SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET AND ASSOCIATES ST.

LOUIS PROVINCE JANUARY 2014

News Notes
PROVINCE

Transformation: Becoming Infinitely More

Inside this Issue

Together in Faith: 2014 Event Series
Pages 4-5 The province oces of communications, development, justice and liturgy proudly announce the launch of the 2014 events series, Together in Faith. Read a Q&A for answers to all of your event questions and learn how to purchase tickets.
Province News Notes is a publication of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province. Its purpose is to promote dialogue and unity within the St. Louis province and to keep members informed on those subjects that promote community and ministry. We welcome your submissions! Submit articles and photos to Sarah Baker (e-mail preferred to sbaker@csjsl.org). **Materials are subject to editing and will be published at the discretion of the editor. STAFF Jenny Beatrice Editor Sarah Baker Graphic Design Susan Narrow & Print Shop Volunteers Production, printing and mailing S. Jane Behlmann, CSJ S. Audrey Olson, CSJ S. Charline Sullivan, CSJ Madeleine Reilly Proofreading

St. Josephs Academy Human Rights Project

Page 15 Learn how ve young women from St. Josephs Academy are aiming to raise awareness by exposing Human Rights violations in an eort to stop the silent suering of thousands of women.

Contents
Province Leadership Message .........................................................................................3 Together in Faith: 2014 Event Series......................................................................... 4-5 Vocation/Formation ..........................................................................................................6 Sharing of the Heart ..................................................................................................... 7-8 Senior Ministry ..................................................................................................................9 Justice .......................................................................................................................... 10-11 Liturgy................................................................................................................................12 Carondelet Chronicles ..................................................................................................13 Together in Faith .............................................................................................................14 Sponsored Institutions ...................................................................................................15 Archives .............................................................................................................................16 Necrology: Sister Mary Brigid Massey, CSJ ................................................................17 Book Reviews ..................................................................................................................18 Bulletin Board ..................................................................................................................19 Calendars ..........................................................................................................................20

On the Cover: Transformation

We seem to pay a lot of attention to the caterpillar and to the buttery, but we never seem to notice the cocoon, the place where transformation occurs. Marie McCarthy, SP Our collective focus on transformation continues into the Chapter sessions on
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January 24-28 as our prayer centers on the image of the buttery, whose metamorphosis reminds us that we may not recognize the beauty of change as it occurs, but that ultimately, we become innitely more than we could ask or even imagine. Follow the news from the January Chapter at csjslchapter.org.

Back: Sisters Liz Brown, Jean Meier, Patty Clune and Suzanne Wesley. Front: Srs. Helen Flemington, Nancy Corcoran and Pat Giljum.

Province Leadership Reections The Work of Christmas

by S. Helen Flemington
It was a real blessing when I was on my 2003 sabbatical in Berkeley. I had extended time to pray and reect in new, meaningful ways. Last Sunday was the feast of the baptism of Jesus and it reminded me of my reection of Jesus baptism while I was on sabbatical. I spent quite a bit of time reecting on that Gospel. The words, "this is my beloved son of whom I am well pleased came alive for me in a profound way. In the midst of this prayer time, God became Mother. With that shift the words took on a whole dierent meaning for me. It was a mother looking at her child, a voice lled with gentleness, joy and pride. Eyes lled with a mothers love. When I read Matthew 3: 13-17 the voice from the cloud is Mother God to this very day. It was a breakthrough for me. It was another aha-moment of transformation that deepened the realization that life cannot be looked at through one lens. In our spiritual growth, ministry and relationships, we need to perceive things from every direction to nd the whole, the truth. Our contemplative life guides us to listen to every small voice. It is a challenge and a blessing. In our 2013 chapter we are invited to see things with new eyes, in new ways. Our new congregational leadership was armed in their oce this past weekend and shortly we will discern our next province leadership. What a grand time of newness and expectation! How are we going to live into this period of our lives? I anticipate it will be with hope looking in every direction to see the wisdom, the truth, and the call of newness.

Editors Notes
By Jenny Beatrice
Last year I made a new friend who has taught me quite a bit about interpersonal communication. Funny thing is she doesnt say a word. I got myself a rabbit named Sadie. Now with bunnies, you cant just call their names to come sit on your lap with puppy dog eyes and unconditional love. Bunnies are a prey species, genetically programmed to run. (You think you have family baggage, imagine how long it takes a bunny to overcome centuries of trying not to end up as someones dinner!) Learning to speak bunny takes commitment. It takes nesse. It takes patience. You have to level the playing eld, get down on the oor and wait. And wait some more. And listen...I listen when Sadies high hops tell me shes happy. I listen to her teeth chatter that tells me, More pats! I listen when she nips at my sweater to get my attention. I listen when she lies at as a pancake to let me know all is well. I listen when she licks me to show me her love. Within all the noise of my busy life, Sadie reminds me that building right relationships takes place in the silence, as we often learn the most about one another (and ourselves) when we dont say a word.
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FEB 12: Who Do You Say I Am? An Evening with Megan McKenna MARCH 7-8: Celtic Soul Experience
Concert & Retreat with Owen & Moley O Silleabhin and Friends

OCT. 22: A Tale of Two Histories An STL 250th Event with Sister Joan Whittemore, CSJ NOV. 15-16: Healing Harp Retreat & Concert with spiritual healing harpist Amy Camie DEC. 15: Go to Joseph Presentation by artist Brother Michael Mickey McGrath

MAY 17-18: Luke Live!: Scripture and Song Concert, Retreat & Mass with Father James Diluzio

What is this event series? Together in Faith is a series of six events, including presentations, performances and retreats, that will be held at the motherhouse in 2014. Who organized it? The series is a collaborative eort between the province oces of advancement, communications, justice and liturgy. Why are we doing it? Since our founding in 17th century France, hospitality has been an expression of the cordial charity to which the Sisters of St. Joseph are called. In keeping with this mission, we open our doors and welcome our friends, both new and old, to explore our spirituality together. Who are the presenters/performers? We are thrilled to have booked such a high caliber of speakers and musicians to share in this mission with us. The eclectic mix includes a wide variety of cultures, history and traditions as well as unique expressions of spirituality and creativity.

Take a look at our lineup and learn more about our talented artists at our special event website, togetherinfaithseries.com (visit www.csjsl.org for the direct link). Do I need tickets? Three events require ticket purchases. Three events require RSVPs. Events that require tickets are: Celtic Soul Experience (March 7-8) Luke Live! (May 17-18) Healing Harp (Nov. 15-16) Events that require RSVPs only are: Who Do You Say I Am with Megan McKenna (Feb. 12) A Tale of Two Histories with Sister Joan Whittemore (Oct. 22) Go to Joseph with Bro. Mickey McGrath (Dec. 15) How do I get tickets? Ticket sales are being handled online through a ticket service that caters to non-prots and small organizations called

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Brown Paper Tickets. For a very small fee to the customer, they manage the secure sales and keep track of the number of tickets sold. Visit the event site (togetherinfaithseries.com) and click on TICKETS menu for a listing of events and the direct link to the sales page. What is the cost? General admission costs are as follows. (See next question for sister discount information.) Celtic Soul Experience Concert: $20 Retreat: $125 Concert & Retreat: $140 Luke Live! Concert: $15 Retreat: $125 Concert & Retreat: $135 Healing Harp Concert: $15 Retreat: $125 ea at: $ 12 Concert &R Retreat: $135 n e Do sisters ist ster get a discount? Yes, but in limited quantities. Because we are investing time and money in bringing in top-notch guests, we are limiting the number of tickets that we can oer sisters at a discount. These will be available on a rst-come, rst-serve basis, limit two per sister. To get a discounted ticket, sisters should contact Sarah Baker at sbaker@csjsl.org or 314-678-0378. The prices and quantities for sister rates are as follows:

Celtic Soul Experience Concert: 50 tickets available at $15 Retreat: 15 spots available at $100 (Concert & Retreat: $115 ) Luke Live! Concert: 50 tickets available at $10 Retreat: 15 spots available at $100 (Concert & Retreat: $110) Healing Harp Concert: 50 tickets available at $10 Retreat: 15 spots available at $100 (Concert & Retreat: $110) How do I RSVP? Event RSVPs can be made at the front desk at 314-4818800 or motherhousersvp@csjsl.org. How soon do I need to buy tickets/RSVP? Reservation deadlines can be found with the event information on togetherinfaithseries.com. Because we anticipate lling up, we recommend you respond as soon as possible for the upcoming events. How can I help make these events a success? We hope to see you at one, two or more of these wonderful events and we also hope you tell your friends and family about these wonderful oerings from your CSJ community! You can help spread the word by forwarding our promotional emails to others, picking up promotional iers to share and by old-fashioned word of mouth. Questions? If you want to learn more, have technical questions or have ideas to help us promote the series, please contact Jenny Beatrice at jbeatrice@csjsl.org or 314-678-0304.

www.togetherinfaithseries.com
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Vocation/Formation
The Interweaving of Life: Evolutionary Theology
by Novice Clare Bass
The second year of the novitiate has been about integration and incorporation. What I have experienced this semester is an interweaving of life brought to me by a heightened awareness on all levels. As I studied our Constitutions with S. Sandra Straub, participated in ministry at St. Patricks Center, took two Clare Bass theology classes and attended the Inter-Community Novitiate sessions, I saw rsthand how our charism is interwoven throughout all of life. The book that had a profound impact on my awareness is God after Darwin: A Theology of Evolution by John Haught, a part of my Use of Philosophy in Theology class. It brought me a deeper understanding of evolutionary theology, oering a comprehensive view of the Cosmos that is essential for progress. The book is a good initiation into the discussions surrounding theology, science, evolution, and the origins of the universe. I recommend that it be put on your reading list. An understanding of evolutionary theology transcends any one eld, any one life form. Haught conveys the message that there are other explanations and answers out there besides the routine ones given to us by the major world religions, the world of science, and everything in between. He oers a compelling explanation of how a seemingly unlikely twosome, theology and evolution, together must and can be used to explain the origin of the universe. He proposes grasping evolution along with theology will enhance understanding to the point of changing everything for the better. Theologys fundamental task, as I see it, is that of awakening us to the innitely liberating openness and generosity of the mystery, he says. He awakens us to a new perspective from which to view life on this planet. Haught methodically clears up the misconceptions regarding Darwins theory and other viewpoints which continually separate theology and evolution. Before Darwins natural selection theory, the universe was understood as static and orderly and religion was viewed in the same light. Haught declares that Darwins theory is actually a gift to theology, and not a threat to nor destroyer of theology as many critics have suggested. Scientists now know even more about mechanisms of the universe since Darwins rst proposal and this information also can be congruent with theology and is not opposed to nor diminishes our theistic thoughts. He then moves into the crux of his notion, which is that God is in the universe pulling us towards the future always has been and always will be, because the universe is unnished and dynamic. All hope is not lost, nor is it undermined with new learnings. Hope has been reconditioned because of science and is now the source of more passion and profundity than ever before. From the primordial beginnings of the universe, God was there. In the unfolding of the universe, Haught reveals that God can be viewed through the intense congurations of beauty seen throughout the Cosmos. The intense beauty gives a sense of purpose to the Cosmos and to all of creation within the Cosmos. The new metaphysics explained by Haught and proposed by Teilhard de Chardin calls humanity to identify God as Alpha and Omega and as the transcendent future horizon that draws the entire universe. Considering God as Alpha and Omega puts humanity on a pilgrimage and calls all human beings to be pilgrims on a journey of openness and hope with our eyes xed on the vast, expansive future awaiting us. Another deep root of Haughts explanation comes as he states ultimately it is the arrival of the future that allows each present to retreat irreversibly into the xed past so that other new moments may arise in its place. If the place and space were not available there would be no pull, no future to move forward. continued on page 8

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Sharing of the Heart

Community as Field of Compassion
by Sister Jean Iadevito
It called out from the bookshelf all coee-stained and dog-eared begging me to read it again. It spent a few days on the coee table while I glanced at it periodically wondering whether I really wanted to go back into that crazy energy space of three years before. Today, I opened the book, and entered the eld.
S. Jean Iadevito

that we are all part of the same evolving creation story. Cannato states: Recognizing that we belong to the cosmos and that the cosmos is rooted in us transforms all of our relationships. Knowing that all is one, that the other in some way is my self generates responses and relationships that are characterized by care and compassion. Cannato believed that community structures are invited to create a eld of compassion. "Compassion changes everything, compassion heals, compassion mends the broken and restores what has been lost. Compassion draws together those who have been estranged or never even dreamed they were connected. Compassion pulls us out of ourselves and into the heart of another, placing us on holy ground where we instinctively take o our shoes and walk in reverence. Compassion springs out of vulnerability and triumphs in unity." Some of the most profound portions of the book center around the four attitudes needed to develop the gifts of compassion: spaciousness, contemplation, commitment and imagination. It is that stance of being co-creative with the Creatorto allow into my space the presence of the other, to go into a contemplative mode, which is about seeing what is real and true, to commit to living in that spaciousness, and to learn to be imaginative enough to live out of a new space with no maps or guidelines. This is true creativity! And what have I learned since I rst read Field of Compassion? I've learned to be more compassionate toward continued on page 8 aspects of presence as leading to a state of "letting come," of consciously participating in a larger eld for change. When this happens, the eld shifts, and the forces shaping a situation can move from re-creating the past to manifesting or realizing an emerging future. Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future, Peter Senge, et al.

Judy Cannato in her book, Field of Compassion: How the New Cosmology Is Transforming Spiritual Life, puts out the clarion call for Transformation. She sees a denite connection between the physical and spiritual world. "Change that leads to transformation is rarely ever top-down, but more often inside-out. Great movements have begun with single acts that somehow sound a vibration that resonates in the whole." Single acts create a eld of energy (a morphogenic eld) in which others are drawn in. The rst chapters may seem rather heavy with science. However, the new cosmology is about the connection between science and spirituality. It is the Universe Story all life is connected and we are evolving into a "new consciousness," a new exploration into the Oneness of all things. And if the reading becomes too daunting, go out and look at the night sky. Go where there's little light pollution and you will be awed by innite magnicence, and know

We've come to believe that the core capacity needed to access the eld of the future is presence. We rst thought of presence as being fully conscious and aware in the present moment. Then we began to appreciate presence as deep listening, of being open beyond one's pre-conceptions and historical ways of making sense. We came to see the importance of letting go of old identities and the need to control and, as Salk said, making choices to serve the evolution of life. Ultimately, we came to see all these

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Evolutionary Theology, C. Bass cont. Imagine if all of humanity truly grasped the Divine as such; what great potential exists for the entire Cosmos were it to nally be reached one day. As the awareness levels are raised for people around the world, history tells us of how resistance and rejection can grow stronger at the same time, which is why the book is so important in the ongoing discussion. Haught concludes, What is yet to come, an unimaginable future, is provided by God through this evolution, and all followers of biblical faith can keep hope in the waiting just as all of our ancestors have in the past. Considering God as Alpha and Omega puts humanity on a pilgrimage and calls all human beings to be pilgrims on a journey of openness and hope with our eyes xed on the vast, expansive future awaiting us. I am more aware than ever before of the connectedness of all of creation in the entire Cosmos. I am more aware of how my actions and behaviors aect all of creation around me and beyond. And I am more aware of how I send out positive or negative energy based on my choices. As I continue interweaving and transforming, and we as a community are living out the 2013 Acts of Chapter with God, the Alpha and Omega forever with us, I am hopeful of our future together. Ultimately, we are all one, interwoven with the Great Mystery of Love in our hearts and minds.

Field of Compassion, J.Iadevito cont. myself. I don't have to be Super Woman all the time (well, maybe on Tuesdays and Thursdays). I'm better about dealing with grief. A friend reminded me that there are no "surge protectors" for grief. As we age, we seem to have more losses to grieve: the loss of parents, siblings, loved ones, job potential, things as we have known them in the past. I've learned that I can use my own energy for transformation whether it's anger energy, joy energy, pain energy. We're all bundles of energylittle energy elds, and we can decide how we will use that energy in the service of love and compassion. Judy Cannato was an associate with the Congregation of St. Joseph. She loved the charismthat all may be one. "The CSJ's have touched me more than any other religious community. I am drawn to its particular charism and want to share life with a community of women who are committed to responding to God in the world." Judy entered eternal Life on May 7, 2011, a year after Field of Compassion was published. It seems tting to end this with her nal prayer from her nal book. Incomprehensible Holy Mystery, in and through your grace I can hold the gift of this moment in time. Help me embrace each and every resurrection, every experience of self-transcendence and self-dissolution that invites me to enesh compassion and love in the world. May I continue to grow in my capacity to witness so that I may form intentions that are life-giving for all. May I engage the new story of connectedness in a way that facilitates my own evolution and calls others to evolve as well. May we together manifest a Field of Compassion, a place where the holy and human converge in grace. Amen.

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Senior Ministry
by Sister Bonnie Murray & Trish Callahan
Life in the Village at Nazareth: Partnering with New Eyes (Act of Chapter) After six months of life in the Village, my eyes have been opened to a newness that I had not anticipated. During these past months, I have tried to answer peoples question about how was I adjusting to living alone. I struggled with my response because I do not feel alone. One evening, after I walked down the hall with a lay woman resident on the way to our respective apartments, I received an insight. Last July, I moved into a new community (sort of an intentional community) composed of CSJ sisters, married couples and single/widowed women. We sisters were responding to a community needa need to ll 30 apartments for 10 years. The lay residents felt a need in their lives to downsize, relieving them of responsibilities of caring for their homes, having a desire to reside in a community setting. As we continue to get to know one another, we are becoming a caring community. A couple who have moved into the Village were asked by an employee in McGovern Commons how it was living in the Village. Their response was it is a wonderful place to live; the sisters look out for one another and they take care of us. Forty-seven apartments are lled and three apartments are reserved. Because the Village is in essence lled, a waiting list is being developed. If any sister wishes to move into the Village, please contact me to have your name added to the list. Road Scholar Programs During this past scal year, several sisters have enjoyed trips to New Mexico, South Dakota, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Lancaster); learning about Santa Fe and Taos, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands: Vanishing Trails; the History and Heritage of Philadelphia; and the Immortals of Stage and Screen: Rodgers and Hammerstein and Astaire. Does this whet your appetite to look for an interesting program? If so, stop by the Senior Ministry Resource Room to borrow a catalogue or go online to the Senior Ministry webpages in members only at csjsl.org and click on the Road Scholar link to browse through their continental U.S. programs. If you nd one that interests you, please contact the Oce of Senior Ministry for the forms necessary to request the funds for your trip. How to Stay Sharp, Improve Memory and Boost Creativity Healthy aging, improving and maintaining memory, and staying sharp begins with a healthy diet, adequate sleep and regular exercise, such as walking, swimming or aquatic aerobics, cycling or Tai Chi for Arthritis exercises. But there is more we can do. Brain health benets greatly from a variety of challenges: working on crossword puzzles or sudoku, playing card games (such as bridge or canasta), reading (periodicals, books or newspapers), learning a new language or skill (such as playing a musical instrument, sewing a quilt or painting in watercolors), or using the computer (write letters, maintain a budget or play games). The list is endless and only restricted by our imagination and willingness to engage something new. Along with this we need to learn how to laugh. According to a 2009 study at the University of Maryland Medical Center, laughter really is the best medicine. To learn more about the eect of laughter on our health, check out the Senior Ministry section in Members Only at csjsl.org.

Gleanings

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Justice
by Anna Sandidge, justice coordinator
Last night as I let the dogs out for one more stretch of the legs before going to bed, the wind was bitter, scraping brittle brown leaves across the walk. Partially frozen mud puddles dotted the corral, and broken tree limbs from winter storms past, scarred the night sky. It seemed a most bleak picture. There is something quite magical about going to bed, believing things to be dark and dismal, only to wake to the surprise of a freshly fallen snow. It blankets everything, creating an image of purity and grace. Things that looked gloomy and foreboding become elegant monuments on the landscape, promises of beauty revealed. And thats how this new year feels to me, lled with the promise of beauty to be revealed. 2013 felt like a dark year the budget crisis, sequestration, not achieving immigration reform, in Missouri not getting Medicaid expansion and, here in St. Louis, the ever increasing concern of persons being exploited on nearby streets. Then why do I feel 2014 will be better? Am I an incurable Pollyanna? Well maybe a little, but I see great things ahead. Much of what has been happening in the justice ministry has been quiet and behind the scenes. So you may not know that weve conducted three workshops with more than 50 university students. Over three Friday afternoons, these young students met with me to explore what it means to understand social justice. They explored the role of power and privilege within our current systems and wrestled with the impact of conict as we work toward a better world. They examined their values, religious teachings and reected on creating a spiritual foundation for incorporating social justice into their everyday lives. Locally, the city of St. Louis has reached out to us yet again, asking for help with women who have been arrested for prostitution. We are meeting in early January to explore what resources need to be developed in the area to meet these needs of the community with dignity, respect and compassion. But we dont know what that looks like, who will be able to do this work and how it will be resourced. All we know is there is a need and desire to meet that need. Weve also planned a retreat in Kansas City as we look at the intersection of the contemplative core and gospel living. We are asking what is our contemplative core? How do we reconnect to it when we nd ourselves adrift and what does the Spirit call us to be as we live from that centered place? Anna Sandidge How do we live the charism of unity and reconciliation in the world today? Storyteller and teacher, Megan McKenna is going to join us in St. Louis in this on-going exploration on February 12. Through stories and conversation we are going to encounter God of the Christian scriptures and deepen our understanding of the Trinity as it shows us how to live the good news in todays times. She will guide us through her experience of the Trinity and ask us to think about what it means to live our call when we are asked by God, Who do you say I am? As we go into this new year together, I ask for your prayersprayers of discernment and clarity. Where is God calling us as community as we live into our justice ministry? Even though there are many days when all we see are the broken limbs, brittle leaves and the mud puddles underneath, we have been shown the promise of Gods divine plan. That all in this world is a gift and even in the dark there is beauty, grace and light. So while Im not sure where the Spirit will take us this year, I am lled with delight to share in this ministry with you. Thank you for your prayers, insight and a willingness to step into the unknown for together we will be more.

Out of the Darkness

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Called to Action; Called to the More!

by Sister Rose Mary Brueggen
This fall, Sister Margaret Gregg, Justice Coordinator Anna Sandidge and I went on a trip to Milwaukee for the threeday Call to Action Conference. We listened to and saw such wonderful Christians (Catholic and non-Catholic)names that most of us know as well as others new to the cause. Names such as Ray Bourgeois, former Maryknoll priest supporting womens ordination, Charles Curran and Jeannine Gramick, S.L. Names such as Dan Schutte, one of the six St. Louis Jesuits who composed beautiful music some years back, gave a presentation on music which enhances many celebrations or services. And Paul Coutinho, also a former Jesuit, and a speaker who is from India gave us insights into Eastern spirituality and psychology. Names such as Sister Miriam Therese Winter, a composer recognized by many for her Joy Is Like the Rain as well as other happy and thought provoking songs. She spoke with such heart for our church, as we are the church. Yes, we heard all of these men and women who are called to action, calling us with their heartwarming and challenging remarks. We returned to St. Louis excited, Spirit-lled and hopeful for our church. Many challenges remain but we feel privileged to have met and heard our fellow Christians attest to their faith and giving us reason to hope.

Golden Jubilee Celebration

R
Saturday, March 15 11:00 a.m. Mass, followed by lunch
RSVP by March 6 to motherhousersvp@csjsl.org or 314-481-8800

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

An Evening with Megan McKenna WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 AT 6:30 P.M.
AT THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET MOTHERHOUSE

What is God saying to us in the New Testament and how does it call us to living justly? Megan McKenna, internationally-known author, theologian, storyteller and lecturer, breaks down the Trinity to help us get to know the God of the Gospels, sharing the powerful story of transformation, discipleship and hope. Admission is free. Free will oering accepted. RSVP by February 10 to 314-481-8800 or motherhousersvp@csjsl.org
This presentation is part of the Sisters of St. Josephs 2014 Together in Faith series. For more information visit togetherinfaithseries.com
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet | 6400 Minnesota Avenue | St. Louis, MO 63111

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Liturgy
Liturgy Calendar
January 15 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m. 22 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m. 24-28 Province Chapter of Elections February 5 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m. 12 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m. 19 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m. 26 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.

By Associate Mary Kay Christian, liturgist

May you have Walls for the wind And a roof for the rain, And drinks beside the re Laughter to cheer you And those you love near you, And all that your heart may desire ~ A Celtic Blessing Celtic Spirituality is very popular. Perhaps it is even more popular in the United States because of the number of Irish-Americans who love to celebrate their heritage. I think that the spirituality of the Celtic people resonates so much with us because it is so closely connected to a reverence for the earth and to the joys and sorrows of the human heart. The spirituality of a Celtic person has one foot rmly planted on the ground and the other planted in the sacred world beyond time and space. Celtic spirituality celebrates life in its fullness and death in its mystery. The Celtic heart is a communal heart that feels deeply the pain of others and celebrates the milestones of happiness and triumph of each member of the community. In short, Celtic spirituality is deeply Catholic. We will have the opportunity to celebrate the Celtic soul and to explore Celtic spirituality more deeply on March 7 and 8 with the Celtic Soul Experience. On Friday, March 7, we are beginning with the Celtic Soul Concert featuring Owen and Moley OSuilleabhain, along with St. Louis favorite Joe Stickley. Brothers Owen and Moley are world-renowned vocalists, speakers and composers from Ireland. They will be performing selections in the ancient Irish style, sacred songs, traditional tunes and inspirational pop in the motherhouse chapel. Joe Stickley is an Irish singer/ songwriter from St. Louis who will open the concert. A retreat with Kimberly Schneider and Owen and Moley will be held Saturday, March 8 focusing on Celtic Spirituality. Come and celebrate in song and prayer, as we seek the thin places together.
Pictured:Top: Owen and Moley OSuilleabhain; Middle: Kimberly Schneider; and Bottom: Stickley and Canan

Source and Summit

I can be reached best by phone from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. If I do not answer, please leave a voice mail message or send an e-mail. Calls and e-mails will be returned within 24 hours. If you need immediate attention, you can contact me on my cell phone at 314-497-0640.

Together ... telling your stories

From Jenny Beatrice, Communications Director In the upcoming year, the Communications Ofce plans to feature a weekly prole on our website of a sister, associate or partner in ministry living the mission. Participants will be sent a brief list of Q&A questions, a request for a photo and a due date for their responses. Help us show the world that Together...we are more! To participate or to nominate a person to feature, please contact Jenny Beatrice, director of communications, at jbeatrice@csjsl.org or 314-678-0304.

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Carondelet Chronicles
Linger Over Breakfast: Dec. 7
Sister Marian Cowan presents Praying Your Day
by Sister Kate Filla, CSJ
Most of those gathered for the December Linger over Breakfast with Sister Marian Cowan grew up with images of God as loving creator and just judge. Most were familiar with the classic denition of prayer, lifting up the mind and the heart to God. This implies that God is out there somewhere. Is there S. Marian Cowan something more? S. Marian suggested that just as we have changed as we grew into adulthood, our understanding of who God is and the way we pray has changed. Prayer once consisted of formal, memorized prayer, the words of someone else. However, we can develop images of God who is relational, interactive, personal. Some may still have a concept of God as out there and other. S. Marian invited us to think of God as living within each of us. Our prayer will change as we are open to God in all things, all of creation, in all of us. A dierent prayer ows from an awareness of our living within God. To be fully aware of this intimacy changes us. Our prayer becomes more immediate. Worship is awe. Thanksgiving is spontaneous and personal. Petition opens us to send the energy of God within us outward to one in need. Atonement leads us to embrace our part in social sin. To live knowing that each of us is an expression of God in human form opens the pathways to one another. This knowing unites us. We become one with others and all that is. Sometimes we need a means to start us on the road. We might try praying the rosary, centering prayer, meditation on words of Scripture, contemplation, openness to nature, prayer of gratitude, practicing the presence of God, expressing love, resting in God. As Marian stated: All creation comes from the initial moment of creation, Gods self overowing into sensible reality. All things, things visible and things invisible, like time and space and circumstances. God is in all. Our task and joy is to open our eyes of faith to discover God in all things. Everything. Then our prayer will change.

2014
Feb. 22: Confessions of an Accidental Activist with Anna Sandidge, CSJ justice coordinator April 5: Doing Ordinary Things with Extraordinary Love with Sisters Becky Holley and Mary Jo Logan Sept. 6: Mary Magdalene: Missing in Acts with Associate Marilyn Koncen Nov. 8: The Power of Play with Sister Sarah Heger For more information about these events, visit www.csjsl.org.

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Together in Faith
Do You Have a Celtic Soul?
by Kimberly V. Schneider
This is the second in a series of articles by Kimberly Schneider, M.Ed., J.D., LPC, one of the facilitators for our upcoming Celtic Soul Experience on March 7-8. Kimberly has studied, taught and written about Celtic spirituality for decades. She facilitates classes, retreats and ceremonies at sacred spaces Kimberly Schneider in the United States and Ireland, helping modern seekers nd fresh relevance in the wisdom of the ancient Celts. In a previous article, we explored the question Who were the Celts? and began to look at some elements of Celtic Spirituality. As the Celtic Soul Experience concert and retreat at the Motherhouse approaches this spring (March 7-8), well celebrate by continuing to ponder the Celts and how their worldview might bring us closer to God today. Here are some more features of Celtic Spirituality: Nearness of the Otherworld. The Divine was all around, so one never knew where or when a direct encounter with the sacred, or with other realms, might occur. The Otherworld was right next to the material world, and inhabitants of one could and did cross over to the other. Fluidity of Time and Space. The Celts celebrated their perception of a uid reality in their anity for betweenness or thresholdstimes, places and things that were not wholly one thing or another. Celtic stories are lled with shapeshifting druids and people who wander into a meadow or wood and wind up in the land of fairy. The most sacred times in the Celtic world are between or liminal times: dawn and twilight (when it is neither night nor day) and the four major festivals when one season surrenders to the next: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh. At these sacred times, the Celts believed the veil between the worlds was thinnest. Eros was a form of spiritual power that connected people to each other. Sexual and non-sexual expressions of this connection each had value. Kinship and community were revered, and to have an anam cara or soul friend was considered essential to living a full life. Underlying all of Celtic spirituality is an understanding that nothing exists without its opposite, and so there is little point in denigrating one form of experience or way of being as bad or less than, when one could never understand the good or desired experiences or ways of being without relationship to its opposite. The Celts reveled in the mystery of a soul inhabiting a body and the Celtic passion for life extended equally to celebration and grief, solitude and community, silence and music, the ordinary and extraordinarybecause the Divine ran through it all. Appreciation of Womens Leadership and Gifts. While not perfectly egalitarian, Celtic tribes allowed women to own and inherit property, divorce their husbands, and hold positions of spiritual authority. The acknowledgement that the Divine expressed itself in female and male forms meant that in the early Celtic Christian church, women preached, performed miracles, heard confessions and also taught and governed both women and men. Naturally, the acknowledgement of the Divine presence in women as well as men led to scholarly and religious collaboration between the sexes, and perhaps not coincidentally, collaboration between lay and religious people. Beauty, whether experienced in nature or people, music, poetry or art, was sacred to the Celts as an expression of the Divine. An extension of this appreciation for beauty could be found in the Celtic love of the spoken and written word. Storytelling was sacred as a way of connecting with the ancestors and the history of the people. A bard who had received the highest level of training was equal in rank to a king.

Part Two

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January 2014 PNN

Sponsored Institutions
St. Josephs Academy Human Rights Project
Topic: Sexual Violence in South Africa
by SJA Students Haley Thomas, Allie Martino, Rebecca Kronert, Maggie Badock and Clare Piotter
We are ve young women from St. Josephs Academy aiming to raise awareness by exposing Human Rights violations in the world. Specically, we are informing society about sexual violence in South Africa in an eort to stop the silent suering of thousands of women. We have created a Facebook page, Sexual Violence Awareness S. Africa- SJA and invite all to view it in order to spread the word. Within our page, we have outlined the outrageous atrocities going on in South Africa and the organizations that promote womens rights, such as Elton John, the singer- songwriter and founder of the Elton John Aids Foundation. He wrote in the New York Times, A woman in South Africa is raped approximately every 26 seconds. The course we are taking is called Voices of Human Rights at St. Josephs Academy, a combined English and social studies course. It focuses on countries that have violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document created by the UN that guarantees human rights throughout the world. At St. Josephs Academy, the motto Not I, but We is exemplied throughout the curriculum. Our nal project for the course focuses on sexual violence in South Africa and allows us to live out the SJA motto by motivating us to reach out and help women who have experienced sexual violence.

The reason sexual violence against women is so important to us is because we are young women, too, and often the same age as the girls that this happens to, said Clare Piotter, a senior at Saint Josephs Academy, who is involved in the project. It connects us. South Africa is a tourist-lled and highly westernized country, yet sexual violence continues to be an epidemic due to the corruption of the South African authorities. Although it can sometimes be a cultural norm in South Africa, rape and female genital mutilation (FGM) are not acceptable. According to a report by the Medical Research Council, one in four men rape and it is estimated that 500,000 rape cases take place in the country every year. Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is for all people, everywhere, the women of South Africa are being denied their rights as humans. Please visit our Facebook page to nd out more: https://www.facebook.com/SJAhumanrights. Statistics: Every 26 seconds: It comes from a study of how many rapes were reported in a year and divided by the number of seconds in a year.
http://saynotoviolence.org/join-say-no/violence-againstwomen-mural-unveiled-khayelitsha-south-africa http://www.overcomingviolence.org/en/resources/campaigns/ women-against-violence/week-5-a-story-from-south-afric/ south-africa-facts.html

men rape and 500,000 a year:

http://www.irinnews.org/report/84909/south-africa-one-infour-men-rape rs@dioknox.org

www.csjsl.org

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Archives
Meeting Our Ancestors
Sister Mary Liguori Monaghan
Sister Mary Liguori Monaghan departed this is life at the Mother House, St. Louis, Missouri, on the he twenty-fth day of January, nineteen hundred ed thirteen, in the seventy-seventh year of her age, and the fty-second of her religious life. Although for the past few years our dear Mother Liguori had been weakening physically with the natural weakening of advancing years and one by one had been relieved of several of the heavy duties she had fullled so admirably, she still retained the most laborious - Procuratrix and Financial Secretary at the Mother House. On no day had she been more busily engaged in its work than on January twenty-fourth. She had made business calls, recorded the days transactions and taken part rt in the evening recreation, during which everyone seemed unusually attracted to her. Was it the nearness of the Death Angel that drew our hearts and eyes toward the dear one occupying for the last time her wonted place in the community room and cause such remarks as: What a beautiful soul! God knows. It is pleasant to remember that she was there happy and making us happy, loving and beloved. In answer to an inquiry as to her health she replied that she was well, adding I have that report ready for the morning. That report, was found in her desk nished in every detail. Missed from her accustomed place in the chapel at morning prayer she was immediately sought and found peacefully sleeping the sleep not to be disturbed until the end of time. Looking upon her reposeful posture, one hand under her face, the other clasping her crucix upon her breast it was comforting to tell ourselves that her last words had been: Into Thy Hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Mother Liguori Li lived by faith all the years of her life. May the th shining light of her example be reected in the th lives of all of us who were privileged to kno know her. [From the Necrology Book] S Sister Mary Liguori Monaghan (Mary Anastasia) was born to Jane Ward and J James Monaghan in 1836 in Locust Grove, Georgia. She entered at Carondelet on May 4, 1860 and received the habit on March 19, 1861. Her vows were pronounced on March 19, 1863. There are no records of where she ministered fro from 1863-1873. From 1873-1875 she was superior at St. Bridget Half Orphan Asylum supe in St. Louis. From 1875 until her death in 1913, a period of 38 years, she was procuratrix and nancial sec secretary for the Congregation. History tells us nancial that when funds were low, Sister Liguori made numerous wax candles needed for the chapel. For years Mother Liguori was aicted with deafness. She was loyally devoted to Reverend Mother Agatha Guthrie and was on her General Council for a number of years. When Sister Liguori did not appear in chapel for prayers the morning of her death, a sister was sent to her room, and nding the door locked, made an entrance through a window opening on a balcony of the inner court. Sister Mary Cleopha Monaghan, Mother Liguoris younger sister, was sent to the Troy Province after profession. Their grand-niece, Sister Mary Liguori Tackaberry was a member of the St. Louis Province and a librarian at St. Teresas Senior College and Fontbonne College for many years.
Pictured: Mother Liguori Monaghan

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January 2014 PNN

The Hand of God Shall Hold You

Sister Mary Brigid Massey, CSJ

August 8, 1930 - November 28, 2013 A gentle, strong and faith-lled woman

Mona Mae Massey was born in Searcy, Ark. on August 8, 1930, fourth child and second daughter of Claude and Nola Mae (Wilkerson) Massey. Her family grew to ve girls and four boys. She recalled her childhood as being happy and lled with lots of activity with family and friends. Her family did not belong to any particular church. Sometimes she attended services at various churches, Pentecostal, Baptist, or Methodist because her friends were there. Occasionally she prayed the rosary with a Catholic family (though she thought it was boring). In her own words, from her oral history, S. Brigid said: Later on as I got a little older, I dont recall the time, possibly about 10 or 12 years old, I went to church with the family, and we went to Mass and when I walked out of Mass that day I knew that I was not the same. I knew that I was entirely dierent. I knew that with a certain amount of certainty that when I grew up I was going to be a Catholic, and I knew that because I had experienced the presence of God in this Mass. There was never a doubt in my mind, and even to this day, that God was present there.

During a summer vacation, she visited her sister in St. Louis. Deciding to stay with her, she dropped out of high school and found work. One day she happened to stop by the Cathedral while instructions for non-Catholics were being held. She joined the instructions and eventually became a Catholic. Before she had ever met a sister she decided that she would become one. Less than a year after becoming Catholic, on September 15, 1950, she entered the Sisters of St. Joseph. Under the tutelage of S. Bernard Joseph Dunne, S. Brigid completed high school. Her career in education began in 1953 as a Primary teacher at Nativity School in Chicago. She then taught at Visitation in Kansas City followed by Junior High at St. Marys in Peoria. After a year in pastoral ministry there, she returned to teaching. She taught Intermediate students at Nativity in Chicago; St. Matthew in St. Louis; Our Lady of the Americas in Kansas City, and Holy Cross in Champaign, Ill. In 1978 S. Brigid ministered in Community Service at Nazareth followed by three years as co-director of the retirement community at St. Joseph Academy. In 1984 she became the superior at Nazareth Convent until

1988 when she worked one year with Consumer Credit Counseling Services in St. Louis. The next nine and a half years brought S. Brigid back to the classroom working with Intermediate students at Incarnate Word in Chestereld, Mo. Deciding to leave teaching, S. Brigid spent 1999 to 2012 working rst with the Oce of Aging and then as a driver with the Senior Ministry Oce, where it was noted that she was always cheerful and willing to drive. In 2012 she became a volunteer. In 2013 she retired to the Village at Nazareth. S. Brigid was described as a gentle yet strong, faith-lled, woman who treasured her vocation a compassionate woman [with] a quiet sense of humor exhibited by a great twinkle in her eyes. She truly lived the message of the opening hymn of her memorial service: Here I am Lord. It eloquently captured her attitude toward life, which was, being available for whatever God asked. With S. Rita McGovern, co-worker, housemate and dear friend of many years we say, until we meet again.

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Book Reviews
Hooked by the Spirit: Journey of a Peaceful Activist
by Rita J. Steinhagen, CSJ (SP) Reviewed by S. Roberta Houlihan

In 1998, while I was counselor at Peoria Notre Dame High School, I had the privilege of visiting the Womens Prison in Pekin. Now, after 15 years, as I read her book, S. Rita Steinhagens story has touched me deeply. The unjust punishments for the minor misdemeanors have come to life; I can visualize the room we were led to after being searched, and I recall talking with another inmate and her visitors as we awaited our visit with our CSJ inmate. Two sisters were serving time for crossing the line at Fort Benning. At the time, I didnt realize the signicance of that visit. Six months in the Pekin Jail was the climax of S. Ritas sojourn for justice. There were many involvements leading up to that; nor was it the end. She continued to search for ways to work for justice after she returned to her sisters in our St. Paul province. S. Rita was called to her Heavenly Home in 2008. Im sure she has continued her pursuit of justicethis time Face to Face with our Living God.

You will get a avor of the book by reading her introductory page: Hooked by the Spirit You hear the sound it makes But you do not know where it comes from, Or where it goes. So it is with everyone begotten of the Spirit. JOHN 3:8 I believe that everyone is begotten of the Spirit but we are blown in many dierent directions. In trying to capture the reason for my many wanderings, I can only surmise that the Spirit assigned to me had an extra wandering gene, which at times caused Her to push, lead, or entice me to places I never dreamed of going. She has been a faithful traveling companion, and I am so grateful She was assigned to me. Please dont try to gure this out theologically. Relax. Go with it. Enjoy. Rita J. Steinhagen, CSJ, Saint Paul province

Zealot:The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

by Reza Aslan Reviewed by S. Nancy Corcoran

Possibly the most controversial book Ive read this year is Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan. I had viewed the now infamous interview by Foxs Lauren Green, who badgered the author, a scholar of religion who happens to be Muslim, with questions suggesting that because of his religion he could not possibly write a book about Jesus. Needless to say, the interview went viral, (and like the bishops banning of Elizabeth Johnsons Quest for the Living God,) Zealot is now an Amazon best seller. For those of us who have not kept up with scholarship on the historical Jesus, this book is an easy read compiling the research of the past forty years. Aslan writes to be
Page 18 January 2014 PNN

read, especially by those who might be put o by lots of footnotes, and therefore he places the footnotes (which are as interesting as the rst two hundred pages) at the end of the book. As someone with a degree in theological studies, I love reading a book by someone outside of my belief system. I am challenged by the ndings of scholars who arm the human-ness of Jesus, and the historical reality of what we know he actually did and did not do. Aslan calls himself a follower of Jesus, the man who was serious about helping an oppressed people to become fully human in a society which attempted to deny them of their worth. Perhaps that is what my formation director meant when she asked me If Jesus were not divine, would he be worth following? Zealot suggests that he would.

Bulletin Board
Corporation & Council
November Meeting
CORPORATION

Rest in Peace
November 28 29 S. Georgine Adele Lawrenson (A) S. Jean Veronica Fitzgerald (A)

Accepted Minutes of Board of Directors of the Corporation meetings held September 30, 2013. September & October 2013 Financial Statements. Approved ACCESS Academies$5,000 CSSJEA$5,000 2014 Marian Magic Annual Dinner Auction$5,000 Friends of NCR$1,000 Ignatian Spirituality Project$2,500 CWIT Trivia Night$200 US Federation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph Annual Appeal$4,000 FUVERISE$30,000 SJA Lease Discussed Personnel Handbook
COUNCIL

December 4 9 20 22 25 30 31 Ann Donpierre, sister of S. Teresa Lawrence De Roche Michael J. OHearn, brother of S. Eleanor OHearn Bob Nestel, brother of S. Mary Ann Nestel Rita Maser, sister of S. Linda Maser S. Mary Agnes Kehoe (A) Jack Flavin, brother of S. Pat Flavin John Jack H. Bolin, Jr., brother-in-law of S. Ann Schorfheide Theresa Schmid, mother of S. Sandy Schmid Wilma Matulka, sister of S. Ann Strizek January 1 2 S. Mary Heinen (SP) Rachel OMalley, sister-in-law of S. Kathleen OMalley

Ministry Fund Grants

Tabitha Grant Applications Now Available
Tabitha Grant applications are now available for the 2014 funding cycle at www.csjsl.org in Members Only under Ministry Funds. Preference for this grant is given to projects where a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet or CSJ Associate is intimately involved on a frequent and regular basis. Completed applications are due in the Province Ofce by March 1, 2014. For further information, please contact the Justice Coordinator, Anna Sandidge, at 314-678-0317. Electronic or hard copy may also be obtained by contacting Carol Underhill at 314-678-0344 or by e-mail at cunderhill@csjsl.org.

Accepted Minutes of the Province Council Meetings held October 12, 2013 Discussed Government Committee Sectional Results Updated NLC Fontbonne Search Mortuary/Burial Procedures WOW Weekend End of Life Wisdom Circle

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LEADERSHIP Calendar
January 15 STA Board Mtg. (PC) 16 CWIT Board Mtg. (SW) 18 Feuerbacher Grant Selection Committee Mtg. (PC) 20 Arts & Education Dinner (PG) 21 SJA Board Mtg. (PG) 23 CPC Mtg. (PC) 21 Presentation to Associate Candidates (JM) 21-22 Fontbonne Search Committee (HF, SW) 24-28 Province Chapter: Session IV (PL) 29 CPC Debrieng Mtg. (PC) 30-31 Fontbonne Search Committee (HF, SW) February 1 Fontbonne Board Mtg. (HF, SW) 6-7 Leadership Mtgs. (PL) 11 Investment Managers Mtg. (PC, HF, PG) 12 Mtg. w/Formation Staff (JM) 12 CWIT Executive Committee (SW)
13-17 19 20 20-21 22 22 22 CLG, Los Angeles (PC, HF, PG) ETP Mtg. (HF) CWIT Board Mtg. (SW) Avila Board Dinner & Mtg. (PC) Linger Over Breakfast (HF, JM) St. Joseph Academy Auction (PG) Micronancing Gala (PC)

PROVINCE Calendar
January 24-28 Province Chapter of Elections February 12 Who Do You Say I Am?: An Evening with Megan McKenna (Together in Faith Event Series) 22 Linger Over Breakfast with Anna Sandidge March 1-2 Spring Sectionals 2 Associate Mardi Gras Celebration & Commitment Mass 7-8 Spring Sectionals 7 Celtic Soul Concert (Together in Faith Event Series) 8 Celtic Soul Retreat (Together in Faith Event Series) 15 50th Jubilee Celebration
*All events at Carondelet Motherhouse unless otherwise noted. For more event listings and details, visit our Members Only Calendar of Events at csjsl.org.

March 2 Donors Mass, Kansas City (PC, HF) 4-5 STA Accreditation (PC) 8 KC Sectional (HF) 8 St. Louis Sectional (PG, JM, SW) 8 Atlanta Sectional (LB, PC) 10-12 Heartland Federation, Carondelet (PC, NC, HF, PG, JM, SW) 13 LCWR Breakfast (PC, HF, PG) 15 50th Jubilee Celebration (LB, PC, HF, PG, JM, SW) 16 Jubilees, Nazareth Living Center (PC, HF, PG, JM, SW) 21-23 Leadership Mtgs. (PL) 24 St. Joseph Academy Board Mtg. (PG) 25-27 LCWR Region X, Dubuque (PC, HF, PG)
The PL calendar is also available in Members Only at csjsl.org.

Join us for our 2014 Together in Faith event series. From speakers to concerts to retreats, these programs are designed to deepen our spirituality as we come together surrounded by the beauty and spirit of our motherhouse. Inside this issue, pages 4-5 provide you with a Q&A that will answer all of your event questions. To view our lineup and learn more about our talented artists and to purchase tickets, visit our special event website, www.togetherinfaithseries.com.

NEXT ISSUE: February/March PNN & Directory Changes

Submission Deadline: Feb. 15 Publication Date: March 1
For a complete PNN schedule, visit Members Only at www.csjsl.org. Page 20 January 2014 PNN