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Fall 2004 • A Publication of the Sisters of Charity, BVM
The Latinization of
U.S.
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The Latinization of U.S.
Fall Two Thousand and Four
Volume 33, Number 1
Mission Statement: As Sisters of
Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we
are called to participate in the mission
of Jesus. Our choice of ministry is in
keeping with our BVM mission: being
freed and helping others enjoy freedom
in God’s steadfast love. BVM
Constitutions, No. 10
3
Seasoning
by BVMs Joellen McCarthy, Peggy Nolan, Mary Ann Zollmann
4
BVM Ministry in Latin America: Beginnings
6
The Latinization of the United States: Hope and Challenge
by Eileen McGovern, BVM
by Judy Callahan, BVM
SALT is a quarterly magazine
published for friends of the Sisters of
Charity, BVM.
Editor: Mira Mosle, BVM
Design Editor: Angie J. Connolly
Communication Advisory Committee:
Mary Elizabeth Galt, BVM; Amy Golm,
BVM; Jeanne Harrington, Associate;
Sara McAlpin, BVM; Margaret A.
McGinn, BVM; Joan Newhart, BVM; Pat
Rogers, BVM
Subscriptions: $7.50 per year, write:
SALT, 1100 Carmel Drive, Dubuque,
Iowa 52003-7991, ph. (563) 588-2351,
or email: [email protected]
2004–2005 Calendar
Oct. 31 Mass for Benefactors,
Wright Hall
Nov. 6 Mass for Benefactors, Mount
Carmel
Nov. 12–14 “Come and See”
Weekend, Mount Carmel
Feb. 6 Diamond Jubilee Celebration,
Mount Carmel
March 12 Gannon Center Women’s
Conference, Loyola University,
Chicago, “Women’s Experience: A
Global Perspective,” with Patricia
Schroeder
April 10 Immaculata High School
Alumnae Luncheon, Chateau
Ritz, Niles
April 24 St. Mary High School
Alumnae Luncheon, Hilton
Hotel, Oak Lawn
July 9 Golden Jubilarian
Celebration, Mount Carmel
Sept. 11 Diamond and Local Golden
Jubilee Celebration, Mount Carmel
Internet Address:
www.bvmcong.org
Email Address:
[email protected]
Member of
Catholic Press Association
Printed on Recycled Paper.
2
SA LT M A G A Z I N E
8
ESL and Beyond: BVMs Minister in Middle America
by Margaret A. McGinn, BVM
10
And Still They Come
by Carol Cook, BVM
12
Take Nothing for the Journey
by Pat Rogers, BVM
14
BVM Spanish Educator Shares Love of Language, Culture
15
Looking Back: BVMs Educate Hispanic Women in the ’70s
by Amy Golm, BVM
by Elizabeth Avalos, BVM
16
An Interview with Isabel Conchos, BVM:
One Hispanic’s One-World View
by Mary Clare Sweeney, BVM
18
Bi-Lingual BVM Counselor Travels the Countryside
19
Spanish Tutoring a Mutual Learning Experience
by Sara McAlpin, BVM
by Associate Jocile Walsh
20
To Build a Better World One Cup at a Time
by Associate Gabe Blood
21
Alternative Investments: Helping Persons on Margins
Become Successful Entrepreneurs
by Margaret Mary Cosgrove, BVM
22
Colombia Today: A Land Torn Yet Hopeful
by Associate Jeanne Harrington
23
SALT Briefs
Dear SALT Readers,
Ven con nosotros al caminar, Santa Maria, ven.”
“Come with us as we walk, Holy Mary. Come.”
This refrain from a popular hymn sung throughout Latin America invites us into the theme of this
issue of SALT: the Latinization of the United States.
For BVMs this process of Latinization has been a
graced walk, grounded in our deep belief that God’s
spirit is transforming us all into one people, sharing
one planet, creating one future.
In these pages you will read how BVMs along
with many other congregations of religious responded to Pope John XXIII’s request to send
sisters, brothers and priests to minister in Mexico,
Central and South America.
Similar to our first members leaving Ireland in
1833, some of us left the familiarity of home to
meet the challenges of language, culture and
service awaiting us in Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
Little did we realize that as we left home to
minister south of our border, many Latin Americans
were leaving their homes to face the challenges of
living in “El Norte.” We have been on the road
together for the last 40 years.
Though a small number of BVMs have actually
traveled the road to minister in Latin America, their
presence there has made an enormous impact on the
congregation as a whole. Through them we have
learned first hand of a different way of doing life—of
daily rhythms of work and leisure and worship set in a
context where family and relationship are paramount.
We have experienced different ways of understanding the role of the individual, the use of time,
the value of law. We have seen the effects of the
United States’ economic and military decisions
played out in places far away from Washington, DC.
Some of us, having stepped out of U.S. culture for a
while, have helped the rest of us see our American
culture with fresh eyes.
Given this background, BVMs were more prepared
than many as thousands upon thousands of Latinos
appeared in our cities, our neighborhoods our workplaces and our churches over the last four decades.
Because of our background we were less likely to
ask, “Why can’t they be more like us?” and more
inclined to say, “Look at the gifts they bring that will
help us all live more whole and healthy lives.”
The presence of Hispanics brought new opportunities to live out the BVM core values of education,
justice, freedom and charity. In this issue you will
read stories of BVMs and Associates ministering
with Latinos, whether in Kankakee, Los Angeles,
Dubuque or Phoenix. Together they meet the
challenges of two languages, two cultures, two
styles of worshipping.
Many BVMs and Associates not directly ministering with Hispanics meet similar challenges as they
find Latinos sitting in their classrooms, social
service agencies or parish halls.
With all of its richness and complexity, the
Latinization of this country will continue. Marketers, politicians and evangelists are well aware that
the United States is the fifth largest Spanish speaking country in the world.
And as Latinos continue to move north, so will
some BVMs and Associates continue to take the
road south, and others will engage in Hispanic
ministry in this country.
The presence of two Ecuadorian women in our
novitiate in Dubuque this year has heightened our
cross-cultural awareness as a congregation. Key
BVM documents are being translated into Spanish.
More BVMs and Associates have enrolled in Spanish
language classes, even traveling to Guatemala for a
language immersion program.
As you enjoy this issue of SALT may you venture
forth on the road with us—a road that leads to the
tip of South America and all the way back to the
cluster of Hispanic families closest to your neighborhood.
May you learn as we have that the differences
Hispanics bring are indeed a great gift to us individually and collectively. In appreciating our
differences may we recognize our oneness.
Ven con nosotros al caminar, Santa Maria, ven.”
“Come with us as we walk, Holy Mary. Come.”
FA L L T WO T H O U S A N D A N D FOUR
3
On July 7, 1961 Sister Helen
Wright (then Mother Consolatrice)
wrote a letter to all BVM houses
announcing that a decision had been
made to send two sisters to Bogotá,
Colombia later that summer and to
assign two sisters to study at St.
Louis University to prepare them for
ministry in Latin America.
BVM Ministry in Latin America:
Beginnings
by Eileen McGovern, BVM
That was an historic moment in the BVM congregation. Earlier, sisters had studied in foreign
countries, but this was the first time that BVMs were
assigned to minister in a foreign country.
In her letter she made it clear that she envisioned this commitment to Latin America as continuing indefinitely. She stated, “I wish to make it
clear that this is only the beginning of an important
apostolic work and that there is a possibility that
many of our sisters will be needed for this work.”
Urgings from Rome
Shortly after assuming the pontificate, Pope John
XXIII had begun urging religious congregations to
make a commitment to the church’s ministry in
Latin America, and Helen Wright was responding to
that plea.
Later that summer at the University of Notre
Dame, Msgr. Agostino Casaroli, a representative of
the Vatican Pontifical Commission for Latin
America, addressed the 150 major superiors of
religious congregation of men and women in the
U.S. present at that convocation. He asked that
within the next ten years each congregation send
ten percent of its membership as of that year to
serve the church in Latin America.
In 1961 more than 200,000 religious served in
the United States. So if that request were fulfilled, it
would result in around 20,000 American religious
devoting themselves to service in Latin America.
For the BVM congregation, this would mean
sending about 200 sisters to Latin America within
ten years. In his address Msgr. Casaroli described
U.S. congregations as “rich in personnel.”
It is interesting to note that in Helen Wright’s
letter to the congregation, she mentioned that more
than 100 young women would be entering our
novitiate program that summer.
The Mission Begins
The first four BVMs assigned to the program
were Veronica Moore (Ruth Marie), Eileen
McGovern (James Leone), the late Liam Gallagher
and Mary Loftus (Malachy).
BVMs Liam Gallagher and Mary Loftus find warmth
in wool ruanas.
4
Photo top: After the Commissioning Ceremony, BVMs assigned
to Bogotá (l. to r.) Eileen McGovern, Liam Gallagher, Veronica
Moore and Mary Loftus gather with Dubuque Archbishop Leo
Binz, Sister Helen Wright and chaplain Msgr. Francis Dunn.
Veronica and Eileen went to the Jesuit university
in Bogotá with the intention that they would return
to the States the following year to begin doctoral
studies in Education and in Sociology. Liam and
Mary were assigned to begin their studies at St.
Louis University that fall.
Veronica returned to St. Louis after a year and
was replaced by Adora Pelland, BVM. Both Liam
and Mary Loftus came to Bogotá after finishing their
studies at St. Louis University in sociology and
education, respectively.
In l963 St. Louis University obtained a contract
with US-AID to update English language teaching at
the Catholic university in Ecuador. BVM sisters
were requested for that program, and Helen Wright
responded by sending now-deceased Margaret
Houlihan, BVM (St. Jude) to Quito to work in the
English language program there. Two years later
BVM Thaddene McTeague (Patricia McTeague)
joined Margaret in Quito.
At that time an American Jesuit, John Halligan,
was working with the shoeshine boys in Quito. On
a visit to the States in 1963 he visited with Helen
Wright and asked for sisters to assist him in his
project. In 1967 Miguel Conway, BVM went to
Quito to work with John Halligan.
Within the next few years BVMs Anna Priester
and Mary Waddell (Valerie) joined her. What began
as a place where the shoeshine boys could come for
a meal and wholesome recreation has now grown to
become a center where not only these young
entrepreneurs, but also their families, are welcomed
for three meals every day except Sunday, an opportunity for education, and daily liturgy.
Joan Newhart, BVM (Joan Michael) joined the
faculty of the chemistry department at Universidad
Javeriana in Bogotá in l965 and remained there
until 1968 when she and Eileen McGovern left their
teaching positions at the university in Bogotá to
help establish the chemistry and sociology departments at a Jesuit university in Salta, Argentina.
Unlike the Universidad Javeriana, which had
been founded in 1622, the Catholic University of
Salta was a new foundation in an area of Argentina
where Catholic higher education had never been
available. The BVM connection with that university
lasted just one year.
Thus, ten years after our initial commitment to
Latin America only eleven BVMs had been assigned to
ministry in Latin America. The world and the church
had both changed dramatically during that decade.
sabbatical year by spending time in Guatemala.
When Adele returned to the States after that experience, she felt that she had been enriched in a way
that she had not dreamed possible.
She concluded that other BVMs should be offered
the same kind of opportunity. The following
summer at the BVM Senate of 1978 Adele introduced a proposal that the congregation fund a
program designed to offer BVMs a Third World
experience. The proposal passed, a committee was
formed that fall, and the summer of l979 eight
BVMs spent six weeks at a ministry site in Mexico,
Ecuador or Guatemala.
In succeeding years BVMs were hosted also in
the Philippines, Africa and India, but of the 67
BVMs who participated in that program in the first
ten years of its operation, two-thirds had their
experience in a Latin American country.
A Continuing Choice
The short-term experience led many BVMs to a
further commitment in working with Hispanics in
Central and South America, and here in the United
States. When sisters were free to choose their
ministries, the Spirit continued to lead BVMs south
of the border.
Numerous BVMs have served the Family of

Families in Quito
Anna Priester and Mary Waddell moved from

Ecuador to Guatemala, where they have ministered for 15 years
Joellen McCarthy worked with the Maryknoll

Sisters in Nicaragua for several years
Former BVM Pat McTeague, together with Sonya

Rendon, founded Nuevo Mundo School in
Guayaquil, Ecuador. BVMs taught there, and Ann
Credidio, BVM then was led to establish Damien
House for persons with Hansen’s disease.
Thus, although the program Sister Helen Wright
envisioned did not come to fruition, through the
years the spirit of collaboration with and love for the
Hispanic people has grown and deepened.
About the author: Eileen McGovern, BVM, one of the South
America pioneers, ministers as a Spanish therapist with Catholic
Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Short-term Opportunities Offered
It is very possible that our BVM commitment to
Latin America might have remained minimal
except for the enthusiasm of Adele Henneberry,
BVM. Adele was elected to leadership in December
1967. During her years in leadership she had had
the opportunity to visit the sisters in our Latin
American missions.
After completing two terms on the leadership
team, she studied Spanish and concluded her
Veronica Moore, BVM teaches students at Universidad Javeriana.
FA L L T W O T H O U S A N D A N D F O U R
5
It comes as a surprise to no one that the United
States is rapidly increasing in cultural and racial
diversity. While immigration has been strong
in the past century, globalization has impacted a
stronger movement of peoples throughout the
world, and especially to the United States.
The Latinization of the United States:
Hope & Challenge
by Judy Callahan, BVM
Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco terms the movement of a heterogeneous blend of relatively
recent arrivals from Asia, the Caribbean, and
above all, Latin America—first and foremost
Mexicans—, “Latinization.”
He defines “Latinization” as “the processes
of sociocultural, economic and political hemispheric change traced to the experiences,
travails and fortunes of the Latin-American
origin population of the United States.”1
Latin America is in the midst of an unprecedented exodus, most of whom choose the U.S.
This country is therefore undergoing a profound demographic change.
Recent data indicate that the white European-origin population is declining while the
Latin American-origin population is growing
exponentially.
Projected Hispanic Population Growth
96,500,000
100,000,000
90,000,000
80,200,000
Number of Hispanics
80,000,000
70,000,000
52,700,000
60,000,000
50,000,000
35,300,000
40,000,000
30,000,000
20,000,000
10,000,000
0
6
2000
(actual)
2020
2040
Year
2050
The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that in
just two generations 25% of the U.S. population
will be of Latin origin.
In 2000, 35.3 million Hispanics in the U.S.

made up 12.5% of the total population,
surpassing the African Americans as the
largest minority group.
Since 1990, the nation’s Hispanic population

increased 58%, up from a total of 22.4
million in 1990.
According to the 2000 Census, 16.1 million—nearly half—of the nation’s 31.1 million
foreign-born residents were born in Latin
America. Of the total Hispanic population of
35.3 million, 20.5 million, or nearly 58%, are of
Mexican origin.
The USCCB Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs
projects the growth in the Hispanic population:
2020 – 52.7 million

2040 – 80.2 million

2050 – 96.5 million – 24.5% of the U.S.

population.2
Changing Realities
We recall that in U.S. history, the border
crossed Mexico before Mexicans crossed the
border, resulting in several centuries of a LatinAmerican presence in the Southwest.
Nevertheless, today the majority of the
Mexican-origin population of the U.S. is either
immigrant or first generation U.S. born.
Roughly one in four immigrants in the States
today is Mexican.
The “waves” of immigration since 1980
include large-scale immigration from Mexico plus
newer flows from Central America, South
America and the Caribbean. These waves were
the results of powerful economic forces and sociocultural practices including wars and oppression.
Originally migration to the U.S. from
Mexico was temporary and seasonal, but
globalization, economic restructuring and
sociocultural changes in the Americas insure
that Mexican immigration will be long-term.
Economic inequality, underemployment and
unemployment in Latin America have caused
new migratory pressures.
This migration is encouraged as well by a
voracious and enduring demand for Mexican
immigrant workers in many sectors of the
economy, especially meat and poultry industries and construction in many states which
until recently did not have a significant immigrant presence.
Intensified border patrols did little to stop
the flow, but only made migration more difficult and dangerous. Reunification of families
contributes to both legal and undocumented
immigration.
Hispanic Ministry and the Church
According to the USCCB Secretariat for
Hispanic Affairs, approximately 39%—25
million of the nation’s 65 million U.S. Catholics—are Hispanic. Seventy-two percent of
Hispanics in the U.S. are Catholic, and have
accounted for 71% of the Catholic growth in the
United States since 1960.
In a priest to Catholic ratio, there are 9,925
Hispanic Catholics per Hispanic priest, while
there are 1,230 Catholics per priest in the
general Catholic population. Thirteen percent
of current seminarians are Hispanic.
While recent documents such as “Encuentro
and Mission,” Welcoming the Stranger Among Us:
Unity in Diversity” and others reveal a concern
on the part of bishops to respond pastorally to
the Hispanic presence, the response on a
parish level is all too commonly inadequate.
Thus, we see the amazingly flourishing
pentecostal and fundamentalist sects who
provide a home for Hispanics/Latinos, who
have a profound faith and longing for an
experience that speaks to them linguistically,
spiritually and culturally.
Some dioceses and parishes take initiative
through peace and justice work to seriously
look at racist and nativist practices and respond
to the Hispanic presence. Some enjoy the
support of Hispanic ministry offices at the
diocesan, regional and national levels.
Others feel frustrated at the lack of support
and initiative of pastoral leaders in responding to
the growing immigrant presence in their midst.
The church is far behind many social
organizations which encounter Hispanic/Latino
needs and learn how to respond to them.
Businesses also are aware of the value of the
Hispanics spending and respond with sensitivity training for employees and research into the
buying power of this growing population.
Too often the church reflects a receptionist
attitude, responding only to those who cross the
doorway, but lacking a missionary and evangelical emphasis in its ministry.
Many look at the growing Hispanic/Latino
population and feel overcome by the challenges
of language and cultural differences.
Others come to know through personal
contacts and experience the beauty of the
Hispanic/Latino culture with its emphasis on
family, generosity, deep-centered faith, sense
of humor and presence to others.
They find joy and spiritual enrichment
through solidarity with the Hispanic presence.
They realize that the United States church and
society as a whole is profoundly blessed by a
“Latinization” of the United States.
About the author: Judy Callahan, BVM (Eugene Mary)
has spent many years in Hispanic ministry. She is
currently on the Initial Membership team.
Originally
migration to the
U.S. from
Mexico was
temporary and
seasonal, but
globalization,
economic
restructuring
and sociocultural changes in
the Americas
insure that
Mexican immigration will be
long-term.
Endnotes:
1 Suarez-Orozco, Marcelo. “Mexican Immigration…and
the Latinization of the United States”; Revista. Harvard
Review of Latin America
2 www.usccb.org/hispanicaffairs/demo.htm
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7
ESL and Beyond:
BVMs Minister in Middle America
by Margaret A. McGinn, BVM
Cooperativa de Mujeres (Women’s
Co-op) was formed. Judy and Mary
organized parishioners to drive, and
the mothers themselves took turns
babysitting. St. Teresa’s provided
the childcare space, and the sisters
helped with the ESL classes.
Needs Expanded
Mary Kelliher, BVM works with her ESL class.
In an election year, immigration
is a hot topic.
Although supported by the U.S.

Conference of Bishops and a
majority of the U.S. Senate, a bill
which would enable agricultural
workers to attain legal status
more easily has little chance of
debate before November.
In the Illinois legislature this

spring a bill to allow drivers’
licenses for such workers failed.
In March a Harvard social

science professor unleashed a
xenophobic tirade suggesting that
Hispanic immigrants are undermining the country’s values.
But in spite of these difficulties, a
group of BVMs continues to work
with such immigrants in a small
town south of Chicago.
The BVM presence in Kankakee
began in 1990 when Judith
Callahan, BVM (Eugene Mary)
came to work in the Hispanic
ministry of St. Teresa Parish, where
8
she formed a women’s prayer group.
Mary McElmeel, BVM (Eugenne)
soon joined her.
At the beginning obvious needs
surfaced. The women could not
speak English to their children’s
teachers or doctors, and even
shopping was difficult. Many
worked nights but were willing to
attend class during the day.
Classes in English as a Second
Language (ESL) were available at
King Center, an outreach of Kankakee
Community College, but the women
were hampered by the lack of transportation and the need for childcare.
To address these problems, La
With an influx of immigrants in
the ’90s, the community college was
forced to open new classrooms, and
no one was more qualified to teach
than the sisters who had served as
volunteers. St. Teresa’s again
stepped in to provide additional
classroom space.
Through the years more BVMs
also arrived—Mary Kelliher
(Maurita), Eileen Powell (Robertrese),
Isabel Conchos and Mary Crimmin
(Agnes). Judy, Eileen and Isabel
have now moved on to other ministries (see pp. 16–17).
At present, classes are conducted
at two facilities and Mary Crimmin
now organizes the drivers and
babysitters, as well as teaching
classes.
Currently, the ESL program
services mainly Hispanics, many
from the state of Guanajuato in
Mexico. And new immigrants
continue to arrive. Recently, a small
number of Polish have enrolled, as
well as Russians, Romanians,
Bulgarians, Vietnamese and Thai.
In the course of the years, the site
has applied for and received various
grants from the Campaign for Human
Development. These have funded
▼
ESL on Wheels
ESL teacher Rosemary Surby, BVM is part of a traveling teaching
adventure. “Because the need is immediate here in the Chicago area, the
School on Wheels reaches out to various suburban areas and primarily
Hispanic women who do not work during the daytime. I love teaching adult
women. They love the experience of learning on a bus. It’s an innovative
way to teach English as a Second Language.”
This is Rosemary’s fifth year of teaching ESL to primarily Hispanic students of all
ages. She’s been on the faculty of McCormac College, Aquinas tutoring agency, and
the School on Wheels.
▼
Judith Callahan
Isabel Conchos
the women’s co-op, a youth ministry,
workshops on Hispanic leadership,
and a clinic. They have regularly
applied for available diocesan grants
in order to provide medicine for the
clinic and translators. The cooperative also sponsors workshops for the
mothers on parenting skills as health
care, nutrition, dental needs and child
protection.
Through the years the needs
have changed and the sisters have
adapted to those needs. The
present students are more settled in
the community, with some of the
original students now serving as
translators themselves. Many have
moved to better jobs.
Some of the women now have
drivers’ licenses and no longer
depend on others to drive. As more
and more women complete the ESL
training, some have advanced to the
GED program, and still others are
pursuing an Associates’ Degree at
the community college.
Parish Involvement
Although the ESL program
involves four mornings and two
evenings a week, the sisters also
are an integral part of the parish.
They coordinate the food pantry and
the clothing center with contributions from parishioners.
Also, since the beginning of La
Cooperativa de Mujeres, Rev.
Anthony Taschetta, the pastor at
that time, arranged for the sisters to
use the collection from the Spanish
liturgy as a special fund. The needy
can apply for aid in meeting their
rent, light or telephone bills, purchasing medicine, or loans for other
extraordinary needs.
The sisters cannot stress enough
the generosity of the parish. The
parish owns the house the sisters
live in. They pay reasonable rent,
and the parish also provides car
insurance. The present pastor, Rev.
Mary Crimmin
Mary Kelliher
Gregor Gorsic, continues to support
this ministry.
In the future the sisters foresee
the continuation of the ESL program, but other needs are surfacing.
The counseling service could be
expanded, as well as the clinic. ESL
classes will enable students to
navigate the grocery aisles, but
describing a physical or emotional
problem adequately is beyond their
ability.
The sisters also serve as members of the Peace and Justice
Committee and its sub-group, the
Hunger Coalition. The committee
is currently addressing the issue
that many immigrants work fulltime shifts of 40–50 hours per week
without benefits.
Creating a Hospitable
Environment
The Kankakee area contains one
of the largest Midwest nurseries,
and the gladiola fields employ large
numbers of immigrants. Others
work on the potato farms, or in such
industries as processing chocolate or
meatpacking.
The farming and processing
economy of the Kankakee area
depends on these laborers, and the
mayor and law-enforcement officials
recognize this fact.
The Peace and Justice Committee is also concerned about the
drivers’ license situation, which
they view as an issue of public
safety, since most undocumented
workers drive now, but without
licenses or insurance.
A valid license would require
proving minimum skills and make
possible the purchase of insurance.
Although provisions for such
licenses exist in eight other states,
the Illinois legislature rejected it.
In a spring issue of the magazine
Foreign Policy, Harvard professor
Samuel P. Huntington claims that
Mary McElmeel
Eileen Powell
immigrants, particularly Hispanics,
are dividing the country according to
language and culture. He accuses
them of disregarding our Protestant
work ethic, not valuing education,
and being content to live in poverty.
When presented with these
charges, the sisters bristled. How
could one work in an ESL program
and accept the premise that new
immigrants do not want to learn
English. Why are such programs
expanding?
How are the Mexican immigrants any different from earlier
groups? Each ethnic group seeks
comfortable enclaves. The sisters
see the immigrants as providing a
welcome relief from the stressed-out
American lifestyle. They bring with
them local feasts which they celebrate enthusiastically. Can we not
learn from them to take time out
occasionally?
Rather than being content to live
in poverty, the immigrants hope to
escape from that poverty. It seems
absurd to censure people who
struggle at two or three jobs with no
vacation and no benefits.
They are striving not only to better
their own lives and those of their
children, but also to send money to
their families in Mexico. Many
Mexican villages depend on the
wages of their sons and daughters.
And the Mexican economy needs to
export workers—a win-win situation.
Each group of immigrants has
enriched the country, and the
Mexican agricultural workers are no
exception. A parish bulletin includes
St. Teresa’s motto—”There’s room at
the table for all.” Today’s Mexican
immigrants in Kankakee are blessed
to have found such a place.
About the author: Margaret A. McGinn,
BVM (Daniel Anne) teaches at Truman
College in Chicago and is a member of the
Communications Advisory Committee.
9
Imagine a job listing with this
description: An opportunity to work
8–12 hours a day, six days a week in
fields where the temperature reaches
up to 100 degrees. Exposure to
pesticides is highly likely. Benefits
include a very low wage, and
barrack style living in trailers with
tin roofs. One or two bathrooms/
showers, a stove and refrigerator are
shared by 15–30 workers. There is
no air conditioning and screens are
not always secure.
Carol Cook, BVM (2nd from left) visits a farm worker camp in Raleigh, N.C. with members of
the NFWM Board.
▼
And Still They Come
by Carol Cook, BVM
Would anyone apply for this job?
Yes, thousands do. Some are citizens of the U.S. but most are from
Mexico, with smaller numbers from
Haiti and Central America.
Currently, as U.S. border security
has closed off much of the border
with California and Texas by means
of fences and increased border
control personnel, the Arizona
desert is the main point of entry.
For those who enter the U.S.
without the required documents, the
trip is very costly. In addition to
money needed for travel to the
border, it has become almost
necessary to hire a coyote or people
smuggler to negotiate the dangerous
journey across the desert.
The cost for a coyote varies but
is at least $2,000. Though the
coyote system provides more
possibility of crossing the desert it,
too, has its risks. Travelers have
been abandoned, robbed or “sold” to
crew leaders. Since 1995 at least
2,250 migrants have died trying to
cross the U.S.–Mexico border.
Daunting Obstacles
Those who are successful face
new challenges. Immigration
officers may pick them up, hold
them in jail and then return them to
their country of origin. Those forced
to return often lose their self confi-
dence and become depressed. Not
only have they failed themselves,
but also their families and friends
who sold goods and borrowed at a
very high rate to pay the travel
costs. These persons anticipated
receiving money from the worker.
Those who escape these challenges often sign up (for a price)
with a crew leader who will take
them to a farm to fulfill the job
description.
Some workers enter under the
H2A immigration classification.
This allows U.S. growers who state
they are unable to hire workers in
the U.S. to contract with workers
from abroad. Though the wage is
higher, living situations are similar.
Fear of raids by the immigration
authorities makes workers suspicious
of anyone who comes to the camps.
Most workers do not speak English or
know their rights and therefore do
not complain about living conditions,
problems with wages or housing, or
report illnesses.
Usually the camps are in isolated
areas and workers are dependent on
the farmer or crew leader for very
limited trips to stores and an oppor-

UFW and BVMs
This current situation is similar
to that which moved Cesar Chavez
to leave his job and move his family
to live with the workers and eventually to form the United Farm Workers Union (UFW).
In 1973 those trying to block the
union were using violent tactics.
Cesar, who was dedicated to nonviolence, called on churches and
religious groups to become active in
the struggles of workers to have a
union contract. He knew the presence of these groups would help
prevent violence against the workers.
BVMs Carol Frances Jegen, Mary
Ellen Caldwell (Eugenio) and Betty
Pleas (St. Laura) were part of a
large group who joined a picket line
in California in 1973 and spent 12
days in prison for this action.
How You Can Get Involved

10
tunity to use a phone or send
money home.
One worker said, “What the boss
did was scold us and treat all of us
workers badly. He held us like we
were slaves, like we were animals
for hire. I don’t know how to say it,
but that’s how he treated us.”
Honor the boycott of Taco Bell. And tell the store manager on a comment card.
Join the campaign of Gallo workers; get information at www.unitedfarmworkers.com
Visit www.nfwm.org for updates on actions.
At that summer’s BVM Senate,
the sisters announced support for the
National Farm Worker Ministry
(NFWM). The community became
members of NFWM in 1976. The late
Barbara Kutchera (George Mary) was
the first BVM to serve on the Board.
NFWM traces its history back
through a continuous line of state and
national ministries with migrant
workers that began in 1920. Today
NFWM is a movement within the
churches to be present with and
support farm workers as they organize to overcome powerlessness and
achieve justice, equality and freedom.
As the current BVM board
member of NFWM, I have had
opportunities to visit labor camps,
hear the stories of workers, join in
actions with a union, participate in
press conferences and meet with
legislators. It is here in the stories
and faces of the farm workers that
information about farm workers
become very real and personal.
Their commitment to join unions
and obtain jobs that recognize their
hard work and contributions to the
food supply is so evident.
It is also clear that this goal will
only be met through participation in
a union or other organizing group.
Those who work under union
contract have much better working
conditions and wages.
Support Widespread
BVMs support farm workers in a
variety of other ways. The officers
sign proclamations of support for
boycotts and many BVMs honor
these boycotts, currently TACO
BELL (organized by the Immokalee
Workers in Florida) and until last
▼
month Mt. Olive Pickles (organized
by the Farm Labor Organizing
Committee).
The UFW is raising awareness of
difficulties in negotiating a contract
with Gallo. The request from the
UFW for a day of fast at the beginning of the campaign brought a
great response from BVMs.
Situations in local areas have
provided additional opportunities for
BVMs:
Kathleen Carr worked with her

local parish in Corvallis, Oregon,
to provide food for participants in
a justice walk and again to
purchase blueberries from a farm
with a union contract.
In Florida, Ann De Nicolo (Ann

Thomas) and Colleen McGinnity
(Rose Maureen) provided information to volunteers and distributed blankets and other necessities in the labor camps.
Californians Barbara Gaul

(Charles Mary) and Theresa
McNerney (Grace Michele) joined
Immokalee workers and their
supporters outside Taco Bell
headquarters in urging the
company to meet with the
workers.
In Chicago, Francilla Kirby,

Nancy McCarthy (Josephine),
Associate Sylvia Martinez and
Carol Cook (Conrad Ann) recently were part of a human
billboard at Binney’s Liquors to
raise concerns about Gallo.
Cesar Chavez said, “Our opponents in the agricultural industry
are very powerful and farm workers
are still weak in money and influence. But we have another kind of
power that comes from the justice of
our cause. As long as we are willing
to sacrifice for that cause, so long as
we persist in non-violence and work
to spread the message of our
struggle, then millions of people
around the world will respond from
their heart, will support our efforts.
…And in the end we will overcome.”
About the author: Carol Cook, BVM (Conrad
Ann) does peace and justice ministry in Chicago.
Liz Olsen, BVM precedes the
peace float in Butte’s parade.
Peace Message
Resonates in Montana
“Peace is Patriotic,” one of 121 floats in
Butte, Montana’s Independence Day
Parade, garnered one of the four top
prizes—”Most Original Entry.” BVMs and
Associates were among the 15 peace
groups across the state creating the 12foot-tall Statue of Liberty.
Associate Mary Kay Craig drove the
vehicle pulling the 16-foot-long wagon,
and Butte native Liz Olsen, BVM (Paul
Thomas) marched in front of the float,
greeting hundreds of friends along the
way. BVMs Kathleen O’Sullivan (Donall)
and Pat Perko (Vincent de Paul) and
Associate George Waring also
participated.
The motivation for the entry, notes Mary
Kay Craig, is a quote she found a decade
ago: “If peace only… had the music and
pageantry of war, there would be no more
war.” (Sophie Kerr)
“The reception from parade goers was
joyfully positive,” said Mary Kay. “The
crowds hushed at the sight of this blocklong entry. Then applause would break
out and groups of children would flash the
V sign back to Lady Liberty and the
marchers. As the entry passed the
reviewing table, all ten of the parade
judges gave it a standing ovation. Even
weeks later people went out of their way
to tell me how much they appreciated the
parade entry.”
“This alternative entry was different,” she
continued. “Not only is it unusual to see a
message of peace on the 4th of July, but
people who were accustomed to carrying
signs asking for political change provided
instead a gentle reminder that nonviolence
is of great value.”
Photo: Carol (right) joins the picketing of Kroger
supermarket in Raleigh.
11
Kathleen McGrath, BVM
Take Nothing for the
Journey
by Pat Rogers, BVM
Jesus admonishes the twelve apostles, “Take nothing for your
journey, neither staff nor wallet, nor bread, nor money....”
This scripture reading from the Gospel of Luke forms the focus of BVM
Kathleen McGrath’s (Johnine) ministry at Catholic Charities in
Santa Rosa, Calif.
Kathleen has worked with Catholic Charities for 12 years. She became
director of the Family Support Center two years ago and was appointed
director of the Rural Food Project four years ago.
helps volKathleen McGrath, BVM (center)
on.
ibuti
distr
for
unteers prepare food
Food Outreach
She keeps on the go as she
administers the Rural Food Project,
which helps supplement food
resources for needy families in the
outlying areas of Sonoma County.
“Many of the poorest and most
vulnerable individuals and families
are new immigrants,” Kathleen
says, “including undocumented
migrant workers from Mexico and
Central America.”
12
This Project serves over 200
migrant workers each month at four
sites. These deliveries are supplemented with weekly fresh fruit and
vegetable distributions.
Many families live at a distance
from agencies and resources that
could provide help, so the food is
delivered to accessible locations.
The drive to these sites takes in the
beauty of the California countryside
and its wineries, spas and inns.
But women and children might
walk as far as two to three miles to
obtain the food needed. Few arrive in
cars. The women, with their children
in tow, carry bags, push strollers,
carts to bring the food home.
One mother expressed how
“happy” she was with all that was
provided for her family. The food is
culturally appropriate, and all
communication is in both Spanish
and English.
“Many of these people share living
quarters with another family,”
Kathleen explains. “Housing costs in
Sonoma County are so high in
relation to local incomes that the
county ranks as the fifth least affordable housing market in the nation.
“The majority of migrant workers
served live in camps along small
streams or in wooded areas. At one
site, the workers were living in old
cars and paying rent to live there.”
At nine other distribution sites,
over 800 needy families are served
each month, and 350 families are
assisted at the Project’s two fresh
fruits and vegetables sites.
While many of these families are
migrant workers, others are engaged in various other types of
service positions. Many of these
jobs are part time with no benefits.
They need the food to tide them
over or to help stretch their income.
Many send money to family
members not living in the United
States. The costs of rent, health
care and childcare leave little
money for the migrant worker or
single mother.
Community Spirit
Kathleen muses on the Gospel
reading and how it reflects the lives
of the people served by the Rural
Food Project. Taking nothing for the
journey is “surely what these
families have done.”
Kathleen is inspired at how
“happy and upbeat” the families are.
The children are full of smiles and
“laugh a lot.” The community is a
very caring one.
Men and women work together
and volunteer time with the program as they bag the fruits and
vegetables to be distributed. Then
they in turn get in line to become
recipients of the food they have
helped to package.
At the Boyes Spring site, the food
is mainly fruit and vegetables.
However, other items are donated:
bread eggs, powdered milk, juice,
A Visit from Friends
Many migrants live in camps in wooded areas.
My set (those who entered Mount Carmel together)
was thrilled with the opportunity to visit Kathleen’s
Family Support Center. Most of us knew of Kathleen’s
expertise from her work as food director of the Mount
Carmel complex several years ago, but we had no idea
of the vastness of her current ministry.
From program director to grant writer to fund-raiser
to rural-outreach coordinator, Kathleen works quietly
and calmly, obviously at home with her staff and the
volunteers that keep the Center running 24 hours a
day.
Though there briefly, we followed Kathleen through
the maze of children’s play rooms, medical exam
rooms, and adult recreation rooms. As we moved,
Kathleen made the most of a connection, however
brief, with a staff worker, a parent, a volunteer. Greeting
children running in for free summer lunches, she
called most by name.
We were impressed that the Center accepts
families; Kathleen explained that most social service
agencies in the Bay Area serve only women and
children, so they are especially proud to include men.
We learned, too, that “homeless” is fast becoming
a word attached to the elderly. Kathleen explained that
there are two 80+ year olds living out their homeless
existence at the Center.
—Pat Nolan, BVM (Frederick Mary)
The Catholic Charities van is “on the road” making food deliveries.
soda and tomato sauce. All items
are gratefully accepted. Volunteers
also collect food from local stores,
which regularly donate. Again, the
community takes an interest in
helping supply food for the needy.
Food for this program is donated
by and purchased through the
Redwood Empire Food Bank. Recipients are never charged.
Support Center
Besides directing the large-scale
food program, Kathleen is in charge
of the Family Support Center, the
largest homeless shelter for families
between the Golden Gate Bridge and
the Oregon border. It serves as a
safe temporary home for children
and families; as many as 130 people
are served each day.
Kathleen explains that families
are afforded up to 90 days of shelter.
The family meets with a counselor
weekly to determine and set goals,
locate community resources and
check progress in finding training or
gainful employment.
Three meals and two snacks a
day are provided as well as health
screening and health care at an onsite clinic staffed by volunteer
physicians and nurses. There is
also an on-site public school liaison
for the school aged children.
Staff and volunteers work together as a team. Kathleen describes their work as a collaborative
and caring effort by all involved.
Staff meets regularly to deal with the
ongoing events at the Center. They
also enjoy meeting socially.
As a result of these outreach
programs, Kathleen has had the
experience of “meeting first hand the
people who really live the scripture
from Luke.” Through their example,
she finds herself reflecting on the
passage in her daily life. It is also
her good fortune to build here new
friendships that are treasured.
“Take nothing for your journey,
neither staff nor wallet, nor bread, nor
money....” is new food for thought as
we reflect on Kathleen’s ministry.
About the author: Pat Rogers, BVM (Albertine)
is vice-principal of St. Thomas More Elementary
School, San Francisco, Calif., and a member of
the Communications Advisory Committee.
13
BVM
Spanish
Educator
Shares Love
of Language,
Culture
by Amy Golm, BVM
Sheila O’Brien, BVM introduces her students to Spanish literature.
Parker Palmer reflects that good
teachers share a common ability:
“being truly present in the classroom, deeply engaged with student
and subject…able to weave a
complex web of connections among
themselves, their subjects and their
students so students can learn to
weave a world for themselves.”
The challenge of attempting to
do this keeps BVM Sheila O’Brien
(Trea) inspired.
Her interest in the Spanish
language and culture began when
she was a high school student. She
recalls, “I loved Spanish from the
first day and have taught it for 40
years. It has been a joy to see the
importance of the language recognized throughout the United States.”
Sheila teaches Spanish language
at Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa.
She received masters and doctorate
degrees from Indiana University in
the early 1970s in Spanish and
Educational Administration.
Joy of Teaching
Sheila’s love the language and
teaching energizes her students.
“One of the great things about
teaching the first levels of Spanish
is that we can have fun! Mixed in
with all the hard work of conjugating verbs, memorizing vocabulary,
drilling exercises on computer or
being scared to death to utter a
foreign word in front of one’s peers
is that we laugh a lot in class.
“We can put on silly skits in
Spanish, sing a song or marvel at the
beauty of the Hispanic peoples… of
course, the payoff in teaching comes
when the students come alive and get
14
excited with Spanish literature and
want to learn beyond what is required, make connections, relate it to
his or her life, and begin to challenge
me and those around them.”
She is grateful for the financial
support Clarke College gives faculty
to attend professional meetings.
“Because we are a tiny department
in a town where there aren’t a lot of
native speakers, the opportunity to
attend language meetings is a place
of connections, inspiration, consultation that keep me current and
forward thinking in my teaching and
curriculum planning.
“Most summers I try to travel to
Spanish speaking countries to
immerse myself in the language and
culture to stay fluent and current.”
Travel to Spanish speaking
countries is as important for students as for the teachers, Sheila
explains. “To convey to students the
vitality of the Hispanic peoples or
the complexity of multiple issues I
always encourage them to use every
opportunity to study abroad.
“Accompanying students to Spain
and Ecuador in the summers has
been another vehicle for helping
them explore rich, diverse cultures
while critically evaluating our own.”
Beyond the Classroom
Sheila is recognized outside the
classroom for her expertise in the
Spanish language. Hospitals, social
service agencies and even the
Dubuque Police Department call
upon her to translate when a person
who is only able to speak Spanish
ends up in their care.
She reflects, “A look of relief
comes on a battered woman’s face
when someone enters to help her
explain to the police what excruciating pain she has suffered or to be
able to pray with a family who has
suffered an unexpected death of a
loved one from a heart attack or to
translate the end of life directives
for hospice.”
Sheila has also been called on as
an interpreter outside the U.S.
Accompanying a social justice group
from the U.S. to Latin America, “We
listened to countless women give
testimonies of how they had suffered under and organized to oppose
the vicious dictatorships throughout
the southern cone.
“The stories of their pain were
coming out of my mouth. There is
no time to empathize if one is going
to be true to what another is saying.
The words just keep coming and it
take enormous concentration not to
want to stop and cry.” She has also
interpreted for the mothers and
grandmothers of the disappeared.
Sheila summarizes her love for
teaching Spanish, “As Jon KabatZinn comments, the enormous
challenge of teaching brings us
much pain and we need to constantly evaluate ‘the adequacy of
our generativity and genius.’
“So far I continue to be energized
by the connections with students,
the Spanish language and cultures
and love the opportunity to continue
learning.”
About the author: Amy Golm, BVM is campus
ministry liturgist at Clarke College, Dubuque, and
a graduate student. She is also a member of the
Looking Back:
BVMs Educate Hispanic Women in the ’70s
by Elizabeth Avalos, BVM
Thirty years ago, in the summer
of 1974, five BVMs and several
former BVMs responded to the call
of BVM President Joan Doyle’s
inspiring address, “There are
promises to keep and miles to go.”
They committed themselves to
work with underachieving Latina
women from Mexico, Costa Rica,
Cuba and Nicaragua at Our Lady of
Loretto High School near downtown
Los Angeles.
The Sisters of the Presentation
from San Francisco originally staffed
OLL. As with many congregations
of women religious, the PBVMs had
discerned which schools they would
continue to staff and which they
would have to leave because of lack
of sisters.
OLL High School, just off
Alvarado Boulevard and close to
MacArthur Park, was one of the
schools they decided to relinquish.
BVM Elizabeth Avalos (St.
Augustine) was told that the diocese
was looking for an administrator. So
after prayer and discussion with
some other interested BVMs, she
applied for the position.
Joining her at the school were
former BVM Leona Cook as assistant principal, Marilyn Wilson BVM
(Claudia) as English teacher and
moderator of the student council,
Barbara Gaul, BVM (Charles Mary)
as music director, former BVMs
Sheila Mason as math instructor
and basketball coach, and Sharon
Helmer as school counselor. The
following year Mary Martens, BVM
(Loras) came to teach English and
BVM Diane Barabe (Damaris)
taught religion.
OLL was one of several diocesan
high schools whose student population was primarily immigrant Latina
women from East Los Angeles.
Their first language was Spanish.
Many had struggled in elementary school and needed a creative
educational curriculum to meet
their needs so they could improve
their grades. Two BVM elementary
schools, Assumption and St.
Bernard’s, sent many of their
students to OLL.
The vision of the Gospel, dedication to its values, and a desire to
live its message were driving
passions of the lay and religious
faculty and staff. Through their
educational efforts, these educators
became living witnesses to Jesus’
care and concern for those most
vulnerable in our society.
For many of the students, OLL
was a caring oasis with a sound
educational program to assist them
in the quest for excellence. The
high school provided a haven for
those who came from chaotic lives.
Faculty and staff encouraged pride
in the student’s culture and a
sensitivity to others cultures.
Mutual Learnings
During the six years that the
BVMs staffed OLL, the students
taught the faculty and staff much
about the resiliency of those who
are poor and the desire to work to
one’s potential in the face of great
odds. Many of the girls were the
first in their family to graduate from
high school.
The majority of the graduates
attended post secondary schools
such as California State College in
Los Angeles, UCLA and USC. Some
went to Santa Clara University; one
went to Princeton, and several to St.
Mary’s, Moraga.
Many of the parents worked two
or three jobs in order to pay the
tuition. One mother came with the
tuition tucked in her sock and
counted out the $300 cash in ones
and fives. Other mothers sold
tamales to the students and donated
the proceeds to the school. All did
their part to provide the needed
human and financial resources
needed to make the school viable.
During those six years the
student body joined with another
girls’ high school for a Guadalupe
celebration—a first in bringing
together 800 students from rival
schools to pray and play together.
When the lay teachers called a
strike to form a diocesan teachers’
union, the students supported it by
marching to the Chancery to request
a just resolution for their beloved
faculty.
For those of us who ministered at
Our Lady of Loretto High School,
the time spent there remains a
memorable experience. We were
able to bring to reality the promise
of walking in solidarity with those
who are in need.
And in the process of sharing our
BVM gift of education, we were
taught by our students and their
parents. We were enriched by the
value they placed on their family
life, the wonder of being immersed
in another culture and the depth of
spirituality that exists within the
immigrant Hispanic population. We
came as teachers of the Word and
became learners of a rich culture,
heritage and spirituality.
About the author: Elizabeth Avalos, BVM was
principal of this school. She lives in Sunnyvale, Calif., and is completing a sabbatical year.
Elizabeth Avalos, BVM reviews morning announcements with a student.
15
An Interview with Isabel
Conchos, BVM:
One Hispanic’s One-World View
▼
by Mary Clare Sweeney, BVM
No one questions that Hispanics, now the largest U.S. mi-
nority, have impacted and influenced U.S. culture.1 Analysts
offer two theories regarding the role of Hispanics in the U.S.
today: 1) Hispanics are “rejecting the powerful forces of American cultural assimilation, which swallowed up the successive waves
of European immigrants who preceded them”; or 2) Hispanics are
“simply redefining the meaning of mainstream in an ever
more diverse, multicultural United States of America.”2
Salt Magazine recently interviewed Isabel Conchos, BVM.
Tell us about growing
up in Phoenix.
I am the oldest of six children—I
have three brothers and two sisters.
In our matriarchal society, the
grandmother and mother nurture
the foundation in our faith. These
women’s relationship with God
directs their pleas that God will
embrace the child and protect his or
her journey on earth.
As children, we prayed together
every evening, and this brought us
such groundedness. Our language
also evidences this spiritual approach. For example, one of the first
pharses I learned as an infant was
“Dios te bendiga” (God bless you!),
which is impressed on every child
as he or she awakes, goes out the
door, and returns.
My family tells me that I paved
their way by being involved in all
our cultural festivities, and, more
especially, by asking the deeper
questions related to our Catholic
faith. I actually set up a little school
and taught my younger brothers and
sisters and the neighbor children. I
questioned and probed to understand our faith.
Give us some insights into the
role of Hispanics today.
First, let me say that in a discussion when someone asks: “Isabel,
16
you as a Mexican-American, what do
you think?” I am quick to respond,
“NO! I’m Isabel! I speak for myself—
you can’t categorize all Hispanic
opinions into my thoughts!”
Therefore, I believe my key role
is in the education of the immigrant. Hispanics have retained our
identity in the U.S. because of our
strong family bonds, our spiritual
approach, and our sense of community, which brings us unity. We
have a one-world view—despite the
fact that our values today are, in
many ways, counter-cultural.
What prepared you for the work
you are now doing?
My life experiences led me to
see the injustices and sacrifices of
the powerless. This influenced me
to turn to academics to effect a
change.
I participated in an 18-month
program in the Mexican American
Cultural Center (MACC) in San
Antonio, and did an internship in
Eagle Pass, Texas (1981). I received
a Master’s degree in Bilingual/
Bicultural Education at the University of Arizona.
BVM Isabel Conchos, her family and others gather weekly with a traveling icon of
Our Lady of Guadalupe to pray together and work, as a group, on the needs of
people in Northeast Phoenix.
I then taught at St. Francis
Xavier School where I met the late
BVM Marie Molloy (Irenita). I have
always been devoted to Ignatius
Loyola and St. Theresa of Jesus
(Avila), so, in preparation for my
Final Vows, I spent two months in
Manresa, Spain.
Another major influence was
making a Cursillo in 1979. I was
then invited to work in the Cursillo
movement, first as a team member,
then as team Spiritual Director. I
also became a Spiritual Director
with the Renewal ministry, a
variation of the Cursillo for women
in prison. I worked on a team this
past spring.
How does the BVM congregation
reflect your personal and
cultural values?
As Mary Frances Clarke worked
with Irish immigrants, I also see my
ministry to the disenfranchised. She
is a prophet for our times; her voice
still rings out with compassion for
the voiceless.
Mary Frances saw the need for
community, just as we do in our
Hispanic culture. And her conversation to me is to listen to the needs of
my times as she listened to hers. I
see my ministry as an integrated,
one-world approach, totally integrated with the BVM charism, and
yet totally Hispanic in its foundation.
How has your ministry evolved?
My journey is focused in two
directions: Works of Mercy and Works
of Justice. These two paths give me
balance, and help me to have a
clearer vision of my ministry.
In Kankakee, Ill., my focus
developed Hispanic leadership
through Loyola University of
Chicago’s Institute of Pastoral
Studies (IPS).
My ministry is education—I feel
most productive in teaching. I teach
writing to students at Glendale
at GCC to empower our Hispanic
teachers to enter the college system.
This will result in better representation of the Hispanic population and
will create role models.
This fall I will also be teaching
at the Kino Institute of Theology
and Lay Ministry Formation at the
Phoenix Diocese.
In conclusion, regardless of
theories, statistics, or cultural
differences, I see the world as a host
of opportunities with my BVM
community.
Community College (GCC) in
Phoenix. I work in the GCC writing
center, and also work with AZ TEC
(Arizona Teachers Excellence
Program) mentoring studentteachers.
Many students are angry with the
bureaucracy and with the system. In
my writing classes, I give students
confidence to say what they have to
say. I work from a goal-oriented
approach and help young people be
responsible for their destiny. I
empower our people to see the
power of the pen in contrast with the
destructive power of the sword.
Some students come with the socalled Malcolm X syndrome after
having been told: “You are not going
to amount to anything.” I strive to
turn needy people into powerful
persons by helping them to believe
in themselves, by helping them to
take a positive stand. This is where
I feel my energy. This is where I
make a difference!
About the Author: Mary Clare Sweeney,
BVM (Clarita) is on the faculty at Arizona
State University East, College of Technology.
She can be reached at [email protected].
Isabel Conchos can be contacted at
[email protected].
Endnotes
1 Notes: See, for example, Candelaria,
Cordelia, ed., et al, Encyclopedia of Hispanic
Culture. 2 Vols., 2004; and Davidson, Margaret Garcia. Borders, Frontiers, and Mountains: Mapping the History of ‘U.S. Hispanic
Literature.’ Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996.
Are there new developments
in your ministry?
There are several new opportunities on the horizon; I was invited to
join the Hispanic Teachers Council
2
Contreras, Joseph. “Two Americas? A Massive Wave of Hispanic Immigration Is Raising Questions about Identity and Integration,”
Newsweek, March 22, 2004.
“There is a road that runs straight
through your heart. Walk on it.”
–Macrina Wiedekehr, OSB
Do you want to walk with us BVMs, pray with us,
share community with us, minister as a BVM?
“Trust your God, who journeys before you
to show the way you must go.”
–Deuteronomy 1:32
To learn more about the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary (BVMs) visit our website at www.bvmcong.org or contact:
▼
“Mary Frances Clarke saw the need
for community, just as we do in our
Judy Callahan, BVM • Initial Membership Coordinator
[email protected] • phone (815) 546 8172
Hispanic culture. And her
conversation to me is to listen to
www.bvmcong.org
[email protected]
the needs of my times as she
listened to hers.”
17
Eileen McGovern’s car becomes her office as she travels northeast Iowa.
Bi-Lingual BVM Counselor
Travels the Countryside
by Sara McAlpin, BVM
Imagine yourself
with a serious problem which
requires professional counseling in
order to reach some kind of solution
that will allow you to live your life
more fully and freely.
And then imagine that you are in
a situation in which the only
counselor available does not speak
your language; in order to communicate your personal concerns and
needs you must explain them to the
counselor through an interpreter.
The difficulties and challenges
are obvious, yet they are precisely
those faced by many people in this
country who do not speak English.
In an effort to make needed
counseling more readily and easily
available to Hispanics in the area,
Eileen McGovern, BVM (James
Leone) was employed by Catholic
Charities four years ago as Counselor for Hispanics in the Archdiocese
of Dubuque, Iowa. “I jumped at this
opportunity,” says Eileen, “because
of my love for the Hispanic people
and the chance to work with them.”
Retired from a 15-year position
as therapist in the Dubuque County
Mental Health Center and fluent in
Spanish after ministering in South
America for six years in the 1960s
(see pp.4–5), Eileen is fully experienced and well prepared for her
part-time ministry in the diocese.
In this role she counsels clients
throughout the Dubuque archdiocese which encompasses 30 counties. She sees people in Dubuque
and also travels to five other
Hispanic pastoral ministry centers
in the archdiocese: Cedar Rapids,
Hampton, Marshalltown, Postville
and Waterloo. In addition, she has
a counseling space in several other
towns which do not have an official
Hispanic center.
Most of her clients, many of
whom are employed in various foodprocessing plants in the area, are
referred to her by ministers to
Hispanics in the archdiocese,
though some find her because of
word-of-mouth publicity or as a
result of presentations she has
given in parishes or from announcements in church bulletins.
Approximately 90% of the
clients are adults, since most
children have their needs addressed by school counselors.
Occasionally, however, personnel
in the schools recommend a child
to Eileen for assistance.
As in the general public, says
Eileen, there are both male and
female clients with a few more in
the latter category since “women are
more inclined to seek out help.”
With this service, each client has
a typical “50-minute-hour” conference with Eileen in a professional,
completely private environment.
No translator is present to inhibit
the client from expressing herself or
himself about personal matters to a
caring listener in a familiar language. Problems which arise in
counseling sessions include depression, tension with a spouse, parentchild differences and other
relationship issues.
Eileen visits each location every
three weeks and sees clients in each
place as needed. If any emergency
arises, people know they can contact
her by telephone for assistance.
In her position Eileen is part of a
larger ministry network serving
Hispanics throughout the archdiocese. Members of the network meet
bi-monthly to share common
concerns and to determine how the
needs of Hispanics in northeast
Iowa might be met more effectively.
Eileen’s expertise in this collaborative ministry provides a much
needed outreach service to the
Hispanics of the Dubuque archdiocese, insuring that they will be
treated consistently with respect and
privacy when they come to her with
personal problems requiring
professio nal assistance.
Most importantly, Hispanic
people are assured that they can
share their needs in a one-to-one
conference without a third party
acting as interpreter.
About the author: Sara McAlpin, BVM
(Philip Mary) is archivist at Clarke College,
Dubuque, Iowa, and a member of the
▼
“I jumped at this opportunity
because of my love for the Hispanic
people and the chance to work with
them.”
18
The New Iowans
In the 1990s, the Latino population grew by 153 percent to 83,000 out of a
population of nearly 2.9 million (2000 cenus); 36 percent of foreign-born Iowans
are from Latin America.
By far the largest number of these — 74 percent — came from Mexico, and
most of these are from a few states in west central Mexico.
Lantern Center
Spanish Tutoring
A Mutual Learning Experience
▼
by Associate Jocile Walsh
When the Lantern Center,
sponsored by the Presentation
Sisters, opened in downtown Dubuque nearly two years ago, I volunteered as a computer teacher, since
that was my most recent field.
They had six computers, and I
hoped to help women upgrade their
skills to enter or return to the job
market.
I had two students; both needed
an introduction to word processing
and computer basics. After about a
month, one got a job and the other
moved away.
The need then was for more help
teaching English as a Second Language. Some Taiwanese students
from the University of Dubuque
were coming regularly for help, so I
worked with one young woman until
she graduated and moved away. It
was a delight to work with someone
so eager to learn.
My next student was a young
mother from Mexico, Eri Gonzalez,
who wanted to learn English. She
has two children, a four-year-old
girl, and a boy of about a year and a
half who is developmentally disabled. (He cannot roll over on his
own, or sit up without support.)
This mother also is eager to
learn, and very conscientious about
the lessons. I’ve been working with
her for a year now. Sometimes, I
wish I knew more about ways of
teaching, so she could speak English more fluently.
After studying Spanish for a year
at Clarke College, I certainly cannot
speak that fluently either or understand much of what is said in a real
conversation. But it is a great help
to be able to say one word at a time
to clarify a meaning. We do communicate rather well, and we both
make use of the Spanish-English
dictionary frequently.
Eri appreciates my attempts and
sometimes we laugh at misunderstood words that sound like some-
thing else. One day I was saying
“todo” for all, or everything, and she
thought I was saying “toro” for bull.
After using her hands to act out
horns on her head, she finally
picked up the dictionary and showed
me “toro.” We both enjoyed that.
Her hometown is Puebla,
Mexico, near the active volcano
Popocatapetl. I brought her photos
from the Internet, and she pointed
out that one was the front view, and
the other from the back.
Eri is a delight to work with, but
I’m hoping that later on we can find
help with childcare, so she can take
actual classes and have a brighter
future.
Since she walks about six blocks
to the Lantern Center pushing the
baby carriage, with the little girl
accompanying her, cold, windy, or
wintry weather makes the trip
impossible.
Their apartment is also on the
second floor, so coming down all
those stairs safely, with the little girl,
then the baby carriage, and then the
little boy is not an easy task.
Sometimes her husband is able
to stop at the Lantern Center to pick
them up at the end of class. During
the winter months I went to her
Besides tutoring in English, the
Center is a drop-in haven offering
hospitality, a variety of educational
opportunities and advocacy for women
and children in need—“a neighborhood gathering place where women
can find individual and group support
and break the bonds of isolation,”
according to director Sister Corine
Murray, PBVM.
A recent victory was to get water
turned back on for a family who
couldn’t pay its bill. Sister Corine
contacted the St. Vincent de Paul
Society, which gave some funds.
Then she went to a community
action agency, which also provided
financial assistance. After explaining
to the city that these checks were on
the way, the work order was approved—just in time for the water to be
restored before a three-day weekend.
“We rejoiced at that success,”
says Jocile.
apartment to continue the tutoring.
Eri is involved with St. Patrick’s
Parish, and participated in Holy
Week services. Last Christmas, she
hosted one of the Posadas at their
apartment.
This young woman is truly
deserving of help and support, and it
is wonderful that the Lantern Center
is there to help.
About the author: Associate Jocile Walsh,
a retired teacher, lives in Dubuque, Iowa, and
appreciates greatly the BVM influence and
support in her life. She volunteered at the
Mount Carmel Motherhouse and Marian Hall
before going to the Lantern Center.
Eri Gonzalez studies English with Jocile Walsh.
19
A Better World One Cup at a Time
by Associate Gabe Blood
BVMs first participated in a
grass-roots fair trade coffee
movement in the 1990s. At that
time, Jean Gordon, BVM
(James Miriam) sold bags of
Nicaraguan Equal Exchange (EE)
coffee at the BVM Center and
Ann DeNicolo, BVM (Ann
Thomas) sold bags of coffee from
her car trunk. Also, Maureen
O’Brien (Matteo) and Karen
Conover, BVMs in the West,
became fair trade coffee promoters there.
Then, in 2001
the BVM Great
Lakes’ Social
Concerns Committee (GLSCC) and
the Social Justice
Network revitalized interest in
fair trade coffee
among BVMs and
Associates by
inviting Jill
Wenke, an EE
Interfaith Representative, to present
an educational program and to serve
and sell EE coffee at a Portland
community gathering.
In response to interest, Francilla
Kirby BVM and GLSCC members
sold EE coffee at gatherings. Besides buying coffee for residences
and work, Sisters and Associates
also bought gifts to encourage future
purchasers.
In February 2002, Jill was invited
20
to Mt. Carmel to give another
presentation to the Sisters living
there. Afterwards, administrators
decided to purchase 20 pounds of EE
decaf coffee weekly for the dining
rooms.
Also, Kathryn Lawlor BVM (John
Laurian) began taking EE orders at
the Roberta Kuhn Center for those
in the Dubuque area. Later, Associate Jocile Walsh held a discussion
on fair trade coffee for South Central
Region Associates.
Besides purchasing, BVMs and
other communities play a significant
role in supporting daily operations
and growth of EE by offering low
interest loans. Because EE pays
farmers $1.26 per pound of coffee,
EE is unable to secure conventional
loans from banks which value coffee
at a lower world market rate.
Thus, loans from religious
communities are vital to EE’s
survival due to the high costs of
coffee production before it is sold.
BVMs have given structural support
to EE by making renewable loans
available through their Alternative
Investment Fund (see next page).
These have financed EE’s annual
purchase of 175,000 pounds of
coffee from farmers.
What is Fair Trade and EE?
Fair trade is an alternative
trading partnership with coffee
organizations committed to:
paying a fair price to farmers at

$1.26 per pound;
working with democratically-run

cooperatives;
buying directly from producers

and committing to long term
trade relationships;
providing access to credit; and,

supporting environmentally

friendly practices.
It is based on dialogue, transpar-
ency, sustainable development,
greater equity in international trade,
and respect for othe producer or
farmer, especially in the global
South.
Equal Exchange is a workerowned cooperative founded in1986
which sells 100% fair traded coffee,
tea, cocoa and chocolate bars from
Latin America, Asia and Africa.
EE has an Interfaith Program
which does outreach to religious
organizations, encouraging their
purchase of EE products. EE believes that fair trade activities are
compatible with beliefs and practices of justice.
EE has established partnerships
with the international aid organizations of eight mainline Protestant
and peace churches, and more than
200 Catholic religious communities
now purchases Equal Exchange
Coffee.
CRS A New Partner
A new partnership was recently
begun with Catholic Relief Services
(CRS). In 2003 the CRS Coffee
Project began as an initiative with
the EE Interfaith Program to seek
participation of 65,000,000 Catholics
in parishes, schools and institutions.
For every pound of coffee purchased by Catholic organizations,
EE contributes to the CRS Small
Farmer Fund; this supports the
development of coffee cooperatives
and community-based projects. To
learn more about this, visit the web
sites of CRS www.catholicrelief.org/
or EE www.equalexchange.com/ or
contact SALT.
About the author: Associate Gabe Blood lives
in Madison, Wis., is on the staff of the BVM
Women’s Office and is active in the Social Justice Network and Great Lakes Social Concerns
Committee.
Alternative Investments:
Helping Persons on Margins
Become Successful Entrepreneurs
by Margaret Mary Cosgrove, BVM
Alternative Investments are an
asset class with a specific meaning
in financial markets.
It usually refers to more risky
ventures—
hedge funds,

private placement equities,

investments in timber, etc.

Although these individual
investment vehicles are more risky
than bonds and traditional equity
investments in a well-diversified
portfolio, these assets should add
return while reducing overall risk.
In religious/faith based/socially
responsible investing circles this
term has an entirely different
meaning. Alternative Investments
provide capital to persons who are
under served by traditional financial
markets.
Included in this asset class are
housing funds,

micro lending funds and commu
nity development banks and
credit unions.

The purpose of these funds is to
make capital available to persons
who are unable to get a business
loan, car loan or mortgage from
traditional banks.
Long-standing
Commitment
The BVM congregation started its
Alternative Investment Fund in the
late 1980s. The original fund had
less than $500,000 in it and the first
investments were made to community development banks, credit
unions and a few individuals.
In the late 1990s this fund
became a separate stand-alone fund.
Over the past several years we have
added capital to the fund and
currently we have 142 investments
with different social services agencies, housing funds, community
development banks and credit
unions, micro lending funds and
individuals.
Developing Countries
One micro lending fund we have
made a loan to is ACCION International. “ACCION’s mission is to give
people the tools they need to work
their way out of poverty by providing ‘micro’ loans and business
training to poor women and men
who start their own businesses.
“ACCION helps people make
their way up the economic ladder
with dignity and pride. ACCION
seeks to bring this opportunity to as
many of the world’s poor as possible.” (2002 Annual Report)
(www.accion.org)
One of the keys to success in
these micro lending funds is that
the funds provide not only capital,
but also business expertise to help
their clients succeed in their
businesses.
Some of these funds have circles
of borrowers who meet on a regular
basis to provide assistance and
encouragement to each other.
Another micro lending fund is
the Nicaraguan Credit Alternatives
Fund (NICA Fund).
This fund is sponsored by the
Wisconsin Coordinating Council on
Nicaragua and, “Since 1999 this
fund has sponsored loans to more
than 6,000 disadvantaged Nicaraguans, helping them earn a living
as carpenters, shop owners or
through other productive activities.
About half the borrowers (51%) are
women.” (website prospectus at
www.wccnica.org/nica.html)
South Africa
The Alternative Investment
Fund also holds investments in
micro funds in South Africa. Two of
the most prominent of these funds
are SHARE and RISA. Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF) is a recent
beneficiary of a guarantee arranged
by the Shared Interest/Thembani
International Guarantee Fund
(TIGF). (www.sharedinterest.org).
SEF works in Limpopo, the
poorest province in South Africa. Its
loan repayment rate is 98.7% during
its 12-year lending history. (Shared
Interest: In Focus, Spring 2004)
This outstanding repayment
record is common among microlending firms.
Members who borrow funds know
how important it is to repay the
funds so others in the community
can also borrow. Many of these
funds help the borrowers set up
savings account for future needs and
to attain financial independence.
Improving Lives
Although the financial returns on
these investments are generally
below market returns, the social and
economic returns are in the millions
as people are given the opportunity
to change their lives by starting a
business.
This business provides income
for food, housing, reinvestment in
the business and, most important,
funds for educating the children in
the families involved.
As each business succeeds, the
ripple effect throughout the region’s
economy helps propel more and
more persons and families out of a
subsistence existence into a life of
economic independence.
This in turn has positive effects
on the country’s economy as these
economically disadvantaged communities move toward self-sufficiency in the world economy.
About the author: Margaret Mary Cosgrove,
BVM is treasurer of the BVM congregation.
Photos: Accion International Annual Report.
21
▼
Schoolgirls wait for
classes to begin at El
Colegio Santa Francisca
Romana.
Colombia Today
A Land Torn Yet Hopeful
by Associate Jeanne Harrington
“Bogotá
is the capital of
Colombia.
Colombia is
beautiful
only it has a
war and some
people kill
other people.”
Camila
After 31 years of teaching in
Iowa, I retired in January and
traveled to Bogotá where I taught for
a semester at El Colegio Santa
Francisca Romana, the school
where Camila is a student.
Like most Americans, with the
exception of the drugs, war and
kidnappings, I knew almost nothing
about Colombia. To my surprise, I
found myself in a spectacular
country populated by amazing
people who are extremely proud of
their nation. Rightly so!
It is a land blest with every kind
of climate and terrain. Bordered by
both the Pacific and Caribbean
Oceans, it boasts some of the most
beautiful beaches on earth. It is rich
in natural resources—oil, coal,
natural gas, and the second largest
water reserve in the world.
Most of what I now “know” about
Colombia is what I experienced
each day. Unemployment in Bogotá
is reportedly about 50 percent and
yet families continue streaming into
the city as they become displaced by
the war and fumigation in the
countryside.
The poverty is often overwhelming. There is no mail service to
speak of. Streets are potholed and
sidewalks usually crumbling or nonexistent. Millions of children do not
receive an education because there
is a shortage of schools.
Theft is common. Kidnappings,
bombings, murders and even
massacres are also not unusual.
Soldiers, police, guards, and guns
abound. Money that could be used
Alejandra
Briceno, age 9
▼
To learn more about Colombia and why this country is so
22
involved with what’s happening there, an excellent resource is War in
Colombia: Made in USA, a collection of essays published by the International Action Center. Also valuable is Killing Peace: Colombia’s Conflict and
the Failure of U.S. Intervention by Garry Leech.
to improve the infrastructure goes to
fight an interminable war. “Colombia—el pais por los ninos” (Colombia,
the place for the children) is a
slogan repeated again and again on
TV, but for most children reality is
very grim.
In the Mountains
Although the area where I lived
was quite nice and fairly safe, our
neighborhood looked to the mountains covered with poor neighborhoods or barrios. I was able to spend
several weekends up there with
Sister Marg Kiefer, a Rochester
Franciscan.
Despite the terrible poverty, the
kindness of the people who live in
the barrios amazed me. Even
though they have almost nothing,
they never failed to offer us something to eat or drink.
When one woman, whose
husband had just returned to work
after a four-year recovery from a
debilitating accident, invited us for
lunch, she apologized because she
had no avocado to serve with the
soup.
Because so many children on the
mountain are unable to attend
school, I was surprised that one of
Sister Marg’s bedrooms was filled
with old school desks. She explained
that her friend, José Antonio, has
started a school for some of these
kids.
Classes meet in a church basement and Jose pays the five teachers out of his own salary from a
“regular” school. He has also begun
a school for adults each Sunday. I
visited both schools and was absolutely amazed by the motivation of
both the children and adult students.
Security Concerns
In contrast to the barrio, the
school where I taught is modern
and very high-tech. The beautiful
grounds are fenced in and watched
over by an armed guard and dogs 24
hours a day. The nearly 1000 girls
who attend are from middle and
upper-middle class families.
The Rochester Franciscan sisters
who own and administer the school
ensure that there is a strong emphasis on social justice. Facilities are
often shared by students from the
“poor” school which is also run by
the sisters.
At a bakery on the grounds,
students from that school can learn
a trade if they wish. A dispensary
provides health care to people who
would otherwise be without it. It’s a
wonderful arrangement.
Every few weeks while I was
there Americans were required to
“sign off” on a letter from the State
Department warning us about
places or situations in Bogotá
believed to be unsafe. When we
traveled, we were advised to fly
because it was safer.
While the media leads us to
believe it’s always U.S. citizens who
are targeted in Colombia, in reality
it’s most often Colombians who are
the victims of kidnapping and killing.
During my four-month stay, I
came to realize that Colombia’s
greatest resource is its people. Their
resilience, graciousness, patience
and optimism never ceased to
amaze me.
Families, who stake out “their”

intersections in our neighborhood
to beg, laugh and joke with each
other.
People in the barrios take time to

talk with each other and help
neighbors who are even worse off
than they.
A young girl with a face-scarring

skin disease, who sells newspapers on the corner each Sunday,
smiles and waves even though
she knows I won’t buy a paper.
While it’s wonderful to be back
home, all of those people will
always be part of me. They give me
hope that justice will eventually
prevail so that they can enjoy the
peace, security and dignity they
deserve. The time I spent with them
was an extraordinary gift for which
I’ll always be grateful.
Briefs
A SALT article has received
recognition from the Catholic
Press Assn. “The Time and
Place Where My Growth
Began,” (Winter 2003) by Jean
Byrne, BVM (Jean Francis)
was awarded third place for
feature articles in a religious order publication.
Catherine Dunn, BVM
(Catherine Michele), president
of Clarke College, Dubuque, is
one of six women religious in
the Archdiocese of Dubuque to
be honored with the Pro
Ecclesiae et Pontifice medal, in
recognition for distinguished service to the
Church in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB, asked the
Vatican for this honor to be bestowed.
The Chicago City Council
commemorated recently
deceased Katharine Forsyth,
BVM (St. Ida) with a resolution.
Presented by Alderman Edward
M. Burke, it notes that she
“inspired the lives of countless
people through her great personal goodness,
charity and concern;” that her “hard work,
sacrifice and dedication serve as an example
to all” and, as “an individual of great integrity
and accomplishment,” she “imparts a legacy of
faithfulness, service and dignity.” Katharine
was a long-time Mundelein College math
professor, alumnae director and field
representative.
Jane McDonnell, BVM
(Bonaventure) has published
her fifth book of poetry, Seed
Scattered and Sown. One of
her poems, “Remember
Columbia,” was also selected
for inclusion in Lyrical Iowa
2004, the annual collection of the Iowa Poetry
Association.
Among the most enthusiastic
fans of the Olympic Games was
Aimee O’Neill, BVM (St.
Aimee), whose great-grand
niece, Kerri Walsh, won a gold
medal in the sand volleyball
competition. Aimee herself was
featured in the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald;
Mount Carmel BVMs formed a cheering section
each evening the Games were broadcast.
About the author: Associate Jeanne
Harrington lives in Dubuque and is active in
justice and peace issues.
23
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Dubuque, IA
Permit No. 477
Sisters of Charity, BVM
1100 Carmel Drive
Dubuque, Iowa 52003-7991
Change Service Requested
Celebrating a Golden Commitment
Gathered outside the
Mount Carmel
Motherhouse prior to
their jubilee liturgy of
thanksgiving are BVM
golden jubilarians:
(front, l. to r.) Viviana Harman,
Alice Kerker (St. Justin), Eileen
Powell (Robertrese), Nic
Catrambone (Nicholas), Mary
Martens (Loras) and Edna Mae
Knudsen (Gretchen);
(middle) Jane Rogers (Jananne),
Otilie Sana, Bertha Fox
(Dolorose), Marie Corr (Dona),
Louise Levandowski (Laurina)
and Maureen O’Brien (Matteo);
(top) Lois Dolphin, Mary
Sattgast (de Porres), Joan
Fitzgerald (John Raymond),
Pat Mahoney (Mel) and Patricia
Perko (Vincent de Paul).
Not present: Sisters Joan
Buckett, Berta Sailer and
Janice Link.