Angela Merici 475 Years of Spirit, Vision and Presence Icon by Fabio Nones of Trent Italy With the new year, the Ursulines usher in the 475th anniversary of our foundation by Angela Merici. Angela founded her company in Brescia, Italy (more recently famous as the home town of Pope Paul VI) to enable women to live consecrated lives in their own homes and keeping their occupations. At a time when women were expected to choose between a husband or a cloistered life, it was a daring move! As the company required no dowry, it was open to women of all social backgrounds. Today we give thanks for those who have gone before us and ask the blessings of the Holy Spirit on our future.
Prayer Shawl Ministry Flourishes A group of Valley women found a way to take a hobby and turn it into a way to help people that suffer from long term illnesses. The Prayer Shawl Ministry first began in 1998 in Hartford, Conn. Today it has blossomed into hundreds of chapters in every corner of the world. “The idea is, when each one of us starts at a home, or wherever we’re knitting, mentally we pray that whoever receives this garment will experience warmth and healing and comfort,” said Eileen Novotny, Ursuline Associate who is the organizer of the the local chapter here at the Motherhouse of the Ursuline Sisters. Click here to view local coverage of the Prayer Shawl Ministry as seen on WYTV
Emmanuel-God With Us Several years ago, I was leading the Children’s Liturgy of the Word on this feast of Christmas. As we were reflecting on this feast, one of the children asked me, “Sister, were the shepherds any different after they visited Jesus?” For years, that question has stayed with me. It didn’t take much for the shepherds to abandon their sheep and follow up on a strange message of angels! They saw the infant for themselves and then “they returned glorifying and praising God.” To whom or to what did they return? And were they changed because of their encounter with Christ? Did they return to their sheep? To their former way of a shepherding life? Maybe to some shepherds who didn’t go with them? In trying to answer that child’s question, I said they returned with a difference. Their encounter with this infant stirred in their hearts and changed their lives forever. We,too, are changed by our encounters with this Savior born to us. We are changed when we recognize and respond to this divine encounter. We encounter the Savior in the sick and suffering to whom we extend a healing hand, in the child who needs moral guidance, in a parent who needs an encouraging word, in a lonesome youth who needs a friend. And their presence changes our lives. Emmanuel not only came at a specific moment in history; Emmanuel is among us at all time. Even more, we are to make Emmanuel present.
Sister Kathleen Minchin was awarded the 5th Annual Ohio Department of Health 2009 Consortium Leadership Award ”] Sister Kathleen Minchin was awarded the 5th Annual Ohio Department of Health 2009 Consortium Leadership Award for her dedication to HIV community planning. In the words of the award presenter, “She offers hope and healing to all those she serves and does so with compassion, grace and humble commitment. Simply put, the gifts she has shared with those in the Youngstown area are immeasurable.” Congratulations Kathleen.
“Don’t Ever Loose Your Sense of Humor” Ursuline Sister, Sister Lois Walter, has been serving among the people of Youngstown for the past 14 years as a chaplain at Forum Health Northside Medical Center. She visits the patients in their rooms, spends time with them and prays with them. She is makes her patients laugh. You can often hear her say ” Don’t ever loose your sense of humor”. Lois also prepares the communion list and communicates with the parishes. Sister Lois is a strong presence of among the medical staff where she offers support and hope. As noted recently in the Vindicator she accompanied fifty nurses in their rally at the Nathaniel R. Jones Federal Building. The nurses wanted to give a message to the Board to go forward with the reorganization of the Medical Center. Sister Lois was asked to deliver the prayer on this occasion. Sister Lois was part of the staff at St. Edward Paris for several years as a pastoral minister and she is still a friendly face as she welcomes people and participates in the roles of lector and Eucharistic Minister. Among the Ladies of Charity, Sister Lois attends quarterly meetings where she offers a reflection. This group of Catholic women raises money and gives to charity. Their annual fundraisers are the Christmas Party which will be Dec. 14 and “Green Tea” in the Spring. A native of Massilion, Ohio, Sister Lois served at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Canton for 33 years before moving to Youngstown. She was a teacher and Religious Education Coordinator. At home among theSisters at the Ursuline Motherhouse or wherever her day takes her, Sister Lois is a positive witness of what it means to live a consecrated life as an Ursuline Sister today. Her smile reflects her inner spirit of peace and joy.
My Kingdom Does Not Belong to This World Since most of us have never lived in a kingdom and have no experience of relating to a king, our notion of kings and kingdoms tends to be along the lines of Camelot. A grand dream for a kingdom of this world. This feast we celebrate today, and its readings, hardly take us to this kind of kingdom. The Gospel is part of a dialogue between Jesus and Pilate at Jesus’ trial. Hardly Camelot! On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we see that Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. Nor is his kingdom a special place, but an interior identity defined by our relationship with Christ the King. This Sunday we celebrate a King whose presence and power we have experienced. Jesus’ kingdom exists wherever we embody Jesus’ manner of acting and relating, whenever the Spirit of Jesus is the rule of life. Our lives are totally about the good of the other. We enter into Jesus’ Kingdom when we proclaim, by word and service that Jesus is Lord of all. This kingdom does not belong to this world but it is meant to transform this world.
United States House of Representatives Honors Work of Women Religious On September 22. a resolution honoring the social, cultural and political contributions of Catholic sisters and the roles they have played in shaping life in the United States was unanimously approved by those present in the U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution, HR 441, pays tribute to the first Catholic sisters to live and work in the United States – nine Ursuline Sisters who journeyed from France to New Orleans in 1727; to the sisters work establishing the nation’s largest private school system; building hospitals, orphanages and charitable institutions; caring for the poor; and serving as activists in promoting peace, justice and democracy. HR 441 further recognize the sisters’ roles in opening the American West, nursing the sick during epidemics and “managing organizations long before similar positions were open to women.” LCWR History Committee The resolution was introduced by Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) last May and co-sponsored by Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH, 17th district), Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-OH, 6th district) and 65 members from both parties in response to the “Women and Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America” traveling exhibit. The exhibit is sponsored by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). The full text of the resolution is available on the LCWR Web site.
Ursuline Associate Brigid Kennedy Receives Honor The Mahoning Valley Professionals 20/30 Club and the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley have announced the 40 individuals to be honored at the fifth annual 40 under 40 Awards. The 40 Under 40 Awards program honors Valley residents 40 years old or younger who are making a positive impact in their professions and have demonstrated a commitment to community involvement. Among the 40 honorees for 2009 is Ursuline Associate Brigid Kennedy. Brigid is the Associate Director of the Ursuline Sisters HIV/AIDS Ministry. Brigid was selected based on her ministry and community service within our HIV/AIDS Ministry. Five of the 40 honorees will be recognized for special accolades as MVP Award winners during a ceremony 19 Nov 2009 at the Ford Family Recital Hall in the DeYor Performing Arts Center.
Being True to Jesus My nephew and I had the occasion to take a drive. Riding in the car provides a safe environment for a deep conversation, simply because the driver and passenger cannot visually engage. As we were driving, we were talking about belonging to a group and being accepted by a circle of close friends. Being part of and accepted by a circle of friends is how young people begin to sort out their self-identity. It is how they learn who they are. As we grow older the intensity for belonging lessens somewhat. Still we have a need for membership in a group. Some primary groups are a given-family for instance. Others are work related or social groups. Membership has its privileges. In our Gospel this Sunday, we hear that mere membership is not the last word. Membership has responsibilities. Jesus calls us to choose life – even when this involves something extremely radical. Choosing discipleship means aligning our way of thinking and acting to be that of Jesus. Discipleship must shape our daily choices. Membership is by action. Simply having a baptismal certificate doesn’t mean we belong in the deepest sense of what belonging means. Belonging to the community of the church means taking on the vision and goals of Jesus and working each day to integrate them into our daily lives. Faithful service is not expressed in the occasional good works. Faithful service is in the on-going patterns of unselfish, life-giving new behaviors.
Beatitude House Expansion in Warren. Beatitude House hosted an Open House on September 25, 2009 at 1370 Tod Aveneu NW, to present their nearly 1.5 million expansion to the Warren area. The event began with a brief dedication ceremony and included tours of the building and refreshments. The Beatitude House children’s choir performed at the ceremony. The expansion includes six apartments, a computer/classroom, a children’s playroom and offices for staff. With the completion of this project, Beatitude House is able to serve a total of 13 homeless families each year in Warren. As noted in the Warren Tribune: Sister Patricia said Beatitude House has been blessed with incredible support from the Warren area, noting Farmer’s National Bank and the Warren -Trumbull Home Consortium were two of the major funding sources . She said all the furniture, accessories, appliances and linens for the six new apartments were donated by various businesses, organizations, and churches in Trumbull County, including St. William Church in Champion. The Beatitude House has facilities in Youngstown, Girard and Warren for its two-year transitional housing program. Beatitude House is committed to serving disadvantaged women and children in the Mahoning Valley. By creating homes, providing educational opportunities and fostering healthy families, they provide women with the opportunity to transform their lives. To learn more about how you can help visit www.beatitudehouse.com or call 330.399.1971.
Nun as Construction Site Coordinator When Sister Betty Schuster went to college, she pursued a career in education. After a decade in Catholic Schools , the school in Long Island where she was teaching closed in the early 1990s. Betty then decided to spend a year in volunteer service in Youngstown, OH. Part of her volunteer time was spent in Catholic schools. But she also began to volunteer at Beatitude House, a program for homeless women and their dependent children. One year of volunteer service turned into two years; and two years have turned into a lifetime. She entered the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown in 1994 and made her perpetual profession of vows in 2000. Not only did Sister Betty move from New York to Ohio, she changed careers, and in a dramatic way. What had begun as a extra volunteer ministry has turned into a full time job. Sister Betty currently serves the Assistant Director of Beatitude House. One of her responsibilities as Assistant Director is to oversee the various sites where the families live. The site in Warren OH has just completed a $1.5 million renovation. Our Sister Betty served as the Construction Site Coordinator for the project. “I never thought of myself as working in construction. But I have always liked really getting involved in a project” said Sr. Betty. This “really getting involved” has meant meeting weekly with the construction workers and architect, overseeing the progress of the building, and preparing the space for occupancy for seven new families. Imagine having to figure out the cost to level your house in Hoston and get a building back up before the end of the year! These are families that have been homeless. Now in this House of Blessing, the name given to each of the housing sites operated by Beatitude House, mothers will get the education and support they need to help themselves move from homelessness to permanent housing, and children will live in a stable environment that will nurture their development. By the way, the dedication of the new space is this Friday, September 25, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. You can find it at 1370 Tod Ave, NW in Warren OH. An Open House will continue until 5:00 p.m.
The Bread From Heaven Don and Annie were “empty nesters” as far as their children were concerned. However for twelve years Annie’s mother had been living with them. At first, she was a great help but as the years rolled by age was not kind to her and she began to diminish in energy and enthusiasm. Then she was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She had only a short time to live and wanted to die in familiar surroundings. Annie and Don agreed to round the clock care. Annie and Don continued their loving care. Their heartaches were many – the pain, the constant demands, family obligations, work obligations. However the biggest heartache was expressed by Annie when she shared with me her longing for Eucharist. She had not been to Mass for so long because she didn’t want to leave her mother nor did she have the energy to get to Mass. Little did this overburdened daughter know that eucharistic acts are as common as bread and wine, as common as the self-sacrificing love we freely give to others. In our Gospel today, Jesus’ self-giving is now made present in the Eucharist. Our eating this bread and drinking of this cup draws us into the mystery of self-giving. And in sharing in this bread and drinking of this cup, we become Eucharist for others. Annie and Don became Eucharist for their family.
I Am the Bread of Life Last Sunday, the Israelites were grumbling about food; this Sunday the crowd is grumbling about who Jesus says he is. At least today, the grumbling is about what is really important – the identity of Jesus and how we gain eternal life! The surprise this Sunday is how persistent God is in bringing us to new and eternal life. Jesus persists in revealing himself as the bread sent by God to nourish us for our journey to eternal life. And it is not without cost. For Jesus it is the cross. For us it is the bread of suffering. To eat of this bread is to take upon ourselves a life of self-giving. That is why the Gospel is so difficult. We are planted firmly on this good earth – we are to give our very self for the life of the world through the good we do every day for others. No wonder the murmuring.
Sister Bridget Nolan Sister Bridget Nolan is the daughter of the late Donald and Lucille Barton Nolan. She entered the Ursuline Sisters from St. Paul the Apostle Parish, New Middletown, after graduating from Cardinal Mooney High School. She earned a B.S. in Education from Youngstown State University and an M.A. in Education from Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois. She taught at St. Nicholas, Struthers, St. Rose, Girard, in Youngstown at Immaculate Conception, Sacred Heart, Holy Family as teacher and principal and St. Charles as teacher and assistant principal. She served in parish ministry at Immaculate Conception, Ravenna, and St. Charles, Youngstown. She was past Director at The Ursuline Center in Canfield. For several years, she has worked in the Ursuline Sisters’ community archives and as Director of the Company of Angela. She was an adjunct teacher for the Sisters of St. Joseph, Rocky River, and the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland at their Spirituality Center. Currently, she serves as the Ursuline Motherhouse Administrator.
Sister Dorothy Kundracik Sister Dorothy Kundracik is the daugher of the late Michael and Margaret Martinko Kundracik. She entered the Ursuline Sisters from St. Patrick Parish after graduating from Ursuline High School. She earned a B.S. in Education from Youngstown State University and an M. Ed. from Indiana University in Pennsylvania. She has taught at St. John, Campbell, St. Nicholas, Struthers, Immaculate Conception, Wellsville, St. Joan of Arc, Canton, St. Rose, Girard, Immaculate Conception, Sacred Heart, SS. Cyril & Methodius, all in Youngstown, St. Labre Indian School, Ashland, Montana and Little Big Horn College, Crow Agency, Montana. She served in parish ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes, East Palestine, St. Aloysius, East Liverpool, and St. Dennis Parish, Crow Agency, Montana. She has worked in our Motherhouse community Healthcare Center and as a caregiver for Home Care Alternatives. Currently, she works at the SCOPE Senior Center in Lordstown.
Sister Elizabeth Anne Freidhoff Sister Elizabeth Anne Freidhoff is the daughter of the late John and Elizabeth Calpin Freidhoff. She entered the Ursuline Sisters from St. Patrick Parish after graduating from Ursuline HighSchool. She earned a B.S. in Education from Youngstown State University, an M.A. in Education from the University of Dayton and pursued further graduate studies at Ursuline College, Cleveland. She has taught at various levels and schools: St. Nicholas, Struthers, St. Rose, Girard, in Youngstown at Sacred Heart, St. Columba, St. Charles where she also served in pastoral ministry, Holy Family in Poland, The Ursuline Preschool and Kindergarten and Cardinal Mooney High School. Currently, she serves as Secretary for the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown.
Sister Mary Lee Nalley’s Contribution to “The Immaculate” Sister Mary Lee Nalley has served Immaculate Conception Parish since 1972. She started teaching in the grade school and eventually became the pastoral minister. As pastoral minister, Sister Mary Lee coordinates the schedules for Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist and servers. Her ministry also includes being an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist to the homebound and issuing vouchers for the Saint Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. As Sister Mary Lee reflects on her ministry at “The Immaculate”, she recalls: “I have a long history with “The Immaculate”, first as a parishioner and now as a pastoral minister. As I sit in the church pew, I am reminded of how my time here matches my journey of faith. I think of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: ‘When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became an adult, I put aside childish things.’ The parish represents my ever growing relationship with God and the people of God. I serve here as a servant of God, living out the love God has shown me.” “I have witnessed the baptisms, marriages and funerals of many from “The Immaculate”. My role, as I see it, is to accompany them on their journey of faith, not as a leader but as a fellow traverler.” As an Ursuline Sister and daughter of Saint Angela Merici, all that Sister Mary Lee is and all that she does is for the Glory of God alone.
Send Me We have a preschool connected to our Motherhouse. One day as I walked by our Kindergarten, I overheard the teacher asking the children what they wanted to do when they grew up. The answers came rather quickly- astronaut, president, doctor. Their answers leaned toward bigger than life careers. The ordinary and mundane were not part of their responses. Yet their teacher pursued the conversation and encouraged her students to remember, no matter what they did, they were to be of service to others. In our Gospel, Jesus sends the disciples on mission, to be of service to those they meet and to take nothing extra on the way. All they needed for success was the grace Jesus offered them and His commission and authority. We who are Jesus’ disciples today are sent in the same way. Traveling light, we carry with us the authority of Jesus to enable others to know his love and action in their life and to bring them to fullness of life. By acting faithfully, we are God’s instruments bringing life and healing to others.