INTERCOM A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER BY THE SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS, CLINTON, IOWA

The day will include updates, future planning, and time to socialize. Please bring your

Chapter 2012 Report Booklet with you to this gathering.

Community Days - July 12 to 14

COMMUNITY DAYS AT THE CANTICLE

Friday 4:30pm Appreciation Dinner in honor of Sallyann McCarthy

9:00am Opening Prayer & Introductions Saturday

9:30am Initial Discernment Report

9:45am Center of Active Nonviolence Report

10:15am Franciscan Peace Connection Report

10:30am Break

11:00am Wisdom Circle Discussion

12:00pm Lunch

1:15pm Working Team Introductions

2:00pm Closing Prayer, Celebrating Transitions

(working teams will continue their work after this prayer)

4:30pm Supper

6:00pm Evening Prayer and Rite of Welcome for Emily Brabham

Followed by ice cream social in dining room

8:30am Business Meeting for Vowed Members (sisters only) in

Activity Room

Sunday

9:30am Morning Prayer followed by brunch

11:00am Mass

optional 1:00pm Presentation by Marilyn Huegerich and Diana Hughes

about update on “Caroline Cambron Warren & Beyond”

in Activity Room

optional 2:30pm Open House at House on the Hill and 13th Street House

4:00pm Dinner

7:00pm Evening Prayer and Opening of Retreat - Chapel

Retreat Information -

July 14 to 19

The Evangelical Life Retreat will be

led by Andre Cirino OFM and Ann

Bremmer OSF.

Commissioning - July 19 Commissioning will begin at 3:30pm at

The Canticle for Sisters, Sojourners, and

Associates as they celebrate the call to

Franciscanism. Commissioning will

include the Sojourner Relationship Rite

of Covenant for Connie Beck, Gail

Burkamper, Julie Ferraro, and Ellen

Zethmayr-Lolakos. A picnic supper will

follow in the dining room at 5:00pm.

Commissioning at The Alverno will begin

at 2:00pm.

All Sisters, Sojourners, and Associates are expected and

are welcome. Please plan to attend.

Sunday

7:00pm Introduction to Retreat

Night Prayer

Monday - Thursday

9:00am Morning Prayer

Input - co presenting

12:00pm Lunch

4:00pm Eucharist

5:00pm Supper

7:00pm Sharing and Night Pr.

Friday

9:00am Morning Prayer

Input - co presenting

11:00am Closing Eucharist

12:00pm Lunch

P A G E 2

Upcoming Events

June 24: Responsible Gun Ownership Group July 13: Community Day at The Canticle

June 29: Café on Vine Party for Volunteers July 14-19: Summer Retreat at The Canticle

June 29: Dream for All Immigration Rally July 19: Commissioning at The Canticle & The Alverno

July 13: Festival d’Ete July 20: Jubilee and Profession of Final Vows

Development Report Development is working to finalize this fundraising year since this is the last month of the fiscal

period, and is planning for a new year starting July 1 with new dollar and program goals. The

Development Office has been blessed this year in spite of my injury and Sister Anne Martin

Phelan’s move to the president’s office. I will give an updated report at the community meetings in

July.

Amanda Eberhart, a new full-time employee (see below), will be assisting me in Development with

office and computer support. I am grateful for her help.

Please continue to remember our donors, living and deceased, in prayer.~ Sister Mary Ann Phelan

June 30

Day of Communion

We are enjoying the

longest days of the year.

“The fire that is in the sun,

the fire which is in the

earth, that fire is in my own

heart.” Maitre Upanishad

Let us be in communion

with the fire in the sun, in

the earth, in our own

hearts, and in the heart of

God.

Honoring Sallyann McCarthy As part of the July Community Days, we are planning to honor Sallyann McCarthy for her

26 years of dedication to the mission of the sisters through her roles as Secretary to the

President, Director of Communications, Co-coordinator for the Center for Active

Nonviolence, mentor, and friend to us all.

Friday, July 12 4:30pm - 6:00pm

Appreciation Dinner in The Canticle Dining Room

Sallyann and Bob McCarthy have been Associates for the past 12 years.

Amanda Eberhart joined the staff of the Administration Office on

June 10 as Office Manager. Many of us already know Amanda for her

work with the sisters and their computers at The Canticle, classes on

e-mail and Facebook, as well as her desktop publishing savvy on the

INTERCOM. “Amanda is an excellent fit for this office. She has both

an independent nature and a pleasant, cooperative presence needed

to work in an office that serves our Clinton Franciscan family living

next door and in other states,” said Kate Marlowe. Amanda lives in

Clinton, and previously worked as a business teacher for seven years

in the Northeast Community School District. Welcome, Amanda! Amanda Eberhart

New Office Manager at Administration Building

P A G E 3

In-house Jubilee Celebration

The in-house Jubilee celebration took place June 6th at

The Canticle. Sister Jane McCarthy was heralded for 60

years with the Clinton Franciscans, while Sisters Eileen

Golby, Ruth E. Westmoreland, and Jeanne d’Arc Untz

were honored for their 50 years. In addition, Eleanore

Kilcoyne celebrated 25 years as an Associate.

Sister Anne Martin Phelan offered a reflection during

Mass, highlighting the Gospel, “love one another."

Following dinner, several sisters took to the podium to relate

anecdotes about the jubilarians over the years.

Fr. Joe Nguyen of Prince of Peace Parish presided at the Mass.

He was thanked and presented with a gift from the sisters for

being so helpful during his time at the parish. Fr. Joe leaves

Clinton this summer for his new assignment in Davenport, IA. He

celebrated Mass at The Canticle for the last time on June 23rd.

Sr. Jeanne d’Arc Untz, Sr. Jane McCarthy, Associate Eleanore Kilcoyne,

Sr. Eileen Golby, and Sr. Ruth E. Westmoreland with Fr. Joe Nguyen.

Sisters to Celebrate Milestones On Saturday, July 20, six sisters will celebrate Jubilee with a Mass at Prince of Peace Catholic Church at 10:30am. Also at this Mass,

Sisters Janet Ryan and Sarah Martz will make their Perpetual Professions. Congratulations to:

Sister Sarah Martz as she

makes Perpetual Profession.

Sister Ann Martinek as she

celebrates 60 years of

religious life.

Sister Jane McCarthy as

she celebrates 60 years of

religious life.

Sister Eileen Golby as she

celebrates 50 years of

religious life.

Sister Ruth E. Westmoreland

as she celebrates 50 years of

religious life.

Sister Jeanne d’Arc Untz

as she celebrates 50 years

of religious life.

Sister Janet Ryan as she

makes Perpetual Profession.

Sister Joyce Zarnik as she

celebrates 50 years of

religious life.

Sisters at The Alverno

Joan Lord, niece of Sister

Rose Griffin and Sister

Bea Griffin, visited from

California in June.

Sister Mel McMillan is recovering from a

serious fall. She is doing well.

P A G E 4

CENTER FOR ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE

Community Garden

The community garden began its second year of operation by selling out all 42

plots. Some were rented by area churches in order to raise produce for food

pantries here in Clinton. Some, like Edith Pfeffer, in the second photo, were

rented when she moved to a different home and did not have the space for

gardening. One of her plots is dedicated solely to attracting butterflies. “You

have to have color to make the butterflies come,” Pfeffer advised. Pfeffer, who

like Sister Mary Ann Phelan, is a member of Clinton Trees Forever, has other

plots for vegetables as well. In addition to the 42 plots, there are six

designated for children in summer camp to use and another six used for

demonstration.

The raised beds seen behind Pfeffer and the sign structure in the top photo

were Eagle Scout projects done by Cyrus Colah of Clinton High School and

Ethan Ford of Prince of Peace High School.

Community Health Center Project

The Center is working on coordinating city leaders to develop a community

health center in Clinton to meet the medical needs of the poor. Senator Tom

Harkin has secured Federal funding to build the facility through the Affordable

Care Act. His office urged the sisters to become involved after difficulty in

finding an appropriate site for the project stalled further planning. Working with

a Davenport, Iowa community health care organization and Mercy Medical

Center, the next steps are to secure a location and initial funding for

operational costs.

Stop Trafficking Newsletter

The Sisters of St. Francis have recently become a supportive sponsor of the

Stop Trafficking monthly newsletter. According to their website (http://

www.stopenslavement.org/index.html), Stop Trafficking! serves as a forum for

exchange among religious congregations and their collaborating organizations

to: promote awareness of human trafficking, exchange best practices in

advocacy for and empowerment of survivors of human trafficking, and

recommend actions to counter human trafficking.

The Sisters of St. Francis in Clinton, Iowa are seeking a full-time Coordinator for the Center of Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking

(CANV). The Center was created in 2001 as a means for integrating Franciscan spirituality with our mission of promoting active

nonviolence and peacemaking, as well as advocating for social justice issues and care for the earth. The Coordinator of Franciscan

Spirituality would be one of a team of three, who collaborate to develop projects, marketing and the spirituality aspects of the CANV.

The coordinator will need to have an understanding and experience in Franciscan spirituality as well as an awareness and interest in

social justice issues. Experience in spiritual direction and retreat planning would also be important to this position. A job description

will be provided to those who are interested.

If interested, provide a resume and references to: annemartin@clintonfranciscans.com

Anne Martin Phelan OSF Sisters of St. Francis 843 Thirteenth Ave North Clinton, Iowa 52732 563-242-7611

P A G E 5

Day of Communion

River City Living Magazine Feature

River City Living Magazine featured The Canticle and the Center for Active Nonviolence in its

early June issue. A copy is on file at the Administration Office.

Earth as Our Home

Laura Anderson represents the congregation in Catholic Sisters for a Healthy Earth - an

Intercongregational committee working on environmental issues. The group is currently

working on a booklet entitled “Earth as Our Home.” The publication offers reflections on various

rooms of a house, placing each room and its activities into the broader context of our

Earth-home. The cover of the booklet is pictured to the left.

Covering Ground to Ground the Drones

Peace worker, Kathy Kelly and other members of CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE spoke at The

Canticle June 8 regarding the use of drones, the U.S. military’s unmanned aircraft. She told

personal stories of Afghan families she has met, whose relatives have been killed or maimed

in U.S. piloted drone strikes. Kathy also revealed that the United States intends to continue its

intervention in what she called “Pipeline-istan”: the rich reserves of natural gas and fossil fuels

near the Caspian Sea, which the U.S. fears may fall into the hands of China, Russia, or Iran.

Other members of the Creative Nonviolence team, Maya Evans of Great Britain and Brian

Terrell of Maloy, Iowa, spoke about British drones and told the story of a particular drone

strike that mistakenly targeted a vehicle holding women and children.

Creative Nonviolence was in Iowa to lead a 190 mile walk, “Covering Ground to Ground

the Drones.” The walk began June 10 in the Rock Island, Illinois arsenal, where drone and

bomb parts are stored. Walkers crossed the Mississippi River to begin the thirteen day trek,

ending June 23 at the Iowa Air National Guard Base in Des Moines, which is the planned site

of a new drone command post. In Des Moines the peace walk ended with a rally to protest

the establishment of this new drone command post in our state.

Kathy Kelly extended her gratitude to the Sisters of St. Francis for being able to begin the ‘Ground-the-Drones’ walk here in Clinton,

with women “who live simply and work for peace.”

Chamber Leadership Institute

Laura Anderson is a 2013 graduate of the Clinton Area

Chamber of Commerce Leadership Institute. The year-long

program trains emerging city leaders and provides an

opportunity to work on a team to complete a project to benefit

the local community. Pictured is Laura Anderson (far right) with

other members of the 2013 Chamber Leadership class.

Erin Meyermann, a past graduate, now serves on the

Leadership Institute Planning Committee. She assists in

organizing and directing the Institute classes.

Kathy Kelly speaks at the “Covering Ground to Ground the Drones” presentation.

P A G E 6

Our prayers are requested for the repose of the souls of:

Bob Jones, friend of Western Associate Bob Ketelsen

Bill Quinn, husband of Rita (Buckley) Quinn, formerly Sister Mary Ronalda

Ronald Blume, cousin of Sister Teresa Kunkel

Judy Smith, sister-in-law of the late Sister Mary Smith

Raphael Pisarik, father of Terese Pisarik, formerly Sister Martin de Porres

Sojourner Relationship Rite of Covenant - July 19 Any Christian man or woman of 21 or older, who desires to deepen his/her spiritual life may begin

a formal process to become a Sojourner. Currently the Clinton Franciscan Sojourners:are: Julie

Fawley, Diana Hughes, Rosie McCoy, Pat Keys, Lou and Gabriela Egging, and Jack Harris.

The sisters are pleased to announce that the group of Sojourners will increase by four in July.

These four women have completed the process and will be welcomed into the Clinton Franciscan

family as Sojourners on July 19 during the Commissioning ceremony.

Connie Beck has been helpful to the Community Garden in Clinton, as well as other Sustainable

Clinton projects. Professionally, Connie is part of the Pastoral team at Mercy Medical Center and

recently became an employee of L’Arche in Clinton.

Gail Burkamper has attended many retreats at The Canticle. She lives in Iowa and has one son

and two grandchildren. Gail became acquainted with the Sisters of St. Francis when she

volunteered at Café on Vine in Davenport, Iowa, with Sister Ruth E. Westmoreland and Sojourner

Pat Keys. Professionally, Gail is a caregiver who does in-home care for seniors.

Julie Ferraro was working with Sister LaVern Olberding in San Diego, California while

volunteering for the Franciscan brothers of Santa Barbara Province at Mission San Luis Rey,

where she was in charge of their volunteer program and helped to organize the mission artifacts.

When the brothers decided to dissolve the program, Julie flew to Iowa to learn more about Sister

LaVern’s congregation. After spending three weeks at The Canticle, she decided to return. She is

living at The Canticle and working at the administrative office as Coordinator of Volunteers, as

well as scanning and cataloging all photographs to the computer. Laura Anderson states, “Julie’s

enthusiasm, cheerful demeanor, and get-it-done attitude have made her a real asset. She is

ready to help out whenever and wherever needed - we are blessed!”

Ellen Zethmayr-Lolakos has been an Associate in the Chicago Region with the Sisters of

St. Francis since 1999. She is a former Clinton Franciscan Sister and was a teacher for many

years. An accomplished musician, she and her late husband wrote and published several

musicals. She has attended many retreats given at The Canticle.

Ellen Zethmayr-Lolakos

Julie Ferraro

Connie Beck , center

Gail Burkamper

Please bring to the Canticle some photos that you have of you in your ministry. These

will be scanned and returned to you. If you have other photos (family and childhood)

that you would like to have placed in our archive-photo files, please bring those too.

Pilgrimage to Assisi

In preparation for Perpetual Profession next month, Sisters Janet Ryan and Sarah Martz

made a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy, the birthplace of St. Francis.

Sister Janet Ryan commented, “The pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome was awesome! I’m so grateful to our community for sending Sarah and me. It was wonderful to discover and linger in the spaces that Francis and Clare spent much of their lives. I especially liked the rural areas of LaVerna, Carceri, and Greccio. Francis had a deep love for nature and chose the most beautiful mountains in which to pray. It’s no wonder

he composed the Canticle of the Creatures! I am taking away with me a deeper appreciation of the faith, perseverance, and struggles/suffering Clare and Francis experienced in their lives and a desire to look at

how I am called to live and embrace ‘Lady Poverty’.”

Sister Sarah Martz stated, “I am overwhelmed by the sheer gift that the pilgrimage has been to me. I was deeply touched each day by the sacredness of the various sanctuaries we visited, and also by the knowledge that so many people were holding us in prayer as we went about our journey. The experience of literally walking in the footsteps of Francis and Clare reaffirmed for me that I truly feel called to religious life as a Franciscan. I arrived in Assisi as a stranger but left feeling like it was

home.”

Sisters Janet and Sarah will make Perpetual

Profession July 20.

Golby Travels to KY

P A G E 7

Pictured: Sister Charlotte, a Felician Sister from New Jersey and one of the 21 pilgrims on this trip, is shown walking with Sister Sarah (left) and Sister Janet and pilgrim Susan (above).

Fun Foto Friday is a new feature on the Sisters of

St. Francis Facebook page that has been getting lots of

attention. Each Friday, a vintage photo of a Clinton

Franciscan is posted and friends are invited to guess

the identity of the subject. The most recent photo of

Sister Eileen Golby (right) was viewed by 1,000 people.

If you are a Facebook member, see Fun Foto Fridays

each Friday to join the conversation, and be sure to

“share” the photo on your page and broaden the scope

of those learning about the Sisters of St. Francis. Visit:

http://www.facebook.com/sistersofstfrancisclintonia

Sisters Sarah Martz & Janet Ryan

Like Us On Facebook!

Father John Moriarty, Sister Eileen Golby, and Father Wil Fraenzle. Sister Eileen worked with

both at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

On May 30, Sister Eileen Golby returned to

Kentucky where she had lived and worked

for 21 years before being elected to

leadership and moving to Clinton. Her

former diocese was celebrating its

25th anniversary and she attended the

weekend celebrations in Lexington.

Father John Moriarty, Sister Eileen Golby, and Father Wil Fraenzle. Sister Eileen worked with

both at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Nuns on the Bus

Nuns on the Bus finished its tour of 15 states this month, ending in California,

where Clinton Franciscan Mary Lou Carlson joined the group to travel to

Friendship Park. The Nuns on the Bus group is hoping to urge elected officials to

support the dignity of all families and workers by supporting immigration reform.

Opportunities to speak were planned at stops in 40 cities beginning on the east

coast and moving south and west to California.

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean

in San Diego, Friendship Park

sits on the U.S. and Mexico

border and allows the public to

see family and friends at

designated times. “There is a

fence on the Mexican border

and a mammoth fence on the

US border. In between is the

park that took years to

accomplish. There were two helicopters hovering over the area looking for people,”

states Sister Mary Lou. “It was a meaningful experience hearing the stories of the

‘Border Angels’ and the speeches by various Nuns on the Bus.” Sister Mary Lou Carlson stands in front of the gate.

A representative from Border Angels speaks to the group. Border Angels is a non-profit organization supporting humanity. The organization consists of extraordinary volunteers who want to stop unnecessary deaths of individuals traveling through the Imperial Valley desert areas and the mountain areas surrounding San Diego County, as well as the areas located around the US and Mexican border. (from http://borderangels.org)

Canticle Activities Rose Judge, sister of Sister Theresa Judge, led a rug weaving lesson in

The Canticle’s activity room on June 7. Several sisters joined in on the

fun, including Sisters Hilary Mullany & Pauline Logsdon shown at the left.

Strawberries were also picked and cut during June. Sister Mary Francis

Burke, right, prepares strawberries for jellies, jams, pies, and the freezer.

Transplanted Burr Oak Trees

Sisters of St. Francis 843 13th Avenue North Clinton, Iowa 52732 (563) 242-7611 www.clintonfranciscans.com

In spite of much watering, loving care, and prayer, our three

Burr Oak trees transplanted from Canticle property to replace

the original Burr Oak did not survive. A small Burr Oak from a

nursery will be planted there instead.

The original Burr Oak was described by Conservation Design

Forum in 1996 as a “Champion Oak Tree” that, based on its

size, probably dated back to the time of European settlement. It

was believed to be a stump sprout that grew up after the early

pioneers cut the parent tree. The report also stated it had been

hit by lightning, which apparently caused weakness and a

portion to fall off in 2010. A few days later, a storm pulled the

remaining portion down and the tree was lost.