October 2010, Vol. XXX, No. 8

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters

Convent of the Holy Spirit – Techny, Illinois

Falling Leaves--Undressed Trees

IIII n October we observe the beautiful

foliage of leaves dropping away and

undressing the personality of the tree.

The stark frame embodying the noble

character of the tree stands vulnerable and exposed

to God and to nature. The tree seems to let go so

gracefully of all its embellishing wardrobe and to

stand naked and bare just as it is. Both the “letting

go” and the stark nakedness of the tree fascinate me

and have something to say to us as we prepare for

our Assembly/Chapter in April.

Maybe the tree can let go so graciously because it

has the experience that at the right time its core will

create another dress, another outward form. What is

essential, its core self, can stand naked, wait in hope

and trust its inner dynamism. As a province, we,

too, have the experience of letting go of so much: of

one ministry after another, of one form of religious

life for another, one geographical location for

another, of big numbers for small numbers of

Sisters. In all of this, hopefully, we, too, have

learned to graciously let go, knowing that what is

essential will survive. We can’t hold on to

anything, but the truth of who we are and the

mission we stand for will always be there. Let us

with curiosity expectantly await what the inner

dynamism of the Spirit, alive in each of our Sisters,

will create anew as an outward expression of SSpS

religious-missionary life in the Paraclete Province.

(continued on page 2)

BBBB oth the “letting go”

and the stark

nakedness of the tree

fascinate … and

have something to say to us

as we prepare for

our Assembly/Chapter in April.

2

(continued from page 1)

Since as a province much of our foliage has dropped away, what an opportunity to stand

exposed before our God, “our real selves before the Mysterious Real”! We can be open to

the core of our identity and mission, so that the Spirit can soak us through and through and

marinate us with Life and Love, Compassion and Peace. Then we can wait not only in

optimism of what we can do, but in hope of what the Spirit will do through us and for us.

Our first preparation for our Assembly/Chapter is to be open and empty before the Lord,

letting God’s presence and action stir up anew within us the foundation energy of our iden-

tity and mission. With that energy alive in us, it will be fascinating to see what we and the

Holy Spirit can do together. In what kind of beautiful foliage will our communities and

province express our charism in today’s world?

Sr. Carol Welp, SSpS

In 1937, Mr. Matthias C. Happ, a friend and benefactor of the American SSpS province,

passed away. (Reverse the last two digits of

1937!) On August 5, 2010, 73 years later,

eight of Mr. Happ’s extended family visited

the SSpS at the Convent of the Holy Spirit in

Techny, Ill. The occasion of their visit pre-

sented the opportunity to appreciate the par-

ticipation of Mr. Happ and his wife Anna in

the mission of the Church as entrusted to M.

Leonarda Lentrup in the founding of the SSpS in the USA. Through a Power Point

presentation (prepared by Sr. Anita Marie

Gutierrez) the SSpS and the Happs journeyed from 1901 to 1937. During these years the

Happs:

• welcomed the arrival of the founding

Sisters late at night,

• provided furniture when there was no

one else to turn to,

• chauffeured the Sisters from the train

station and between St. Ann’s and the

Provincial House,

• supervised the farm,

• informed the Sisters of available land,

and

• not only made their own land available

for the SSpS mission, but Mr. Happ

became the SSpS building consultant!

A Bit of SSpS History -

A Visit from the Happs

After Mr. and Mrs. Happ’s golden

wedding anniversary and after Anna’s

death, Mr. Happ was welcomed to live in

the Provincial House. He died at our St.

Therese Hospital in 1937. The after-

noon of the visit of the various genera-

tions of the Happs ended with photo tak-

ing, refreshments, a visit to the chapel

and a tour of the first floor of the

Convent.

Sr. Anita Marie Gutierrez

Other Happ-SSpS history: The first

school staffed by the SSpS in the USA

was a little red brick school known as St.

Joseph Elementary established in 1901

and located on what today is known as

Founders Road in Techny, Ill.

(continued on page 3)

The Happ Family with Sr. Anita Marie

3

Sr. Zelia Cordeiro dos Santos will be going to Ecuador during the month of October for

VIVAT workshops. We wish her every blessing

on this mission.

Sr. AnnIta Walsh was here for some PLT meet-ings in August. Until December we are doing

our meetings over the Internet with Skype. We

will again have a face-to-face longer meeting in

December.

Sr. Patricia Snider will be going to Anguilla in the Caribbean for a diocesan clergy and pastoral

workers meeting from October 18-21.

Sr. Miryan Ines Cespedes Canete returned to Antigua on September 12 after participating in

the SSpS Spanish International Tertiate.

Ms. Heather Hovasse joined the Techny community on October 2. She will be working

20 hours a week in Communications and typing

for the community as well as continuing her on-

line studies.

The landscaping and sewer repair to keep the

water away from our houses has been going on

full speed during August and September. This

should solve our water infiltration and flooding

problems. It’s been a lot of hard work, but by

mid-October we are expecting all the irrigation

pipes to be in and the new sod greening the land-

scape again.

Comings and Goings

Two friends — Mr. Mathias Happ and

Mother Leonarda

Landscaping and Drainage

(continued from page 2)

M. Leonarda Lentrup (foundress of the SSpS

American Province) taught at the school, to-

gether with two other SSpS and Pauline

Happ as substitute. At the end of the second school year 1902-1903, M. Leonard gradu-

ated three of her first students, one being

Honorius Happ!

Honorius Happ was around the age of 13

when he attended the school and pencil

sketched Ecce Homo. The SSpS archives, as

of September 16 became owner of Ecce

Homo, donated by Honorius’ son, Mr. G.E.

Happ.

The first school, outgrowing its quarters,

moved across the street, where the present

day gift shop and mission offices now stand.

The school became known as St. Norbert’s

School. Again, the school’s population

required another move in 1949. Retaining the

name of St. Norbert’s, the move was to

Walters Avenue in Northbrook, Ill. Over 60

SSpS taught in these three schools until 1960.

4

Over the weekend of September 17-19,

the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters had

various events for STAND UP and

worked with Jubilee USA for debt relief

in the poorest countries of the world.

The Techny community had the chain

links blessed at the Eucharist and then

during the day the chains were signed

and put together. At the end of the day,

there was a prayer service, STAND UP,

and the completed chain was offered.

Educational materials on the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) were made

available.

The Techny Community’s STAND UP

At Grayslake the community had the

STAND UP event and an action for debt

relief which included prayers, songs and

action of making, signing and connect-

ing the chain links.

For Your Prayerful

Remembrance

Our deceased

Sr. Beatrice Wappelhorst, SSpS, died very peacefully on the morning of September 11. She

was in her 99th year of life and had completed

77 years of vowed life. Her brother, Markus,

and a niece and nephew were with us for the

wake and burial. We celebrated her life and

know she is in God's own arms now.

George Artis, SVD (Techny), died peacefully on the evening of September 11 at the age of 79.

He was well known to many of our Sisters work-

ing in the South.

Mark Pardy, brother of Sr. Mary Pardy, died on October 4 at the age of 84 after years of suf-

fering from mesothelioma. May he rest in peace.

Richard Janz, uncle of Sr. Margaret Hansen, died October 4. His wife and son were with him.

Please pray for him and the family.

Our Sick During the month of September some of our

Sisters were admitted to the hospital. Sometimes

it seemed we could go with the same car to take

one Sister and then bring another home. Now

everyone is home, but please keep our sick and

suffering in prayer: Sr. Sienna Ressel, Sr.

Terisse Zosso, Sr. Lucille Hackenmueller, Sr.

Maria Burke, Sr. Mariella Plenter, Sr. Mary

Winkler, Sr. Agnes Marie Crabb, Sr. Dolores

Marie Kuhl and Sr. Catherine Mueller.

Also keep in prayer:

Bernice Brown, the sister of Sr. Mary Helen

Sullivan; Anita Scarf, sister of Sr. Priscilla

Burke; Sr. Renee Walsh, RSC, sister of Sr.

AnnIta Walsh; Lambertus Bele Bau, father of

Sr. Julita Bele Bau; Irmina Holthaus, sister of

Sr. Lucille Hackenmueller.

Stand Up -

2010

Grayslake Community: Sr. Salud Osornio,

Sr. Stela Maris Martins, Sr. Agathe Bramkamp,

Rebecca David and Sr. Edel Deong

During the month of October on Wednedays,

Sr. Monica Darrichon with Fr. Carlos

Paniagua-Monroy, SVD, will present to the Hispanic Community at St. Joseph parish a

course for adults in faith formation entitled

"Jesus and the Father.”

Also in October, Sr. Monica will begin

attending an English Course at a local

Community Center and, along with several

leaders for Formation in the Hispanic

Community, will meet in Jackson, Tenn. to

plan the 2011 calendar of activities.

Sr. Rose Martin Glenn will be attending the Fall sessions of "Do This In Memory of Me,”

at St. Louis Parish. This is the Diocesan

exploration of the Sacred Liturgy studies in

preparation for the changes in the liturgy of

the Mass. The remaining four sessions will

be given in the Spring.

On October 3, Respect Life Sunday, Sr. Rose

Martin along with several parishioners from

St. Louis Parish, went in procession with the

Blessed Sacrament to participate in the

annual Memphis "Life Chain.” Signs were

held proclaiming to all that life is sacred.

This year there was a very good turnout as

the weather was in the 70's with plenty of

sunshine. The Holy Hour was from 2-3 pm.

Motorists would honk with approval.

Besides the daily visits to the Jubilee Schools

and the two Initiative Schools, during the last

week in October, as we are more settled in

our schools, Sr. Rose Martin will begin

training the staff in CPR, standard first aid

and the use of the AED (electric shock,

called defibrillation) equipment.

Loving greetings to all! Thank You!

Sr. Rose Martin Glenn

The Techny community is sharing in the 40

Days for Life Campaign from September 22

to October 31 in a number of ways. Prayer is

the essential component for us. A prayer of

petition is being offered each day during these

40 days for life and a copy of this intention is

placed on our prayer board to keep us aware

of it. A booklet, Prayers for Life, compiled

by Srs. Rose Therese Nolta and Aprilia

Untarto from prayers by Fr. Frank Pavone has been given to each Sister. It will be used

by the community during our Holy Hours in

October and for personal prayer. A “Choose

Life” prayer was given to our employees and

also to some nurses at the County Hospital.

On October 2, the feast of the Guardian

Angels, a Mass is being offered for the inten-

tions of the 40 Days for Life. Another action

of prayer is planned by several Sisters to join

in a prayer vigil at a family planning facility

in the Chicago area.

To help Mothers “choose life”, Sr. Margaret

Hansen has placed in the community room a bassinet where Sisters can share items for

babies. Employees are also being invited to

share an item. These will then be given to the

organization, Aid for Women, which helps to give alternatives to women when they have an

unplanned pregnancy. Someone from Aid for

Women will come and talk to the community

about this ministry.

Sr. Marie Louise Jilk

New from Memphis 40 Days for Life

5

St. Joseph Parish and the alumni of St. Joseph

School gathered in Meridian on September 10,

11, and 12 to give thanks and to “honor their

past, to celebrate the present and secure the

future.” Srs. Carol Welp, Betty Tranel,

Maryellen Drasler and Marie Sheehy were

happyto be present for the many festivi-

ties. Celebrations began with time for

renewing acquaintances on Friday

evening with a hospitality gathering.

The room was filled with energy and

excitement!

Those interested met on Saturday for a

book signing and discussion of the

book, African-American Children and

Missionary Nuns and Priests in Missis-

sippi by Ethel E. Young and Jerome

Wilson with a foreword by Sr. Carol

Welp. This book is a complement to Seventy Septembers from the viewpoint

of the students. The attendance was

larger than expected.

The Centennial Banquet was held at St.

Patrick’s Center on Saturday evening.

The highlight of the festivities was the

Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday morn-

ing celebrated by the Most Rev. Joseph

N. Latino, Bishop of the Diocese of Jackson. It was rewarding to see the

positive attitude and the gratitude of the

alumni and members of the parish as

well as the growth that has taken place.

Sr. Marie Sheehy

On September 16, at Hilton Chicago,

the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) held a Public Hearing on

Coal Ash. Men and women from all

over Illinois and neighboring states

were able to voice their concerns re-

garding the regulation of the disposal of

coal ash. Sr. Rose Therese Nolta pre-sented a written statement for the EPA.

Various environmental groups, to which

we belong, were present for the public

hearing.

Top: Keynote speaker, Dr. Marie Davidson, spoke

so passionately about what the Sisters did for the

students that even the Bishop smiled! Bottom: Srs. Carol Welp, Maryellen Drasler,

Betty Tranel, Marie Sheehy, and former Holy

Spirit Sister Carmelita Stinn, who is now a Sister

for Christian Community (SFCC).

6

Centennial Celebration of

St. Joseph Church in Meridian

Public Hearing on Coal Ash

JPIC

SSpS

USA

7

October 2010

Praying at Broadview

Detention Center

Sr. Angelica Oyarzo Chavol

On August 6, I accompanied Sr. Rose

Therese Nolta and Sr. Socorro Lopez

Rodriquez to the Broadview Detention Center near Chicago where immigrants

who were undocumented were being

deported. That Friday morning – as on

every Friday for the last eight years - many

people of faith went to support and encour-

age those who were deported for being un-

documented.

We arrived there at about 7 a.m. A few

minutes later a bus and two vans came

filled with about 60 men and women who

were deported that day from Broadview.

The vehicles stopped in front of us while

some police officers were guarding them.

I knew that in the bus and vans were

people with their dreams shattered and

many families abruptly separated. I was

impressed and could not believe what was

Sr. Angelica Ovarzo and others at Broadview

happening in front of me. Many times I

had heard about situations like these, but

that Friday it was real for me – happening

before my eyes.

At that very moment of great sadness, all

the people who were outside of the deten-

tion center began to pray and sing. While

they prayed, they held up their rosary and

hands, blessing those being deported.

Some showed banners with encouraging

words. Many thoughts crossed my mind:

What about the dignity of these people?

What about their rights? What was I

doing for them?

The rate of deportations goes up day by

day. Eleven hundred deportations occur

every day -- 1100 parents face being left

to cope with the grief and hardship of

raising fatherless or motherless children

alone.

I felt very helpless until I thought of the

power of prayer and the support of just be-

ing a compassionate presence at such a

moment. I hope that soon there will be a

Comprehensive Immigration Reform that

will improve the situation and the lives of

immigrants.

8

Broadview Detention Center Sr. Stela Maris Martins

On September 24, Sr. Rose Therese Nolta,

Sr. Aprilia Untarto, Sr. Salud Osornio

and I went to Broadview Detention Center.

This is a place where undocumented

immigrants are processed before they are

deported. The deportations happen each

Friday.

Sr. Stela, Sr. Salud and Sr. Aprilia – praying

After arriving at the Detention Center, we

met Sr. Joann Persch and Sr. Pat Murphy.

Both Sisters are members of the Sisters of

Mercy and they focus their work on immi-

gration issues. One aspect of their ministry

is to pray in the bus with and for all who are

being deported. At 7:15 am, we prayed the

Rosary and sang in front the Detention

Center with a group who supports this

cause. Sometimes, family members of the

deported immigrants are present. That

Friday, the mother of two children, a young

woman whose husband had been deported

that day, was there. Her constant tears

showed her suffering and struggle with the

situation.

At the end, a lawyer gave us some informa-

tion. It was shocking to know that every day

in the U.S.A. 1,100 immigrants are

deported. All of us can imagine the conse-

quences for families and communities. I

believe that this situation invites us to pray

and to take action where we can help to

make Comprehensive Immigration Reform

possible in this country.

Prayer for Peace in Sudan Lord Jesus, you who said to us: "I leave

you peace. My peace I give you." Look

upon us your sisters and brothers in Sudan

as we face this moment of referendum.

Send us your Spirit to guide us. Give us

the wisdom we need to choose our future

where we will know your true peace. You

call us out of slavery, oppression, and

persecution so that we may have life in

abundance. Grant us peace with one

another. Give peace among ethnic groups.

Help us to work together for the good of

all. We ask this in Your name, Lord Jesus.

Amen. Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Announcements at the Broadview Detention Center

101-DAYS of PRAYER FOR SUDAN

The International Day of Peace marked the

start of a campaign: “101 Days of Prayer for

Peace in Sudan,” sponsored by the Sudanese Bishop’s Conference, the U.S. Conference of

Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief

Services. “Sudan’s stability is the key to

stability in the whole region, and with

preparations lagging for a January referen-

dum on succession by Southern Sudan, many

governmental and nongovernmental agencies

are watching the nation care-fully,” says a

statement sent to Fides.

You are invited to pray for Sudan.