June 24, 2022

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Delegates Begin the Work of General Assembly Our congregation’s 2022 General Assembly is underway! Delegates enjoyed a social evening on Thursday and the assembly officially opened this morning, and will continue through July 6. Delegates have arrived from our four provinces of the United States, North India, South India, and Europe, as well as the ULAF Region. The delegates set future directions for the congregation and elect a new International Leadership Team. The theme of the 2022 General Assembly is “Be Witnesses to God’s Love in the World.” This theme will guide the delegates, particularly in the direction-setting process for the congregation. Most proceedings will be held at Alverno College, with simultaneous interpretation in the three official languages of the congregation. By the end of the General Assembly, through a discernment process, a new International Leadership Team will be elected and will take office later this summer.  The sisters participating in the General Assembly will hear reports from each province and region, from the current International Leadership Team, from financial staff, and several committees. The days will be full of interaction for the sisters in discussions, prayer, and celebrations. Watch for email announcements that will link you to videos of the assembly’s liturgies and presentations.

Sister and Associate Jubilarians Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries

Our community honored U.S. Province sisters and associates celebrating Jubilees in 2022 with a Mass at Alverno College on Saturday, June 11.   More than three dozen sisters were recognized for 85, 80, 75, 70, 60, and 40 years of consecrated life. In addition, four women were honored for 50, 40, and 25 years of Associate Relationship with our congregation.   A festive luncheon for celebrants and their guests followed the Mass. A week earlier, sisters celebrating milestone anniversaries who are residents at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee were honored at a Jubilee Mass and celebratory dinner there on June 3.   Congratulations to all our Jubilarians on these milestone anniversaries of faithfulness and service!

Pastoral Ministry Network’s Final Seminar This July By Sister Jane Elyse Russell

For over 40 years, the School Sisters of St. Francis Pastoral Ministry Network (PMN) has connected and resourced U.S. Province School Sisters serving in a variety of parish and pastoral ministries. As more and more of its members phase out of active ministry, the Network Steering Committee has decided to wrap up network operations with one last seminar and celebration this summer. Most appropriately, the theme of the Tuesday, July 19, gathering is “Stories as Seeds of Hope.”   The theme arose out of a 2019 talk to the International Union of Superiors General by Sister Theresa Maya, CCVI, which our International Leadership Team shared with the community. Sister Maya’s talk highlighted the importance of storytelling, to scatter abroad the seeds of hope in our memories of religious life as lived in the 20th and 21st centuries. In this summer’s seminar, Dr. Diane Millis will lead a process helping our pastoral ministers to harvest some of those stories from our decades of ministry.   The PMN was founded in 1978 after a weeklong Telesis seminar on pastoral ministry at Alverno College, co-planned by Sister Margaret Earley and a committee that included Sister JoAnn Brdecka and other sisters engaged in these ministries. At the end of the seminar, when Margaret asked the group if they wanted a follow-up seminar the next year, the majority felt that “we need to organize ourselves first.”   Those present chose a six-member steering committee, giving birth to the PMN. In August 1978, the steering committee met for the first time, establishing goals and procedures for the network. The following year, 60 sisters attended a one-day network meeting before the U.S. Regional Assembly. Subsequent network seminars, usually one or two days in length, have been offered biannually, planned by the steering committee in even-numbered years.   Examples have included “Women’s Leadership Revisited” (2010), “Francis: The Saint, The Pope, The Franciscan Spirit” (2014), and “Building Bridges Across Cultural Divides” (2018). In 1992, the network began honoring one of its members at each seminar with the JoAnn Brdecka Award for Pioneering in Pastoral Ministry.   The network has also published a newsletter, whose original two to three issues annually have in recent years tapered off to one issue per year.   Network membership was “designed originally for SSSF and Associates employed in ministries of the Word, sacrament and liturgy, pastoral care, spiritual direction and faith-community leadership,” but was later opened to any interested persons. In that spirit, the final seminar and banquet this July will be open to anyone interested, for a nominal registration fee.   Registration brochures were sent to sisters and associates of the U.S. Province in April, to be returned to network Secretary-Treasurer Sister Carol Ann Jaeger by July 1. Please register as soon as possible--we hope you can join us for this special gathering!

Stories as Seeds of Hope By Sister Louise Bernier The Pastoral Ministry Network will gift us with author Dr. Diane Millis as the presenter of “Stories as Seeds of Hope,” the topic for its final seminar on Tuesday, July 19, at Alverno College (see Sister Jane Elyse Russell’s story in this issue.) Dr. Millis is the author of Re-Creating a Life: Learning How to Tell Our Most Life-Giving Story. One of my first questions upon reading that title was, “Am I the person I used to be?” The first section of the book, which focuses on telling a life story, asks me to consider: What is the story that I am telling myself? What is its title? Does it have a fairy tale version? How is it unfolding? This book is not for plot-readers; rather it is a handbook of creative exercises that centers around telling one’s story in part or whole, and it is replete with examples and comments. Although each section provides helpful scenarios for individuals to reflect and create their own life narrative, it is focused on telling and listening to one’s story within a group. To clear the way for this, the first appendix describes ways to create a safe environment for personal storytelling. A later appendix describes the kinds of questions that help the teller and listener to explore the experience in a way that results in more than “yes/no” or “coulda / woulda / shoulda” discussions. It is clear to me that what could be a negative, tombstone-like description of details can become a positive, resurrection experience. This book is not for “sissies,” nor does it create an environment for “psyching out” oneself or others. It creates a platform for sharing ordinary journeys, as well as life-changing and challenging ones. More than the story itself is the actual process of telling the story, and of listening to it. This is where the rubber meets the road and experience becomes redemptive and transformative. New understandings emerge, new connections between events are made, and new bonds are forged. Examples of story prompts from the book include: What experiences are you trying to see more clearly? What stories are you tired of hearing yourself tell? What stories are you wrestling with how to tell? What would you ask and tell your younger self? I may not be able to change the facts, influences, and immediate feelings about my story. However, I can re-understand them, see patterns, and listen for the new story that is unfolding. It is the process that counts. As my place in the world changes, my understanding of my story changes…or does not. Telling my story is like getting a new pair of glasses: The world changes, sight becomes blurry, lenses get dirty. I consider how changes like new cosmology, technology, buried issues like racism becoming un-buried – these all affect how I understand my story in its past, in the present, and better yet, in moving forward. I did not know until second grade that I was not able to see the world to the same level of detail that others had. Seeing differently counts big-time in the experience of storytelling. It is never too late to debrief my story. Going forward as a community, we have been in a storytelling mode for the past several years. As my understanding of community history is enhanced by reading it, what is happening to me as a member? How does listening to the telling of the community story help to move this journey forward? This is an opportunity to view what I have taken for granted, hold cultural assumptions up to view them from different perspectives, and acknowledge and toss away old notions. It seems to me that I can apply the question prompts to my story of being a community member, and even to the very story of the community. What this gives me is the possibility of participating in the communal re-founding of our journey. So my earlier question, “Am I the person I used to be?” is a false question because to answer it as a question stops the journey. It is the process of telling and listening to the story that counts. The continuation of the story keeps the journey in motion. The Japanese concept of kintsugi captures the main thrust of this book. According to the art of kintsugi, an artisan repairs a broken piece of pottery using a type of gold paste. It is an ancient application of recycling, in which the repaired piece is seen and understood to be “better than brand new.” Breakage and repair are simply the history of the piece. Re-Creating a Life: Learning How to Tell Our Most Life-Giving Story, is published by SDI Press. 2019. $14.95, available on Amazon and elsewhere.

Beer Garden Makes a Joyful Return By Abigail Springsteen, Communications Intern Sisters, associates, staff, and friends of the community were brimming with excitement for the return of the Sister Water Beer Garden last Saturday. This was the first in-person event on the St. Joseph Center grounds since 2019. While the drive-thru beer gardens in 2020 and 2021 were very successful fundraisers, the Mission Advancement Office was looking forward to being able to offer a fun and safe in-person event that would allow our sisters to once again interact with the wider community. Happily, the event was worth the wait! Hundreds of guests of all ages came to the St. Joseph Center garden to enjoy a beautiful summer evening filled with live music, delicious food, outdoor games, and of course, some refreshing beverages. The “Ale Mary” and “Our Lager” beers were popular once again, as were the root beer and wine options. “It was exciting to see people be back in our garden,” said Kelly Nowakowski, the event coordinator. “I especially enjoyed seeing the smiles on the sisters' faces as they got to visit with new and old friends.”

The many unknowns that come with any construction project presented challenges in planning the event, but on the day of the gathering, Kelly and her team made sure that getting to and from the garden was as safe and easy as possible. With the help of the St. Joseph Center construction team, campus security, and God ensuring that the weather cooperated, everything went smoothly. The band, Hot Off the Grill, kept the audience dancing and singing along throughout the evening. Along with being wonderfully talented and entertaining musicians, their friendly and engaging presentation was much appreciated by everyone in attendance. Proceeds from the Sister Water Beer Garden will go to fund ministries that help our sisters to care for the earth while they are caring for others. These include much-needed projects like solar energy installations, borewells and filtration systems for clean water, and biogas generators. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and the enthusiastic support of our participants, the beer garden has already generated more than $21,600, with donations continuing to come in.  “The highlight for me was seeing all of the smiling faces,” Kelly said. “It was especially great to see everyone who came back in-person this year after being a drive-thru supporter for the past two years.” We hope that these attendees, and many more supporters, will return on Sunday, September 11, for our in-person Oktoberfest and fall festival. Watch for details about this fun outdoor event coming later in the summer.

Lakefront Walk Benefits Capuchins’ Hunger Ministries Sisters, associates, staff, and friends of the community joined the School Sisters of St. Francis team for the Capuchins’ Walk for the Hungry at Polish Fest on Friday, June 10. Participants had a beautiful evening for the two-mile walk along Milwaukee’s lakeshore.   The funds raised will support the Capuchins’ ministries to help people who are hungry and homeless through the St. Ben’s Community Meal Program and the House of Peace. Thanks to all of this year’s participants and supporters!

Father Dan Horan Spotlights the Franciscan Charism By Katie Love, Communications Assistant

On May 17, the School Sisters of St. Francis’ Sponsored Ministries and Associate Relationship offices welcomed Father Dan Horan, OFM, for his presentation “The Stories That We Tell: Franciscan Charism and the Challenges of our Time” at Alverno College. Father Dan, a professor and the director of the Center for Spirituality at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, focused on the importance of storytelling in Christianity, the narrative quality of the Franciscan tradition, and how the Franciscan charism is relevant to the challenges we face today.  Sisters, associates, sponsored ministries representatives, and members of other communities were inspired by his presentation and had opportunities for deep table discussion about what they learned.

Movin’ 4 Missions Tops $70,000 in Donations In our last issue of U.S. News, we shared the preliminary report that donations to the Movin’ 4 Missions step challenge fundraiser had topped $41,000, exceeding the Mission Advancement Office’s stretch goal.

Now, we have even better news! In the weeks since the stepping stopped, donations have continued to come in. The Mission Advancement team is excited to share that the month-long fundraiser has now brought in more than $70,800 to support our sisters’ ministries in education, social justice, care of our retired sisters, and other funded ministries! Thank you again to the sisters, associates, staff, and friends of the community whose steps and support made these record-setting results possible!

Pieces of Poland’s Arts Heritage By Valerie J. Christell, Gallery Director and Curator of Collections Milwaukee recently celebrated Polish Fest, bringing the arts and history of Poland to visitors through their music, dance, and crafts. Wycinanki (vee-chee-non-kee), the word for Polish paper cut designs, were proudly displayed in one of the festival’s cultural heritage tents.

We’re pleased that our Generalate Art Collection holds several examples of this unique craft that claim a place in the world’s artistic heritage. The origin of these paper cut-outs is thought to trace back to the 1800s as a Polish folk tradition of cutting designs into bark, leather, and sheepskin. They later moved to paper cuttings, which they pasted to their walls and roof beams to decorate their homes. Color designs came about when advances in the dye industry enabled the production of shiny, colored paper. Two styles of these hand-made wycinanki originated in two districts in Poland. The Kurpie cutting is a single-fold symmetrical design cut from a single sheet of paper with trees and flowers being the most popular motif. The Lowicz style uses layers of brightly colored paper.  Both of these designs, made of stylized flowers and birds, are filled with the energy and brightness typical of Poland’s arts. Their unique style of repetitive shapes and circles within circles is reflected in traditional folk dance costumes.

The circular shape of Polish cut-outs is also reflected in the moments when dancers “spin and twirl,” as seen in the stop-action photo of dancers. The specially designed skirts for this national dance form a cup at the bottom, emphasizing their design’s edge in a distinctive way. The inventory of School Sisters of St. Francis’ art collection aims to capture the arts heritage of our community that, like Poland’s art forms, is also unique. As part of our collection, these wycinanki will soon be hanging in the Chapel Garden Apartments when they open later this year. In the meantime, please stop by the Sister Art Sale on Wednesdays between 12 – 3 p.m. where we’re offering sisters’ beautiful artwork at “family” prices, hoping they’ll be chosen to brighten personal spaces.

Dates to Remember General Assembly June 24 - July 6 Alverno College   General Assembly Mass of the Holy Spirit July 1, 10 a.m. St. Joseph Chapel   General Assembly Solemn Vespers July 4, 7 p.m. St. Joseph Chapel   New International Leadership Team Welcome Mass July 10, 9 a.m. St. Joseph Chapel   Pastoral Ministry Network Seminar July 19 Alverno College   Provincial Assembly July 21-23 Alverno College   Associate Relationship 50th Anniversary Celebration July 23, 9 a.m. Alverno College   Sister Art Sale Wednesdays 12:00-3:00 p.m. Sacred Heart, Room #40