Home again, home again, jiggedy jig....

Back home from Rome!  Great experience, but there is no place like home.  I give thanks to the good Lord, not only for our wonderful Chapter experience, our sister delegates and their hard work, for the super hospitality of our sisters at our Motherhouse in Rome, at our Borgo bed and breakfast place, at Sant Elia, and our Assisi places, for our inspiring prayer experiences, for the safety of all our travels...I could go on and on with my gratitudes!

Now back to work!  I even had to relearn how to work my office phone!  And back to the more common way of praying....in only one language!  Simplifies things.

This past week we celebrated the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basislica in Rome. We comemorate this church because it is the official church of the pope as Bishop of Rome, like our arch/diocesan cathedrals.

I loved the reflection from page 103 of "Give us This Day" for that day.  "...we do more than honor a building.  We celebrate an incredible spiritual truth: God dwells within us....we ourselves are sacred places!"

This belief "impacts our entire lives.  It means we show respect for our bodies by the food we eat, the rest we take, the healthy pace by which we live. Second, it reminds us that we find God not only by turning outward, but also by turning inward.  This means we take time to probe our thoughts and feelings, knowing we can find God's guidance in our hears.  And third, since we believe God dwells in others as well as ourselves, we also respect them by the way we talk to them, talk about them, interact with them."   (Credit Sr Melannie Svoboda)

I thought this was sooooo good, I wanted to share it with you.

Pace e bene....Italian for Peace and (all) Good 

Greetings from the Holy CIty!

Have been here in Rome for a week and a half.  Am participating in our SSM congregational General Assembly, also known as General Chaper.  We are delegates from Italy, Austria, Germany, Africa, the Dominican Republic, Bazil, the Caribbean, and the U.S.  Hope I got us all!

We began with a beautiful liturgy, followed by a day of prayer/reflection.  We have been busy discussing, discerning, planning our direction and electing leadeship for the next five years.  Daily Eucharist, of course, adoration and prayer are integral to our days.  All in the different languages!

Being an international congregation is quite exciting with our various cultures and languages...very time-consuming, but very necessary.  It is most amazing how simple translating is not simple!

Today we had an "audience" with Pope Benedict.  For me it was not really an audience as we were part of the thousands, yet we had "front pews"!

Being Franciscan, it is always important for us to visit Assisi and walk with Francis and Clare.  We spent time in our two houses in Assisi, ending with pizza at our Novitiate house.

It was also a very moving experience for me to spend time where our Mother Foundress, Frances Streitel, lived, ministered, prayed, died, and where we have her remains.

I am so fortunate and so grateful for all of the above....and more to come!

PACE e BENE..... 

Rome! Here I am!

A hearty GRACIAS to the Lord for a safe flight JFK to Rome, Italy!  Am here for our congregational General Chapter, a meeting to plan for the next five years and to elect our leadership for the next five years.  Holy Spirit, come!

We are so fortunate; our Motherhouse is a skip and a jump from the Vatican, a fifteen minute walk.  I can almost reach out my window and touch the dome!

I just need to share a wonderful reflection I read this week on the Gospel of the fellow who asked Jesus "And who is my neighbor?"  It's from Catherine de Hueck Doherty who notes that "we pass by one another without noticing, without stopping, without the slightest sign of recognition."  She advises that "it is time that Christians began to take notice of each person they meet. Each...is a brother or sister...each...needs to be recognized, to be given a token of friendship and love, be it only a smile, a nod of the head...Such love and recognition must always be given with deep reverence, irrespecive of the status...there is something in each of us that has dignity...Let us treat people with integrity and let us listen, listen and pray. ..Let us treat each person with deep integrity and respect and let us console, for through us flows the love of God the Father, the grace of the Son , and the illumination of the holy Spirit."

I was really touched by this reflection and felt I am on the right road.  When I attended Loyola University in Chicago, I lived off campus and walked a few blocks to classes.  I decided I would greet every person I met.  Needless to say, that was quite the experience!

I have continued my practice, not as faithfully, I must admit, and this reflection has served as a reminder of the importance of "noticing", "stopping", "recognizing" and acknowledging the other.  I think the Lord is nudging me!

Let him nudge you too....what difference YOU will make!

From Rome, with love...PACE e BENE!  

Happy Fall.....the season, I mean!

The colors are starting.  A new nature's beauty.  It's always so breath-taking, even after the myriad of times I've marvelled.  Such gift from our colorful God!

Just have to share the new insight or new idea I read.  This past week we had the familiar Corinthian reading about love: love is... all the definitions of love that Paul gives. 

The reflection book I use, "the WORD among us" had an interesting, and novel take. The writer suggested that for the word LOVE, we substitute the name of our parish....and how telling...OUR name.  I found that quite a new examination of conscience!

Try it!

What's new?

I truly believe the expression:  How time flies!  I cannot believe how long it's been since I was here.  That's a sign that I have been BUSY.   And indeed I have been.  And I thank God for this. I like to be busy as I get easily bored.  I love to make "TO DO" lists....it's such an accomplishment to check them off.

Busy, as I FINALLY am employed.  This is quite an accomplishment.  After I returned from the Domincan Republic, my time was taken up by sitting at the computer and checking diocese after diocese for ministry openings.  Nothing.  This was not a time for jobs to be available, but even afterwards, I seemed to be
over-educated, over-experienced....and I added "over-the-hill".  But as I figured, God had a plan...and I finally caught up with it.

I am now employed at St. Anthony the Hermit Parish in Menomonee Falls, WI as coordinator of RCIA and Adult Faith Formation...and loving it so far.  We have a wonderful pastor, prayerful, open, and a happy priest...all important qualities in my book.  I thank God for bringing me here.

This weekend I am speaking at all the Masses introducing myself and my ministry.  I hope the parishioners see a sister happy in her life of prayer, community, and service, a sister who is friendly, open, and inviting in her ministry.

I hope your Labor Day weekend is relaxing and renewing.

BLESSINGS.....

Jubilees

Just returned from celebrating our sisters' jubilees....70, 60, 50 years of being SISTERS OF THE SORROWFUL MOTHER....of ministry to God's people as teachers and nurses. What gift to the Church! We are blessed! It was a beautiful Eucharistic celebration, a wonderful luncheon, and an opportunity to catch up with what's going on in each other's lives. Also a wonderful surprise...a number of our former members came from Kansas and Oklahoma to celebrate with us. It was absolutely a joy to see them and hear what's been happening in their lives. I came away with such feelings of pride and joy...and gratitude.

Sixty years................

Yes, sixty years ago August 3rd I left my little ol' town of Villanueva, NM. And sixty years ago August 5th I set foot at 6618 North Teutonia Avenue, Milwaukee, WI. the Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, which would be my new home. I actually cannot believe it is 60 years. I have relived that leaving and that arriving these days and it has been bitter-sweet. My good-bye that Sunday morning was tough; kneeling for the family blessing always began the tears. Then my two-day train trip, never been away from home, and all the strangeness of that humongous Motherhouse....and to top it off it was retreat week..SILENCE! Followed by the grand celebrations of investiture and profession. Yet to me it was still bitter-sweet...I was homesick as could be... And now I sing "How Great Thou Art"...how great and gracious my God has been to me these 60 years...always there, always with me through thick and thin...and con- tinues to walk with me in my dailyness. Truly, my God, how great you have been, how great you continue to be for me. Gracias....thank you!