish councils and sponsored

activities. Intercultural living as church

(and community living also) would mean:

the common place is shared so that various

groups impact each other; there is to be

negotiation, cultivation of relationships,

participation by all parties, each party

actively contributing; understanding,

acknowledging and appreciating

differences is actively pursued; learning to

perceive our differences in a celebratory

not antithetical way. Church (and our

community) is to give us the experience of

God’s wondrous all-embracing love.

Sr. Agathe Bramkamp

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Installation of the New Province

Leadership Team

L to R: Srs. Elwira, Margaret, Carol, Agathe and

AnnIta Walsh.

Comings and Goings

From Multi-Cultural to Inter-Cultural

Srs. Monica Darrichon and Rose Martin

Glenn attended the Consecrated Life celebra-

tion on February 6. Bishop Terry Steib,

SVD, presided and held an open discussion. On Feburary 13, they attended the Lunar New

Year Celebration with Fr. Joseph Dao Vu,

SVD, at Sacred Heart Church. The parish youth group provided entertainment.

Sr. Rose Martin Glenn

About 15 children were baptized at the

Cathedral recently and Sr. Miryan Ines

Cespedes is preparing the parents and godpar-ents of eight children who will be baptized

during the Spanish Mass on February 28.

The St. John’s preschool concert took place on

February 14 and Sr. Alexis Tjahjani helped prepare a group that sang. She also helped

with their costumes, made a wonderful banner

and lots of hearts that were hung on the audi-

torium wall. The 99 little ones, ages 3-6, were

most entertaining.

The economic situation in Antigua is affecting

everyone negatively, including the govern-

ment. Yesterday’s newspaper said that as of

February 28 there will be a tax on many more

food items.

Sr. Margaret Anne Norris

The SSpS contingent of eleven attended the

Ministry with Immigrants Day that had been

organized by the Sisters and Brothers of

Immigrants (SBI) on February 20, 2010, at St.

Benedict the African Parish. The main

speaker was Daniel G. Groody, CSC, from the University of Notre Dame. He

developed ‘Migration and Theology’ on

three levels – pastoral, spiritual and

theological, giving us a framework for

migration, mission and spirituality while

looking at the what, who and where of

migration. Depending upon our concep-

tions, we consider the migrant as aliens,

workers or people deserving human respect.

This is a complex, but ethical issue. At the

end he presented Jesus who migrated from

God and crossed many divides. Jesus came

so that we could migrate back to God.

There were two powerful prayer services, a

presentation on the history of the SBI and

possibilities for legislative action as well as

the Julia Center Mexican Folk Dance Class

entertainment and display of organizations

that focus on immigrants. Sr. Rose

Therese Nolta and Sr. Dinah Marie

Aguirre were working in the background that the day would be successful.

News from Memphis

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News from Antigua

Ministry with Immigrants Day

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On Tuesday, February 16, members of

Campaign for Better Health Care Faith

Caucus staged "die-ins" as a part of the

release of a new report by Families USA

detailing the number of lives lost in Illinois

due to a lack of health insurance. Sr. Rose

Therese Nolta was one of the members who lay down to represent a fraction of the

thousands of Illinoisans who have died

because they lack health insurance.

According to the report in the 15 year period

from 1995-2009, 10,800 people died in

Illinois alone. If Congress fails to pass health

reform, the number of Americans who lose

their lives will continue to grow. For the full

report see: http://www.cbhconline.org/

documents/Lives_on_the_Line_ EMB_

Feb_16.pdf

During the week of February 14-20, Jubilee

USA had an action week for the Debt Relief

of the poorest countries of our world.

Besides writing to our Representatives

regarding the Jubilee Act (HR 4405) and HR

2932, a Candle/Prayer Vigil took place near

Glenview Train Station. Sr. Rose Therese

Nolta and Br. Brian McLaughlin organized

the event on February 17, 2010, 6:30-7:30

pm. Sr. Dinah Marie Aguirre and Sr.

Aprilia Untarto took part in the vigil.

Sr. Mary Antonia Rademacher, who was hospitalized for pneumonia. While in the

hospital, she fell and dislocated her

shoulder and broke her clavicle. She is now

at Abington.

Sr. Maria Burke, who is slowly gaining strength thanks to our nursing staff in Maria

Hall.

Sr. Mary Agnes Fahrland, who is recovering nicely after her back surgery,

but will not be able to bend for six weeks.

Sr. Pat Snider, who is recuperating slowly. She is now struggling to be able to go up

and down stairs.

Sr. Mary Miller, who had laproscopic back surgery on Saturday, February 19, in

Rome. She is now recovering.

Mother of Sr. Margaret Hansen, who had knee surgery, but is doing very well with

her daughter nurse’s tender loving care.

Sr. Therese Mary Martinez, who has begun treatment for metastasized breast

cancer in her lung and is doing better.

Gilbert Heredia, Sr. Anita Marie

Gutierrez’ brother-in-law, who died on February 25 of cancer.

Mary, sister of Sr. Margaret Anne

Norris, who was taken back to the hospital with medical problems and was transferred

to a nursing home.

Theresa, niece of Sr. Sienna Ressel, who had a knee replacement and now is

suffering from allergies due to the

medications.

For your prayerful remembrance Healthcare

Candle/Prayer Vigil for

Debt Relief

February 2010

Our Lenten Journey with Immigrants

Our Province continues to focus on im-

migration and immigrants. One of the

ways that we have done this is through

advocacy -- the USCCB, Justice for Im-

migrants’ postcard campaign. We have

helped sign over 500 postcards for Com-

prehensive Immigration Reform and will

see that they are delivered to our Sena-

tors and Representatives.

Salud Osornio, postulant, helping with postcard

signing at St. Jerome Parish Church.

Some of us are fasting and praying that a Comprehensive Immigration Reform

will be

passed

here in

the US.

From

the

middle

of Janu-

ary un-

til the

end of March, some priests and religious

are fasting and praying. Please join us

and do what you can. Thank you.

JPIC

SSpS

USA

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Our Lenten Journey

During our Lenten Journey we are

challenged to choose to be, to live and to act

as Jesus did. Lent calls us to a deeper part

of ourselves and calls us out of ourselves to

make a difference in our world today.

The Message of Pope Benedict XVI for Lent

of 2010 is based on Rom. 3:21-22, “The

justice of God has been manifested through

faith in Jesus Christ.” It gives us an impor-

tant perspective regarding justice, and Christ

being the Justice of God. For the whole

text see: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20091030_lent-2010_en.html The United States Conference of Catholic

Bishops (USCCB) has a number of

resources to facilitate your Lenten practice

and your journey with Christ.

See http://www.usccb.org/lent/

God is attentive to the cry of the poor and in

return asks to be listened to: He asks for jus-

tice towards the poor (cf. Sir 4,4-5, 8-9), the

stranger (cf. Ex 22,20), the slave (cf. Dt 15,

12-18). In order to enter into justice, it is

thus necessary to leave that illusion of self-

sufficiency, the profound state of closure,

which is the very origin of injustice.

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A Joint Project of the SSpS-SVD-SSpSAP

on Immigration is currently involved in

prayer, education and awareness, advocacy

and action and service. Each of us can re-

spond in the way that is possible for us. The

Lenten Calendar 2010 focuses

on immigrants. It provides ac-

tivities, prayers, reflection and

opportunities to nourish a

deeper compassion and a lived

spirituality of following the

cross of Christ. See www.

archchicago.org/immigration

Another resource that you may

find helpful is the Migrants

Way of the Cross from USCCB. See

http://usccb.org/lent/migrants_way.pdf

Prayer at Broadview Detention Center

Every Friday morning the rosary is said in

front of the Broadview Detention Center for

those that will be deported that day, for all

immigrants and their families and for

Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

In your area see if there is an immigration

action or prayer service.

Our Lenten Journey

with the Environment

Another focus for this Lent is acting as wise

stewards of God’s Creation. A concrete

way is through the Lenten Carbon Fast

2010. “The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a

responsibility towards the poor, towards

future generations and towards humanity as a

whole.” -- Pope Benedict, Encyclical Caritas

in Veritate. You can find this calendar at http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/wp-

content/uploads/2010/01/Lenten-Carbon-Fast-

Calendar-2010.pdf

Our Lenten Journey - Non-Violence

This week I attended a Social Analysis Day

with a focus on Non-Violence at the 8th Day

Center. It was an enriching and a challeng-

ing day to again look at how I follow Jesus in

a non-violent way. Through a video on Brazil

and the land reform, through activities and

discussion, I saw that we have various ideas

of what makes an action non-violent or

violent. Nonviolence is a challenging focus

for Lent. One quote from the day from

Nancy Schreck’s The Faithful Nonviolence of

Jesus:

Blessings on our Lenten Journey –

Sr. Rose Therese Nolta, SSpS

“Therefore, before we can explore Jesus’ non-

violent response to particular situations we

must first see that we are talking about a

person whose life is committed to the

inclusion of all at one table, the well-being of

all, and the worship of a God of life, not

death. This means a lifestyle built on a

commitment to compassion, humility, non-

retaliation, forgiveness, truth-seeking,

reconciliation and love of others, including

one’s enemies. This grows out of giving,

fasting, praying, trusting, and setting our

hearts on the reign of God.”