MOVE: MOVE: - Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
MOVE: MOVE: - Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Summer 2006 • A Publication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong>, BVM<br />
On <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>MOVE</strong> <strong>MOVE</strong>:<br />
<strong>MOVE</strong>:<br />
Body &<br />
Spirit
2<br />
Summer Two Thousand Six<br />
Volume 34, Number 4<br />
Mission Statement: As <strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Blessed</strong> <strong>Virgin</strong> <strong>Mary</strong>, we are called<br />
to participate in <strong>the</strong> mission <strong>of</strong> Jesus. Our<br />
choice <strong>of</strong> ministry is in keeping with our<br />
BVM mission: being freed and helping o<strong>the</strong>rs<br />
enjoy freedom in God’s steadfast love. BVM<br />
Constitutions, No. 10<br />
SALT is a quarterly magazine published for<br />
friends <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong>, BVM.<br />
Editor: Mira Mosle, BVM<br />
Design Editor: Angie J. Connolly<br />
Communication Advisory Committee:<br />
<strong>Mary</strong> Elizabeth Galt, BVM; Amy Golm, BVM;<br />
Jeanne Harrington, Associate; Sara McAlpin,<br />
BVM; Margaret A. McGinn, BVM; Joan<br />
Newhart, BVM; Pat Rogers, BVM<br />
Subscriptions: $7.50 per year, write: SALT,<br />
1100 Carmel Drive, Dubuque, Iowa 52003-<br />
7991, ph. (563) 588-2351, or email: rbechen@<br />
bvmcong.org<br />
2006 Calendar<br />
July 22 – BVM Golden and Silver Jubilee<br />
Celebration, Clarke College, Dubuque<br />
July 27-31 – BVM Ga<strong>the</strong>ring, Minneapolis<br />
Sept. 10 – BVM Diamond Jubilee<br />
Celebration, Mt. Carmel<br />
Internet Address: www.bvmcong.org<br />
Email Address: mmosle@bvmcong.org<br />
Member <strong>of</strong> Catholic Press Association<br />
<strong>Mary</strong> Fran McLaughlin, BVM proclaims Scripture<br />
during a liturgy celebrating her 10 years as<br />
president <strong>of</strong> Carmel High School in Mundelein,<br />
Ill. She retired at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> this school year.<br />
Printed on Recycled Paper.<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S<br />
On <strong>the</strong> Move: Body and Spirit<br />
3 Seasoning<br />
by BVMs Joellen McCarthy, Peggy Nolan and<br />
<strong>Mary</strong> Ann Zollmann<br />
4 Dublin to Philadelphia: Perilous<br />
Journey by Ann M. Harrington, BVM<br />
6 What a Way to Go!<br />
by Jean M. Byrne, BVM<br />
8 Missions on <strong>the</strong> Mississippi:<br />
Going with <strong>the</strong> Flow<br />
by <strong>Mary</strong> A. Healey, BVM<br />
11 Cruisin’ Along: <strong>the</strong> Joy <strong>of</strong> Music<br />
by Pat Rogers, BVM<br />
12 Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse <strong>Sisters</strong> Relocate;<br />
Discover New Challenges, Joys<br />
by Eileen Healy, BVM<br />
15 Amy Kane, Nurse On <strong>the</strong> Move<br />
by Associate Jeanne Harrington<br />
16 ‘Green’ a Growing Way <strong>of</strong><br />
Life for BVMs<br />
by Terese Shinners, BVM<br />
18 Walkathons Popular and Pervasive<br />
by Margaret A. McGinn, BVM<br />
19 Soaring in Hot Air Balloon:<br />
Memories for a Lifetime<br />
by Kathy Carr, BVM<br />
19 SALT Briefs<br />
20 Parish Ministry:<br />
Journey Inward, Outward<br />
by Dolores Myers, BVM<br />
21 That All May Be One…<br />
by Bertha Fox, BVM<br />
24 Chair in Women’s Studies Honors BVM<br />
Carolyn Farrell’s Mundelein/Loyola<br />
Legacy<br />
On <strong>the</strong> cover: Living gently on Earth by reducing carbon dioxide emissions is a priority<br />
for BVMs (front to back) Thea O’Meara, Eileen McGovern (James Leone), Diane Rapozo<br />
(Malia) and Donna Schauf (Blanche) as <strong>the</strong>y opt for hybrid cars. See article on pp.16-17.
“On <strong>the</strong> Move”: How fi tting it is that this<br />
summer issue <strong>of</strong> SALT brings stories <strong>of</strong> signifi cant<br />
journeys and delightful excursions!<br />
All <strong>of</strong> us remember as children our excitement<br />
at <strong>the</strong> arrival <strong>of</strong> summer. That little extra lilt in our<br />
heart was due partially to <strong>the</strong> three months that<br />
stretched before us with anticipation <strong>of</strong> summer trips<br />
as far away as across <strong>the</strong> country or as close to home<br />
as <strong>the</strong> nearest campsite, local playground, or favorite<br />
ice cream store.<br />
Even in adulthood, <strong>the</strong> prospect <strong>of</strong> an upcoming<br />
trip to visit family members, boarding a plane for a<br />
place we saved a lifetime to visit, or even getting in a<br />
car and stopping at <strong>the</strong> call <strong>of</strong> inviting road markers<br />
gives a “summer” feel to our anticipation.<br />
There is something in us that loves a journey, that<br />
relishes being “on <strong>the</strong> move,” whe<strong>the</strong>r geographically,<br />
intellectually or spiritually. In fact it feels as though<br />
<strong>the</strong> lure to travel is knit into <strong>the</strong> marrow <strong>of</strong> our bone,<br />
<strong>the</strong> very fi ber <strong>of</strong> our spirit. And perhaps it is.<br />
An ancient spiritual writer, known as Pseudo-<br />
Dionysius, describes God—and us in <strong>the</strong> image <strong>of</strong><br />
God—as “yearning on <strong>the</strong> move.” This “yearning” is<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten refl ected in compelling literature which can<br />
take us on<br />
revelatory journeys from Egypt to <strong>the</strong> Promised<br />
Land and from Jerusalem to Emmaus;<br />
perilous journeys from <strong>the</strong> safety <strong>of</strong> land to encounters<br />
with powers as formidable as Moby Dick;<br />
whimsical journeys through looking glasses into<br />
Wonderland and through wardrobe closets into <strong>the</strong><br />
logic-defying world <strong>of</strong> Narnia;<br />
disturbing journeys through Auschwitz darkness<br />
to <strong>the</strong> dawn <strong>of</strong> enlightened consciousness;<br />
mystical journeys from a confi ning spirituality<br />
into a divine liberating love <strong>of</strong> everything.<br />
SEASONing<br />
Dear SALT Readers,<br />
Journeys refresh, educate and transform us individually<br />
and communally. We become who we are<br />
on journeys we choose to take and on those that, in a<br />
mystery beyond our choosing, take us.<br />
It is no wonder, <strong>the</strong>n, that <strong>the</strong> spirit <strong>of</strong> journey is<br />
<strong>the</strong> founding and sustaining energy <strong>of</strong> BVM life. As<br />
described in <strong>the</strong> BVM Constitutions, “ours is a pioneer<br />
heritage moving us into <strong>the</strong> future responsive to <strong>the</strong><br />
Spirit” and “calling us to any part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world where<br />
<strong>the</strong>re is promise <strong>of</strong> fur<strong>the</strong>ring <strong>the</strong> mission <strong>of</strong> Jesus.”<br />
In <strong>the</strong> following pages you will glimpse what it means<br />
for BVMs, BVM Associates, and BVM friends to be “on<br />
<strong>the</strong> move” as you join us in:<br />
An ocean voyage from Dublin to Philadelphia;<br />
Founding early schools along <strong>the</strong> banks <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Mississippi;<br />
Humor-fi lled train escapades across <strong>the</strong> country;<br />
Relocations across town, short in mileage, but<br />
long in distance traveled by <strong>the</strong> heart;<br />
Moving toward a greener planet;<br />
Adventures in hot air balloons;<br />
Travels on cruise ships and ski slopes;<br />
Companioning children, young adults, and <strong>the</strong><br />
homebound on journeys <strong>of</strong> faith;<br />
Walks to help <strong>the</strong> hungry, <strong>the</strong> homeless, and <strong>the</strong> ill;<br />
Pilgrimages to Norway and Ecuador, and home<br />
again.<br />
As you embark on <strong>the</strong>se journeys with us, perhaps<br />
you will stop occasionally to recall journeys <strong>of</strong> your<br />
own. And, when we have all read <strong>the</strong> last account in<br />
this issue <strong>of</strong> SALT, may we delight in <strong>the</strong> realization<br />
that <strong>the</strong> stretch <strong>of</strong> “summer” that is <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> our lives<br />
lies before us inviting us to be ever “on <strong>the</strong> move.”<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
3
4<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
Dublin to Philadelphia:<br />
Perilous Journey<br />
by Ann M. Harrington, BVM<br />
Like so much <strong>of</strong> our early<br />
history, <strong>the</strong> sisters’ departure<br />
from Ireland comes in two versions.<br />
In Pulcheria McGuire’s<br />
Annals, Eliza Kelly’s fa<strong>the</strong>r and<br />
Margaret Mann’s fa<strong>the</strong>r accompany<br />
<strong>the</strong> sisters to <strong>the</strong> Dublin<br />
wharf to see <strong>the</strong>m <strong>of</strong>f, while<br />
Lambertina Doran’s In <strong>the</strong> Early<br />
Days records that <strong>the</strong> men accompanied<br />
<strong>the</strong> travelers to Liverpool,<br />
a more likely scenario.<br />
They boarded a ship with<br />
three square-rigged masts, and while waiting to depart,<br />
probably enjoyed listening to <strong>the</strong> music and watching<br />
<strong>the</strong> dancing between decks. They set sail from Liverpool<br />
on <strong>the</strong> Cassander piloted by Captain Stephen Davenport<br />
on Thursday, July 18, 1833.<br />
As steam tugs pulled <strong>the</strong> ship along an inland<br />
waterway towards <strong>the</strong> sea, <strong>the</strong> music stopped and<br />
passengers looked back at family, well wishers and<br />
spectators. The roll call <strong>of</strong> passengers and search for<br />
stowaways occurred at this time, and it depended on<br />
shipping line policy whe<strong>the</strong>r or not <strong>the</strong> names <strong>of</strong> passengers<br />
in steerage made <strong>the</strong> passenger list. Ill passengers<br />
and stowaways, if noted, were sent back on<br />
<strong>the</strong> tugs.<br />
BVM history indicates that <strong>the</strong> crossing was a<br />
rough one. While <strong>the</strong>re are no records <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> trip provided<br />
by <strong>the</strong> founding members, somewhat contemporary<br />
accounts give keen insights into <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong><br />
crossing <strong>the</strong> Atlantic. In 1811, a young woman who<br />
left from Liverpool for New York writes: “I never imagined…what<br />
a voyage across <strong>the</strong> Atlantic was! ...This<br />
day six weeks we left Liverpool, and I may say I never<br />
had one day’s good health since that time.”<br />
She speaks <strong>of</strong> her three weeks <strong>of</strong> seasickness as<br />
“most dreadful!” At one point, she says, “The ship was<br />
lying quite on her side, <strong>the</strong> waves now dashing over<br />
her, sometimes she would get between two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />
The life-changing decision <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fi rst BVM members to<br />
leave Ireland in order to serve Irish immigrants in Philadelphia<br />
meant arduous days <strong>of</strong> travel lay ahead. BVM tradition tells us<br />
that it was Eliza Kelly’s fa<strong>the</strong>r who bought <strong>the</strong> tickets for <strong>the</strong><br />
women, and that <strong>the</strong>y did not have to travel in steerage.<br />
great mountains <strong>of</strong> water that<br />
you would be almost sure would<br />
swallow her, <strong>the</strong>n rise to <strong>the</strong> top<br />
and plunge in a sea <strong>of</strong> foam.” 1<br />
The diary <strong>of</strong> William Brady,<br />
great-grandfa<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> BVM Rose<br />
<strong>Mary</strong> Meyer (Sebastian) records<br />
yet ano<strong>the</strong>r experience in 1849.<br />
He describes a “very rough sea,<br />
which causes heavy sea-sickness<br />
to come upon every passenger<br />
on board (with few exceptions)…”<br />
He mentions as well<br />
that six passengers died and were buried at sea.<br />
The Cassander encountered a hurricane not too<br />
far from New York. Pulcheria writes: “The good ship<br />
reared and plunged as it rose and fell with mountains<br />
<strong>of</strong> seething waters.” (21) After wea<strong>the</strong>ring that storm,<br />
passengers on board learned that <strong>the</strong> ship had sprung<br />
a leak. It took some hours <strong>of</strong> work to repair <strong>the</strong> vessel,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> ship arrived safely in New York harbor on Saturday,<br />
August 31, 1833.<br />
It was not until Monday, September 2 that <strong>the</strong> fi rst<br />
BVMs were able to disembark. Well known is <strong>the</strong> story<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir money being dropped accidentally into <strong>the</strong><br />
harbor waters, leaving <strong>the</strong>m virtually penniless. To<br />
add to <strong>the</strong>ir ominous beginnings in <strong>the</strong> United States,<br />
<strong>the</strong> priest who was to meet <strong>the</strong>m, Patrick Costello, did<br />
not show up.<br />
After a brief respite in New York, <strong>the</strong> sisters ventured<br />
on to Philadelphia, a trip that took fi ve to six<br />
hours when Charles Dickens made it in 1842. They<br />
fi rst went by ferry to <strong>the</strong> Jersey Shore, <strong>the</strong>n by stagecoach<br />
to <strong>the</strong> train line newly completed that year.<br />
Dickens gives us some image <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> railroad cars.<br />
He writes:<br />
There are not fi rst and second class carriages<br />
as with us; but <strong>the</strong>re is a gentlemen’s car and a<br />
ladies car: <strong>the</strong> main distinction between which
is that in <strong>the</strong> fi rst, everybody<br />
smokes; and<br />
in <strong>the</strong> second, nobody<br />
does…There is a great<br />
deal <strong>of</strong> jolting, a great<br />
deal <strong>of</strong> noise, a great<br />
deal <strong>of</strong> wall, not much<br />
window, a locomotive<br />
engine, a shriek, and<br />
a bell.<br />
The cars are like<br />
shabby omnibuses, but<br />
larger: holding thirty,<br />
forty, fi fty, people. The<br />
seats, instead <strong>of</strong> stretching from end to end, are<br />
placed crosswise. Each seat holds two persons.<br />
There is long row <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m on each side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
caravan, a narrow passage up <strong>the</strong> middle, and a<br />
door at both ends. In <strong>the</strong> centre <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> carriage<br />
<strong>the</strong>re is usually a stove, fed with charcoal or<br />
anthracite coal; which is for <strong>the</strong> most part redhot.<br />
It is insufferably close; and you see <strong>the</strong> hot<br />
air fl uttering between yourself and any o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
object you many happen to look at, like <strong>the</strong><br />
ghost <strong>of</strong> smoke. 2<br />
At <strong>the</strong> Delaware River, <strong>the</strong> women boarded a<br />
steamer. We rely again on Dickens for a description.<br />
The steamer has<br />
“half a pony power…[The] cabin…fi tted with<br />
common sash-windows like an ordinary dwelling<br />
house. These windows had bright-red<br />
curtains, too, hung on slack strings across <strong>the</strong><br />
lower panes; so that<br />
it looked like <strong>the</strong> parlour<br />
<strong>of</strong> a Liliputian<br />
[sic] public-house,<br />
which had got afl oat<br />
in a fl ood or some<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r water accident,<br />
and was drifting nobody<br />
knew where…<br />
we all kept <strong>the</strong> middle<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> deck, lest <strong>the</strong><br />
boat should unexpectedly<br />
tip over.” 3<br />
<strong>Mary</strong> Frances and<br />
her companions arrived at <strong>the</strong> harbor in Philadelphia,<br />
within walking distance <strong>of</strong> St. Joseph’s church, where<br />
<strong>the</strong>y believed St. Joseph himself had directed <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
Through Margaret McDonagh, an active member <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> parish, <strong>the</strong>y met Terence James Donaghoe, <strong>the</strong><br />
former pastor <strong>of</strong> St. Joseph’s Church, and began a new<br />
chapter in <strong>the</strong>ir lives, never to see <strong>the</strong>ir home country<br />
again.<br />
Endnotes:<br />
1 “<strong>Mary</strong> Cumming,” The Field Day Anthology <strong>of</strong> Irish Writing, vol. 5,<br />
eds. Angela Bourke et al. New York: New York University Press,<br />
2002, 574.<br />
2 Dickens, Charles. American Notes and Pictures from Italy. Oxford:<br />
Oxford University Press, 62.<br />
3 Ibid, 73-74.<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: Ann M. Harrington, BVM (St. Remi) is on <strong>the</strong><br />
faculty <strong>of</strong> Loyola University, Chicago, Ill., and author <strong>of</strong> Creating<br />
Community: <strong>Mary</strong> Frances Clarke and Her Companions (Dubuque:<br />
Mount Carmel Press, 2004).<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
5
6<br />
“All aboard!”<br />
We would climb <strong>the</strong> little<br />
metal stepstool and enter<br />
<strong>the</strong> coach, beginning<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r travel adventure<br />
in a quiet, spacious, very<br />
clean compartment.<br />
Sometimes it was to a<br />
new and unknown mission,<br />
more <strong>of</strong>ten it was to<br />
summer school. Whatever<br />
<strong>the</strong> destination, it was<br />
a wonderful way to go.<br />
Train travel has been very impor-<br />
tant for BVMs from <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>Mary</strong><br />
Frances Clarke and her intrepid four<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs going to Philadelphia in 1833<br />
until passenger trains were phased<br />
out in <strong>the</strong> 1960s. This was true in<br />
many places, but frequent transfers<br />
made train travel a constant in most<br />
BVMs’ lives.<br />
This mode <strong>of</strong> transportation wasn’t<br />
always <strong>the</strong> treat it later became. <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
leaving Dubuque for Des Moines<br />
in 1865 were in a derailment caused<br />
by a snowstorm; <strong>the</strong>y rescued a child<br />
from a pond where she had been<br />
hurled by <strong>the</strong> accident and <strong>the</strong>y ended<br />
up in a “miserable hotel” in Boone.<br />
A stagecoach was <strong>the</strong> only possibility<br />
for <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> way and <strong>the</strong> driver<br />
kept upping <strong>the</strong>ir fare as <strong>the</strong> coach<br />
dragged through <strong>the</strong> mud and <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
became deeply mired, causing <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
horses to rear and plunge. They had<br />
40 miles <strong>of</strong> that wretched road before<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> opening St. Pius School, Mountlake Terrace, Wash., are greeted as <strong>the</strong>y step <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> train in<br />
1956. Meeting <strong>the</strong>ir new students are (l. to r.) BVMs Patricia Galhouse (Casia), Donard Collins, and<br />
now deceased <strong>Mary</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Divine Heart.<br />
What a Way to GO!<br />
by Jean M. Byrne, BVM<br />
“benumbed and mud-spattered” <strong>the</strong>y<br />
arrived in Des Moines.<br />
Train travel for <strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>r General<br />
and/or her council could also be luxurious<br />
at times, thanks to BVM Leocritia<br />
Ryan in Council Bluffs. Sister-in-law <strong>of</strong><br />
a railroad executive, with his help she<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten managed <strong>the</strong> loan <strong>of</strong> a temporarily<br />
unneeded custom-built private railroad<br />
car, complete with porters, chefs,<br />
and o<strong>the</strong>r amenities. Then <strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>r<br />
General and her council rode like royalty<br />
to distant destinations.<br />
While private cars were not for <strong>the</strong><br />
rest <strong>of</strong> us, train travel was usually a<br />
very pleasant and relaxing way to go<br />
although, at times, some incidents enlivened<br />
<strong>the</strong> experience.<br />
On a trip west, BVM Leslie Hays<br />
(Agnita) and two o<strong>the</strong>rs set out for San<br />
Francisco. As was <strong>the</strong> custom in this<br />
era, one was placed “in charge,” an<br />
obligation that frazzled her. Because<br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> were so poorly paid, trains and<br />
busses provided “clergy books” <strong>of</strong> coupons<br />
that discounted <strong>the</strong> fare. Getting<br />
<strong>the</strong>m back home 1 for <strong>the</strong> next traveler<br />
was important, so after buying <strong>the</strong><br />
three tickets, <strong>the</strong> coupon book was put<br />
into <strong>the</strong> ready envelope and mailed.<br />
When <strong>the</strong> conductor came, <strong>the</strong><br />
tickets were nowhere and he told <strong>the</strong><br />
three <strong>the</strong>y must detrain at <strong>the</strong> next<br />
stop. The nervous Sister-in-Charge<br />
felt that continually reciting “The<br />
Thirty Days Prayer” might rescue<br />
<strong>the</strong>m, but that didn’t help; <strong>the</strong><br />
tickets had been mailed with <strong>the</strong><br />
clergy books.<br />
They were not allowed access<br />
to <strong>the</strong> berths <strong>the</strong>y had reserved,<br />
and sat up all night, apprehensive<br />
every time <strong>the</strong> train slowed.<br />
However <strong>the</strong> telegram <strong>the</strong>y had<br />
frantically sent to <strong>the</strong>ir provincial<br />
superior, BVM Roberta Kuhn<br />
(Alberto), was answered quickly;<br />
when <strong>the</strong>y reached Denver <strong>the</strong><br />
conductor knew that <strong>the</strong> tickets<br />
would be waiting in San Francisco.<br />
BVM Veronica (Jackie) Burke<br />
(Timo<strong>the</strong>na) also went West as<br />
part <strong>of</strong> a trio, and again, one was<br />
selected to be <strong>the</strong> “superior.”<br />
Jackie remembers, “It was 1941.<br />
Our provincial had brought three
<strong>of</strong> us to <strong>the</strong> train, two going to Butte,<br />
Mont., <strong>the</strong> third to San Francisco. She<br />
had told us that ordering a la carte was<br />
expensive so we obediently ordered<br />
three full meals a day.<br />
“At a later meal when <strong>the</strong> waiter<br />
passed a huge baked potato to each<br />
<strong>of</strong> us, Joan Frances Crowley and I<br />
refused to eat it, so <strong>the</strong> third member<br />
ate all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m so that <strong>the</strong> waiter might<br />
not be ‘disedifi ed’. After retiring we<br />
passed <strong>the</strong> box <strong>of</strong> Fannie Mae candy<br />
<strong>the</strong> provincial had provided; when <strong>the</strong><br />
member in <strong>the</strong> upper berth received it,<br />
we got a note, ‘<strong>Sisters</strong>, it’s Lent.’<br />
A huge blizzard, lasting three days,<br />
hit us in Aberdeen S.D., and kept us<br />
snow-bound in <strong>the</strong> station. Since it<br />
was World War II time, <strong>the</strong> train was<br />
packed with sailors about our age.<br />
When <strong>the</strong>y realized that <strong>the</strong>ir ship<br />
would have to sail without <strong>the</strong>m, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
left <strong>the</strong> train to buy a large supply <strong>of</strong><br />
alcohol, and drank steadily to celebrate<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir reprieve.<br />
“One night as <strong>the</strong>y lurched through<br />
<strong>the</strong> train, one young, very drunk,<br />
sailor fell right on top <strong>of</strong> Joan Frances.<br />
She and I put our backs against <strong>the</strong><br />
window and with our feet, gave him a<br />
mighty shove, landing him on <strong>the</strong> fl oor<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> aisle, too dazed and drunk to get<br />
up without lots <strong>of</strong> noise.<br />
Confusion, commotion, lights all<br />
followed. From <strong>the</strong> upper berth came<br />
a note, ‘<strong>Sisters</strong>, it’s solemn silence’”! 2<br />
BVM Terese Shinners (Ellena) describes<br />
getting dressed in <strong>the</strong> berth as<br />
putting on her complicated clothing in<br />
a space little bigger than a c<strong>of</strong>fi n. She<br />
also remembers what is almost forgotten<br />
now, <strong>the</strong> hassle <strong>of</strong> always having a<br />
companion wherever you were going;<br />
at times you had to go out <strong>of</strong> your way<br />
to fulfi ll that requirement. Therese<br />
describes this as “pick up three sisters,<br />
drop one, cast <strong>of</strong>f two, like knitting.”<br />
To save money, two sisters sometimes<br />
shared that c<strong>of</strong>fi n-sized berth.<br />
They had large boxy hoods and vulnerable<br />
borders that were easily crushed<br />
plus various “bird cages.” 3<br />
In one such instance, a Sister to get<br />
more space, pinned her small sleeves<br />
(always detachable for convenience) to<br />
what she thought, in <strong>the</strong> dim light, was<br />
<strong>the</strong> berth’s curtain. The next morning<br />
she saw her “next berth neighbor”<br />
walking <strong>of</strong>f with her narrow black<br />
sleeves dangling from his jacket.<br />
BVM Kathryn Marie Reichard (St.<br />
John) had a “red-faced incident,” too.<br />
Trains, especially “troop trains,” were<br />
very crowded during <strong>the</strong> Second World<br />
War, and Kathryn and her companion<br />
were in a line to <strong>the</strong> diner that<br />
was several cars in length. In fact, it<br />
stretched right into <strong>the</strong> club car, where<br />
our two habited sisters stood waiting.<br />
A well-dressed man saw <strong>the</strong>m and<br />
asked if <strong>the</strong>y were trying to get to <strong>the</strong><br />
diner, and when <strong>the</strong>y said <strong>the</strong>y were,<br />
he told <strong>the</strong>m to wait a few minutes.<br />
The next thing was a broadcast over<br />
<strong>the</strong> public address system: “Will <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> in <strong>the</strong> bar please come to <strong>the</strong><br />
diner?” And so <strong>the</strong>y, objects <strong>of</strong> great<br />
interest, threaded <strong>the</strong>ir way through<br />
<strong>the</strong> packed coaches.<br />
The location <strong>of</strong> railroad lines had<br />
a strong infl uence when <strong>the</strong> congregation<br />
was divided into provinces in<br />
1914. The thinking was that Chicago<br />
shouldn’t be one province—it would be<br />
too large and might dominate <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs—so<br />
all four provinces had missions<br />
in Chicago and in Iowa.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r purpose for this arrangement<br />
was that most <strong>Sisters</strong> were<br />
transferred from mission to mission<br />
frequently; this practice served to keep<br />
those in distant houses connected and<br />
spared <strong>the</strong> isolation that had induced<br />
some groups <strong>of</strong> sisters to separate from<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir headquarters and establish local<br />
congregations.<br />
The map below shows BVM provinces<br />
were designed to correlate with<br />
major railroads. A provincial superior,<br />
using one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m could visit most<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> houses in her care. The “yarn<br />
lines” 4 show <strong>the</strong> train routes that tied<br />
provinces toge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
The upper indicates Immaculate<br />
Conception province: Mississippi,<br />
through Chicago <strong>the</strong>n up and over to<br />
<strong>the</strong> Pacifi c Northwest. The line from<br />
New York through Chicago and up<br />
to South Dakota served Sacred Heart<br />
Province; that beginning in Chicago<br />
and going west with a swoop up into<br />
Montana and down to San Francisco<br />
was St. Joseph Province; and <strong>the</strong> one<br />
beginning in Chicago and going southwest<br />
was Holy Family.<br />
Trains enabled <strong>the</strong> BVMs, headquartered<br />
in little Dubuque and a state<br />
that <strong>the</strong> much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nation thinks is<br />
noted for potatoes or for Cincinnati, to<br />
be a “national” congregation, serving<br />
in many states and happily, drawing<br />
members from all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
Endnotes:<br />
1 This procedure circumvented one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
requirements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> coupons, which were to<br />
be used by <strong>the</strong> person whose name was on<br />
<strong>the</strong> book and no one else: <strong>the</strong>re were many<br />
“<strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>Mary</strong>” en route.<br />
2 The strict silence observed from night prayers<br />
until after <strong>the</strong> next day’s Mass. The “note<br />
writing Sister” did not persevere as a BVM<br />
for very long.<br />
3 A colloquialism (probably peculiar to <strong>the</strong><br />
BVMs) meaning a traveler’s unwieldy packages.<br />
4 This is a map BVM Kathryn Lawlor (John Laurian)<br />
prepared for her class in BVM History.<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: Jean M. Byrne, BVM (Jean<br />
Francis) is a researcher in <strong>the</strong> BVM Archives<br />
and an enthusiastic veteran <strong>of</strong> train travel.<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
7
8<br />
Along <strong>the</strong> Mississippi, BVMs<br />
founded schools at 13 locations from<br />
Minnesota to Mississippi.<br />
From <strong>the</strong> little Liffey running<br />
through Dublin to Philadelphia’s<br />
Delaware, a sizable river, to <strong>the</strong> Ohio,<br />
a big river, and down <strong>the</strong> Ohio to <strong>the</strong><br />
Mississippi, Margaret Mann, one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> BVM founders, had traveled.<br />
What an impression <strong>the</strong> enormous<br />
expanse <strong>of</strong> water at St. Louis<br />
must have made! Margaret spent <strong>the</strong><br />
rest <strong>of</strong> her life on <strong>the</strong> Mississippi—as<br />
did many BVMs.<br />
Dubuque<br />
Arriving in Dubuque in 1843,<br />
<strong>the</strong> sisters opened St. <strong>Mary</strong> School<br />
downtown near <strong>the</strong> ca<strong>the</strong>dral. Clarke<br />
College is a continuation <strong>of</strong> that<br />
school. At fi rst St. <strong>Mary</strong> had day and<br />
boarding pupils, but in 1846 <strong>the</strong> boarders<br />
moved with <strong>the</strong> novices to St.<br />
Joseph Prairie, away from Dubuque<br />
with its contentious factions in <strong>the</strong><br />
parish and its hard-drinking boatmen<br />
and miners on <strong>the</strong> streets.<br />
When <strong>the</strong> building on <strong>the</strong> Prairie<br />
became too crowded with both boarders<br />
and novices, <strong>the</strong> students moved<br />
in 1859 back into <strong>the</strong> city. St. Joseph<br />
Academy remained 100 years until<br />
Wahlert, a diocesan high school,<br />
opened.<br />
When St. Joseph Academy grew<br />
too large in 1880, <strong>the</strong> sisters moved<br />
<strong>the</strong> boarding school two miles from<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
Missions on <strong>the</strong> Mississippi:<br />
Going with <strong>the</strong> Flow<br />
by <strong>Mary</strong> A. Healey, BVM<br />
Dubuque to a muddy hillside riddled<br />
with deserted mineshafts. This became<br />
<strong>the</strong> verdant campus <strong>of</strong> Mount St. Joseph<br />
Academy, later Clarke College.<br />
All this time <strong>the</strong> grade school near<br />
<strong>the</strong> ca<strong>the</strong>dral continued until 1976<br />
when <strong>the</strong> parish had changed so that<br />
<strong>the</strong>re were hardly any children. By<br />
<strong>the</strong>n it had <strong>the</strong> same name as <strong>the</strong> ca<strong>the</strong>dral,<br />
St. Raphael.<br />
BVMs conducted two o<strong>the</strong>r grade<br />
schools in Dubuque. St. Patrick had<br />
been a boys’ school, but when <strong>the</strong> sisters<br />
took over in 1950 it was coed.<br />
BVMs took over St. Anthony school<br />
in 1917 while living at Clarke, about<br />
a mile away. It served as a lab school<br />
for Clarke’s education department. It<br />
continues, though without BVMs.<br />
Davenport<br />
BVMs fi rst ventured out <strong>of</strong><br />
Dubuque in 1844 downriver to Davenport,<br />
still part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dubuque diocese.<br />
St. Philomena Academy opened<br />
with good prospects, but soon afterward<br />
<strong>the</strong> Davenport population<br />
dropped rapidly. The school lasted<br />
only three years under many hardships.<br />
In 1854, a railroad bridge crossed<br />
<strong>the</strong> Mississippi from Rock Island, and<br />
Davenport’s population shot up as it<br />
became <strong>the</strong> gateway to Chicago for<br />
<strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Louisiana<br />
Purchase.<br />
The next year St. Anthony Parish<br />
school opened near where St. Philomena<br />
had been and prospered. In time<br />
<strong>the</strong> sisters <strong>the</strong>re commuted to teach in<br />
two new parishes, St. Marguerite for<br />
French speakers and St. Kunegunda<br />
for Germans.<br />
BVMs also taught at St. Paul <strong>the</strong><br />
Apostle and Sacred Heart which became<br />
<strong>the</strong> ca<strong>the</strong>dral parish when Davenport<br />
was named a diocese in 1881.<br />
In 1859, BVM Margaret Mann led<br />
a group to open Immaculate Conception<br />
Academy on donated land<br />
two miles from church, a mile from<br />
<strong>the</strong> city, and a quarter mile from a<br />
well. The sisters struggled along for<br />
two years at what Fa<strong>the</strong>r Donaghoe<br />
called “Poverty Point” until he bought<br />
a big house in <strong>the</strong> city.<br />
Enrollment grew so fast that <strong>the</strong><br />
whole house became living quarters<br />
and <strong>the</strong> barn was turned into<br />
classrooms. In fi ve years <strong>the</strong> building<br />
was sold to purchase <strong>the</strong> Hill Mansion,<br />
<strong>the</strong> nucleus around which a big<br />
school grew.<br />
Immaculate Conception Academy<br />
functioned almost as a second Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse<br />
in <strong>the</strong> early days. The old<br />
Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse was ten miles outside<br />
Dubuque. ICA was near railroad lines<br />
east and west as well as <strong>the</strong> river with<br />
steamboats north and south. Fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Donaghoe liked to stay <strong>the</strong>re while he<br />
still could travel.<br />
Both railroad and river brought<br />
many boarders to ICA, particularly<br />
from <strong>the</strong> South. Wealthy sou<strong>the</strong>rners<br />
summered in comparatively cool Davenport.<br />
Men hunted or fi shed while<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir families stayed in <strong>the</strong> luxurious<br />
LeClaire Hotel. Many among <strong>the</strong>m<br />
left <strong>the</strong>ir daughters at ICA.<br />
In 1958 <strong>the</strong> diocese opened Assumption<br />
central high school. ICA had<br />
lasted 99 years.
Potosi<br />
In 1845, just a year after going<br />
to Davenport, <strong>the</strong> sisters opened a<br />
school in Potosi, Wis., which also was<br />
part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dubuque diocese, but in<br />
three years boundaries changed and<br />
<strong>the</strong> BVMs left.<br />
Burlington<br />
In 1857, BVMs took charge <strong>of</strong> Our<br />
Lady <strong>of</strong> Lourdes School in Burlington,<br />
Iowa. In 1892 Our Lady <strong>of</strong> Lourdes<br />
added a girls’ academy. This became<br />
St. Paul High School (named for <strong>the</strong><br />
parish) in 1925 and was absorbed into<br />
Notre Dame Central High School in<br />
1988. St. John and St. Patrick were<br />
ancillary elementary schools where<br />
sisters commuted to teach for a few<br />
years in <strong>the</strong> 19th century.<br />
Muscatine<br />
Muscatine was one <strong>of</strong> many places<br />
Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli founded a parish<br />
and designed <strong>the</strong> church, this one<br />
named St. Mathias to honor Bishop<br />
Loras. The town was very anti-Catholic<br />
when in 1862 BVMs came. The<br />
school closed as part <strong>of</strong> a diocesan reorganization<br />
in 1992.<br />
McGregor<br />
A reorganization <strong>of</strong> BVM schools<br />
in 1894 closed many boarding schools<br />
as transportation improved. One was<br />
St. <strong>Mary</strong>’s in McGregor which had<br />
opened in 1868. One sister is buried<br />
<strong>the</strong>re; BVMs intended to move her<br />
body to Mount Carmel, but <strong>the</strong> people<br />
asked to keep “our sister.” Today, <strong>Mary</strong><br />
McCauley, BVM (Mercedie) is pastoral<br />
administrator <strong>of</strong> this parish and two<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs in Nor<strong>the</strong>ast Iowa.<br />
Clinton<br />
BVMs who came to Lyons (later<br />
Clinton), Iowa to teach at St. Boniface<br />
parish school in 1871, immediately<br />
contacted Mount Carmel about <strong>the</strong><br />
most impressive building in town.<br />
The Lyons Female College, a big<br />
red brick building on a high hill, was<br />
topped by a large square “lookout” such<br />
as were common in river ports and<br />
that was topped by a round cupola.<br />
This one, with its commanding<br />
view <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> town, seemed to have<br />
been built to draw <strong>the</strong> eye. The girls’<br />
boarding school had failed in 1858<br />
and <strong>the</strong> property was purchased by<br />
<strong>the</strong> Presbyterian synod as a possible<br />
seminary. Now it was for sale again.<br />
BVMs bought it and opened Our<br />
Lady <strong>of</strong> Angels Academy in 1872. The<br />
tower became a cherished landmark<br />
for students, girls from minims<br />
through high school, who could see it<br />
as <strong>the</strong>y approached—many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m<br />
from Chicago, as Clinton is on <strong>the</strong> tip<br />
<strong>of</strong> Iowa’s nose where it nudges into<br />
Illinois.<br />
The school closed in 1966 as <strong>the</strong><br />
age <strong>of</strong> boarding schools ended. Meanwhile<br />
112 graduates had become<br />
BVMs, and <strong>the</strong>ir classmates are among<br />
<strong>the</strong> most devoted BVM alumnae.<br />
Rock Island/Quad Cities<br />
At times ICA housed sisters who<br />
took a ferry to Rock Island each day<br />
to teach at St. Joseph Parish where in<br />
1884 <strong>the</strong>y opened a school. Rock Island,<br />
a riverport with several railroads<br />
and an army base, throve, and so did<br />
St. Joseph School.<br />
In 1920, a high school opened with<br />
even more BVMs. In 1948, Alleman, a<br />
diocesan central high school, serving<br />
<strong>the</strong> Illinois Quad Cities opened. Sixteen<br />
years later, St. Joseph School<br />
consolidated with Sacred Heart and<br />
St. Pius X as Jordan Catholic School.<br />
Sacred Heart had been <strong>the</strong> east end<br />
<strong>of</strong> St. Joseph Parish. BVMs opened a<br />
grade school <strong>the</strong>re in 1925 that continued<br />
till <strong>the</strong> 1974 consolidation. Some <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>m still live in <strong>the</strong> convent and work<br />
in Sacred Heart Parish.<br />
Far<strong>the</strong>r east, BVMs taught elementary<br />
grades at St. <strong>Mary</strong>’s in Moline<br />
from 1884 to 1904 and at St. Anne in<br />
East Moline from 1925 to 2005. The<br />
half dozen BVMs still in <strong>the</strong> Illinois<br />
Quad Cities do parish and volunteer<br />
work.<br />
St. Louis<br />
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake<br />
displaced so many St. Brigid parishioners,<br />
that Mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>Mary</strong> Cecilia Dougherty<br />
withdrew fi ve <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 15 sisters<br />
<strong>the</strong>re. It was a lucky moment for Fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />
H. Bronsgeest, SJ to ask for sisters<br />
to open a school at St. Francis Xavier<br />
Parish near St. Louis University.<br />
When <strong>the</strong> sisters arrived August<br />
29, 1906, he had bought and<br />
renovated a building for a school and<br />
rented but not furnished a house for<br />
a convent. They managed. In 1927, a<br />
new grade school was built.<br />
McGregor<br />
Potosi<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
9
10<br />
Four years later Xavier High<br />
School opened in a mansion<br />
bought cheap at <strong>the</strong> depth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Depression. The students had use <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> university gymnasium, pool, science<br />
labs, and auditorium. Not <strong>the</strong><br />
library; <strong>the</strong> girls came at specifi ed<br />
times and were segregated from male<br />
students, but that was hard to do in a<br />
library. After three years Xavier was<br />
noted for its scholastic standards and<br />
had a waiting list for students<br />
Entertainment was big at Xavier:<br />
Fa<strong>the</strong>r Daniel A. Lord, SJ used to<br />
write, produce, and play piano for musicals<br />
<strong>the</strong>re through <strong>the</strong> ’40s. By 1950<br />
a new high school was being built<br />
with its own labs, etc. and with a convent<br />
on <strong>the</strong> top fl oor.<br />
By 1974, enrollment declined<br />
drastically. Competing high schools<br />
had opened in <strong>the</strong> outer city, and <strong>the</strong><br />
university neighborhood had grown<br />
more dangerous. Even alumnae hesitated<br />
to send <strong>the</strong>ir daughters <strong>the</strong>re.<br />
The high school building was sold<br />
in <strong>the</strong> spring <strong>of</strong> 1976 to St. Louis University<br />
which uses <strong>the</strong> building for<br />
speech and drama classes. Soon <strong>the</strong><br />
little parish grade school closed, too,<br />
but BVMs still minister in St. Louis.<br />
For 23 years, BVMs also taught at<br />
St. Timothy elementary school.<br />
Memphis<br />
In <strong>the</strong> 1930s, Mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>Mary</strong> Gervase<br />
Tuffy was negotiating to open a school<br />
in China but put <strong>the</strong> project on hold<br />
when <strong>the</strong> Japanese army arrived. She<br />
turned to <strong>the</strong> South—almost as foreign—and<br />
asked for volunteers for a<br />
Black school in Memphis.<br />
About 600 BVMs responded. August<br />
18, 1937 two sisters arrived to<br />
look over <strong>the</strong> Edna Oliver Home,<br />
formerly a hospital, which Fa<strong>the</strong>r Bertrand,<br />
OFM had proposed as school<br />
and convent.<br />
Congregational leaders approved,<br />
and four BVMs became <strong>the</strong> initial faculty.<br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nazareth at<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
St. Peter’s Orphanage gave furniture<br />
for <strong>the</strong> third fl oor convent and helped<br />
arrange it. Fr. Bertrand obtained secondhand<br />
furnishings for St. Augustine<br />
School on <strong>the</strong> fi rst two fl oors.<br />
The sisters met much hostility from<br />
Tennesseeans who disapproved <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
teaching Black children. In November,<br />
<strong>the</strong> NCWC (now <strong>the</strong> USCCB) met in<br />
Memphis. Children from <strong>the</strong> parochial<br />
schools were invited to sing, but some<br />
people objected to Black children joining<br />
in. The bishop <strong>of</strong> Nashville said,<br />
“Include <strong>the</strong>m.” They sang separated<br />
from <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r children.<br />
The school had opened with about<br />
100 children in eight grades. In 1938,<br />
it had 200, and opened fi rst year high<br />
school. By 1943, <strong>the</strong>re were over 400.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> 1950s <strong>the</strong> high school was<br />
consolidated into Fa<strong>the</strong>r Bertrand, a<br />
central Black Catholic high school,<br />
and Fa<strong>the</strong>r Bertrand merged into<br />
Memphis Catholic, an integrated<br />
school. Today, BVMs remain in Memphis<br />
in diverse ministries.<br />
Clarksdale<br />
Clarksdale, Miss., is near<br />
Memphis. In 1947 two BVMs opened<br />
Immaculate Conception School,<br />
four grades in two rooms <strong>of</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />
O’Leary’s house across <strong>the</strong> street from<br />
an all-Black housing project.<br />
Within months <strong>the</strong>y moved to a<br />
separate building. The school kept<br />
expanding. There were seven grades<br />
in 1951, nine in ’54, 12 in ’56. The<br />
high school was accredited in 1958.<br />
The late ’60s saw an expanded<br />
curriculum and a varied faculty—BVMs,<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r congregations,<br />
lay volunteers. When BVMs left <strong>the</strong><br />
Clarksdale school, Sinsinsawa Dominicans<br />
already <strong>the</strong>re took charge. BVMs<br />
still live in Clarksdale and teach in<br />
nearby Jonestown.<br />
St. Paul<br />
When Fr. Joseph Cretin, a good<br />
friend to <strong>the</strong> BVMs, became fi rst<br />
bishop <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> new diocese <strong>of</strong> St. Paul,<br />
Minn., in 1850, he asked for sisters<br />
but BVMs were not going outside <strong>the</strong><br />
Dubuque diocese yet.<br />
A century later <strong>the</strong>y went to St.<br />
Paul. Our Lady <strong>of</strong> Peace High School<br />
opened in 1951 with 115 freshmen<br />
in what had been St. Luke grade<br />
school. (A larger church and school<br />
had been built in a more residential<br />
part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> parish.) The high school<br />
fl ourished, and an addition was built<br />
in 1953.<br />
Three years later saw a new convent<br />
for <strong>the</strong> increased faculty teaching<br />
over 900 girls—with a waiting list. The<br />
school’s high standards were recognized<br />
by <strong>the</strong> business community.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> late ’60s, <strong>the</strong>re was no longer<br />
a waiting list because newer high<br />
schools could take <strong>the</strong> overfl ow. By<br />
1970 enrollment began to decline;<br />
<strong>the</strong> OLP area had become entirely<br />
commercial. In June 1973, OLP closed<br />
as part <strong>of</strong> archdiocesan school reorganization.<br />
Three years later <strong>the</strong> building was<br />
bought by <strong>the</strong> William Mitchell College<br />
<strong>of</strong> Law—which now opens its doors for<br />
occasional alumnae ga<strong>the</strong>rings.<br />
Now many BVMs lay buried in<br />
towns where living sisters no longer<br />
work, but <strong>the</strong> good work <strong>the</strong>y did still<br />
bears fruit. Former students, sometimes<br />
thousands <strong>of</strong> miles from where<br />
<strong>the</strong>y went to school, will accost someone<br />
<strong>the</strong>y hear is a BVM on airplanes,<br />
at wakes, in restaurants, anywhere<br />
with inquiries and stories about <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
long-dead teachers.<br />
Children <strong>of</strong> former students do<br />
not always know where <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>rs<br />
developed such devotion to <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Blessed</strong> <strong>Virgin</strong>, good grammar and<br />
good music, but <strong>the</strong>y hand on <strong>the</strong>se<br />
lessons. That’s what Margaret Mann<br />
had in mind.<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: <strong>Mary</strong> A. Healey, BVM<br />
(Michael Edward) is a researcher; she lives at<br />
Wright Hall, Chicago.
Cruisin’ Along:<br />
The Joy <strong>of</strong> Music<br />
by Pat Rogers, BVM<br />
“Somewhere, beyond <strong>the</strong> sea,<br />
waiting for me”….So hums Barbara<br />
Gaul, BVM (Charles <strong>Mary</strong>) as she<br />
prepares to set sail on ano<strong>the</strong>r cruise.<br />
What a great ministry she has found.<br />
The opportunity for <strong>the</strong>se travels<br />
came about while Barbara was volunteering<br />
weekly, playing <strong>the</strong> piano for<br />
community singing at a senior residence<br />
where her mo<strong>the</strong>r lived.<br />
Barbara became acquainted with<br />
<strong>the</strong> daughter <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r resident. This<br />
woman has a unique position with<br />
Yamaha Music Corp. She assigns music<br />
teachers to give group keyboard lessons<br />
to passengers on Crystal Cruises. Would<br />
Barbara be interested in doing this?<br />
Barbara’s reaction was one <strong>of</strong> surprise<br />
and delight toge<strong>the</strong>r with anticipation.<br />
She began preparing for this<br />
new adventure at <strong>the</strong> Yamaha Corporation<br />
in <strong>the</strong> summer <strong>of</strong> 2004 by familiarizing<br />
herself with <strong>the</strong> Clavinova, <strong>the</strong><br />
digital piano she would use to teach<br />
<strong>the</strong> lessons using <strong>the</strong>16-20 keyboards<br />
on each ship. She also learned <strong>the</strong><br />
program <strong>of</strong> instruction specifi cally designed<br />
for cruise instruction.<br />
Her fi rst adventure was <strong>the</strong> New<br />
England Fall Foliage Cruise. Barbara<br />
not only teaches music but also serves<br />
as a tour escort. The highlights <strong>of</strong> Quebec<br />
City delighted <strong>the</strong> passengers with<br />
its old world enchantment and history.<br />
The next destination was Halifax,<br />
Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong> ship<br />
never reached <strong>the</strong> city. An unexpected<br />
storm forced a detour. At <strong>the</strong> dinner<br />
table, Barbara was seated with a retired<br />
Navy sea captain. He tried to allay <strong>the</strong><br />
passengers’ fears as <strong>the</strong> ship traveled<br />
along on 20-25 foot high waves! Barbara<br />
had <strong>the</strong> novel experience <strong>of</strong> hanging<br />
on to a pillar while trying to teach <strong>the</strong><br />
music class!<br />
One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> highlights <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cruise<br />
through <strong>the</strong> Panama Canal was becoming<br />
friends with an Irish concert<br />
pianist who was performing on <strong>the</strong><br />
ship. When <strong>the</strong> ship reached Acapulco,<br />
Mexico, Barbara’s group <strong>of</strong> three<br />
headed out on <strong>the</strong>ir own walking tour<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> city.<br />
They were approached by a woman<br />
tour guide who convinced <strong>the</strong>m to<br />
let her take <strong>the</strong>m on a tour. A special<br />
treat was a visit to <strong>the</strong> guide’s parents’<br />
home. A delightful afternoon was<br />
spent visiting <strong>the</strong>ir humble home and<br />
self-sustaining garden <strong>of</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fee, vegetables,<br />
and fruit.<br />
Barbara’s years <strong>of</strong> ministry with<br />
<strong>the</strong> Latino community in Los Angeles<br />
stood her in good stead; she was able<br />
to communicate with <strong>the</strong> family in<br />
Spanish, much to <strong>the</strong> delight <strong>of</strong> all.<br />
Besides <strong>the</strong> sights, Barbara treasures<br />
<strong>the</strong> opportunities to meet new<br />
people, renew old friendships and<br />
experience different cultures. Since<br />
<strong>the</strong> Mediterranean cruise began in <strong>the</strong><br />
British Isles, she was able to go a few<br />
days early to visit close friends from<br />
Los Angeles who had moved back to<br />
Ireland.<br />
Barbara instructs one <strong>of</strong> her<br />
keyboard students.<br />
BVMs Barbara Gaul (l.) and<br />
Theresa McNerney pause<br />
while walking <strong>the</strong> track on a<br />
cruise ship.<br />
On this same cruise she met a<br />
charming retired couple who live not<br />
far from her in Leisure World. She recalls<br />
that “<strong>the</strong>y were avid students who<br />
came early, helped each o<strong>the</strong>r and<br />
stayed late.”<br />
“Teaching is a joy for me,” says<br />
Barbara, who holds a masters in music<br />
and spent years teaching music education.<br />
“It is a rewarding experience to<br />
look out and see <strong>the</strong> effort and delight<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se students with <strong>the</strong>ir musical<br />
achievement in such a short time.”<br />
Teaching <strong>the</strong>se classes gives Barbara<br />
<strong>the</strong> opportunity to enrich <strong>the</strong> passengers’<br />
cruise experience and enables<br />
<strong>the</strong>m to take home a greater appreciation<br />
<strong>of</strong> music. Who knows? Maybe<br />
many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> students will continue<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir adventure with <strong>the</strong> keyboard.<br />
Little did her mo<strong>the</strong>r or she realize<br />
where it would lead when Barbara<br />
started her fi rst piano lessons at age<br />
seven!<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: Pat Rogers, BVM (Albertine)<br />
is vice-principal <strong>of</strong> St. Thomas More Elementary<br />
School, San Francisco, Calif., and a member <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Communications Advisory Committee.<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
11
12<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse <strong>Sisters</strong> R<br />
Discover New Challeng<br />
by Eileen Healy, BVM<br />
(from top) Relocation coordinator Eileen Healy, BVM<br />
moves a box into <strong>the</strong> Guest Apartment. Gabrielle<br />
Hagerty, BVM bids farewell to Margaret Swann, BVM<br />
as Margaret leaves for Sinsinawa. Joan Newhart,<br />
BVM (Joan Michael) reconnects one <strong>of</strong> many computers<br />
which made <strong>the</strong> move. Lynn Lester, BVM (Ann<br />
Joseph) uses <strong>the</strong> elevator to assist in moving from <strong>the</strong><br />
top fl oor <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse, <strong>the</strong> Loggia. Vincentia<br />
Kaeferstein, BVM receives a welcome hug from<br />
James Marie Gross, PBVM at Mt. Loretto.<br />
When you walk<br />
through a storm…<br />
An old furnace repaired many<br />
times, whose continued life could not<br />
be guaranteed by any expert and a<br />
house full <strong>of</strong> women whose average<br />
age was <strong>the</strong> mid-eighties are not very<br />
compatible.<br />
After much study and consideration<br />
by <strong>the</strong> whole congregation and<br />
a vote <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> legislative body, it was<br />
decided that <strong>the</strong> wisest action was not<br />
to replace <strong>the</strong> old furnace but to install<br />
an earth-friendly geo-<strong>the</strong>rmal system.<br />
While <strong>the</strong> new heating/cooling<br />
system was being installed, renovation<br />
would be done to <strong>the</strong> bedroom areas.<br />
Since major renovation was to take<br />
place, asbestos had to be removed.<br />
The process would be healthier,<br />
smoo<strong>the</strong>r and quicker if <strong>the</strong>re were no<br />
residents in <strong>the</strong> building. This necessitated<br />
<strong>the</strong> relocation <strong>of</strong> 71 sisters.<br />
Seven sites were found to accommodate<br />
<strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse Residents<br />
and <strong>the</strong> Loggia community during <strong>the</strong><br />
renovation:<br />
<strong>the</strong> BVM Center,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Guest Apartment on <strong>the</strong> Mt.<br />
Carmel grounds,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Convent Suites <strong>of</strong> St. Columbkilles<br />
Parish,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Presentation<br />
<strong>Sisters</strong>,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dominican<br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> in Sinsinawa, Wis.,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Julien Inn, downtown Dubuque<br />
<strong>the</strong> Convent <strong>of</strong> St. Joseph Parish,<br />
Key West, Iowa.<br />
“Field trips” were conducted to<br />
most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sites. The sisters were<br />
asked to think about where <strong>the</strong>y would<br />
be able to live <strong>the</strong>ir life to <strong>the</strong> fullest<br />
and what was important to <strong>the</strong>m. If<br />
everyone were to receive her fi rst<br />
choice, we would have had to build<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r story on <strong>the</strong> BVM Center! So<br />
compromises had to be made.
elocate;<br />
es, Joys<br />
Hold your head up high…<br />
There were challenges with <strong>the</strong><br />
preparation, <strong>the</strong> move itself and <strong>the</strong><br />
daily living away from Mt. Carmel or<br />
in a different space on <strong>the</strong> ‘Hill’—an<br />
affectionate name that Dubuque BVMs<br />
have for <strong>the</strong> Mt. Carmel complex.<br />
One group <strong>of</strong>ten forgotten in any<br />
discussion <strong>of</strong> this process is <strong>the</strong> ‘left<br />
behind residents,’ those living in Caritas<br />
or Marian Hall and <strong>the</strong> residents<br />
who have moved to <strong>the</strong> BVM Center.<br />
They did not have to leave Mt. Carmel<br />
but <strong>the</strong>ir friends did. The folks<br />
who prayed with <strong>the</strong>m, played cards<br />
with <strong>the</strong>m, wrote letters for <strong>the</strong>m, read<br />
to <strong>the</strong>m or just talked and laughed<br />
with <strong>the</strong>m were gone and it is lonesome,<br />
especially in <strong>the</strong> evenings when<br />
all ‘<strong>the</strong> dispersed’ have returned to<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir temporary residences.<br />
For all <strong>the</strong> stress experienced with<br />
moving, <strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse residents<br />
kept in wonderful good spirits.<br />
There was an excitement in <strong>the</strong><br />
house from <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> February<br />
through <strong>the</strong> third week <strong>of</strong> March as<br />
BVMs, Associates and friends from<br />
far and near came to be helpers. You<br />
would never have known that lives<br />
were about to be disrupted and in<br />
many ways turned up-side-down.<br />
And don’t be<br />
afraid <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> storm…<br />
What are some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> challenges<br />
which <strong>the</strong> residents face each day even<br />
now after ‘<strong>the</strong> big move’?<br />
The most consistent challenge from<br />
all sites is <strong>the</strong> missing <strong>of</strong> friends.<br />
Residents miss <strong>the</strong>ir card and board<br />
game companions, loitering over<br />
dinner in good conversation, visiting<br />
Marian Hall at <strong>the</strong>ir leisure or just<br />
meeting people in <strong>the</strong> halls as <strong>the</strong>y<br />
walked around Mt. Carmel.<br />
For those living in <strong>the</strong> BVM Center,<br />
<strong>the</strong> long distances to walk and<br />
much smaller rooms are areas <strong>of</strong><br />
adaptation.<br />
(from top) <strong>Sisters</strong> extend a blessing to those moving. Support Services Coordinator Clemenza Finney, BVM<br />
takes materials to storage. <strong>Mary</strong> O’Connor, BVM (Bertille) gets assistance from Ca<strong>the</strong>rina Walsh, BVM as she<br />
prepares to leave for <strong>the</strong> Julien Inn in downtown Dubuque. Mount Carmel buildings and grounds staff take a<br />
pause from moving truckloads <strong>of</strong> furniture and furnishings. BVMs Judith Dewell and Eliza Kenney are among<br />
volunteers packing Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse library books.<br />
Waiting for rides and accommodating<br />
each o<strong>the</strong>r’s schedules in coming<br />
and going, becomes an issue<br />
because everything—tasks, <strong>the</strong>rapy,<br />
liturgy—was under one ro<strong>of</strong>. Finding<br />
a parking place around Mt. Carmel<br />
is a major challenge, especially<br />
for <strong>the</strong> drivers who volunteer from<br />
each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sites to transport <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
companions.<br />
The beauty <strong>of</strong> nature around Mt.<br />
Carmel, from sunrise over <strong>the</strong> river<br />
to <strong>the</strong> sunset in <strong>the</strong> west, is just not<br />
<strong>the</strong> same when seen from o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
sites.<br />
The up-to-date library and having<br />
a quiet place to read and refl ect is<br />
greatly missed.<br />
Shopping, cooking and doing dishes<br />
are tasks joyfully left behind in <strong>the</strong><br />
last ‘mission.’ Now, especially for<br />
those at <strong>the</strong> Julien, <strong>the</strong>y are part <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> daily reality again.<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
13
14<br />
Anita Frances McCarthy, BVM leads a fi nal blessing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
north wing, which will be deconstructed.<br />
If you wish to support this<br />
major renovation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mount<br />
Carmel Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse, please<br />
contact <strong>the</strong> BVM Development<br />
Offi ce via phone, mail or at<br />
www.bvmcong.org.<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
Rosemary Sage, BVM (Michael David)<br />
directs Bette Gambonini, BVM (Es<strong>the</strong>r <strong>Mary</strong>)<br />
in arranging her room at <strong>the</strong> BVM Center.<br />
Pat Potok, BVM (Liberata) surveys <strong>the</strong> St.<br />
Columbkille’s Convent Suites room <strong>of</strong> <strong>Mary</strong><br />
Ernest Ro<strong>the</strong>, BVM (standing).<br />
Reorganizing prayer time and reconnecting<br />
with someone to join in<br />
prayer becomes diffi cult.<br />
When <strong>the</strong> ‘dispersed’ come back to<br />
Mt. Carmel to do tasks, attend liturgy,<br />
visit friends, receive <strong>the</strong>rapy,<br />
use <strong>the</strong> pool and make connections,<br />
it is a very long day.<br />
Getting to know each o<strong>the</strong>r in a<br />
deeper way as we live in smaller<br />
situations and respecting opinions<br />
which in a larger living situation<br />
you would never have heard becomes<br />
a new challenge in building<br />
community.<br />
Channel 6, closed circuit TV, which<br />
kept everyone informed <strong>of</strong> Mt. Carmel<br />
happenings, has been replaced<br />
by an <strong>of</strong>fsite resident list serve.<br />
Those who are not comfortable<br />
with <strong>the</strong> internet are dependent on<br />
friends with computer skills.<br />
You’ll never walk alone…<br />
The Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse and Loggia<br />
residents know that <strong>the</strong>y do not walk<br />
alone in this endeavor. They are accompanied<br />
by thoughtful, cheerful<br />
staff members who <strong>the</strong>mselves have<br />
become commuters. They appreciate<br />
<strong>the</strong> sensitivity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> staff to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
needs.<br />
Sally, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> housekeeping staff<br />
on Caritas 2, saw BVM Ann Regina<br />
Dobel trying to rest in a straight chair.<br />
Sally found two recliners and moved<br />
<strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong> turret room on Caritas 2,<br />
so that <strong>the</strong> commuters would have a<br />
quiet, comfortable place to rest between<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir volunteer jobs and dinner<br />
or liturgy.<br />
There is great gratitude among<br />
<strong>the</strong> sisters to <strong>the</strong> congregation. They<br />
especially appreciate <strong>the</strong> spiritual and<br />
moral support which <strong>the</strong>y have experienced<br />
and <strong>the</strong> actual physical support<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> helpers who came and graciously<br />
gave <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir time and energy<br />
to help <strong>the</strong>m move, promising to come<br />
back to help all return to Mt. Carmel.<br />
Those who helped <strong>the</strong> Loggia move<br />
from <strong>the</strong> area without elevator access<br />
were greatly appreciated.<br />
The residents appreciate <strong>the</strong><br />
amount <strong>of</strong> planning, hard work, patience,<br />
sensitivity and genuine empathy<br />
which <strong>the</strong>y have received from<br />
<strong>the</strong> coordinators <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mt. Carmel<br />
complex.<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> it, <strong>the</strong> move was accomplished<br />
more smoothly than anyone<br />
could have imagined. The lines <strong>of</strong><br />
communications were kept open and<br />
two-way. This alleviated much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
stress and anxiety.<br />
All <strong>the</strong> sites have welcomed our<br />
sisters. The <strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Presentation<br />
and <strong>the</strong> Dominican <strong>Sisters</strong> have<br />
<strong>of</strong>fered gracious hospitality to <strong>the</strong> sisters<br />
living with <strong>the</strong>m. St. Columbkille<br />
parish is happy to have sisters living<br />
in <strong>the</strong> convent suites. The staff <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Julien worked to address <strong>the</strong> needs <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir new residents. The Presentation<br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> who had lived in St. Joseph<br />
Convent, Key West, alerted <strong>the</strong> congregation<br />
to <strong>the</strong> coming availability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
building<br />
Everyone appreciates <strong>the</strong> efforts<br />
which <strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse community<br />
has made to ease each o<strong>the</strong>r’s concerns<br />
and to work at making <strong>the</strong> relocation<br />
work. They do not walk alone,<br />
we are all with <strong>the</strong>m, but more importantly<br />
<strong>the</strong>y are with each o<strong>the</strong>r!<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: Eileen Healy, BVM (Patrick<br />
Ellen), Dubuque, is relocation coordinator for<br />
<strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse move.
Amy Kane,<br />
Nurse On <strong>the</strong> Move<br />
by Associate Jeanne Harrington<br />
It’s a perfect Saturday morning. In spite <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
fact that <strong>the</strong> March day is cold, <strong>the</strong> snow on <strong>the</strong> slopes<br />
<strong>of</strong> Sundown is dazzling, <strong>the</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fee is great, and Amy<br />
Kane (who sits opposite me), is a young woman who<br />
defi nitely is “on <strong>the</strong> move” both in her role as a nurse<br />
at Mt. Carmel and as a ski patrol volunteer.<br />
However, from her enthusiasm, it’s<br />
obvious that Amy is more than just a<br />
volunteer at <strong>the</strong> ski resort where we’re<br />
meeting, just as it’s quite apparent that<br />
she is more than just a nurse at Mt.<br />
Carmel where she worked as an aide<br />
before earning her BSN from Clarke in<br />
1984 and becoming a permanent member<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> staff.<br />
From all reports, Amy is greatly admired<br />
by <strong>the</strong> BVMs to whom she ministers<br />
and very much respected by her<br />
colleagues on <strong>the</strong> Sundown ski patrol<br />
where she has volunteered since 1985<br />
to ensure <strong>the</strong> well-being <strong>of</strong> injured skiers.<br />
Amy loves every minute <strong>of</strong> her<br />
time spent both at Mt. Carmel and at<br />
Sundown.<br />
At Sundown, Amy not only covers<br />
<strong>the</strong> slopes in <strong>the</strong> event that a skier is injured,<br />
she is also <strong>the</strong> instructor-trainer<br />
for National Ski Patrol who plans and<br />
teaches <strong>the</strong> yearly class required <strong>of</strong> all<br />
ski patrol members to ensure that <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
skills are up to national standards.<br />
This role sometimes takes her to<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r Midwest states where she observes<br />
or teaches similar courses. A<br />
highlight <strong>of</strong> her travels, she says, occurred<br />
in 1999 when she participated<br />
in avalanche training in <strong>the</strong> mountains<br />
<strong>of</strong> Utah.<br />
Fellow ski patroller Gary Maruitzon<br />
says <strong>of</strong> Amy: “From <strong>the</strong> start <strong>of</strong><br />
her ski patrol career, Amy has given<br />
100% in enthusiasm and effort. She<br />
has dedicated herself to teaching and<br />
administering emergency care training<br />
throughout our region. She regularly<br />
travels six to eight hours to assure that<br />
our patrols are teaching fi rst aid<br />
properly and at <strong>the</strong> highest possible<br />
standard.”<br />
Amy explains that she didn’t always<br />
like to ski but became part <strong>of</strong><br />
ski-patrol intending to volunteer her<br />
services only in <strong>the</strong> fi rst aid room in<br />
1985. Friends on ski patrol talked her<br />
into purchasing skis and trying <strong>the</strong>m<br />
out. By December <strong>of</strong> 1986 she had not<br />
only learned how to ski, but passed<br />
<strong>the</strong> test that demonstrated she could<br />
successfully rescue an injured skier.<br />
Despite two later knee surgeries,<br />
Amy still loves to ski; she also enjoys<br />
and greatly respects ski patrol colleagues—referring<br />
to <strong>the</strong>m as a “superb”<br />
group <strong>of</strong> 60 to 70 volunteers who<br />
keep <strong>the</strong> slopes safe each ski season.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> event that a skier is injured,<br />
ski-patrol members assess <strong>the</strong> injury,<br />
bring a “toboggan” to <strong>the</strong> person in<br />
need <strong>of</strong> help, and see to it that <strong>the</strong> person<br />
is properly loaded onto <strong>the</strong> Argo<br />
(a vehicle designed to transport <strong>the</strong><br />
toboggans up <strong>the</strong> slopes to <strong>the</strong> fi rst aid<br />
room where <strong>the</strong> injured skier is ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />
treated or picked up by ambulance).<br />
As a long-term care nurse, Amy<br />
is also able to practice her “assessment<br />
skills” at Mt. Carmel where she<br />
describes <strong>the</strong> staff and residents as ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
wonderful group <strong>of</strong> people who<br />
never fail to be lovingly supportive.<br />
...Amy is<br />
greatly admired<br />
by<br />
<strong>the</strong> BVMs to<br />
whom she<br />
ministers and<br />
very much<br />
respected<br />
by her colleagues<br />
on<br />
<strong>the</strong> Sundown<br />
ski<br />
patrol...<br />
If she appears<br />
tired on Monday<br />
morning after a weekend<br />
<strong>of</strong> ski-patrol, she<br />
says that one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sisters will always<br />
ask, “What’s <strong>the</strong> matter, honey?” And<br />
when her fa<strong>the</strong>r passed away, she said<br />
she was overwhelmed by kindness<br />
shown to her and her mo<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
This past October, Amy became<br />
one <strong>of</strong> two “care managers” for <strong>the</strong><br />
Mo<strong>the</strong>rhouse sisters who are in assisted<br />
and independent living. She has<br />
found <strong>the</strong> relocation process a new<br />
challenge; her job is now at times like<br />
that <strong>of</strong> “visiting nurse” as she travels to<br />
four relocation sites (St. Columbkille’s,<br />
Julien Inn, Mt. Loretto and Sinsinawa<br />
Mound) to visit <strong>the</strong> sisters who have<br />
made those places <strong>the</strong>ir temporary<br />
homes. As she speaks, her concern for<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir health and comfort is apparent.<br />
All too soon, our Sundown visit<br />
unfortunately comes to an end. As<br />
Amy and I bid each o<strong>the</strong>r goodbye and<br />
she heads to her car, she says she just<br />
might have to go home, get her skiis,<br />
and return to enjoy this last glorious<br />
weekend <strong>of</strong> this ski season on <strong>the</strong><br />
slopes.<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: Associate Jeanne Harrington<br />
is a Dubuquer, and member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Communications<br />
Advisory Committee.<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
15
16<br />
a Growing Way <strong>of</strong> Life for BVMs<br />
“It isn’t easy being green,” said<br />
Kermit <strong>the</strong> Frog. He was probably<br />
thinking in terms <strong>of</strong> pigmentation,<br />
but if he meant to say that <strong>the</strong>re are<br />
major challenges for anyone trying<br />
to be a responsible citizen <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> planet, he would also be correct.<br />
Being green is hard and demands<br />
serious effort by anyone committed<br />
to green-ness.<br />
From <strong>the</strong> congregation’s earliest<br />
days, BVMs have used Earth’s resources<br />
carefully. Limitations imposed by<br />
vowed poverty evolved into an intentional<br />
commitment to use resources<br />
carefully to help ensure <strong>the</strong>ir availability<br />
to future generations.<br />
The congregation is so serious<br />
about this commitment that it is incorporated<br />
into <strong>the</strong> Constitutions. Article<br />
103 broadens <strong>the</strong> defi nition <strong>of</strong> poverty<br />
to include responsible stewardship <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> universe and its resources. The<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
‘GREEN GREEN’<br />
by Terese Shinners, BVM<br />
congregation has also endorsed <strong>the</strong><br />
Earth Charter, adding formal BVM support<br />
to world-wide efforts to preserve<br />
<strong>the</strong> Earth and its resources.<br />
Ways that BVMs conserve natural<br />
resources range from line-drying<br />
clo<strong>the</strong>s to using low-wattage, energy-effi<br />
cient light bulbs. Because it would be<br />
impossible to touch on <strong>the</strong> multitude<br />
<strong>of</strong> ways that members live gently on<br />
<strong>the</strong> Earth, this article focuses on <strong>the</strong><br />
ways members limit <strong>the</strong>ir gasoline usage<br />
which in turn cuts down on carbon<br />
dioxide emissions.<br />
Lessening damage to <strong>the</strong> Earth’s<br />
atmosphere is an important by-product<br />
<strong>of</strong> curtailed use <strong>of</strong> a diminishing natural<br />
resource. The Natural Resources<br />
Defense Council states that cars getting<br />
32 miles or more to <strong>the</strong> gallon <strong>of</strong><br />
gas reduce carbon monoxide emissions<br />
by 5,600 pounds per year. Leaving <strong>the</strong><br />
car at home one day a week could cut<br />
emissions by almost 800 pounds over<br />
a year.<br />
Several years ago <strong>the</strong> congregation<br />
began a program by which members<br />
could use cars leased through <strong>the</strong> Enterprise<br />
Leasing system. Currently <strong>the</strong>re<br />
are 188 leased cars in use by BVMs.<br />
Of <strong>the</strong>se, 42 are hybrids, cars powered<br />
by some combination <strong>of</strong> gasoline<br />
engines, electric motors, and battery<br />
packs. Four more hybrids are on or-<br />
Joyce Cox, BVM<br />
(Petrine) enjoys<br />
her hybrid in<br />
Seattle.<br />
Below: The<br />
environmentally<br />
friendly cars are<br />
a hit with BVMs<br />
Kathy Conway<br />
(Richard Marie),<br />
Ann Kathleen<br />
McDonnell,<br />
Janet Desmond<br />
and Carol Cook<br />
(Conrad Ann),<br />
who carpool<br />
to a meeting<br />
at Wright Hall,<br />
Chicago.<br />
der. This means that soon almost 25%<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leased cars will be hybrids—a<br />
tribute to <strong>the</strong> congregation’s commitment<br />
to conservation.<br />
Across <strong>the</strong> congregation members<br />
use cars judiciously. A congregationwide<br />
request for information for this<br />
article produced impressive results.<br />
BVM hybrid drivers Carol Cook (Conrad<br />
Ann) and <strong>Mary</strong> Nolan (Patricia<br />
<strong>Mary</strong>) describe <strong>the</strong>ir fuel-saving strategies—avoid<br />
sudden starts and stops,<br />
use cruise control, and limit use <strong>of</strong><br />
heat and air conditioning.<br />
Rose <strong>Mary</strong> Meyer (Sebastian) has<br />
named her hybrid Toyota Prius Hus
chh, inspired by its silence at stop<br />
signs and lights. Rosemary and Huschh<br />
report excellent gas mileage on<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir frequent trips to Springfi eld, Ill.,<br />
on Project IRENE business.<br />
Many responses describe meticulous<br />
planning preceding any use <strong>of</strong> a<br />
car. If Eisenhower had had a couple <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>se micro-planners on staff in 1944,<br />
D-Day would have gone <strong>of</strong>f without a<br />
hitch.<br />
BVMs Gloria Wiegand (Phyllis)<br />
and Annette Petty (Juanita <strong>Mary</strong>) <strong>of</strong><br />
Fawnskin, Calif., plan <strong>the</strong>ir trips into<br />
San Bernardino so that shopping, appointments,<br />
and o<strong>the</strong>r errands are<br />
combined on a single trip.<br />
For an errand run, BVMs <strong>Mary</strong><br />
Sattgast (de Porres), Bette Gambonini<br />
(Es<strong>the</strong>r <strong>Mary</strong>), and Marilyn Wilson<br />
(Claudia), among o<strong>the</strong>rs, plot a circular<br />
route so <strong>the</strong>y don’t back-track.<br />
Dee Myers (Dolore) has declared<br />
one day a week a carless day and,<br />
whenever possible, uses her bike when<br />
she’s doing errands. These people take<br />
multi-tasking to a new ecologically signifi<br />
cant level.<br />
Public transportation<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
way to cut down<br />
on gas consumption.<br />
Although such<br />
transportation is<br />
not available everywhere,<br />
BVMs <strong>Mary</strong><br />
Healey (Michael Edward),<br />
Luca Yankovich,<br />
and Dorothy<br />
Townsell (Mildred<br />
Ann) are among <strong>the</strong><br />
Wright Hall residents<br />
making extensive<br />
use <strong>of</strong> Chicago’s<br />
public transportation.<br />
In Washington, D.C., BVMs Marge<br />
Clark and Kathy Kandefer have gone<br />
from being a two-car house to a onecar<br />
house, and that a hybrid. Marge<br />
and Kathy walk or use Washington’s<br />
superb public transportation whenever<br />
possible.<br />
Carol Spiegel (Ann Carla) has<br />
found that an important by-product <strong>of</strong><br />
riding public transportation is that she<br />
arrives at her destination more centered<br />
than if she were driving.<br />
The gentlest way to move across<br />
<strong>the</strong> planet’s surface is by walking. Besides<br />
its environmental benevolence,<br />
walking has much else to recommend<br />
it. It makes a signifi cant contribution<br />
to <strong>the</strong> walker’s health.<br />
Walkers can spend time in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
own private cocoon where <strong>the</strong> brain is<br />
free to do whatever it wants or nothing<br />
if it so chooses. Tapes and CDs <strong>of</strong><br />
books or music keep some walkers<br />
company. Walking is a lovely way to<br />
get up close and personal with <strong>the</strong> seasons<br />
and <strong>the</strong> local fl ora and fauna.<br />
Numerous BVMs told stories <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir walking experiences. Kathleen<br />
Mullin (Robert <strong>Mary</strong>) and o<strong>the</strong>r members<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> community in Kumasi,<br />
Ghana, walk whenever possible, thus<br />
saving <strong>the</strong> fuel <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> taxi that <strong>the</strong>y<br />
would o<strong>the</strong>rwise use.<br />
BVM Joellen McCarthy walks <strong>the</strong><br />
almost two miles from home to <strong>the</strong><br />
BVM Center (and presumably home<br />
again) whenever possible. She is not<br />
even deterred by inclement wea<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
<strong>Mary</strong> Nolan (Patricia <strong>Mary</strong>) and<br />
Bailey-<strong>the</strong>-Beagle can walk to several<br />
important destinations—post <strong>of</strong>fi ce,<br />
Applebee’s, church, and doctor’s <strong>of</strong>fi<br />
ces. While <strong>Mary</strong> enjoys <strong>the</strong> walks,<br />
Bailey-<strong>the</strong>-Beagle is noncommittal.<br />
This is a tribute to BVMs—named<br />
and unnamed—who are responsible in<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir use <strong>of</strong> Earth’s limited supply <strong>of</strong><br />
gasoline. They<br />
witness to <strong>the</strong><br />
fact that it requires<br />
not only<br />
an intellectual<br />
commitment to<br />
conservation but<br />
it also requires<br />
actual physical<br />
effort.<br />
It proves The<br />
Frog’s assertion<br />
that green-ness<br />
is not easy, but<br />
has incalculable<br />
value for <strong>the</strong><br />
present and <strong>the</strong><br />
future.<br />
TAKE THE RISK TO<br />
Be on <strong>the</strong> cutting edge<br />
Change unjust systems<br />
Pursue peace<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author:<br />
Because BVM<br />
Terese Shinners<br />
(Ellena) lives in<br />
walker’s paradise—handy<br />
to a<br />
grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants, church,<br />
a custard stand, and a bookstore—many days<br />
pass when her hybrid doesn’t get any exercise<br />
in Wauwatosa, Wis.<br />
Above: The bus stops in front <strong>of</strong> Wright Hall;<br />
taking advantage <strong>of</strong> this public transportation are<br />
BVMs Leana Kohnen and Isabelle Hennessy.<br />
“One must not<br />
love oneself so<br />
much as to avoid<br />
getting involved in<br />
<strong>the</strong> risks <strong>of</strong> life<br />
that history<br />
demands <strong>of</strong> us...”<br />
–Archbishop<br />
Oscar Romero<br />
JOURNEY INTO<br />
The heart <strong>of</strong> God<br />
In <strong>the</strong> company <strong>of</strong> Gospel women<br />
Committed to an inclusive<br />
church and world<br />
Sharing prayer and community<br />
Turn<br />
into<br />
DREAMS<br />
DEEDS<br />
Dubuque, Iowa phone 312.243.6125 www.bvmcong.org<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
17
18<br />
WALKATHONS<br />
Popular and Pervasive<br />
by Margaret A. McGinn, BVM<br />
“Mt. Carmel<br />
Tops Stonehill<br />
for Five in a<br />
Row.” No, not a<br />
sports headline,<br />
but <strong>the</strong> results<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 2005<br />
Dubuque Alzheimer’s<br />
Walk.<br />
The Mt. Carmel<br />
staff, with nurse<br />
Grace Reed as coordinator, and bolstered<br />
by o<strong>the</strong>r area BVMs, collected<br />
over $9,000 to lead all <strong>the</strong> teams in<br />
<strong>the</strong> annual October walk.<br />
In fact, Mt. Carmel has brought<br />
home <strong>the</strong> trophy each year since 2001.<br />
In addition to <strong>the</strong> event itself, <strong>the</strong> Mt.<br />
Carmel staff begins early with a Craft<br />
and Bake Sale to allow non-walkers a<br />
chance to participate.<br />
Walkathons have become a popular<br />
and painless fundraising tool, with<br />
schools and nonpr<strong>of</strong>i t organizations depending<br />
on <strong>the</strong>se events to meet <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
budgets. BVMs, Associates, coworkers,<br />
and friends frequently join <strong>the</strong>se outings<br />
to fi ght disease, hunger or homelessness.<br />
The desire to raise breast cancer<br />
awareness brings out huge crowds<br />
each spring and fall. After participating<br />
in Dubuque for many years, BVM<br />
Marge Clark joined <strong>the</strong> D.C. walk this<br />
year, while Associate Margaret Hoge<br />
was part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> San Francisco crew.<br />
Besides <strong>the</strong> “Race for <strong>the</strong> Cure,”<br />
BVM Lou Anglin also participates in<br />
<strong>the</strong> St. Louis MS Walk. Suzanne Mulvihill<br />
Higdon helped collect for ALS, and<br />
Arline Elliott, also an Associate, joined<br />
a group in Treasure Island, Calif., hoping<br />
to fi nd a cure for Alzheimer’s.<br />
CROP walks also have spread<br />
throughout <strong>the</strong> country. Many BVMs<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
Katie Heffernan, BVM answers <strong>the</strong> call for a<br />
“Senior Health and Fitness Walk” in Chicago’s<br />
Soldier Field.<br />
regularly help this group,<br />
dedicated to relieving<br />
poverty and providing<br />
care for disaster victims<br />
here and abroad.<br />
The Dubuque CROP<br />
walk enjoys a long tradition.<br />
BVMs Sara McAlpin<br />
(Philip <strong>Mary</strong>), Dolores<br />
Marie McHugh and Jean<br />
Gordon (James Miriam)<br />
are among <strong>the</strong> BVMs who<br />
participate annually.<br />
BVM Kathleen Mullin<br />
(Robert <strong>Mary</strong>), a 28 year veteran,<br />
moved to <strong>the</strong> Quad-Cities when <strong>the</strong><br />
walk included <strong>the</strong> Gaines Street hill,<br />
a formidable hurdle. The Quad-Cities<br />
also adds a unique feature—<strong>the</strong> route<br />
crosses <strong>the</strong> Mississippi River via <strong>the</strong><br />
Centennial Bridge.<br />
O<strong>the</strong>r umbrella groups sponsor<br />
hunger walks with parish volunteers<br />
signing on for <strong>the</strong>ir local food pantries.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> Chicago Hunger Walk, BVM Susie<br />
Beckman (St. Ambrose) joined <strong>the</strong><br />
St. Ignatius Parish group, while BVM<br />
Nancy McCarthy (Josephine) helped<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>Blessed</strong> Sacrament contingent.<br />
A hardy band <strong>of</strong> BVMs brave Chicago’s<br />
winter winds each year to show<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir support for Sarah’s Circle, a center<br />
for homeless women. Sarah’s has chosen<br />
February for its annual Winter Walk.<br />
Every health bulletin touts <strong>the</strong> benefi<br />
ts <strong>of</strong> exercise for our hearts, lungs<br />
and bones. But when <strong>the</strong> exercise<br />
includes <strong>the</strong> chance <strong>of</strong> helping <strong>the</strong><br />
needy, who could refuse?<br />
No one by herself may be able to<br />
eliminate poverty or fi nd a cure for<br />
cancer, but as we join o<strong>the</strong>rs in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
efforts, we echo <strong>the</strong> words <strong>of</strong> Oscar<br />
Hammerstein, “Walk on, walk on, with<br />
hope in your heart….”<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: Margaret A. McGinn, BVM<br />
(Daniel Anne) is an adjunct faculty member at<br />
Truman College, Chicago, and a member <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Communications Advisory Committee.<br />
BVMs Diane Rapozo (Malia), <strong>Mary</strong> Lauranne Lifka and Alice Caulfi eld<br />
(Alissio) head for <strong>the</strong> fi nish line <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dubuque Alzheimer’s Walk.<br />
BVM <strong>Mary</strong> Ca<strong>the</strong>rine Beckman (St. Ambrose) participates with St.<br />
Ignatius Parish hunger walkers in Chicago.<br />
BVMs Theresa Gleeson (Dorothy), Nancy McCarthy (Josephine)<br />
and Brigid <strong>Mary</strong> Hart bundle up for Sarah’s Circle Winter Walk.<br />
Associate Margaret Hoge “walks for <strong>the</strong> cure” for breast cancer in<br />
San Francisco.
Soaring in Hot Air Balloon:<br />
Memories for a Lifetime<br />
by Kathy Carr, BVM<br />
“Up, up and away in my beautiful<br />
balloon”…such were <strong>the</strong> thoughts <strong>of</strong><br />
Linda Roby, BVM, as she ascended<br />
over <strong>the</strong> majestic Willamette Valley<br />
in Oregon. It was <strong>the</strong> dream <strong>of</strong> a<br />
lifetime, one she had thought might<br />
never be fulfi lled.<br />
Since childhood, Linda had admired<br />
<strong>the</strong> beauty and grace <strong>of</strong> hot air<br />
balloons, and her desire to ride in one<br />
was nourished during her fi ve years<br />
<strong>of</strong> living in Des Moines, Iowa, near<br />
<strong>the</strong> National Hot Air Balloon festival,<br />
where one could watch dozens <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
brightly colored balloons fi ll <strong>the</strong> sky.<br />
While living in Portland years later,<br />
Linda shared with <strong>the</strong> local BVMs her<br />
great desire to someday ride in a hot<br />
air balloon.<br />
Since it was <strong>the</strong> year <strong>of</strong> her 50th<br />
birthday, <strong>the</strong>y surprised her with <strong>the</strong><br />
gift <strong>of</strong> a balloon ride over <strong>the</strong> heart <strong>of</strong><br />
Oregon wine country, just southwest<br />
<strong>of</strong> Portland.<br />
As Linda prepared for this trip <strong>of</strong> a<br />
lifetime, her colleague in ministry, Fr.<br />
Bruce Cwiekowski, decided to join her<br />
so she could share <strong>the</strong> experience with<br />
a friend.<br />
The grandness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> occasion is<br />
best described in Linda’s own words:<br />
“The morning was absolutely beautiful,<br />
with a clear blue sky and just a<br />
hint <strong>of</strong> a breeze.<br />
“Everything about <strong>the</strong> fl ight was<br />
marvelous. The views were magnifi -<br />
cent: Oregon wine country and farmlands,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Willamette River, sunrise<br />
over majestic Mt. Hood with all <strong>the</strong><br />
mountains from Mt. Rainier in Washington<br />
to <strong>the</strong> Three <strong>Sisters</strong> in central<br />
Oregon silhouetted against <strong>the</strong> sky.<br />
In places, patches <strong>of</strong> light white fog<br />
hugged <strong>the</strong> ground.”<br />
“We gradually ascended to 4100<br />
feet and <strong>the</strong>n just sat <strong>the</strong>re…perfectly<br />
still…in complete silence. It was a<br />
truly awe-fi lled, spiritual experience.”<br />
“In spite <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> day being so calm,<br />
we traveled almost eight miles an hour<br />
and landed in a fi eld near <strong>the</strong> tiny<br />
town <strong>of</strong> St. Paul. We gently fl oated<br />
down through <strong>the</strong> tops <strong>of</strong> a ridge <strong>of</strong><br />
trees, and saw <strong>the</strong> chase cars and crew<br />
ready to help us land.<br />
“But we weren’t done yet! Then<br />
came <strong>the</strong> task <strong>of</strong> letting <strong>the</strong> balloon<br />
defl ate, pushing <strong>the</strong> last air out, rolling<br />
it and putting it back into its small<br />
carrying case—about <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> two<br />
beanbag chairs!”<br />
Following <strong>the</strong> balloon ride, Linda<br />
and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r participants joined BVMs<br />
and friends at a champagne brunch,<br />
where <strong>the</strong> pilot, Roger, led <strong>the</strong> traditional<br />
post-fl ight toast:<br />
“The winds have welcomed you with<br />
s<strong>of</strong>tness<br />
The sun has blessed you with his<br />
warm hand<br />
You have fl own so high and so well<br />
that God has joined you in your laughter<br />
and set you gently back again<br />
into <strong>the</strong> loving arms <strong>of</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>r Earth.”<br />
For Linda, this experience gave<br />
new meaning to <strong>the</strong> BVM mission <strong>of</strong><br />
“being freed and helping o<strong>the</strong>rs enjoy<br />
freedom in God’s steadfast love.”<br />
Briefs<br />
Ca<strong>the</strong>rine Dunn, BVM<br />
(Ca<strong>the</strong>rine Michele) received<br />
honorary doctorate degrees<br />
from both Clarke College and<br />
<strong>the</strong> University <strong>of</strong> Dubuque<br />
at <strong>the</strong>ir commencement<br />
ceremonies. She is retiring<br />
after 33 years at Clarke, 22 <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>m as president. Ca<strong>the</strong>rine has also been<br />
designated “president emerita” <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> college.<br />
<strong>Mary</strong> Ellen McDonagh, BVM<br />
has been elected to <strong>the</strong> Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Directors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> St. Louis<br />
Chapter <strong>of</strong> Missourians to<br />
Abolish <strong>the</strong> Death Penalty.<br />
“The Oregon BVMs gifted me with<br />
<strong>the</strong> freedom <strong>of</strong> fl ight and <strong>the</strong> joy <strong>of</strong><br />
having a long-time dream far surpass<br />
all expectations.”<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: Kathy Carr, BVM is Coordinator<br />
<strong>of</strong> Social Ministry at St. <strong>Mary</strong>’s Parish,<br />
Corvallis, Ore.<br />
Xavier College Prep, Phoenix, Ariz., has won<br />
<strong>the</strong> Arizona Interscholastic Assn. (AIA) Blue<br />
Cup Award. This is <strong>the</strong> AIA’s highest award,<br />
recognizing excellence in high school activities,<br />
scholastics and athletics. Only six schools <strong>of</strong><br />
Arizona’s 253 have ever won this award.<br />
It honors schools with a high percentage<br />
<strong>of</strong> students who excel academically and in<br />
AIA-sanctioned sports and activities, in addition<br />
to having a character education program. At<br />
Xavier, 86% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> students participate in AIA<br />
athletics or activities while also maintaining a<br />
3.5 grade point average.<br />
BVM Joan Fitzgerald is Xavier principal;<br />
Lynn Winsor is vice-principal for athletics<br />
and activities, and Joan Nuckols is a faculty<br />
member and campus minister.<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
19
Pastoral minister? What’s that?<br />
What do you do all day? I have<br />
been asked <strong>the</strong>se questions frequently<br />
during my 15 years at St. Matthias<br />
Parish in Redwood City, Calif.<br />
Friends, parishioners and family<br />
members ask…and even my doctor’s<br />
<strong>of</strong>fi ce! (Can being a pastoral minister<br />
be hazardous to my health?)<br />
Pastoral ministering can take a different<br />
shape in every parish. Pastoral<br />
ministers help to fi nd answers.<br />
How are we seeking God in our<br />
lives? What helps to connect with and<br />
discover how God works in our every<br />
day? What is available to support <strong>the</strong><br />
faith we have and pass on to our children?<br />
How does faith affect my relationships?<br />
How do we thank God for<br />
<strong>the</strong> abundances <strong>of</strong> earth and universe?<br />
Where is God when we are hurting?<br />
Pastoral ministering can include<br />
some or all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> following for me:<br />
teaming with various groups to prepare<br />
for Sunday liturgy<br />
planning and leading prayer or presiding<br />
at communion services<br />
participating in faith-sharing, ministry<br />
renewal or speaker days<br />
meeting with parents eager to baptize<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir new baby<br />
working with <strong>the</strong> Confi rmation<br />
Team to engage teens in God-fi nding<br />
being with parishioners in times <strong>of</strong><br />
special need, e.g. serious illness,<br />
death, divorce or family challenge<br />
celebrating social and sacramental<br />
events<br />
administering <strong>the</strong> FOCCUS inventory<br />
to couples planning to marry<br />
meeting with Pastoral Council, Finance<br />
Council, Preschool Board or<br />
Social Justice Committee.<br />
We are also in <strong>the</strong> midst <strong>of</strong> major<br />
renovation, so connecting regularly<br />
with <strong>the</strong> heads <strong>of</strong> this project is done<br />
in “spare time”! (Yes, it is very important<br />
to provide good space to ga<strong>the</strong>r<br />
those seeking God.)<br />
20 SALT MAGAZINE<br />
Parish Ministry:<br />
Journey Inward, Outward<br />
by Dolores Myers, BVM<br />
Looking at <strong>the</strong> list above reminds<br />
me that pastoral ministry could be<br />
hazardous to my health! However, an<br />
au<strong>the</strong>ntic pastoral minister knows pr<strong>of</strong>oundly<br />
that all is God’s work.<br />
Each day, we are human hands<br />
joined with o<strong>the</strong>rs to do God’s work.<br />
We are not in control and must give<br />
our best efforts.<br />
What fi res me to pursue such a<br />
l<strong>of</strong>ty ideal? My life experiences, pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
training and ultimate openness<br />
to God’s mystery.<br />
I am fueled by meditation and reading.<br />
Daily goodness and challenges<br />
burn an experience <strong>of</strong> God’s gift <strong>of</strong> free<br />
will in me.<br />
With o<strong>the</strong>rs’ support, my personal<br />
commitment is kept afl ame. I also have<br />
an unquenchable curiosity about how<br />
we can make this world a better place.<br />
Getting Away<br />
In America magazine, I saw an<br />
advertisement inviting pastoral ministers<br />
to take a sabbatical to renew<br />
and refresh <strong>the</strong>mselves. The Lilly<br />
Endowment Program for <strong>the</strong> Study <strong>of</strong><br />
American Religion <strong>of</strong>fered grants to applicants<br />
from all denominations.<br />
After 14 years as pastoral minister,<br />
working with three different pastors<br />
and staffs, it was time for some personal<br />
upgrading!<br />
The ad tantalized me….“What will<br />
you do with your one wild and precious<br />
life?” I had heard that before. I<br />
thought I knew what I was doing.<br />
(Could I do it better?) I was a pastoral<br />
minister! (Maybe, I should be a singer<br />
and dancer?)<br />
The grant response came. “We are<br />
happy to inform<br />
you that you have<br />
been selected to<br />
receive a $12,000<br />
grant for a three<br />
Dee Myers, BVM<br />
welcomes young<br />
parishioners.<br />
month sabbatical!”<br />
A wonderful journey <strong>of</strong> sabbatical<br />
began with a three-day symposium.<br />
I joined with 50 o<strong>the</strong>rs from all over<br />
<strong>the</strong> United States, men and women <strong>of</strong><br />
many Christian denominations. The<br />
Institute had carefully crafted three<br />
days <strong>of</strong> prayer, refl ection, presentations<br />
and conversation.<br />
What makes a “wild and precious”<br />
minister? What kind <strong>of</strong> time do we<br />
spend in reading, spiritual direction,<br />
journaling? Do we refresh ourselves in<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r activities with family, friends and<br />
actually live <strong>the</strong> goodness <strong>of</strong> God’s life?<br />
What helps us truly give our best to<br />
those we serve in parish communities?<br />
I met some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> warmest, nicest, intelligent<br />
people at this Institute…people<br />
who were indeed using <strong>the</strong>ir one<br />
precious life for o<strong>the</strong>rs.<br />
Mainly I re-learned that pastoral<br />
ministry is God’s work! In readings,<br />
retreat times and throughout <strong>the</strong> sabbatical<br />
I felt empowered by God.<br />
Upon my return, I continue to be<br />
energized by this experience. I feel<br />
compelled to persevere in <strong>the</strong> good<br />
practices I was able to enjoy so intensely:<br />
prayer, meditation, bodily exercise,<br />
healthy diet, more reading, less<br />
control, collaboration, positive attitude<br />
and letting God be God.<br />
I also have grown in a new appreciation<br />
<strong>of</strong> friends, nature and how we<br />
care for one ano<strong>the</strong>r. This is my one<br />
wild and precious life in pastoral ministering!<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: Dolores (Dee) Myers, BVM<br />
(Dolore) is pastoral associate at St. Matthias<br />
Church, Redwood City, Calif.
Cistercian monks founded an abbey<br />
on <strong>the</strong> island <strong>of</strong> Tautra in <strong>the</strong> Trondheim<br />
Fjord in 1207, but left during <strong>the</strong><br />
16th-century Reformation. In 1999 <strong>the</strong><br />
Dubuque Trappistines at Mississippi<br />
Abbey sent eight sisters to make a new<br />
foundation in Norway near <strong>the</strong> original<br />
monastery ruins: Tautra Mariakloster<br />
(TMK). Five farm buildings provide<br />
“temporary” quarters while <strong>the</strong> new<br />
monastery is being built.<br />
That All<br />
May Be One…<br />
by Bertha Fox, BVM<br />
Last year Tautra MK asked Mississippi<br />
Abbey for an extra hand during<br />
<strong>the</strong> fall months. Since <strong>the</strong> Dubuque abbey<br />
couldn’t spare anyone because <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir “candy season,” <strong>the</strong>y asked me if<br />
I could go because I know <strong>the</strong> sisters.<br />
I have taught chant at <strong>the</strong> abbey <strong>of</strong>f<br />
and on since 1968, and visited Tautra<br />
in 2001.<br />
With a frequent fl yer ticket in<br />
hand, I said “yes,” for according to our<br />
BVM Constitutions (16), “We are called<br />
to live in any part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world where<br />
<strong>the</strong>re is promise <strong>of</strong> fur<strong>the</strong>ring <strong>the</strong> mission<br />
<strong>of</strong> Jesus…”<br />
So I went to Norway, wondering<br />
whe<strong>the</strong>r I would actually be able to<br />
contribute and share in <strong>the</strong>ir life. I<br />
need not have worried. They just took<br />
me in, no questions asked. Nearly every<br />
ability I have was put to use.<br />
I was busy, blissfully tired at night,<br />
sang <strong>the</strong> Offi ce in Norwegian, played<br />
for Mass, and treasured <strong>the</strong> times for<br />
private prayer and refl ective reading. I<br />
made friends with <strong>the</strong> cats, went fi shing,<br />
explored <strong>the</strong> island.<br />
I lived ecumenism in this nation<br />
where only fi ve percent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> population<br />
is Catholic, yet both Lu<strong>the</strong>rans<br />
and Catholics enthusiastically welcome<br />
and support <strong>the</strong> Trappistine<br />
foundation, for <strong>the</strong>y all value contemplation,<br />
and want “<strong>the</strong>ir Cistercians”<br />
Bertha Fox, BVM (second from right) joins <strong>the</strong> Trappistine community on Tautra in bidding<br />
a guest farewell. Photo by Sheryl Chen, OCSO.<br />
back on <strong>the</strong> island. Nearly every day<br />
people come to <strong>the</strong> sung Offi ces, and<br />
<strong>the</strong>y sing (!), no matter what <strong>the</strong>ir religious<br />
background is.<br />
There was much to do besides<br />
praising God three hours a day in song<br />
and earning a living making soaps,<br />
creams, and candles. There were ordinary<br />
things common to all <strong>of</strong> us;<br />
extraordinary ones, such as purchasing<br />
furnishings for <strong>the</strong> new monastery,<br />
overseeing <strong>the</strong> building project and<br />
seeking donations; and unexpected<br />
things that happen when one begins to<br />
put down roots in a new culture.<br />
Preparation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> church music is<br />
especially challenging, for <strong>the</strong> sisters<br />
have gradually moved from singing<br />
everything in English to singing everything<br />
in Norwegian.<br />
There is no old music to adapt. They<br />
must compose new music or fi nd some<br />
by non-Cistercians, notate it, devise an<br />
accompaniment, make and distribute<br />
copies, learn it and use it.<br />
Every week calls for some new music!<br />
I learned to appreciate this behind<strong>the</strong>-scenes<br />
work as I became more<br />
involved.<br />
The seven weeks sped by. Thanks<br />
to technology, I sent a weekly report<br />
to my “list.” Excerpts from each report<br />
follow. Changes and omissions are<br />
noted by ellipses.<br />
Tuesday, October 11<br />
The new monastery under construction<br />
leaves me speechless. Today<br />
I had a tour—walked on <strong>the</strong> concrete<br />
fl oors under <strong>the</strong> crosshatch <strong>of</strong> beautiful<br />
wooden…beams are all wood, no<br />
steel.<br />
Today I began singing quietly in<br />
<strong>the</strong> choir. …I’ve got ano<strong>the</strong>r day to<br />
recuperate from jetlag, and <strong>the</strong>n…will<br />
begin to earn my room and board.<br />
Monday, October 17<br />
The fjord has fl aunted a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
moods from a wild wind and…rough<br />
waters with whitecaps and huge waves<br />
slamming into <strong>the</strong> shore, to today’s<br />
sun…no breeze, and a glass-like surface<br />
on <strong>the</strong> water with sea-birds skimming<br />
<strong>the</strong> top, probably scooping up<br />
fi sh.<br />
The storm brought <strong>the</strong> most perfect<br />
rainbow I have ever seen—a complete<br />
arc with both ends resting on <strong>the</strong> surface<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fjord, visible from <strong>the</strong> hill<br />
in front <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> chapel…We all stopped<br />
dead in our tracks on our way to dinner<br />
at noon.<br />
Saturday we celebrated <strong>the</strong> 25th<br />
anniversary <strong>of</strong> Fr. Anthony O’Brien’s<br />
ordination…He’s <strong>the</strong> chaplain here,<br />
a Trappist monk from Ireland…. I<br />
played <strong>the</strong> little Casio keyboard for <strong>the</strong><br />
Mass…No one got uptight even when<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
21
22<br />
I accidentally hit <strong>the</strong> rhythm accompaniment<br />
button and suddenly drums,<br />
etc. blared out.<br />
Wednesday, October 26<br />
What a change in <strong>the</strong> wea<strong>the</strong>r….<br />
Toward <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> last week snow appeared<br />
on <strong>the</strong> mountains <strong>of</strong> Sweden<br />
(which I can see from my bedroom<br />
window)…Sunday we had such a<br />
heavy frost that it was still on <strong>the</strong> grass<br />
in mid-afternoon in <strong>the</strong> sunlight…<br />
The potato grower across <strong>the</strong><br />
road…fi nished digging <strong>the</strong> last potato<br />
Saturday afternoon. Hurrah for him!<br />
That morning I watched him work.<br />
The tractor moves VERY slowly and<br />
quietly. The potatoes move up a belt<br />
and across an inspecting station where<br />
someone stands and looks at every<br />
Seven Benefi ts <strong>of</strong> a Gift Annuity<br />
There’s rarely been a better time to obtain<br />
a charitable gift annuity from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong>, BVM. Low interest rates and<br />
roller coaster markets are causing people<br />
to think twice about <strong>the</strong>ir fi nancial decisions,<br />
and to consider <strong>the</strong> seven benefi ts <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> BVM Gift Annuity Program.<br />
1. Attractive Rates. When you compare<br />
our gift annuity rates with what you<br />
might receive from a certifi cate <strong>of</strong><br />
deposit you will likely be pleasantly<br />
surprised. For example, <strong>the</strong> rate <strong>of</strong> a<br />
70-year senior is 6.5 percent. At age<br />
80, <strong>the</strong> rate is 8.0 percent, and if you<br />
are 90 or older, you would receive 11.3<br />
percent. In o<strong>the</strong>r words, a $100,000<br />
gift annuity would provide an 80-yearold<br />
person $8,000 every year.*<br />
2. Regular Payments. When you establish<br />
your gift annuity, you decide<br />
how <strong>of</strong>ten you want to receive your<br />
payments. While most annuitants<br />
receive <strong>the</strong>ir checks or direct deposits<br />
every quarter, some choose semiannual<br />
payments and some once-a-year<br />
payments. Those who qualify can<br />
select monthly payments if <strong>the</strong>y wish.<br />
Whatever you choose, receiving your<br />
regular payments on a specifi c, predetermined<br />
date is comforting and also<br />
helpful for planning purposes.<br />
3. Fixed Income. Your payment rate will<br />
be locked in at <strong>the</strong> time you obtain<br />
your gift annuity. It will not rise or<br />
fall with <strong>the</strong> economy. Instead, it will<br />
be <strong>the</strong> same amount every year—and<br />
that can mean a lot in uncertain times.<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
potato, tosses out <strong>the</strong> bad ones along<br />
with stones and debris from <strong>the</strong> plants,<br />
and [<strong>the</strong>n] allows <strong>the</strong> potatoes to move<br />
to a holding bin. …<br />
We’ve had lots <strong>of</strong> mushrooms<br />
that Hanne-Maria fi nds…She knows<br />
which ones are poisonous….<strong>the</strong>re<br />
are so many mushroom hunters that<br />
on weekends <strong>the</strong>re are <strong>of</strong>fi cial mushroom-identifi<br />
ers on duty in centers<br />
where people can go to check on what<br />
<strong>the</strong>y’ve found. Too many sick people<br />
eating poisonous mushrooms is not<br />
good for socialized medicine!<br />
The workmen (building <strong>the</strong> new<br />
monastery) arrive about 7 a.m. and<br />
work for twelve hours four days a<br />
week. Huge fl oodlights enable <strong>the</strong>m to<br />
work day and night.<br />
4. Lifetime Benefi t. Gift annuities are<br />
for life. No matter what your age as an<br />
annuitant or how long you live, your<br />
payments will continue right to <strong>the</strong><br />
very end. And if you have a two-life<br />
gift annuity, when one person dies,<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r can continue to receive <strong>the</strong><br />
same amount for <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> his or her<br />
life. This benefi t <strong>of</strong> ongoing payments<br />
can provide security for each spouse<br />
as <strong>the</strong>y enter <strong>the</strong>ir older years.<br />
5. Dependable Source. The <strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Charity</strong>, BVM stand behind all <strong>of</strong> our<br />
gift annuities. We have a reserve fund<br />
set aside to meet our obligations and,<br />
what’s more, we back up our annuity<br />
obligations with <strong>the</strong> full fi nancial<br />
assets <strong>of</strong> our organization. We want<br />
you to feel safe and secure and to have<br />
confi dence that your payments will<br />
continue without fail.<br />
6. Relief from Taxes. Since part <strong>of</strong><br />
your contribution for a gift annuity<br />
is considered a charitable gift by <strong>the</strong><br />
IRS, you will receive an income tax<br />
charitable deduction to apply on an<br />
itemized return. Also, during your life<br />
expectancy, you will be able to claim<br />
part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> annuity payment as tax-free<br />
income.<br />
7. Simple Process. Obtaining a gift annuity<br />
from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong>, BVM<br />
is much easier than most people think.<br />
We provide you with a tailor-made illustration<br />
so you can see how it all works<br />
with your age and contribution amount<br />
included. We provide materials you can<br />
share with your family and advisor(s).<br />
Wednesday, November 2<br />
Rosemary, <strong>the</strong> superior, has been<br />
in Italy for meeting <strong>of</strong> all abbots, abbesses,<br />
and superiors <strong>of</strong> Cistercian<br />
monasteries throughout <strong>the</strong> world. She<br />
returned last night. Her biggest news<br />
is that TMK has been moved up from<br />
being a foundation to being a simple<br />
priory, a fi rst step on <strong>the</strong> way to becoming<br />
an abbey.<br />
This means that <strong>the</strong>y can be somewhat<br />
independent <strong>of</strong> Mississippi Abbey,<br />
but not entirely: <strong>the</strong> Dubuque<br />
sisters still are responsible fi nancially<br />
and personnel-wise….lots <strong>of</strong> jubilation<br />
because this means The Big Meeting<br />
approved <strong>of</strong> what <strong>the</strong>y have done here,<br />
and urge <strong>the</strong>m to continue.<br />
Two nights ago <strong>the</strong>re was a huge<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r benefi t we should add is <strong>the</strong><br />
enormous satisfaction you will receive<br />
for making a charitable gift in this manner.<br />
Every time you receive a payment,<br />
you will be reminded that your gift annuity<br />
will eventually benefi t <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Charity</strong>, BVM.<br />
For your personalized gift illustration,<br />
contact Diane Brondyke, Director <strong>of</strong><br />
Development (see information below).<br />
Please understand that you will not be<br />
pressured in any way to proceed with a<br />
gift annuity if you ask for fur<strong>the</strong>r information.<br />
Diane’s role is to simply provide<br />
clear illustrations and to let <strong>the</strong> seven<br />
benefi ts speak for <strong>the</strong>mselves.<br />
*Note: Rates are slightly lower when <strong>the</strong><br />
annuity is for two persons. Also, like<br />
most charities, The <strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong>,<br />
BVM uses <strong>the</strong> rates recommended by <strong>the</strong><br />
American Council on Gift Annuities.<br />
This information is not intended as legal,<br />
tax or investment advice. For such advice,<br />
please consult an attorney, tax pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
or investment pr<strong>of</strong>essional.<br />
Diane L. Brondyke<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Development<br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong>, BVM<br />
1100 Carmel Drive<br />
Dubuque, Iowa 52003<br />
563-588-2351 extension 570<br />
dbrondyke@bvmcong.org<br />
For on-line giving, go to<br />
www.bvmcong.org.
display <strong>of</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn lights that went on<br />
for hours and hours…Enormous shooting<br />
arcs and boomerang swatches <strong>of</strong><br />
light in constant motion.<br />
This afternoon Hanne-Maria took<br />
me fi shing on <strong>the</strong> fjord, and I caught<br />
a Big Codfi sh. Yes, I did. Really. I also<br />
lost a small one. But I caught one. She<br />
caught three. I was so excited! It was<br />
only about 20 meters deep where we<br />
were, but fur<strong>the</strong>r out it is over 200 meters<br />
deep. We wore life jackets.<br />
Thursday, November 10<br />
Today…<strong>the</strong> road crews put up <strong>the</strong><br />
fi ve-foot markers along our little road<br />
so that <strong>the</strong> snow plow can fi nd <strong>the</strong> edges<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> road once <strong>the</strong> snow begins.<br />
About ten days ago a small shark<br />
was caught near <strong>the</strong> shore here. Swimmers<br />
beware! (The sisters swim in <strong>the</strong><br />
fjord.) The man who caught it gave it<br />
to us. Unfortunately it is not good for<br />
eating. (Or fortunately?)<br />
Monday, if <strong>the</strong> wea<strong>the</strong>r is good,<br />
four <strong>of</strong> us are going to Trondheim for<br />
business. The big drawing card is Friteks<br />
(Free-tex), a combination <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong><br />
second-hand stores you can imagine.<br />
Rosemary has furnished <strong>the</strong> current<br />
houses with things purchased <strong>the</strong>re…<br />
She and <strong>the</strong> director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> store struck<br />
up a friendship… He is a devout Muslim<br />
who recognizes that she also is<br />
devout, and v.v.<br />
The days are defi nitely getting shorter.<br />
Tuesday <strong>the</strong> sun rose just as we began<br />
Lauds at 7:30. When Mass began at 8:10<br />
<strong>the</strong> sky was plain again. This morning<br />
<strong>the</strong> sun rose just AFTER Lauds—about<br />
8:00. The changes here go in 10 and 15<br />
minute chunks <strong>of</strong> less light each morning<br />
and afternoon. Already <strong>the</strong> sun is<br />
low on <strong>the</strong> horizon at 2 p.m.<br />
Photos (l. to r.): Soap making helps support <strong>the</strong><br />
fl edging community. Beams for <strong>the</strong> new chapel are<br />
lowered into place. Bertha displays <strong>the</strong> small shark<br />
caught near <strong>the</strong> abbey’s shoreline. Photos by Sheryl<br />
Frances Chen, OCSO and Bertha Fox, BVM.<br />
Thursday, November 17<br />
One <strong>of</strong> my tasks is doing <strong>the</strong> laundry<br />
three days a week…I also change <strong>the</strong><br />
towels in all <strong>the</strong> buildings…work in <strong>the</strong><br />
soap department a couple <strong>of</strong> mornings,<br />
sort and fi le liturgy things…and work<br />
in <strong>the</strong> library. Helping with <strong>the</strong> church<br />
music takes big chunks <strong>of</strong> time (organ,<br />
chant <strong>the</strong>ory, modal harmonization).<br />
Monday, November 21<br />
In just a week sunrise has moved<br />
from Lauds to Mass and now to after<br />
Mass—about 9:00. The sun does not<br />
get very far above <strong>the</strong> horizon. It sort<br />
<strong>of</strong> circles around.<br />
Fr. Anthony went to a meeting <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> priests <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Trondheim diocese<br />
last week. All <strong>the</strong> priests were <strong>the</strong>re—<br />
all fi ve <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m.…Just fi ve for <strong>the</strong><br />
entire diocese, which is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two<br />
most diffi cult in <strong>the</strong> world…because<br />
<strong>the</strong> people are scattered far and wide.<br />
Not a single priest is Norwegian.<br />
Saturday, November 26<br />
Something maybe everyone will<br />
want to try is candlelight at breakfast!<br />
From 4 a.m. until Lauds at 7:30 we can<br />
pick up breakfast. No overhead lights<br />
except in <strong>the</strong> kitchen. At <strong>the</strong> table a<br />
candle is lit wherever someone is seated,<br />
and <strong>the</strong>re’s a nice small crackling<br />
fi re in <strong>the</strong> little iron stove which heats<br />
<strong>the</strong> room. And silence, <strong>of</strong> course.<br />
I’m in bed before 9:00 p.m., and up<br />
between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m.—unbelievable,<br />
you think? But regular hours are<br />
restful!<br />
Time is passing so quickly….These<br />
days have been good in every way—<br />
enjoyable, deepening, stretching—with<br />
happy and sad events. The sisters have<br />
taken me into <strong>the</strong>ir community without<br />
any fuss, and with pr<strong>of</strong>ound hospitality.<br />
They are simply amazing. Each<br />
one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
Beginning a new foundation is an<br />
enormous undertaking, fi lled with<br />
challenges <strong>of</strong> every kind—spiritual personal,<br />
interpersonal, cultural, physical,<br />
psychological, fi nancial, etc. But <strong>the</strong><br />
people <strong>of</strong> Norway want <strong>the</strong>m [sisters]<br />
to be here, and support <strong>the</strong>m in every<br />
way <strong>the</strong>y can, and <strong>the</strong> sisters back in<br />
Dubuque support <strong>the</strong>m in every way<br />
<strong>the</strong>y can.<br />
The entire Order is cheering <strong>the</strong>m<br />
on. So I consider it a great privilege to<br />
have been here for nearly two months<br />
to do whatever I can/could to help<br />
<strong>the</strong> Cistercians become alive and well<br />
again on <strong>the</strong> island <strong>of</strong> Tautra after being<br />
absent more than 300 years.<br />
P.S., May 2005<br />
On March 25 Tautra Mariakloster<br />
<strong>of</strong>fi cially became a simple priory. Six<br />
sisters changed <strong>the</strong>ir stability from <strong>the</strong><br />
USA to Norway, promising to live out<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir lives at <strong>the</strong> Tautra monastery,<br />
and be buried on this small island in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Trondheim fjord. This summer <strong>the</strong><br />
sisters will move into <strong>the</strong>ir new monastery.<br />
The fi ve original buildings will<br />
be used for visitors and retreatants.<br />
For more information about Tautra<br />
and Mississippi Abbey, visit <strong>the</strong>ir web<br />
sites: www.tautra.no; www.mississippiabbey.org.<br />
Nothing, however, can match <strong>the</strong><br />
experience <strong>of</strong> living at TMK, nor is<br />
it possible to suffi ciently thank <strong>the</strong>m<br />
and my own BVMs for <strong>the</strong> opportunity<br />
to “fur<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> mission <strong>of</strong> Jesus” in<br />
Norway—”that all may be one.” (John<br />
17:21).<br />
About <strong>the</strong> author: Bertha Fox, BVM (Dolorose)<br />
is pr<strong>of</strong>essor emerita in music from Clarke College,<br />
Dubuque; besides teaching music to <strong>the</strong> Trappistines<br />
outside Dubuque, she teaches at Roberta<br />
Kuhn Center, and is a BVM computer tutor.<br />
SUMMER TWO THOUSAND SIX<br />
23
24<br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong>, BVM<br />
1100 Carmel Drive<br />
Dubuque, Iowa 52003-7991<br />
Change Service Requested<br />
Chair in Women’s Studies Honors BVM<br />
Carolyn Farrell’s Mundelein/Loyola Legacy<br />
SALT MAGAZINE<br />
Carolyn Farrell, BVM accepts with pleasure a<br />
beautiful crystal bowl enhanced with an etching <strong>of</strong><br />
Piper Hall presented by University administration.<br />
It was a retirement party to remember! With<br />
friends and colleagues ga<strong>the</strong>red to thank and celebrate<br />
Carolyn Farrell, BVM (Lester) on her retirement from<br />
Loyola University, Chicago, President Michael Garanzini,<br />
SJ announced <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> an endowed chair<br />
in Women’s Studies at <strong>the</strong> Gannon Center. It will be<br />
named after Farrell in gratitude for her work at <strong>the</strong> University.<br />
The University and donors will make possible <strong>the</strong><br />
$2 million chair; it will begin in Fall 2007.<br />
Carolyn has been an Associate Vice President <strong>of</strong><br />
Loyola University, Chicago, and Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ann<br />
Ida Gannon, BVM Center for Women and Leadership<br />
Non-Pr<strong>of</strong>i t Org.<br />
U.S. Postage<br />
PAID<br />
Dubuque, IA<br />
Permit No. 477<br />
Susan Ross, PhD, pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Theology (center) and Bren Murphy, PhD, Director,<br />
Women’s Studies program give Carolyn fun gifts.<br />
for <strong>the</strong> past 15 years, after serving as interim president<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mundelein College as it transitioned to affi liation<br />
with Loyola.<br />
Appreciative remarks were also <strong>of</strong>fered by John<br />
Frendreis, provost; <strong>Mary</strong> E. Hunt, co-director <strong>of</strong> Women’s<br />
Alliance for Ethics and Ritual; and Bren Murphy,<br />
director, Women’s Studies program.<br />
“She has accomplished a great deal, including <strong>the</strong><br />
renovation <strong>of</strong> Piper Hall into a beautiful state-<strong>of</strong>-<strong>the</strong>-art<br />
center for women’s studies, archives, and leadership<br />
training,” said Hunt. “This on-going legacy <strong>of</strong> Mundelein<br />
College and <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Charity</strong>, BVM plays a pivotal<br />
role at Loyola and is a model for o<strong>the</strong>r universities.”