APRIL'S END 2012

Br. Bob, Sr. Monica, Alden and Cynthia Hagardorn, Sr. Joanne and Br. Charles on April 25th

Taize Prayer on Tuesday, the 24^th, dinner guests Wednesday, and a commissioning ceremony for the Companions of Pauline on Sunday, the 29^th, enlivened our week.  While the city hosted Jazz Fest and golf’s Zurich Classic over the weekend, John and Bob spent much of Saturday, the 28^th, in the garden and yard.

During the week, Bob saw the final closing of the facilities at St. Raymond’s campus which had housed Operation Helping Hands.  Working now out of St. Gabriel’s parish in Pontchartrain Park, he has recently assisted the Presentation Sisters at Lantern Light with his carpentry skills and building management know-how.  Charles continues his volunteer work at Lantern Light which continues to serve as many as 220 guests on a regular day.  John kept busy with visitations at Holy Cross High School and Academy of the Sacred Heart—and setting up for prayer services, etc.

On Tuesday evening about fifteen people came for Taize prayer and remained after for refreshments and conversation.

On Wednesday evening, Sr. Joanne Ladwig SCC, Sr. Monica Cormier SCC, and Alden Hagardorn and his wife Cynthia joined the community for dinner to mark the ‘return’ of a portrait of Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt, founder of the Sisters of Christian Charity, to this former convent of the Sisters where Pauline stayed in the 1870’s.  Alden was parish council president at St. Henry’s Parish and has continued to serve the needs of the community after the closing.  He sees the Church is cared for and coordinates weekly openings for the Rosary on Saturday, and for the funerals of former parishioners.  He brought the portrait of Blessed Pauline so we could get ready for the Commissioning of Associates of the Sisters of Christian Charity on Sunday.

Commissioning the new member--Sr. Pauline and Mother Pauline!

 

The group at the commissioning prayer service.

On Sunday the Sisters, their Associates and some guests attended the commissioning ceremony for a new member and renewed their agreements.  The portrait of Blessed Pauline and our first class relic of Blessed Pauline reminded all present of the crucial role of women religious in the Church.  After the prayer service, John gave tours of the house, and a reception was held in the assembly room.

The Louisiana chapter of the Associates of the Sisters of Christian Charity

 Mother Pauline’s feast day is April 30^th and her cause for canonization has been reopened; there is a case from Montevideo, Uruguay being considered but the process is very expensive. 

Merciful God, source and goal of all life, you gave Blessed Pauline the grace to seek and do your will in all the changing circumstances of her life. Through her intercession help us to trust in your guidance and to bear witness to your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

WHY "THE BLESSED PAULINE CENTER"?

Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt

“The Companions of Pauline [von Mallinckrodt], Associate Members of the Sisters of Christian Charity, will welcome a new member and renew memberships at a ceremony held at the Blessed Pauline Center, at the Church of St. Henry.  The ceremony will be next Sunday, April 29^th at 1:30 PM… Blessed Pauline’s Feast Day is April 30^th.”  So read the announcement in the Good Shepherd Parish Bulletin on April 22, 2012.

The Blessed Pauline Center is now the home of the Christian Brothers Volunteer Program.  We rent the second and third floors, and care for the whole building—the parish, to which we pay rent, does not use the first floor, which we maintain.

Last May we hosted a visit by Sr. Adalberta Mette, SCC, Superior General of the Sisters of Christian Charity, who wanted to visit the first foundation of the Sisters in the United States.

The Sisters of Christian Charity came to New Orleans in 1873 and during the next 100 years, 170 Sisters lived in this house; Sisters still in New Orleans remember coming here for community gatherings.   The Sisters left here in 1973, but have a special affection for the place because Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt, the Founder visited New Orleans twice and lived in the room that is now our living room.

Sr. Adalberta Mette, SCC on the right side of the portrait of Blessed Pauline with Br. Charles behind. [May 2011]

 

Pauline von Mallinckrodt was born on June 3, 1817, in Minden, Westphalia (Germany). Her family's wealth and prestige did not close her mind to the hardships of others. As a young woman, she was particularly involved with the poverty-stricken families on the outskirts of Paderborn. She nursed their sick and brought them food. To aid them still further, she opened her own day-care center for the children of working mothers - an undertaking which brought to her attention the needs of the blind children and led to her founding of a school for the blind.

When Pauline's works of charity became too vast for her to manage alone, the Bishop of Paderborn instructed her to found a religious community. The Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity, Daughters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, founded by Pauline in 1849, spread rapidly throughout Germany, then to North and South America and to several European countries.

From 1871 to 1878, in an attempt to control all religion and education in the country, the German government enacted sanctions against the Catholic Church. During this period - known as the Kulturkampf - religious teachers were expelled from schools, and some congregations were even exiled. Mother Pauline could do little but watch as houses, schools and institutions were taken from the Congregation, leaving the Sisters homeless.

Even as the Sisters' activities in Germany were being curtailed, a new field of activity was beckoning. For years requests from pastors of German-speaking parishes in the United States for Sisters to teach in their schools had been pouring in. Now, with more Sisters available for this endeavor, Mother Pauline began looking more closely at the pastors' requests. Soon a ship, bound for the United States and bearing eight Sisters of Christian Charity among its passengers, left Bremen Harbor.

In April 1873, these eight Sisters of Christian Charity arrived in New Orleans, LA, to begin work at St. Henry School.

An old photo of the convent--the wall is replaced; tree on right gone.

The pastor of the parish had just built a rectory; he immediately gave it to the Sisters for a convent and that is now the Volunteer Community residence.  Mother Pauline, as noted earlier, made two trips to New Orleans and lived in this house.

By December 1874, eighty Sisters had been sent from Germany to establish foundations in the USA: Wilkes-Barre, Danville, Williamsport, Mauch-Chunk, Honesdale, Nippenose Valley and Scranton, PA;  Melrose, NY;  Baltimore, MD;  New Ulm and Henderson, MN;  Westphalia, MI;  and St. Paul, IA.

From the Congregation's early beginnings in the USA until today, Sisters of Christian Charity have served in Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Pauline von Mallinckrodt died on April 30, 1881. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Sunday, April 14, 1985.  

A first class relic is located in the hall leading to our small oratory; it is to be joined by a portrait of Blessed Pauline that was painted for the Center, but has remained in the Church until now.  

The reliquary is behind Sr. Adalberta and Br. John; the portrait will replace the mirror. [May 2011]

  It is interesting to note the similarities in the lives of religious founders in the late 18^th and 19^th centuries: abiding Faith in God, political repression at home, response to Christ present and appealing to them in the poor through education of the needy at home and those who emigrated to new lands, and an unfailing faith in God’s loving care and providence.  It is also noteworthy that both Blessed Pauline and Blessed Edmund were beset by lawsuits.  Some things never change?

“I place all my trust in the Lord and from his mercy I await all good.  I am eager to go wherever he wishes me to be, and in his own time he will show me the ways and means thereto.”  Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt

“Providence is our inheritance.” Blessed Edmund Rice

[Most of this information [italicized] has been taken from the website of the Western Province of the Sisters of Christian Charity.]

TO SEE TAKES TIME

Sr. Mary Nancy Vance, SND, Br. Charles and Sr. Mary Bonita Sniegowski, SND, Director of the Adult Literacy Program in their new facility on Canal Street in New Orleans.

On Saturday, April 14^th, we went to a “Newcomers” gathering at the St. Vincent dePaul Adult Literacy Center run by SND's from Toledo, Ohio who also help staff St. Leo Elementary and assist in early childhood literacy programs.

Srs. Margaret Mary Faist, SND and Mary Keefe, OP [Adrian]

The Newcomers are mostly members of religious communities who came to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  Unencumbered by established works, or expectations formed by traditional practice or nostalgia, the communities have sought ways to respond to new needs, often on the periphery.  There are also members of long established communities here who, having passed on institutional leadership to new generations of laity, have gone to the margins to respond in new ways.

We are all small communities.  Some of the communities welcome short term volunteers, often from established ministries of the community in other places, who may stay a week or so.  The religious accompany them at meals and with daily prayer and guided reflection, helping them to bring to awareness the Spirit working in their midst during their service. 

Our program has been unique in providing a year-long commitment for a small group who can live with religious and take time to let the experience of community prayer, life and mission develop gradually and in depth.  We feel time is important, for like the artist Georgia O’Keefe [1887-1986] said:  “Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven't time, and to see takes time - like to have a friend takes time.”

Red Poppy by Georgia O'Keefe

So our program tries to accompany volunteers who, like Edmund Rice, have heard Christ appealing to them in the poor.  And our accompaniment is for an extended period so that when the mission begins to challenge, when compassion fatigue sets in, when frustration with fellow ministers surfaces, the volunteers’ Brothers can be there for them.  

Charles with Sr. Mary Ellen Schroeder, SND, John with Sr. Mary-Louise Wolfington, RSCJ

We Brothers realize, that to be honest in our efforts, we need times for “checking in” with others doing similar work.   The twenty of so who gather for prayer, fellowship and a light lunch at the Newcomers meetings are also seeking to respond to the pleas of those on the margins whose voices are faint with fatigue, or spoken in ways we are not accustomed to hearing.  The support of others on the journey is helpful and necessary to ensure we are not falling into self-pity, self-righteousness, or delusion! 

One interesting note is that the participants bring refreshments.  The Sisters bring lovely table settings, floral napkins, salads and healthy variations on foods we love.  The Brothers bring chips and dips and cookies and cakes—and slide in a fruit tray so we appear to be with it.  The cookies always disappear!

At the close of Saturdays’ gathering, one of us said, “I always wonder why I am going, and then I am so glad I went!”  To see takes time. . .

A reflection:  The Heart Which Sees

The Christian's program —the program of the Good Samaritan, the program of Jesus—is “a heart which sees”.  This heart sees where love is needed and acts accordingly.

Charity, furthermore, cannot be used as a means of engaging in what is nowadays considered proselytism. Love is free. . . .  Those who practice charity in the Church's name will never seek to impose the Church's faith upon others. They realize that a pure and generous love is the best witness to the God in whom we believe and by whom we are driven to love. A Christian knows when it is time to speak of God and when it is better to say nothing and to let love alone speak.  [Pope Bendict XVI, DEUS CARITAS EST]

VOLUNTEERS STILL WELCOME AND NEEDED

Brs. David Concannon and Tony Quinn join the community and Iona in Mission Students on March 15th

Volunteers to rebuild the Crescent City still find a warm welcome here.  They bring willing hands and give a lot of hope—that the poor are not forgotten and that people still care.  And the rebuilding, physical and psychological, continues.

A recent issue of the Times Picayune noted that Orleans Parish is the 9^th fastest growing ‘county’ in the country—not too difficult since so much was destroyed by Katrina.  Despite great efforts at rebuilding [FEMA is now getting high marks for its work by the City Council] the fact is that the population today is only 75% of what it was a decade ago.  http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/04/orleans_st_bernard_among_natio.html.

Visitors, rebuilders and tourists are welcome and many arrived in March for Spring Break and the “Final Four”—even before there were only four.  Nevermind. 

On March 14^th Dave Concannon and Tony Quinn arrived on their Spring break and they  hosted a dinner for a Sister friend at our house; luckily we were also invited.  

Dave and Tony stayed on to share our dinner for Iona College students who were here as part of “Iona in Mission.” We had already met the Iona students on Tuesday night when Travis Wain and his friends asked where they  could see the Iona game. 

"When the Gaels make the tournament, you call the Christian Brothers and they set you up in a local parish center to watch it while you are in New Orleans."  Luke Gregory, IIM Moderator, Residential Hall Director

Fr. Michael Joseph Nguyen’s parish is near where they were staying and he kindly hosted them at  Resurrection of Our Lord in New Orleans East, providing big screen projection and platters of ‘wings’ and French fries to accompany their chips and dips. 

Trinity Lutheran reopened it doors on April 8th, 2012 having been closed since Katrina.  Iona students installed the brick walkways to the church among other things.

Iona then came to our house on Thursday, the 15^th and Molly Sherry and Allison Maraldo hosted and facilitated the reflection time after dinner. 

Team "Mollison" can work a full day, bike to our house, help serve dinner, facilitate the reflection and nip out and serve dessert!  And they keep smiling!  They make the dinners and reflection much more appropriate to the age group we are serving.

On March 17^th, Bob cooked a superb corned beef and cabbage dinner for Russ Greco and Laura, friends from OHH days; they filled us in on the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the Irish Channel.

Ray Vercruysse came in on Sunday evening, March 18th; he did some work with the Archdiocesan high schools during his four day stay.  He also was with us when Vancouver College students joined us on Monday.

Vancouver College came to us at the beginning of their stay, on Monday, the 19^th.    They surrendered graciously to the requirement to take home lots of beads!  Molly facilitated their reflection that evening.

Br. Ray with Vancouver students

Vancouver College High School was in New Orleans from March 18 to 24, lived at Camp Restore and worked on a number of projects arranged through Camp Restore.  Go the link below for a WONDERFUL 6 minute video on the student’s experiences. http://camprestore.org/index.php/stories/news-story/spring_break_2012/

Vancouver gave us shirts-XL- they fit!  "we're just saying."

 

Molly facilitated the reflection for teachers and students.

John was off to New Rochelle, New York on Tuesday, March 20^th in order to facilitate a faculty retreat at Iona Prep that began with an optional Evening Prayer on Thursday and continued Friday at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Douglaston, Queens.  The All Saints Community at 21 Pryer Terrace were WONDERFUL hosts and great company!

On Tuesday, March 27^th the community hosted a gathering for Taize Prayer and on Wednesday, Br. Mark Murphy from the Province Leadership Team and his sister, Frances Vander-Reyden [from Toronto] spent several days with us.  They were welcome guests who enjoyed the city—it is great to hear other perspectives when we get too familiar with things.  Of course, they have to listen to us, too.

Brs. Dave Concannon, Bob, John, Fr. MichaelJoseph Nguyen, Brs. Tony Quinn and Charles.  Fr. MichaelJoseph is a very generous benefactor, counselor, guide and friend.  He joined us the evening Iona In Mission came so he could participate in the reflection and thank us for giving him an opportunity to be hospitable to the Iona students.   Like we said, he is a very good friend.

On April 3^rd Charles, Bob and John were joined by Molly and Allison for a dinner at East of Italy on the Lakefront hosted by Fr. Michael Joseph Nguyen for parishioners and friends of the parish. 

  

March was a time of discovery!  We discovered, through the volunteer groups from Vancouver, Iona College and O’Dea about the wonderful facility for housing volunteers at Camp Restore in New Orleans East.  We are hopeful that Iona Prep will be able to return to New Orleans again and have recommended Camp Restore as a clean and economical place to stay; Restore also has programs to engage volunteers as well as housing groups working with other agencies.

We are also discovered friends to help us in recruiting volunteers; Tiffany DiNome at Iona College has been very helpful and for the first time, through her efforts and those of Travis Wain, a former student of Br. Joe Fragala’s, we have two possible volunteers from Iona College!  We are grateful to Tiffany, the Coordinator of Iona in Mission and her colleagues in Campus Ministry for their support of this community and her interest in recruiting Iona students for the Volunteer Community.  http://www.iona.edu/studentlife/ministry/ministers/tiffanydinome.cfm  

Bob’s efforts in recruitment have been rewarded.  Interest has been expressed by a young man from New Jersey, graduating from Catholic University of America and another fellow in the Mid-West now involved in an AmeriCorps program with a community of Franciscan Sisters.  If even two of the four come, we’d be happy.  Our first year we began with two and accepted a third in January; we are flexible!  We are aware that we are a volunteer community and that hospitality to volunteers and fellow ministers is what we are about.   It is no longer about US or our particular thing; we are ‘brother’ to them, where they are—companions on their journey—guides sometimes, often simply companions on the Way.  It is a  good place to be.

"The pure gratitude of the people living [in New Orleans] was relentless and sincere. [It] was one of the best decisions I made since I set foot on Iona’s Campus." - Mike Petre, Class of 2012