From Residential Volunteer to Postulant, Sacred Heart Monastery Welcomes Theresa McGinn

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1 Volume L, No. 1 Spring 2018 Charism We are Benedictine women of Yankton, South Dakota, sharing our gift of seeking God through our prayer, work, study and community life. Mission Rooted in our rural heritage and growing in relationship with God and one another in monastic community, we live a life of prayer, work, and lectio by which we serve God and God s people in our time and place. Core Values Christians follow Christ by bringing to life the values of the Gospel. We have gathered clusters of these values into these three: Awareness of God, Community, and Hospitality. INSIDE Prayer and Outreach to the community Confirmation Team marks One-hundred & More! From Residential Volunteer to Postulant, Sacred Heart Monastery Welcomes Theresa McGinn In a simple ritual, Theresa McGinn, accompanied by S. Clarice Korger, Vocation Director, knocked at the front door of the monastery and was welcomed by the Prioress, S. Maribeth Wentzlaff, and the community gathered inside. Theresa was received into Sacred Heart Monastery, Yankton, SD, as a Postulant on January 12, After Theresa symbolically knocked on the front door of the Monastery, S. Maribeth asked, What do you seek? to which Theresa responded, I want to live in love and service of God with the help of this community. The monastic community affirmed her request and S. Maribeth presented her with a medal of St. Benedict. The celebration continued at Vespers and supper. Theresa, a former second and third grade teacher and a teacher of From left to right: Vocation Director Sister Clarice Korger and Prioress, Sister Maribeth Wentzlaff greet Theresa McGinn as she knocks on the front door. 2-year-olds in a Montessori school, arrived from Florida on Monday, March 7, I loved the little kids but often came down with everything they had. I loved teaching. I really did. Needing to become the primary caretaker for her father, she put that ministry aside for a while. After her father s death, she lived with her sister and family for a time in order to decide what she was going to do moving forward with her life. She considered both the contemplative and the active religious communities. While discerning her call, Theresa found the Yankton Benedictine s Residential Volunteer Program, a program designed to provide single women without dependents with an opportunity to discern new directions in life. She contacted S. Bonita Gacnik, and as they say, the rest is history.

2 Prioress Reflection from Prioress S. Maribeth Wentzlaff OSB Dear Friends, Every Monday morning at the Monastery, we have a gathering for all Sisters and employees called Monday Moments. This is a time for us to listen to a little inspirational story, share reflections, look at the schedule for the week, and offer prayers and petitions together. It has been a great community builder. Recently, during one of these gatherings, we heard a story from the book, A Pilgrim s Almanac, by Edward Hays. This story recounts the tale of a woman who traveled the country on her knees following the directives of Pope Innocent III from the thirteenth century. He gave the mandate that when you come into a church, you should genuflect, or go down on one knee. But, when you are in the presence of God, you must make a full genuflection, with both knees. That is why if you stay in church for even a short while, or if you ever find yourself in the presence of God, you must kneel down on both knees. The woman knew that she was in the presence of God ALL the time. As we find ourselves at the end of the Lenten season and in this springtime, have we really taken the time to recognize the presence of God all around us? Spring is budding in our midst. It s easy to see God in the greening of the trees and lawns and the returning of the robins. But, do we see God in our family member who is estranged from us, or the co-worker who tests our patience, or that leaky kitchen faucet? Sometimes it is hard to remember that God is present in those things or people who are our biggest challenge. But, that is the gift of the season of Lent! God has graced us with this time to open our eyes to his immense love for us and to help us realize that God is the source of all goodness in our lives. As we approach Easter, let us drop to our knees on the holy ground of God s presence! Happy Easter! Your Sister in Christ, Sister Maribeth Spiritual Direction Ministry Formation Transitions to Tutorial Format A new offering at the Benedictine Peace Center is attracting women and men who believe that God may be calling them to serve as spiritual directors. This new offering, the Spiritual Direction Ministry Formation Tutorial, reconfigures a very successful long-standing program in a new learning format that provides tutorial guidance for independent learners. For nearly 30 years, Benedictine Sister Jeanne Ranek, DMin, PhD, has conducted a structured two-year certificate program for cohorts of men and women preparing them to minister in the capacity of spiritual director. Also included in the current program staff are Sister Mary Jo Polak, OSB, MA, and Sister Doris Oberembt, OSB, MA. The new tutorial arrangement offers the same rich content in a more flexible design to better accommodate busy schedules and needs of motivated adult learners. The tutorial program, arranged in four segments, can be started at any time and may be spread over two years. Each of the four terms includes a two-day residency at the Benedictine Peace Center. Clinical psychologist, Dr. Steve Blum, a graduate of the program, comments, This program has been such a deepening, meaningful journey. I feel equipped to engage in a spiritual direction practice and confident of the tools and insights I received through this training. An unexpected blessing has been how enriching this training has been to my own personal spiritual growth. S. Jeanne Ranek (left) explains a dynamic of spiritual direction to S. Nancy Rose Gucwa (right) Program Director, Sister Jeanne Ranek, remarks, It is deeply rewarding to work with women and men seeking to grow in intimacy with God, learn more about our rich Christian spiritual tradition, and hone their skills for ministering to others who desire to grow spiritually. Interested individuals will find more information on our web page at or may inquire by contacting the staff at BenedictinePeaceCtr@mtmc.edu or

3 NEWS NOTES January 14-23: Ss. Patricia Ann Toscano and Jeanne Weber were in Rome for the CIB (International Communion of Benedictines) Planning Meeting. January 20: A group of sixteen women gathered in the patio room for Coffee and Canvas which incorporated painting a winter theme and meditating on scripture. Ss. Clarice Korger, Debra Kolecka, Kathy Burt, and Peggy Venteicher participated. January 28: Twenty students from St. Joseph Parish, Atkinson, NE came for their Confirmation retreat with S. Kathleen Courtney. January 28: An Open House was held at Benedict s Café (formerly the Cyber Café) at MMC to celebrate S. Ann Kessler s 90th birthday. Several former students and many from Yankton attended and wished S. Ann well. President Marc Long and S. Maribeth Wentzlaff spoke at the program, followed by a blessing by Father Valerian Odermann. Left to right Bernie Hunhoff, S. Ann Kessler and Myrna Hunhoff enjoy some time together at the Open House. January 31-February 7: Ss. Maribeth Wentzlaff and Jeanne Weber attended the Conference of Benedictine Prioresses meeting in Cullman, AL. January 31: Dr. Tim Mulhair, principal at Sacred Heart School, invited the Sisters to celebrate Catholic Schools Week by joining them for Mass and Benedictine Bingo. Eleven Sisters were able to attend: Ss. Rosaleen Dickes, Phyllis Hunhoff, Kathleen Courtney, Patricia Heirigs, Maribeth Wentzlaff, Margo Tschetter, Delores Rush, Anna Dangel, Doris Oberembt, Marcine Quintus, and Sharon Ann Haas. The Sisters were able to connect with their pen pals and some even won bingo prizes. Bottom left-side column of the page: S. Maribeth Wentzlaff playing bingo with pen pals. Above (left to right): Ss. Anna Dangel and Patricia Heirigs playing bingo. February 3: S. Patricia Ann Toscano held a Valentine Cross-Stitch class at Sacred Heart Monastery with a group of eight who included young ladies, mothers and grandmothers joining together to make hand-made cross-stitched valentine cards. February 8: S. Bonita Gacnik gave a presentation at the Noon Forum, a monthly educational hour at Mount Marty College, on her experience in Egypt. February 23: Ss. Marietta Kerkvliet and Kathleen Courtney shared a Lenten retreat with seventeen Catholic Daughters at Sacred Heart Parish. The retreat was titled Living with a Mary Heart in a Martha World. February 28: The Strings of Yarnia group led by S. Clarice Korger met in the Raven on the Mount Marty College Campus to crochet hats for babies of alumni. This group meets monthly. If interested in joining the group, contact S. Clarice at shmyankton. vocationdirector@gmail.com. March 2: The public was invited to participate in The World Day of Prayer in Bishop Marty Memorial Chapel which included a short prayer service program. The service was planned in conjunction with the Church Women United s World Day of Prayer. March 4: Twenty-three students from St. Boniface, Stuart, NE and one student from Mitchell (thanks to S. Joyce Feterl) came for their Confirmation retreat with S. Kathleen Courtney. March 10: Louis Roy, O.P. presented How Can Human and Divine Desire Be Reciprocal? for the Spring Theology Institute. S. Marielle Frigge organized the event. Check our website in the fall for details on the next Theology Institute. In our Prayers... remembering our loved ones Family of the Sisters: Pamela Anderson, sister of Sister Penny Bingham Annabell Clausen, sister of deceased Sister Marie Helene Adeline Heisinger, sister of Sister Janice Mayer Tim Kolbeck, nephew of Sister Marita Kolbeck

4 Prayer and Outreach to the Community Prayer is central to the Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery. Indeed, nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God (RB 43). Prayer is our primary work for the church, which includes the worldwide church. We are blessed to have the lay people from the area join us for Morning Prayer at 6:30 a.m., daily Mass at 6:55 a.m., Vespers at 5:15 p.m., and Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. There are also special occasions when our prayer connects more specifically with the needs of our surrounding area, in addition to the daily opportunities we offer. S. Mary Jo Polak, chair of Sacred Heart Monastery s Social Justice Committee, believes that prayer leads the Sisters to act on behalf of the suffering of the world, The more we are in line with God s desires, the more we care about the welfare of all people. The phrase, In the heart of Christ for the heart of the world is very meaningful for me as a sister of Sacred Heart Monastery. This prayerful outreach motivates us to work with others who are in public service. We most recently held an inaugural Blue Mass in conjunction with Mount M a r t y Fr. Valerian led everyone in the congregation in a blessing College at Bishop Marty Chapel on Tuesday January 30. Fr. Valerian Odermann presided and Fr. Larry Regynski concelebrated. The Blue Mass is celebrated for those employed in the public safety field : police officers, firefighters, correctional officers, 911 operators and EMS personal. It takes the color blue, due to the predominant color of uniforms worn by police officers and firefighters nationwide. This type of Mass was first offered on September 29, 1934, at St. Patrick s Church in Washington, D.C., after the Catholic Police and Fireman s Society was setup. Pastor Rick Slattery, chaplain of Yankton s Police Department, suggested that Yankton might have a Blue Mass. Jordan Foos and Sister Rosemarie Maly, from Campus Ministry at Mount Marty College, organized the event. Fr. Valerian shared in his homily the impact these individuals have on the community and the example they set. The relationship we have with other people is the pattern of our relationship with God. Public safety personnel often must, stand tall in times of crisis, step forward in times of need; they are our walking saints even if many would flinch if we called them saints. He noted that they have a mission to live a life that serves. St. Paul says, You are being enriched in every way... for the administration of public service. Today we commend you as peacemakers, as ambassadors of justice. The gift bearers at the Mass included Officers McNinch, Greg Shoberg, and Michael Burgeson. At the conclusion of the Mass Fr. Valerian invited the congregation to extend their hands in a blessing to those who serve and have served. Officer Greg Shoberg commented after Mass, saying, This was a positive experience; it is good to have support of the church, Sisters, and community, a break from the negative.

5 Day of Prayer & Awareness Against Human Trafficking Another inaugural event at Sacred Heart Monastery this spring was the celebration of The International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. On Thursday, February 8, the public was invited to join the Sisters for morning and evening prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist. It was the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita a saint who was also victimized, kidnapped, and sold into slavery. The community prayed for vulnerable women, children, and men who suffer from human trafficking needs that continue to be remembered in the Sisters prayer. In addition, Sacred Heart Monastery Sisters observed this day by spreading awareness on social media and remembering this intention at Mass. Each sister individually prayed for an end to human trafficking and chose a method to fast for the end of trafficking. The Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery have committed this year to work on the issue of human trafficking. The goal of the Monastery s Social Justice Committee is to work toward prevention by education and awareness of this crime, especially as it affects us locally. Besides the Day of Prayer, the Sisters partner with River City Domestic Violence Center to provide posters with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number visible, to be placed in public women s restrooms. Photo: Cassie Pease Designs Trafficking does exist in South Dakota, with the Sturgis Rally and hunting season as major sex trafficking events. As of December 2016, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported 53 cases of human trafficking, with potentially 278 persons trafficked in South Dakota. The hotline number is (Sources US DHHS, Administration from Administration for Children & Families, and SDCEDSV) To keep up to date on this topic visit our page at yanktonbenedictines.org/peace-justice-education/. Confirmation Team Marks One-Hundred Since its inception thirteen years ago, the team has shared one hundred retreats for Confirmation candidates. Beginning in the fall of 2005 the team has served 41 parishes in South Dakota, seven parishes in Iowa and eleven parishes in Nebraska. S. Anna Dangel and S. Kathleen Courtney are pioneers on the team. Other team members are S. Marietta, monastery liturgist and Postulant director, S. Peggy Venteicher, nurse at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, and Theresa McGinn, who recently joined the monastery as a Postulant. Participants in the retreat range from grades seven through ten. Invitation to parishes often come from Mount Marty alums who serve as DREs in the parishes. The retreat challenges the students to get in touch with and embrace their baptism. They receive a copy of their baptismal record and renew their baptismal promises. A name tag is given to each telling the literal meaning of their name and the spiritual gift connected to the name. They discuss the Gifts of the Spirit and make stained glass Members of the Called By Name Confirmation team (from left to right) S. Kathleen Courtney, Postulant Theresa McGinn, Ss. Peggy Venteicher, Anna Dangel, and Marietta Kerkvliet chimes to remember the gifts. They also receive a surprise support/love letter from their parents, sharing the early story of their lives. A vocation panel is part of the retreat with guests from the married, single, ordained, and religious state sharing their story. Since fall of 2013 the retreats have been held at the monastery, so the students get a taste of monastic hospitality. The retreat begins with a 10 a.m. Eucharist in Bishop Marty Chapel, followed by brunch with the sisters, and then the retreat closes at 3:30 p.m.

6 Ss. Patricia Ann Toscano and Jeanne Weber go to Rome! CIB stands for Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum, roughly translated International Communion of Benedictines. It is an organization whose purpose is to bring together the leadership of women s Benedictine monasteries and abbeys throughout the world. The Symposium is an eight-day conference, started 20 years ago, which is held in Rome every four years. The symposium is a way of connecting women Benedictines in order to discuss important issues about Benedictine life. A key factor at these meetings is mutual support in engaging in ideas and experiences which enrich Benedictines all over the world. A summary will be presented to the abbot primate, the international leader of Benedictines worldwide. At the Benedictine prioresses meeting last year, S. Penny Bingham recommended Ss. Patricia Ann Toscano and Jeanne Weber to be part of the planning team for the symposium scheduled from September 6-13, The symposium is held at San Anselmo, the Benedictine University Seminary in Rome. This year s symposium explores the Benedictine value of hospitality. Ss. Patricia Ann and Jeanne will plan the liturgical celebrations for the conference. The liturgies include the Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer (Lauds), Mid-morning Prayer (Terce), Mid-afternoon prayer (None), and Evening Prayer (Vespers), as well as Mass every day of the symposium. They will be utilizing a book of psalms for the Liturgy of the Hours printed in the five principal languages. Each day a different language is chosen for prayer, inclusive of the five major languages English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. The preparation consists of planning the liturgies and creating worship aides: psalms, hymns, scriptural texts, prayer texts, and rituals. The texts will then be submitted for translation. Ss. Patricia Ann and Jeanne were in Rome January 16-19, 2018, working with the other members of the planning team to coordinate all aspects of the conference. The rest of the planning team includes S. Judith Ann Heble of Lisle, IL, moderator of San Anselmo, the Benedictine University Seminary in Rome Photo from Image by Brother Pachomio Choe, OSB The Planning team from Left to Right: Ss. Judith Ann Heble- Moderator of CIB S. Mary Jane Vergotz - Secretary to S. Judith, Jeanne Weber, Roberta Bussan, Patricia Ann Toscano the CIB; S. Mary Jane Vergotz of Erie, PA, secretary of the CIB; S. Roberta Bussan of Rock Island, IL, symposium coordinator; and Ss. Pauline Trivino and Cecile Lanas of the Philippines, symposium facilitators. The CIB is divided into nineteen regions, and each region is allowed to send a certain number of delegates to the symposium. The number attending totally is about 100 Benedictine women. The delegates will be enlisted to assist with the various liturgical ministries, especially the day the liturgy is in a language they can speak. While the main languages of the liturgies are used for Lauds, Vespers, and Eucharist, other languages such as Korean, Swahili, and some of the languages of Eastern Europe and the Pacific Islands will be used for the Office of None. S. Patricia says of the trip, It fascinates me to gather with Benedictine women from all over the world who have lived this life.

7 By Sister Clarice Korger, Vocation Director Vocations Spotlight On Friday, March 9, there were a lot of sisters around campus wearing t-shirts sporting the image to the right. So just what is National Catholic Sisters Week (NCSW)? NCSW is an annual celebration that takes place from March Created to honor women religious, it is a series of events that instruct, enlighten, and bring greater focus to the lives of women religious. It is a chance to recognize all that sisters have done for people. It is also the organizers hope that as more young women learn about women religious, more will choose to follow their example. NCSW is a branch of National Catholic Sisters Project headquartered at Alverno College in Milwaukee, WI. NCSW began in 2014 as part of National Women s History Month and is headquartered at Saint Mary s University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN. NCSW was a sweeping success, says former Co-executive Director Sister Mary Soher, OP. Among the sisters there was such a claiming of sisterhood. There really is this sense that we are all sisters working in the mission of Christ. The college students who got involved were delightful. They found such peer support among other young women who also have this hunger to learn more about sisters. In 2016 a mini-grant program was launched to fund special NCSW events across the country. It financed a wide variety of gatherings large and small hosted by religious communities, colleges and universities and others. On the 9th of March, our vocation office went around the monastery and college to get pictures of the sisters in their places of ministry. We also ran an on-line event called Thank a Sister. People were invited to share how a Yankton Benedictine had positively impacted their life. We will be posting these pictures and videos on social media in the near future. It is our effort to build community, meet a sister, be inspired, and start a conversation. NCSW continues to grow. Every year there is more excitement and even more events. You can join the celebration in many ways: attending events, planning your own event, or sharing your story at SisterStory. By Sister Patricia Ann Toscano, Director of Liturgical Music Gerard Sloyan calls the Paschal Triduum an enduring drama. Good drama can be impelling, that is, be a force that moves or propels us beyond the circumstances of the story. So also, it is with the liturgical drama of the Paschal Triduum. Liturgy should move us beyond the historical stories of Christ s pain, suffering and death into the stories of deliverance and salvation. We who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. (Rom. 6:3-4) We set the tone on Holy Thursday with the text of the Introit: But it behooves us to glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection: by whom we are saved and delivered. The melody for this text should be strong to infer at the beginning of the Three Days that the instrument of torture and death is actually a sign of victory of life over death. If we view the Paschal Triduum with hope, then Good Friday rituals and music will be of solemn dignity. The Easter Vigil has many rituals and symbols for our meditation. LIGHT: Christ is the Light of the World. Pay attention At Easter fire where the east candle is lit: (from left to right) S. Virginia Pieper, Fr. Valerian Odermann, S. Mary Kay Panowicz, and S. Penny Bingham. What is the Paschal Triduum about? Top left to right: Novice Theresa Lafferty, S. Maribeth Wentzlaff, Bottom left to right: S. Peggy Venteicher, S. Erin Colgan. S. Clarice Korger, and S. Robertha Mmole. to the text of the great hymn, the Exultet, sung before the Easter candle. SCRIPTURE: Listen to the many stories of salvation starting with creation, the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, the prophets, Paul s letter to the Romans, and the gospel story of the empty tomb. BAPTISM: We sisters renew our promises around the font in our gathering space before entering into the chapel to conclude our liturgy with EUCHARIST. Now it is time for us to Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. ALLELUIA!

8 You re Invited! MORNING PRAYER 6:30 a.m. Saturday & 8:30 a.m. EVENING PRAYER 5:15 p.m. 5:00 p.m. EUCHARIST 6:55 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Eucharistic Adoration, 1:30-2:30 p.m. First Sunday of the month Social Media YANKTON BENEDICTINES Sacred Heart Monastery 1005 West 8th Street Yankton, SD NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID POS Change QR Benedictines Blog: sacred-heart-monastery-blog/ Lent Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. - Joel 2:12