“FREEDOM” In Pope Benedict XVI’s travels over the past months, there has been an ever present theme of

religious freedom. The Holy Father has even chosen this theme for the 44th World Day of Peace, January 1, 2011 with the title “religious freedom, the path to peace.” During his travels to England, Spain and other countries and in the wake of an attack on Catholics at Mass in Baghdad on October 31st in which a priest and 57 other people were killed, the pope has expounded on the relation of these two ideas of peace and freedom of religion.

In our country we hear much of the word freedom, especially at times of elections. But religious freedom is rarely the focus, and the statements of the pope show his views on the subject to be far deeper than the average political debate. Our Holy Father says that religious freedom “is rooted in the equal inherent dignity of man” and is “oriented toward the search for unchangeable truth.” Continued on page 2

IN HIS LOVE

The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne WINTER 2010

BLESSED NEW YEAR As the year draws to a close, we give thanks to all of our families, friends

and benefactors for all their love, support, and most especially their prayers. We wish everyone a blessed new year. May we strive to grow in holiness each

moment of our lives and grow ever closer to our Lord. May God bless you and keep you!

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(Continued from page 1) At a Mass in Glasgow in September the pope spoke of this truth and how it is obscured and hindered in the world. “There are some who now seek to exclude religious belief from pub-lic discourse, to privatize it or even to paint it as a threat to equality and liberty. Yet religion is in fact a guarantee of authentic liberty and respect, leading us to look upon every person as a brother or sister…. Society today needs clear voices which pro-pose our right to live, not in a jungle of self-destructive and arbitrary freedoms, but in a society which works for the true welfare of its citizens and offers them guidance and protection in the face of their weakness and fragility.” In the wake of attacks against Catholics like the one in Baghdad the Holy Father stressed the need for true religious freedom, not just on the page of law books, but in everyday living. He stated he wanted “to renew a heartfelt appeal for peace: it is a gift of God, but it is also the result of efforts of men of good will, of na-tional and international institutions.”

In union with our Holy Father, as Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, our response to the question of religious freedom comes from gazing upon the face of Christ and an-nouncing in voice and with our lives that “He is the way, the truth and the life.”

*quotes of the Holy Father taken from the Vatican website

Anna Harper with her mom after the ceremony during

which she was received as a postulant

Welcome, AnnaWelcome, AnnaWelcome, Anna

Anna kneeling as she recieves the blessing from our Chaplain, Fr.

Jacob Restrick, OP

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At various times during my childhood and adolescent years I felt God perhaps calling me to Religious Life. I always dismissed it after some time, but in the back of my mind and buried deep in my heart the desire was present. As I approached the end of nursing school, the desire came to the surface once again and instead of suppressing it I opened my heart to Our Lord and began listening to Him. He began giving me the graces to want to know Him more. I started going to Mass more fre-quently, attending Eucharistic Adoration, reading spiritual books, and attending adult education classes that our parish offered. In getting to know Him more and learning more about our Catholic Faith I felt and became more aware of my vocation to Religious Life. I began looking at different Religious communities and while many were attractive to me, none satisfied the desire of my soul. Then one afternoon I decided to browse through a religious cata-logue I had and came across the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. I noticed they worked with incur-able cancer patients which caught my interest immediately. I was filled with an excitement and peace as I went online to read more about them. Several months later after a discernment retreat, God gave me the graces and courage to con-tact Sr. Alma Marie. I came for a visit and upon returning home I somehow knew it was God’s Will for me to be a Religious Sister and to be a part of their community. At the same time I was full of fear and doubt and began looking at different communities but none satisfied the desires of my heart. I could not help but think of the sisters I had just visited, so I decided to go back to their website to see some of the familiar faces. I then heard in the depths of my soul God speak to me and say “stop looking I desire this to be your family.” Since that moment of grace I have had great peace in my soul about being a part of the family at the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. That peace, by the grace of God remains today. Now that I have entered as postulant with the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne I first of all feel blessed that God has given me the graces and courage to respond to His call and arrive at Rosary Hill Home. I feel very unworthy to be among all of the holy sisters that I have the privilege to pray, work and grow spiritually with. God continues to give me the graces to respond to His call each day. As each day passes I am faced with new trials and temptations but also with many graces and gifts. I feel as if I have somehow been born anew and I am filled with gratitude that I have been given this vocation in life. I am unaware of what tomorrow will bring but I entrust my future to God. I strive each moment to continue to respond to God’s call and ask for the graces and perseverance needed to do His Will.

Vocation Discernment Weekend

April 8-10, 2011

Young women who are discerning a Religious voca-tion are invited to come experience the life and charism of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. Those attending join in our community prayers, witness our apostolate and meet some of our sisters.

Reservations are required… please contact Sr. Alma Marie. Her contact information is on the back of this newsletter.

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RECEPTION OF THE HABIT

“Your baptismal name is Rosalie. In the order you will be called Sr. Mary Michaela.” We congratulate and welcome Sr. Mary Michaela as the newest member of our community, of the Dominican family. Fr. Peter Cameron, OP, in his homily describes the habit “not like a new garment, but new skin”. We pray that Sister Mary Michaela will wear it (the habit) well as daughter

of St. Dominic.

RENEWAL OF VOWS

Who’s Who?? Sisters, residents, and visitors all alike seem to mix these two up . . . Sr. Carmela Marie(right), from the Philippines, and Sr. Stella Mary, from Puerto Rico, renewed their vows September 14th at the con-

ventual Mass.

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December 8, 1925, marked the silver jubilee of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. Twenty-six years before, on September 14, 1899, Fr. Clement Thuente, O.P., received Rose Hawthorne Lathrop and Alice Huber into the Third Order of St. Dominic. Their names changed to Sr. Mary Alphonsa and Sr. Mary Rose, and their daily care for the sick became more integrated and centered around a routine of communal prayer and meditation. Only a year later—in 1900— Archbishop Corrigan informed the elated Sister Alphonsa and Sister Rose that they had “passed through a long, hard novitiate,” and would now have permission to wear the Dominican habit and profess vows. And so, on the Feast of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception, the sisters were vowed to Christ.

And now back to the jubilee . . . Mother M. Alphonsa and Sr. M. Rose, by nature, preferred not to attract much attention to the celebration, but Fr. Thuente would not hear of it. He convinced them to com-bine the jubilee with the profession of the novices on Sept. 14, 1924 (the Triumph of the Cross remains the Sisters’ profession day through all these years!). Fr. Thuente’s delivered the sermon that day, and what a beautiful description he gives of these first sister ‘Servants of Relief’:

How simple were those initial ceremonies twenty-five years ago! There were no friends or rela-

tives to witness them in that Cherry Street Chapel. The sacred silence of the sanctuary was broken

only by the whispered words of the priest imploring God’s blessing, and a sweet voice singing slowly ‘O Salutaris Hostia,’ ‘O Victim of Salvation, give strength, bring help.’ The faith of the jubilarians that

day was strong . . . their ideals were very high—personal service for the poor only, without remunera-

tion and without financial assistance from Church or State. Their possessions consisted of a few poor,

helpless patients. Their confidence in Divine Providence was their strength, their poverty was their good fortune, their patients were their influential friends, their patience and

sweet resignation made their prayers ascend to heaven and draw down blessings.” Now, 110 years later, their legacy lives on in prayers, work and hearts of their spiritual daughters. May God con-tinue to bring to fulfillment the mission He began in these

noble women.

Thinking back . . . to the first jubilee of our

congregation

“Indeed, the blessing of God is perhaps most clearly seen in the spirit of charity that animates the inmates of the Homes of Rosary Hill and St. Rose. By that fruit

we know the tree.” Fr. Thuente Mother Alphonsa with patients during Christmas at Rosary Hill Home, 1920s

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OUR JUBILARIANSOUR JUBILARIANSOUR JUBILARIANS On any jubilee occasion much is usually said about the jubilarians and their faithfulness through the years. In contemplating each of our jubilarians unique vocations, the primary reason for jubiliation surfaces: God’s faithfulness. It is a day for remembering the days of old, meditating on what God has done and musing on what His hands have wrought in our dear Sisters’ lives. The scriptures record the manifestation of God’s faithfulness in history and each of our Sisters is a part of that history of the faithfulness of our Lord. “Strong is His love for us, He is faithful for-ever.” (Psalm 117) This gives us great hope for the future, for “our hope is not in man, or in our doings…but in this thing that is so tremendously present that it challenges anything that others can promise us, in this thing that is God.” (Luigi Guissani) We are grateful for the many gifts and graces God has bestowed on our community through our jubilarians and by God’s manifestation of his love and faithfulness we are propelled forward knowing that it is He who has made a covenant with us and will sustain us in the years to come.

Celebrating 25 years: Sister Louis Marie Scherer (Rosary Hill Home) Sister Mary Placid Bertelsen (Sacred Heart

Home)

Celebrating 50 years: Sister Mary Magdalen Cline (Rosary Hill) Sister Mary Dorothy Korbelak (Rosary Hill)

And celebrating 70 years(!!)

is Sister Mary Dominic Moan

(Rosary Hill Home)

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A very special thank you to Bishop Lee Anthony Piché who was the main cele-

brant at our jubilee

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One evening while Sister was busy passing the evening meds, an aide ran up to her: “Sister, Mr. Tin is very anx-iously asking for you. He says he needs to see you ASAP!”

So Sister quickly locked the med cart and rushed to Mr. Tin’s bedside. “Mr. Tin, are you okay? What can I do for you?” Mr. Tin extended his arms to her and exclaimed: “Oh, all I need is a hug!”

A sister had a patient who was accumulating a "stash" of one dollar bills from Activities, so she offered to go out and buy her grandson something for Christmas from her. The lady quickly replied, "No, I'm saving it for you!" Sister explained that she couldn't accept gifts of money, but the dear lady said, "Oh, I'm not givin' you my money, honey...I'm just so sick of that white dress of yours, that I'm gonna go out and buy you a nice new dress!"

We have a woman with a bad cancer, who frequently makes very comical remarks. She has been with us for quite a little time now, and feels that her word must be the law of the place. Several times during the day, the Sisters assemble in the little chapel for the hours of Office. She could not understand why we prayed except in the morning and evening. So, one day she said to me, with quite a confidential air: "Now, Sister, don't you think yourself it would be more sensible to say your prayers all at one time, in-stead of having them in pieces as you do?”

A little boy of four, whose finger was so much affected that when he was brought in the odor was overpowering, and who is now cured, began to cry one day. No one could make him tell what was troubling him, but at last he be-gan to mumble something. It turned out that he wanted ‘the little Jesus with the beads hanging on Him!’ meaning a set of prayer-beads which he had seen on the mantle and finally pointed out. We thought it was the nicest description of rosary-beads that we had ever heard.

Comical Tidbits from Our Apostolate

Mother M. Alphonsa frequently recounted humorous stories from the hospital wards in her quarterly magazine,

Christ’s Poor. As one of our residents often reminds us, “It’s better to laugh than to cry!” And so, we follow Mother’s ex-

ample in sharing innocent laughs that daily come our way in the midst of ‘Christ’s Poor.’

The first two stories are passed down from her:

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One elderly male patient, confined to a wheelchair and battling dementia, daily begged the sister to let him take a train to Florida to see his son. No amount of reasoning could convince him of his inability to travel, so finally one day the exasperated sister said to him, “Okay, show me your train ticket, and you can go!” The man wheeled off to his room, rummaged about for his wal-let, and returned to Sister triumphantly. Beaming, he held up a life-time pass to ride the train (turned out he had been a porter on the train for 50 years). Sister’s jaw dropped as her face turned beet red; all she could do was change the subject . . .oddly, the man never brought up the matter again, as if all he wanted was to show that he could leave after all.

Mr. X., a middle-aged patient suffering with

a brain tumor, had a great appetite; he especially

loved foods he could eat with his hands. His face lit up one evening as Sister placed a burger and fries were placed before him. “Enjoy!” she said, and went on to serve his roommate. Sister returned to find Mr. X. taking a big bite of the burger, along with the paper plate! His comment: “My compli-ments to the to the chef!”

Sister was

preparing Mr.B to receive

Communion: “open your mouth

and let me see your tongue.” As he stuck his tongue out, Sr. said, “good and clean!”

The bells could be heard, signal-ing the priest’s arrival, so Sr.

folded her hands in prayer and gently stuck out her tongue to remind Mr. B what he should

do, but he smiled and remarked, “Sister: your tongue is good and clean too!”

A novice was asked to try to convince an elderly sister (patient) to take a shower, but the sister replied, “Oh, no, it’s too cold for that!” “But Sister, don’t you want to be clean and smell good?” There was a long pause as we walked along towards her room. Finally, the sister turned to the novice with a big smile and said, “Jesus only washed their feet!”

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On December 8th, the Feast of the

Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Timothy Dolan made his first pastoral visit to Rosary Hill Home. The archbishop’s dynamic personality and ever-present warming smile touched the hearts of sisters, patients and staff alike. He graciously celebrated Mass in honor of the Congregation’s 110th anniver-sary. The following is an excerpt from his homily: “You know what song I always think of on December 8th? ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas;’ I mean that spiritually: as the heart of the meaning of this Feast of the Immaculate Conception. We heard in our first reading from Genesis what God had designed for us from the very beginning: happiness, eternal life, a tear-

less, sorrowless-ness, death-less, sickness-less, existence. The first Adam and the first Eve said, ‘thanks, but no thanks; we prefer to do it on our own; we prefer to live life free of You, we think we can do a better job than You can, so we’ll see you later.’ After that--what we call the original sin—God could have said, literally, ‘go to Hell,’ but I contend that He didn’t say that at all, but that He began to whistle, ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas’ because right away He began to

prepare for the arrival of the new Adam and the new Eve. We have a God Who will not take ‘no’ for an answer: He doesn’t let up; He keeps re-inviting . . . God knew that this second Eve would have to be free from sin from the 1st moment of her conception in her mother’s womb if she was going to be the worthy spotless vehi-cle of the new Adam . . . since she was spared original sin, she was spared the effects of original sin which means she was assumed body and soul into Heaven . . . she reminds us that death is a return to the Garden of Eden, she reminds us that death is a Pass-over into our eternal home of Heaven. You sisters have a beautifully noble vocation of helping usher people into eter-nal life. You have a magnificent calling of helping people get ready to return to the Garden of Eden. Thank you for reminding us that we have a God Who doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer; thank you for reminding us that we have a God Who prefers life to death; thank you for reminding us that ‘it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.’”

Celebrating ‘Founder’s Day’ with Celebrating ‘Founder’s Day’ with Celebrating ‘Founder’s Day’ with New York’s ArchbishopNew York’s ArchbishopNew York’s Archbishop

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Following Mass, Archbishop Dolan greeted

the sisters and staff members, and visited the patients who were

unable to attend Mass

The Archbishop with Rosary Hill’s doctors: Dr. Brian Brady and Dr. Raymond Chow

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Smile . . . You’re on Sister’s Camera!!

Our residents enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with their familes following Mass in our

Chapel

“ O h, you better watch out . . . ” St. Nicholas made an early stop at

Rosary Hill, bearing gifts and goodies to all on his list.

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Our much-awaited chaplain arrived September 30, 2010. Father Jacob Restrick , O.P. has been a friend of the community for years. Prior to ordination, Father was assigned to one of our homes for his pastoral ministry rotation, working with the sisters in patient care. Over the years, he has visited nearly all of our homes, giving classes to both the novitiate and the professed Sis-ters, as well as many conferences and retreats. We are so grateful and blessed to have him now as our chaplain! We thank Father for ministering to us and most especially to our dear residents at Rosary Hill Home. We pray that Father’s faithfulness will bear much fruit for the greater glory of God.

This picture needs an explanation! Father Jacob has a special talent for ventriloquism, and is

seen here with ‘Fr. Veritas’ entertaining one of our residents at the annual Halloween party.

Café Noel, the annual Christmas dinner sponsored for years by the West-

chester Co. Restaurant Association, is always a special time for the residents and their families (and everyone else at

Rosary Hill too!)

Welcome, Fr. Jacob Restrick, O.P.

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JOIN THE CAUSE There is a lot happening with the Cause of Rose Hawthorne (Mother Mary Alphonsa). If you’re interested in learning more, join the Rose Hawthorne Guild. There is no cost to become a member. We are happy to have your interest. All we ask is that you spread the word about Rose Hawthorne and share with us any favors you know of that are received through her intercession.

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