by Mother M. Maximilia

People who know me well know that I am prone to misad-ventures when I travel. I have missed flights, been re-routed on trains, and have been lost for long stretches of time on both highways and country roads! I had an exceptionally spec-tacular mishap several years ago. I was living in our local commu-nity in Washington, D.C., at the time. For reasons that are too complicated to explain here, I had to fly to Buffalo, New York, and then drive to Toronto, Cana-da, to visit my family instead of flying directly to my destination. The trip there was uneventful, but the journey home resembled Dante’s description of purgatory.

Why was the way back so complicated? Quite simply, I had left the house too late to catch my flight from Buffalo to Wash-ington, D.C. I was left with only one option for my return trip – the bus. Being late often leads to inconveniences and uncomforta-ble situations. In my case, it meant exchanging a ninety-minute flight for a crammed twelve-hour ordeal. It meant for-feiting the place that had been saved for me. Forfeiting my place. Losing out. Missing the boat – or in my case, the plane. Aren’t we all afraid of this? Aren’t we all afraid that when the portions have been doled out, nothing will be left for us? This fear plays itself out in many concrete circumstances. It bespeaks the

suspicion that grace is not infi-nite and that God is not enough. However, is this fear justi-fied? How does God treat late-comers and beggars? He waits for them. He embraces them. He celebrates them. And who of us has not been late? I don’t mean for an event or an appointment, but in love. As His creatures and His children, there is a very real sense in which all of us are late-comers. God loves us first – al-ways. Human love has the char-acter of a response – always. The cry of St. Augustine, “Late have I loved thee!” has the weight of an ontological statement. It speaks the truth of our human condition. And it is a glorious condition because we are awaited by a great love! Do not be afraid!

Troubadour  

Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George + May 2015

Latecomers and Beggars

by Mother M. Ingeborg You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you. Then you are to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes even to the ends of the earth. No sooner had He said that than He was lifted up before their eyes in a cloud which took Him from their sight (Acts 1:8-10). The perfectly nor-mal reaction would be that the Apostles stand there awestruck and look up to heaven. Of course they stand there and look up to heaven. I always thought that it was so unsympathetic of the two angels to just ask: “Why are you standing there looking up to the skies?” Then, they just say Jesus would come back the same way as He went up to the skies. They did not give a specific time. The Apostles might have thought that He comes right back. But nothing happened, so they went to work. Our task is also: Do not just stand there! Get to work! He prom-ised that we, too, at one time will go to heaven. Time unknown!!! We have a job to do for the time here on earth given to us. We, too, have to spread the Good News of the Kingdom. Do we have to go to the end of

the earth? Probably not, but we can witness to God every day in our immediate surroundings. Lit-tle acts like a kind word, a smile, a help offered, acknowledging the person next to me or passing me in the hallway are part of spreading the Good News of His Kingdom.

On April 1, 1948, 67 years ago, I left Berlin to enter the con-vent in Thuine. I heard the call, “Do not just stand there; do something!” I hope I have done what He wanted me to do. I do not expect to be ascending on a cloud into heaven, but I hope that I get there.

2

3

RENEWAL OF VOWS

On April 12, 2015, nineteen Junior Professed Sisters renewed their vows to God into the hands of Mother M. Maximilia, our Provincial Superior. Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-in-Illinois, delivered a homily at St. Michael Convent that is applicable to this blessed day. “By imitating the obedience of Jesus and Mary in your vocation as consecrated religious, you make possible the wonderful deeds that God wants to do through you and your Community in working for the

building up of the Kingdom of God. We must never forget that this obedi-ence must always follow the pattern laid out by our Lord when He said, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me’ (Luke 9:23). Therefore, whenever the responsibilities and burdens asso-ciated with that obedience seem to weigh heavy upon you, may the words of the angel to Mary at the Annunciation console you and give you strength as you are reminded that ‘nothing will be impossible for God’ (Luke 1:37).”

Sister M. Margaretta begins her new appointment as

Junior Directress.

Sister M. Antonia renews her vows!

4

by Sister M. Regina Twelve years ago, I was stationed at Mater Redemptoris Convent in La Crosse, Wisconsin. On December 12, 2002, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s first buildings were blessed, the Pilgrim Center and the Mother of Good Counsel Votive Candle Chapel, and a series of various talks were being sponsored. Since I had completed somewhat recently my studies in philosophy on Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, then-Bishop Raymond L. Burke asked me to give a series of presentations about her. Although public speaking is by no means my favorite activity, I was encour-aged by Mother M. Ingeborg to give the presenta-tions. During each of the six weeks of Lent of 2003, I gave one presentation in the Orientation Room at the Pilgrim Center. The series was enti-tled, “On Becoming One Heart and One Soul: Re-flections on Communion According to the Thought of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.” The Shrine prepared beautiful posters, designed by Des Sikowski-Nelson, to advertise the talks.

At the conclusion of the series, His Excellency asked me for the printed text, which he then sub-mitted to the Institute for Carmelite Studies (ICS) for possible publication. He never received a re-sponse from ICS … until I received a communica-tion from ICS, nine years later, indicating that they discovered the manuscript in the archives and were interested in publishing it. Having received the per-mission to proceed, I prepared the manuscript for publication, which was a most pleasant task. It had been many years since I had engaged the thought of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and it was a real delight to do so again! After I submitted the final text, ICS informed me of their decision to focus their publications in the foreseeable future exclusively on the works of Carmelites, not works about Carmelites. For this reason, they would not publish the manuscript. Having invested a good amount of time in prepar-ing the text, I decided to try at least one other pub-lisher before putting the text to its final rest. I sent the manuscript to Ignatius Press, and they accepted it for publication … and thus was born the book Communion with Christ according to Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. I hope that, in some measure, the book will draw those who read it into a deeper communion with Christ and with His Mystical Body the Church - the commun-ion which is the deepest longing of every human heart and which we pray will be fulfilled for each one of us when we enter into our heavenly home.

Sister M. Regina in Rome where she carries out her apostolic work

The following article by Dave Luecking appeared in the March 18, 2015 issue of the “St. Louis Review” newspaper. Monica (now Sister Cordia Marie) intended only to get away and relax for a few days, to enjoy a little peace and quiet, and to pray. But that weekend retreat led her into religious formation with the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George. “I just wanted a retreat, not a discernment or anything,” said Sister Cordia Marie, 24, now a Junior Professed Sister in her sixth year in the Community. “I felt spiritually dry, and I just wanted something spiritual. I thought a retreat at a convent would be a great place to start.” “We were a little late, but we made it,” she said, adding that she instantly experienced a peaceful, easy feeling on arrival after being in full scramble-mode to get there. “I remember just feeling so much peace as I walked into the door, a joy I hadn’t really felt before.” Plus, fulfillment she had been lacking from books, music, and digital gadgets/distractions. “I guess I had Facebook de-pression,” she said with a laugh. “I felt so empty with everything the world offered, but every time I prayed, I’d come away with this peace I never experienced with anything else.” After the retreat, she decided that if she would enter a religious Community, it would be that one. A visit later to Rome to see her brother Kevin at the seminary (he was ordained in 2013) and Ire-land clinched it.

Her brother “was so joyful and excited” about his little sister joining a convent, and she had a moving prayer experience in Ire-land. “I’ll never forget this mo-ment; it was a really deep mo-ment in prayer where I felt I heard the Lord talk to me,” she said. Basically, His message was simple. Friends will come and go, and family members will be called home, but ‘“I’m always going to be there for you,”’ she said. “I burst into tears. ... I really felt the Lord saying, ‘You are only going to find your peace and joy in Me.’” Sister Cordia Marie visited the Community again, then joined in 2009. She works as a nurse’s aide at the Sisters’ Moth-er of Good Counsel Home on Natural Bridge Road, where the St. Francis Sisters will hold an open house March 28 to celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life. The Order came to St. Louis in 1923 and broke ground on the facility in 1939. Their primary ministry is health care.

In a sense, Sister Cordia Marie has spent her entire life training for her vocation. The seventh of Theresa and William’s nine children and fourth of five girls, Sister Cordia Marie attend-ed Gateway Academy through fifth grade, then was home-schooled with her sisters. In idle times, they often played nuns, with the lucky girl wearing a Carmelite costume and the others wearing towels on their heads as veils. Most importantly, they helped care for their little brother John Paul. Named after a pope who is now a saint, John Paul is a Down syndrome child with health and behavioral issues that devel-oped over time and have left him blind and unable to speak or walk. “He’s a special little guy,” she said. “He has a lot to do with my vocation -- the whole sacri-fice all us kids had to go through to take care of him. We learned we’re not the center of the uni-verse.” That would be God.

Finding Peace and Joy in the Lord

Sister Cordia Marie shares a moment with Clare Kosta, a 101-year-old resident, whom Sister cares for at the

Mother of Good Counsel Home in St. Louis.

5

Province Calendar

May 2015 2 Anniversary of Sister M. Leopolda’s death (1994) 3 Sister M. Philippa’s Nameday (Cuba) 6 1983: Dedication of San Damiano Adoration Chapel 7 Anniversary of Sister M. Adeltrudis’ death (2004) 9 1st Anniversary of Sister M. Clare’s death (2014) 10 Mother’s Day 13 Namedays: Sister M. Lucia Sister M. Jacinta 14 Ascension Thursday (where celebrated) 17 Ascension Sunday (where celebrated) 20 Anniversary of Sister M. Gilberta’s death (1971) 22 Namedays: Sister M. Rita Sister M. Simona 24 Namedays: Sister M. Consolata Sister M. Veritas 30 Sister M. Joan’s Nameday Anniversary of Sister M. Dietharda’s death (1997) 31 Namedays: Sister Marianna Sister Mary Grace Sister M. Hannah (Japan) Sister Mary Elizabeth Sister M. Beata Sister M. Elise Sister Mariela

6

Province News

Troubadour

Editor Sister M. Anne, FSGM

Associate Editors Sister M. Kateri, FSGM Sister M. Agnes, FSGM

Special Contributors Mother M. Maximilia, FSGM

CONGRATULATIONS, SISTERS!

Seven Sisters will graduate during the month of May 2015: Sister M. Hedwig, Sister M. Juliana, Sister M. Margaretta,

Sister Mary Gianna, Sister M. Bernadette, Sister M. Isabella, and Sister Karol Marie

Our graduates will be featured in future issues of the “Troubadour.”

Please pray for those who are ill: Sister M. Dominica’s brother, Ken MacPherson; Sister M. Alexandra’s mother, Rita Morrison; Sister M. Jessica’s sister, Bernadette Martin, and cousin, Gale Herbold; Sister M. Elena’s mother, Marcella Coyle, and nephew, Kyle Kunysz; Sister Marie-Therese’s mother and sister-in-law, Suzanne and Joan Swiezynski; Sister M. Immaculata’s brother, Dan Biskner; Sister M. Agnes’ mother, Brenda Labbé, and grandmother, Agnes Brasseaux; Sister M. Juliana’s great-nephew, Jacob Muñoz; Sister M. Isidoris’ grandmother and uncle, Rose and Richard Flanagan; Sister Mary Gianna’s father, Lawrence Nazar; Sister M. Teresa’s mother, Mary Pandl. Please pray for those who have died and for the consolation of their families: Sister M. Cecilia’s brother, Dr. Michael Beardslee; Sister M. Consolata’s aunt, Colleen McCann; Sister M. Judith’s aunt, Carol van der Hoop. Please pray for Sister M. Eucharia’s brother, Brendan Lyon, who is deployed to Okinawa, from April to November 2015. Please pray for Postulant Catie’s uncle, Rev. William Kneemiller, who is serving in the Middle East as a military chaplain for one year, since the end of March 2015. Sister M. Alexandra returned safely on April 28, 2015, from her trip to our Motherhouse and to Rome.