Manitowoc, WI ― After studying the official liturgical

Order of Crowning an Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(published in 1987 by the United States Catholic Con-

ference) the postulants chose the option of crowning a

statue of Mary within a Celebration of the Word of

God. Lindsey, the youngest postulant, assisted by a

member of St. Rita Health Center, Sister Claude De

Mario, adorned a statue of Mary in the sanctuary of St.

Mary Chapel with great reverence. Rose and Leslie had

leadership roles in the meaningful scripture service

which included a Marian litany. In addition, Sister

Elaine Turba, directress of Postulants, and Sister June

Smith were significant prayer leaders.

Postulants Crown an Image of Mary

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity May 2011

Volume 45, Issue 5

Diamond Jubilees

DIAMOND - 75 YEARS

Sister Muriel Demers Sister Antonita Diederich Sister Virginette Schuster

DIAMOND - 60 YEARS

Sister Ruth Ann Myers Sister Marie Gressel Sister Francette Riebe Sister Joanne Plain

We celebrate in thanksgiving with our Sisters who are celebrating Diamond Jubilees in May.

Communigram

Lindsey crowns the statue of Mary while Sister Claude holds the pillow

on which the crown was carried.

Sister Henrietta Means was born and raised near one of our long-time missions, St. Agnes Par-ish, Mingo Junction, OH, on April 19, 1932. The daughter of Henry and Marie Means, was baptized Elizabeth Anastacia by Monsignor Joseph Dooley on May 1, l932. Being blessed with an older brother and a younger sister and only a year apart from each, they were constant companions to each other as children.

Elizabeth was taught through all of her grade and high school years by our Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, first in St. Agnes School and then Catholic Central High School in Steubenville, OH. She has no real recollection as to when the call to religious life surfaced, but when Sisters Francis Clare (now Dorothy) Bennett and Marie Isabel McElrone in grades 4 and 5 had some of their students help with odd jobs around the school and with church work, and would ask “Do you ever think of being a sister?” Elizabeth noted that all the Sisters seemed so happy and were fun to be with, and she wanted to be like that too.

Sister said her family was not what one would call a ‘religious’ family. Her mother and her parents, who lived with them, were not Catholic but her mother was a pious woman and committed to raising the children in the Catholic faith. The Sisters were an integral part of the local community of predomi-nantly Irish, Slovak, and Italian families, whose lives were inti-mately involved with the Church. Also, many families had daughters in the Convent. Sister says, “Often one or the other would come home for a visit, and they were a mystery to me. I was anxious to know more about them and what they did. Sister Michaeline Halis-chak lived next to us and I would talk to her sister about the things Sisters did. By the time I was in 8th Grade, God’s call to enter the Convent was reinforced by Sister Annellus Lotter; however, my par-ents said I should wait until after high school to enter.”

“My father died when I was a freshman, so this changed my plans for awhile. I worked for three years to help my Mom. After my brother married and my sister

was enrolled in North Wheeling School of Nursing, I applied for entrance at Holy Family Convent and entered in late October, l952. The years of Postulancy and Novi-tiate were times of great change from being a tomboy and a sports-driven girl to the living of deeper values of religious life and further-ing my education. Sister Mary Ellen Doolan and Sister Rita Ellen Hoffman were women of strong faith who taught by their example as well as imparted love for scrip-ture and prayer.”

Sister felt she was blessed to begin her mission life with a teaching assignment at Holy Redeemer Par-ish, Two Rivers, WI, as a primary teacher. She had nine years of growth and encouragement from the Sisters she lived with for the duration of those years―they were mentors in both teaching methods and community living. As Ephe-sians 1:13 says: “Blessed be God who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.”

After this, Sister had the good for-tune of being missioned at Cathe-dral School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she taught departmental So-cial Studies and Science for 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades that proved to be a real joy. Getting comfortable with the older students and the subject content was not as difficult as she had anticipated. “Again,” she says, “it was another lesson in putting our trust in God, and working with Him makes all things much easier.”

Page 2 Communigram Volume 45, I ssue 5

By Sister Kay Elmer

Sister Henrietta and Sister Jovita Martinez

(as postulants) with Fr. Dooley in front of

St. Agnes Church, Mingo Junction.

“A greater challenge to my trust in God’s working in my life came during these years when I was asked to be Principal/Local Direc-tor. Again I learned that along with being asked to take on a new chal-lenge, Community also gives us the necessary helps to fulfill that task. I spent two more years in Hawaii, at St. John Vianney School in Kailua, as 6th Grade teacher, before return-ing to the mainland.” This new mission was with the Papago Indi-ans of San Xavier Reservation in Tucson, AZ. Here she was teacher of the 4th Grade and then Principal. While there she had the experience of accompanying the Pastor when he said Sunday Mass at the smaller desert missions. Father would ring the church bell and people would come from all directions. “After Mass there was Pot-Luck lunch and visiting with the people It was de-lightful. I was blessed to be there for 7 grace-filled years, before re-turning to the island of Kauai, where I was principal at St. Theresa School in Kekaha for several years.”

Sister then returned to the Mother-house to be Director of Junior Sis-ters, and later Local Director for several years. “These were years in which I got to know many of our older Sisters who helped develop an understanding of what it means to begin ‘to let go and let God take care of our lives.’ A deeper under-standing of aging and the opportu-nity to be with so many of the Sis-ters at the time of death helped me see how God so gently brings us to this point in our lives, a time of realizing our true goal!”

Following this, Sister went to St. Christopher School in West Co-vina, CA for a half year. Sister re-members the joy of community she

experienced in the summer weeks when school was not in session and of working with the lay people in the House of Prayer at San Roque, Santa Barbara, CA. “We would have prayer preparation on Scrip-ture as well as Bible study times. The people were so anxious for time with the Lord. Some of them came for several summers and looked forward to the special peri-ods of prayer at the Convent chapel or prayer corners. We prepared Scripture introductions for when they went home. They were beauti-ful summer experiences for me as much as for the lay people.”

Next was St. Francis of Assisi in Greenwood, MS for a half year as office aide and part-time teacher. Then it was back to Kekaha, Kauai, to St. Theresa School as a part-time teacher and office aide. Three years later she returned to the mainland to St. Peter the Fisherman Parish in Two Rivers, WI, where she worked part-time as office aide and also prepared meals for the Sisters. Fol-lowing that, she served at St. Paul Manor in Kaukauna, WI for 2½ years before coming to St. Francis Convent, Manitowoc, where she presently resides.

“Reflecting on my Community life and ministry, it has been a truly joy-ous journey. The hundred-fold the Lord said would be ours is that and more. Having known so many beautiful people and having the

opportunities of sharing God’s love and word is a humbling experience. Being of service to so many people and cultures is enriching and awe-some. Our lives give testimony to the unending flow of Divine Love. It demands trust and dependence on God. I learned that strength from prayer is a vital part of each and every day.”

“Being able to work with so many ethnic backgrounds in Hawaii, and the Native Americans on the Pa-pago Reservation, and the Black Americans in Mississippi has been a precious gift. Each group of people has enriched my life. Their spiritual and cultural gifts have shown the universality, yet oneness of the Church. One of the special privi-leges and joys while in Hawaii was the opportunity to visit the Leper settlement of Kalaupapa, Molokai. To be where Father Damian worked, prayed, and suffered in spreading God’s love--to be in the church he built and offered Mass--was an inspiration!”

“If I were asked which of the mis-sions I enjoyed best, I would be unable to answer. Each had the beauty of its people and culture, enriching me in so many ways. Col-lectively these missions have a beauty of their own, which you take with you as you leave and it be-comes a part of you forever.”

Page 3 Communigram Volume 45, I ssue 5

Sister Henrietta with parents and children

of San Xavier Mission School.

Means Family Photo

Reflection and Prayer

Greenwood, MS ― Father Bob Konopa arrived back in Greenwood in time to present a talk on Holy Week and the Triduum Monday evening, April 18, 2011. His pres-entation culminated in a ritual that included the washing of hands, an anointing of oil by him and then being prayed over by a prayer team. Members of both St. Fran-cis and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Greenwood partici-pated in the prayerful and grace-filled experience while Sister Kathleen Murphy provided reflective music. Fr. Bob used several pictures in his power point presenta-tion to help provide a visual atmosphere that enhanced his reflections.

Submitted by Sister Mary Beth Kornely

Sister Chrisma Ngonyani, OSB was among eighty-eight stu-dents who earned bachelor’s degrees from Silver Lake Col-lege of the Holy Family, Mani-towoc, WI. Forty-four students earned masters degrees at the 73rd commencement ceremony held at the Capitol Civic Center on May 1, 2011.

Among SLC Graduates

A washing of hands ritual was part of the presentation by Fr. Bob

Konopa on the meaning of Holy Week and the Triduum.

Sister Chrisma, an African Benedictine Sister of St. Agnes, Chipole, Tanzania, has been living with our Sisters at Holy Family Convent while she at-tended Silver Lake College. Sis-ter hopes to teach home economics and nutrition in her religious community’s secondary school for girls in Chipole when she returns there in November after a classroom internship.

Sister Chrisma, decorated

by fellow Tanzanians in

accord with their native

custom, majored in biology

at Silver Lake College.