Items of Interest_March-April 2014

MARCH-APRIL 2014
ITEMS OF INTEREST
Sisters of the Good Shepherd Province of Mid-North America
Engraving on the Pelletier home.
Life began for St. Mary Euphrasia on Noirmoutier Island off the Atlantic
coast of France. Photos from top right: It is where she was born after her
parents were released from a castle prison during the 18th century Reign
of Terror, and where she was confirmed in 1808 at St. Philbert church. It is
on Noirmoutier where Rose Virginie Pelletier and her young friends set
about restoring St. Philbert’s crypt after it had been abandoned centuries
before. And the sea abutting the rocky island (above) captivated Rose
Virginie. She loved to pray at the rocky grotto where St. Philbert came to
pray in the 7th century.
The 11th century castle on
Noirmoutier became a prison
during the Reign of Terror.
Pi l grimage to Hol y Ground
By Jeanette McDermott
I had the honor and great privilege
of being invited to journey as a
Pilgrim from February 24 to March
4 to a sacred place for Good
Shepherd: the place where our holy
work was born -- the Motherhouse,
in Angers, France. This is where St.
Mary Euphrasia expanded the work
of Good Shepherd to an
international mission and vision. It
has been a place of prayer and
contemplation for almost 200 years.
I journeyed with 79 other mission
partners from the provinces of
Canada, New York, Mid-North
America, Australia/New Zealand
and Malaysia/Singapore. Our
pilgrimage focused on the life of St.
Mary Euphrasia and the history of
Continued on next page
St. Philbert church
PROVINCE NEWS
Pilgrimage continued from page 1
A marble statue of St. Mary
Euphrasia stands at the
entrance to the chapel in the
Motherhouse (above), where
Mother Foundress and the
sisters attended Mass and
prayed (below).
The Motherhouse in Angers, France.
the founding of the Sisters of the
Good Shepherd, with time for
prayer, reflection and sharing
about the Good Shepherd
mission and spirituality.
We heard about the life events of
St. Mary Euphrasia and made
connections to our own journey
as Good Shepherds. We took
time together in small groups to
discuss how we live the mission of
Good Shepherd in our agencies
and ministries and how we
embody the core values as
individuals.
The Experience
Pilgrims made a trip to
Noirmoutier to see the house
where St. Mary Euphrasia was
born, the prison where her
parents were kept during the
French Revolution’s Reign of
Terror, and the church where she
was confirmed. We walked
through the village that had once
been home to her, and we
Corridor at the Motherhouse.
experienced the rocks, sea and
forest that she loved so well as a
young girl.
For a week we absorbed the
sights, sounds and spaces of the
sacred Motherhouse and its
grounds. I never grew tired of
sitting with St. Mary Euphrasia at
her tomb and in her office,
praying in the same chapel where
she prayed and walking the holy
grounds to immerse myself in
There is a small and tidy room at
the Motherhouse where St. Mary
Euphrasia slept and kept office.
Here she wrote countless letters
to her “daughters” around the
world and corresponded with
many other people who were vital
to Good Shepherd work of the
day. Brass nameplates on the
letterboxes mark the destination
point for her letters.
2
The bridge over River Maine-et-Loire is a short walk from the
Motherhouse and leads into the city of Angers.
Good Shepherd history and lore.
Many of us were deeply moved by
the experience of being led
through the tunnel that St. Mary
Euphrasia had built to help the
sisters move about more freely,
and we were captivated when we
stood at the Green Doors, where
St. Mary Euphrasia welcomed
young women into the Order and
sent them out as missionaries
into all parts of the world.
On our visits to these holy places
and during large group sessions,
Srs. Anne Joseph Carr and
Noreen O’Shea filled our hearts
and sparked our imaginations
with stories about the long line of
holy people who have inspired
others by their faithfulness to the
Good Shepherd and dedication
to following their own special
destinies.
We learned that Count
deNeuville was a man of God
whose stream of benefactions to
St. Mary Euphrasia and the early
order she founded and to other
good works never ceased, so that
by the end of his life this
nobleman by birth lived in
poverty and died a pauper.
Likewise, we learned that
Countess d’Andigné was a loyal
counselor, companion and
champion of St. Mary Euphrasia
who advocated for her causes.
The Countess was a good friend
to St. Mary Euphrasia and often
travelled with her on long, loud
and smoky locomotive journeys
and harsh, bumpy carriage rides.
The pace of the pilgrimage was
kept open enough for us to
reflect on the many stories we
heard of people who played
prominently in Good Shepherd
history, as well as those who
continue to spread the mission
today across 72 countries.
We visited the town of Angers to
absorb French culture and see the
Sr. Anne Josephine Carr,
presenter from the
Congregation in Rome, brought
Good Shepherd history to life by
telling stories about St. Mary
Euphrasia, including those
about the insufferable journeys
by carriage.
Some pilgrims wrote intentions
or carried them from coworkers at home to place at the
tomb of St. Mary Euphrasia.
historic cobblestone streets,
cathedrals and other structures
that St. Mary Euphrasia would
have experienced. Pilgrims were
especially fond of strolling across
the bridge over the River Maine,
Continued on next page
3
PROVINCE NEWS
Pilgrimage continued from page 3
The Tunnel
Pilgrims walked the labyrinth at the Motherhouse as a way of
getting in touch with themselves and God.
a walk that St. Mary Euphrasia would have made many times.
Our pilgrimage started as a journey to an outward place; however,
it soon had become a journey of the heart that connected each
pilgrim to a sacred center, to story and to each other. Our days as
pilgrims were joyful, informative and rich in blessings. I know I
don’t stand alone when I say that my desire now is to bring my
gratitude and the insights and rewards I gained as a pilgrim back
into my daily life. I return to my province and my home fully
committed to the Good Shepherd mission and am ready to help
lead Good Shepherd into the future.
Sisters of the Good Shepherd Conference of Provincials of North America
sponsored the pilgrimage.
Ina Argueta and
Christina Franco,
Good Shepherd
Shelter Los Angeles,
point to the
Noirmoutier bridge.
The tunnel at the Motherhouse has
become legendary in Good Shepherd
as a symbol of zeal. Pilgrims learned
of the tunnel’s history, walked
through it to see St. Nicholas Abbey,
and experienced a memorable ritual
inside its sacred stone walls.
4
PROVINCE HAPPENINGS
LEADERSHIP TEAM TRAVEL
SCHEDULE
Apr 1 Sr. Madeleine at Board Retreat, DeNeuville
Learning Center, Memphis
Apr 6-12 Sr. Mary Catherine and Apostolic Council at
CARE training, Baltimore
Apr 14-16 Shepherding Team and PLT meeting,
St. Louis
Apr 17-21 Sr. Madeleine with RGS community in
Orlando
Apr 27-May 1 Sr. Liz Retreat at UMSL, St. Louis
Community of Jesus
the Living Mercy
grows in numbers
Heart of Mercy is expanding its ministry
in Baltimore to offer a broader spectrum
of healing for women. In addition to
post-abortion healing, Heart of Mercy is
now prepared to help women recover
from depression, anxiety, grief, loss and
relationship troubles. Sr. Patricia Marie
Barnette said, “We pray that this broader
focus will help us in our mission to reach
more women.” On March 29, twenty-one
women attended a Lenten day of healing
prayer, “A Time of Grace,” sponsored by
Heart of Mercy.
There are now 20 members
of the Community of Jesus
the Living Mercy in Ohio
who have taken private vows.
Several others are going
through the discernment and
formation process to
eventually take their vows.
Their ministry, Bethesda The House of Mercy, helps
women find healing after an
Community member Paulette
abortion through various
Matter was a 2014 Pilgrim to
Angers, France.
monthly offerings that help
them recover and grow in
their spiritual and personal lives. The Community of Jesus the
Living Mercy is currently guiding and mentoring more than 30
women through a healing process. They ask for prayers for the
women being helped, and for each member of the community.
Submitted by Sr. Patricia Marie Barnette
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sr. Regina Do has a new email address: [email protected]
Sr. Marguerite Mary Doyle, RGS, from Ireland arrived in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, on March 13, 2014,
where she will spend a year on a Religious Visa experiencing contemplative life in community.
The deadline to contribute photos, articles and announcements for the May issue of Items of Interest is
April 21. Please send your contributions to [email protected] and be sure to type in the subject line
“Items of Interest.”
5
PROVINCE HAPPENINGS
Vista Maria youth attend healthy living summit in Washington, D.C.
by Jeanette McDermott
he nation’s largest youth development and
empowerment organization, 4H, held a fourday, hands-on learning summit in Washington,
D.C. for high school students who are passionate
about healthy living, and who want to develop
strategic action plans to lead change in their
communities. The summit ran from January 9-12.
T
Alondra Alvizo and Jayelo Harvey, high school
seniors at Vista Meadows Academy and co-leaders of
the 4H governance group through Vista Maria’s
Journey to Success program, attended the summit,
along with other high school students and 4H youth
governance groups across the U.S.
During the summit youth explored and discussed the
importance of civic engagement, developed
leadership skills and learned more about aspects of
healthy living, including nutrition, personal health
and wellness and emotional well-being. In
preparation for the experience, the 4H groups that
were selected from Michigan attended a daylong
conference in Lansing.
Journey to Success is a unique blend
of activities that work together
to keep students
engaged and interested.
The youth’s educational experiences at Vista
Meadows Academy, a charter high school that is
located on the second floor of the residential school
for girls on the Vista Maria campus, also prepped the
youth for the trip through the leadership skills they
have developed through Journey to Success.
“Journey to Success is a unique blend of activities
that work together to keep students like Alondra and
Jayelo engaged and interested,” said Greg Everett,
Program Manager.
“The components include an after school program;
community based counseling program that offers fun
interactive groups on conflict resolution, male
Alondra Alvizo (left) and Jayelo Harvey are high
school seniors at Vista Meadows Academy at Vista
Maria. They were selected to attend a healthy
living summit in Washington, D.C. in January based
on outstanding leadership displayed in the MSU
Extension 4H youth governance group.
responsibility and substance abuse prevention; and a
mentoring program called DREAM, which stands
for Dreams Realized through Education and
Academic Mentoring,” Greg said.
The blend of activities offered through the Journey
to Success program keeps students fully engaged, as
many of the students participate in all three
components. If they aren’t engaged in all three, they
are introduced to the others.
Journey to Success serves fewer than 100 students in
each component, making it possible for the after
school activities to be intimate in size. This allows
students to form close, healthy peer relationships
while also allowing them to better interact with
instructors and other adults.
“The staff are able to get to know the students
personally in this smaller, more intimate setting and
the students form a tight bond among themselves,”
Greg said.
Vista Maria’s Journey to Success program has proved
so empowering for high school youth that the agency
has replicated it offsite at Harper Woods Middle
School in Dearborn Heights.
6
PROVINCE HAPPENINGS
Gracenter experiences special moments
Executive Director honored
The Province of Mid-North
America sponsored a table of eight
for the Soroptimist Dinner held in
San Francisco March 13. Gracenter
also bought a table. This allowed 17
people from Gracenter to attend
the 92nd annual dinner of the San
Francisco Soroptimist Society,
where Sr. Marguerite Bartling,
Executive Director of Gracenter,
served as keynote speaker.
l-r: Srs. Barbara Beasley,
Marguerite Bartling and Jean
Marie Fernandez enjoy the
Soroptimist fete.
Gracenter staff attended the
Soroptimist dinner where Sr.
Marguerite Bartling was honored.
Every year Soroptimist Societies
across the globe recognize women
who are making extraordinary
differences in the lives of other
women and girls. The societies
bestow upon these women the
Ruby Award, a name that
represents the gemstone and
implies wisdom, importance,
vitality, strength, power and love.
The intent of the retreat was for
women to focus on the spirituality
of the first three steps of a 12 Step
program as a way for them to see
how they can live life more deeply.
Through this process, retreat
leader Sr. Patricia Galli, RSM,
opened space for women to
experience creative art, nature,
The San Francisco Soroptimist
Society selected Sr. Marguerite as
this year’s winner of its Ruby
Award. The dinner in March was
held to honor and recognize her for
the difference she makes in the
lives of women at Gracenter.
The intent of the retreat
was for women to focus
on the spirituality of
the first three steps of a
12 Step program.
12-step spiritual retreat held
time for quiet reflection and a
picnic under the trees. The women
who attended said they enjoyed the
camaraderie with each other and
the spirituality of the steps.
In March Sr. Marguerite Bartling
fulfilled a dream she has held for
many years -- to have Gracenter
offer women in recovery the
opportunity to have some time and
beautiful space to deepen the
spiritual part of themselves,
especially those women who
cannot afford an expensive
experience at a formal retreat
house. The retreat was open to
present residents at Gracenter and
graduates of the program.
Seven of the present residents at
Gracenter attended the one-day
retreat, along with two women who
were at Gracenter but are now
living in different situations.
Gracenter plans to hold four
retreats a year, with Sr. Patricia
leading them.
Sr. Patricia graduated from the
University of San Francisco as a
nurse, married and became a
mother of four. Her life journey
continued and the marriage ended,
the children became adults and the
blessing of recovery from addiction
changed her life.
Sr. Patricia said, “With the
deepening of the experience of the
compassionate love of God
through the Twelve Steps and
guided spiritual exercises I became
a Sister of Mercy.”
Sr. Patricia has degrees in
Counseling and Theology and has
been a spiritual director and retreat
director for almost 30 years.
Sisters of Our Lady of Charity
in, Ohio display at its center
the statue of St. John Eudes,
which came to OLC from
Good Shepherd when sisters
left Milwaukee.
7
PROVINCE SNAPSHOTS
Digging for archival treasures
Sr. Tarcila Abaño, who is missioned to do the archives
in the Philippine Province, took a week-long diversion
from her month’s vacation in San Francisco to visit the
archives at the St. Louis Province Center. She came
specifically to pore through the archives in search of
historic photos, letters and other archival treasures
from Los Angeles, which was the Province Center for
the Philippines before the Philippine Province was
formed in 1946. The visit to the archives had special
meaning for Sr. Tarcila, as she made her novitiate in
Los Angeles in 1963 and made first profession there in
1965. Sr. Tarcila left happily with scanned documents
and images to take back to the Philippine Province.
Fiona Robinson
Shepherd of the Month,
Baltimore
Sr. Tarcila Abaño, Philippine Province
Fiona Robinson was named
Shepherd of the Month in March
for Good Shepherd Services
Baltimore. She was nominated
along with Quita Roberts and
Valerie Shell for taking on the
helm of leadership in the Clinical
and Medical department.
Nominations for the award are
anonymous. According to the
person who nominated the three
women for the award (only one
nominee is selected through a
ballot draw), “All three of these
dynamic women are setting a
course for the unit with a new
vision. They excel in their jobs
despite having limited and waning
resources. Their actions inspire
hope and awaken in others a
renewed sense of purpose. I hope
they know how many supporters
they have working behind the
scenes to help ensure their
success, because if they succeed
we ALL succeed!”
Submitted by Sr. Mary Carol McClenon
Personal milestones
reached in St. Louis
From left: Sr. Dorothy Renckens, RGS,
marks with prayerfulness and deep
gratitude the 60th anniversary of her
vows on April 24. Sr. Roberta Kienstra,
RGS, turns 100 on April 14 and will
celebrate the occasion at a favorite St.
Louis landmark with her family in June.
Sr. Therese Hillary had her 50th Jubilee
last year but will mark the occasion
this year with a celebration on April 26
with Sisters in the Immaculate Heart
community.

8
OBITUARY
Sr. Margaret Paul Harder, CGS
June 6, 1919 - March 19, 2014
Luella Harder was born on June
6, 1919 to Elmer J. and Emeline
(Steger) Harder in Rochester,
Minnesota. She was one of six
children born into a happy
household that was to be
overshadowed with sorrow. Her
only brother died at age 13, and
the following year her mother
died giving birth to their baby
sister, who was herself in fragile
health. Upon the death of their
mother, Luella and her older
sister Dorothy, both in their
teens, were placed in the care of
the Sisters of the Good
Shepherd in St. Paul Minnesota.
With the companionship of
Dorothy and the care of the
Sisters, Luella was able to
overcome her sorrow. She
entered into her studies and
learned skills that would prove helpful for her future.
As her faith and love for God increased she became
interested in the Contemplative Sisters who shared
the Good Shepherd campus. Upon graduation from
high school Luella asked to enter the Community of
Sisters Magdalen (Later called the Contemplative
Sisters of the Good Shepherd). At that time she took
the name Sr. Margaret Paul. She made her First Vows
on July 22, 1940 and her final vows on July 22, 1950.
Sr. Margaret Paul served the community in multiple
ways and with varied skills during her almost 74 years
as a Contemplative. She became an excellent chef
with special expertise in cooking, baking and
canning. She also helped with the custom-cutting of
shirts that were tailor-made for a select clientele. Her
service extended to secretarial and bookkeeping tasks
for the community, as well as driving and caring for
the community car. In her spare time she became
adept with a crochet hook and knitting needles.
Throughout the years she helped with community
finances by making handcrafted items to sell such as
baby blankets, stuffed knitted animals, baby sweater
and hat sets and many scarfs and mittens.
In the mid 1960s, Sr. Margaret
Paul was once again separated
from those she loved when she
was asked to move to a
community in Spokane,
Washington.
Although the move was not
easy, she soon adapted and was
put in charge of the
flourishing altar bread industry
which the community had
developed. Sr. Margaret Paul
came to love the community
and served there for nearly 30
years.
There was one interim during
this stage of her journey that
temporarily disrupted her life
in community. Her father,
now a retired chief of the
Rochester Fire Department,
had become seriously ill with
cancer and was in need of special care. Sister was
given permission to go to him, and she became his
devoted caregiver until he was called to eternal life.
This was a blessed time for her to be able to be
reunited with her father and share in his many
memories. He was laid to rest amid all the honors of
the Rochester Fire Department.
In 1992 the Spokane Community was dissolved and
Sr. Margaret Paul returned to the St. Paul community.
Here, despite many health issues, she took charge of
the community linen room and busied herself in
filling the regularly-recurring requests for crocheted
goods, particularly baby sets. Sr. Margaret Paul
celebrated her 70th Jubilee as a Contemplative of
the Good Shepherd in July of 2010.
In 2011 the Community moved from St. Paul to
Boutwells Landing in Oak Park Heights. This was a
very challenging move as Sr. Margaret Paul needed
assisted living and, therefore, had to find her own
way to live out the life she was committed to for so
many years. She found herself in a small apartment,
which she used as a place of solitude and prayer, as
Continued on next page
9
OBITUARY
Sr. Margaret Paul Cont’d !om page 9
well as where she continued her crocheting projects.
She donated countless pairs of mittens to the poor
and made baby sets and other items as requested.
Sister attended many services provided by other
denominations and practiced ecumenism in her
friendships and devotion. Although the change from
convent living was difficult for many months after she
arrived at Boutwells Landing, Sr. Margaret Paul found
that she had a special calling within her original call
to contemplative life. She became very happy in her
new life, sharing her love and faith.
In late February of 2014, Sr. Margaret Paul was
finding it hard to walk any distance without losing
her breath. She had very little energy. She was
admitted to the hospital and was found to have
serious heart problems as well as other health
concerns. After a couple of weeks she was dismissed
from the hospital to hospice care. On March 19th,
the Feast day of St. Joseph, Patron of a happy death,
Sr. Margaret Paul died peacefully.
Submitted by Sr. Dolores Kalina
Sad farewell to Maria Droste ministry
M
aria Droste Residence program closed its doors in St. Louis and
discontinued its services the last week of March. Sr. Jeanne
Waddell and her council created the program in the 1970’s. They
were seeking to continue a ministry presence in St Louis after we turned
over Marygrove, our program in Florissant, to Catholic Charities.
Graduates of Maria Droste
Residence gather to say goodbye
to the ministry.
Maria Droste Residence started out as a simple shelter and later became a
sober living house. Homeless women who had completed drug and alcohol
programs applied to live there to continue their recovery. Maria Droste
provided safety and shelter as well as case management to meet the
various needs of women in recovery.
Within the Good Shepherd ambience of compassion and core value of
individual worth, the residents were able to continue their outpatient
recovery work, seek employment, budget their money and save for the
future. In-house recovery meetings and support groups that focused on
the Twelve Steps helped to strengthen their resolve to maintain sobriety
and heal physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Annual Trivia Night was
successful and always a lot of fun.
Maria Droste Residence has
closed its doors and discontinued
services.
On Thursday, March 20th Maria Droste staff, Province Sisters and past and
present residents spent the afternoon remembering Maria Droste
Residence in sadness and in celebration of the gift the program had been
to them. The afternoon began with appetizers and conversation. When all
were gathered everyone reflected and took turns sharing their memories,
recalling the gift and blessing of the program and the special meaning that
Maria Droste will always hold for them. A dinner followed.
On Sunday, March 23 a final graduation ceremony took place at Maria
Droste Residence. Three of the last residents graduated from the program
as their families and friends witnessed the touching event. The following
Monday, volunteers who had helped with Maria Droste’s yearly fundraising
Trivia Night were guests of honor at a special dinner hosted by Sisters at
the Province Center.
Submitted by Sr. Sharon O’Grady
10
SOCIAL MEDIA
How to use facebook in 8 easy steps: for the novice
acebook is a social media
tool that can do wonders
for increasing visibility and
support for Good Shepherd
ministries. If you haven’t already
started using facebook, it’s easy to
learn. Just follow these steps.
1. First, create a personal
facebook page. Watch this
video to learn how. Or you can
click here for written
instructions
2. Once you have a personal
facebook page you can “Like”
other facebook pages such as
the Good Shepherd page.
Learn how to use the facebook
“Like” button.
3. Test out what you learned in
Step 2 and “Like” our facebook
page: www.facebook.com/
sistersofthegoodshepherd.
The more likes we have on our
facebook page, the more
awareness we raise about
Good Shepherd.
4. In addition to using the “Like”
button to like a whole page,
you can use the button to like
individual photos and
comments. Clicking “Like”
under a photo or on someone’s
comment drives traffic to our
facebook page to increase
visibility about Good
Shepherd.
5. Commenting on photos is fun
and also drives traffic to our
facebook page. Learn how to
comment on a facebook photo.
6. Practice what you have learned
in Steps 4 and 5 by liking
photos and posting comments
F
on our facebook page:
www.facebook.com/
sistersofthegoodshepherd.
7. It’s important to like and
comment on photos if you
want to benefit from social
media. But nothing gets the
word out faster than sharing a
photo you like on facebook.
Here’s how you share
something you like.
8. Now practice sharing photos
from our facebook page to
your own timeline.
www.facebook.com/
sistersofthegoodshepherd.
That’s all there is to using
facebook. If you get stuck, just
review the links in the steps.
Enjoy the social media
experience!
Download this Ebook if you want to
use facebook to market your ministries.
11
"You who love the mission so
much help us to keep it going.”
St. Mary Euphrasia
2014 Pilgrims
Sisters of the Good Shepherd
Province of Mid-North America
7654 Natural Bridge Road
St. Louis, MO 63121
314-381-3400 or 1-800-615-5073
314-381-7102 fax
Jeanette McDermott, editor
[email protected]
ITEMS OF INTEREST
Sisters of the Good Shepherd Province of Mid-North America
7654 Natural Bridge Road
St. Louis, MO 63121