Love and Presence - 2023 Fall/Winter Issue

Love and Presence

Fall/Winter 2023

A newsletter for and by Associates of the School Sisters of St. Francis

I AM GRATEFUL

Editor Note:

I recently came across a reflection by Father Travis Crowe, S.J. In it, he was ruminating about the change of seasons and how God is with us through all changes.

He pointed out that St. Ignatius of Loyola invites us to see the presence of God in our lives each day through the practice of the Examen prayer. Well, I am sorry to say I was not familiar with this prayer, so I Googled it!

The Examen prayer is a Christian practice that involves reflecting on the events of the day to detect God's presence and direction. The prayer originated in 1522 when St. Ignatius began writing the Spiritual Exercises. The Examen is also known as the "Examination of Conscience."

Here are some steps for practicing the Examen prayer:

Become aware of God's presence.
Review the day with gratitude.
Pay attention to your emotions.
Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
Look toward tomorrow.
Pray for the grace to understand how God is acting in your life.
Reflect on what you did, said, or thought in specific moments.

Father Crowe suggests one way of seeing this prayer is: How might we be able to find five things we are grateful for each day and give thanks to God, talking to him as a friend? Examples can be as simple as the scent of a candle, the warmth of the morning sun, and the love of family and friends.

This is something I needed to hear. I know that I do not tell God often enough how grateful I am for all I have been blessed with as I journey through life.

What might be some of those things you are grateful for today?

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Layers of My Life

By Associate Jude Schubert, Associate since 2021

I am a fairly new associate, having just completed my two-year renewal. I have, however, been peeking through the School Sister of St. Francis Associate lens for about five years.

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Reflections on Doing Life

By Christina Lucchesi, Associate since 2014

I became aware of the School Sisters of St. Francis Associate Relationship after visiting the motherhouse for a Fall fundraiser. I picked up a copy of Alive magazine, and I read an article about Associate Relationship. While I was at the fundraiser, I sensed a powerful energy of accomplishment and drive among the sisters. I was determined to find out more and to become a part of it.

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Associate Presence at Work

In Illinois:

August 19, 2023: Several Gubbio Associates and Sisters had an opportunity to spend the day with Associate Jan Cosmos as she shared her enlightening workshop “Journey from the Big Bang to the Cave of Chauvet.” She took the group on a journey of encounter and transformation from the Big Bang and our cosmic heritage to the discovery of cave art produced by our ancestors in France over 37,000 years ago. Jan made the words “Flaring Forth of Making New” come alive with her visuals and research. It was an amazing day. (Jan Benson)

In Wisconsin:

July 22, 2023: Twenty-one Associates and Sisters attended a workshop led by Sister Jo Ann Miller. The subject was the “Uniqueness of You- Become More Consciously Competent.” During the morning, we explored our strengths through the use of the Clifton Strengths Assessment. The session was designed to strengthen personal awareness as well as help one increase understanding of one’s own natural talents.

In Memoriam

We remember and pray for our Lay Associates who went to home to God:

Rheta R. Zellner

Became an Associate 1987

Went Home March 21, 2023

On March 21, 2023, we lost an Associate, Rheta R. Zellner. Rheta was an elementary school teacher at St. Bridget Catholic School in Loves Park and St. Edward Catholic School in Rockford starting in the 1960s. Upon the completion of her teaching career, she assumed the role of religious education director at St. Edward. In retirement, Rheta purchased her home in south Rockford and started teaching ceramics to adult learners.

Rheta’s faith was an integral part of her life. She became an Associate of the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1987. Her dear friend, Sister Mary Laudet, was instrumental in her association with the Sisters from Wisconsin.

BOOKS OUR FELLOW ASSOCIATES ARE READING

Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

The book begins in 1900, as a 12-year-old girl in what is now the state of Kerala, in southwest India, prepares for an unwanted arranged marriage. It ends in 1977, when that girl’s physician granddaughter arrives at a shocking discovery. The family are Indian Christians, descendants of those who were converted by St. Thomas in the first century A.D. They lead tough but often joyful lives, and they gradually make their way up in the world despite impossible-looking challenges. A plot synopsis would take a hundred pages and spoil the fun, but let it be known that this family loves and suffers in a cavalcade of ways.

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

A national bestseller that first appeared in 1963, this book consists of two letters written on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation that exhort Americans, both black and white, to attack the legacy of racism. Described by the New York Times Book Review as “sermon, ultimatum, confession, deposition, testament and chronicle…all presenting in searing brilliant prose,” Baldwin’s masterwork stands as a classic of our literature and as urgent today as when it was written.

Devotions From the Garden: Finding Peace and Rest from Your Hurried Life by Miriam Drennan

Is the garden your happy place? Does gardening give you peace? Devotions from the Garden takes you to that place where dewdrops settle and butterflies gather to witness the miracles of God's creation bloom and grow.

Surviving the Forest by Aviva Geffen

Surviving the Forest is a powerful tribute to love and resilience, and the captivating account of a woman’s strength. Based on a true story, it is an account of how Jewish groups survived persecution by Nazis in World War II Poland.

Three Sisters: A Holocaust Story of Love, Luck and Survival by Celia Clement

This story of resiliency and courage will inspire and uplift. By reading Three Sisters, a testament to the human spirit, you will bear witness, and in so doing, keep the memories of the Holocaust alive. As Elie Wiesel wrote, “When you listen to a witness, you become a witness.”

Mother M. Clemens Rudolph: Launching Renewal, 1960-1966 by Sister Barbaralie Steifermann

Mother Clemens Rudolph was a remarkable woman known for her humility, gentleness, and kindness. She served as president of the School Sisters of St. Francis, an international congregation of nearly 4,000 members, from 1960-1966. Those were turbulent years for the country and for the Catholic Church, as it undertook the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

VIDEOS OF INTEREST

Exploring Intersections. Catholic Sisters on Racism, Migration and Climate

Each month, this collaborative project of LCWR Region 10 focus on a social issue and explore how it intersects with racism, migration and climate in a thought-provoking and engaging conversation. Each panelist offers unique perspectives, notable achievements and invaluable insight on their particular topic.

WEBSITES OF INTEREST

Leadership Collaborative. The Leadership Collaborative was birthed to harness the energy of the amazing leadership capacity of women religious and associates.

CLOSING

In closing, I would like to leave you with a poem sent to me by Associate Nancy Kline:

New Beginnings

Growth is change

Transformative

Leaving the debris of yesterday

Like clay we mold and shape

Rethinking the design again and again

Colors don’t blend, the familiar gone, new sights and sounds

Autistic at times

Hypersensitive

Baby new

Crawling

Walking

Creating

Creating and letting go

All new

Yet another and another and another transformation

Seeming unending

Feeling our way

Safety net gone

Like the trapeze artist letting go of the swing

If the timing is right

Stretching out his arm

Embracing the next ride

Without asking time to stop

He grabs the bar

Trusting the flight

Landing safe and secure

Over and over again

That is change, transformation

Growth in segments of trust and faith

One step forward then back one then 2 steps forward and back one

And so on and so on

Building connection, the journey goes on

Transformation

Change

An awakening

Body, mind, spirit

Becoming one

Nancy writes: “The poem New Beginnings was written after one of the therapy groups that I am facilitator for. We have been working on transformation and change...that the act of change, which is transformation, leaves in its path the debris of old behavior that must be dealt with. The difficulty with change/transformation is leaving the known behavior that we are comfortable with for the unknown and unfamiliar, which leaves us vulnerable.”

I would like to thank all of those individuals who contributed to this newsletter. This is a platform for Associates and I welcome any ideas for upcoming editions. Please forward all ideas and comments to me at kkovatovic@gmail.com.

Editor: Associate Kathleen Kovatovic