Love and Presence
Spring/Summer 2024
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A newsletter for and by Associates of the School Sisters of St. Francis |
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WHAT MATTERS MOST
Editor Note:
Every year in February, my husband and I hit the road and head for Florida to escape the worst part of winter. Usually, the drive down is without incident. This time, however, we tangled with a semi-trailer going 70 miles an hour, and the truck won. We went off the road, hit a guardrail, and totaled my car. My husband and I escaped without a scratch.
My first thought was, “God, how could this happen? I had all of these friends praying for my safe travels!” I had a momentary lapse of faith. Waiting for help to arrive, I sat back and realized I was wrong. God blessed me with another chapter in life.
Over the next month, I thought a lot about what had happened. I felt the incident was a nudge from God reminding me of what is important in life. It is not the things I have or the places I’ve been that matter, but rather my relationship with my God and all the people I meet along the way.
With that in mind, in this issue I am highlighting two of our new Associates who I have been given the pleasure of getting to know. Our community certainly attracts some amazing individuals!
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Stacey Gonzalez
Associate since 2023
I joined Associate Relationship in October 2023. Since that time, I've had the pleasure of meeting numerous incredible individuals who share a deep commitment to faith and goodwill. Currently, I'm actively engaged with my area community’s committee tasked with planning and promoting the celebration of the congregation’s 150th anniversary.
What attracts me to the mission of the congregation as an Associate is to always respond to the current needs of the times. My life reflects a commitment to the transformation of society, to promote the role of women in church, and the ever-caring presence for others.
My unique gifts are treating others the way I want to be treated. In this order, that always means treating people with professionalism, equality, mutual respect, and kindness.
My talents are that I am outgoing, and I exhibit a strong sense of belonging and leadership every day I am with patients. I always teach personal growth and educate people about dental health, which also promotes better overall health. I also provide social services, outreach programs and helpful resources for well-being, especially for the powerless and voiceless.
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Alice Hatzenbeller
Associate since 2023
I came to know the School Sisters of St. Francis at Alverno College when I was a weekend college student and involved in the life of the community there. A number of sisters took me under their wings and continued to be my friends and mentors after graduation.
In parish ministry, I worked with a number of School Sisters on committees and in professional organizations in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. We also have attended conferences and workshops together. At Clement Manor, I again had the pleasure of having School Sisters as co-workers, residents, and friends. Now I am serving the retired sisters at Sacred Heart.
Since being at Alverno, I have felt connected to this wonderfully progressive and inspiring group of women. This past year I made the relationship more formal by becoming an associate.
Here are some things to know about me:
- I am the mother of three and the grandmother of seven
- I love to travel! I have been to 50+ countries/islands and more than 30 of the United States
- I have been involved in professional church ministry for almost 40 years
- St. Matthew Parish, Oak Creek - Director of Religious Education and Pastoral Associate
- Clement Manor, Greenfield – Chaplain and Director of Mission and Pastoral Care
- Sacred Heart – Chaplain and Coordinator of Pastoral Care
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I received my Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) degree from Alverno College
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I earned my Master of Pastoral Studies (cum laude) from St. Francis Seminary
- I have earned these certifications:
- One unit of Clinical Pastoral Education - Village at Manor Park Chaplaincy Program
- Spiritual Direction - Mercy Center
- Pastoral Bereavement Counseling - Archdiocese of New York
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With gratitude, I make my LifeTime commitment to the School Sisters of St. Francis , sharing prayer, hospitality, and mission.
I will strive for an ever-deepening relationship to Christ, to the School Sister Community, and to all others with whom I share life and mission.
Statement on SSSF Lifetime Agreements
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Many people have asked for clarification about Associate LifeTime Partnership (formerly called Emeritus). We hope this article helps. LifeTime Partnership is granted to associates who have shown long-term faithfulness to the mission and charism of the School Sisters of St. Francis and to the Gospel values of St. Francis.
LifeTime Partnership is an honor granted to our associates who have been faithful Franciscans and valued partners of the congregation. The conversation for this mutual agreement is either initiated by an Associate Coordinator, or an Associate may ask for this discussion. These conversations typically begin a few months before the time of acceptance and renewal. (Picture above: Associate Pat Essmann' s LifeTime Partnership)
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The ceremony for LifeTime partnership is celebrated at the time of yearly acceptance and renewals, or the Associate Relationship Team may travel to the residence of the LifeTime Partner. If preferred, the ceremony can also be done via phone or Zoom video conference. Special consideration is given to the associate’s current life situations such as health and mobility concerns when deemed necessary.
In an Associate LifeTime Partnership, renewals are no longer necessary. The LifeTime Associate will continue to receive all communications from the Associate Office. Lifetime Partnership does not change the significance of the Associate. (Picture on the right: Associate Georgianne McKenna's LifeTime Parnership)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Associate Relationship office.
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In Memoriam
We remember and pray for our Lay Associates who went to home to God:
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Carol Lemmermann
Became an Associate 2014
Went Home March 10, 2024
Carol M. Lemmermann (nee Schmidtknecht) of Milwaukee, beloved wife of Thomas, mother and mother-in-law to Jeff and Kim (Fox-Lemmermann), and grandmother to Hunter and many dogs, moved on to eternal life peacefully while in her home on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the age of 76.
Carol was born on May 23, 1947, to Arnold and Alice (Kukowski) Schmidtknecht and grew up in Waumandee, Wisconsin with sisters Sister Ramona, Lois (Larson), Ann (Robert) Garrison, and Patricia (PJ) Schmidtknecht-Goodlette; and brothers Donald (Kay), Tom (Betty), and Tony (Marce).
Carol graduated from Arcadia High School in 1965. She moved to Milwaukee where her 56 years of marriage to Tom began in 1968. After working for Master Lock and practicing as a beautician, both professionally and for many friends and relatives, her passion for helping others guided her back to school at Alverno College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree. She earned her master’s degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Ultimately, she became an educator in the Milwaukee Public School system. There, she helped many of the children who needed it most in a number of different Special Education programs.
Carol’s deep religious faith was evident in her everyday life. She was an associate of the School Sisters of St. Francis and an active volunteer at Our Lady of the Angels Convent for sisters with Alzheimer’s. She dedicated many hours cleaning, decorating, and serving as a lay minister at St. Vincent Pallotti, and offered a helping hand wherever she could.
Her motivation to help improve the people, places, and things that surrounded her showed in her gardening and decorating efforts. She created her own reading oasis around their cabin in Hayward, complete with a park bench, flower garden, and rock-bordered walking paths. You could find her there every morning when the weather allowed, reading a book and drinking coffee.
In her nearly 76 years, Carol educated all those around her through her dedication and love for her husband; her exuberance for her son, grandson, and daughter-in-law; and her ability to teach people what to do without telling them what to do. Without a doubt, she cared for anyone who needed caring and was most generous to everyone. Her love will be deeply missed.
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BOOKS OUR FELLOW ASSOCIATES ARE READING
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
In this book, former pro football player and current sports analyst Acho takes on all the questions, large and small, insensitive and taboo, many white Americans are afraid to ask―yet which all Americans need the answers to, now more than ever. With the same open-hearted generosity that has made his video series a phenomenon, Acho explains the vital core of such fraught concepts as white privilege, cultural appropriation, and “reverse racism.” In his own words, he provides a space of compassion and understanding in a discussion that can lack both. He asks only for the reader’s curiosity―but along the way, he will galvanize all of us to join the antiracist fight.
Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle
As a pastor working in a neighborhood with the highest concentration of murderous gang activity in Los Angeles, Gregory Boyle created an organization to provide jobs, job training, and encouragement so that young people could work together and learn the mutual respect that comes from collaboration. Tattoos on the Heart is a breathtaking series of parables distilled from his twenty years in the barrio. Arranged by theme and filled with sparkling humor and glowing generosity, these essays offer a stirring look at how full our lives could be if we could find the joy in loving others and in being loved unconditionally.
Hunger by Roxane Gay
New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay has written with intimacy and sensitivity about food and bodies, using her own emotional and psychological struggles as a means of exploring our shared anxieties over pleasure, consumption, appearance, and health. As a woman who describes her own body as “wildly undisciplined,” Roxane understands the tension between desire and denial, between self-comfort and self-care. In Hunger, she casts an insightful and critical eye on her childhood, teens, and twenties—including the devastating act of violence that acted as a turning point in her young life—and brings readers into the present and the realities, pains, and joys of her daily life.
Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott
In Invisible Child, Pulitzer Prize winner Andrea Elliott follows eight dramatic years in the life of Dasani, a girl whose imagination is as soaring as the skyscrapers near her Brooklyn shelter. In this sweeping narrative, Elliott weaves the story of Dasani’s childhood with the history of her ancestors, tracing their passage from slavery to the Great Migration north. As Dasani comes of age, New York City’s homeless crisis has exploded, deepening the chasm between rich and poor. She must guide her siblings through a world riddled by hunger, violence, racism, drug addiction, and the threat of foster care. Out on the street, Dasani becomes a fierce fighter “to protect those who I love.” When she finally escapes city life to enroll in a boarding school, she faces an impossible question: What if leaving poverty means abandoning your family, and yourself?
Knife by Salman Rushdie
Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, with gravity, with unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature’s capacity to make sense of the unthinkable, an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again.
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
Former First Lady Michelle Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles—the earned wisdom that helps her continue to “become.” She details her most valuable practices, like “starting kind,” “going high,” and assembling a “kitchen table” of trusted friends and mentors. With trademark humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness.
Sisters of the Soul by Kristin A. Fulton
Sisters of the Soul is an epic tale spanning over sixty years in the lives of Elizabeth Dumond, a white woman, and her best friend, Sophie Washington, a slave. As young women, the friends are forced to flee the Sweetbrier Plantation in Louisiana. Their destination is San Francisco. There, Elizabeth gives birth to Rose, a child conceived from rape. A compelling, cinematic story unfolds as Sophie, Elizabeth, and Rose navigate through an unpredictable and sometimes brutal world, ultimately surviving and thriving. Sisters of the Soul touches on themes of redemption and transformation, friendship and love, and of healing a fractured relationship between a mother and her daughter.
Peace and Good Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey, OFM
Father Pat McCloskey, the editor of St. Anthony Messenger magazine, offers this wonderful introduction to the life and teachings of St. Francis, providing daily inspiration and a dose of “peace and good” - a phrase often associated with Francis and his followers.
Each month celebrates a Franciscan theme - such as peace, conversion, prayer, Mary, charity, and service to the poor. For each day, you will find a quote from Francis’ teachings, a suggestion for living as Francis did, and a challenge for growing in faith and practice.
VIDEOS OF INTEREST
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.
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CLOSING
I’d like to end this newsletter with a poem I keep that reminds me why I love sunsets. It is by Kriz Summer.
People ask why she loves sunsets
if they mean that everything
has their end.
But the color of the sun
is what makes her happy.
It reminds her
that whatever happened
the entire day
you can still get
a beautiful thing
in the end.
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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. If there is a particular associate that you would like to highlight, please feel free to let me know. Please forward all ideas and comments to:
Kathleen Kovatovic, Editor
kkovatovic@gmail.com
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