Threshold for Summer 2013

hreshold
With Grate f ul Hear ts
• c e l e b r at i n g 1 5 0 y e a r s •
A publication of the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica
Threshold
Summer
2013 • 1
Volume 12Number 1
Summer
2013
From the Prioress
With Open Doors
and Open Hearts
Recently, we had a seven-year-old visitor,
Megan Ruf, in our monastery dining room who was
missing her front teeth. A part of my conversation
with her went like this:
“What happened to your teeth?”
“I lost them.”
“Lost them? How?”
“One fell out. The other was pulled by my dad
who twisted and twisted, and then he yanked
and then it came out, and I didn’t even cry or
scream.”
“Wow, are you brave! Did the tooth fairy come?”
“Yes, she did.”
“She? Are you sure it was a she?”
“Yes, it’s a girl.”
“Tell me, I’ve been wondering, how does the
fairy know when to come?”
“Oh, simple. When the tooth falls out, a bell rings
in her office and that’s how she knows.”
As I reflected on these words, I thought it is hard
to match the conviction and clarity of this young
woman. What a creative and spontaneous response
to my question!
This anniversary year has been one where the sisters
have creatively and spontaneously responded to
many guests and visitors. Our hearts burst with
gratitude as we greeted men and women religious,
Archbishop Naumann, over a thousand citizens of
Atchison, members of various church choirs, students
(elementary, secondary and college,) employees,
retreatants, former members of our community,
oblates, alumnae/alumni and family members who
have come to our home. Our expressions of gratitude
are met with reciprocal expressions of awe and
thanks for our ongoing commitment to the monastic
way of life and the monastic works of mercy in this
current environment of ours.
In the pages ahead you will read two statements that
have come from the Conference of Prioresses: one on
gun control and one on immigration. Both statements
2 • Mount St. Scholastica
are derivatives of those of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and coauthored by the prioress of Pan de Vida Monastery in
Torreon, Mexico. You will also read an article about a
trip three of us took to our daughter house in Mexico
this past winter. As we were finishing up the retreat
days with the sisters and their neighbors, we asked
them what we could continue to do to support them.
They said that they wanted us to keep them in prayer.
They also wanted us to tell the story of the drug
cartels’ horrible influence in their country, especially
their locality. They also stated emphatically that we
should try to stop our country’s obsession with guns
and drugs. Both have an atrocious impact on their
neighborhoods. Drugs and gun violence are erasing
life in friendly, normal neighborhoods. As you read
the statements we have written and published, do
so remembering the gospel mandates, the ordinary
folks in Mexico, and your own convictions about the
common good.
These pages are filled with your names and
organizations that support us financially. Thank you
so much for all the sacrifices that you make for us.
We are able to move into the future with your help.
As this goes to press, we are halfway through the
events of the sesquicentennial year. Three events
will be outside of Atchison. We plan to thank the
volunteers and friends of Keeler Women’s Center in
Kansas City, Kansas, in July. In September we will
be in Mission, Kansas, as we express gratitude from
our hearts to families and those with whom we have
ministered in the greater Kansas City area. October
will find us in rural Nemaha County from where we
have received many vocations.
God bless you for your generosity. Come visit us. We
love having our doorbell ring!
Anne Shepard, OSB
Threshold
Table
of Contents
Vo l u m e 1 2 • Nu m b e r 1 • S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
4 . . . . . . . . . . . . Our Patronal Feast
5 . . . . . . . . . A.C.E.S. Birthday Party
7 . . . . . . . . . . . . Our New Oblates
8 . . . . Witnessing Tragedy in Torreon
10 . . . . . Gun Control & Immigration
12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In the News
14 . . . . . . . . Development Message
15 . . . . . . . . . . B.C. Discovery Day
n o v e m b e r e l e v e n t h , t w o t h o u s a n d t w e lv e
through
november eleventh, t wo thousand thirteen
July 2013
Our Brazilian sisters from
Mineiros will join us in Atchison
150 years
6 . . . . . . . MH-MA Celebrates Sisters
sesquicentennial
July 7, 2013 - 11 a.m.
Golden Jubilee celebration for Sisters Rosann Eckart,
Fran Cross, Barbara McCracken, Ann Diettrich,
Angela Ostermann
July 10-15, 2013
16 . . . . . . . Celebrating Atchison Day
Sisters from our daughter houses as our guests
17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creative Sisters
July 11, 2013 - 2 p.m.
Feast of Benedict
Wanjira Mathai speaking on Hope
18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Obituaries
July 12, 2013 - 12 p.m.
Threshold is a publication of the Benedictine Sisters
of Mount St. Scholastica for families, friends and
benefactors of the sisters. All reproduction rights
reserved.
Editor: Barbara Ann Mayer, OSB
Design Editor: J.D. Benning
Communications coordinators:
Anne Shepard, OSB and Helen Mueting, OSB
Mount St. Scholastica 801 South Eighth Street
Phone: 913-360-6200
Atchison, KS 66002
Fax: 913-360-6190
Cover photos: Upper left, ACES birthday party;
middle left, Feb. 10 feast with area sisters; lower
left, sisters sextet on Atchison Day; upper right, The
Great Return; middle right, ACES students with St.
Scholastica coloring books; lower right, Maur HillMount Academy students bless sisters.
Visit our website at www.mountosb.org
Contact the editor by e-mail at
[email protected] To subscribe /unsubscribe,
contact the circulation manager: Mary Margaret
Kean, OSB ([email protected])
10th Anniversary celebration of
Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City
September 15, 2013 - 2 p.m.
Kansas City Day for family, friends, alums and
co-workers at St. Pius X Parish in Mission, Kan.
September 22, 2013 - 7:30 p.m.
Fellin Lecture at Benedictine College
with Judith Valente as speaker
October 5, 2013
Oblate Renewal Day and celebration
October 13, 2013 - 1 p.m.
Seneca Day for family, friends, alums and co-workers at
St. Peter and Paul Parish, Seneca, Kan.
November 10, 2013
Closing of Sesquicentennial Year with
community celebration
November 17, 2013
Night of Dreams - In Gratitude
Threshold Summer 2013 • 3
Inspiring Faith
t h e f e a s t o f s t. s c h o l a s t i c a
Celebebrating our Patronal Feast
We marked February 10, the feast of St. Scholastica, in a special
way for our sesquicentennial year. The celebration began with
the Eucharistic liturgy in St. Scholastica chapel with Archbishop
Joseph Naumann. We felt the excitement build as the chapel filled
with one hundred-sixty women religious from the region. Sister
Anne Shepard greeted all in attendance, expressing gratitude to
those who have journeyed with us in various ministries and study
programs.
Sister Glenna Smith, OSB, president of the Federation of St. Scholastica, two Benedictine sisters from St. Mary’s Monastery in
Pennsylvania (from which we began our journey to Atchison),
three from Ridgely, Maryland and three Benedictine sisters from
Colorado also joined us.
“It is inspiring to ponder the faith, courage, and the boldness of
those first seven sisters who set in motion what would become a
rich history of witness and service to the children and families of
Atchison and beyond,” Archbishop Naumann said in his homily. Reflecting on the Gospel of the day, the archbishop spoke of
Mary’s hospitality in listening to the Lord, which is at the heart of
religious life. “One of the great gifts that you give to the Church
as Benedictine sisters is your fidelity to prayer,” he said. “The
commitment of religious to stake their entire lives on Jesus and
the truth of his Gospel motivates all those who encounter them to
commit our lives more and more to Jesus…”
Sister Anne Shepard presented a plaque of St. Scholastica to the
archbishop as a token of the community’s appreciation. All gathered in our dining room for a festive meal and renewal of friendships.
“It was truly a joyous celebration of the many ways God has
worked through your community,” said Sister Eileen Haynes,
Sister of Charity of Leavenworth. “Your warm hospitality, the
joy of who you are as Benedictine sisters, and your love for the
Eucharist and music were quite evident and took me to a deeper
sense of the gifts you possess in your charism and mission.”
Photos (top to bottom):
Sisters Gemina Manukuja and Judith Kapinga, student sisters from Tanzania,
did a ritual dance carrying the Gospel book at the Eucharistic celebration.
Sister Barbara Smith (second from left) and Marie Louise Krenner (right)
join Sisters Jacinta Conklin and John Paul Bauer from St. Marys, Penn., in
the dining room.
Sisters Elaine Fischer and Bridget Dickason serve ice cream for the guests.
Sisters Maria Heppler and Connie Krstolic chat with Archbishop Joseph
Naumann at the buffet following the Eucharist.
4 • Mount St. Scholastica
|
by Joanne Yankauskis, OSB
Holy Ground
celebrating with ACES students
|
by Helen Mueting, OSB
On January 29, about 50 sisters went to Atchison Catholic Elementary School (ACES) to celebrate one of the milestones in the Mount’s Benedictine history with the students. On November 11, 1863, seven sisters arrived in Atchison and were welcomed by two Atchison residents to their new home, which was located on the corner of what is
now 2nd and Division Streets. The sisters joined with the students in blessing a memorial stone which was placed
on the corner of the property. Before the blessing, Sister Anne told the students, “This is holy ground. We’ve come
back to where it all started.” After the blessing, the students presented carnations to each of the sisters who were
present.
Some of the sisters shared lunch with the students prior to the blessing; after the
blessing, many visited the classrooms where they answered questions about their
vocation and Benedictines. “It was a wonderful experience for us and for the students,” Sister Sharon Murray said. She was very touched by how welcoming the
students were and regretted that they do not have more exposure to us.
Many other sisters commented on the genuine welcome they felt from the students. The day closed with an assembly in which both the students and sisters
participated. Sisters Diana Seago and Susan Barber began with a song celebrating
our 150 years while Sister Micaela Randolph expressed the words in a liturgical
dance.
Sister Gabrielle Kocour, a graduate of St. Benedict’s Catholic Grade School,
shared some of her grade school experiences with the children. She told the
students she never forgot what her third grade teacher told her class. The teacher
said that the lessons of the Bible could be summed up with these words of Jesus,
“Do not be afraid, I am always with you.” Sister Gabrielle said, “Our hope is
that every time you walk through the school doors, you remember that Jesus is
always with you.”
The sisters were then treated with a play enacting the arrival of the sisters to
Atchison. The play was written by Kay Noll, a teacher at ACES, and dramatized
the sisters’ history dating back to St. Scholastica and St. Benedict in Italy in 480.
It received a standing ovation, and the children were invited to give a repeat
performance for the sisters in Dooley Center. At the close of the assembly, Sister
Anne presented the school with a plaque of St. Scholastica and called upon the
sisters to give a blessing to the students.
Photos (top to bottom):
Sister Martha Schweiger chats with Colton Kocour, a seventh grader, at lunch.
Eighth grade students performed a play about the history of the Benedictine Sisters and
their arrival in Atchison. Pictured (left to right) are Ali McKibben, Randi Brox, Miranda Wagner, Lexi Griffin, and Kylee Stec.
Sister Anne Shepard, along with all the sisters in attendance, bless the newly placed stone.
A stone marking the site of the sisters’ first school in Atchison at the corner of Second and
Division Streets was blessed during the 150th birthday party.
Threshold Summer 2013 • 5
Hon ori ng a L e g ac y
Maur Hill-Mount Academy Students Celebrate Mount Sisters
and her sister wanted to do something for the sisters so
they raised some money and bought a Wii game as a
gift. They visited Dooley Center regularly and enjoyed
interacting with the sisters. “They told stories about
their teaching days and were interested in our experiences and activities,” she said.
On March 21, St. Benedict’s Day, Maur Hill-Mount
Academy hosted a celebration for the 150th anniversary
of the Benedictine Sisters in Atchison. About 50 sisters
attended a program in the school gymnasium.
Maur Hill-Mount Academy students holding lanterns
led the sisters into the gym in a solemn procession.
After a greeting by Father Meinrad Miller, chaplain,
six students offered historical petitions, asking God’s
blessing on the sisters. Sister Anne Shepard thanked the
students, recalling her time as principal of the Mount
Academy and the wonderful spirit of the teachers and
students. She also told the story of the last meeting of
Benedict and Scholastica when Benedict was prevented
from returning home by a violent storm after Scholastica prayed for him to spend the night. “God heard her
prayer because she loved more,” Sister Anne said.
The celebration included a rose and candle ceremony
introduced by Pauline Schuele, dormitory prefect. She
explained that it was a Mount Academy tradition for the
juniors to give the seniors roses to symbolize friendship
and the seniors to give the juniors candles representing
wisdom. In that spirit, the juniors and the sisters exchanged roses and candles.
“It was very humbling for me to be a part of this traditional ceremony,” said Erica Seago, a postulant. “I
was passing on the wisdom of the Benedictine sisters,
and yet I am such a new member I wasn’t sure I knew
enough about that wisdom. But I appreciated being a
part of such a beautiful ceremony.”
President Phil Baniewicz (pictured at top) gave a brief
address, commending the sisters for their rich tradition
of prayer and education. Afterwards the students raised
their hands in blessing over the sisters.
Emily Stec, a senior, shared her experience with the
sisters in Dooley Center when she was a freshman. She
Before leaving, the sisters handed out Benedictine medals and homemade dove cookies to the students.
Sister Susan Barber accepts a rose from Sarah Mullins at the
Rose and Candle ceremony.
Alicia Pruett, Alexander “Von” Huber, Olivia Mangue, Kaitlyn
Miller, and Alexander King offer prayers at the celebration honoring the Benedictine Sisters.
6 • Mount St. Scholastica
Joining us in Prayer
E ig h t w e lcome d a s Obla te s | by Ju d i t h S u t e r a , O S B
Eight women and men from the Atchison area and beyond were welcomed as oblates of Mount St. Scholastica on
April 27. These people have been attracted both to the spirituality of the Benedictine way and to this Benedictine
community.
Two of them are from the Oklahoma City area and are part of an oblate group that continues to meet there after the
departure of the Red Plains sisters. Sister Melissa Letts is their leader; however, since she is living in Atchison and
cannot attend every meeting, a group there does the local coordination and leadership. New oblates Marka Acton
and Connie Harrison have traveled to Atchison several times in the past two years to acquaint themselves with their
“new” community. Marka is an accountant who is very active in her parish. Attending retreats at Red Plains led her
to a desire for a deeper spirituality. She sought oblation because
“a community of people who know this to be a life directed towards salvation are just the folks I want to be around.” Connie,
too, found the sisters through retreats. Her faith is expressed
in the areas of peace and justice, both in the civic realm and
within her Methodist church. The peace of the Benedictine way
is especially attractive to her: “There is a purpose to simple
tasks, a greater self-awareness, and a more serene and centered
approach to daily living.”
Judy Valente also came from a distance to find her spiritual
home. An author and a reporter for public radio and television,
she first met the sisters while doing a story. Although she lives
in Bloomington, Ill., she has been spending time with the sisters
over the past two years through frequent trips. The tangible
result is a book about the sisters that will be published later
this year. Monasticism speaks to her because, as she says, “The Our newest oblates - Back row: Marka Acton, Darrin Allen,
Benedictine values of listening, silence, contemplation and care Tom Blake; Middle row: Rebecca Taylor, Marla Looper, Pat
of creation mirror perfectly what the poet tries to do in art.”
Mulvihill; Front row: Connie Harrison, Judy Valente.
Two other new oblates are part of the group that meets in Atchison under the direction of Sister Thomasita Homan.
Rebecca Taylor, originally from New York, now lives in Circleville, Kansas, and is a parish catechist. “During my first
retreat at the Mount two years ago, I was struck by the welcoming sense of peace, tranquility, and connectedness.
Learning about the Rule has really shown me the way I want to live,” is the way she describes her path to oblation.
Patrick Mulvihill has known the sisters for decades since attending educational programs at his church in Perry, Kansas. He works for the state of Kansas as an insurance fraud investigator and is grateful for the spiritual nourishment.
He says, “I look forward each day for the opportunity to pray the psalms and scriptures and to reflect upon them.”
The other three oblates are from the Kansas City area. Darrin Allen, a lifelong Catholic, is a network engineer who
decided to explore his faith and was led to the oblate group through the community’s website. “I really began to
search out God,” he recalls, “and it was here where I found what I was searching for in the Benedictine way of life.”
Marla Looper is a family interventionist and addictions counselor who met the sisters through her association with
Keeler Women’s Center. She connects her oblation with her personal and professional life saying, “The Rule of Benedict, as with the 12-steps, is not just a list of rules; they are guides characterized by balance, simplicity and humility.”
Both Marla and Darrin attend the oblate group in Kansas City, Kansas, led by Sister Molly Brockwell.
Tom Blake attends a group that meets in Kansas City with Sister Therese Elias. Tom has been professionally associated with sisters from Atchison for many years as a teacher and educational administrator. Through these relationships
and programs at Sophia Center, he felt called to become an oblate.
The new oblates join over 100 other men and women of very diverse lives who share a commitment to foster Benedictine values in their lives and to be united with the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica.
Threshold Summer 2013 • 7
An Unspoken Tragedy
T h r e e “ V e r on i c a s ” W i t n e ss V i o l e n c e
in
by Anne Shepard, OSB
Last December Sisters Anne Shepard, Barbara McCracken,
and Loretta McGuire traveled to Torreon, Mexico, to give a
retreat to the sisters at Monasterio Pan de Vida. The following
is a reflection Sister Anne wrote on her return.
We arrived in Torreon on Friday night at a time when
there were still some celebrations going on to commemorate Mexico’s revolution. Around 9 p.m. on the way
home from the airport, we stopped to see some youth
who were meeting at our sisters’ center. They were
having a party. Every Friday night the sisters host the
youth to keep them away from the drug traffic in their
neighborhoods.
On Saturday we met with the seven sisters. I gave a
brief introduction and shared with them how I believe
that what they are experiencing is the paschal mystery.
On our pilgrimage to Germany for the sesquicentennial
celebration, we stopped at a church, Wieskirche, where
we saw an image of Christ I had never seen, an image
of the scourged Christ. That image stayed in my mind.
I think that the people of Torreon are being scourged on
the road to Calvary. We three from the Mount that went
there were the Veronicas, called to give comfort, to wipe
tears, to listen, to console.
After a brief introduction, we asked the sisters to tell us
what they were experiencing. The flood gates opened.
One recalled a friend telling her that a group of young
boys and their friends were outside her home one night
enjoying each other’s company. The cartel came and
T o r r e on , M e x i c o
forced her son to shoot his friends. Then the drug dealers gathered them all, dismembered those who were
shot, took them to a landfill and dumped them. The
mother was alive and had to walk through the dismembered parts; she cried out to see if anyone else was alive.
Her son, the one who was forced to kill his friends, is
now in a mental institution and may never recover.
Another told a story of when she was walking home
from teaching. She saw a car stop and then a man who
had been shot was thrown from the car onto the pavement. Yet another told of how she witnessed the shooting of three people in the store directly across the street
from them − a woman and two customers. Evidently,
the woman was a dealer and the customers were suspected of buying drugs. Another spoke about a family
having a wake for their daughter. The cartel came by
and shot the family members in front of the children
in the house. One day on her way to visiting a parish
on the bus, a sister was in the crossfire of the representatives of two cartels. With others, she fell to the floor.
When she got up, she saw several bodies on the street
and didn’t even know if she was shot. Now she has
nightmares and cannot sleep as she tries to recall what
happened. Others talk about how bodies are hung from
overpasses for commuters to see.
On Friday night we met an 11-year-old boy who was
fairly new to the youth group. One week recently, he
pulled one of the sisters aside and showed her a bag of
high grade cocaine that he was handed that day on his
way out of school. He wanted to give it to her for disposal. She told him that he was given the coke, and he
had to decide what to do with it. After knowing the consequences of tasting it or keeping it, he decided to flush
it down the toilet. Sister was vehement about having
them make good decisions on their own and not having
them made for them.
The sisters often go to lead the wake services for those
killed because of a lack of priests who will go into the
neighborhoods. One of the hardest realities for the
prioress is that while she is undergoing chemotherapy
treatment she cannot visit the homes to pray and give
comfort to neighbors, families, and grieving mothers.
Sister Anne Shepard and Sister Lizeth Padilla, newest member
of Pan de Vida monastery in Torreon.
8 • Mount St. Scholastica
The next day we viewed the PBS movie “Pray the Devil
Back to Hell,” a story of the women in Liberia who
worked to end a seven-year war in that country. This
segment is one of a five-part series on “Women and
War.” We stopped the movie at strategic spots to talk
about feelings and about similarities and differences
between the Liberians and the women in Mexico. At
the end of the movie, the sisters seemed hopeful. They
were inspired because of the way the Liberians moved
to action.
Monday was a day I will never forget. In our four-hour
session, I talked about the road to Calvary and the
Church of the Scourging Christ and gave some examples
of women who were peace initiators in the past century
(including Wangari Maathai). Sister Barbara McCracken
gave them a checklist of symptoms of PTSD, one that
was written by the U.S. military for soldiers that come
back from war. Sister Loretta McGuire talked to them
about trauma and what that does to people, how it isolates them from God and one another. Both spoke to the
sisters about coping mechanisms and how to take care
of themselves. We invited them to trust the God within,
trust their personal strengths, stay in community and
keep sharing their stories with one another.
Monday afternoon was free for us. We took a ride into
town to see the sights. What we saw on three occasions
were police trucks with masked men in the front and
back of the trucks, armed with AK47’s. One police car
had a single officer, masked, gun pointed straight ahead,
going down a side street. Their proposed aim: to protect
the people – seems to terrify more than safeguard. One
doesn’t know where the drug cartels end and the police
begin. There seems to be complicity of some members
from all the groups in the horror of the violence and
terror. No one is safe.
On Monday evening, the sisters were at the center leading vespers. One of the sisters gave a synthesis of the
morning and asked anyone there to share what touched
them. Stories surfaced of the women leaving the meeting
and reflecting on hope, on the radical call to forgiveness,
on trusting the power of love within them, of needing
Sister Barbara McCracken with Sister Mariana Olivo (second
from right) and two women from the parish.
Sister Cecilia Dominguez embraces Sister Loretta McGuire.
now to reach out to their neighbors and of having some
ways to help their children. The people of Torreon are
so grateful for the presence of the Benedictine sisters in
their neighborhood. They trust the sisters and feel safe
with them, both physically and emotionally. They also
were grateful that we from the “grandmother” house in
Atchison came to be with them and to give them hope.
The last morning we reflected on the reading from St.
Paul, “When I think of you, I continually thank my
God for you.” Our eyes were not dry and our hearts
were full. We are left with questions: What is our role
as North American Benedictines? How can we help the
monastery in Torreon? How can we get word out about
the atrocities in the city? Of the constant presence of
armed forces on the streets? Of the deserted neighborhoods? Of the frequently self-imposed curfews? How do
we help others realize that the violence worsens even as
the official discourse tends to downplay it? How do we
work for immigration reform so Mexicans can come to
the states to visit their families who reside here?
I promised the women in Torreon, both the sisters and
the ones who came to the center, that I would contact
the media about the need to publish stories about the
violence in Mexico. Many sections of the country are
dominated by drug lords who are armed by the U.S. and
who get their money from the United States. Studies
have projected that a large percentage of the profit of
the multi-billion dollar drug industry stays in the States.
The sisters also said the penchant for guns in the U.S.
spurs the gun-related violence and drug trafficking in
Mexico.
While in Torreon, we met beautiful people of faith who
want their lives changed. They want their neighborhoods back. They want to know where the disappeared
are. They want the outside world to know this is happening.
Threshold Summer 2013 • 9
Prevention of Gun Violence
A Statemen t of th e Co n fe re n ce o f B e n e d ictin e Prio re s s e s
Ma rch 2 1 , 2 0 1 3
As Benedictine monastic women we stand united in a 1500-year tradition, rooted in Gospel
values of peace and non-violence. Our Benedictine way of life requires us not only to be people
of peace but also “to foster peace in the society around us.” That peace is based on right relationships and mutual respect. Any violation of the rights and integrity of people, of the land, and
of the environment is an act of violence. A definite culture of violence is pervasive in our society
in movies, television programming, video games, music and advertisements. The proliferation
of guns, both legal and illegal, has contributed to a significant increase in violence in the United
States and in the drug wars in Mexico.
In 2010, guns took the lives of 31,076 Americans in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings. This is the equivalent of more than 85 deaths each day and more than three deaths each
hour. In Mexico, 15,273 died in drug war gun violence alone that same year. Over 68% of the
traced guns used in crimes in Mexico between 2007 and 2010 came from the United States. The
United States has the highest rate of gun-related injuries among developed countries, as well
as the highest rate of gun ownership. Besides the deaths and tragedies for families, friends and
associates, gun violence also affects society in other ways, including higher medical costs, reductions in quality of life because of fear of gun violence and stresses on the criminal justice system.
To help create healthier environments in families, schools and communities and to reduce the
impact of gun-related violence, the American Psychological Association recommends multiple
approaches, among which are education, training, access to mental health treatment, program
funding and research. The Conference of Benedictine Prioresses endorses their recommendations.
In his holy Rule, our founder St. Benedict states, “Your way of acting must be different from the
world’s way.” We, the Conference of Benedictine Prioresses, are compelled to address the rampant culture of gun violence and disregard for human life. Therefore, in concert with statements
issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Leadership Conference of
Women Religious we call on lawmakers to:
• Close loopholes and require every person who buys a gun to pass a criminal background
check.
• Ban the sale of assault style weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines.
• Make gun trafficking a federal crime.
• Strengthen federal laws to stem the flow of American weapons that contribute to the drug
trafficking violence in Mexico.
• Fund robust care for those with mental illness, ensuring that health insurance plans, Medicare and Medicaid offer mental health benefits at parity.
• Provide for early identification and intervention for children and young adults in need of
mental health treatment.
• Increase the number of well-trained mental health professionals available for school and
community gun violence prevention, intervention, threat assessment, and crisis management.
• End the freeze on gun violence research.
• Address the growing use of violence as a means of entertainment in films, television programs, video games, music and advertisements.
10 • Mount St. Scholastica
I m m i g r at i o n R e f o r m
A Statemen t on Con fere n ce o f A me rica n B e n e d ictin e Prio re s s e s
Ma rch 2 1 , 2 0 1 3
We, the Conference of Benedictine Prioresses, join our voices with the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR),
with Network, and with the bipartisan legislative effort to create a comprehensive immigration
reform.
C on t e x t
As immigrants themselves, our Benedictine foremothers understood the needs of immigrants
coming to this country. They served well and nurtured faith in this new land. In our time of numerous migrations, we acknowledge the rich contribution made by immigrant people and decry
the unjust treatment they are too often compelled to endure.
Rooted in the wellsprings of Christian Scriptures, we recall the migrations of our forebearers Sarah and Abraham, who left their homeland (Genesis 12:1-3), as well as Moses, who led the people
out of Egypt (Exodus 3:7-10), and we hear the clear gospel call to welcome the stranger into our
midst (Mt. 25:35).
As Benedictine monastic women, we listen with the ear
of our hearts (Prologue of the Rule of Benedict) as we
call for compassion and justice for all immigrant people.
We are animated by our Rule which bids us to welcome
as Christ all guests who present themselves (Rule of
Benedict 53:1). Hospitality is a core value of Benedictine
spirituality as well as a sacred duty and trust. Because
we know that it is God whom we receive in the “other,” we dare to speak out, even in this age of violence
and fear of the stranger. We are compelled to raise our
voices in an effort to transform the culture of fear and
exclusion into one of peace and inclusion where the
“stranger” becomes friend.
One of many walls that separate the United States and
Mexico, located in the Sonora Desert.
C o m p r e h e ns i v e I m m i g r at i on R e f o r m
The central features of any immigration reform need to be:
• a clear and secure path to legal documentation and citizenship for the estimated 11 million
immigrants who are currently in the United States,
• a family-based reunification system that keeps families together,
• a revision of the current visa system especially for migrant workers,
• protection for all workers’ rights,
• a speedy enactment of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM)
Act with an option for community service in lieu of military service,
• reform of the detention and deportation system with due process,
• a fair and expedient process for asylum seekers.
As people of faith and citizens of the United States of America, we urge our country to establish
compassionate and just policies to offer newcomers opportunities to participate fully in our society, to satisfy their basic human needs, to share their many gifts with us, and to live according to
their human dignity.
Threshold Summer 2013 • 11
In the News
Technology and Formation
What is social media and how does it impact
those who are entering monastic life? This was
the focus of a presentation by Sister Suzanne
Fitzmaurice for formation and vocation
directors at the American Benedictine Formation
Conference in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in March.
Sister Suzanne began with a show and tell of
various devices used today and gave a brief
description of each, detailing how they are used
and the cost of each. She then gave an overview
of the eight most commonly used forms of social
media: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, wiki, instagram,
podcast, skype/facetime, and pinterest, which
she connected to an informal survey she gave
to women in their 20’s and 30’s on technology
use. The formation directors were given the
opportunity to discuss various questions communities need to consider when looking at technology and the use
of social media in their individual monasteries. Sister Suzanne also shared possible social media policies and
guidelines.
Sister Carol Ann Petersen Honored
For the third time in recent months, Sister Carol Ann Petersen and the Keeler
Women’s Center have been recognized for their efforts on behalf of the women
of the Kansas City area. At the “Safe Homes, Safe Streets” benefit in Topeka on
February 12, the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence selected
Sister Carol Ann to receive their Community-Based Ally of the Year Award. She
was nominated for Keeler’s work as a community partner with the Metropolitan
Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA) and for her own personal
commitment.
“Sister Petersen has been an integral part of the strong partnership between
MOCSA and Keeler Women’s Center since 2004 to coordinate services for victims
of sexual violence. Specifically, MOCSA has provided a weekly survivor’s group,
a trauma workshop, and crisis counseling,” Julie Donelon, CEO and president
of MOCSA, said. “Currently, MOCSA provides groups and education at Keeler
Women’s Center for Spanish-speaking women who are survivors of sexual
assault.”
Sister Carol Ann Petersen, OSB
Among the many victim-centered and empowerment-based services provided at Keeler Women’s Center are
education and support for addictions and domestic violence, counseling for survivors of abuse and other
needs, workshops on parenting and job seeking, and assistance for women who need help finding community
resources. An average of 300 women and 20 to 25 men are served per month.
The Keeler Women’s Center, located in the Catholic Charities building at 2220 Central Avenue in Kansas City,
Kansas, is an outreach ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica.
12 • Mount St. Scholastica
New Book on Psalms
Sister Irene Nowell has written a new book on the psalms entitled
Pleading, Cursing, Praising, published by Liturgical Press. It is a guide to
praying with the psalms and includes questions and exercises for personal
reflection and suggestions for composing one’s own psalm-prayers. Sister
Irene maintains that the psalms teach us to tell our story, to cry out our
pain, and to give praise to God.
Sister Irene is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association and
served on the Committee on Illuminations and Texts for The Saint John’s
Bible. Her other books include Numbers (of the New Collegeville Bible
Commentary), Sing a New Song, The Psalms in the Sunday Lectionary, and
Women in the Old Testament.
March for Life
On a chilly January afternoon, Sister Molly Brockwell
boarded a bus with forty-two students and three other
adults from Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City,
Kan. They arrived in Washington, DC, twenty-three
hours later, bleary-eyed, ready to join a half million other
people in the annual March for Life. Over the next two
days they joined other pilgrims from our archdiocese,
including Archbishop Joseph Naumann, and hundreds
of thousands of people from across the country, in giving
witness to the belief in the sanctity of every human life.
The rally on the mall and the march to the Supreme Court
building were snowy, cold and jam-packed with people.
“I discovered that the March for Life is much more than
a demonstration; it is a celebration of life,” Sister Molly
said. “To join with so many others in prayer, in song, and
in action is a moving experience. Watching my students
take it all in as well made it unforgettable.”
Attending the March for Life rally in Washington, DC, on Jan.
23: Bishop Ward High School students Stephanie Valle, Gracie Sherrod, Sister Molly Brockwell (teacher), Marta Baldwin,
and chaperones Renee Winkel, Gerard Alba and Celia Fox.
Correction
Sister Mary Mel L’Ecuyer’s (right)
name was omitted in the winter
issue of Threshold in the time line
naming the first four sisters to be
missioned in Brazil in 1964. She
served in Mineiros, Brazil, from
1964-2003 in various capacities,
including English and art teacher
in the high school, principal of the
grade school, novice mistress, and
manager of the farm. She delivered
milk to 120 poor families for
several years, helped plant over 200 trees around the villas, and
helped provide 200-liter water containers for poor families. She is
currently translating Sister Judith Sutera’s book True Daughters into
Portuguese for the community in Mineiros.
New Smoking Policy
To protect and enhance our
indoor air quality and to
contribute to the health and wellbeing of all employees, sisters,
Dooley residents, and guests,
Mount St. Scholastica campus is
entirely smoke-free effective April
1, 2013. Smoking is prohibited
on the grounds and in all of the
enclosed areas within Mount
St. Scholastica. This includes
everywhere in the monastery,
Dooley Center, St. Cecilia’s, and
Sophia Center. We ask our guests,
family, and friends to please
honor this policy.
Threshold Summer 2013 • 13
With grateful hearts
You are a big part of the reason we are celebrating with grateful
hearts our sesquicentennial. Over the 150 years our community has been living, praying and serving in Atchison and the
surrounding areas, you, our relatives, friends and benefactors,
have been there helping us every step of the way. From the first
night, November 11, 1863, when the Atchison people met the
seven Benedictine sisters at the ferry on the Missouri River, until the present, we have relied on your support and in turn have
Mary Margaret and John Murray, long-time
offered you our prayers.
supporters of the Benedictine Sisters, greet Sister
Because of your generosity we have exceeded our fundraising
Mary-Agnes Patterson at the Night of Dreams.
goal again this year! Your donations have helped us care for
our older sisters and to computerize the medical records in our Dooley Center. Caring for our buildings and
grounds is always an ongoing challenge.You make it possible for us to serve the many people who come to
Sophia Center for enrichment, quiet reflection and retreat. Our Keeler Women’s Center is now celebrating 10
years in operation, and with your help we continue to develop programs and services for the many women
who come there.
You bless us with your financial help, and without it we would not be able to continue these works. We serve
many people who cannot pay for the services they need. You also help us with hours of volunteer time here at
the Mount and in our ministries. You give of your talent to serve on our boards and advisory groups and help
us plan for our future. We are so grateful to you.
You are always in our daily prayers. Each Wednesday we offer our community Eucharist for our relatives,
friends and benefactors. You can request prayers by contacting me at [email protected] or 913-360-6215
or on our web site: www.mountosb.org.
Our prayer is our best way we can thank you for your kindness to us.
God bless each of you!
Mary Agnes Patterson, OSB
Director of Development
Donation Sources 2012
$1,630,704
*
*National Religious Retirement Office
14 • Mount St. Scholastica
Uses of Donations 2012
$1,630,704
Because She Loved More
Th e Story of the Foll owe rs of St. S chol astica in Atchison , K a n sas
by T homa sita Homan , OSB
di scove r y
day
The keynote address given by the
Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica at Benedictine College Discovery Day, April
17, culminated in a “flash mob.” Their
singing brought a full auditorium of
students, faculty, guests, and friends to
stand and sing in full joy: Gaudeamus
Hodie (We rejoice today and today and
today…). The singing echoed the spirit
of the presentation in celebration of 150
years since seven sisters arrived to found
a monastery in Atchison.
The panel of presenters included Sister
Anne Shepard, the story of St. Scholastica
and history of the Mount community;
Sister Linda Herndon, a look at the first
Mount St. Scholastica college handbook;
Sister Thomasita Homan, how the Mount
is present at Benedictine College today,
and Sister Irene Nowell, emcee. Assisting
in planning the multi-media presentation
were Sisters Judith Sutera, Susan Barber,
Janelle Maes, Helen Mueting and Marie
Louise Krenner. Following the program,
all present received a CD of Mount music:
“How Can I Keep from Singing,” a St.
Scholastica card, and traditional homemade dove cookies.
Many in attendance expressed words of
appreciation. The following poem captures the gratitude of Edward Mulholland, a professor at Benedictine College,
who said the program “really gave me a
deeper appreciation for the work you and
your community do and have done for so
many years.”
And Lanterns Burned
You came to serve amidst the threats,
Despite those first night dangers
And lanterns burned to welcome you
In vigil hands of strangers.
You came to build, to sow, to teach
To slake our thirst for knowing
Your tree, like in the Psalms you pray,
Greened by the river flowing.
Through wars and prejudice and want
Your strength not once did weaken
And souls in darkness, toil and doubt
Have found in you their beacon.
Your peaceful, gentle, woman’s touch
Your “yes” to God, like Mary,
Has sparked one hundred fifty years
Of flames across the prairie.
May faithfulness to God and rule
Be yours, as we, in wonder
Thank Sisters of Scholastica
Whose prayers call down the thunder.
For the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St.
Scholastica Monastery.
In honor of their Sesquicentennial Celebration.
Dr. Edward Mulholland, April 2013.
Threshold Summer 2013 • 15
A great day in
Atchison
Over 1,000 visitors attend Atchison Day | by Suzanne Fitzmaurice, OSB
“This place is amazing! I always wondered what it looked like.”
“I can’t believe how beautiful these chapels are!”
These are just a few of the comments heard over and over as more than 1,000 people
came through our doors to share a meal, listen to some sacred music, and tour the
monastery.
The celebration began for many with a picnic meal of hamburgers, hotdogs, baked
beans, and cookies served by the Knights of Columbus at the Atchison Heritage
Conference Center. As people entered the room, the excitement grew as they ran into
sisters they hadn’t seen in years. Many of them had been their former teachers with
whom they shared memories and stories from years gone by.
Visitors also took advantage of tours given by Benedictine College students. This was
the first opportunity for many to see the beautiful chapels and stained glass windows.
The students shared stories of our history and as one tour guide stated, “These sisters
have the most beautiful prayers I have ever experienced.”
Throughout the afternoon people gathered in St. Scholastica chapel to listen to musical selections by choirs from the Mount, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Peacemakers, First
Presbyterian Church, United Methodist Church, and Singsation, a youth choir.
Students from Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Benedictine oblates,
and friends of the Mount assisted the sisters in making everyone feel welcome. Sister Alberta Hermann picked up a former
Mount employee, Gracie Cluke, and two of her great-great
grandsons in the wheelchair van. Gracie told someone, “I’m not
going to wash my face tonight because it’s so full of kisses.”
It was a grand celebration and many commented on the hospitality they experienced. Myron and Valerie Fanton and their
four children expressed their appreciation in a note afterwards:
“Many thanks for opening your hearts and home to us this
afternoon in honor of your 150th birthday! It was such a joy to
share the day with many of you …We all delighted in our conversations and tour of your monastery…May the Lord give you
many more vocations and blessed years in Atchison.”
Photos (top to bottom)
Anna Buhman-Wiggs, daughter of Adam and Anita Buhman-Wiggs,
peers out from a choir stall during a tour of the chapels on Atchison
Day, April 14.
The Atchison Peacemakers choir.
An ambassador from Benedictine College directs the Schuele family
down the main hall. Pictured are (front left to right): Greta, Annika, Bridget, Katja; (back) Jeff holding Liesel, Megan and Marika (hidden).
16 • Mount St. Scholastica
Creating
Something
S i s t e r s C r e at e B e a u t y O u t
from nothing
of
S c r a p s | b y B a r b a r a M a y e r, O S B
We often say sisters don’t retire, they are just recycled.
A group of sisters, all former teachers, have been recycled into seamstresses, transforming donated materials
into objects of beauty. With an average age of 87, Sisters
Mary Benedict Jacobs, Mary Ethel Burley, Bettina Tobin, Elena Hernandez, Laetitia Chavez, Mary Margaret Bunck, and Loretta Wiesner gather each weekday
morning in the basement sewing room to work on their
projects. They use whatever people give them and try to
make things that can be sold in the monastery gift shop
or given to Night of Dreams or Keeler Women’s Center.
Sister Laetitia, who has been quilting for the past 15
years, says she has worked on 180 projects. “I’ve made a
quilt for the Night of Dreams every year since it started,” she said. She has also sewn squares together for
table runners and sofa pillows.
“Sometimes people give us unfinished quilts or other
projects, and we try to finish or use them in some way,”
said Sister Mary Benedict. “Currently Sister Elena is
making baby and children’s quilts from unfinished quilt
squares. We are also making place mats for Dooley Center from some donated scraps. I cut them out and Sister
Elena sews them on the machine.”
One of their biggest projects was making 250 table
trivets for our sesquicentennial celebration. Designed by
Sister Bettina, they are made of donated fabric and the
sturdy table padding from the former Riccardi Center.
They stitched the dates 1863-2013 and Mount St. Scholastica on them with a special attachment. The trivets
are being used as gift shop items, special awards, and
table decorations.
Sister Bettina has also created book covers, cell phone
bags, purses, book
marks, and iPad covers.
She recently recycled
some embroidered circles into attractive wall
hangings. “Everything
we make has a history,” she said. “What to
make and how to make
it out of what we have is
always a creative challenge.”
Sister Mary Ethel, who
has been working in the
sewing room for about
12 years, navigates with
a walker. She was originally asked to be “fashion consultant for Dool- (L to R) Sisters Mary Margaret
ey Center.” She alters or Bunck, Elena Hernandez, and
sews new clothing for
Mary Benedict Jacobs
the sisters in Dooley and
also makes tote bags for
walkers and wheel chairs as well as folded coasters for
the gift shop and Night of Dreams.
Sister Loretta uses donated yarn to make stocking caps
and scarves for Keeler Women’s Center. Sister Mary
Margaret helped with the trivets and keeps the materials
in order.
When someone donated some trellis ribbon,
Sister Mary Benedict made necklaces
that have been very
popular in the gift
shop. She also made
attractive scarves out
of novelty yarns.
“We enjoy being a
group of creative
sisters making things
to help others,” Sister
Mary Benedict said.
Sister Loretta Wiesner
Sister Laetitia Chavez
Threshold Summer 2013 • 17
Into Eternal Rest
Sister Marjorie (Rosella) McGrath, OSB
January 19, 1926 - January 7, 2013
Sister Marjorie made her mark on the world. She was an Atchison
native who attended local Benedictine schools, but South America
would come to hold the most special place in her heart.
The first thing most people identified with her was her strong and
distinctive voice. Making profession in 1945, she studied music,
drama, and music literature/history to earn a master’s degree
from the University of Notre Dame. After 24 years in elementary
and secondary music education, she responded to a call to be a
missionary. She lived among the poor of Capachica, Peru, from
1969 to 1975. After further training in pastoral ministry, she again
took up her simple life with the people of Itaberaba, Brazil, where
she lived from 1980 to 1995.
Coming back to North American culture was a challenge to her, but she maintained in her later
years the values that had served her so well. She continued to live simply, to sing joyfully, to
offer hospitality. Her last mission was to live, along with Sister Bettina Tobin, as a “Benedictine
presence” in the town of Alma, Kansas, and she was always a smiling presence within the
monastery to the end of her days.
Sister de Monfort Knightley, OSB
August 18, 1926- March 16, 2013
When Sister de Montfort began her life in Wichita, and then
entered the monastery in 1948, her later career could hardly
be imagined. Possessing a quick and logical mind, she was
a perfect fit for her chosen field of mathematics, receiving a
master’s degree from Kansas State University. For some 50 years
she taught in high schools and colleges, and was especially
remembered for the 16 years she spent at Lillis High School. It
was natural for her to be drawn to the field of computer science
in its earliest stages, earning a second master’s degree in that
subject from Notre Dame in 1966, long before most people knew
what a computer was. She introduced generations of students to
this emerging world and led them to numerous awards at state and national math competitions.
She once served the community as treasurer and was active in senate and in other commuity
functions. Her gentle kindness was evident in her long relationship with “Irish,” the setter mascot
of Lillis, and animals drew special affection from her. In fact, her hospice care plan included the
unusual feature of prescribed visits from the monastery’s current dog. Hers was a quiet presence,
but she was witty and perceptive; the kind of silent depth that dogs sensed was even more
evident to people.
18 • Mount St. Scholastica
Sister Loretta Schirmer, OSB
December 5, 1921 - May 26, 2013
Sister Loretta Schirmer knew a lot about Benedictine values and community
living before she came to Atchison as a college freshman. She was raised with
eight siblings in Newark, New Jersey, and attended Benedictine schools there.
From the stories told by her and her sister, the late former prioress Sister Mary
Austin Schirmer, it is evident that theirs was a lively family life, filled with
joy, love and sharing. She continued to delight in her family for the rest of her
life.
These experiences formed her into a generous and caring community
member. Her master’s degree was in nutrition and food service management,
which she used in the community kitchen and as manager of Mount St.
Scholastica College’s Riccardi student center. She had a long career as an elementary teacher, high school
home economics teacher, librarian, principal, and dormitory prefect. In the monastery, she served on various
committees including the initial formation team. Whatever she did, she did with great thoughtfulness and
concern.
She also did some advanced study in scripture, guidance and audio-visuals to enhance her work. This was
typical of her desire to expand her knowledge, to deepen her faith and to serve others. She showed her
affection for her family and community in her attentiveness and her acts of kindness. One example from the
past year is typical. Realizing she could no longer make her signature fudge for gifts, she carefully measured
all the ingredients and put them into gift packages for her friends to complete. She never became too old or
too infirm to stop thinking about others or to stop seeking and loving God.
Coming Soon!
Two books about the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica
Atchison Blue
by Judith Valente
With the heart of a poet and the eye of a journalist, Judith Valente tells how her many visits and
interviews with the Benedictine sisters forced her to confront aspects of her own life that needed
healing—a journey that invites readers to healing of their own. Atchison Blue will resonate with
readers of Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, and Kathleen Norris.
Judith Valente is an award-winning journalist, poet, speaker and retreat leader. She is an on air
correspondent for Religion & Ethics News Weekly on PBS-TV and contributing correspondent for
Chicago Public Radio.
Monastic Spring
by Paula Howard, OSB
This book covers the history of Mount St. Scholastica from 1963 to the present. It highlights the
changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council, the leadership of six prioresses, and the
sesquicentennial year of celebration. The history of the past 50 years tells a story of renewal,
a springtime of hope in monastic life. The book will be of interest to relatives, friends, alumni,
and benefactors of the Atchison Benedictines.
Sister Paula Howard is an iconographer, former educator, writer, and administrator, and
member of the Mount community.
Threshold Summer 2013 • 19
The
Great Return
Sister Diane Liston (left) visits with Aimee Farrell.
M arg e Tan sle y gre ets Sis ter M
ar y
Cec ile I hle at the rec ept ion .
On May 25, 43 for mer s isters retur ne d to t he Mount for a we ekend
to re conne c t and celebr ate ou r 1 5 0 t h
annivers ar y. Many v isite d t he g r aves
of sisters t he y ha d k now n as wel l as
long-t ime f r iends in D o ol e y C enter.
nite d.
The nov itia te cla ss of 196 2 reu
S av e
the
D at e
•
November 17, 2013
t h e s e v e n t e e n t h a nn u a l
Night of Dreams
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Mount St. Scholastica
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Atchison, KS 66002
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