Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Novice Sister Leslie Gonia shares a thoughtful summary about a recent Formation Weekend January 13-14, 2012 for Temporary Professed Sisters (Sister Elena Gonzales, Sister Pamela Catherine Peasel), other Novices (Sister Monica Martin, Sister Regina Rose Pearson), Postulant Regina Lehnerz, with Directresses (Sister Elaine Turba, Sister Natalie Binversie) and Formation Coordinator, Sister Mariadele Jacobs. Photographer Sister Regina Rose creates more memories with assorted images.

January might not seem like a very eventful month after the excitement of the New Year dies down. It could be a time for the doldrums. It might seem that the only action is the play offs, but there was more to be excited about than football at Holy Family Convent this weekend. It was Formation Weekend which means that all of the people in initial formation come together for a weekend of reunion, recreation, renewal, and reflection.

Fr. Joachim Studwell, OFM (Fr. Kim) presided at Mass and lead a morning talk on Celibate Chastity. Fr. Kim, somewhat surprisingly, chose to use the story of the Samaritan Woman at the well from John’s Gospel to illustrate Celibate Chastity. As it turns out, this isn’t a very surprising choice. Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman and asks for a drink. This is surprising on many levels.  She is a woman; they were alone.  She is a Samaritan, and Jews regarded Samaritans as heretics. Also, the Samaritan woman is an outcast in her society, which is why she went to the well at the noon of the day though it was intensely hot. Jesus engages her in conversation and she recognizes him as a prophet. In the end, the entire village comes to believe. This is an example of chaste celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom. Chaste Celibacy only makes sense in a prophetic vocation. Jesus doesn’t just prophecy to and about her. He makes Himself known to her. Then though one flawed person, He makes Himself known to the whole village and, thus, salvation is brought to the Samaritans. This was a generative act of giving life to the people. Likewise, celibacy is a gift given to individuals for the life of the church. It is a minority gift. For those who are called to live a celibate life it is the way that they are most able to give life. Freedom comes from living the life to which one is called and thus allows one to give life generously.

 All Christians are called to be prophets, that is, to announce the Word of God by the way we live. All Christians are called to be chaste, which is to have integrity in spirit, soul, and body. We are all called to give life. Some are called to give life through the gift of Celibate Chastity.

In addition to Fr. Kim, Mrs. Judy Roemer led an afternoon discussion about relationships. Judy’s talk connected very well with Fr. Kim’s topic because we give life through relationships with others. Our relationships require appropriate boundaries to protect ourselves and those around us. The discussion was very helpful in identifying ways to develop boundaries and techniques for healing when our boundaries have been broken. Furthermore, there was discussion about how to maintain “who you are” in community. There is always a risk of losing oneself when one is trying to live with and accommodate others. One must be self aware and true to oneself because that is the person God made you to be.

The weekend was filled with opportunities for growth, reflection, fun, and restoration. It think all would agree that this time was abundantly blessed.

Catholic Diocese of Green Bay priest, Father Doug LeCaptain, pastor of St. Raphael Parish, Oshkosh, WI, as well as sacramental minister at St. Mary, Omro and St. Mary, Winneconne, was looking for a brief vocation podcast on consecrated life. He wanted to play the video at a Sunday Eucharist during 2012 National Vocation Awareness Week. Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity quickly responded to his request uploading a  2 minute 37 second podcast on youtube.

Featuring Franciscan Sisters talking about discernment and the call as a women religious, the video also provides real life footage of community life and ministry.

Click here to view this podcast.

Is your parish technologically savy? We invite you to alert your pastor to this free youtube download. Tell  Parish and  education leaders, especially young adult groups, about this discernment resource. 

Possibly even more personally, consider emailing a link of this posting to a friend who you think would make a joyful Franciscan Sister. Our next Franciscan Discernment Retreat is February 17-19, 2012.

At the threshold of National Vocation Awareness Week, January 9-16, 2012, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity invite you to pause for a breath of possibility while listening to Paul Finley’s ‘Breathe’ from the cd The Butterfly. Vocation is the call to be freely ourselves, to be alive with the gifts of  Holy Spirit.  Be moved by more of Paul’s guitar instrumentals as you discern God’s will for your life and decide on a lifestyle of self-less service. Consider our Franciscan discernment retreat.

“Breathe” was a good lesson in editing ideas and here’s how: The original version of this piece had another half to it. But I couldn’t find a bridge between the two. A film maker friend of mine needed  music for his project and I knew the first half of the piece would work well. I recorded it just using the first half and called it done. Soon enough in listening back to it I could tell it really was now done. No need for more. It said what it needed to and was fully beautiful in its own right. Cutting free the other part then gave this piece life.
-Paul Finley

 “Prayer itself… is the first means by which we come to know the Lord’s will for our lives. To the extent that we teach young people to pray, and to pray well, we will be cooperating with God’s call…the discernment of a vocation is above all the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the Lord and his disciples. Young people, (all of us!) if they know how to pray, can be trusted to know what to do with God’s call.”  -Pope Benedict XVI

About Paul

Born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin and presently living in Austin, Texas, Paul Finley is a true  journeyman who explores the depths of human joy and pain through the universal language – music. His third CD, ‘The Butterfly” was released on New Bell Recordings. The music narrates the story of the subject – war, nature, people and romance. Paul’s  unique melody strumming creates the sound of multiple guitars from one instrument.

A former faculty member and graduate of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Paul has studied privately and took master classes with Michael Hedges, Ben Verdery, Fareed Haque, John Stropes and a host of others. Paul has been teaching guitar for over 20 years worldwide. In Austin he teaches at The Austin Guitar School, One Day Academy and does private lessons. 2002 to 2008 Paul was on the road, recording and touring worldwide with Austin, Texas based duo Spoken Groove. Mas Optica was his Indie rock/Progressive Metal band from 1985 to 1996. Read more.

Websites:

http://www.paulfinleymusic.com/blog/

Follow these links to find Paul’s music as well:�
iTunes�
Pandora radio

It is a simple reason. Desiring to remain relevant and a dynamic part of the new evangelization in our Catholic Church, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity announce our new mobile Community site http://mobile.fscc-calledtobe.org 

Seriously, it is important to us to not only evolve with continuing trends, but we want to make it easier for you, our visitors, to not only search and find us, but also to interact with us. 

Find our links to Franciscanized World Blog, Sister Monica’s Habitually Speaking Blog, Sister Carol’s Sierra-Vista Sister-Franciscan Blog, ‘Called to Be’ Ringtone, Recipes, etc.  very easy to navigate. We’ve also made registration for our Franciscan Discernment Retreats a very simple, succinct hand-held experience! We are grateful to Mark Kolter, Kolter Creative Counsel, Milwaukee, WI and Du4Webtech, Sheboygan, WI,  for helping us.

2012 is a year to go mobile with God and us! As we count the days to another National Vocation Awareness Week, January 9-16, we invite you to connect with us often.

At the dawn of 2012 Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Novices Sister Monica, Sister Regina Rose and Sister Leslie and Postulant Regina traveled by train, plane and car for a one week visit to diverse locations of our Community’s apostolic ministries.�

Why are they going?

The week long scheduled visit  is not meant to provide technical or professional training, but it allows Novices and Regina another look at Franciscan community life. They will encounter other professed Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity witnessing faithfulness to God in the midst of meaningful ministry and be given the opportunity to balance contemplation and action themselves. 

Open to interaction with a variety of people in many different settings, the travelers hope to enjoy common life with Sisters  they may have never had the opportunity to meet or possibly had only brief conversations.

Where exactly are they going?

Here’s a listing of ‘who is going where’:

• Sister Monica-St. Francis of Assisi Convent, Greenwood, MS
• Sister Regina Rose-St. Mary Convent, West Point, NE
• Sister Leslie-St. Benedict Convent, Cambridge, OH
• Regina-St. Peter the Fisherman, Two Rivers, WI

Watch for updated images.  This week we will continue to post some on-site action photos from the Novices.

Regina is now an ‘official Postulant’.  On this feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity couldn’t help but smile as we joined Regina in singing the  ‘Salve Regina’ as part of her Franciscan Insignia Ceremony. 

Regina chose this tradional hymn bearing her own name,  along with another Marian favorite as part of this significant Communal Rite of Welcome. In the prayer service she did receive a Franciscan insignia, a tau with the hand of Jesus covering that of Francis, to remind her of her call to follow Christ with all of us Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.

Regina also selected the Gospel reading John 10:1-4.

Especially meaningful to this simple ritual of welcome were the opening words of the service. We invite you to reflect on them with us.

Sister Louise: The Virgin Mary, humble servant of the Lord, was open to His every word and call. She was embraced by Francis with indescribable love and declared the protectress and advocate of his family.

We, in the name of the Church, are full of joy and happiness that you are personally aware of a calling from God. As the Spirit of Jesus speaks to you in the unfolding of your life, He says, “Come, live my life and accomplish the mission of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.”

So we invite you, Regina, to express your ardent love for Jesus by imitating Mary’s complete self-giving.

Regina, do you accept our invitation to continue to live with us as a Postulant in our Community?

Regina: With Mary I pray let it be done to me. May my ‘yes’ teach me how to give birth to Jesus in a world so in need of love and forgiveness.

In a recent Diocese of Green Bay Connection to Education insert, Christine Corbett Conklin, Special Projects Writer, writes about Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Jacqueline Spaniola coming on board as Director of Religious Education. We share it one more time here.

Called to Be a Nurse?

If life had gone a little differently, the Diocese of Green Bay would have missed an opportunity to have Sister Jacqueline Spaniola as a part of our Department of Education. You see, Sister Jacqueline, who began work in August as the new Director of Religious Education, had originally been thinking about becoming a nurse.

Her nurse’s aide course, in her first year of formation to be a Sister, was going along reasonably well. She even spent extra hours at the hospital on Saturdays to see if this was what she really wanted to do. Then,  she had a little surprise.

“I almost fainted twice at the sight of blood,” she recalled. So, it was on to the field of education for Sister Jacqueline!

From Education to Religious Education  

Sister brings strong credentials to her new position with the Department of Education. A native of Swartz Creek, Michigan, she holds a B.A. in education from Silver Lake College of the Holy Family, an M.A. in Christian spirituality from Creighton University and a second M.A. in theology from St. Charles Borremeo Seminary. She taught in grades five through eight for 23 years, did vocatons work for 5 years and has spent the past 10 years as a religious education coordinator and director. Most recently, she served as the Adult Formation Director in St. Peter the Fisherman Parish in Two Rivers. 

Known for Secret Recipe

Of course, in addition to her extensive experience in the educational field, Sister admits that she brings a guaranteed crowd-pleaser to her new position.

“Everywhere I go, people ask me, “Are you going to make your famous popcorn?” I don’t know what’s so special about it, but everyone really seems to enjoy it!” (Hint: The secret, she says, is in using white popcorn, a little extra oil and salting popcorn in layers while it’s still hot.)

The Department of Education is pleased to welcome Sister Jacqueline Spaniola to our ranks!

Desiring to understand the feelings involved in someone called to be a Franciscan Sister? We invite you to view Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Pamela Catherine’s discernment  journey from a Franciscan Vocation Discernment Retreat to her current life in community with our Sisters at St. Peter Mission, Bapchule, AZ. 

Originally from Grand Blanc, MI, Sister Pamela Catherine made first vows in June 2011. Read more about her irresistible call in her Lansing Diocesan paper by clicking here.

Click here to enjoy her podcast on our calledtobeFranciscan youtube channel.

For our Founders’ Day, November 9, 2011, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Novices Sister Regina Rose and Sister Leslie reflected on our early Sisters’ example of a humility born from complete obedience to God’s will, a poverty mirroring the lowliness of Christ, and a foolishness that, even today, many would call disturbing. After highlighting  individual Sisters of the Community of the Poor School Sisters of St. Francis of Gieboldehausen, Germany, as well as Theresa Gramlich and others who began our fledgling community here in Amercia, the Novices challenged us in our living today. Read part of their script.

Beginnings in Germany

The Community of the Poor School Sisters of St. Francis of Gieboldehausen in the diocese of Hildesheim had a humble beginning.  In contrast to the founding of the American branch by Father Fessler to meet the crying need of Catholic Education in pioneer Wisconsin, the European branch owes its origins to a young woman in her late teens, Magdalena Bohrman.  She, too, was moved by an educational need- that of young girls in a male dominated society. It was for them that she worked unceasingly to attain her goal of becoming a Franciscan teaching Sister.

Magdalena Bohrman was born in Einum, Germany.  We know little of this founding sister other than that she always had a deep love of St. Francis.  At the age of 18 and after completing her education, she convinced her friend, Catherine Engelke from Hasede near Geisen, Germany, to join her in approaching the Bishop of Hildesheim to tell him of their desires.  His Lordship was not impressed. He heartily tried to convince the two to join with the Ursuline Sisters in Duderstadt but this was not their wish. As there were no Franciscans in his diocese, he sent them to the School Sisters of St. Francis in Brixen, Tyrol. Here they made their novitiate and received their foundation for their future religious life. They spent a little over a year in Franciscan training. Besides religious practices, they learned to make flowers, work with wax and many other artistic skills. On April 16, 1856, they received their habits and were perpetually professed, taking the names of Sr. Seraphica and Sister Bernwarda…

 Beginnings in America

Nine years after the founding of the German congregation, 1866, in Wisconsin, Teresa Gramlich left her home of St. Nazianz to travel to the town of Clarks Mills to teach catechism. It was June 5^th, the Feast of the Sacred Heart. This seemingly simple event lead to the foundation of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. Teresa must have had a deep trust in the Lord to set out away from St. Nazianz because St. Nazianz was a special place.  St. Nazianz was a colony founded by Fr. Ambrose Oschwald from Baden Germany. His favorites saying was, “Let everyone do his best to promote the welfare of his neighbor.” The purpose of the colony was “the sanctification of its members by a life of piety, self-denial and charity in all its forms.”  The members were to follow the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity according to their state in life, and obedience. Everything was to be held in common: the members were to work without wages, receiving everything needed from the general fund; the surplus to be used for charity. The Gospel living of this colony provided for a tight knit community that worked together in an atmosphere of loving support. Teresa’s deeply religious family originally from Schluerstadt, Germany, were established members of the colony, Teresa herself was 23 years old when she left St. Nazianz. It must have been difficult for Teresa. She wrote, “For three months I stayed with a family in the village all alone to my task.” That sounds rather lonely but even in her loneliness she was faithful to God and to the task of teaching…

Conclusion: Challenge to Be Disturbing Presence

During our Community Days this year, Sr. Louise challenged each one of us to strive to be a disturbing presence to the values of the world by our unity with Christ and with each other. This call reaches farther back than Sr. Louise, however, and echoes the lives of all our past superiors, St. Francis and, most importantly, Christ Himself. What does it mean to be a disturbing presence in the manner of Christ, Francis and Clare? These three, by the way they lived and spoke, challenged the status quo, spoke uncomfortable truths, embraced those whom others forgot, and never stopped loving and forgiving.  These three had the ability to keep going with hope and confidence even when they were misunderstood and rejected by their own.

Though we’ve touched only on a small part of our entire history as Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, we can be certain that the lives and examples of our founding sisters were an enormous invitation and challenge to the future members of this community. These women were not prophets. They were not theologians. They were not famous or exorbitantly rich. They were merely pioneers. Nevertheless, they boldly, fearlessly, and tirelessly embraced God’s call upon their hearts. They yearned to radically live, speak and practice what they found in the Gospels: poverty and humility. In a time when some governments were persecuting the Church, women weren’t typically educated, the Church in America was young, and basic survival was a challenge, these women would have been called foolish, indeed. Through living simply and simply living, they revolutionized the world they lived in.  

According to an article written by Matthew Vallipalam, “Religious are called to listen to God as He speaks, communicates, reveals Himself in Scripture and in the teaching of the Church, in the constitutions of the Institute and in conscience. Not only that, but they are called to listen to God through people, events and things. (Propositum, pg. 37.)

 The Church and Franciscan Orders are prophetic communities, the voice of the Lord, the light of the world facing the darkness.  The signs of the times, our own awareness of our religious values, and how those values have been accommodated to and compromised by other values tells us that old patterns are no longer immune to question and challenge.  God’s will may, and often does, bring us into conflict with conventional positions and this will hurt. But a deep trust in a God who is our Lord and Savior will provide us with the strength and courage to stand against common opinion and to be Christians of counter-culture. This is the basis for our vocation as Franciscans (Poverty: St. Francis and the 20^th century).

“The present and future grow out of a common history. To the extent that an individual or a community is aware of its past, they can make better decisions in the present. To the extent that they are unaware of the past influences, they are hampered in their decision making. When a group has dynamic memory of past heritage preserved in a living tradition, it is more likely to have a creative imagination in moving ahead.” (Charisms pg 13) Tonight, we have tried to bring to light that our community’s history, from the very beginning, has been bound up and rooted in Gospel values that ask- no, require – that we welcome and embrace every opportunity to embody the poverty and humility of Christ. 

The lives of our sisters are a direct reminder of the encouragement of St. Francis: “I have done what is mine to do. May Christ show you what is yours!”

During the November 4-6, 2011 Vocation Discernment Retreat at the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Motherhouse, young women were encouraged to use the image of a mirror as they reflected on their relationship with God and explored their life’s vocation. 

Looking to Clare

This very feminine ‘mirror’ idea comes from St. Clare who was not a woman who wrote extensively on her own prayer. However, she  was a woman who responded to letters with deep sincerity, freely sharing her own way of relating to God. Retreatants prayed with a letter that she wrote to St. Agnes of Praque in which the image of the mirror is strongly emphasized: Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance and transform your whole being into the image of the Godhead itself through contemplation…”

Retreatants’ Own Reflections

In case you are considering a future discernment retreat, here’s  how the weekend’s retreatants responded to the question: How did this retreat touch your life?

• It helped me make space for Christ in my heart, it affirmed me in my search for God’s will in my life, showed me possibilities I never considered and revealed to me His love through time spent with His daughters, in adoration, music ministry, learning and prayer.
• I am touched by the Sisters and how they mirror Christ. It has helped me think more about Francis and Clare’s life and if I am called to live a life similar to theirs.
  

  Retreatants admired Francisan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Mariella Erdmann's 'Chiara' designed and then sandblasted on Chiara Convent, Manitowoc, WI.

• It has helped me to realize I am not alone in the desires I have.
• It helped me see more clearly what religious life is all about and it helped me in starting to decide whether I want to be a Sister or Poor Clare or pink nun.
• I’m a little less scared to tell my parents.
• It was amazing to see how the Franciscan Sisters live. It has touched me in so many ways. I love to sit in silence and pray.

And yet a few more comments:

• time to get away from the chaos of the everyday and have time just to truly listen to God.
• time to learn about Clare and her strong journey of faith
• visiting variety of chapels and worship spaces; interacting with novices and postulant to hear their stories

Click here to register for our next vocation weekend opportunity.