Called by the Spirit ~ Embracing the World

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters Paraclete Province — USA and Caribbean

February 2016

In This Issue

Focus on Mission: The Mission of Mercy 2 The Spark of Divine Mercy Hidden in the Grains 3 The Fruit of Compassion 5 Answering GOD’S (and a Bishop’s) CALL 7 The Gift of the Inner Star 10

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Focus on Mission

The MISSION of MERCY

When Pope Francis opened the Holy Door at the beginning of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, it was a symbolic act that was repeated in many churches around the world. Open doors are an invita-tion to walk through them, enter into the waiting space, and encounter what wants to reveal itself. We are invited to walk through the Door of Mercy into the mystery of God’s mercy.

In his Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (Misericordiae Vultus) the Holy Father wants to show the way and lead us into the heart of God, into goodness, compas-sion, love and mercy: “Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his / [her] broth-ers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God and [humankind], opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.” We will ponder these exhortations throughout the year; there will be many talks, many views, many interpretations, expressing many de-mands, many longings, hopes, desires, and the world’s great hunger for peace and compassion.

For us as Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, this is like a fresh wave of grace into our spirituality. Every time we pray our motto: “May the Holy Triune God live in our hearts and in the hearts of all people”, we invoke God’s mercy to meet us, to transform our hearts and affirm the “fundamental law” of mercy that enables us to recognize all people as our brothers and sisters. It gives new emphasis to our mission-ary goals of extending God’s mercy, God’s generous gift of self, to all those in need, those

pushed to the margins of society and those excluded from so many benefits and securi-ties, from human esteem and recognition. Our mercy also needs to be extended to all of creation. Our efforts, as small as they may seem, are a contribution to honor the life-giving power of God, ever new, mercifully sustaining the universe. Our goals of creating and ever widening our circles of greater communion must be infused with the gift of mercy, expressed in forgiveness and the willingness to heal old wounds, to reach out and address wrong doing. “With our eyes fixed on Jesus and his merciful gaze, we experience the love of the Most Holy Trinity. The mission Jesus received from the Father was that of revealing the mystery of divine love in its fullness. … The relationship he forms with the people who approach him mani-fest something entirely unique and unrepeat-able. The signs he works, especially in favor of sinners, the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the suffering, are all meant to teach mercy. Everything in him speaks of mercy. Nothing in him is devoid of compassion.”

(Quotations: Misericordiae Vultus—Pope Francis)

Sister Agathe Bramkamp, SSpS

“We are called to gaze more attentively on mercy so that we may

become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives.”

Pope Francis—Misericordiae Vultus

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S ince 2007, the young and the elderly have turned up at the intersections of streets in

our crowded cities, quiet towns and country crossroads on September 28th at 3:00 p.m.

to ask God’s Mercy for the world. The people organize themselves, spontaneously inviting

others to join them by means of posters, e-mails, SMS, advertisements in the press, and through

social networking portals. Through the Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer, they bear witness to the

great power of God’s love to bring everyone from the “outside”, the excluded and those carry-

ing the cross of human suffering, into the loving embrace of God. A few moments of prayer for

the lost, the poor and homeless, the unemployed and those without means to live can make a

difference! It can transform the darkness of despair into the bright ray of hope! In this prayer

time, we remember the words of St. John Paul II: “You have that spark of God’s Love, kindle it!

You need to transmit to the world the fire of charity. In the mercy of God the world will find

peace and human happiness! Be witnesses to the Divine Mercy.”

Sisters in our communities in Poland join this

initiative. We want to affirm through it, that the

time devoted to God for a person who is lost,

homeless, deprived of work and destitute, sick

and addicted, living next to us and maybe far

away, in a world ravaged by wars and natural

disasters can change the darkness of hopeless-

ness into hope of Divine Mercy for us and for

the whole world. To give someone hope is to

stand on the side of life!

While participating in this action once a year, the brilliance of it radiates every day. Because

each one of us throws into the soil of her daily chores countless grains of love: prayers, works,

sacrifices and suffering. Needs and expectations are so many, hunger for hope so great, and the

soil on which the seed falls, so diverse. Sometimes the soil is fertile and fruitful, sometimes

rocky and full of thorns. When you see thorns you want to run away, but while sowing, you

need not be discouraged. The soil is not so important—as to sow the seeds. And the harvest we

have to entrust to the sower….

The Spark

of Divine Mercy

Hidden in the Grains

From our Sisters in the Province of Poland

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God is not discouraged and He sends us to people just to sow a seed of hope and a seed of a

smile, to add courage.

Usually we don’t see the fruits of our sowing work but we believe that they make sense and

they are needed. We know that they do not save the world. Salvation is in the merits of Jesus’

Passion and is by His merits that God sends His Mercy on us and on the whole world.

Jesus, I trust in YOU!

What have we, the Province of Poland, learned from our reflection? Today’s world is in great

need of Divine Mercy and each one of us can be a spark of it. To give someone hope is to stand

for life! And, our missionary task is to sow the seed of God’s Good News.

And you and I? ….

How can we be a “Spark” of God’s Mercy in our world today?

In the Province of Poland, about 130 Sisters are engaged in Education: Kindergarten to University level;

special education for deaf-mute and mentally challenged; inter-religious study formation

Healthcare: Hospital, clinic, and dispensary Socio-Pastoral: Day Care Center; Addicts and

people living with HIV/AIDS; Prison Apostolate Pastoral: Catechesis; Bible Apostolate; Parish

work; Mission animation; Vocation Promotion; Retreats and counseling; Communication / Ra-dio Programs; Aid to the Church in China; Pray-er Apostolate; Holy Spirit Missionary Associa-tion

We are committed to… the new evangelization, emphasizing the crisis

of the family in the contemporary world; Growing in faith for the re-awakening of the

missionary spirit in ourselves and others through the skillful use of new technologies;

Our renewal to show the joy and enthusiasm of our encounter with Christ.

More About Our SSpS Province of Poland in Honor of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary

The missionary presence of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters in Poland began in 1921. With a large number of candidates in St. Koloman’s (Austria) coming from Silesia, it was decided to establish a SSpS community in the region of Upper Silesia. Three Sisters (Sr. Violanta, Sr. Deobalda, and Sr. Emmerana) were sent to begin retreat ministry in the area. Today, there are more than 200 SSpS Sisters serving in mission and being a “spark” of God’s Mercy throughout the world.

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Fruit Fruit of of

Compassion:Compassion:

Polish—Chinese Women Religious Helping Each Other Our Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters in Poland participation in a project of the Church of Poland to help the Church in China began in 2001. In collaboration with China-Zentrum in Germany, an invitation was extended to some religious men and women in China. In 2007, four sisters and a seminarian came to Europe to study in Poland. Currently, two of them have graduated with the degree Masters in Theology. One returned to China and the other remained in Poland for another two years to continue Biblical studies. The other two sis-ters studied religious art. After three years, they returned to China and two new sisters ar-rived with the same purpose, to study religious art. At present, the two talented sisters from the first group returned to Poland in order to prepare a few works of art and obtain a Master in Art. Unfortunately, many of the sisters do not have a high school diploma which is neces-sary for university studies. They come from poor families. The seminarian completed his studies and returned to China as a deacon. Af-ter his ordination, he came back to Poland to work with Chinese immigrants for two years. Over the years, in dealings with the organizers in Poland, the sisters from China frequently pleaded for assistance and help in the field of deepening religious life: leadership and for-mation. As a consequence of the revolution,

the sisters who, in normal circumstances would have passed on the history and charism of their congregations and take on formation and leadership roles, were not able to do so. All of them spent time either in labor camps or prisons. They were over 80 years old when the revolution ended. Traumatized and sick, they had no strength or skills to engage in the for-mation of the new generations. It is estimated that since 1980, the end of the revolution in China, some 5,000 women joined religious institutes (both in the official and un-derground Church). These are mostly young and middle-aged women with minimal reli-gious training. This cry of the current leaders of many Reli-gious Institutes was taken seriously. As a result, in 2013, the first group of sisters was invited to Poland for a seminar. In 2014, a second group of sisters arrived for an oppor-tunity to experience Church and various forms of religious life in Poland as well as an oppor-tunity to deepen their understanding of conse-crated life. The planned seminars took three weeks. In the 1st Seminar, there were twenty-two participants from sixteen religious congregations from both Churches. All of the participants were either leaders or formators in their communities.

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At the 2nd Seminar, another twenty-two Chinese sisters took part. Nineteen of them came directly from China representing fourteen different geographic regions and twenty insti-tutes. During this seminar, they met and shared with thirteen religious institutes in Poland, getting to know various charisms, spiritualities, and missions. This experience helped them to iden-tify the essential and the transitory elements of religious life. This sharing was extremely valu-able and greatly appreciated.

The sisters visited some shrines and parish churches in order to experience the expres-sions of religiosity of ordinary people, and to know some of the history of the Polish Church, including the time of the communist regime.

During the evaluation, one of the sisters shared that prior to coming to Poland, she had learned a little about the geography and history of Poland, She learned that the Vis-tula is a mother-river, which flows from the south to the north and nurtures the land. She compared the river to the religiosity of the Polish people that fills human hearts, nourishes and strengthens, and gives new life in the Spirit. The fruits of this spiritual river are seen in the many saints but also in the spiritual transformation of the country and the people. The image of entire families coming to church, the spirit of freedom in expressing and living one’s faith was breath-taking and translated into fervent prayer of similar possibilities for the Christians in China.

To all who shared their time and expertise as

well as those who supported this mission endeavor with their prayers and generosity, we are most grateful!

Sr. Aleksandra Huf, SSpS

Sr. Dorota Maria Piechaczek, SSpS

Sisters participants engaged in a group activity

during the seminar.

The Sisters visited the church in Wadowice, Poland,

where St. John Paul II was baptized,

Visiting with the

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in

Nysa, Poland.

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By: Suzanne Aviles

Sister Monica Darrichon

arrived in Memphis six years ago. She describes her work with the Hispanic Community

throughout the Catholic Diocese of Memphis as a “privilege”.

ANSWERING

GOD’S (AND A BISHOP’S)

CALL → SISTER MONICA ←

O riginally from Argentina, young Monica grew up with two brothers. In her home town, Diamante, Entre Rios, she regularly saw the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters (SSpS) going about their mission work in catechesis, education, health care and spiritual direction, among other roles.

Wearing their habits made them highly visible and Monica felt inspired by their example. When she was 5, her father’s cousin, a Benedictine monk, visited her family. During his short visit, he told Monica that she would grow up and become a nun. She liked the idea. She loved attending Mass and felt close to God. When she was 11, a priest from the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) came to serve at the Catholic elemen-tary school Monica attended. He advised students to spend time every day in front of the tabernacle and to ask God: “What do you want from me?” For two years, Monica followed this advice and spent time in front of the tabernacle. She began to feel a strong call to consecrated life. But when her father died, she changed her mind. The loss of her father made her feel as though God no longer loved her.

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Monica stopped attending Mass and withdrew from Church activities. Her mother encouraged her, but Monica describes her response as “stubborn”. Although she skipped Mass, she still attended the Catholic School where SSpS Sisters taught catechism. The Sisters knew that some of their students missed Mass, so they began quizzing students about the previous Sunday’s homilies. To avoid the embarrassment of not knowing answers to their questions, Monica went back to Mass.

At age 14, Monica and 800 other girls and boys received an invitation to a retreat for quinceañera prepara-tion. The retreat inspired her and she once again felt the love of God at Mass. During that time, she joined the local Catholic youth group. She also began to work through her grief for her father by talking with her pastor. He became her first spiritual director. By age 16, Monica again felt a strong pull to become a nun. Her spiritual director told her that she was young and had time to consider her future. Meanwhile, she became friends with a nun, Sister Maria Encina, who freely answered Monica’s questions about religious life. Sister Maria Encina invited Monica to visit the SSpS convent and spend some time with the community. The more she learned about the religious order, the more she felt called to the vocation. But her mother insisted that she attend college before entering the con-vent. Monica followed her mother’s advice and earned a four-year degree in education. After graduation, she started her career by substitute teaching at a Catholic school, covering for someone’s maternity leave. After the assignment ended, she was invited to substitute for another catholic school. The Catholic school setting and her experience as a teacher convinced her to enter the SSpS convent in 1988.

In 1991, her second year of novitiate, she lived in an SSpS community in Bolivia for eight months. At that time, she also worked with the community in their missionary efforts. In 1992, she and five other Sisters, took their first vows together. Over the next six years, while she discerned, Sister Monica lived in San Juan, Argentina, teaching high school and elementary students. Later in Crespo, Entre Rios, she continued to teach elementary and high school classes. By final vows in 1998, she had experience with young children, youth and young adults. After final vows, her order appointed her to a school in Cordoba. While there, her order asked that she earn an advanced degree in human resources related to school administration so she could assist with employee issues.

As part of her master’s program, Sister Monica needed to learn a second language. She attended De Paul University in Chicago, where she studied English and passed the proficiency test. Learning English became an asset when the order assigned her to mission work in Memphis.

On December 10, 2009, Sister Monica arrived in Memphis with a dual assignment to teach catechism in Spanish at St. Joseph Catholic Church and teach Spanish at St. Joseph Jubilee Catholic School. By 2012, she was asked to extend her catechetical instruction to Blessed Sacrament Parish, too. In November 2012, Bishop Terry Steib asked her to take charge of the Office of Hispanic Ministry for the entire Diocese of Memphis, a role she took on April 29, 2013.

She and her administrative assistant, Wen-dy Vazquez, “understand, love and learn from the Hispanics in the diocese.” Both Sister Monica and Wendy Vazquez are Latinas, which helps in their ministry. However, Sister notes that Hispanics come from many cultures and make up, as she describes, “a diverse Christian community that’s rich and profound.”

Sister Monica teaching guitar

to some of the younger members of the parish.

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“Through the ministry, we offer re-sources for parishes where large num-bers of Hispanic brothers and sisters attend. At this moment and according to data given by the pastors, 6000 His-panics attend liturgical celebrations throughout the diocese every week-end. The diocese has 42 parishes and five missions. As of right now, 21 parishes from the Memphis and Jack-son Deaneries offer Mass in Spanish; a number that has grown over the years,” Sister says. To help in the parishes, Sister Monica offers formation and training to ministers and parish leaders through courses and retreats. She says, “the courses are offered in Spanish by priests and seminarians. Also, we offer pre-marriage preparation in Spanish through a team of lay married couples committed to their faith. We share this task with Judy Longoria, who is the coordinator for the marriage preparation programs of diocese. We support the couples by speaking in their own language.”

Harkening back to her own youth, Sister Monica sees quinceañera as an opportunity to instruct Latinas who may not be strongly catechized. “These celebrations are especially important to Mexican Catholics but

quinceañera ceremonies have lost much of their original meaning.” In past centuries, the 15th birthday of a girl signaled her maturity into womanhood. The Hispanic Ministry Office coordinates the program, which is

led by lay women and teenagers who guide the quinceañera and her parents through the process of encoun-

tering Christ. Sister says, “Each quinceañera and her family must complete a list of requirements before the celebration takes place. The requirements are approved by Bishop Terry Steib and the Presbyteral Council. Most importantly, we use the occasion to evangelize the teen and her family.”

Sister has additional support in an Hispanic Committee that, under Bishop Steib’s direction, develops plans and evaluates new activities for parishes. Pastors with Hispanic ministries appoint delegates to the committee. The delegates are a “bridge” between the diocesan ministry and their home parish. Sister Monica says, “It is our wish to help the pastors form an evangelized, missionary and incarnated com-munity with leaders who will support their community, as well as rescue Catholic family life and Hispanic cultural values. But, most importantly, we hope to help our communities to live the values that Christ Jesus left us in the Gospels. It is our wish to mutually support pastors and the community, so we can together de-velop the faith and practice of the the Hispanic community. It is our task to accompany this community in a personal encounter with God, so that they may live in true dignity as God’s beloved children.”

Reprinted from the monthly magazine Faith West Tennessee by permission from the Catholic Diocese in Memphis (www.cdom.org)

Sr. Monica with a group of the Legion of Mary

God Holy Spirit, grant me the grace daily, rather hourly, to grow in love for your. God Holy Spirit, give me the grace to become ever more insignificant through humility

but ever greater in holy love. Bl. Maria Helena Stollenwerk

Co-Foundress

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There are certain Gospel stories that have always stirred my imagination. The three Wise Men leaving everything familiar and setting out on a dangerous journey toward an unknown baby, following a distant star, is one of those elements in my life that led me to become a missionary; hopefully, I would be heading for far off lands.

Now, these many years later, I ask myself: “Am I still following a star?”

My answer would be “yes”, but that star is the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit within my deep-est being. Many times I forget to listen, but I do believe the Spirit will guide me every day in all my decisions. We are constantly being called to ‘day by day’ conversions. If we do not follow that star, we miss out on a lot of things we need to pay attention to in our lives. Sometimes, life can just be taken for granted and we just drift along unconsciously. This day by day conversion is seeing with God’s eyes. God sees, understands, and accepts each person’s goodness and limitations. One who experiences God’s understanding and acceptance, looks at others with greater understanding and acceptance. Although it is not easy to acknowledge and embrace one’s own shortcomings and those of others, the experience of God’s love empowers one to ‘let go’ of judgements, criticism, negativity, and violence.

What a gift, to follow my Inner Star each day! May we be stars for one another!

Sr. Pat Snider, SSpS

Directress of the Holy Spirit Missionary Association

The Holy Spirit Missionary Association (HSMA)

is a group of lay Christian women and men who want to grow in a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit and collaborate with our Sisters in mission throughout the world through their prayerful and generous support. If you would like to be a member of the HSMA or attend one of the events

listed below, contact Sr. Pat Snider, SSpS (847-441-0126)

Convent of the Holy Spirit, 319 Waukegan Rd., Northfield, IL 60093

YOU are invited to join us for the following events:

Lenten Day of Prayer - February 27, 2016

Special Pentecost Gathering - April 30, 2016

The Gift of the Inner Star

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SSpS MISSION Magazine: Published 4 times each year (February, May, July, November)

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HOLY SPIRIT MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION (HSMA): The HSMA members support the work of the mission, especially through prayer. Days of prayer / recollection are held during Advent and Lent at our Province Community in Northfield, IL.

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Please mail form to: SSpS Mission Magazine ● 319 Waukegan Road ● Northfield, IL 60093

(please make checks payable to: Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters The Sisters THANK YOU for your support and prayers!

Dear Readers,

Many of you did not receive the November 2015 issue of our SSpS MISSION

Magazine or you received a copy to your address under another’s name. For

this error and the confusion it caused, I sincerely apologize. Names and ad-

dresses inadvertently got scrambled! Everything has been corrected and

hopefully you received this magazine without any further problems. Thank

you for your understanding and continued interest in our stories of life and

mission. Sr. Mary Miller, SSpS

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The Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters are an international community of 3,200 Catholic religious women serving in 49 countries. Missionary activities include pastoral work and catechesis, education, nursing and health care,

social work, adult education, and many other services to uplift the vulnerable and promote human dignity.

SSpS Mission Magazine is published quarterly by: Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters ~ 319 Waukegan Road, Northfield, IL 60093

www.ssps-usa.org ~ (847) 441-0126

Editorial Staff: Sr. Mary Miller, SSpS