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SSpS Bulletin
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October 2011, Vol. XXXI, No. 8
Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters
T his summer I had such a wonderful
family reunion at our house in Betha-
ny. It made me both nostalgic and so
very grateful. Nostalgic about old
times on the farm at home and the great times we
had as family; grateful for the wonderful people
my family has evolved into today. I felt keenly the
two pulls within me: nostalgia for the past and
gratefulness for the evolution that brings us to
where we are today. Feeling those two pulls made
it very clear to me there is no turning back—life is
forward moving.
Nostalgia can make us like the Israelites
who complained in the wilderness. (Exodus 16:2-
3) ―If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in
the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots
and ate our fill of bread, but you (Moses and
Aaron) have brought us out into this wilderness
that we might die of hunger.‖ It seemed the Israel-
ites nostalgically preferred their former situation of
slavery in Egypt with the security of enough to eat
to the insecurity of the unknown and the challenge
of making their way to the Promised Land.
Life is like that! We need to let go of what
is behind in order to move forward into the
unknown future. We need to take risks and be
creative. Grateful for what was, we risk the
unknown and with courage move forward in the
direction in which we are being led. We live in a
time of vulnerability where all the big institutions,
including Church and government, which we
humans fashioned over the years, are presently
undergoing great stress.
(continued on page 2)
Through the changing
seasons of the year,
The tree always lets go
and lets be
And becomes more fully
the tree it is.
(continued from page 1)
We are challenged to risk facing up to this institutional and Congregational stress with creativ-
ity and with HOPE for a better future for all. The temptation may be to go back to the old
days to perhaps a more innocent and less challenging time. This temptation is an illusion.
Life is unfolding. Life is evolving. Life is forward moving. There can be no turning back
from the wilderness we are in if we are to receive the promise: ―The wilderness, the dry land
shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom.‖ (Isaiah 35:1)
Sr. Carol Welp
New Preschool in St. Kitts
2
Sunday, September 4, we celebrated the opening of the Holy Spirit Catholic Pre-
school in Molineux, St. Kitts. The opening began with liturgy celebrated by Fr. Jan
Pastuszczak, SVD. It was attended by parents, students, members of both the Molineux and
St. Kitts Catholic communities as well as guests. Thirteen of our sixteen students, dressed in
their preschool uniforms, walked with their parents in the entrance procession. They carried
plants as a symbol of the school‘s role in nurturing the lives of our children. Fr. Jan in his
homily connected very nicely the theme of the day‘s Gospel with the important role of educa-
tion in the formation of our children and the transformation of the society. Before the
concluding prayer, one of the parents spoke in gratitude to the Sisters because the local
community‘s dream for a preschool in Molineux has finally been realized. Sr. AnnIta Walsh
spoke on behalf of the province and expressed best wishes on behalf of Srs. Carol Welp,
Margaret Hansen and Xaveriana Ngene and all the sisters of the Paraclete Province.
After Mass, Mrs. Gilbert, the oldest member of the community, cut the ribbon on the
door of the preschool classroom thereby launching the opening of the preschool. Refresh-
ments were then served and the people stayed to view their new facility and to enjoy the
company of one another.
Sr. Julita Bele Bau
Entrance procession with parents and students First day of school with Sr. Julita
Province Events
in September
3
Sr. Uloma Akpa made her first vows on September
8. Several of her relatives who live in the U.S. were
able to join in the celebration. She will soon begin
an internship at the Center of Reconciliation on the
south side Chicago run by the Precious Blood
Fathers and Sisters. They work in the youth
detention center and with the neighborhood gangs,
schools and churches as instruments of the Lord‘s
peace. Sr. Uloma is the first Nigerian Sister in our
Congregation.
On September 18, Rebecca Chaan David
proclaimed her desire to enter the novitiate and
begin immediate preparation for following Jesus and
partaking in His mission as a Holy Spirit Missionary
Sister.
The novitiate is a time when a young woman lives
the religious life and, under guidance, prepares for
total dedication to God. Rebecca is from Sudan and
was able to meet with her parents (above) in Uganda
shortly before entering the novitiate. She will be
doing her novitiate in Chicago with our community
in Rogers Park.
Sr. Lidwina
On September 25, Sr. Lidwina Murakami,
Provincial of Japan, gave a presentation on
her country and Province. The after-effects
of the earthquake and tsunami are still of
critical concern. There are many Caritas ba-
ses in the area offering the necessities of life
to many who are still displaced.
On September 12, Sr. Agathe Bramkamp
and her niece, Sigrid, who was visiting from
Germany for two weeks, took our novice,
Sr. Salud Osornio, to New York City. The
drive was long, but nevertheless very enjoya-
ble. Sr. Gladys Smith, who was alone in
New York at the time, was happy to
welcome them. Since Sigrid was eager to
explore New York and Sr. Salud would start
her mission work very soon, the three
enjoyed some days of being tourists, visiting
the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Unit-
ed Nations and Chinatown. Sigrid toured the
big museums, Times Square, the Empire
State Building and many more "must-see"
sights alone, while Srs. Agathe and Salud
visited the places of Salud's mission expo-
sure for the next six months. Sr. Salud
committed herself to CCD work in two
parishes, is helping in a big recycling center
run by a sister and joins various parish
groups in their activities and prayer. There
seems to be plenty of work for her in that
part of the vineyard. We all wish her God's
abiding grace of courage and joy in her
mission.
(continued on page 4)
Rebecca and her parents.
Sr. Salud Osornio, our second year nov-
ice, has been appointed to the New York
community for her apostolic experience.
Sr. Sara Guardado, our second year nov-
ice in Mexico, will be returning to the U.S.
after the middle of October.
Sr. Leonette Kaluzny will be joining the
New York community in November.
There she will be the third SSpS in the
community and will serve in parish and
liturgy ministry.
On September 21 we had the joy of wel-
coming Sr. Dolores Marie Kuhl back into
our community at Techny. Sr. Monica
Balbuena also returned from New York to
begin her studies at DePaul. Welcome
back, Sisters!
Sr. Claudette Burkel who was here visit-
ing from Ghana returned to Techny on
September 25 after being with her family
in Wisconsin. Ghana welcomed her home
on October 6.
(continued from page 3)
Wednesday, September 28, a group of
ladies came from Our Lady of Perpetual
Help Parish for an Oktoberfest celebration.
Several SVDs joined the Sisters for sing-
ing, fun and games. The evening meal
featured German bratwurst and beer - two
Oktoberfest favorites. A good time was
had by all!
Wednesday, October 5, 14 Sisters joined
the SVD at their residence for a Bingo
Party and the evening meal. Everybody
was a winner!
Our deceased:
Sr. Elizabeth Jueditz, who died peacefully on
October 5 at age 94.
Our sick:
Rito Martinez, brother of Sr. Therese Mary,
who is not doing well.
Millie, niece of Sr. Sienna Ressel, who had
extensive back surgery and Gerard, her neph-
ew, who is having heart catheterization.
Mrs. Ida Mockler, sister-in-law of Sr. Agnes
Marie Crabb, who is very ill.
We continue to pray for those suffering from
our broken-down immigration system and for
victims of human trafficking.
Last month I asked for a sharing on ―What did
you take ‗to go‘ from the retreat?‖ I‘m grateful
there was at least one response.
Sr. Carol
Fr. Walter Bunofsky, SVD, from Epworth:
―This came to me from Fr. Don Goergen’s talk
on ‗from aging to saging.‘‖
Nature Walk
Walking with Nature
Breathing with her trees
Rippling along her brooks and rills
Her flowers company keeping
Listening to croaking bull frogs
Chirping birds
Scampering squirrels rustling leaves
A goodly way to spend a goodly day!
For Your Prayerful Remembrance
4
Comings and Goings
Retreat
Province Events
in September
8th Day Center Event of 2011
The theme for the September‘s Event was
―Justice is what Love looks like in Public‖
from Cornel West. This past September 17,
supporters and friends of the 8th Center for
Justice gathered at the Irish American Herit-
age Center for its Annual Celebration. Jerica
Arents of the White Rose Catholic Worker
received the lst annual Mary Elsbernd, OSF
Award and Roy Bourgeois, MM spoke on
―Revolution of Love, - a call to us in these
times. Sr. Maria Elisabeth Klodt and Sr.
Rose Therese Nolta participated in the event.
5
Articles for silent auction, some
given by the SSpS Sr. Maria Elisabeth and Adrienne Kalmes
Jerica Arents receiving her award
On September 30, Srs. Carol Welp and Lidwina Murakami left for Rome to attend the
Provincials‘ Assembly. On Thursday, Septem-
ber 29, a special "send-off" was held at the
noon meal. Special "guests" were two of the
three archangels, Michael and Gabriel
(portrayed by Srs. Marie Angela Risa and
Dolores Marie Kuhl), who brought the two
Sisters various gifts for the trip: booties to keep
their feet warm; suduko puzzles for the plane;
notebooks for the meetings; thank you cards
for any necessity; binoculars to see distant
places without having to travel to them; an
Italian dictionary for any words they might not
understand. They were reminded that the
Italians speak with their hands, and those
words "are not in the dictionary!"
Sr. Lidwina and Sr. Carol
6
One by one, group by group, the Provincial/Regional
Leaders arrived. Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD (Superior
General) celebrated the opening Mass. The Liturgy was
festive and at the same time solemn.
Before the final blessing, Sr. Maria Theresia Hörne-
mann (Congregational Leader) welcomed warmly the
participants of the Assembly. She invited them to pour
out all that they ‗have brought along, allowing the
Spirit to transform each one‘ in hope that after three
weeks, new hopes and joys may be brought back to the
provinces and regions from this special time of their
being together. She concluded thus: ‗Let’s go, trusting
that the Spirit will lead our Assembly and transform
what needs to be transformed in our image of God, our view of religious missionary life and
our understanding of Leadership service as women disciples in our Congregation.”
Sunday, September 11, was remembered with
prayers for peace in the world and in our country.
After the storm, the rainbow comes.
4th Provincial/Regional Leaders’ Assembly
News from Rome
Arrivals
Official Opening Orientation
Scenes from Techny
Midwest Rising Convergence – St Louis
St. Louis held the Midwest Rising Convergence from August 12-15 at the University of
Missouri–St. Louis Conference Center. Approximately 200 people participated in the work-
shops, panel discussions and direct actions in St. Louis against Monsanto and other corporate
giants. Sr. Rose Therese Nolta took part focusing on environmental issues and making the
connections between large corporation and what is happening to our environment.
Saturday and Sunday consisted of various workshops; among
them were economics 101, racism and oppression, a panel dis-
cussion on money, economic and corporate power. An emphasis
was placed on environmental workshops, such as; tar sands
pipeline, fracking (hydraulic fracturing) and the coal industry –
especially mountain top removal. Sr. Rose Therese shared about
Mountaintop Coal Removal in Appalachia and current
responses.
One such response is the La Vista Oblate Ecological Learning Center in Godfrey, Illinois, with
Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, as Director. La Vista has various learning programs, but it has a
community-supported garden where people buy shares into receiving organic produce during
the seasons of spring, summer and fall.
Interfaith Post Detention Response Network Training
In response to the growing needs of men and women who are released from immigration deten-
tion, the Interfaith Post Detention Response Network has formed, as a joint project with Sisters
and Brothers of Immigrants and the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants, to develop a
response network to accompany those men and women who are released from detention.
Training was held on September 19 from 1-4 pm at Br. David Darst Center. Sr. Rose Therese
attended this training and will be involved in this type of accompaniment. More training will be
held in the Chicago area for those interested.
Peace and Justice News
7
JPIC
SSpS
USA
8
October 8-16
As members of Jubilee USA the Holy Spirit
Missionary Sisters are joining Jubilee
groups from all around the USA and the
world for a week of action against illegiti-
mate debt and reforming international finan-
cial institutions. During this week we are
demanding global debt justice by breaking
the chains of debt slavery!
On October 16 Christian communities will
dedicate parts of, or all of their service to
the vision of Jubilee. As Christians, we have
a specific message of hope to bring to this
movement. Jesus stood up and spoke out
about the injustices that were happening in
his time. Our scriptures tell us that God
cares deeply for those who are oppressed
and that God promises to hear us when we
pray. Let‘s join hands and pray and act to-
gether in conscience.
October 2011
Jubilee USA, a bipartisan
and nonprofit alliance, will
introduce the Jubilee Act to
Congress this fall. The legis-
lation will provide solutions
to the international debt cri-
ses and work towards implementing responsible
lending and borrowing. It calls for mechanisms
to promote transparency and accountability in
the international financial institutions that will
produce greater economic justice for all! Stay
alert for future actions to help pass this neces-
sary policy!
Debt and Millennium
Development Goals
Poverty is increasing here in the
U.S. and all over the world. In the
year 2000, world leaders at the United Nations
committed to a set of development goals to alle-
viate global poverty called the Millennium De-
velopment Goals (MDGs).
The MDG goals include:
Halving the number of people who live in
extreme poverty (defined as living on less
than $1 a day)
Providing equal and full access to primary
and secondary schooling for all genders;
reducing child and maternal mortality
Halting and reversing the spread of HIV/
AIDS, malaria and TB
Ensuring environmental stability; providing
access to safe drinking water
Addressing the particular problems of the
poorest countries including unsustainable
debt levels.
9
Debt Cancellation: An Essential
Component to Meet the MDGs
It is clear that there is no magic bullet to
achieve the MDGs. A combination of more
and better aid, debt cancellation, trade jus-
tice, and an end to harmful economic condi-
tions; all must be employed alongside new
and innovative sources of financing.
Debt cancellation now has a ten year track
record of freeing up resources to fight pov-
erty. Thanks to the limited debt relief to
date:
Social spending across countries that
have received debt relief has risen
by about 75 percent.
Zambia has hired 4,500
new teachers and abol-
ished fees for rural
healthcare.
Ghana has made large in-
vestments in basic infrastructure,
including rural feeder roads and has
increased its spending on education
and health care.
Debt cancellation is an excellent tool for
supporting development because it provides
direct and predictable budgetary support to
impoverished countries, avoiding the costly
processes that accompany the application
for, granting and monitoring of overseas
aid.
How Much Debt Must Be Can-
celled to Meet the MDGs?
It is becoming clear that it will be impossi-
ble to meet the MDGs without 100 percent
multilateral debt cancellation for impover-
ished nations. UK Finance Minister Gordon
Brown estimates that 67 countries require
100% debt cancellation in order to meet the
MDGs. Moreover, in order to meet goals four
through six, which relate to health, heavily
indebted poor countries would have to spend
at least $20 billion annually.
Let us do our part and make a difference for
the people in our world today that have the
chains of poverty.
For more information see http://www.jubileeusa.org/
index.php or e-mail [email protected]
Poverty High Across the Nation
According to the Coalition of Human Needs
and the new census data, 12 states have more
than one-quarter of their children poor and 20
states have 15 % of their people with no
health insurance. On September 13, the
Census Bureau released the National Census
data highlighting a record-breaking 46.2 mil-
lion Americans living in poverty. Poverty
rose in 49 states from 2009 to 2010. In 37
states, unemployment rose by 50 percent or
more from 2006 to 2010. http://www.chn.org/pdf/2011/
AccessingCensusData2011.pdf
The chains we made
last year were
brought to the White
House rally.
This year you will
be invited to have a Jubilee Sunday celebrat-
ed on October 16 in connection with the
World Food Day and the International Day
for the Eradication of Poverty. Materials will
be sent out to you for prayers, learning about
debt and actions.
Adapted from Jubilee USA
Sr. Rose Therese Nolta, SSpS