Joyful, Loving Service ... Sister Eleanor Gilmore, CSJP

Sister Eleanor with friends in El Salvador

Our community lost one of our most joyful, loving and gently powerful Sisters last week.  This week we will be celebrating the life of Sister Eleanor Gilmore as we say goodbye and lay her to rest.  Her death was quite sudden, unexpected and, to be quite honest, very hard to wrap your head around.  Eleanor was not only my CSJP Sister, she was also a friend, mentor, and role model of how to integrate justice and peace into your life and ministry with JOY.

I had the opportunity to live next door to Eleanor for a year during temporary profession. She was often the first person I saw in the morning and the last person I saw in the evening (we shared a bathroom!). Eleanor was also interested in what was going on in your life, in your ministry, family, etc... Her care, concern, and interest was always genuine and you could tell when you answered that she was listening intently.  

I first met Eleanor on one of her visits home from El Salvador, where she was ministering through PazSalud, the health mission she founded in 2001.  That ministry is still going strong today--a joint effort between the CSJPS and PeaceHealth hospital system--providing health care to people with very limited resources.

Eleanor was one of our CSJP Sisters present to the people of El Salvador during the Civil War. Eleanor worked there from 1988 to 1993, coordinating health care through Jesuit Relief services for the people returning from refugee camps.  In their ministry to the poor, Eleanor and the other Sisters were captured and detained by the military more than once.  One arrest had Eleanor detained two days and nights after machine-gun toting soldiers came to the house where she was staying. Keep in mind this was after the martyrdom of the American Church women, Archbishop Romero, and countless others.

I had the privilege of going on a pilgrimage of sorts to El Salvador with Eleanor and other CSJP Sisters and Associates when I was a novice. It was a truly transformative experience, not the least because of the authentic and embodied love of God's people in need that Eleanor witnessed to with every smile and conversation. Watching her, I came to understand this passage from our CSJP constitutions more deeeply.

We value the ministry of presence
as an important dimension
of the gospel of peace.
In the hope of continuing our tradition
of gracious hospitality,
we welcome others to our communities
and also try to be present to people
in their own situations.

Whatever she was doing, Eleanor gave life, love, and form to the ministry of presence. In addition to being present to the people of El Salvador for over 20 years, Eleanor served joyfully in leadership for our community, with PeaceHealth, and on the board of Mercy Housing.

As I was looking through my photos, I found this one which I took a few years ago at a Valentine's Day party at St. Mary on the Lake. Another Sister had her elementary students write Valentines for the Sisters. Here is Eleanor reading hers. Eleanor loved God and loved God's people, and she was deeply loved in return.

It is next to impossible to sum up Eleanor's life in words. I for one am just grateful our paths crossed and that I am able to call her Sister.

Happy Founders Day!

Today is Founders Day, a special day in our Congregation. Our founder Mother Clare (Margaret Anna Cusack), died on June 5, 1899. To celebrate Founders Day, I'd like to share with you this excerpt from The Nun of Kenmare, her autobiography, recounting her audience with Pope Leo XIII on the founding of the new order, St. Joseph's Sisters of Peace:

My audience [with Pope Leo XIII] was entirely private, as I did not require an interpreter. Mgr. Macchi brought in the whole set of my books to his holiness, who looked at them, I think somewhat surprised at the number. Some of them were duplicated, having been translated into German, French, and Italian. ...

His holiness specially commended the plan of my new order, and encouraged me in every way to continue writing. He gave his blessing to all the sisters present and to come, and to all those who would contribute to my work. I cannot forget his paternal and affectionate kindness, and the sympathy he expressed for the troubles I had gone through. My last audience was a public one, and at this the Holy Father noticed me specially, and spoke to those who were standing around, explaining to them in a few words that we were Sisters of Peace, and the object of our work.
~M. F. Cusack, The Nun of Kenmare, 1889

Margaret Anna Cusack is an historical figure, a remarkable woman, and an amazing spiritual friend. This Founders Day, I invite you to visit the "Our Roots"section of the CSJP website to learn more about her and our other pioneer Sisters.

• Brief story of our History and our Founder
• Watch a more in depth version of her story in a video created by my novitiate class
• Read many of her books online--the same ones that surprised Pope Leo XIII
• Listen to oral histories of some of our pioneer sisters
• Read other stories of pioneer sisters

A woman of prayer, hospitality, and peace

I got word today that Sister Elizabeth Ann Brennan, CSJP passed away this morning in Seattle. She has been struggling with some serious health issues, and so it was not entirely unexpected. In many ways it is a blessing to know that her struggle is over and that she is in the arms of her loving God, but she will be deeply and dearly missed.

Elizabeth Ann will always hold a special place in my heart. She was one of the Sisters who first welcomed me, literally into her home, when I was a candidate and spent long weekends living with the Sisters at one of our local CSJP houses in Seattle (St. T's). Long time readers of the blog may remember this as my "groovy sister reserves" era. Elizabeth Ann was one of those groovy sisters at St. T's who helped me realize that I made the most sense as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace and made me feel at home.

Elizabeth Ann was a woman of prayer. That was one of the first things that was clear to me living at St. T's on my groovy sister reserve weekends. Praying together was a priority in that house, and it was by no means going through the motions. We prayed the prayers of the church, we prayed for our wounded world, and we prayed for peace. Elizabeth Ann had an amazing presence, as evidenced in her relationship with God, community, and others. She was spiritual director to a group of Lutheran pastors for a few decades and they LOVED her. I loved knowing that they loved her.

Elizabeth Ann was a woman of hospitality. My first experiences as a candidate at St. T's made this part of our tradition very clear to me. Here's a reflection I wrote on the experience as a candidate:

My Sister housemates here at my weekend groovy sister pad have taught me the value of hospitality. There are always “extra” people here. They’re not even really guests, because if you’re here, you are part of the house. At Christmas & Thanksgiving we had at least 25 people at dinner. The house seems to have a way of magically expanding to meet the needs of those present. Laughter, warmth & good food are always on the menu here.

Elizabeth Ann was a big part of that experience. I experienced their gracious hospitality just a few months ago when I was home visiting in Seattle and was invited over for dinner by the St. T's community. It was clear to me that Elizabeth Ann was struggling with her health and lamenting her lack of energy. And yet, she was gracious and engaged in conversation, asked questions about what I'm learning at school and my thoughts on our community planning process. I am so grateful I had that last moment to experience her hospitality! And to pray with her. The evening of course was not complete without prayer!

Elizabeth Ann was a woman of peace. If you knew her, you knew that. Enough said. And now she is at peace with her loving God. I know that as our community moves toward our Congregation Chapter, she will be praying for us and cheering us on.

Goodbye Elizabeth Ann. Thank you for everything.

Something Worth Living For...

On December 2, 1980 four American churchwomen working with the poor in El Salvador – Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and lay missioner Jean Donovan – were kidnapped, abused and murdered by the US backed military of El Salvador. In the end they met the same fate as thousands of the unnamed poor of El Salvador who were killed or disappeared.

What follows is an except from a letter written by Ita Ford to her niece and goddaughter Jennifer a few months before her murder. I found it somewhere online and used it a few years ago in an Advent Peace Vigil. It takes the abstract and makes it very real in the every day sense.

August 18, 1980
Dear Jennifer,

The odds that this note will arrive for your birthday are poor, but know I'm with you in spirit as you celebrate 16 big ones. …

What I want to say...some of it isn't too jolly birthday talk, but it's real... Yesterday I stood looking down at a 16-year-old who had been killed a few hours earlier. I know a lot of kids even younger who are dead. This is a terrible time in El Salvador for youth. A lot of idealism and commitment is getting snuffed out here now. …

Brooklyn is not passing through the drama of El Salvador, but some things hold true wherever one is, and at whatever age. What I'm saying is, I hope you come to find that which gives life a deep meaning for you...something worth living for, maybe even worth dying for...something that energizes you, enthuses you, enables you to keep moving ahead. I can't tell you what it might be -- that's for you to find, to choose, to love. I can just encourage you to start looking, and support you in the search. Maybe this sounds weird and off-the-wall, and maybe, no one else will talk to you like this, but then, too, I'm seeing and living things that others around you aren't...

I want to say to you: don't waste the gifts and opportunities you have to make yourself and other people happy... I hope this doesn't sound like some kind of a sermon because I don't mean it that way. Rather, it's something you learn here, and I want to share it with you. In fact, it's my birthday present to you. If it doesn't make sense right at this moment, keep this and read it sometime from now. Maybe it will be clearer...

A very happy birthday to you and much, much love,
Ita

Ten Years later... Remembering Mom

Mom with her daughters & two granddaughters

It's been ten years since my late night nap was interrupted by the phone call. Even before I answered the phone I knew ... Mom had passed on 3,000 miles and three time zones away.  She had been a real trouper through three years of some very serious and complex medical conditions.  Her suffering was deep and sustained, even as she faced it all with grace and graciousness.

It was honestly a relief to know that while we would be without her here on earth, her pain was over.  Ten years later of course, I still feel the pain of her loss.  Nothing prepares you to lose your mother.  Nothing.  It's such a part of the human experience, and yet it also creates such an empty space in your life.

Of course, my heart and memory are really not empty.  They are filled with memories of Mom, lessons she taught me long ago but that I am just starting to learn, and moments when I can't help but feel her presence.  That last one, feeling her presence, has happened pretty often lately, as I have been spending more time helping my Dad.  This summer I spent 17 straight hours in the emergency room and many days in the hospital with Dad.  Mom was there with me through it all, in memory, in spirit, in love.

Today on the tenth anniversary eve of Mom's passing, her dear friend Bev passed away after her long journey with cancer.  I am sure that Mom and Bev are having a grand reunion in whatever space is on the other side.  I'm also sure that Mom and Bev are also keeping their eyes on Bev's daughters as they begin their journey without their Mom.  I'm holding them especially in prayer these days.

Ten years later, I still miss my Mom.  But I am also filled with deep gratitude for her love and the gift of her life.

Peace to all those who are missing loved ones.

Auf Wiedersehen Sister Janet

I got news today that Sister Janet Luik, CSJP passed away in New Jersey.  She was a special person who made a lasting impression on me every time our paths crossed.  I feel blessed to have had her in my life just a little bit, and I know that she will be deeply missed at St. Michael's Villa, our east coast regional center and retirement center.

I last saw Sister Janet almost a year ago when I spent my "reading week" from CTU with our retired sisters in New Jersey.  Sister Janet and the other sisters made me feel right at home, as always. I will always picture Sister Janet sitting in her motorized wheelchair at the corner table in the refectory, ready to

The "wind-defying" umbrella
Sister Janet sent me

greet me.  When I was there last October, it was always a joy to head downstairs after a morning of catching up on my theology reading to find her shining face and bright eyes.  We had some great conversations that week.  She was so interested in what I was studying and how I found the city of Chicago.  One day we had a conversation about the "windy city," and I casually mentioned that I'd found it difficult to use an umbrella when it was so windy.  A few weeks later, I opened my mail box here at CTU to find that Sister Janet had gone out of her way to solve my problem. She had ordered a special umbrella for me that has a wind vent built in so it can withstand windy weather and still keep you dry.  It was such an unexpected surprise, and such a thoughtful gesture.  That was typical of Sister Janet.  I've thought of her many times since, every time I've used my trusty Sister Janet umbrella.  I am the beneficiary of her research and generosity ... it does indeed do well in the windy city.

I first got to know Sister Janet when I was a novice and volunteering one day a week at our hospital there.  On my hospital days, I took communion to the Catholic patients and always made a special point to visit any of our sisters or associates who were admitted.  Sister Janet was there for quite a while at one point and so I visited her weekly.  I must admit first of all that hospital ministry does not come easy to me, and I was pretty nervous about it all.  Perhaps that is why I so appreciated visiting Sister Janet.  She was the patient, but it was more like she was ministering to me, making me feel comfortable and at home.

I will never forget one conversation in particular.  She asked me about my family, my parents, my grandparents, etc...  Whereas many of our Irish sisters are quick to claim me via my Irish grandmothers, Sister Janet was quick to claim me via my German grandfathers.  You see, while I believe she was born in this country, her family was German and she spent some of her youth in Germany.  I can still hear her voice clear as a bell in my memory:  "Oh, if your grandfathers are German, than YOU are German!"  She said this with a smile and a certain gleam in her eye.

Auf Wiedersehen Sister Janet.  Your presence, wit, humor, and generous spirit will be greatly missed by our little community.  I often thought that you kept us on the straight and narrow and your compassion knew no bounds.  Thank you for the gift of your presence, the hospitality and welcome which you always gifted me with, your life of ministry and caring as a nurse and missionary, and of course, the umbrella. :)

Peaceful Mother's Day

It is hard to believe that my Mom passed away almost ten years ago.  In addition to being an awesome Mom and a great friend, she inspired me by her love and concern for all God's creatures. In her honor, today I continue my bloggy tradition with this re-post.

How many of you know about the original pre-hallmark meaning of the day? Read Julia Ward Howe's Original Mother's Day Proclamation from 1870. Here's a teaser:

"Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears! ... We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says "Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."

You can also listen to the entire proclamation in this video:


Somehow that meaning has gotten lost over the years.  But it is so very important and needed today in a world where so many families are torn apart by violence.  Domestic Violence.  Street Violence.  Violence of war, poverty and oppression.

So, in the midst of final paper writing, I will be spending some time in prayer this Mother's Day in thanksgiving for my own mother who rests in eternal peace, but also in solidarity and love with mothers in war torn countries and the mothers of those serving in the military. This continues to seem to be the most appropriate way to mark the day.

Telling Stories & Jokes in Heaven - Sisters Joan and Mildred

I heard news this week that two of my CSJP Sisters passed away, Sister Joan Tresch, CSJP in New Jersey and Sister Mildred Morrissey, CSJP in Seattle.  Both had celebrated more than 60 years as Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace and will be dearly missed.  I never got a chance to get especially close to either one, yet they both welcomed me in their own special way to the community when I first entered and helped to make dark days lighter and lighter days even more enjoyable through their gift of story telling.

I first met Sister Joan when I was a candidate.  Long-time readers of the blog might remember that I went on a spy mission to get the lay of the land of our New Jersey community before I entered the novitiate. Joan was one of those who first introduced me to our CSJP tradition of gracious hospitality on that trip.  Tea, cake, and stories were on the menu.  Later when I had entered the novitiate and was having a hard time, on more than one occasion a funny story from Joan about days gone by would lift my spirits.

The funniest Joan story ever, which I know I cannot do justice to, was on the topic of swim suits in the first years after the Vatican Council.  As I recall the story, the Sisters were still wearing ancient swim costumes when they spent their week of vacation at our retreat house on the Jersey shore. They were old and cumbersome, with sleeves and skirt-like contraptions. One day after nearly drowning in the ocean when the skirt flipped over her head, the young Sister Joan went to the superior and asked if they could get modest modern swim suits for safety reasons.  After some consideration, the superior agreed, provided they wear long sleeve black t-shirts with the modern swim suits. Now, it was up to the local superior of each house to buy the long sleeve black t-shirts.  The superior of Joan's house couldn't find them, so she bought short sleeve t-shirts thinking they would suffice.  Flash forward to the next summer. Joan is swimming in her modest modern suit with short sleeve black t-shirt.  The same Sister who she had spoken to the last year (the head superior not of her house) summons her from the ocean with crooked finger. She asks about the t-shirt.  Joan explains.  The next thing Joan knows she is told to go up to the attic, fish out some black stockings, and sew them to the arms of her suit.  Crazy, but she does it.  All she really wants is to get back in the water.  The next thing she knows, the salt water turns the stockings that are now sleeves greeen!

It's been many years since I heard that story.  I'm sure I have the details wrong, but that doesn't matter.  What matters is that when I remember that story, I remember the dark day when I needed to laugh and she told me that story as we looked out at the same ocean where the story took place.  She lightened my heart and my load that day.

Sister Mildred, or Millie as we called her, was also known for her stories and quirky jokes.  I got to know Millie pretty well the year after the novitiate when I was living at groovy sister hq.  I had many of my meals with Millie.  We bonded because I'd come from Portland, Oregon and she'd grown up in Sheridan, Oregon.  More times than I could count, she'd look at me with a conspiratorial grin and launch into one of her many stories.  Even if I'd come to know the story, it was always a joy to hear her tell it.  What was most enjoyable was seeing how much she enjoyed making people laugh.

In recent years, both Sister Joan and Sister Mildred have had health issues which no doubt have made their lives less enjoyable than in years past.  I am comforted to think that they are both now in heaven with their loving God, telling stories and jokes to pass the time.

As for me, I am grateful for the chance to get to know both of these wonderful women.  They modeled for me the importance of laughter and sharing on the path of peace.

Eternal rest grant to them O God, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace for ever.  Amen

Dancing with God ... Sister Mary Matthew

I got word today that one of my CSJP Sisters passed away after a sudden stroke.  One of the hard parts of being away from community during this time for my studies is not being able to be with the community as we celebrate the life and love our Sisters who have gone home to God.  I know that the stories which will be told in the coming days of our dear Sister Mary Matthew Griffin will bring laughter and tears to all who loved her. Saying that she will be missed is an understatement.  We will not be the same community without her here on Earth, but I know she is praying deeply with us and for us now that she is with her loving God.

When I first met Sister Mary Matthew at a community assembly day, I wasn't quite sure what to make of her.  Unlike most of our Sisters at groovy sister hq, she wore a blue veil and suit. Most of our Sisters, no matter what their age, dress simply and wear our Peace Cross as their symbol of identity, per our Constitutions.  We have not had a community habit for several decades outside the Peace Cross.  But Sister Mary Matthew felt at home in her blue suit and veil (and Peace Cross).  She also was fairly outspoken.  We ended each of our community assemblies with an open mic session.  You could always count on Sister Mary Matthew to saunter up to the line and use the microphone to share her passionate opinions about some current issue with her Sisters.  What made this remarkable to me as an inquirer and later a candidate and novice was that her viewpoints were not always ones that resonated with most of her Sisters.  And yet she held her convictions deeply and spoke them with integrity.

I will never forget the assembly when it clicked ... Yes Sister Mary Matthew might be focusing on different aspects or perspectives on current issues than most of her Sisters.  But she loved our community deeply, just as she loved Jesus deeply, and she was able to be herself with us even when that might have made her different.  When I think of what makes a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace, there's not just one thing.  We don't all look the same.  We don't all think the same.  We don't all act the same.  But in addition to the deep love of God, desire to follow Jesus and seek God's promise of peace for all God's people there is something.  There's a spirit, a spark, an integrity that shines through.  Sister Mary Matthew had that spark in spades.  It was just her own special variety. In many ways, I think Sister Mary Matthew kept us real.  She challenged us.  She loved us.  And we loved her.

One of my favorite memories of Sister Mary Matthew was at the end of one of our recent community assemblies.  After our intense day of prayer, conversation and business, we generally celebrate with a dinner and party.  Some of us like to roll up the carpet, push back the couch, and have a little impromptu disco dancing.  You haven't experienced CSJP community until you've danced!  Generally it's the younger ones of us (in spirit if not age) who enjoy this particular community activity.  In recent years, Sister Mary Matthew has joined us.  She was a blast, full of joy and energy, dancing with her Sisters.  I thought I remembered a picture of one of those gatherings, and sure enough, I found it.  Here's how I want to remember Sister Mary Matthew ... embracing her CSJP Sisters joyfully and playfully.

Eternal rest grant to her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.  May she rest in peace with you forever.  Amen.

Sister Noreen ... Beauty, Creativity & Hospitality

This week at west coast groovy sister hq, our CSJP community will be celebrating the life, love, and ministry of Sister Noreen Linane, CSJP.

While I am greatly enjoying the opportunity to study at CTU, one of the hardest parts of being away is not being able to join together with our Sisters, Associates, and friends as we celebrate the lives of our Sisters who have died.  The vigil for Sister Noreen will be tonight, the funeral on Monday.  I will be there in spirit.

How do you begin to describe Sister Noreen? If you want to know a bit about her years of faithful love and service as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace, this obituary does a good job.  Since she entered our aspirancy in Ireland as a young woman during the WWII years, she ministered throughout the Pacific Northwest as a surgical nurse, hospital administrator, hospital chaplain, and office manager for a transitional housing program for women.

One of Sister Noreen's masterpieces

I only knew her in her "retirement" years at St. Mary-on-the-Lake where her ministry seemed to be art, beauty, creativity, a loving presence, and hospitality ... all with a gentle smile, a slightly mischievous twinkle in her eye, and an ever present Irish lilt in her speech. She helped make St. Mary-on-the-Lake our home.

Noreen was always on the go, creating incredibly beautiful flower arrangements and adding little touches of beauty to our Sisters' retirement residence on the shores of Lake Washington. She had many medical challenges in the years that I knew her, but she always got up, dusted herself off, and did all she could do to share her love of God and God's creation with those around her.

Last year I visited her during the Christmas holidays while she was recovering at a skilled nursing facility. She made me feel so welcome in her temporary home, like she was entertaining a guest, even without the usual touches of beauty she would add to her environs.  I still remember our conversation. We talked about the Eucharist and I am still reflecting on the insights and loving wisdom that she shared with me that day.

It is an understatement to say that the CSJP community will dearly miss Noreen.  Her sister Elizabeth is also a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace.  They have been a pair for so long, I am sure this will be a difficult transition for her and for all the Sisters at St. Mary-on-the-Lake.

Thank you Noreen for your gracious hospitality, your gifts of beauty, creativity and love.

Remembering

Today is December 1st.  If my mom had not passed away nine years ago, she would have turned 78 today.

Of course I still miss her, especially on days like today.  But I also know that she is present to us in so many different ways.  This morning when I woke up, I thought of her and wished her a Happy Birthday.  And then promptly asked for her to be with me and help me finish writing my term paper today! She was always interested and supportive in our studies after all. 

Most of my pictures of mom are print and not digital.  This cropped photo is from our illustrious family portrait when I was a baby.  I love it for two reasons.  One, my sock is falling off.  Two, she has that twinkle in her eye and that knowing smile/smirk that I knew well.  Captures her essence perfectly, and with 70s style.

On Prudence & Religious Life - Louise Dempsey, CSJP

I'm engrossed in some serious research for three research papers that are due in exactly one month.  One of the papers is on the virtue of prudence.  I'm looking at prudence as considered from Aquinas to today, with particular attention to its potential in the moral formation of 21st century consumers.  We shall see where that goes.  At the very least I will learn something in the process.

When I was in New Jersey last month, I discovered that I am by no means the first CSJP to explore the virtue of prudence.  One of my CSJP Sisters lent me a copy of a 1964 Masters Thesis written by one of the "giants" of our community, Sister Louise Dempsey. I knew Louise in her later years after a stroke when she had a gentle smile but was unable to communicate much otherwise.  She was elected our first "Sister President" in 1970.  I also had a chance to get to know her a bit in this capacity during a novitiate research assignment on our Congregation Leaders. Sister Louise passed away in 2008. She was an amazing woman by all accounts.

Now I am reading her 1964 Masters Thesis from her studies at the Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology for Sisters.  Given that she was instrumental in my community's response and renewal following Vatican II, it is a true privilege to be reading her early thinking on the topic.  You see, her thesis was entited "The Function of Prudence in a Program of Renovation."

For the purposes of my own research paper, she is now teaching me, putting the theology of Thomas Aquinas into very understandable language and pointing me to the sections I need to read in the Summa!  She is also teaching me about religious life, the renewal, and what it means to be a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace.  Here are a few of the more key passages. Enjoy!

"Religious life, even by its very name, implies the necessity for growth, change, adaptation.  All living beings experience such transformation, otherwise death or extinction is inevitable.  In order, however, to insure the permanency of the essentials of this religious life in the process of this growth and development, prudence is indispensable so that wisdom and zeal will render adaptation and renovation efficacious.  The giving or restoring of life, even living itself, has always involved risks; religious life is not immune to this law.  The saints risked everything."

“The necessity for adaptation and renovation is forcing itself on religious institutes. The problems to be solved and the decisions to be made repeatedly call for the application of the virtue of prudence.”

"Changed times are to be met with new and appropriate means.  Responsibility to effect such changes devolves upon Major Superiors and General Chapters who must proceed conscientiously, prudently, and courageously always under the direction of ecclesiastical authorities.  Cardinal Suenens succinctly expresses the vital challenge: 'The whole matter,' he said, 'is summed up in the question: where and how are the cause of God and the visible extension of His kingdom best served?'"

"While the basic and fundamental elements of religious life should be maintained and nurtured, those which are no longer beneficial or efficacious, and which even hinder a greater good, should be discarded.  This is the key point that demands a sincere, prudent investigation. ... It is in these areas that the virtue of prudence will fulfill the role of a special guide since all programs of renovation and adaptation are nothing more than the applications of prudence within modern religious life.  The abilities to make proper decisions and to assume responsibility with competence are marks of a mature person."

"Applied to the attitudes of the founders of religious congregations, it appears evident to the contemporary nun that the founders were not satisfied with the service of the needs of the Church in their day; otherwise they would not have founded a new religious body. Experience also serves to prove the age-old truth that a living organism does not remain immobile for a long time, that respect for the past should not be a deterrent to the progress of today."

"The Church's needs today, however, demand the presence of Sisters in the direct apostolate.  Since they are the normal auxiliaries of the hierarchy in the apostolate, the Sisters must not fail in this great mission.  Responsibility in areas of religious instruction, parish organization, and social work for the greater good of souls presents a reasonable demand upon Sisters.  No one would maintain that a Sister's energies are unbounded or that she is expendable but the attainment of her capabilities is far from being realized.  The anti-feminist tradition, too often inspired by some canonists and spiritual writers, militates against nuns' freedom to participate in areas which could profit by their presence and in ways would hasten a desirable renewal.  Prudence is the virtue of human risks, and risks must be taken.  Superiors must assess these risks cautiously, seriously, conscientiously."

"The spirit of the community should be the spirit of the founder whose spirit was one of adapting herself, her works, her community to the needs of the age.  ... A real knowledge of one's religious congregation as well as of the needs of the present age is essential so that one can prudently discern which observances can be adapted."

"The Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, presents compelling reasons for the necessity of adaptation, both through example and through the Gospel itself.  Since religious are canonically erected only participating in the living organism which is the Church, they are faced with the alternative: adaptation or death.  Renovation is the law of Divine Providence evident in the renewal within the Church of approved devotions and liturgical functions suited to time and place.  Renovation has been asked for by the express will of the Supreme Pontiff exercising his supreme authority over religious institutes.  Adaptation is the universal law of history from which religious exclude themselves at the risk of becoming extinct."


"The virtue of prudence is the perfection of the ability to do or to act. Its function in a renovation program is impossible to assess, but no one is ignorant of the fact that he [or she] is obliged to love the good and accomplish it. Similarly it is more than common knowledge that the good most characteristic of the nature of [the human person] is 'to be according to reason.'  Since, however, love of the good grows by doing good, the foundations of prudence are sunk deeper and firmer to the extent that prudence bears fruit in action. And of such a one who thus acts truth Holy Scriptures assures us that he [or she] 'comes to the light.'"

Missing Mom

Today is almost over.  It's been a challenging day, following yesterday which was also a challenging day, leading me to be particularly grumpy.  Don't get me wrong, there were multiple frustrating reasons that might cause a normal person to be grumpy, but my level of grumpiness was pretty much off the charts. It wasn't until I had to look at the calendar this evening for something else that I realized ....

My mom died nine years ago today. It was one of those D'oh moments.  I've got so much on my plate this week that I wasn't really tuned in to this anniversary.  Yet my body and unconscious knows.  The grumpiness I think is their way to clue me in so that I can stop and remember my mom.  

Because she is well worth remembering.  The laughter.  The deep conversations. The silly moments.  The vacations.  The scrumptious holiday meals. The phone calls when I was living on my own and anything broke.  She always had a reassuring word, ideas for how to move forward, words to encourage and challenge me.

Nine years later I still miss her.  It's not a constant ache like it was in those first days, weeks, and months. And in many ways, she feels more present to me than she was ever able to be across the miles.  I know that she is loving us from where she is now, keeping an eye on us, cheering us on and nudging us whenever she can. My mom dreamed of a world where compassionate love ruled the day, where there as enough for everyone and always more to give. Now it's up to us to continue living into that dream.

So even though I do not wish to repeat this grumpy day, in a way I'm grateful to my grumpy self for causing me to stop and remember this wonderful woman I called Mom.

Twinkling in Heaven

I got news this morning that Sister Mary Ann Reichlin, a constant and faithful presence at St. Mary-on-the-Lake passed away this morning.  The news came as quite a shock to me.  I received another email this afternoon that it came as a shock to everyone else as well.  She had not been sick, and in fact this week had been going about her regular tasks.  She lectored at mass on Monday. And the night before she died, she made her regular nightly rounds with her walker making sure that all the doors were securely locked.  She died peacefully this morning.

Sister Mary Ann was one of the first Sisters I met when I visited St. Mary-on-the-Lake for a vocation retreat in 2004.  I stayed overnight and I remember clearly her stopping by my room to make sure that I had everything I needed. She was always making sure that folks had what they needed, quietly, behind the scenes with a knowing (and I think ultimately mischevious) twinkle in her eye.  It's so very hard to imagine life at St. Mary's without her shuffling around or sitting in the dining room drinking her tea or coffee, observing the goings on.

Yet her presence I know will continue, just in new and different ways.  One of those will be her continued prayerful presence.  The email I received today said that she recently told one of the Sisters that she would be going to Rome for the Canonization of Kateri Tekawitha.  And as the email said, now she shall!  Which is only fitting.

Let me explain.  In 2006 when I was a candidate, I remember getting this email on our CSJP prayer listserv from Sister Mary Ann:

Please pray for my grandnephew, 6 year old Jacob Finkbonner and his parents.  Jacob has a tissue destroying infection after a face injury which persists even after several surgeries.  Also, kindly ask Kateri Tekawitha if she will help us with her prayers in this difficult case.

If you follow such things, Jacob is the little boy who was healed from what the doctors otherwise felt was a hopeless case leading (finally) to the canonization of Kateri Tekawitha.  Sister Mary Ann's family are members of the Lummi Nation.  Jacob had a flesh eating disease that the doctors at Seattle Children's Hospital could not stop.  His parish priest, knowing that the family and community had a devotion to Blessed Kateri, asked the local community to pray for her intercession.  Sister Mary Ann of course asked our CSJP community for prayers, which I clearly remember sending up to heaven after receiving the email.  Another CSJP, Sister Julie Codd, has ministered with the native American community for many years.  She was able to obtain a relic of Kateri from a Sister who works at the Tekawitha conference who happened to be traveling to Seattle.  The family held the relic to Jacob's body as they prayed for the intercession of Blessed Kateri.  His prognosis was grim and the doctors did not know what to do.  After the visit with the relic, he improved and the infection stopped spreading.  Jacob is doing well today.

Next week, Blessed Kateri will become Saint Kateri.  The Finkbonner family will be in attendance, as will Sister Julie Codd as the Seattle Archbishop's delegate.  And now, Sister Mary Ann will be there in spirit, looking on with a twinkle in her eye, however such things work in the after life.

An amazing story.  An amazing woman.  Thank you Mary Ann for welcoming me that first night, for welcoming me every time I saw you since, for your prayers, your presence, and your love for the CSJP Community, the Church, God and God's people.

Goodbye Dolly

I got news this week that one of my favorite people from my Portland parish, St. Philip Neri, passed away.  Dolly Lomax was one of those folks who made the parish tick.  She had been a life-long member of the parish and a key volunteer with the Altar Society and pretty much every other major activity at the parish.

I got to know Dolly as a young adult, a newcomer to the parish.  She was welcoming and all embracing, but in her Dolly way.  I was looking for a photo of Dolly to include with this post and came across this article from NCR a few years back.  The article tells the story of St Philip's Muddy Boot Organic Festival and how Dolly got connected with the project, which brought attention to the connection between a concern for the environment and faith/spirituality.  I think it also encapsulates well my experience of this woman so I'm going to quote the parts that reference her.

Muddy Boot today is a big undertaking. Some 200 volunteers put in more than 1,000 hours total to bring it together, but even with all that work, it’s easier today than that first year, organizers recall. 

Martin said he made a point to reach out to all different groups in the parish community, to ground it in the parish’s mainstream. Among those was Dolly Lomax, also on the parish council in 2006, who needed some convincing. 

“I thought they were all nuts!” she told NCR, laughing. With most of the other founding organizers in their 30s and early 40s, Lomax, 75 and a member of St. Philip Neri “since I was born,” calls herself “the odd duck.” Her first reaction, she said, was to ask, “Who’s going to eat organically, for God’s sake?” 

They needed her on board, she said, “because I could get volunteers.” And, as a leader of the Altar Society, she has provided them, a cadre of older women working the kitchen, keeping the food and drink going out. 

She and fellow organizer Matthew Ford, 36, recalled how she came into a meeting that first year demanding to know why she should pay $5 for a pound of organic butter, when the mass-produced butter was only $1.50. “We were having popcorn that first year,” Lomax said. “I had to get organic butter, organic oil, organic popcorn.” 

“It took a little explaining,” Ford said.

So Dolly wasn't your roll over and play nice kind of person.  She was spirited and spunky and when she had a question, she'd ask it.  But she also had a heart two sizes too big.  She was committed to the mission of the parish, and when she saw some younger folks coming who were interested in living their faith through a commitment to social justice, she respected that, welcomed them, and even got involved in new ways that she didn't always understand.

These days of course I'm in Chicago, and I've been away from St. Phil's since I entered the community almost eight years ago.  But it's hard to believe that she's passed away and is no longer a part of the St Phil's community.

Of course, she is, just in a different way.  When I heard on Sunday that Dolly had passed away, my first thought was what a powerful advocate, friend and guide we now have in heaven.  You don't mess with Dolly, and I imagine she may have some big questions for a certain someone now that she's got more immediate access.  But I also imagine that with her big heart and deep love, she's got her attention tuned into what's going on here and will be praying for us with her customary gusto.

Goodbye Dolly.  Thanks for everything.

Mother Evangelista's Wisdom

Today is the 92nd anniversary of the death of Mother Evangelista (Honoria Gaffney). She was one of the first women to enter the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in the infant days of the Congregation.  After Mother Clare (Margaret Anna Cusack) was forced to leave due to conflicts with church hierarchy, she became the first Mother General and it is due in no part to her strong leadership that we not only survived but thrived.  Evangelista ministered in all three of our present-day regions, even spending some time out here in the wild Pacific Northwest.

I'm working on a special project right now, digitizing the book we call Lest We Forget which includes the stories of all our Sisters and Associates who have passed away.  There's an interesting bit about Mother Evangelista that I'd like to include:

To our Sisters she left a wonderful example of sincere humility, generosity, charity and loyalty--all through her life she was loyal to Mother Clare.  On one occasion Mother Evangelista confided to a close friend: 'of course I know our good Mother's limitations, but nevertheless she has always been a loving and kind Religious. ... Her principal difficulty lies in wanting to make reforms before people are ready to accept them.  Of necessity, progress must be slow.'

It seems to me that Evangelista was practical with an eye on the big picture.  But she was also a strong voice for justice, as evidenced by a letter I posted a month or so ago that she and Sister Ignatius Casserly sent to a Bishop in charge of the new Catholic University in D.C. who was spreading misinformation and negative reports about Mother Clare:

It is easy to invent and circulate reports, but a time may come when something more than an assertion will be demanded from those who speak such reports.  Suppose that the whole miserable story of our Mother's treatment by ecclesiastics in America were put before the public, and your lordship will be pleased to remember we have written proof, what would be said?  Are priests in this new Catholic University to be educated to be honest men, or as men who will not pay ordinary respect to truth and justice and to the decision of the Holy See?

One wonders what Mother Evangelista would make of our present day situation!  She was indeed a strong woman with a great love of God and the Church.  "Sisters, remember always be kind to God's priests and God's poor" is the saying most often attributed to her in the CSJP community.  If we spend some time with that maxim, there is deep wisdom there.  A deep wisdom to remember always those who Jesus loved, the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed.  A deep wisdom to remember that we are called to work on their behalf, to be a voice for justice within the context of the Church.  The more I learn about her, the more it seems she understand the tension that is inherent there.  Living in the tension is not easy, but it is nevertheless our call.

When I was in the novitiate, I ran across these words from Mother Evangelista's own retreat notes in the early days of the community when she no doubt faced many difficulties herself.

Here then is Jesus' will--that I be poor in spirit, be meek, that I mourn when God is offended, that I hunger and thirst after justice, that I be merciful, that I be pure of heart, that I be a peace-maker and that I may suffer persecution for justice sake.  Take these two beatitudes, two and two, and I have the whole retreat in a nut shell. ~Mother Evangelista, Retreat Notes, 1897

Her simple words, written on retreat, imbued with our community's charism and the needs of the world and church.

Pray for us Mother Evangelista.  May the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace continue to seek to bring peace to family life, to the church and to society.  May we attract women and men as Sisters and Associates to continue this vision, to live in the tension, for the sake of God and God's people.  Amen.

Goodbye Dorothy - Advocate, Writer, Sister, Friend

Sister Jeanne Keaveny and Sister Dorothy Vidulich in lively
conversation at my table at a community assembly day

How does one describe Sister Dorothy Vidulich?  Words truly can't even begin to capture her energetic spirit, love of God and passion for justice.  I first met her in 2006 in her later years of retirement.  Our Novitiate house was located next door to our retirement community in New Jersey, and I spent many an afternoon in lively discussion and debate with Dorothy about the state of the world and the future of religious life and the church.  Dorothy and her "partner in crime," Sister Jeanne Keaveny, were incredible mentors to me and my novitiate classmates in our early months of formation, true kindred spirits and role models who journeyed with us through challenges that in retrospect seem small but at the time almost insurmountable.

When I first met Dorothy, I felt like I was meeting a rock star.  Because you see, even though I had never met her in person she had already played a key role in my own discernment through her book, Peace Pays a Price: A Study of Margaret Anna Cusack, the Nun of Kenmare.  I found her book during my late night explorations of the community library during my first vocation retreat at our west coast regional center and read the entire thing in one sitting.  It tells the story of our founder, Margaret Anna Cusack and the community she founded. What a beautiful story, and how beautifully told.  Here were women who not only spoke the pretty prose of peace through justice, they did something about it!

That description certainly fits Dorothy.  She started out her 60 years as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace in the ministry of education for 12 years.  Soon however, the ground of religious life shifted with the call of the Second Vatican Council.  She worked with Sister Jeanne, Provincial in the East at that time, to implement the changes of renewal.  "This assignment of six years was exciting," she wrote on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee which she celebrated earlier this year, "but painful as many new and enriching changes took place."


In 1974 she founded a Center for Peace and Justice located on the grounds of our eastern regional center.  It was located in fact in an old coach house that would have been part of the property when it was bought by Margaret Anna Cusack.  She wrote in Peace Pays a Price that this gave a "rootedness to the goals of the Center." Through the Center, Dorothy and other CSJPS "worked for structural change in many of the social problems confronting the church and society of those days."  Later, the Center moved to the new Congregational offices in Washington, D.C. which enabled Dorothy to collaborate more with other women religious.  She became a coordinator with NETWORK, the Catholic Social Justice Lobby founded by Catholic Sisters which has been in the news so much these days with the "Nuns on the Bus."  Dorothy worked there for five years bringing the social teaching of the church to the heart of social justice issues on the national stage.

She drew upon this experience for the next ten years, while she worked for the National Catholic Reporter as a Washington correspondent.  Looking back on her years at NCR on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee, she wrote: "My research, interviews and work with Arthur Jones, editor, filled my days with excitement, joy and challenge."  Thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can still read some of her articles online.  For example, here is a link to a story she wrote about women theologians from 2000. Here's another one from 1997 about efforts of religious men to work against violence. And here is a 1998 column about the unsung role of women in the Irish peace process.

Reflecting on her life as a CSJP, Dorothy wrote that the highlight was being invited by the Congregation Council to research the life of Margaret Anna Cusack.  This research of course became the book I mentioned earlier, Peace Pays a Price.

When I was a novice one of my highlights--and life savers--was getting a chance to talk with Dorothy.  I remember one particular conversation when she said something about how impressed she was with the women in the novitiate.  She said that she wondered how the community ever managed to get women like us, or something to that effect.  I looked her in the eye and said, "Well, your book for one thing! It was a major inspiration for all of us."  How often do we get to share our gratitude with the people who inspire us, especially when that inspiration helps lead to one of our biggest and best life choices?  It was an unforgettable moment.  I'm also happy to say that I managed to get her to autograph a copy of her book for me.  She was so humble I was afraid she'd say no!

Dorothy passed away today in New Jersey.  The past few years have carried more than a few health challenges for her, so in many ways it is a blessing. She will be greatly missed though, most deeply by her friend and colleague of so many years, Jeanne.  But she will be missed by all of us.  In every community there are a handful of members who make a deep and lasting impact.  I think it is safe to say that Dorothy was one of our giants in that respect. I for one am comforted to know that she will be praying and advocating in heaven, for the CSJP community, for all those living on the margins, for conversion of the hearts of the powerful, and perhaps most strongly for our Church that we may embody and give life to Christ's promise of peace and justice for all.

I'd like to end this post with the final words of the epilogue to Peace Pays a Price.  Where it says "Margaret Anna Cusack," I think you can also read "Dorothy Vidulich."

Margaret Anna Cusack's life story intensifies the awareness that to keep alive the charism of the Congregation, the task of renewal is a constant concern.  The cost of such commitment may vary with individuals, but as the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace so consistently indicates:

Peace pays a price.

There will continue to be women and men who choose to make a dedication of time--or a lifetime--to purse the goals of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.

Amen. Pray for us Dorothy.  We need it!

A Strong Advocate ... Sister Cecilia Marie

Our CSJP Community will gather tomorrow for our Jubilee Celebrations in Bellevue, Washington.  But first, this morning, we will gather to say goodbye to one our most beloved Sisters, Cecilia Marie Gri, who passed away earlier this week.

There is so much you can say about this amazing Sister who would have turned 99 next month.  She was one of the most engaged, active, powerful and faithful women I have ever been honored to know.

When I first met Sister Cecilia Marie, she was preaching the homily ... at her 75th Jubilee ... at the age of 91.  And she broke open the word like nobody's business, preaching in a clear, strong voice in love and with a deep faith that shined through her and into everyone who listened. This picture is one I took from her 80th Jubilee.  She was the lector, and again in a strong voice she proclaimed the word of God for all to hear.

At our vigil service last night for Sister Cecilia Marie, we prayed the rosary, an important element of her prayer life, and shared stories.  Such wonderful stories! I shared my own story of Sister Cecilia Marie and her regular support for our ministry at the peace and justice center.  She was a regular donor, always sending a small donation with a lovely note.  In fact, she sent her last donation right before she moved up to our retirement center two months ago!

Sister Cecilia Marie is a model for us all.  She loved God and God's people and gave her all.  When she turned 90 in 2003, she wrote:  "I am involved in Parish ministry on a voluntary basis.  Since 1988 I have been coordinator of homebound ministry. I am also lay presider, eucharistic minister, parish librarian, leader of Vigil services for deceased parishioners, and a leader of the ecumencial prayer service at one of the retirement homes.  Every month for about ten years I write an article or two for our Parish newsletter.  On several occasions I have given a homily at Mass.  In summary, I am a 'jack-of-all-trades.'" Indeed. Keep in mind this was after 30+ years of teaching and 13 years working in one of our hospitals.

I just trolled my old blog posts for something I remembered writing after the first Jubilee celebration I attended, which was Sister Cecilia Marie's 75th.  At the celebration afterwards, a young priest friend of Sister Cecilia Marie shared this story.  I'll end my post with this re-post:

The youngish priest (YP) and Sister C (SC). were out visiting a sick parishioner. They shared the Eucharist and prayed with the gentleman and his family. While they were inside, it started snowing heavily outside. This posed a problem as the family lived at the bottom of a steep hill. They were worried they wouldn't get back up the hill, so YP borrowed some kitty litter that he spread out on the snow to create some traction. YP & SC said fairwell to the family and got in the car. The kitty litter helped a bit, but they were having a hard time making it up the hill. YP was driving and SC was sitting in the passenger seat. On the first failed attempt up the hill, SC started praying the rosary. On the second failed attempt up the hill, she started saying her Hail Mary's even faster. YP looked over worriedly at SC before the third attempt, and she said "Don't worry Father, the third time's a charm I'm sure." He looked over at SC and said, "I hope so Sister. You keep praying and I'll try one more time." So they did and almost made it to the top when they started to slip back down again. At this moment SC stopped saying her Hail Mary's and yelled emphatically, "Come on Mary, get out there and PUSH!!!!!." At which point the car spurted up to the top of the hill without any problem. YP ended the story by saying, "I knew Sister was a holy woman. I didn't realize she had a direct connection and could boss Mary around."

Thank you Sister Cecilia Marie for the gift of your life, love, strong intellect, courageous spirit, and generosity.  I know that you will be a strong advocate for our Sisters, for people in need, for our church and for our broken world.

Peaceful Mother's Day

It is hard to believe but this is my 9th Mother's Day with my mother in heaven.  In addition to being an awesome Mom and a great friend, she inspired me by her love and concern for all God's creatures. In her honor, today I continue my bloggy tradition with this re-post.

How many of you know about the original pre-hallmark meaning of the day? Read Julia Ward Howe's Original Mother's Day Proclamation from 1870. Here's a teaser:

"Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears! ... We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says "Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."

Somehow that meaning has gotten lost over the years.  But it is so very important and needed today in a world where so many families are torn apart by violence.  Domestic Violence.  Street Violence.  Violence of war, poverty and oppression.


So, I'm spending some time in prayer this Mother's Day in thanksgiving for my own mother who rests in eternal peace, but also in solidarity and love with mothers in war torn countries and the mothers of those serving in the military. Seems an appropriate way to mark the day.

The Three Hour Tour with Sister Anthony Marie

One of the major blessings of my novitiate sojourn to the land called New Jersey was that I got to know our elder Sisters at our retirement community next door.  They were so happy to have the novices on the grounds and we were treated to many stories and trips down memory lane.

One day, I met Sister Anthony Marie on the elevator.  I was coming from the tower where I used to go to get away and pray--you can see the NYC skyline from up there!  Anyway, I met Sister Anthony Marie and she was so very excited to see me.  "Would you like to see my room?" she asked.  I had a little bit of time before I was expected back for dinner at the Novitiate house so I accepted.

Well ... I barely made it back for dinner!  The tour of Sister Anthony Marie's small room did not exactly take three hours, but it did definitely take longer than I had expected!  Every drawer she opened, every holy card she touched had a story attached ... a very entertaining but very long story.  I remember one particular story had something to do with a former student of hers at the School for the Blind who worked for the New York Yankees and invited her to a game and on to the field.  I could see the love she had for those she had ministered with over the years in her gleaming eyes, as well as her love of baseball!  

It was great, but I admit I was a bit worried that my novice director was going to start wondering where I had gotten away to. Perhaps Sister Anthony Marie sensed my worry and hesitation.  Before she sent me on my way, she gave me a souvenir.  I think it was a holy card and medal of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  If nothing else, it helped me to prove where I had been when I returned and sure enough my housemates and novice director were wondering where I had gotten away to!

I got word this week that Sister Anthony Marie passed away at the age of 95. Goodbye Sister Anthony Marie!  Thanks for the tour and your faithful joyful presence!