e
Chips
Electronic Newsletter for and from the Wheaton Franciscans
July-August 2013
Volume 5, Issue 7
“URGED BY THE SPIRIT, WE, THE WHEATON FRANCISCANS
CONFIRM OUR DESIRE TO DEEPEN OUR LIFE IN CHRIST…”
Sr. Pat Irr
Reflecting on these words I found myself
wanting to connect our desire for deeper life in
Christ with two historical strains: our present
moment and the values Sr. Pat Farrell, OSF,
past president of LCWR, articulated for
navigating the present shifts in culture AND the
history and values Mother Clara embraced as she
struggled with navigating the shifts of her own day.
Our Chapter Statement and these connections
invite each of us to awaken to the mystery of
birthing Christ into the world. It calls us to embody
the Spirit of love, peace and justice in this time
when institutions are in a period of transition and
realignment. Our call is an invitation to open our
hearts to Wisdom that lies hidden within history and
within our hearts. Sr. Pat Farrell, OSF articulates
a Wisdom way for navigating the present shifts.
She draws from the Wisdom Sources of the church
and the rich tradition of Religious Life. She weds
these to our present lived experience and names
for us the values of Wisdom. You know them; they
are our deepest values as Franciscan women and
men. Mother Clara called us to live these values.
They are her legacy to us. Now, in our times, we
must find renewed ways of living these values.
Let us begin the work of weaving these two
historical strains together — our Now moment and
our history.
We are urged by the Spirit to deepen these values
in our own hearts at this moment of God’s inbreaking in our world. Let us take Mother Clara as
our guide and her faithful response to the moments
of God’s in-breaking in her own life as our model.
CONTEMPLATION
Developing our inner depths in a wounded world.
God’s strength, not ours,
transforms our present history.
The heart of Mother Clara’s life.
PROPHETIC SPIRIT
Witnessing to the truth of God’s loving presence
in all of life’s challenges.
Mother Clara’s fidelity throughout life.
LIVING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE
MARGINALIZED
Humbly listening to the wisdom of the poor.
Serving the poor,
as tending Jesus, himself.
LIVING COMMUNITY
Living as witnesses,
to the interconnectedness of life.
“Love is the queen.”
LIVING NON-VIOLENTLY
Returning only blessing,
in an increasingly violent world.
Mother Clara’s response to the Kulturkampf.
LIVING WITH JOYFUL HOPE
Witnessing to the Risen Christ in our midst,
even when living in exile.
Mother Clara committed her life to these values.
May we do what is ours to do to birth Christ again.
SEVERE WEATHER
CANCELS DINING OUT
Sr. Toby Bonny
Wednesday, June 12, was to be
Clare Community’s dining out at the
Cracker Barrel. As clouds moved
in and weather reports were dire, I
cancelled the outing for the safety
of the Sisters. Pizza was ordered
and delivered instead. Wanting
the evening to be more special,
a “Bingo Night” was declared.
Our friend from St. Michael’s, Mr.
Thielman, had sent two boxes of
See’s Chocolates, so we used
them for prizes. Each time a Sister
called “bingo,” the Sister chose a
piece of chocolate. It turned out to
be an evening everyone enjoyed,
even those who had not signed up
for the dining out participated!
MISSION SERVICE IN
MALAWI
Sr. Shirley Krull
Jan Gerber, former Covenant
Member, is preparing for mission
service in Mzuzu, Malawi. Her
service in Malawi began on July 20,
2013. She is working in a nursing
educational area. Mzuzu is in the
northern part of Malawi. Jan was
hopeful that at some time in her
service in Malawi, she would be
able to visit our Sisters in Madisi.
JUNE BIRTHDAY
CELEBRANT
Sr. Toby Bonny
Sr. Maggie
Ryan was
celebrated
by Clare
Community
for her 93rd
birthday on
June 19th.
Her actual
birthday is
June 8th.
Sr. Maggie
made her own
Sr. Maggie
cakes for the
festivities. The cakes were delicious.
2
A GLOBAL CONNECTION
Sr. Jeanne Guilfoyle
We can never know the full impact our words may
have on another or by whom they may be received
in today’s global network. On Sunday, April 28,
2013, Sr. Margaret Grempka received a grateful
message from a Jesuit Priest in Kerala, India. The
priest read the reflection Sr. Margaret offered to
us on the 137th anniversary of the Wreck of the
Deutschland (December 6, 2012) as it is posted on
the congregational website. Father Dasappan was
so moved by Sr. Margaret’s reflection he wrote her
a note of deep appreciation and we share some of
what he wrote below.
Sr. Margaret
“Dear Rev. Sr. Margaret Grempka,
Greetings from Kerala, India. I am Dasappan S.J., a Jesuit priest doing
doctoral studies on the works of Gerard Manley Hopkins. I write this note
after having meditatively read your reflection. Your visit to the grave of your
five Reverend Sisters in Leytonstone, England, has come so powerfully
alive in your talk that I felt as though I was personally present and listening
to you in that hall on that 137th anniversary day. A drop of tear from the
corner of my eyes fell on my left arm and suddenly I became aware of what
was happening to me! I fail to explain in words how much I was moved by
your words as I was going through your reflection. It is not just a reflection.
It is a meditation; a contemplation on the immensity of those five Sisters’
sacrifice: how they faced death together, how they listened to Jesus’ words
and acted on them through their surrender to the waters and to the call of
their God.
In December 1875 if Gerard Manley Hopkins was moved by the ardent
prayer of a Franciscan Sister Henrica calling “O Christ, Christ come quickly!”
as the Deutschland ran aground on the Kentish Knock off the coast of
England, in April 2013, (more than 137 years later) in an entirely far away
corner of the world here is me, yet another Jesuit but the least son of
Ignatius, being moved by an account of another Franciscan Sister, Rev.
Margaret Grempka’s visit to the grave of those same Franciscan Sisters!
How mysterious are the ways of God! How mysteriously God works through
Sister Henrica, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Margaret Grempka and least of all
me, Dasappan!
Dear Rev. Sr. Margaret Grempka, as you have rightly said in your reflection,
“Home suddenly has a new meaning. Their lives are transformed by their
death. They become ‘bigger’ in death than they were in life. Their goodness,
virtue, and love are now available to all in ways no one could have
imagined.”
Thank you very much for such an inspiring reflection. Thank you also
for patiently reading this personal note. May the missionary zeal and
unconditional love of those five Franciscan Sisters continue to inspire us
and many more in the days to come.
Regards,
Dasappan S. J.
St. Xavier’s Jesuit Residence
St. Xavier’s College P. O.
Trivandrum-695586, Kerala, India.”
2
0
1
3
J
U
B
I
L
E
E
C
E
L
E
B
R
A
N
T
S
SR. CATHERINE
ALBERS
75 YEARS
SR. JANE ANN
KIEFER
65 YEARS
SR. AUDREY MARIE
ROTHWEIL
65 YEARS
SR. BETH
COSGROVE
60 YEARS
SR. YVONNE
WIZA
60 YEARS
SR. MARTHA
FRIEDMAN
60 YEARS
SR. CAROL
BOSBONIS
50 YEARS
SR. DIANE
PRZYBOROWSKI
50 YEARS
SR. FRAN
GLOWINSKI
50 YEARS
All of us Jubilarians express our sincerest gratitude for everyone
and everything that made our Jubilee so delightful and joyous. We
Wheaton Franciscans know how to celebrate our gratitude for the
wonder of all God’s gifts to us. Thank you for loving us and being
Sister and Brother to us!
Jubilee
2013
3
4
WHEATON FRANCISCANS
VOLUNTEER!
Sr. Glenna Czachor
On June 14, Srs. Toby Bonnie, Alice Drewek,
Glenna Czachor, Shirley Krull, and CM Marge
Novy joined 700 Wheaton area volunteers at the
2013 Feed My Starving Children Mobilpack event.
Through a variety of different means, local area
churches raised the $32,500 necessary to cover the
cost of the rice,
soy, dehydrated
vegetables, and
vitamin powder
needed to make
packaged meals.
In two days,
the volunteers
packed 147,744
meals, which
Srs. Shirley, Toby and Glenna don
means 404
stylish hairnets to prepare to pack
children are fed
the food
for a year.
Event
coordinator
Anne Marie
Boyle of St.
Michael’s parish
commented,
“Each person
served an active
role in changing
hunger to hope
for hundreds of
God’s starving
children!”
At the end of each shift, volunteers
pray over the cases of food packs
they have lovingly labored to pack.
THANK YOU!
I am thanking everyone for their love, concern, and
care. I also want to thank you for the cards and gifts
that were given to me during this memorable time. I
appreciate all of it.
Sr. Jane Ann Kiefer
Thanks much for your greetings, gifts, prayers and
presence at our Jubilee celebration. The celebration
was very nice and very Franciscan. I am so happy to
be a part of it. I thank you with prayers. I love you all.
Sr. Martha Friedman
Thanks for the prayers for Betty and my family.
Sr. Rosalie Klein
5
IN MEMORIAM – 2013 CONGREGATION DEATHS
NAME
DATE OF DEATH
UNITED STATES PROVINCE
Betty Radank (Sr. Rosalie Klein’s sister)
Sunday, June 30
Sue Heider
(Former Our Lady of the Angels Associate)
Sunday, July 7
DUTCH PROVINCE
Sr. Clarissa, born Clara Anna Maria van Stijn
Friday, June 21
Sr. Euphemia, born Margaretha Petronella de Boer
Monday, July 1
Sr. Rynalda, Wilhelmina Petronella Maria van der Krogt
Monday, July 22
GERMAN PROVINCE
Sr. M. Bernhild, born Gertrude Menne Saturday, June 29
2013 UPCOMING EVENTS
August 5 & 7
Council Reflection Days
Offsite
August 11
Feast of St. Clare
September 1
Joyful Sunday
Our Lady of the Angels Motherhouse
10:00 a.m. Eucharist
Coffee and Conversation
Our Lady of the Angels Motherhouse
9:00 a.m. Eucharist
Little Portion
Following the Joyful Sunday Eucharist
August 12-17
September 7
Provincial Council at LCWR Conference
Orlando, FL
August 16
JPIC Welcomes Sr. Florence M.
Auditorium (Open House)
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Province Gathering (Sisters Only)
September 9 (all day),
10-11 (a.m. only)
Council Meetings
Clara Pfaender Room
September 17
Feast of the Stigmata
Our Lady of the Angels Motherhouse
8:30 a.m. Eucharist
September 22-28
Our Lady of the Angels Motherhouse
9:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m.
Plenary Council Meeting
September 8
September 27
Covenant Conversation Circle
Jubilee Room
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Rome
Taize Prayer Service
Our Lady of the Angels Motherhouse
7:00 p.m.
Wheaton Franciscans
26W171 Roosevelt Road
Wheaton, IL 60187-0667
630.909.6600
www.wheatonfranciscan.org
Layout and Design, Katie Chambers, [email protected]
Editor, CM Jeanne Connolly, [email protected]
eChips is produced monthly by the Wheaton Franciscans for Sisters, Covenant Members, and interested friends and partners.