Each of us stands at the gate of tomorrow, facing the future.

At times, we have walked in wonder and awe; at other times, we have moved along in the flood of fear.

Looking back, we may recognize

that amid the joys and struggles of this journey we have been companioned by a grace-full Presence

that has held us together and led us on.

This is not simply a journey through a string of days and years. Rather, this is a sacred journey,

one that is reverenced and surrounded by Mystery.

Although we long for someone to translate the risks of this journey into logical explanations,

we often find ourselves in the foreign land of faith.

We stand on the edge of our hopes and dreams and ask in trust to be led and supported

by a Love and Energy much larger than we can imagine.

We ask to walk here in courage and integrity, as we attempt to discern the voice of God amid the cacophony of our doubt and fear.

To risk the journey and face the future is simply to walk in faith,

for there are no linear words that capture the massive Mystery of God.

Selection from Journey of the Soul by Doris Klein, CSA http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Soul-Doris-Klein/dp/1580510868

Stream ~ Lines E-News from CSA Office of Vocation Discernment

Risk the Sacred Journey By Sister Doris Klein, CSA

November 2012 Volume 2, Issue 2

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I am very blessed to have the privilege as a member of CSA to accompany our sister in annual vows, Sister Guadalupe Aguilar-Benci, during the final years of her journey through initial formation to final vows. Sister Guadalupe is currently living in Puerto Cabezas, also known in Miskito as Bilwi, a city in the autonomous region of Nicaragua known as RAAN. Sister Guadalupe´s ministry is teaching. She is also studying for her degree in early childhood education.

Like many others including me 25 years ago, Sister Guadalupe who made her first profession in 2007 has spent much of her formation years in a small group. Like Sister Guadalupe, I spent my final year in annual profession as the only sister in formation. This is the reality of religious life, not only in the United States but also in many other parts of the world. When God calls us to a particular congregation, it doesn´t seem to matter how many people are entering along with us. Talking with women entering religious life at this time, I don´t find them overly concerned about numbers, and Sister Guadalupe

is not concerned either. However, a basic component of religious life is community, and for women in initial formation in the novitiate and annual vows a peer group is important. To provide this important peer group, religious congregations in the United States, as well as other places throughout the world, have established inter-congregational groups for women and men in initial formation.

These groups offer all kinds of experiences to those newly on the journey of religious life: classes, days of retreat, social gatherings, and an opportunity for plain old conversation with someone who knows firsthand what you are experiencing. I myself participated in this kind of group 25 years ago and still have friends in other communities from those days. In Nicaragua, the conference of religious known as CONFER has such a group that gathers regularly. Sister Guadalupe has flown from Puerto Cabezas to Managua to participate in CONFER gatherings and on Sunday, October 21, she and I participated in the end of the year gathering of the inter-

congregational group of sisters in annual vows at a seaside resort known as Pochomil. The group of sisters and one young man in annual vows represented a number of different religious communities. They each brought food to share, music for dancing, a gift to exchange, and lots of energy and joy. Sister Zorelia Chavarrí a, CSA, Franciscan Sister Angela Garcia , the president of CONFER, and I rounded out the happy gathering. While the majority of the day was spent swimming in the ocean and the pool, or

A Lovely Day at the Beach By Sister Susan Seeby, CSA

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continued from page 2

relaxing and talking, the participants were invited to take time to do a written evaluation of the past year´s programs and to make suggestions for the coming year. After lunch, each participant was invited to share what the inter-congregational program for religious in annual vows had meant personally. The sharing was very profound and it was obvious that this coming together of religious from different congregations was fertile ground for the seeds of a new spring in religious life. I asked Sister Guadalupe to share her reflections on her experience in CONFER and why the group is important to the newer members of religious life in Nicaragua. Her responses follow.

1. What have been your best experiences with the CONFER inter-congregational group in annual vows?

As a sister in temporary vows, I have had the opportunity of participating in the activities of CONFER. It was very important because we met with many sisters of various congregations sharing our charisms and enriching one another as sisters that we are. Topics presented were very interesting for my spiritual and personal growth.

2. Why is this group important to those new to religious life in Nicaragua?

It is important because it promotes activities for young sisters in temporary vows. The themes imparted are very interesting. . .Bio-Dance, contemplative listening, spiritual life; this year we had the presence of the older sisters sharing their spiritual life.

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Every Tuesday and Thursday for the past two months, several CSA members have joined other women lifting weights, stretching, and counting their breaths and reps while performing bicep curls, push-ups, bends, leg curls, squats, only resting briefly as they perform their routines for strength training and flexibility. Research has shown that inactivity contributes to overall loss of muscle strength and bone density. The Strong Women Program, http://www.strongwomen.com, a national fitness program for women, has a curriculum that utilizes strength training to help build muscle mass, strengthen bones, prevent frailty, improve balance, and increase overall physical and mental health. The participants perform their regular activities, increase their reps, and cheer each other on at each session with strong and healthy enthusiasm. Instructor Margaret Haak, motivates each participant to keep on keeping on! Participants already notice an increase in their flexibility, mobility, and balance. One participant commented, “I

walk straighter, sit straighter, my core is strengthened, and I can even stand on one leg while putting on my sock!” It’s never too late to start an exercise program for endurance (aerobic exercises), strength (hand weights/bands/machines) and balance and core strength. “If you are interested, don’t forget to check with your doctor,” reminded one of the participants. “Remember, it takes three times as long to build muscle than to lose muscle. Got to run! 1-2-3 lift, 1-2-3 bend, 1-2-3 breathe!”

Strong Women Shape-up CSA’s Future! By Sister Jean Hinderer, CSA

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November 2012 Volume 2, Issue 2

Are you exploring a possible call to religious life? Do you desire to deepen your relationship with God? Do you have a deep desire to serve the people of God through a mission lived in community? Well, guess what? We all have a special call as to how best to live out our lives. So often we think, What am I called to do? Rather than asking ourselves, Who am I called to be? If you would be interested in any of the possibilities below to sort out your call,

a personal retreat a Come and See weekend a tour and visit of CSA motherhouse CSA materials contact by phone spiritual direction a day of discernment joining a monthly discernment group

Please contact: Sister Jean Hinderer at 920.907.2310 vocations@csasisters.org

Reflect on Tomorrow

Dear God, today as I reflect on what’s ahead for me,

I ask for guidance to make decisions that bring me closer to you. Help me to know your voice

and believe in the power of your gifts in me. I trust that you will lead me amidst the

uncertainties of life. Give me the courage to follow you today as you lead me to tomorrow. Amen.

(Author Unknown)

Are you exploring a possible call to religious life? By Sister Jean Hinderer, CSA

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Hello! I’m Sister Stella Marie Karls. I was born and raised in Waunakee, Wisconsin, and first of all, I’d like to share a significant part of my life, and that is that I had 12 siblings. There were eight girls and five boys in my wonderful family. Only two of us remain - my sister Dorothy and me. Here’s a great picture of my family. You can find me on the left side standing behind my mother’s right shoulder.

I have been a member of the Sisters of St. Agnes for sixty years. Over these years, I have ministered as a teacher in grades one through five, but mostly in first and second grades. I taught for 37 years and “retired” from teaching in 1995. It seems like just yesterday when I finished my final month of teaching in May of that year, when only in turning around I found myself as a pastoral minister in Holy Family Parish of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. http://hffdl.org/

CSA Out-n-About ~ Sister Stella Marie Karls… “They are

somebodies not nobodies.” By Sister Stella Marie Karls, CSA

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As a volunteer pastoral minister, I travel between two retirement centers, Woodlands Senior Park http://woodlandsseniorpark.com/ and Manor Care Health Services http://www.hcr-manorcare.com/ManorCare/FondDuLac.aspx and St. Agnes Hospital http://www.agnesian.com/. I coordinate and preside at prayer services, distribute communion to the residents, provide them with the church bulletins, and set up for Mass. I find that visiting the people one-on-one is what they appreciate. I love to look at each person I meet and smile at them; I come with a smile and I leave with a smile. Even when I distribute communion to them, I call them by name. They like to be noticed and that you offer a caring presence to them; they so appreciate being remembered. The residents love to have me visit them and they can’t wait to see me. They love having me pray with them, and they ask me to remember their family, friends, and relatives in my prayers. This ministry is all so sacred. The centers have a number of wonderful services provided by caring health care personnel and other staff team members. I consider each resident as precious in my eyes. They are somebodies not nobodies! I know that through this ministry I have a wonderful opportunity to nurture the seed of faith within each of the residents I meet.

“We envision ourselves as joyful witnesses of the risen Christ. Called by God in the power of the Spirit, we continue Jesus’ mission of revealing his Father’s love according to the purpose and spirit of our founders.” CSA Constitutions #1

It is this CSA mission that I live out and witness in my listening, praying, sharing, laughing, and carrying Eucharist to these wonderful people as a pastoral minister. Finally, it is with the words of Micah 6:8, that I ground myself in this holy and gentle service to the elderly: “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.”

continued from page 6

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On the final leg of her return trip from out east, Sister Mary Riedel was sitting in the back row of a small plane on her way from Chicago, IL to Milwaukee, WI. While preparing to settle in for this twenty-five minute flight, she happened to strike up a conversation with the attending stewardess. This woman, Fran, happened to be wearing a pink scarf around her neck as was the main stewardess. Fran informed Sister Mary that she was wearing pink because she was a 30-year survivor of breast cancer. http://www.cancer.org/?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=American+Cancer+Society&utm_content=American+Cancer+Society%2D+Info&utm_term=what%20is%20american%20cancer%20society The other stewardess said that she was a 20-year survivor. http://www.nbcam.org/ Wow! Women who, as containers of love, were holding their own stories of their sorrowful and joyful mysteries! The conversation with Fran became a deep and sacred sharing of her life – marriage, divorce, family, children, and her cancer. Then she asked Sister Mary to share her story. Sister Mary told her how she had formerly been an oncology nurse and what it was like being a woman religious. Fran then invited Sister Mary to share what was meaningful for her in her former work. Sister Mary shared that, even though there was great intensity in her ministry, there was always a deep and powerful sharing between the patient and nurses. Mary also shared that oftentimes it was a difficult turning point for family members – they either grew into loving and supportive relationships, or, sometimes, the strain became too much for all involved and a

severing of some relationships resulted. At that moment, Fran said, “Bless you for all the lives you have touched,” and asked if they could hold hands and pray the Our Father together. Sister Mary said that she was blessed by Fran. Shortly thereafter they landed in Milwaukee, both exiting the plane full of each other’s stories, full of each other’s courage, accompanied by an affirmed faith, tenacity, and gentle hope. As they parted, Fran could be heard saying, “I’m sure we will see each other again.” A sacred moment in the life of Sister Mary. . . “Cancer is a journey, but you walk the road alone. There are many places to stop along the way and get nourishment - you just have to be willing to take it.” ~Emily Hollenberg “My cancer scare changed my life. I'm grateful for every new, healthy day I have. It has helped me prioritize my life.” ~Olivia Newton-John October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Pink Scarves Over Chicago By Sister Jean Hinderer, CSA

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November 2012 Volume 2, Issue 2

I’m sure that many of you are familiar with the term, “Horse Whisperer” http://www.horsewhisperer.com/index.htm or horse whispering, a term referring to horse training techniques that focus on developing a rapport with horses by using communication techniques while rejecting abusive training methods. “Techniques and precise theories vary between practitioners of natural horsemanship, but the central theme is that they look to adopt training and handling techniques which are kinder and gentler than traditional methods on the premise that teaching through pain and fear does not result in the type of relationship that benefits both horse and handler.” What if we could consider God a “Soul Whisperer”? God who is not only transcendent but intimate. God who is nearer to us than we are to ourselves. God who whispers to us that we are loved unconditionally – totally, tenderly, tenaciously! God ever dwelling within each of us; whispering deep within us; inviting us to name and hold our gifts, our desires, our passions, our talents, our fears, our thoughts, our feelings, our purpose, and our identity – all within that sacred place of WHO WE ARE DEEP DOWN! It is in our quieting, our stilling, our slowing down, that we hear what God has whispered to us from long ago--that we are loved. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day God had rested after all the work of creating.” Genesis 2:3 Also in my reading, I have found that there is another translation for the Hebrew menuha which is usually translated as “rested.” According to Abraham Heschel, menuha actually means “purposeful contemplation.” He writes, “It describes a process whereby one becomes quiet enough inside to see more deeply into life.” On the first day of creation, God’s spirit hovered, and on the seventh day, God listened. What a wonderful image of God listening to the music of creation and hearing its song of praise and thanksgiving just for being! So often, if we are about discerning our call in life as to what to DO, God has and continues to whisper who we are and who we can become. Discernment is about sorting out who we are and where best to give ourselves away to make a difference in our world. You see, it’s never about what we are going to

The Soul Whisperer! By Sister Jean Hinderer, CSA

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get out of this, or how much money we are to make, or whether there will be a movie, a book deal or action figure created about us. Nope - just an unconditional loving constant presence of a listener and whisperer who invites us all to “become quiet enough inside to see more deeply into life.” Then we become a “soul listener” and become kinder and gentler to ourselves and others in our search to become the person God has whispered to us long ago.

There is a legend in the Hasidic tradition that says that when a baby is conceived, an angel accompanies the soul into the womb and lives with the fetus for the nine months of gestation. Here, in the blood-thumping shelter of the mother, angel and soul speak of the life to come and decide together on the purpose of this incarnation: What is this soul coming to contribute? Who will help support this purpose? What challenges will be faced? Where comes love? … Just as the birth pangs begin, when the soul must fully enter the baby-self and the angel return to heaven, the angel reaches out and presses its finger against the baby’s lip. We still have this mark, an indentation that runs sweetly from upper lip to nose. The philtrum is the angel’s last gift. “Hush,” it whispers to the stirring child, “now you must forget.” And all the while the womb bears down around us, pushing us out into the waiting world. Here we come, imbued with purpose and arriving in amnesia. Newborn. Vicki Den Ouden http://overcomingbarriers.wordpress.com/about/

Baby Ainsley Grace – a month old!

~Sister Jean’s new grandniece~

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Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes Vocation Discernment Office 320 County Road K, Fond du Lac, WI 54937 920.907.2310 vocations@csasisters.org

Christine Valters Paintner serves as the Program Coordinator for the Ignatian Spirituality Center in Seattle and is also adjunct faculty at Seattle University's School of Theology and Ministry. Paintner is a Benedictine Oblate and serves as Art Editor for Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction. Selection written by Christine Valters Paintner: “Blessing of Wind Spirit of Creation in the beginning you blew over the waters, coaxing the earth up from the depths of the sea and inviting all creatures to rise up on their own wings. Spirit of Renewing Life, you breathed into me in my very first moment, invigorate me with your gift of energy and newness. Continue to breathe expansively in me, invite me to a vision for what is possible in my life.” http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2332946.Christine_Valters_Paintner http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/

books.php?id=19701

Undercover Work: Water, Wind, Earth, & Fire By Christine Valters Paintner

CSA STATEMENT OF MISSION We, the Sisters of St. Agnes, participate in the mission of Christ by joyful service in the Church, always aware that we, too, are among the needy and are enriched by those we serve. Inspired by our founders—by the missionary zeal of Father Caspar Rehrl, the courageous initiatives of Mother Agnes Hazotte, and the spiritual influence of Fa-ther Francis Haas—we continue to respond in our own times to those whose faith life or human dignity is threat-ened. Rooted in Christ through prayer and worship we serve in both rural and urban settings throughout the United States and in Latin America. We strive to minister with simplicity and hospitality in the fields of education, health care, pastoral ministry and social service. We are committed to transformation of the world, the church, and ourselves through promoting • systemic change for the quality of life • justice for the economically poor • furtherance of the role of women in church and society mutuality, inclusivity, and collaboration. Love binds us together, and by sharing our lives and our faith in community, we support one another to live with singleness of purpose: that among us and in our world the Risen Christ be discovered and revealed. 1990

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Follow our blogs http://somecallmesis.blogspot.com http://csavocations.blogspot.com http://whatshapppeningattheun.blogspot.com More information is available at our website www.csasisters.org More information on our ministries www.csasisters.org/ministries.cfm Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/csasisters and click the “like” button Visit YouTube www.youtube.com/user/TheCSAChannel1

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