Ministries
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Happy Founding Day!
It's been an amazing 170 years of service to all of God's people! |
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S. PAT BIETSCH FEATURED IN ARTICLE...
As we read about Sisters ministering to the Navajo amid the pandemic, we are reminded of our deceased S. Pat Bietsch and her ministry there with S. Marlene Kochert. Click the link below to read the article:
https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/ministry/blog/sr-patricia-bietsch-shared-her-life-navajo |
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Our Sisters continue to minister and PRAY during these uncertain times!
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Marian University Features S. Norma Rocklage
Every Tuesday this summer, Marian University hosted a #MUalumwisdom post on their Instagram page, where they showcase different alumni from across the years. 1960 alum and dearly departed Sister Norma Rocklage was recently featured. The article can be viewed using the link below: Marian University Indianapolis |
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Bell Tower to Honor the Sisters of St. Francis!
From the campus of Marian University, Indianapolis. The new Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, bell tower is starting to take shape! We can definitely imagine the bell ring! |
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How We Are Getting Through This Pandemic…
By: S. Olga Wittekind, OSF The Sisters of St. Francis have been reaching out to others during this COVID-19 Pandemic. COVID-19 has affected the lives of each of us in many ways. Some of these impacts are direct. Many in Franklin and Ripley Counties struggle to maintain their households. We advocated for paid sick days and the expansion of unemployment insurance so that people do not have to choose between going to work sick and paying their rent/mortgage or feeding their families. We advocated for a national moratorium on foreclosures and evictions. We also advocated for more testing and PPE for health workers for their safety and the safety of our communities. Every day we pray for each of us in our counties, the state of Indiana, the United States, and the entire world community. In the convent we are taking safety precautions. One significant change the Sisters have made is in their meal protocol. We have changed the way meals are served—Sisters are served their food and they no longer serve themselves, eliminating serving utensils being passed from person to person. When lining up for meals they also distance themselves. The Sisters sit only two at a table, which has led to more knowledge of each other through the sharing and conversations. The Activity Director, Mary Ellen Rinklin, has planned engaging activities. Since we are not able to gather in groups we are doing our activities from the Community Room and showing it over our closed circuit TV system. Our Stretch and Movement program has been a great success! Instead of groups of approximately 8 sisters we broadcast the program every day at 10:00 am to the Sisters’ TV. The silver lining to this is instead of participating in an exercise class once or twice a week the Sisters can tune in every morning Monday-Friday! We normally show a movie every Friday afternoon but we have added 3 more hand-picked, uplifting movies a week to our schedule hoping to brighten Sisters’ spirits. S. Bernice Stenger and S. Olga Wittekind present “Tips for Well Being” each week presenting on spiritual renewal and how to keep healthy in mind, body, and soul. These programs help to release anxiety during this difficult time. Since the Sisters are not able to gather in groups, Mary Ellen has come up with some other activities. She has been “interviewing” two Sisters a week, one-on-one in an Oprah-type format. The objective is for the Sisters to tell their story and allow others to learn something new about their childhood, call to religious life, and growth in their ministries. Some of the Sisters ministering in their place of employment are actually still ON the front lines! One Sister goes to work most days at a Retirement Center in Cincinnati. She reports, “We are all VERY CAREFUL – we’ve worn masks for weeks, and now the residents do as well. For direct contact we also wear gloves. And washing hands NUMEROUS times a day is just ordinary for us. We keep our social distance, when interacting, and at meals.” There have been blessings during these weeks. The Sisters have more time for personal prayer and contemplation and praying for all the sick and dying in our world. Puzzles have been made with butterflies—symbol of new life—as a remembrance of the coronavirus sequestered time. Each of you continue to be held in our prayers! |
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Michaela Farm Preparing for Spring Planting
Although the thermometer still says temperatures are still a little cool, it seems like the sun is feeling just a bit warmer as it streams through the windows. Could spring be on its way? The calendar says March 19 is the first day of spring but we shall see what nature says about that. What is clear is the farm is getting ready for spring planting. We started heating the green house at the beginning of February and shortly thereafter, the first seeding began. Our green house is getting filled with plants of every variety. Every few days new seelings are started so that they can be planted as needed in the gardens and high tunnel. There should be plenty of plants for both the gardens and for transplant sales. We are completing our first winter with the new concrete floor in the greenhouse. Among the reasons for cementing the floor was to help to hold the heat in the structure. Our hopes were fulfilled and it seems as if we are holding the heat better and using less fuel to do so. We are pleased to say the least. We are busy preparing for the 2020 summer CSA. We have made a few changes this year by changing some varieties of vegetables grown to a more hardy variety and by removing some less popular vegetables from our growing list. Information regarding the CSA will be available on our website and Facebook pages very soon. Watch for the big announcement that the CSA is open! We continue to make improvements in our Farm Store. While we have very little fresh produce available at present, we still have our eggs, honey, dried herbs and herb mixes, flavored olive oils and some maple syrup from the trees at the farm. There is apple sauce and apple jelly from Doll’s Orchard. We thank you for your continued support of the farm and ask for your prayers and support as we move into the 2020 growing season. As Earth begins to shake off the winter’s cold and return to warmer times, the farm begins to follow the lead. Together let us move into a glorious spring. |
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Whole-souled
By: S. Barb Leonhard 169 years ago today, Mother Theresa Hackelmeier arrived in Oldenburg, and our Community was founded. It seems that 169 years is not so long ago in the greater scheme of things. But when I put this date into a historical setting, I realized that in 1851 there were only 31 States in the Union. The CA gold rush was drawing people to the West; Isaac Singer invented the sewing machine; and Sojourner Truth gave her famous speech, “Ain’t I a woman?” at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, OH. Mother Theresa was indeed coming into a country where many changes were happening, and she would become part of those changes. When I try to imagine her journey to Oldenburg, her first days here and the challenges she faced, one thing that comes to mind is the absence of elders. At 24, she begins life in a new culture, with three young women looking to her to help them learn about religious life. She had no older women religious to whom she could turn for wisdom, advice, or comfort. Of course, she had Fr. Rudolph’s guidance, but when it came to discerning the shape of religious life for women in this new place, she must have longed for conversation with more experienced Sisters. Surely some of the patterns of life in her European community did not fit well here, and she would have to discover new ways. One line in particular from today’s first reading seems to speak to Mother Theresa’s new beginning: “The way we know that Jesus remains in us is from the Spirit whom he gave us.” Mother Theresa must have had moments of confusion and doubt about her new life here. Her confidence in the Spirit of God within her must have been tried again and again. We know precious little about her, but her decisions indicate that she was a woman of great trust. One of those decisions was to create a lifestyle grounded in prayer. Even in the busyness of that first year, when they were learning about religious life, starting gardens, and being trained to teach, she made sure that each Sister had an hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament each day. As I was re-reading the first chapters of the Poverello, I found myself pausing over S. Laverne’s choice of words. She described Mother Theresa as giving “whole-souled” service to her new Community. “Whole-souled” implies that she held nothing back. The one thing that would have supported her in this full and generous life was her own prayer, her opening herself daily to receive of the abundance of God’s love and energy. How else could she have ever realized what the Spirit within her urged her to become? How else could those first companions have found within themselves the desire and grace to join her in this life? She modeled for them and for us what it was to trust the work of the Spirit. We know that Mother Theresa arrived in Oldenburg on the feast of the Epiphany, and we frequently refer to the imagery of following the star. Today’s gospel takes us one step beyond that. As Jesus begins his public ministry, Mt is quick to tell us that it is in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light.” Mt is highlighting the fact that through his own times of intense prayer, Jesus realizes that he is called to be the light. Later in this same gospel Jesus tells his disciples, “You are the light of the world…. Let your light shine.” It is prayer that helps us believe that those words are also for us. We are called to be light for the world –- lights of hope and of compassion; lights of tenderness and healing attention to the needs of others; lights of mercy and of generosity. Although it is a dangerous thing to suggest what someone else might say to us, I am going to do just that. I think that in her own way, Mother Theresa would say to us at this point in our history: “You are part of a long line of faithful women. Each one of them had her gifts and her hesitations, her doubts and her breakthroughs into deeper faith. Trust the light of the Spirit within you. Be the light for others. Take the time to immerse yourselves in prayer — so that you are more able to believe that the divine source of this light will never fade. Help each other to recognize and trust in the Spirit within when it becomes difficult to feel it. You are not alone. You are always led and enlivened by the light of the Spirit. ” |
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A Holiday Vision of Oldenburg circa 1951
By: Joe Adams Every once in a while we uncover a gem in the archives department. Here is one of them describing the town of Oldenburg, IN in 1951. Although Oldenburg has moved into the 21st century the exterior of the town and convent look much the same today. We thought you might enjoy this article from a newspaper in the fifties by Joe Adams. With a simple flip of the wheel you leave Road 46 and virtually the world and all its clamor and cares. For in one magic moment you are on a winding road, rolling through snow-mantled, serene and silent hills that stand as eternal sentinels above the story-book town of Oldenburg. The throb of your motor, hitherto lost in the roar of traffic on the main road, now offends the brooding silences of the peaceful countryside. A redbird flutters away in alarm, its scarlet cloak flashing against the patches of snow on the hillsides. You drive along in the eerie hush of twilight and you wonder if this planet, whereon men – good and evil – struggle for survival, has suddenly and unaccountably stood still. Then as you make a final turn, you look down into a snug, little valley and behold the “village of spires.” The waning light of a relentlessly bitter December illumines the gilded spires of the churches, the convent of the Immaculate Conception and the Franciscan monastery. And the bells of Oldenburg, which seem always to be ringing, are now pealing forth a special message, and the words come spontaneously to the cadence of the chimes: Ring out the old! Ring in the new! For this is in truth a time for decision – Time to be earnest and honest and true As the world’s way of life cries aloud for revision! Ring in the new! And let the bells sing Of faith and of hope and of regeneration! Hail to the new! And, oh, may it bring To a fear-darkened world the light of salvation! As you enter a community whose antiquity of 113 years is written in the fading bricks of many homes and institutions the bells, ancient and modern, fairly drench the place with melody. The triumphant tones gladden the heart and shut off the clamor and contentions of these troubled times from this Shrangri-La of the Old World simplicity. Inevitably you come upon a walled-in brick building on the front of which is chiseled the legend: “Sisters of St. Francis. Immaculate Conception Convent. Founded 1851.” Now it is 1951 and though the world beyond might be in turmoil you find within these walls, as it has been down the hallowed years, peace unutterable. In the words of Sister Paschal, teacher, editor and librarian: “The convent is truly a happy place. For whoever has found God has found peace.” Especially has it been happy since, on Christmas eve, the Sisters decorated the chapel, the dining hall and corridors and launched the yuletide program of services, carols and other events. And always some of the Sisters have kept vigil – as it is kept the clock around – in the beautiful Adoration Chapel. And you can be sure that on this night their supplications will be for world peace. At this season of the year there is even a little gaiety at the convent, beginning with the Christmas tree ceremonies at which each Sister receives a small gift. And on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, as on all great feasts, the rule of silence is relaxed. But there is a full liturgical program with masses, Vespers and Compline, Matins and Lauds, the rosary and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. And during this period there are visits to the crib in chapel where some of the Nativity figures were fashioned by one of the Sisters, long since deceased. You find no ornate Neon signs flashing on New Year’s eve here in Oldenburg and you hear no blaring horns as in the big cities, even though there were occasions in earlier days when the exuberance of the German settlers was fully expressed. Notably there was the spectacular demonstration which marked the completion of the new brick steeple on the church. On the afternoon of July 4, 1892, villagers heard some eerie yodeling which seemed to be floating down from the heavens. Looking up, they saw one of the workmen standing on the right arm of the church cross, 187 feet above the ground, dancing a jig and yodeling. There are two taverns in the little town now but you would scarcely know they were in operation. One even proclaims, through the lettering on the ancient stone above the portals, that it is a saloon. Down the same street you come upon a sturdy stone building above the entrance of which is a slab bearing the date, 1845, and a crude carving of a sickle moon and a blazing sun. It probably is symbolic of something much more lofty but a facetious interpretation is that the moon represents a tired, thirsty traveler just arriving and the blazing sun stands for the same traveler as he departed, “all lit up.” But on this New Year’s eve there is little hilarity in Oldenburg. You hear only the ever-vocal bells sending a message of peace and hope deep into the old and understanding hills. Joe Adams |
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Being a Peace-Presence
By: S. Christa Franzer The Sisters and Associates of St. Francis, Oldenburg, celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th. This is a time of great celebration, but also one of reflection on our mission as peace-makers with all people and all creation. The following is a letter from our Congregational Minister, S. Christ Franzer, with words of peace and challenge to all. She begins the letter with “Peace and all good!” Pax et bonum! Thomas of Celano writes of this saint whose feast we celebrate today: “Francis went around the cities and villages, proclaiming the kingdom of God and preaching peace. . .” At that time, it surely seemed a new light had been sent from heaven to earth driving away the darkness that had so nearly covered the whole region that hardly anyone knew where to turn. He gleamed like a shining star in the darkness of night and like the morning spread over the darkness.” Recently I was re-reading a letter from the International Franciscan Conference. While they spoke of the year 2018, it seems that letter is equally true today: “In our time, in this year 2019, we too feel enveloped in a darkness that daily sunshine does not dispel. Darkness in our society and in our church, insidiously pervading our lives and penetrating the lives of those we love and to whom we minister, often in crisis proportion. We yearn for light, yet know we must become LIGHT to dispel the darkness, a new light in our time as Francis was in his. We are called to see and to listen, called to be faithful and creative in our response of being a peace-presence within the turmoil. On this feast of Francis. . . let us see how we can be a new light. Let us be heralds of peace, bringing our desire for peace to reality every day. . .” “Being a peace-presence. . .” Can that be said of you? Of me? Are our words calming, rather than stirring up anxiety or fear? Do we affirm one another, rather than criticizing? “We are called to be creative in our response of being a peace-presence within the turmoil.” How are you responding to your call? May we each bring peace and light into the dark corners of our world! Feast Day blessings, S. Christa for the General Council |
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A Call to Action
By: Sisters of St. Francis, OldenburgThe following letter was sent by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious during its annual 2019 conference to President Trump on August 14. This letter, affirmed by the 663 LCWR members gathered in assembly in Scottsdale, Arizona, called upon the president to end all divisive rhetoric. Our Sisters Christa Franzer and Delouise Menges were present in the conference body that unanimously approved this letter. Mr. President, We live in a world increasingly marked by hatred, brutality, and violent conflict. We see our own country threatened by increasing disparities in economic, political, and social power…. These are times that require exceptional insight and courageous leadership. In the face of these unprecedented challenges, we are outraged and heart-broken when our political leaders appeal to our basest instincts and stoke the fires of fear that threaten to tear the fabric of our nation apart. We cannot, we will not, let the voices of hatred and fear carry the day. Mr. President, we beseech you to end all divisive and polarizing rhetoric. We implore you to never use language that disrespects, dehumanizes, or demonizes others. We expect our president, and all who serve this nation as leaders, to be always mindful of the common good and the dignity of each and every person. You hold a position that has the potential to inspire the best of every one of us and we ask you to use this unique status to bring about healing and never seek to create division. The people of this pluralistic nation form a diverse polity characterized by a wide variety of beliefs, experiences, and interests….Those differences are our greatest strength; those disagreements are opportunities for growth. It is how we handle those inevitable conflicts that spells the difference between building the common good and destroying the bonds that bind this nation. In his address to the US Congress in 2015, Pope Francis invited our political leaders to promote respect for the dignity of every human person and to renew their commitment to a spirit of cooperation…. As Catholic sisters, our ministries frequently require us to be in the heart of situations of discord and division, and thus we understand the great complexities and challenges that are inherent in the work of reconciliation. We too have to reach deep within ourselves to bring forth the grace and strength that are needed to not give in to the temptation of labeling or judging those who are different from us….We sometimes come up short, but pledge to do better each day because we are aware of the moral authority we, as sisters, bear. We ask you, Mr. President, if you would consider a similar examination of the practice of your own moral authority. We promise to never cease raising our voices on behalf of the common good and praying for the healing of this country. Sincerely, The Members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious The Leadership Conference of Women Religious is a national organization of the leaders of religious congregations in the United States. One of their goals is to stand for Social Justice in response to the needs of time. “LCWR claims the moral imperative of the Gospel and pledges its collective voice, resources and power in solidarity with others to establish economic justice, abolish modern-day slavery, ensure immigrant rights, promote nonviolence and protect Earth and its biosphere. They ask the blessing of God on these initiatives, placing their actions with the great activity of God for the good of the world.” (From LCWR Call for 2015-2022) |
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We Are Grateful
Thank you for your generosity in supporting our need for a mobility van for the Sisters in St. Clare Hall, our healthcare center. Because of your care for them we have been able to purchase a used mobility van to aid in transporting the Sisters to their healthcare appointments. This allows us to meet their unique needs and rely less on ambulance transports. We are grateful for your support of us in this endeavor to minister to our older Sisters. |
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Spirituality and Support
The Sisters’ ministry reaches a variety of people and places. Two places especially important to the Sisters are our sponsorship and support of our Spirituality Centers: Oldenburg Franciscan Center and Nia Kuumba. These centers provide opportunities for spiritual and personal growth for the people who come seeking a deeper relationship with God and one another. Oldenburg Franciscan Center provides programs of personal, psychological and spiritual growth for a wide variety of persons and is located at the Motherhouse in Oldenburg, IN. Nia Kuumba celebrates the growth of African and African-American women in an atmosphere of mutual support where they can be challenged and encouraged and is located in St. Louis, MO We appreciate your prayers and support in these important ministries. 2019 Spirituality Centers Letter |
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S. Jean Marie Cleveland, Maintaining Connections
S. Jean Marie Cleveland was recognized by Marian University in Indianapolis with the “Servant Leadership” award during the University’s Academic Honors Breakfast and Awards ceremony. This honor recognizes S. Jean Marie’s years of dedication to the students, faculty, staff and the entire Marian University community by carrying out the important work of maintaining Marian’s connection to our Sisters as its founders, and to our Franciscan heritage. As S. Jean Marie prepares to move on from her position as Vice President of Mission Effectiveness at Marian, we thank her for being a responsible steward in sharing her gifts and encouraging others to share their gifts, as well. |
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S. Jeri Fuhrmann, Creating Beauty
S. Jeri Fuhrmann was proclaimed a “Companion in Mission” of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. The announcement noted that the recognition was given in honor of S. Jeri’s efforts in being “instrumental in enhancing the prayer life of the Sisters through the planning of liturgies at their health care center. In addition to being a team player, she leads the chime choirs in creating beauty of their own.” S. Jeri serves as the Director of Liturgy and Music and Sacristan at Mt. Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati. Her name is being inscribed at the Heritage Center of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Namur, Belgium. |
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S. Claire Whalen, Environmentalist
S. Claire Whalen was among the 10 Hoosier Resilience Heroes honored on Earth Day 2019 by the Environmental Resilience Institute founded as part of Indiana University’s Prepared for Environmental Change Grand Challenge initiative. S. Claire was recognized for her efforts in “working to make the state more resilient in the face of environmental changes that are happening now and will continue to happen in the future.” The long-time environmentalist was recognized for her “strong desire to help people in her area of the state (southeast Indiana) understand the climate crisis and ways they can work to lessen the impacts. S. Claire’s efforts include establishing the Oldenburg Renewable Energy Commission which will study how the village can reduce its carbon footprint through conducting a greenhouse gas inventory this summer. |
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S. Marge Wissman, Prophetic Voice
S. Marge Wissman was honored with the Peacemaker Award at the Franciscan Federation Conference in June. S. Marge has been a prophetic voice to and for our Sisters as she has served as Director of our Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation office. In addition to her role within our Community she has served as chair of the Franciscan Federation Justice group in facilitating the writing of resolutions and is a member of LCWR Region 7 Justice Promoters. She has been a prophetic voice for justice issues in our geographical area by responding to invitations to speak at nearby parishes. As S. Marge prepares to retire from her current ministry, she will serve the Community in other ways as she ministers as Resource Advocate through the Batesville Area Ministerial Association. In this new role she will be assisting individuals and families in connecting with resource agencies to help them manage their lives and finances so to reduce or eliminate their dependence upon assistance. |
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Hoosier Resilience Hero
S. Claire Whalen, Sister of St. Francis, Oldenburg, was honored during Earth Week by being named a Hoosier Resilience Hero by the Environmental Resilience Institute, a part of Indiana University’s Prepared for Environmental Changes Grand Challenge Initiative. The Initiative honored ten heroes who show leadership in working toward making a positive and direct environmental difference in the State of Indiana. S. Claire was honored for her continuing work to make Indiana more environmentally responsible now and in the future. Much of her life has been dedicated to this cause. During the last two years, S. Claire has focused on getting homeowners and businesses in Oldenburg and surrounding areas in Southeastern Indiana to put up solar panels by her leadership in the Solarize Indiana Southeast. Thirty-five homes and businesses now take advantage of solar power and its benefits for them and the environment. Presently, S. Claire is working with the Oldenburg Renewable Energy Commission to help reduce the carbon footprint in the area in the next ten years. She has been both an advocate in helping sustain positive action regarding saving the environment and taking the lead in environmental concerns in Indiana and beyond. She is indeed a Hoosier Resilience Hero to us and to those who know her. |
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Celebrating Catholic Sisters’ Week
March 8 -14, 2019 is Catholic Sisters’ Week. There are thousands of Catholic Sisters who are involved in a wide variety of ministries ranging from teaching, nursing, social service and everything in between. This week calls attention to Sisters in the Catholic Church of which the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana, are a part. The Sisters of St. Francis are currently involved in teaching, health care, parish work and social justice causes. We celebrate this week with joy in service to the people of God wherever and whenever needed. Pope Francis mentioned the role joy places in the lives of consecrated women in the Catholic Church and the world today. “The world today is in need of this: that joy that arises from the encounter with Christ in a life of personal and community prayer, in daily listening to the Word, in the encounter with brothers and sisters, in a happy and fraternal life in the community, including fragility, and in the embrace of the flesh of Christ in the poor. Prophets of a joy that is born of feeling loved and therefore forgiven.” “Joy is beautiful reality in the life of many consecrated persons, but it is also a great challenge for all of us,” he said, adding “authentic joy, not self-referential or complacent, is the most credible witness of a full life.” He emphasized his point about joy, saying “this joy that fills your hearts and manifests itself on your faces will lead you to go out to the peripheries, participating in the joy of the Church, that is evangelization.” We invite you to celebrate our dedication to evangelization and the bringing of the joy and love of God to all people this week. |
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Christmas Blessing and Invitation
By: S. Michelle Corliss The Wonder of Christmas is upon us once again. The Sisters and Associates wish you a blessed Christmas with the following: The ancient story revealed…an angel’s visit, a young woman’s Yes, a pilgrim journey and Emmanuel, Jesus Christ is with us. Heaven and Earth cry out with JOY! Join us in our Christmas celebration at Mass on December 25. Carols are at 9:15 AM followed by liturgy at 9:30 AM. All are welcome! |
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Reflection in the Season of Advent
As we wait in this season of Advent we invite you to reflect on the following quote from the twenty first chapter of Jeremiah, verse 13 as we prepare the way of the Lord. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” |
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Michaela Farm Under the Spires
By: S. Michelle Corliss Saturday, December 1, 2018 marks the celebration of the Village of Oldenburg in Southeastern Indiana called “Under the Spires”. Join Michaela Farm, one of the Sisters’ supported ministries right on the edge of Oldenburg, in joining in this festive day! The farm store will be open and we have shelled and unshelled pecans, shelled English and black walnuts, a selection of dried herbs, poultry mix, roast rub, and delicious local honey in a variety of sizes. This year we are excited to offer you apple cider jelly and applesauce from Doll’s orchard, our neighbor down the road. We have farm fresh eggs and other surprises. Drop by the store and indulge in natural local food. Rain or shine the store will be open from dawn to dusk. You are always welcome! While you’re in Oldenburg, stroll Main Street for a Christmas celebration with a German flair. The shops and restaurants will be open. Stop by the Motherhouse convent for homemade cookies and listen to seasonal music in the Sisters’ Chapel beginning at 10:00 AM. A variety of performers will be in and out all day. The annual Boar’s Head Festival is from 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM in the Chapel. Come celebration a taste of Christmas as only Oldenburg can do it! |
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A Season of Gratitude
We, the Oldenburg Sisters and Associates, thank you for your support in helping us in our ministry to live out the gospel of Jesus in the twenty-first century. We appreciate your help, your volunteering, your unflagging enthusiasm and your joining us in making the love of God real in the world today. Such a calling cannot be done in isolation and we could not do any of it without you. We promise our prayers; we offer our hearts to you during this holy season, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to God for you. May you be blessed during these days of thanksgiving. |
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Oldenburg Holidays Under the Spires
On December 1, 2018 the town of Oldenburg celebrates its unique take on the holidays. Come join the town and the Sisters in the pure joy of the season. The shops and restaurants will be open for business with one-of-a-kind gifts with a German flair. Soak up the atmosphere and come to the Motherhouse for our cookie walk; visit our chapel for the Boar’s Head Festival for a musical celebration you can’t find anywhere else. The entire town comes out for this celebration…it is a wonder-filled way of starting off the holiday season! For complete information on all the events and directions to Oldenburg go to: http://www.holidaysunderthespires.com/ |
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Honoring St. Francis
By: S. Michelle Corliss Happy St. Francis Day to you all! The Sisters and Associates of St. Francis, Oldenburg, wish you a day of joy in celebrating care for Creation, the sacredness of earth and all its people. It is our mission and ministry to follow the way of the Gospel…the way St. Francis honored all of God’s creation with compassion, dignity and love. Thank you for joining us in this mission and for your support. We are truly grateful for you! (This icon of St. Francis was painted by Dianne Kaimann, OSF) |
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A New Ministry at the Motherhouse
By: Mary Ellen Rinklin A new ministry has emerged for the Sisters at the Motherhouse in Oldenburg, IN with the help of the Associates. Following you will find out the how, when and where of this new project. It started as a way to recycle plastic bags keeping them out of landfills and our environment and help the most venerable of our society by providing them warm and waterproof insulated sleeping mats. Chris Knabe first learned of crocheting mats for the homeless from a nursing home in Sidney, OH where her mom-in-law was a resident. She thought it was a worthwhile project and took the idea to her parish, but due to other outreach programs it was never initiated. By what could only be God’s nudging and guidance of events, Chris was put in contact with a journalist from a community newspaper which published an article about the mats and amazingly her group was born. An Associate of the sisters, Sue Friedmann, and a friend who works with Chris on the mat project thought the sisters in Oldenburg may like to be part of this program too so the project was pitched to the sisters in February of this year. Sue purchased the correct size crochet needles for the sisters and as the word spread plastic bags came pouring in by the car load! Initially there was a large response to help make the mats but tedious folding and cutting of the plastic bags and looping it into the “plarn “, (plastic yarn) proved to be very hard on aged hands so the group now consists of fewer sisters. They are: S. Jean Michael Sauntry, S. Pat Zartman, S. Janice Scheidler, S. Mary Louise Werner, S. Janet Born, S. Dianne Kaimann and S. Therese Wente. Also helping produce the mats are Evy Kuntz and Kim Garvey, friends of the sisters, who help teach religious special education. Crocheting the mats is a large commitment with each one taking anywhere from 65-70 hours or more to complete. So far the Oldenburg group has completed 7 mats with at least 4 more soon to be finished. The mats are distributed personally by two men from DCI Outreach in Cincinnati who walk the homeless camps handing them out. Recently there were several news stories concerning the homeless in downtown Cincinnati and several of these type mats were seen peeking out of tents and laying on chairs giving assurance that the work the sisters are doing is much needed and utilized. If anyone would like to learn more about working on this project they can contact Chris Knabe at 513-777-0463. |
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Leadership Conference of Women Religious Highlights
By: S. Annette Grisley The leadership team of the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg attended the recent Leadership Conference of Women Religious in St. Louis, MO. The assembly is composed of the leadership teams of various religious orders in the United States. The theme of LCWR’s assembly was “Being the Presence of Love: The Power of Communion." The nearly 800 participants focused on the urgent need to foster communion and connection in a world plagued by polarization, division, and fractures of communion. We demonstrated our commitment to be in communion against racism as we stood on the steps St. Louis’ Old Courthouse where Dred Scott sued for his freedom in 1846. There we pray silently for victims of racism and for the systemic elimination of racism in ourselves, our communities, our country and our world. To see the texts and addresses click here. The texts of the presentations as well as photos of the event are available here. A video of highlights from the LCWR assembly is available here. |
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Sisters to Participate in Alzheimer’s Walk
The Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is sponsoring a walk to end Alzheimer’s in Batesville, Indiana, on Saturday, August 25, 2018. Some of the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, IN are participating along with others in this important event. Registration begins at 9:00 AM with a ceremony following at 9:30 AM. The walk begins in Liberty Park in Batesville, 716 Park Avenue at 10:00 AM. Registration is required, but there is no charge to participate. For further information contact Hannah Volz at hvolz@alz.org. |
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Sisters’ Presence Felt at Oldenburg Academy
Oldenburg Academy is located on the Sisters of St. Francis Motherhouse grounds and has a unique link between Sisters and students. The academy maintains a relationship with many of the “retired” Sisters in their Adopt-A-Sis program where Sisters meet with small groups of students several times a month for sharing of stories and lunch. Here is a video about Oldenburg Academy, their history and presence in Oldenburg, Indiana and the bond between student, Sister and franciscan values. |
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History in Your Own Backyard Produces Video About Michaela Farm
By: History in Your Own Backyard Group This video covers the history of Michaela Farm in Oldenburg, Indiana. Michaela Farm is a ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis and is located in the hills of Southeastern Indiana, specifically in Oldenburg. The farm produces vegetables, herbs, and cage free eggs using natural farming practices in all its endeavors. Michaela Farm supplies fresh, local food for its Community Supported Agriculture program, Batesville Food Pantry, Margaret Mary Health, the general public and the Sisters’ Motherhouse. Click Here to see the history and ministry of the Sisters at the farm. |
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History in Your Own Backyard Produces Video About the Sisters
By: History in Your Own Backyard Group The Freudenfest Committee in Oldenburg, Indiana, produced a short video about the Sisters’ history in Oldenburg and beyond. S. Mary Ann Stoffregen, archivist for the Sisters, covers the Sisters’ early history to the present day. It is produced by the History in Your Own Backyard group that covers local, small community history and news. Its philosophy is: “travel slowly and stop often.” Click Here for the video on the Sisters. |
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Navajo Mission of St. Mary’s Receives Mural
By: Chriss Murphy Chriss Murphy, of Trinity Artistic Creations Expressions, created this mural in celebration of St. Mary Mission’s 100th Anniversary in 2020 where S. Pat Bietsch and S. Marlene Kochert minister in New Mexico. In Chriss’ own words she describes why she created the mural. “Here is the finished mural that I’ve been blessed to create at St. Mary Mission in Tohatchi, NM on the Navajo reservation. It has been an artistic, personal and spiritual journey for me over the past three summers. I dedicate it to God for blessing me with talent and a desire to be adventurous, and to my husband and faith partner, Glen, who cooperated with me while I was away for up to two months at a time over the past three summers, and who willingly financed the whole project. This project was a total volunteer endeavor of our time, talent and treasure and a gift given to St. Mary Mission to celebrate their 100th anniversary, the Navajo members of the parish and all Navajo people. Thank you to the Friars, Sisters and the beautiful Navajo people for their trust, encouragement and friendship while I did what was asked of me. You are my friends for life!” This is a history and explanation of the mural. For over 100 years the Dine Bi Eineeshodi, the Navajo name given to the Franciscan Fathers, have been the bearers of the Good News to the Navajo people. This mural was inspired by my love and respect for my faith, the Navajo people, the Franciscan Fathers, Sister and Brothers who have devoted their vocations in service to the Catholic Navajo people through the three parishes that make up St. Mary Mission. It began with St. Mary Church in Tohatchi (the white clapboard building), followed by St. Anthony Church in Naschetti (the stone building) and with the newest church St. Joseph Church (the Quonset hut) in Coyote Canyon. Over 100 years ago the Franciscan Friars brought Christianity from St. Michael’s Mission in Window Rock, AZ when Father Berard Haile, at the bequest of the tribal leaders, traveled by horseback to the town of Tohatchi (in Navajo, “scratching for water”). In partnership with Navajo spiritual traditions, he established a devote community of faithful Roman Catholic believers that was dedicated on June 9, 1920. The Navajo people and the church share the practice of , WOSHDII, the Navajo word for “ All Are Welcome”, as well as sharing a devotion to the Blessed Mother of Guadalupe and honoring St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint. All the colors in the main mural and the panels were inspired by the Navajo pottery, Navajo rug designs, the New Mexican turquoise blue sky and the surrounding Chuska Mountains. Looking toward the future of the growth of the mission on the Navajo reservation, we pray four times facing each sacred mountain direction, HOZHOO NAHASDLII , ‘when everything you are is in balance as the Creator intended for you”. I am filled with heartfelt gratitude to the Navajo people, the Fathers, Brothers and Sisters of St Mary Mission, for the honor to express my interpretation of the 100 year history of the mission. This has been a journey of faith and growth in the gifts God has given me. I am so grateful for the lifetime friends I have made along the way and pray that God, our Father and Creator, continues to bless all the peoples of St. Mary Mission, today and for the next 100 years! |
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S. Claire’s Ministry focuses on Care of Creation
By: S. Claire Whalen S. Claire Whalen, OSF has discovered a ministry in Indiana that saves energy, helps our planet and serves the future needs of local communities and homeowners. She is deeply involved with the statewide solarizing program to offer information sessions and incentives for homeowners and businesses to consider using solar energy to reduce their carbon footprints. Here is information about S. Claire’s focus on the planet and how to become involved in this project. Homeowners and businesses in southeast Indiana will have an opportunity to install solar panels in the fall of 2018 at a reduced price. The local solarizing team in this area will offer three summer information sessions to encourage residents to go solar this fall before economic incentives disappear in a few years. Attendees will learn about these incentives that can reduce the cost of installing rooftop solar panels to a third of what the cost was just a few years ago. At each of the solar information sessions, persons who are currently using solar energy will be present to share their experience with solar power and answer questions. Sessions will be held at Batesville Library, July 18, at the Tyson Library in Versailles on July 25, and at the Lawrenceburg Library on August 16. Meeting times at all three libraries will be from 6:00-7:15pm. RSVP to Claire Whalen, OSF, by email, cwhalenosf@gmail.com, or call 812-933-6514. Bring data about your monthly and annual kilowatt hour usage to estimate what a solar system might cost for your home. This statewide solarizing program is a group buying arrangement that puts going solar within reach for almost every homeowner. Solar panel owners can take advantage of a 30% federal tax credit until the end of 2019. And businesses have additional incentives with a generous accelerated depreciation bonus in the first year. Additionally Duke Energy customers will be able to lock in net-metering until 2032 for their excess home-generated solar power. Solarize Indiana/Southeast local team joined the state-wide program last year concentrating on the Batesville and Oldenburg areas. This year they are expanding their coverage to more towns. They already held solar home tours and information sessions this spring in Greensburg, Batesville and Brookville. Persons who signed contracts before late April are scheduled for installations from mid-May through September, 2018. Persons who sign contracts this summer will have installations in the fall months. The team of volunteers is contracting with Lohrum Electrical Company from Greensburg for a second year in a row to do the installations needed for 2018 because of its excellent personal attention to customers’ needs, but also because of its competitive pricing, professional expertise, and workmanship warranty. Also, the team wanted to choose a local company to promote our local economy. Residents from near-by towns attend these solar information sessions to share their experience with sun-power. Dale Irvin from New Marion and Robert Jester from Morris will be available to tell Versailles attendees how solar panels on their homes have saved them considerable money on electric bills. Irvin will also explain how the specific installation on his garage is “off the grid” with a battery system back-up when there is a power outage. All energy guzzling equipment—refrigerator, freezer, furnace and workshop machines–are located in the garage for that purpose. Attend one of the meetings to talk to the people who have already participated in this project to cut costs, use alternative energy and take care of creation simultaneously. |
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New Leadership Team Begins Ministry
By: Sue Siefert As of July 1, 2018, the Sisters of St. Francis welcome a new leadership team to ministry for the term 2018-2024. The Sisters were elected at the Sisters’ Chapter of Elections on April 15, 2018. (Left to Right) They are S. Annette Grisley, S. Christa Franzer, S. Barbara Leonhard and S. Delouise Menges. S. Christa Franzer will lead the Community as Congregational Minister. She is a native of Dayton, OH and has ministered in education and currently serves in the Community’s finance office and in institutional research at Marian University in Indianapolis. As servant leader she had previously ministered on the Council from 2006-2012 and 1994-2000. Along with S. Christa, S. Delouise Menges will serve as the First Councilor. She has ministered in education for the past 47 years, currently at St. Veronica School in Cincinnati, OH. S. Barbara Leonhard will serve as a Councilor. She currently ministers as a workshop and retreat leader, providing spiritual direction and is based in Oldenburg, IN. S. Annette Grisley will serve as a Councilor. She serves as a Pastoral Associate at Holy Angels Church in Dayton, OH. The Sisters will begin their new ministries on Sunday, July 1 at the Installation Ceremony in the company of the Sisters, Associates, family and friends. Please keep them in your prayers so they may have the faith to dare and the courage to venture with God-given wisdom. |
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Dedication is What It’s Called
By: Sister Rita Thomas, OSF Greetings from Missouri My call to Religious life began during my senior year in High School. Being taught by the Franciscan sisters in grade school and the Loretto sisters in high school meant I had to choose which community to enter. Sr. Janice, SL told me it did not matter which community I chose, what mattered was to answer His call. I chose the Franciscans. After teaching many years in the primary grades, some schools in St. Louis were consolidating or closing. St. Pius V school where I was teaching, was one of the schools that closed. Later, I got a position at St. Elizabeth’s Adult Day Care Center in St. Charles, MO. Because of a decrease in senior adults and working only a few days a week, I left and got another position at SarahCare Adult Day Center in Bridgeton, MO. My Director, Ms. Deborah Mabrie, told me I would be working as an activities/nurse’s assistant. Recently, SarahCare Adult Day Center received a new business name. We are now called, The Mary Center Adult Day Care in Bridgeton, MO. The center opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 6:00 p.m. We serve breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack, but no dinner. Bus service is also provided if participants are interested. My ministry consists of a lot of interaction with the adults at The Mary Center. Some ministry activities include chair exercises, craft making, bingo, card games, Rocking Chair tales (reading short stories), and many different types of trivia games. Other activities are done on the white board (makes me feel like a teacher again) and the computer. Since I am somewhat computer illiterate, my director or co-workers will set up the computer activities for me to do, such as Concentration Puzzles, Wacky Wordies and other interesting computer programs. On Wednesday mornings, I lead the participants in an hour of Spiritual Care which includes songs, prayers, reflections and sharing. Our adults also enjoy celebrations of their birthdays, Friday movies and popcorn, and musicians that come to entertain them. Other duties include serving food, feeding participants, dining room clean-up, helping participants with bathroom breaks, and at times monitoring and working with special needs young adults (age – 21-30). I feel very much at ease and enjoy working with the adults. My hope is that they see love, care, and concern being provided to them. I am blessed to be in this ministry. |
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MINISTRY IN REAL LIFE
By: S. Susan Marie Pleiss For many students, spring break is a vacation, a chance to step away from the stresses of daily life. But last year, sophomores Mary Carper and Kaylee Bluethmann embarked on Marian University’s (Indianapolis) alternative spring break to Campton, Kentucky, and their experience wasn’t exactly a walk on the beach. Perhaps for the first time in their lives, the young women witnessed abject poverty–hungry people, living in a food desert, their lives oftentimes made even more complicated by a lack of education, drug addiction, and alcohol abuse. Enter S. Susan Pleiss, OSF, pastoral associate at Good Shepherd Parish, the only Catholic Church in Campton, and all of Wolfe County. S. Susan Marie’s outreach makes a difference. “Good Shepherd is known for its outreach,” explains Carper. “When a member of a Baptist Church needs a loan to pay an electricity bill or does not have transportation to get food, the Baptist pastor will tell them to ‘go to the Catholic church’…(S. Susan) provides services like visiting the sick, running the food pantry, putting on various dinners and community events, delivering groceries, providing loans, and much more. Part of her job is to shine a positive light on the Catholic Church by reaching out to those in need.” That positive light is apparent in all of S. Susan Marie’s ministry at Good Shepherd parish. With the aid of many volunteers, S. Susan Marie and her helpers spend their days ministering to the people living in this area of Kentucky making the gospel a reality in their lives. |
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SHARING A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST
By: S. Bridget Arnold I grew up on a small family farm in Evansville, Indiana, with a house full of brothers and sisters. I learned the joy of relating to my family, the animals and the earth’s bounty. I returned to Evansville in 1987 and have taught at St. Joseph’s School since then. I teach second grade at St. Joe’s and try to impart to my students a respect for and joy in caring for living things: from catepillers turning into butterflies to a garden abundant with vegetables. Every spring my second graders plant a garden close to school. Over the summer I tend that garden keeping it ready for the incoming second grade. Since school has started the second grade class has been very busy with the harvest. They picked some of the final veggies and prepared a delicious soup. It is important to me to guide the students in caring for the earth by recycling, composting and gardening which they share with others. God has blessed me from humble beginnings to the place I am today still beginning humbly every day…grateful for God’s graces in me and my students and those in need. We garden for us and to share our connection with the earth with others. We are blessed indeed. |
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JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
By: S. Ruth Ann Eggering Working for St. Elizabeth Adult Day Care allows me to continue nursing in an area that is most needed at this time. Many times those who are in need of assistance for a family member who is challenged find Adult Day Care just what many doctors recommend. Adult Day Care assists the participant and the family to continue living in a familiar environment, and allows the care giver respite or the ability to continue work. As a nurse I have the privilege of being part of an organization whose mission is “to provide a safe, comfortable, wholesome and stimulating environment.” I have the privilege of being with individuals who are 18 to 90+ offering support and care in an atmosphere that promotes enrichment of mind, body and spirit through compassionate care and the celebration of life daily. |
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WHAT WE DO FOR LOVE
By: S. Janet Linz S. Janet Linz, osf, and Julie Wilke are co-directors of the Lavatus Powell Program in conjunction with Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati, OH. LPP is an outstanding comprehensive program developed by S. Janet to aid students in growing into well-grounded, enthusiastic young men and women. The students are exposed to a huge array of mentors, tutors and supporters who help with academic courses, social, psychological and physical growth. The program is solidly built around the students partnering with parents/guardians, teachers, mentors, tutors and supporters. The students not only engage in their classes, but also put in quality time participating in service to the community and beyond. S. Janet is dedicated to get them out of their own realm and open their eyes to the problems of the world, and the people who are doing something about them. It helps them to see themselves as part of the solution. The program and its staff of volunteers help the students establish strong work habits and organizational skills in preparation for post high school pursuits whether it is college, trade school, full time employment or military service. With S. Janet’s and Julie Wilke’s leadership and infectious drive to go above and beyond what is expected the students thrive and move into the future having received the support they need and the encouragement to become focused, successful adults. The program provides a large number of adult volunteers dedicated to walk with the students during their high school years and beyond. The program serves approximately 43 students a year with a 99% graduation rate. |
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PLAY TIME WITH PATTI
By: S. Patti Zureick After teaching Kindergarten and first grades for 25 years, I decided to change my ministry, but to continue working with children in another way. I currently minister as a Professional Counselor at Mercy Professional Services (MPS) in Cincinnati, OH. MPS was created to minister to those who are experiencing a need for emotional healing. MPS serves all in need, including the uninsured and underserved. In my practice, I work with children, adolescents and adults. My counseling degree is in Pastoral Counseling, which assists me in addressing the psycho-spiritual concerns of my clients. I have also had additional training in play therapy which I use with my young clients. Stuart Brown, MD in his book, Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul, notes, “The act of play itself may be outside of ‘normal’ activities. The result is that we stumble upon new behaviors, thoughts, strategies, movements, or ways of being. We see things in a different way and have fresh insights” (p. 18). Helping clients of all ages to “see things in a different way and have fresh insights” is essential in counseling, doing it through play is pleasurable as well! Recently, after having a session with a couple of preschool age clients, two of our office staff personnel were waiting at my door and stated, “We want play time with Patti too!”, since they had heard the giggles coming from my office. It is a blessing to be on the healing journey with each of my clients. |
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PLC?
By: S. Shirley Gerth PLC stands for Parish Life Coordinator. The simplest way to describe the role of a Parish Life Coordinator is to say that they are basically the pastor of a parish assuming all the responsibilities and duties of a pastor except celebrating Mass and the sacraments. Of course, the title of pastor is not used. A priest moderator is named as the canonical pastor. My moderator lives in Indianapolis. My parish, St. Maurice, is in Napoleon, Indiana. As PLC I plan the sacramental portion and participate in the celebration of the sacraments in some way. I work closely with the Sacramental Minister keeping him informed of all parish happenings. One image I have of a PLC is as a bridge-builder, being the person who connects the sacramental minister with the people. It’s my responsibility to know the names and something about my parishioners and see that the Sacramental Minister knows those things also. I’m presently in my “brick and mortar” stage. Recently we had a mortgage burning service and we built a new parish center. It is a great responsibility to participate, encourage and minister to the people of St. Maurice. It is one I do not take lightly, but enjoy immensely. |
