PROVINCE BULLETIN Vol. XV No. 4—USA–MAY 2016

called by the Spirit • embracing the world

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters

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JUBILEE CELEBRATION — FEAST OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

Celebrating our jubilee on the Solemnity of the most Holy Trinity on May 22, 2016 made the day very special for the Sisters. Fr. Adam McDonald SVD, the celebrant of the Eucharist, explained how we really live the Mystery of the Trinity in our everyday lives. This festival celebrates the mystery that the life and love of the Trinity has been poured out into our hearts. Like the Holy Trinity itself, we are reminded that we must let go, give that gift to others by surrendering our own selves for their good. Jesus showed us the way and the Spirit empowers us.

Therefore, “Called by the Spirit…Embracing The World” Congratulations! Sr. Dominic Bartsch,

and Sr. Francetta Kunkel, celebrating their 70th Anniversary; Sr. Marie Angela Risi and Sr. Mathilde Steffens celebrating their 65th Anniversary; Sr. Dolores Marie Kuhl and Sister Leonette Kaluzny, celebrating their 6oth Anniversary. Together, these celebrating Sisters have given 390 years of loving service in their ministries in education, food service and healthcare, pastoral work, catechesis, social service, and spiritual life. Inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Sisters continue to radiate God’s story of love in creation, to the poor, the marginalized, to the excluded whom they are still serving and praying for and to all God’s People.

Sr. Leonette Kaluzny, SSpS

Back row L-R: Srs. Leonette Kaluzny, Dolores Marie Kuhl and Marie Angela Risi Front row L-R: Srs. Dominic Bartsch, Francetta Kunkel and Mathilde Steffens

“I come to You with open hands with my hunger to offer you my life…

I come to You with the quiet heart…I come to You as I am.”

- Jean-Claude Giannadda

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RECEPTION OF PRE-NOVICES

On the of 7th of May 2016 at 4:30 pm, the Paraclete Province of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit in the United States opened their doors to four energetic women who had expressed their desire to become religious sisters in our congregation, to begin their pre- novitiate formation.

Their entrance ceremony was held in the Province chapel at Northfield IL, and was well attended by our Sisters from Waukegan, Rogers Park and Grayslake communities. The prayer service which was combined with the Pentecost novena was led by Srs. Rosalia, Gertrude and Betty.

In a reflection, Sr. Gertrude, expressed the need for future disciples to spend quality time

with Jesus especially in the Blessed Sacrament in order to know the secrets of His heart as well as to discover their deepest heart yearnings in the Heart of Jesus. During the service, Sr. Monica Balbuena asked the pre-novices to declare their intention before the whole community. After this they came forward to present and to explain their individual chosen symbol for their journey to the Community gathering. Glenda, chose an empty jar signifying self-emptiness from her baptism; Lorvita chose the crucifix as a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus which occurred at the age of 33yrs and that reminds her of the age at which she is joining the religious life; Marie Eunide chose the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary to imitate her humble obedience and also to cooperate with the will of God as she begins this journey of missionary life; Theresa chose the lighted candle which is a symbol of the light of Jesus which shines and illuminates the world of darkness.

After this, the pre-novices were welcomed by all the sisters to the SSpS Family to start their journey in the Religious Life. The sisters promised them their moral and spiritual support.

We concluded the ceremony with dinner after which some sisters went to tour the new pre-novitiate house.

Sr. Gertrude Sitsofe Ahegbebu, SSpS

Theresa, Marie Eunide, Lorvita and Glenda

“It [entering the prenovitiate] was really great for me because all the Sisters came to encourage us. The community in Epworth called us to talk.“

- Lorvita Ferilus

“I had in mind to always trust at Jesus- reminding myself to look at the presence of God in me so that I may be able to see His guidance each day.”

– Glenda Dacumos

“I hope and I believe that God will continue to lead me to the way that He wants me to go and to feel His kindness and His marvelous love.“

– Theresa, Cing Lian Kim

“I started my pre-novitiate last year in Antigua – I was really excited to be with the three other pre-novices.”

– Marie Eunide Voltaire

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HOLY SPIRIT MISSIONARY ASSOCIATES

We are making efforts to have the Associates really feel more like they are a part of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters. On April 30 at our Pentecost Prayer Day we divided our time between spiritual input and sharing while the afternoon was given to our Ghanaian missions. This was introduced by

Sr. Gertrude Ahegbebu’s very meaningful dance and followed by Sr. Mary Laureen Lahnan’s sharing on her mission experience which included a very entertaining video on all the areas of ministry in Ghana at this time. It was obvious that the participants really appreciated knowing

that they are a part of mission around the world.

The day was concluded with a meditation on excerpts from Laudato Si by Pope Francis which included the theme of “the gift of the present moment” which had been carried out during the morning session.

HSMA members are being encouraged to take part in our ”Celebration of New Life” which takes place in October as an effort to help the Aid for Women Group which is growing to include several homes for unmarried mothers, counseling and other very worthwhile activities.

About seven times a year, all of the HSMA members receive a letter sharing what is happening in our ministries. They are our prayer partners. Hopefully we remember their needs in our community prayers .

Sr. Pat Snider SSpS

Sr. Gertrude

Life continues to hop in the Activity Room in Maria Hall!

In December and January, we feverishly worked on red hats for newborns in connection with the American Heart Association. We provided red caps for every baby born in Chicago-area hospitals in honor of Heart Healthy Month celebrated in February. We were able to send 27 caps in support of their efforts.

We continue to knit and crochet for Armenia and the annual baby shower held for Aid for Women. The sisters provide blankets, hats, scarves, booties and toys. We enjoy many hours of crocheting together

and the shared “mission.”

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish celebrates monthly birth-

days and socials twice a month with the Sisters. We had a lovely birthday party recently for Srs. Helen Marie, Agathilda, and Arnolda complete with noise makers and hats! Fun was had by all.

The activity department con- tinues to have games, puzzles, painting and, of course, bingo. We really appreciate any visits, so if you should be in the area stop by and see us.

Shawne Greney Activities Director

Srs. Maria Elizabeth and Mary Therese holding stuffed animals

for Armenia and Aid for Women

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Opening New Horizons Through Intercultural Learning for Mission

I came to Epworth in 2014 with a great deal of pessimism. Entering a school dominated by a Vietnamese populace was depressing. I found myself withdrawing from that dominant culture and found comfort associating with minorities. My attitude stemmed from an unconscious prejudice that became a barrier towards effec-tive intercultural living both in school and my community.

As I gradually worked with the challenges of intercultural living, I started to see more clearly the realities of my community, my school, this country and the world. I would describe the experience as “awakened by the contem-porary realities.” I realized that I cannot be empathetic to others if I do not experience empathy within myself. The more I journeyed inward, the more I became aware of the many social, political, religious, and environmental issues affecting our world today. Barriers and conflicts that we

experience in multicultural situations actually challenge us to become more adaptive, recep-tive, and empathetic towards others.

My studies were to help me better understand the signs of the time, in order to be more effective in evangelization. I opted for Intercultural Studies as my Major with a view that the course would imbue me with the knowledge necessary for understanding and dealing with people of different cultures, religions, and professional back-grounds. I realized, too, that education is the key to widening the circle toward communion.

My senior research project is an example of a learning for mission animation. It benefited me a lot because I was able to do a cross­cultural and cross­generational comparisons of values and outlooks of three ethnic groups in our DWC community: the Americans, the Vietnamese and the Latinos. The aim of the project was to gain a better understanding of

the cultural outlooks and attitudes in the multicultural American society. I felt this would help me to develop a constructive approach to evangelization in my pastoral ministry in the States.

I also had the opportunity to share this knowledge with my own community to help us in our intercultural living and mission. I see that it is necessary to educate ourselves on the similarities and differences of cultural values and outlooks for the benefit of understanding each other and avoiding situations that provoke tensions and con-flicts. I believe that the joyous proclamation of the Gospel must be born from within us in order to reach out to others with love and compassion through our missionary endeavors.

Therefore, I'm grateful for this study opportunity which has raised my level of intercul-tural knowledge, awakening in me a new sense of purpose and

(Continued on page 6)

Srs. Rebecca, Rose Therese, Vincent, Arnolda, Patricia, Mónica Mabel and Paola

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Oklahoma Trip

Pastor, Fr. Carlos Loaiza were very grateful for our present and they offered us another opportunity to come and give a recollection to the group.

The next morning, we spent some time with Theresa’s family. In the evening we went again to St. Francis Xavier Church to meet the parents and the ‘Padrinos’ of the confirmation group. There were about 200 people in the Church. It was a little bit overwhelming for us because the Church was crowded.

On Saturday we spent time again with our candidate and her family. We continued our sharing about our Congregation; the mission and charism. They also shared with us their faith journey.

We ended our visit by joining the Sunday Mass at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. We met the Parish Priest, Fr. Robert Kimpo before we headed back to Epworth.

Sr. Aprilia Untarto, SSpS

On April 20, Edel and I went to Tulsa, Oklahoma to visit one of our candidates and to talk about our vocation stories in one of the Parishes there. At the same time, our Postulant, Theresa Kim came along with us to visit her family. We arrived in Tulsa at around 6 p.m.

The next day, we met one of our candidates and her family: her mom and her younger sister. Theresa came along with us to share her own experience living in Grayslake.

On Thursday evening, we went to Saint Francis Xavier, where we were invited to share our vocation stories to the youth group. Most of the youths are Latinos, but they preferred to speak English rather than Spanish. The CCD Coordinator, Alfredo Marcelo and the Associate

Edel with Theresa Zatang and her relatives.

Supper with Theresa’s family

vigor for evangelization in a multicultural contexts. I feel animated to enter new horizons with confidence and faith to share the love of Christ through my humble service. I want to respond constructively and creatively to the challenges of living among intercultural and intergenerational communities. It is my prayer and hope that I can bless the people of Antigua with the knowledge and experiences I acquired through studies at Epworth, and hopefully, bless the American people in the years to come. I am ready for Mission!

Sr. Arnolda Kavanamur, SSpS

Opening New Horizons (cont.)

Sr. Arnolda

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Pentecost in Epworth

Our Pentecost Novena concluded with a dis- cernment of whom we need to reach out to in order to widen our circle in the local area. We had many areas we thought of together, but the two with the most energy

were the Millennials and Mother Earth. The millennials because we do not see much of them in the Chris-tian Community at Mass or other functions of the parish. And Mother Earth because she is so close to us, always right under our feet.

Outreach to Millennials will begin this week, by inviting the two religious education coordinators of the parish to our house for supper and a brain-storming session. Then the next week we will get a core group of Millennials from the area to brainstorm with us in how best we can reach out to their

generation. Our Community would serve as a support group for this core group of Millennials. Of course, the Millennials in our community could be part of the core Group.

We already do a lot for Mother Earth like recycling and trying to save water and electricity, but we feel we can do more for she is our common home. We are planning to start a compost in our garden so as to reduce trash for the landfill. It simply means we need to separate our biodegradable trash from other trash and then do our composting. Let’s hope Mother Earth will feel a little better.

For the Pentecost Liturgy in Edgewood Parish three of our Sisters and two other students from the DWC helped the parishioners experience the Tongues of the Spirit. They read the Acts of the Apostles each in their own language. It is important to provide a bit of the richness of diversity in our parishes, since most people are English speaking white Americans in our area.

Sr. Carol Welp, SSpS

Srs. Arnolda and Paula

SPRED Ministry

Special Religious Education Development (SPRED) is a program of religious education specifically designed to meet the spiritual needs of persons with developmental or learning disa-bilities, including autism and ADHD. The Most Blessed Trinity Parish in Waukegan welcomes children and adults with special needs into the family of faith believers. SPRED is a place where people can enjoy meaningful relationships which helps them embrace their own gifts and dignity.

As a SPRED Leader and Religious Sister, they trust me and are able to share with me what is going on in their lives. I give them love, compassion, a listening heart, and time. I make appointments for them to have confession with the priest. I have Mass with the SPRED family. I visit the SPRED families and try to keep in touch with them, espe-cially those who are absent. I have two groups –

morning and afternoon. I organize retreats for parents and catechists as well as handle sacramental preparation for Baptism, confirmation, reconciliation.

My goal is to bring our friends out of isolation and into God’s light. Meetings with our special friends are conducted in a peaceful, joyful, and nurturing environment. As a group, we develop bonds and friendships as we grow together through prayer, storytelling, and sharing meals with one

another as a family.

We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them.

Sr. Uloma Akpa, SSpS Sr. Uloma

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Our Community in Jamaica

It is almost four years since our mission in Jamaica began. Through this time so many things have happened though we still feel like we are only beginning. We hear the call to

share our faith and God’s love with the people of St. Thomas Civil Parish in Jamaica. And there are so many ways to do it.

Looking at the Our Lady of the Assumption school ministry, how much influence do we have on the young children? Every day they hear a Bible story and they connect it to their daily life. We teach the children not only how to read or write but also how to be good to one another, how to share and care for the creation in the Christian way of life. We hear from the parents

the stories the children share what they learn at school. In this way we widen the circle of spreading the Good News by reaching out to the children, children’s parents and families, to the drivers, who are coming every day to bring the children and pick them up from the school. We reach out to the employers as well as share in the ministry.

In our pastoral and social ministry, we visit people who are sick, who are in great need. Very often we hear the stories of their lives, the happiness and struggles. We pray together and we continue to pray for one another. We respond to the other’s needs whenever we are able. We feel happy that in each visit -- we widen the circle of spreading God’s

love not only to the person whom we visit, but always there is someone around that we can also reach out to. There are children and grandchildren or there are neighbors around. Each time God’s goodness and love is shown to them. Jamaicans believe that God is the one who provides and they see His goodness and love in the simple ways of service.

We know that this is God’s mission and we are invited to be a part of this mission. We are grateful for this invitation but also we always seek for His strength and guidance in His mission.

Sr. Barbara Miensopust, SSpS

Sr. Theresa with the students of Our Lady of the Assumption

Sr. Barbara visiting

parishioners

“Our Charism calls us to serve those who most need to receive the good news of God’s all-inclusive love. Their stories become our story, and our story cannot be told without them.”

- Communion with the Marginalized and Excluded, SSpS 14th General Chapter

Srs. Theresa and Barbara

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Dear Sister Monica Mabel and Sisters,

I completed my studies at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) on May 12, 2016. Studying at CTU has been an enriching experience; I have grown both academically and spiritually. God continues to open my eyes and heart to the reality of myself, community and the world.

Before I started my studies here, I encoun-tered voiceless women who are suffering from domestic violence and are longing for freedom in our Church and society. Then, I began to ask myself “what can I do for them?” However, I did not have enough knowledge about the issues. I had also seen and observed women’s suffering in my apostolic experiences in my formation years and in various ministries in Indonesia. It has brought my interest in studying more deeply about women’s suffering and

Liberation Theology in my program. I wrote my Capstone paper on this topic.

I am grateful to God and our Congregation for the opportunity to learn and study about this issue in

the light of Biblical writings and theology. Thank you for your support and prayers. They gave me courage in finishing my studies. Each one of you has contributed to my personal growth and God’s mission. Moreover, you have supported me in bringing life to those to whom I will minister. I am grateful for your presence in my spiritual journey as SSpS in this province.

Sr. Dominika Rotua Sinaga, SSpS

Fabienne (MaZ), Srs. Elsa, Dominika, Yina, Clara, & Angelica

A Letter of Thanks from Sr. Dominika

The pre-novitiate meeting was held from May 11 to May 13. It was conducted by Srs. Judy and Rosalia. One of the most important and interesting aspects that had been dis-

cussed during the first week program for the pre-novitiate was “Community Building.”

Community building is togetherness with a common structure to grow together. It is important for each member of the community to understand how is it to grow in togetherness. During the first meeting with Sr. Judy, each was given a chance to say what they wanted from a community. To make the group as a family, acceptance, respect, support, sharing opinions, honesty, openness, love, and trust were expressed. As the discussion

went on, these expressions were elaborated into deeper perceptive about Christian Community Life.

Community Life has togetherness in praying, playing, and working. Each of these three activities have to be balanced in order to have a healthy well being to oneself and to the others. Confiden-tiality and being mindful of privacy are ways of showing respect to one another because this helps everyone to have a safe place and to gain trust. In community living, there is also conflict. This comes from misunderstanding. Therefore, it is important to be open minded to the background of each individual about their customs or culture and their personality. This will eliminate false judgment.

At the following meeting Sr. Rosalia gave a reflection on awareness. Each was given a time to share about how to experience God through others

(Continued on page 10)

Pre-Novitiate Community Building

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in the community. God is discovered in every circumstance, in every person, in every event, in every time, and in all His creation.

At the end of the meeting about Community Building, there were six words chosen by the .. pre-novices to remember of how to live in a Christian community: Love, Trust, Respect, Openness, Fear Not, and Grow Together.

Glenda Dacumos, Pre-novice

Community Building (cont.)

From Birmingham, England with Love

In March, I began the apostolic experience of the novitiate in Birmingham, England. I joined a community of 5 sisters (India, 2 Indonesia, Paraguay, Philippines). We live in a poor, diverse neigh-borhood of different countries (India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Middle East, Africa, Caribbean) and beliefs (Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, Hinduism).

I serve at two places. St. Chad's Sanctuary is a place of welcome and hospitality for asylum seekers/refugees. They provide food parcels, hygiene packs, clothes, bedding, kitchen items, English classes, legal advice and religion literacy. I assist with sorting/hanging clothes, preparing bedding sets, serving tea and snacks, teaching English, participating in religion class, assisting people and as a doorkeeper.

SIFA fireside is a charity that works with socially excluded or disadvantaged (homeless, alcoholics, substance abuse) and provides holistic service including breakfast, lunch, access to

showers, clothes, health care, accommodation, telephone, skills, and job placement. I help out at the reception desk by welcoming all entering the premises, recording names, delivering mail, handling safe deposit, providing items (clothes, sleeping bags, bag packs). At the service desk, I manage requests for showers, shave and wash

and ensure that people get their turn.

Initially, I felt out of place, uncomfortable and unsure. And yes, I had difficulties under-standing the spoken English and vocabulary (carrier bag, buggy, duvets). With abundant grace of the Holy Spirit, I gradually found my groove. I enjoy talking and laughing with people from all walks of life, sharing our backgrounds, stories and life experiences. I have experienced the Risen Lord stretching my heart to love more and freeing me from my fears and prejudices.

Sr. Evelyn Lobo, SSpS

SSpS England-Ireland

Sr. Evelyn with other St Chads Sanctuary volunteers: 2 Jesuit novices, Vincent and Jack,

2 Exchange students from Germany, Lena, Johanna

The Pre-novices doing an interpretative dance at the Jubilee Celebration

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Communion Retreat in Antigua

Srs. AnnIta and Alexis with the students after the Retreat

Assisting with the catechism classes at the parish is a favorite ministry of mine Therefore each Tuesday afternoon I assist with the First Holy Communion classes. The aspect of this ministry that I would like to share with you is my wonderful experience of assisting Sr. AnnIta with the retreats for the children. For the current First Holy Communion class, we had three retreats.

The theme of the first retreat was Discipleship and we reflected on how God calls each one of us by name. In this retreat I coordinated the craft section during which we made mobiles out of small cardboard hearts. On the hearts each child wrote a commitment or promise of how they can please God and grow as God’s children. The children sang “Jesus calls me this I know” and Sr. AnnIta led with her guitar. The children’s great enthusiasm showed how much they enjoyed doing the activity and singing.

The theme of the second retreat was Recon-ciliation. I again coordinated the craft section, during which each child made a beautiful candle holder by decorating a jar with colorful tissue paper. When we were finished we placed lighted

tea candles inside the decorated jars and we explained to the children that light of the candle lighting up the jar and shining through the beautiful colored paper is like the light of the Holy Spirit inside each one of us. We reminded them that at baptism we received the light of Christ and we need to remember to keep this beautiful light alive in our hearts.

The theme of the third retreat was the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ. During this retreat I helped to organize a reenactment of the Passover celebration. During this reenactment it was wonderful to experience the children sharing bread and grape juice in a very solemn manner. After that I explained and practiced with the children how to receive the Body and the Blood of Jesus in a reverent and respectful manner. During this retreat, Sr. AnnIta used some fun activities to explain the function of the various things that we use during Mass.

Working with the children always gives me

joy in my heart; it is amazing to see how they

are growing in their faith.

Sr. Alexis Tjahjani, SSpS

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Speaking Out Against Malnutrition

On Saturday, May 21, we joined the ONE

Campaign at Dillo Day Music Festival at North-

western University where we asked people to

write a letter to Senator Kirk, asking him to

support Global Nutrition in FY 2017. ONE is a

national organization that advocates for the

world’s poorest and most vulnerable. We have

been a member of ONE for the past ten years,

and we continue to work with them to eradicate

extreme poverty through advocacy.

Malnutrition killed almost 3 million children

in 2014, and is still to blame for nearly half of the

deaths of children under age 5 around the

world. Additionally, one in five of all maternal

deaths are caused by malnutrition. That’s why

we are getting people to lift up their voices and

tell their elected leaders to increase investments

in nutrition, so we can save lives and boost

economies. No mother should die giving life.

You can get involved in the fight against malnu-

trition too. Send a message to Congress and tell

them it's time to support additional funding for

global nutrition programs in next year's budget:

http://act.one.org/letter/better-nutrition-saves-

lives.

Virginia Rivera, Communications Specialist

One Campaign at the Dillo Day Music Fest

HSLLC Happenings

We are excited to share some of the Holy

Spirit Life Learning Center’s activities during

the month of May.

Memorial Activity: On Tuesday, May 10

Sr. Angelica Oyarzo Chavol, SSpS, and Arantxa

Martinez attended a Flower Planting event hosted

by the 024th District Chicago Police Department.

The flowers were planted to remember victims

of domestic violence, especially those who have

lost their lives at the hands of their abusers.

Family Law Workshop: On Tuesday, May

17, we hosted a Domestic Abuse and Family

Law Workshop, conducted by Chicago Legal

Clinic attorney Marta C. Bukata. She explained

the changes in family law as of January 1, 2016,

particularly in divorce proceedings and child

custody. The participants had many questions

and they expressed their interest in attending a

second workshop. We give thanks to Ms. Bukata

and the Chicago Legal Clinic for their efforts to (Continued on page 13)

Sr. Angelica Oyarzo Chavol (right) planting flowers with Ms. Mayra Gomez (center),

Community Organizer, and Officer Moore (left) from the Chicago Police Department.

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HSLLC Happenings (cont.)

educate the community on domestic abuse and

Illinois family law.

Volunteer Appreciation: May 20 we honored

our volunteers—especially those who will be

leaving the HSLLC as regulars. Ms. Fabienne

Fritsching, our volunteer from the MaZ program

(SSpS Province of Germany) ended her ministry

at the HSLLC on May 31 as she joined Sr. Mary

Miller and her team for the Summer Bible Program.

Ms. Erin Kelso, a student volunteer from the

Benedictine College in Minnesota completed her

year of volunteer service at the HSLLC and

returned to her home on May 27.

We were saddened by the departure of two

of our “mainstays.” Ms. Kathy Myers leaves

after four years of service as a volunteer ESL

instructor. Kathy will be very much missed for

her cheerful presence, dedication to her ministry

here, and commitment to work for social justice.

She left for Tutwiler, MS, on May 21 as a member

of a Habitat for Humanity Team. Sr. Mary Mela-

dy, OSB has been with

the HSLLC since its

beginnings. She left us

so as to have more time

to give to her extended

responsibilities in her

community. Sr. Mary will

continue as Chair of

the HSLLC Board of

Directors.

The Woman’s Club of Evanston recognition

and donation: Ms. Arantxa Martinez (Case

Manager and Development Coordinator) and

Sr. Judy Vallimont were present at a Contribu-

tions to the Community Breakfast with the

Woman’s Club of Evanston on May 25. The

organization recognized the work of the HSLLC

in promoting the dignity of women by present-

ing a contribution of $2,000.00 to the HSLLC in

support of its work in empowering women.

Bible Class with Father Carlos: Fr. Carlos

Paniagua-Monroy, SVD, began a series of five

sessions on Scripture as the final program of this

winter/spring 2016 term. His theme was disci-

pleship: How we are called to live as followers

and disciples after encountering Jesus.

Arts and Crafts workshop: Fabienne created

and implemented a three-session crafts program

for women. Meeting each Thursday morning

for the last three weeks of the term, the women

worked with beads—making bracelets, mosaics,

and/or other creative article.

Summer Peace Camp: In less than a week

after opening for registrations, our Summer Peace

Camp was starting its waiting list. Because of

space, we limit ourselves to 48 participants. We

have an enthusiastic, dedicated, and talented

group of volunteers with more yet to come.

Details on the Summer Peace Camp will be given

in a later bulletin.

Arantxa Martinez, MA

Srs. Judy and Angelica with Sr. Mary Melady, OSB

First day of the Arts and Crafts Workshop

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Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters: in the United States and in the Caribbean

Northfield, IL Grayslake, IL Epworth, IA Antigua

Waukegan, IL Chicago, IL Memphis, TN Jamaica

New York, NY St. Kitts

Prayers

Our dear Sr. Mary Jane Lusson

passed into eternity on May 6. Her funeral Mass was held on May 10 at the Convent of the Holy Spirit in Northfield.

Sr. Judy Vallimont’s nephew, Andy, passed away on May 11 and George Harry, cousin of Sr. Rose Therese Nolta died on May 12. Sr

Priscilla Burke’s sister in-law, Ellen Burke passed away May 20.

Sr. Rosa Da Costa Menezes’ only nephew, Jose Menezes, died May 19 from a high fever in East Timor. Jose was only 7 years old .

Let us pray for the eternal rest of their souls.

June Birthdays

01 Sr. Ancy Jacob

04 Sr. Rosa Da Costa

06 Sr. Jeanne

23 Sr. Martha

28 Sr. Barbara Miensopust

May the blessings you receive raise your spirit and fill your heart. Happy Birthday!

Save the Date!

June 26: Sr. Skolastika Wea’s renewal of vows

June 25-27: Mother Leonarda Days

July 9-15: Province Retreat in Northfield

*There will be a memorial service for Sr. Veronika Theresia Racková during the Province Days.

Welcome!

Sr. Rosa Da Costa Menezes arrived from New York on May 2 she will be staying with our Sisters in Waukegan, IL.

We wish you and your new community happy times ahead!

Safe Travels!

Sr. Mónica Mabel Balbuena attended the PANAM Meeting in Chile from June 5 to June 15.

Sr. Ancy Jacob Mary is leaving for Mumbai for her home leave from June 23 to August 18.

Sr. Edel Maria Deong and Sr. Rosa Da

Costa Menezes are also leaving for Indonesia for their home leave. Sr. Edel Maria is leaving on June 15 and returning on August 29. Sr Rosa flight is on June 15 and she will return August 24.

All things pass away, but what we do for the love of Jesus will remain with us.

– Mother Leonarda

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JPIC Corner — May, 2016

Speaking about reconciliation and forgiveness is always linked with human suffering and violence in different ways, especially when people treat each other unjustly. In parts of the world people are suffering from being persecuted for their faith. Some are deprived of religious liberty either by being kept from honoring God in public worship or being prevented from publicly teaching and spreading their faith. In social and political life, people from some countries are repressed by political power and their human rights are being violated. There are well known cases of torture, especially of political prisoners, who frequently are denied due process or are subjected to arbitrary procedures in their trial. In economic matters, there is an unequal distribution of natural resources. Most of the income, investment and trade are in the hands of the wealthiest. The global system of economy makes people poor while making the rich even more powerful. The influence of the new industrial and technological order favors the concentration of wealth, power and decision–making in the hands of a small controlling group. These phenomena are happening every day – we can see, feel and hear the cries of so many wounded and broken people who have been hurt by others and yearning for peace and justice.

I would like to stress the two most important points that were most helpful to me in doing my ministry with and among homeless women. The first is the power of retelling the story. Through the process of repeating the story one can help the women to recognize and integrate the story it-self into their own lives. The experience becomes a new story and at the same time the process of healing is taking place, moving one towards reconciliation. It was very challenging for me because most of the women came from diverse backgrounds (racial, religious, economic and social), are commonly wounded in various ways (domestic violence, separated from the family because of di-vorce, drugs addiction, etc.) and living together under one roof without any connection. In order to bind them together, we created a small group for sharing. They have the opportunity to talk about their struggles and heartaches and thus they feel that they are not alone in their situation because someone was there for them, listening to their painful stories.

Reconciliation and Forgiveness

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Reconciliation and Forgiveness (continued)

The second point is the power of ritual. Each person has their own way of dealing with suffering and grief in the loss of a loved one. I would like to share about the power of the ritual in my home in the West of Indonesia where we have a special ritual to honor the death of our loved ones. My mother passed away unexpectedly seven years ago. We were shocked by her passing because she did not have a very serious illness. In dealing with this experience of loss, all of her children and my Dad were asked to sit around her casket. Each one of us, starting with my father, talked to her about how much we loved her and appreciated the things she had done for our family. Moreover, we asked her forgiveness for what we had done to her when she was still living with us and promised her that we would try to continue her legacy. We also had a farewell dinner with her. Our plates were empty, only my mother’s plate was filled with food. We passed her plate until all of us had taken all the food from her plate and then we continued to eat in silence.

This ritual is a symbol of life-giving, as my mother gave to us until her last day. To help us cope with our grief, we wore black ribbons for a year to let people know we were grieving. After the funeral, accompanied by our relatives and friends, we had three nights of prayer for the dead. Then after seven days we had a ceremony where we placed flowers on her grave and started to clean up her things and keeping the meaningful ones in memory of her. As a family we had nights of telling stories about my mother and the ritual of lighting a candle at her grave until the 40th day. On the 100th day we celebrated a thanksgiving Mass for her. During this time we were accompanied by our close friends and relatives who lived close by. This process of grieving helped us to deal with the loss of our mother and at the same time healing took place. We helped each other to deal with the loss of our Mom. So as a minister I need to understand the importance of allowing rituals of mourning to be carried out. Grieving persons need time and a process to begin to absorb and deal with the impact of loss.

I have learned a lot about the things that could help us in dealing with our own suffering and those of others in our life and ministry. It is not an easy job but as a follower of Christ, we believe that God never leaves us alone in coping with our struggles and suffering. He has already showed us through His own suffering, death and resurrection that suffering is not the end of the story of life. It is an opportunity to grow stronger in our relationship with God. I can be healed and united with His suffering and hopefully I can become His healer for others who have experienced great suffering.

Sr. Edel Maria Deong, SSpS

Picture courtesy of http://alwaysabeautifullife.tumblr.com