November 2011, Vol. XXXI, No. 9

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters

L ord, I was glad to be in that number

when all the provincials met in Rome

and then went flying back to meet

their saints in every part of the world.

The message that reverberates in my heart from

the experience of the Provincials Assembly is:

“We are united in a global mission.” We are as

one in our contribution to God’s mission in our

whole world today. I’m sure our saints above look

down on us with pride and blessing, and we in turn

are grateful to them for their faithfulness to our

SSpS call and handing on the riches of our

missionary religious charism.

The Congregational Leadership Team arranged a

very enriching time of on-going formation for us

and also gave plenty of time for sharing amongst

ourselves and with them. It was great to meet the

generous provincials who have been sending us

sisters and to share with provincials who had

received their professional training with us here in

the USA. They are now using their love and

talents in other parts of the world. Yes, we are all

listening to the same Holy Spirit and trying to

follow her lead in God’s mission, each in our part

of the vineyard.

We received valuable tools and motivation for

listening to the Spirit in contemplation and

discernment. So often in our mission we act as if

we believe our efforts are more important than

God’s grace. Our work can become more “my”

mission rather than our mission and God’s

mission. We all need on-going formation to

realize our role

(continued on page 2)

Oh, when our

saints come look-

ing in, O Lord, we

want to be in that

(continued from page 1)

today in a changing world, a changing consciousness of the peoples and a changing under-

standing of mission. Deep inner conversion is always necessary: conversion from activism to

contemplation and discernment, conversion from individualism to collaboration and teamwork.

Mission today calls for deep listening to the Spirit and to one another. It is impossible to con-

templatively follow the lead of the Spirit without listening to and collaborating with our Sisters.

To form and be formed, to evangelize and to be evangelized, giving and receiving is what

mission looks like today. Missionaries today need much more humility and a lot less superiori-

ty. It is a must to pay attention to and improve the credibility of our personal witness. So let us

as SSpS in the USA and the Caribbean be a saintly part of God’s worldwide mission marching

forward, faithful and confident that God’s Spirit is leading the way.

Sr. Carol Welp

Province Events in September

2

The Northfield City Officials, as well as

members of the Police and Fire Departments,

were here for dinner with us on October 25. It

is always a joy to sit down with these officials

who help us and the Northfield community to

live in an orderly and safe environment.

Several of the fire department paramedics have

often been here to bring our sisters to the

hospital, but never to sit down and relax with

us.

Above: Sr. Maria Burke enjoys dinner and

conversation with the Northfield visitors.

Sr. Elwira Dziuk participated in the Busy

Person Retreat at the University of Chicago

from October 16-20. She reports that it was a

great experience to work with young people

and help them to find time during their busy

schedules for prayer, spiritual reading and

conversation. She is grateful for this oppor-

tunity.

Steve Jobs’ sister, Mona Simpson, shared

in the eulogy she delivered at the late

Apple CEO‘s memorial service that his

surprising final words from his deathbed

were, “Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow.” In the

eulogy, which was printed in The New

York Times, Simpson describes Jobs’ final

days and moments in a Palo Alto hospital,

which were spent surrounded by family as

his breathing gradually became shorter.

His breath, she said, “indicated an arduous

journey, some steep path, altitude.” She

concluded her eulogy by sharing Jobs’

final moments, which were spent staring

lovingly at his family, and his final three

monosyllabic words as he stared into the

distance past their shoulders: Oh, WOW!

Oh, WOW! Oh, WOW!

Province Events

(cont.)

3

In Techny, we celebrated Family Feast on

Halloween, October 31. The theme for the

day was far from Halloweenish. It was

harmony and symphony in community. The

dining room and chapel were decorated in

rainbow colors with musical notes. The day

consisted of celebration of Eucharist and

community prayers on our theme, musical

entertainment, a poetry writing contest,

bingo, sharing on how to keep harmony and

a melodious symphony alive in our commu-

nities. Every Sister possible took part in the

day and was grateful to our Creator God,

who is the source and origin of Harmony

and Symphony all the way from the galaxies

of the universe to our own hearts and

communities.

Sr. Alexis Tjahjani was a member of the

Holy Family Cathedral Choir that sang on

October 25 with 14 other Antiguan choirs in

the Independence Festival of Choirs program

celebrating Antigua's 30th anniversary of

independence as a nation. The Holy Family

choir sang “"I Have a Dream", an inspira-

tional song related to Rev. Martin Luther

King's "I Have a Dream'" speech in Wash-

ington D.C.

Sr. AnnIta Walsh is coordinating the

ALPHA faith-sharing program that is being

offered to the teens who are participating in

the Confirmation preparation program at

Holy Family Cathedral.

Sr. Margaret Anne

Harmony and symphony at Family Feast

Fun and games! Srs. Mary Agnes Fahrland,

Lucille Hackenmueller and Carmella Viso

News from Antigua

The Community gathers for Mass

High Tech Comes to Maria Hall

Sr. Dominic Bartsch converses with

her 93 year old sister via Skype

Sr. Carol Welp returned from Rome on

October 24 and will be visiting the various

communities to echo the Assembly. We

will also have some echoing at the Leader-

ship and Ministry Assembly in December.

On October 24, our Sisters in Rogers Park

welcomed Sr. Ann Miller, SFCC, to live

with them in their community. Sr. Ann is

the sister of our Sr. Mary Miller and Fr.

Joe Miller, SVD, and has requested to live

with our Sisters. We respect that she is a

member of the Sisters for Christian Com-

munity and wishes to have continued con-

tact with her community. She also has

family members in the area and so will be

able to visit them more readily. Sr. Ann

had been a member of our Province and

member of our SSpS family for 33years.

Sr. Sara Juarez Guardado, our

second year novice, arrived from Mexico

on October 16. Welcome, Sara!

Our deceased:

Sr. Mary Antonio Rademacher, who

died peacefully on November 3 at the age

of 85.

Sheila Baker, sister of Sr. Maria Burke,

who died on October 17 at the age of 62

after struggling with illness.

The father-in-law of Sr. Gladys Smith’s

sister, who died at 93 in Argentina.

Our sick:

Fr. Ray Quetchenbach, SVD, who has

been diagnosed with liver cancer.

Bro. Bob Zailikowski, SVD, who has

been hospitalized.

Rito Martinez, brother of our Sr.

Therese Mary Martinez.

Thuy, who was an immigration guest of

Sr. Rose Therese Nolta during the sum-

mer, who is sick and whose husband has

lost his job.

From December 10-16 there will be a Pan

Am Assembly of Formation. Srs. Elwira

Dziuk, Anita Marie Gutierrez and Rose

Therese Nolta will be attending this

Assembly in Paraguay. Sr. Rose Therese

will give a presentation on JPIC in the

various stages of formation. The theme

for the Assembly is “Listening where life

demands. We walk as SSpS communities

in learning.”

For Your Prayerful Remembrance

4

Sr. Ann Miller

Comings and Goings

Sr. Sara Guardado

Sr. Salud Osornio is a second year novice.

She writes about her apostolic experience:

First of all, I thank God for all the blessings

that I have received since I came to the Holy

Spirit Missionary Sisters. What I want to

share with all of you is the experience of

living here in New York in my second year of

novitiate.

I am helping in various places doing different

things. One of those places is a recycling

center, which is administered by a Sister of

Charity. This same sister is very involved

working with the poor and this past October

17 was the International Day of Poverty. She

invited me and all those who work with her at

the recycling center to the event. She

prepared a video to present to the United

Nations about the life of a person living on

the streets surviving only by collecting cans. I

was very sad to see that also in this country

there is so much poverty.

That day at the United Nations was full of

hope and energy. Many people are working

and many people are grateful for all the help

that they have received from these organiza-

tions. Many testimonies were given to share

the experiences of working to eliminate

poverty. There were also testimonies about

the support that has been received.

I am sending a picture of the sister from the

recycling center. Please pray that she contin-

ues doing this great work for the poor. The

other pictures are of those who lived in

poverty after Katrina and the young people

who also are concerned about this issue.

Thank you very much.

With love, Sr. Salud O.

5

Katrina survivors with Sr. Salud.

Center Administrator (left) and Sr. Salud

Young peoples’ panel discussion about the issues

involved in poverty.

News from New York

Cemetery of the Innocents

The "Cemetery of the Innocent" on Highway 20 in front of the Divine Word College (DWC)

graphically symbolized the 4,400 deaths by abortion performed daily in the USA. Sr. Philip-

pa, Chen Jin Xiu, Sr. Rosalia Galmin, Sr. Monica, Zhang Yan Ling and Sr. Josephina

Kudo took time along with other SVD students to emphasize that many innocent babies die

here. Each cross represents 10 babies that will die today.

October is the Right to Life Month and Fr. Bill Shea, SVD, is the moderator of the “Life”

group at DWC. John and Sue Lukasi, members of the Dubuque County Right to Life organi-

zation are responsible for these crosses. They are displayed in various areas each year in the

Dubuque area. Sr. Rosalia is the JPIC contact person for the Epworth Community.

Peace and Justice News

6

JPIC

SSpS

USA

7

Immigrant Welcoming

Congregations

The Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters

became an Immigrant Welcoming

Congregation along with ten other congre-

gations on Oct. 23, 2011 on Mission Sun-

day at Resurrection Evangelical Covenant

Church in Chicago, Illinois.

Sr. Agathe, Sr. Rebecca and Sr. Aprilia, et al.

from Rogers Park

November

2011

The Sisters of Rogers Park, Sr. Agathe

Bramkamp, Sr. Angelica Oyarzo

Chavol , Sr. Genebeba da Costa Am-

aral, Sr. Aprilia Untarto, Sr. Uloma

Akpa, Sr. Sara Guardado, Sr. Rebecca

Chaan David and Sr. Rose Therese

Nolta took part in the celebration. We

stood behind Sr. Agathe during the read-

ing of the pledge. Sr. Agathe who was our

representative reading the following part

of the pledge: “We will build relation-

ships of solidarity and mutuality. We will

work towards making not just our

religious communities, but our world, a

sanctuary of peace and justice for all

people.”

At the beginning of the celebration four

different religions presented a symbol of

their religion. Sr. Rose Therese gave the

symbol for Christianity – a cross - and

shared its meaning and the implication

toward working with immigrants.

A Moslem woman explained the pilgrim-

age to Mecca as a symbol of Islam related

to immigrants by saying “all who come

from whatever place are equal.”

Some of the various congregations

shared what they were doing for immi-

grants. Brother Michael Gosch of the

Viatorian Community spoke about the

needs of immigrants who are released

8

after a period of detention. "When people are

released they are just put out on the street by the

detention center with only the clothes they had

been wearing when they were picked up. We

have helped people who were released wearing

shorts, tee shirts and flip flops in the middle of

winter. They often need food, short term shelter

and transportation, which we try to supply. It is

ridiculous that the government takes no responsi-

bility for assisting the people it is releasing after

having completely disrupted their lives."

Sr. Genobeba said that “the thing that touched

me the most was the sharing from each group.

Every group was really open… Through this

experience I learned that teamwork is very

important because together we can help others

who are in need. The second point is to help

others, because others such as immigrants are our

brothers and sisters.”

During the celebration there was several times

music and songs that related to the theme of

immigration. We joined in singing these songs.

There was a closing ritual in

which everyone present wrote

a prayer on a prayer flag.

The Representatives of

the Immigrant Welcoming

Congregation collected the

prayer flags and other representatives hung up

the flags. We see Sr. Agathe hanging the flags.

These flags will be taken to the Prayer Vigil on

Friday Mornings to 101

Congress Street

where the immi-

grants are being

deported.

Before the

celebration we

helped to prepare

the place for the

celebration,

rested a bit in the

Church and then ate.

Sr. Uloma, Sr. Sara, Sr. Rebecca and Sr. Angelica

Sr. Agathe, Sr. Genebeba, Sr. Sara and Sr. Uloma

Thanks to Sr. Aprilia for the pictures!

Sr. Rose Therese Nolta, SSpS