Missionary Benedictine Sisters Winter 2015 1 Norfolk ... · Missionary Benedictine Sisters Winter...

Missionary Benedictine Sisters Winter 2015 1

Norfolk Priory—Winter 2015


From the Prioress’ Desk

“My heart is ready, O God; my heart is ready. I will sing, I will sing your praise. Awake, my soul! Awake lyre and harp! I will awake the dawn”. Ps 57.8-9

The year 2016 is still at its dawn when this newsletter will be published. This art to Psalm 57 from Sieger Koeder is on my new calendar for January 2016. This Psalm in its first part speaks about the danger and calamity and the psalmist prays; “God, have mercy…. They led down a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. With the closing of 2015 that has seen worldwide a lot of dangers and calamities, we look forward to the new year with the same trust of the psalmist. Here in the picture a person is depicted playing a mandolin and sitting on the top of a mountain. The warm colors of the rising sun surround him. A net is lying at his feet. Hardly freed from enmeshment and entanglement the person raises his voice to a song. His eyes are looking up, as he would descry something in heaven.

The person in this psalm sings about his freedom, but still sees it’s being caught be a net. What is still keeping us in the net of the past?

As we are at the dawn of a new year, we also can pray with this psalm and putting our trust in God who has given us the new year like a new day. We have so much to thank God for what have been and what God gives us day by day. We are not free from danger and entanglement. There will always be nets that want to enmesh us and our world. But we are freed by Jesus Christ.

Here at the picture, the psalmist who was despaired, meets God, opens his heart with a song to praise God. We can like the psalmist who overcame despair and sadness and encouraged himself singing: “My heart is ready, O God. Awake lyre and harp! I will awake the dawn.”

May this dawning year 2016 bring us all closer to God. May we experience God’s mercy and love day by day.

Sr. Pia Portmann

Sr. Pia Portman, OSB


“Suscipe Me” - By Sr. Madeleine, OSB

On October 24th, Sister Fidelis Marie and I were blessed to make our Final Monastic Profession as Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing. After five grace-filled years as Juniors we processed into our chapel with hearts full of gratitude on that bright Saturday afternoon. It filled my spirit with great awe, joy and hope as we laid our profession cards on the altar in the moment of total surrender. The day of our Final Profession really began the night before with the vigil with a conference and the mandatum (foot washing) by Sr. Pia, our Prioress and Junior

Directress. This moment reminded me of God’s great love for me and call to serve Him with a humble spirit. In her conference, Sr. Pia challenged us to “make the ‘suscipe me’ your daily prayer that you can go forth and be faithful to your call and to the mission that will be given to you.” We left the chapter room that night eager to prepare our hearts for the ultimate moment.

The next morning, we were awakened by the joyful voices of our Sisters in the hallway calling us to rise and walk forward in faith. A few short hours later, surrounded by our Sisters, friends, and family; we began the Mass with Final Profession. Abbot Gregory Polan from Conception Abbey was our main celebrant, assisted by eleven other priests - many of whom were my close friends. As Sr. Inviolata and our Brother Damian from Schuyler chanted the Litany of the Saints while we prostrated, I was overcome with gratitude.

In the months before Final Profession, we completed our program of intensification. That gave us the opportunity to pray, learn, and reflect. Sr. Pia and many other Sisters gave us informative classes that deepened our understanding of our vocation and mission. Before this, we both spent time overseas on Mission Exposure. I loved the three months I spent with our Sisters in Olinda, Brazil and will be forever grateful to all I learned from them. These and all the blessings of our years in formation, as well as the challenges, helped us find our way to offer our “yes” forever to the Lord. I was also grateful my Mom made the trip to Norfolk despite my Dad’s continued illnesses.


Making Final Monastic Profession was both an end of one chapter, and the beginning of an adventure that continues for life. We are never done with formation, as our Sisters often remind us. When Sr. Pia put the ring and the mission cross on for us and we laid our profession cards on the altar, it really hit home - we are Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing for life, what a gift and a responsibility. I know we can only persevere with God’s grace and the support of our Sisters, no matter where life takes us from here. I want to end with my wholehearted thanks to our Sisters here in Norfolk and all around the world who continue to support us with their example and prayer.

Vocation Visitors at the Monastery - By Sr. Inviolata, OSB

For me, Christmas came earlier than most people. Way back in April, I met this great group of ladies at a meeting. We just simply bonded very well, and they were so excited to come and visit the monastery sometime during the summer. Well, they were students, and it is tough to coordinate a group of students, who are busy even during the summer. One thing was that they kept assuring the youth minister that they really want to make the 6-hour trip to come and visit.


So, 8 months later, it was Christmas present for me, when they finally showed up. Prior to their arrival, the Sisters signed up as prayer partners for the vocation visitors, something that the ladies immensely appreciated when they found out. It made such an impression on them. They came to us after stopping for a night at another convent, and I was not sure how they will compare the two communities since they other one is younger and more active. Actually, I shouldn’t have worried. Yes, the other community was younger, but they felt more at home in our monastery especially given our Benedictine hospitality. The group joined us for prayer, supper and recreation, and it was really helpful for them to mix and mingle with the larger community.

This was a very informal visit, so I had some Sisters spend time with them with Lectio Divina to start off the day, general Q&A session in which our Novice Sarah and our soon-to-be affiliate Laura participated. They were free to ask any questions about religious life in general or about our community specifically. And of course, they were given a tour of the monastery. They were so looking forward to seeing the tunnels. Apparently, most of the monasteries they have visited had a tunnel to someplace, they were hoping we had a tunnel too. We did not disappoint - Sr. Celine gave them a tour and explained some of the expression of our charism as displayed around the Monastery, including the tunnel.

For these young ladies, the opportunity to visit various communities gives them an exposure to the different ways of religious life as lived by the communities. It helps in their discernment process. Does it mean they will all become Sisters eventually? By no means, but you just never know. It also doesn’t mean that they will become Missionary Benedictine Sisters, but it is good knowing that I played a role in helping them find their true vocation and place in life.


Winnebago News - By Sr. Frances, OSB

October on our mission station began with three positives: The feast of St. Terese of Lisieux, the weekly Mass for the school children, and the theme of ‘bucket filling’ that became the call to action for the month and then the mantra for every Friday of the school year. Dr. Barbara Schweiger of Omaha, vice-principal at St. Augustine School, is a regular over-night guest twice a week at the convent. Winter was very slow in coming, thus we were able to harvest carrots, radishes, kohlrabi and onions up till November 20th.

The month ended with 33 trick-or-treaters at our door, but also with a message from the Lord that life will not go on indefinitely in a routine way. Sister Hilda took a very unfortunate fall in the course of her daily work while moving between buildings on the mission compound. She needed medical attention, surgery, therapy and an extended medical leave. The community is very thankful that, with God’s intervention and Sister’s determination, she was able to return to us now

with the beginning of the new year.

The monthly continuing education class for the teaching staff shed light on God’s command to ‘love your neighbor’ and ‘assist the poor’ from a new angle for many of us. Who are the poorest of the poor? The poor souls in purgatory! because they can do absolutely nothing for themselves to shorten or ease their suffering. Though assured of salvation, they are totally dependent on our charity.


For the third year in a row, St. Augustine Parish was a buzzing center of preparations for the ‘Thanksgiving/Christmas Basket’ program organized by our language and culture teacher Dwight Howe. After much planning and effort volunteers from outside the reservation as far as Omaha and Sioux City were teamed up with local people to pay a visit and take well-stocked food baskets to needy seniors in Winnebago, Macy and Walthill, also out in the countryside. A smashing success, despite the 3 inches of new snow that day.

Father Dan Wittrock ordered 2000 copies of the book Discovering Jesus by Matthew Kelly. Many of those books were gift-wrapped by Kateri Circle members and youth groups to be distributed at Christmas Masses in each of the four parishes. Other activities and events: Sister Veronica Terese Willaway became the fifth member of our community. Sr. Gabriella Urian spent a few days with us. The three parishes Homer, Walthill and Macy experienced a friendly visit by Archbishop George J. Lucas on Gaudete Saturday/Sunday with Mass and a festive meal at each place. Deacon Joe Twidwell brought bread and other baked goods on several Saturdays for needy parishioners and for the food pantry. School children and parishioners invited to contribute as Father Dave Korth’s family celebrated his 50th birthday with many guests in the school gym. 173 children, more than ever, could experience a brighter Christmas this year because of the generosity of many families in three Omaha parishes. Our principal, Mr. Blackbird and his wife spearheaded this big giving enterprise. And finally, Sister Rita Marie from Norfolk was the organist for the two Christmas Masses. Ready for a break, we headed for Norfolk to celebrate with our Sisters the next two days.

May peace, good health and joy accompany all our friends this coming year!

Oblate news - By Sr. Celine, OSB

A day of Reflection on Mercy was given to the oblates in December by Sr. Celine, their director. About 35 oblates were able to attend even though the weather was cold and wintery which prevented those from a distance from attending.

Five women have become candidates making our number of candidates to 10. It is a blessing to welcome people into the Benedictine way of life.

The year ended with a generous monetary gift to the monastery from the oblate community in the form of gift cards to Hy-Vee and each Sister receiving $30. for personal use.

Truly the oblates are a gift to us as they share their prayer and life with us.


The Waiting, The Arrival - By Sr. Carole Ann, OSB

The Sisters here in Norfolk had an Advent of expectation and preparation for the great feast of Christmas. With the Desert Day conference, our spiritual awaiting was heightened and expectation was in the air. The Liturgist and her team gave us the Liturgical atmosphere to watch and be ready. The Sacristan’s displays of Christmas cacti opening to the light, inspired our hearts to be wide awake for the arrival of the Light of the World.

When Christmas Eve broke through the dark and cold, our Christmas Vigil was an amazing time of praise honoring the Incarnate Jesus.

The Sisters made a time-change for this night’s Liturgy. Our Christmas Mass was held at 10:00 PM to accommodate our aging Sisters and our Chaplain, Fr. Kenneth. The lay attendance was more than we have ever had for Midnight Mass. We are pleased with the change.

Our Oblates, not only are rich in faith, but rich in their generosity to the community with gift cards, and to each Sister a stocking with cash. We received a gift from our “secret” deacon candidate as well. The whole lay community was very generous to us.

Now we begin a New Year 2016. We ask Christ, the King of our hearts, to bless each and every one of our family, friends, oblates and benefactors, with love and mercy.

Student Leadership Summit Conference - By Sr. Inviolata, OSB

Where were you when the clock struck midnight to usher in 2016? Most people will say they were asleep, or maybe somewhere near their beds anyway. For Sr. Celine Schock and I, the answer to that question is: on the bus with some 30 students setting off for a 13 hour bus ride to a conference. Not a very cozy way to begin the year? Actually, it was the best way to begin the year for me. We were on the road ushering in 2016 going to a conference where we joined other 3000 students from across the United States for the FOCUS- sponsored Student Leadership Summit. This is a bi-annual event hosted to train Catholic students on how to be missionaries on their campuses.


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A little background is helpful. What is FOCUS? For the last 18 years, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) has been training students to be missionaries on campus. With a keen focus on prayer, evangelization and discipleship and small group bible studies, the movement has made lots of stride to engage Catholics students all across the United States. The FOCUS missionaries, young adults working on campuses, have to fundraise their own salaries and living expenses. I mean, in an age when the dream of every college students is to get a better job, make lots of money and build a beautiful home, these young people leave college and start fundraising for their living expenses. What a spirit! They also are missioned in groups of at least 4 (two men, 2 women) in order to foster a sense of community while they work at the colleges.

FOCUS sponsors 2 conferences for students held alternately each year in January. SEEK, the largest is open to all Catholic Students, and includes a series of workshops, keynote speeches, Adoration, Confession, Holy Mass, as well as meeting friends, both new and old. The last SEEK conference brought together 10,000 students, and the next one is expected to draw around 15, 000 students. Student Leadership Summit (SLS) is the smaller version of seek, only serving selected student leaders who want to step up and be leaders on their colleges. As a result, SLS is very intense and basically a boot camp for evangelization.

Attending SLS this year was a first for our community, but it was worth the 13-hour bus ride. Every morning began with 1 hour of adoration, followed by Holy Mass. Then the students broke out for the training sessions on prayer, Evangelization, and small group leadership. This was followed by lunch, and then at 3:00 pm, the students went back to their small groups to teach the others what they learnt in the training session. It was not a vacation, it was working trip. Sr. Celine and I participated in the Life Long Mission Track, offered for non-students but the day was the same.

It was great catching up with some students I had run into at some other past events and reconnecting with some consecrated religious men and women that I have come to know because we seem to run within the same circles. What impressed me most was the energy of the students, who were all ready

to set the world on fire. It gives so much hope, especially in a culture where you only hear about young people leaving the church. This year’s conference also had participants from Austria and Ireland.

We still had time to visit with the students from the Archdiocese of Omaha, though they were super busy. But it got even better when the Archbishop showed up. Some of the students didn’t even know he was around until he showed up on the big screen as the main celebrant for Mass. One day we had breakfast with him, the 3 priests from the Archdiocese and the FOCUS missionaries working within the Archdiocese. He was happy to see us there and he made a point in thanking us for our presence and ministry to the young people.

Overall, it was a great experience, and it is wonderful to see what the Lord is doing through these young people. We continue to support them with our prayers.


The Love of Christ Impels Us

Immaculata Monastery & Spirituality Center 300 N. 18th Street Norfolk, NE 68701 Tel: (402) 371-3438 Website: www.mbsmissionaries.org

Wishing you all a Blessed 2016!! May it be a Jubilee of Mercy in which we experience the joy of the mercy of

God.

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