February Communigram

Manitowoc, WI ― February 2, marked Sister Claude De Mario’s 100th Birthday. She an-ticipated the day with great de-light and celebrated it with a beautiful smile.

Sister Claude graciously ac-cepted greetings from Commu-nity members who came to her party the afternoon of her birth-day. Being a perfect guest of

honor she made sure she had something to say to each one.

Members of Sister’s family plan to celebrate with her at Holy Family Convent on Saturday, February 6.

Sister Claude beams with delight as she shows off the red roses and carnations she received from some of her nieces and nephews.

100th Birthday Celebration

Tucson, AZ ― Sister Leonette Kochan was presented the Elizabeth Seton Award on January 25, 2010 at Salpointe High School, Tucson, AZ. This is the seven-teenth year that Salpointe Catholic High School has presented this award to outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to Catholic Educa-tion in the Diocese of Tucson.

Sister Leonette taught in Yuma at Immaculate Concep-tion School and was principal there during her first time in the Diocese. She now serves as principal of Santa Cruz School in South Tucson. During her lead-ership Santa Cruz’s enrollment has gone up considera-bly and the school is operating with a budget. Teach-

ers, staff, students and parents are very grateful for Sister’s leadership and show it by their cooperation.

All of the Sisters, the Santa Cruz staff and two of Sister Leonette’s blood sisters, Mary from Manitowoc and Carol from Green Bay, joined in the celebratory break-fast during which the award was presented. We are all proud of Sister’s accomplishments.

The second recipient of the award this year was Brother Nick Gonzales, principal of San Miguel Catholic High School. As Brother Nick said, this was a big honor for South Side Tucson, since both schools are from there. It's like the scripture, "Can any good come from Nazareth (South Side Tucson)!

Submissions by Sister Carla Riach and Ellen Pachmayer

Sister Leonette Receives Elizabeth Seton Award

February 2010

Volume 44, Issue 2

Communigram

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity

Sister Kateri Cooper lives at Holy Family Convent, Manitowoc,

WI and since 2002 has been a Com-

panion/Driver for the retired Sisters

as well as filling a role in the Craft

Room where she makes a variety of

creations to delight the eye of a cus-

tomer.

When asked recently how she would

answer the question, “Who am I?,”

she responded: “I know that I am

God’s creation endowed and called

with His special gifts to serve Him.”

She shares that this question struck

her strongly when she attended a

Migrant Conference this past sum-

mer. Hearing the Sisters share where

they came from, with one’s grandfa-

ther coming from Ireland, and an-

other’s great grandfather coming

from Germany, she asked herself,

“Where did I come from?” It

dawned on her: When my sister

wanted to build her home recently

on our old house spot, it had to be

excavated. Found there was two lay-

ers of the HuHuKam (“those long

gone”) Tribe, our ancestors! The

bottom layer dated back to 2000 BC.

Wow! These are my ancestors? Yes!

The anthropologist asked my sister

if she wanted their remains dug out.

With deep respect, she told them to

rebury them!” (As a consequence,

her new home is a few steps away

from this hallowed spot.)

Sister states, “My four brothers and

sister and I were born on the

Pima/Maricopa Salt River Reserva-

tion annexed to Scottsdale, AZ,

where my Mother was from. Later,

when my Dad’s land was cleared on

the Pima Gila River Reservation, he

moved and enrolled the family there.

My youngest sister was born there.

It was here that I met the Franciscan

Fathers and Sisters at St. Peter, Bap-

chule, AZ. Saint John’s Mission Ele-

mentary and Boarding School was

also on this Reservation serving

many different Tribes. My Dad, a

convert to Catholicism, was so im-

pressed with the school and what

the Franciscan Priests and Sisters

were teaching, that he sent us there.

I was impressed with the Sisters’

kindness and concern for us. The

prayers we said each morning and

evening and the Masses we attended

were very inspiring. My years from

Grades 5-8 helped me to grow more

spiritually. I tried going to the public

high school but did not like it, so my

Dad sent my brother and me to St.

Catherine’s High School in Santa Fe,

New Mexico, run by the Mother

Katharine Drexel Sisters. That sum-

mer Sister DeLellis Pritzl helped me

to come to Holy Family Convent. I

arrived on June 20, 1945.”

Sister’s first year of teaching began

at Cowlic, AZ near the Mexico bor-

der, ‘way out in the desert boon-

docks.’ Sister says, “I remember one

little Kindergartner say to another

little girl in Papago, “Let’s go home

and play!” I happened to understand

the language, and knew I had to in-

terest them in something else! I had

K - 3rd grade and it was a learning

process. Later on, I taught K-3rd in

Pisinemo, Covered Wells and San

Xavier in the Papago Reservation,

and also intermediate grades at St.

Peter School, Bapschule, AZ, Gila

River Reservation, and St. Peter

School, Ashton, WI.” Later, Sister

taught the upper grades at Immacu-

late Conception in Yuma, AZ and at

San Xavier School, Tucson, AZ

where she was Principal and teacher.

A moment to remember occurred in

the summer of 1957 while Sister

Kateri was home at Holy Family

Convent: Mary Deem (future Sister

Dolora) and her group from Colum-

bus, OH were scheduled for a con-

Page 2 Communigram Volume 44, I ssue 2

Sister enjoys the stuffed animals she crafted.

By Sister Kay Elmer

Sister Kateri Cooper

ference in the Convent Gym, and

Mother Edna came in to check on

the organ for its use while Sister

Kateri was practicing on it. Mother

left suddenly, but presently appeared

again and said; “Sister Kateri, I want

you to plan to take your home visit

and then go on to Hawaii”. . . “I

abruptly stopped practicing!. . . So to

Hawaii I went for six years ― 4 years

of teaching at St. Therese School in

Kekaha and 2 years at Cathedral

School in Honolulu, not coming

home throughout that entire time! I

enjoyed my years there.”

In 1964 Sister received her under-

graduate degree from Holy Family

College. In 1972 while attending

Arizona State University, Tempe,

AZ as a graduate student working

for her Master’s degree with a major

in Education and minor in Indian

Education, she was called to serve

(with our Franciscan community’s

permission) the Papago Tribe of

AZ, now known as “Tohono

O’odham Nation (Desert People),

by applying for the Tribe’s Educa-

tion Coordinator position. Mr.

Josiah Moore urged her to apply for

this position, as he had known about

Sister’s Indian studies. Many appli-

cants were interviewed, with Sister

Kateri being the last one. The inter-

view was in the Papago language

and Sister answered in Papago with

a Pima accent (both similar). Sister

was hired as the Papago Education

Coordinator.

The job description required the

coordinator to follow up on the Pa-

pago College students’ education by

visiting them with regard to their

financial aid need and other prob-

lems, and following up on the Off-

Reservation Boarding Schools for

the Papago students. (The Off-

Reservation Schools were all high

schools: Phoenix Indian School,

Phoenix; Sherman Indian School,

California; and Steward Indian

School, Nevada. She was to repre-

sent the Papago Tribe as a School

Board member of each and report to

the Tribal Council financial expendi-

tures and student problems, (plus

other duties). This was from 1973-

79. In 1975 Sister received her Mas-

ter of Arts in Education from Ari-

zona State University.

In 1979, Richard Christman, BIA

superintendent, and Mr. Sandy

Parks, BIA proposal writer, con-

tacted the Papago Tribe and Sister

Kateri, to alert them to Federal

funds available for the Tribe’s edu-

cational needs. Requirements neces-

sitated need-assessments done by

every one of the tribe’s eleven dis-

tricts, highlighting concerns for

youth programs, early child educa-

tion, media centers, and counselors,

as well as adult job training. Districts

were asked to elect a representative

and an alternate to serve on an Edu-

cation Committee. Mr. Parks and

Sister Kateri spent hours working on

proposals requesting transportation

to remote areas and schools, provid-

ing for an accountant, an assistant

for the Education Coordinator, per-

diem funding for meetings and

training staff. The total request was

eventually granted, resulting in much

on-going organizational planning for

the first Education Committee and

Staff Training programs, hiring of

counselors, etc.

On one occasion the BIA Superin-

tendent, Sister Kateri, the Tribal

Chairman and Council went before

the Senate Subcommittee on Indian

Education in Washington, DC to

request funds to build a day-school

on the far North side of the Reser-

vation near Pisinemo. Sister says,

“Lo and behold, one of the Senators

said, ‘Sister, what do you have to

say?’ Knowing the terribly great

need and concern, she was able to

restate the need off the cuff. After a

couple of months the request was

funded, and a day-school, and later a

high school, was built. Other pro-

posals were submitted for an educa-

tional facility to house the Educa-

tion Staff; and for job training along

with a training-site building. All were

funded! Sister spent many years fur-

thering this work.

In recent years Sister Kateri assumed

various roles as Religious Educator,

crafts teacher, administrative secre-

tary, driver/companion, and crafts

creator in the Holy Family Convent

Craft Shop.


Sister Kateri with Mr. Sandy Parks, BIA pro-

posal writer for Papago Education. Sister and

others appeared before a Senate Subcommittee.

Students Experience Southern Culture and Hospitality


Greenwood, MS ― A bus from the University of Wisconsin, Platteville brought 55 students & personnel to Arkansas, Tutweiller, MS and to Greenwood on January 9 to gain a cultural experience for a week, a requirement for their graduation. Five of the students stayed in the trailer on the parish grounds and spent their time helping in the

classrooms in school, doing some painting, and learning about the area. On Monday evening, the whole group came to St. Francis and experienced an exceptionally good cat fish dinner. The five here at St. Francis were invited to din-ner and a lively discussion at the convent on Tuesday evening and then had dinner with the Friars on Thursday. They realized how lucky they were to have warm beds to stay in when they found out that most of the others from the group were sleeping on the floor in gyms and were doing construction work with Habitat for Humanity.

We want to share their thank you note to us, because we feel it ex-presses well how giving they were of themselves and to give an idea of what we try to do here in Greenwood.

Dear Sister Carol, Sister Judy, Sister Kathleen and Sister Mary Beth,

There aren’t enough words to express the way we’d like to thank you, ladies. Never in our lives have we seen such kindness. To welcome us into your church, school and home as complete strangers shows how Christ works through people today. We will never for-get your open-arms and generosity that you have shown us this week. We all aspire to be as selfless as you are with these children someday. Also, thank you for the delicious dinner on Tuesday night.

God Bless! Sarah Roddick Janessa Shelbrack Lakesha Clintu Jadine Trunn Alison Lange

A Novice Experiences Life on a Mission

Sister Chiara LaValley, a second year novice, spent her January 2-9, 2010 Mission Experience with the our Sisters missioned at Genesis HealthCare System, Zanesville, Ohio. She shares the journal of her experience with us.

On Sunday, we went site-seeing. The Sis-ters took me to the Longaberger Factory that makes baskets by hand. The unique thing is that the building is in the shape of a giant bas-ket. Then we went to the Y-Bridge. It is literally in the shape of a Y- where the Muskingum River and the Licking River meet. We went to the Lorena Sternwheeler, a historic paddle wheel boat. A

tour of the city followed ending at Tom's Ice Cream Bowl, an old ice-cream shop that has been around since 1948. It serves homemade ice cream. YUMMY!!!!! I had pumpkin flavor - tasted like pumpkin pie.

On Monday we went to the Genesis Good Samaritan Cam-pus where I received a badge for Hospital identification. I met with various people who told me about the Genesis HealthCare System, the Mission and Values, the Ethics Committee and the Community Benefit, the "Chain of Command" at the Hospital, and the Senior Leadership's role in the Genesis HealthCare System. I also met with Sis-ter Maureen Anne Shepard, Director of Mission. She told me about her job- which includes a lot. One of the main things is to make sure that the Mission is lived out. The Mission of Genesis HealthCare System is: To provide com-passionate quality healthcare. I strolled through the archives and visited the chapel. I also attended part of a New Em-ployee Orientation where Sister Maureen Anne gave a talk about what she does.

Five young ladies from UW - Platteville, WI

spent time with our Sisters in Greenwood, MS

during their semester break.

Submitted by Sister Mary Beth Kornely

The Sisters stopped for a treat at Tom’s

Ice Cream Shop.


On Tuesday I went to more meetings. I learned what the different nurses do, and about the Genesis Home Health Care and the Hospice. I spent the afternoon with Sister Cyrilla Jackels, volunteer. She was in Transport that after-noon. The employees called her if they needed something taken to or brought from another part of the building. The volunteers picked up the item and take it to its destination. I really got to know my way around the Hospital that way!

On Wednesday I was with Sister Bernadette Selinsky who is one of the chaplains at the Hospital. I attended three meet-ings with her and learned about her duties. The main thing that she does is listen to the patients and help them work out their fears, concerns, and their spiritual life needs.

On Thursday I went to Out-Patient Surgery with Sister Sue Ann Hall, volunteer. We greeted the patient, gave them a gown, and led them to the bed they would use. Then after they had left, we cleaned that area, and brought in a new bed. Then, we put together sets of items for the patients:

gown, robe, slippers, and a personal belongings bag. That evening I went to a Board Meeting with Sister Laura Wolf.

On Friday, I attended a Genesis HealthCare System Lead-ership meeting followed by a tour of the pediatric and new-born areas at Genesis Bethesda Campus. That afternoon I attended the Chaplains meetings. All of the meetings con-firmed for me what I had observed - the staff works well together in determining what is best for the care and con-venience of the patient as well as the patients family. All of the meetings were patient centered.

It was a tremendous week. The Sisters were wonderful.

There was a lot of joking around and teasing. The hospital

staff was very friendly. I had a great experience and would

love to go back someday!

Submitted by Sister Chiara La Valley

Manitowoc, WI ― The Silver Lake College Music for Tots™ program, is completing its 25th year of sharing the gift of music with children from infancy through age five.

The Music For Tots program is designed to help improve not only the tonal, lis-tening, coordination and rhythmic skills of the children, but also their verbal and socialization skills, as well as their ability to follow directions, focus attention and share with their peers.

Tots are enrolled in a ten-week program each semester, fall and spring. Typically about 300 children and their parents are enrolled in the more than 40+ classes taught by ten to twelve teachers, includ-ing Sister Lorna Zemke, Director of the program. Each class is limited to eight children of the same age. Classes are held at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, St. Luke's United Methodist Church in She-boygan, WI, St. Philip School in Green Bay, WI and Salem Grade School in Salem, WI.

Music for Tots TM is 25 Years Old

http://www.sl.edu/music/musicfo

rtots.asp

Participate in Annual March Greenwood, MS ― Although you can-not see them in the photo, Sisters Kathleen Murphy and Judy Nor-wick joined in the annual march that took place on Sunday, January 16 to pay tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The march began at the St. Francis Center and pro-

ceeded to the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church where a few com-ments and prayers were said before those interested entered the church to hear additional talks, music, prayers and tributes. One partici-pant noted, “the Sisters were the only white people on the march.”

Submitted by Sister Mary Beth Kornely

Weather Conditions Hit the News

Heavy Rain and Winds Wallop the West

Thee lake on our property that had ice and snow on it. This is a first.


Yuma, AZ ― We had a terrible rain and wind storm in

Yuma. The heavy rain and high winds forced most

schools in our area to close. The pictures reveal the

standing water from the storm in the Im-

maculate Conception School yard (1) and

around the convent (2) in Yuma. We re-

ceived at least three inches of rain. It

started raining at 11:30 p.m. on January

20th and rained through the night then

throughout the day on January 21st. To-

day Immaculate Conception School,

Yuma Catholic and many other schools

are closed due to the need for clean-up and repairs. It

was a very unusual storm for our area.

Submitted by Sister Elizabeth Benvie

Greenwood, MS― The January Arctic

Blast hit Greenwood. Teachers and

students were hoping for a snow day

or ice day. It didn't happen. But one

morning the early morning students

got very excited and said, " Sister

Carol, LOOK!! THERE IS ICE!!"

Through the glass doors and windows

by the cafeteria entrance they found a

large puddle completed frozen. We

even had some icicles. As you can tell

ice is a rare occurrence here.

Submitted by Sister Carol Siedl

Arctic Blast in Greenwood!

1 2

Snow Job in Nebraska West Point, NE ― Old Man Winter made his appear-

ance in West Point, NE with the tune: "Let it snow,

Let it snow!"

The snow fell over four days and accumulated from 17

to 19 inches. The accompanying, strong winds created

blizzard conditions that prompted the close of many

roads. For the first time in years local churches can-

celled services even on Christmas Eve & Christmas

Day. The snow removal crews did an outstanding job

and many people prayed for their safety.

On the other hand the beauty that only the Lord can

create was majestic. Enjoy the photos. "Ice and snow

bless the Lord!"

St. Mary's Convent (1), shown in the background with

the sun shining through the ice coated trees.

The third floor view from St. Joseph's Retirement

Community windows(2). [The snow is on top of the

roof of the front entrance.] Notice to the right is St.

Mary's Church steeple and in the middle is Guardian

Angels Grade School with the cross on the top.

Submitted by Sister Sharon Paul

1

2

During these days of winter perhaps the quiet of snowfall, or the habit of staying close to the familiar-ity of home where all is warm and comfortable can turn our thoughts to peace. This peace that we fre-quently experience on a spiritual level so needs to expand into a global reality. Let us reflect on the Church’s thinking on peace and nuclear arms.

Simply put, nuclear weapons are a liability in an in-creasingly dangerous world. There are more than 20,000 nuclear weapons worldwide. (An Open Letter to President Obama signed by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and others)

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop of Albany and Chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, writes: “…The use of nuclear weapons is rejected in Church teaching because their use cannot insure noncombatant immunity and their destructive potential and lingering radiation cannot be propor-tionate in any meaningful sense.” Further Pope Benedict XVI has said, “In a nuclear war there would be no victors, only victims.”

For these moral reasons, the bishops have long sup-ported the dismantling of nuclear weapons systems, the effective securing of nuclear materials from ter-rorists, and a reduction in the overall number of nu-clear armaments. The goal of the Bishops is to suc-ceed in convincing governments to prevent prolif-

eration of these horrific weapons, and ultimately to eliminate them.

Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, former Archbishop of the Military Services and now Archbishop of Balti-more, said “Abolishing nuclear weapons is not a nar-rowly partisan or nationalistic issue; it is an issue of fundamental moral values that should unite people across national and ideological boundaries. The in-ternational community must seek ways to make war a relic of humanity’s past if humanity is to have a future worthy of human dignity. As Pope Benedict XVI has taught: “War always represents a failure for the international community and a grave loss for hu-manity.”

Bishop O’Brien continues “Peace is more than the absence of war; it is built painstakingly on the foun-dation of justice and human rights. Tragically the vast resources devoted to acquiring ‘ever new weap-ons’ can rob nations of the resources needed to ad-dress the causes of human suffering and conflict. When the stakes are so high and the consequences of failure so great, persevere we must And so when we get to the telos of our lives, the ultimate end and purpose of our lives, we may be asked, “Did you do all you could to protect the lives and dignity of all of God’s children?” Let us lend our consciousness and prayer to the cause of a nuclear free world of peace so that our answer will be a resounding “Yes!”


Ad ment By Sister Kathleen Murphy

Social Justice Commission

Manitowoc, WI ― The beginning of 2010 marks a cele-bratory milestone in Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity-sponsored Silver Lake College’s long educa-tional history. While educating young people dates back well into the 1800’s, in 1935, the State of Wisconsin issued Silver Lake College of the Holy Family its official charter as an undergraduate institution.

To celebrate this educational legacy, and in honor of the 75th anniversary of its charter, Bishop Robert Morneau, highly respected past professor and former chaplain, presided at an opening Eucharistic liturgy on January

28, 2010. All alumni, friends, students, parents, and guests were invited to attend.

While the Franciscan Sisters and the college community proudly solemnize the past with other celebratory ac-tivities, it seems appropriate to delve deeply in the words of learned St. Bonaventure at this time: “Prayer was a support to this worker; for in everything which he did, dis-trusting his own effort and trusting in God’s loving concern, he cast his care completely upon the Lord in urgent prayers to him…believing that without it no one could prosper in God’s service.”

1935-2010: Celebrating an Educational Legacy

THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY

WELCOME YOU TO CAMP FRANCISCAN 2010

“SIMPLICITY”“SIMPLICITY”“SIMPLICITY”“SIMPLICITY”

WHO: All young women sixth grade and up are invited to days of lots of friendship, creativity, prayer, Reconciliation, the Eucharist, fun… WHEN: June 15-17, 2010 All high school/college gals begin June 14th at 9:30a.m. Sixth through eighth graders arrive at 1:00p.m. on June 15th Camp ends June 17th at 1:00p.m. WHERE: Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Motherhouse (Holy Family Convent) 2409 S. Alverno Rd. Manitowoc, WI 54220

To Register contact:

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity

Sister Mary Ann Spanjers, OSF

2409 South Alverno Road

Manitowoc, WI 54220

920-682-7728

[email protected]

Documents

February Communigram