A Blessed Christmas. Volume VI Issue No. 6 November-December2018. The Generalate and the Casa Community,

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1 September WE ARE DIFFERENT YET ONE The way of Jesus to walk united with our differences. -Pope Francis Volume VI Issue No. 6 November-December2018 Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, Casa Santo Spirito, Via dei Bevilacqua 60, 00165, Rome Italy HEARTFELT THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE M. Angela Strobel, (center) Prioress General for two terms ( , ), Sr. Caridad Choi, (left) General Councilor from , Sr. Maria Salete da Rocha, (right) General Councilor from A Blessed Christmas The Generalate and the Casa Community, Rome Sr. Rosann

2 Congregation Lifestream 2 SR. CHRISTINA ELECTED PRIORESS of DAEGU BY SR. CARIDAD CHOI, OSB Sr. Christine Sister Christina Moon, 64, was elected Prioress of Daegu Priory on December 11 for a term of five years. She made her first profession on February 10, 1984 and her Final Profession on Feb. 10, Sr. Christina has a master s degree in environment sculpture. After her first profession she did the sculptural relief of the then newly built Priory House in Sasudong. She served as superior of Yeonhwa-ri Station and Daegu Fatima hospital community. She was sub-prioress for three years. Abbot Ildephons In 1908 he became arch- abbot of Beuron and resigned in He died on February 23, 1918, years ago. In 1896, after the official resignation of Fr. Andreas Amrhein, Schober came as visitator to St. Ottilien for both communities, monks and sisters. He and Amrhein had lived together in the novitiate and Schober appreciated him and his ideas a lot. Schober proved to be a real blessing for St. Ottilien, being an experienced visitator and superior of a Benedictine abbey, open minded person anda good listener. Probably he was the only person capable of fulfilling this mission. He found there obedience, humility, diligence in work and joyful spirit of sacrifice but a lack of clear, definite principles, of firm and solid training and stated: Once well-organized there will be a chance for great service to the Church. Soon he won over the hearts of the monks and sisters and they requested him as their superior general. This was granted and he could start to provide a sound juridical basis for the entire institute. Until 1902 he could develop St. Ottilien to an abbey and the mission in German East Africa to a vicariate. Then Norbert Weber became the first abbot. Schober continued to be a good adviser for GETTING TO KNOW ABBOT ILDEPHONS BY SR. MONIKA GROTH, OSB He was born 1849 in Germany and entered the Benedictine Beuron abbey He was ordained in 1874 and became the first abbot of Seckau in In 1896, after the official resignation of Fr. Andreas Amrhein, Abbot Schober came as visitator to St. Ottilien for both communities, monks and sisters. From he was the superior general of the men and women congregation of St. Ottilien. Mother Birgitta Korff. They formulated the necessary constitutions. In 1903 the government could approve the By-laws which settled many important issues like the election of the prioress general for life. In 1906 they were revised and a Mission Appendix was added. Schober wanted the motherhouse of the sisters to be at a proper distance and independent from St. Ottilien. In 1902 they started to build the Motherhouse in Tutzing and in 1904 the sisters could already move there. Abbot Ildefons Schober OSB of Seckau (2nd from right) as General Superior of St. Ottilien after the episcopal consecration of Father Cassian Spiß OSB (3rd from left) in St. Ottilien on 16 November 1902 with the consecrators. Recommended for reading Abbot Ildephons Schober s contribution to the Congregation of Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing: Walter, B., Sustained by God s Faithfulness (Eos Verlag Erzabtei St. Ottilien, 1987), I

3 Congregation Lifestream 3 JUNIORATE FORMATION EXPANDS INTERCULTURALLY Strenghten inter-priory sharing beginning with the junior sisters. (XIII General Chapter) From l-r: Sr. Mary Gabrielle, Sr. Suzana, Sr. Augustina, Sr. Gabriella, Sr. Paula, Sr. Katarina, Sr. Sr. Francine Sr. Mary Gabrielle, Sr. Suzana, Sr. Augustina, Sr. Gabriella, Paula, Sr. Katarina, Sr. Francine 1. IJP IN ROME BY SR. GABRIELLA PANGENI, OSB at the graduation of Sr. Rosaria (holding a bouquet) Joy-giving at the Red Cross Center through Christmas Carols Abbot Primate Gregory (c) and Fr. Prior Mauritius (l) during their annual Christmas visit. With them is M. Angela The International Juniorate Program (IJP) in Rome started on December 2 and will end on November 17, The participants are Sr. Gabriella Pangeni (Windhoek), Sr. Augustina Akampuriira (Jinja), Sr. Katarina Leonce Nakei (Ndanda), Sr. Suzana Nyiriri (Peramiho), Sr. Francine Kyalimwa Kavota and Sr. Mary Gabriel Ndumia (both from Nairobi) and Sr. Paula Lee (from Seoul). We have been experiencing the countless and memorable blessings of God ever since we arrived in Rome. Our spirituality is being nourished every day. We are grateful for we have come to witness with our own eyes and have touched what we normally hear from others. On December 13 we joined our sisters at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome and watched the concert of Sr. Rosaria Yoon of the Daegu Priory who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor Diploma in Organ. The third Sunday of advent was a joyful reminder for us to wait for our Emmanuel. We brought this joy to our physically challenged brothers and sisters at the Red Cross Center as we sung Christmas carols and distributed our simple gifts with the small image of the Baby Jesus. Many joined us with laughter and smiles on their faces. On December 22 the whole community welcomed Abbot Primate Gregory Polan and Fr. Prior Mauritius Wilde for their annual Christmas visit.

4 Congregation Lifestream 4 2. INTERCULTURAL LIVING AMONG JUNIORS IN TAGAYTAY (Manila Priory) BY SR. MARY PETER MACKAY, OSB 3. PAN-AFRICAN INTENSIFIERS IN WINDHOEK From l-r: Sr. Redone Mackay (Manila) Sr. Stella Maris Martinez (Manila), Sr. Isabella Petrus (Windhoek), Sr. Annet Namadi (Jinja) Sr. Mary Paul Baul (Junior Directress), Sr. Joyanne Morales (Manila), Sr. Joshua Gi (Daegu), Sr. Christine Ekaju (Jinja), Sr. Marie Martha Go (Daegu) Living in community is a gift and a task. The theme of our General Chapter last October 2018 speaks much about it. The diversity in our Congregation is not only within the locality but also within our international communities here and abroad. It gives us the opportunity to learn, appreciate and familiarize ourselves with the different cultures and backgrounds of our Sisters from different countries. And it challenges us to have a constant living out of conversatio morum in our daily life as we encounter each Sister in our respective communities Here in our Juniorate community I am grateful that we have become also an international community. We are composed of four nationalities as seen in the picture above. Three of my companions share some insights on living in an international community: Sr. Marie Martha of Daegu: Our International Juniorate community life is like working out a puzzle. Each of us is a different piece of the puzzle in the big beautiful picture of Jesus Christ. Sr. Isabella of Windhoek: Living in an international community cannot just to be a theory. It should be practiced so that one can understand others. I am so fortunate for being part of this intercultural community because I have learned a lot from our differences. Sr. Annet of Jinja/Generalate District :Living in an international community is the best thing that ever happened to me. I realized that we are all different but one. We the juniors in this community blended together as if we are from the same national community. We learn to understand one another and cry with one another and laugh with each other. It is like a flower with different colors. First row from l-r: Sr. Veronica Nyondo(Ndanda), Sr. Elisa Millanzi (Ndanda), Sr. Maria Goreti Kapandila (Ndanda), Sr. Bakhita Ameya (Windhoek), Sr. Mary Magdalen Mbangu (Windhoek) Second row from l-r: Sr. Irene Nyirenda (Ndanda), Sr. Grace Hittu (Ndanda), Sr. Rose Guga (Ndanda), Sr. Abraham Kang (Junior Directress), Sr. Consolata Kiio (Nairobi), Sr. Lydiah Nyangaresi (Nairobi) The Windhoek Priory is currently hosting the three-month Pan-African Intensification Program which started on the second week of December. A fourth month will be added to the program for pilgrimage and exposures of the intensifiers. The entire group is composed of two sisters from Namibia, two from Nairobi and six from Ndanda. Abt. Guillermo 4. INDIA. Sr. Johanna Nakshathram from India, who spent her postulancy and novitiate and made her first profession in Windhoek will return to India in January JINJA. Sr. Maurice Mary Kamari from the Windhoek Priory came to Jinja in July The picture shows Sr. Maurice (left) with her superior Sr. Benedicta (far right) in preparation of their apostolate. 6. DAEGU. There are four junior sisters assigned in Daegu Priory. One is from India and the three belong to the Jinja community/generalate District. (see page 6 for picture).

5 Congregation Lifestream 5 Continuation from the September-October 2018 issue THE MISSIONARY BENEDICTINE SISTERS AND THE BEGINNINGS OF THE CIB (COMMUNIO INTERNATIONALIS BENEDICTINARUM) BY SR. AQUINATA BÖCKMANN, OSB As the Synod on Consecrated Life at the Vatican was coming up, the participants realized that no representative for the Benedictine Woman worldwide was present at this synod. So the plenary commissioned two delegates to go to the Vatican and to ask the preparatory commission of this Synod for the favor to have one representative of the Benedictine Women. And Pope John Paul II appointed later M. Edeltrud. She could participate a lot, also in the circuli minores (language groups) of the Bishops and could give her contributions. In 1995 Abbot Primate Jerome Theisen died; the commission met again 1996 during the Abbot s Congress at mondo migliore. This was the first time that during the congress Benedictine women, our M. Irene Dabalus, M. Maire Hickey, and M. Vera Lucia, Bahia were invited to give supplementary conferences to the main talks. When M. Edeltrud could no longer go on to work for the commission of Benedictine Women, her successor, M. Maire Hickey gave her very much praise in an official report to the German abbesses and superiors OSB. In English translation: She contributed so much to the development of the commission and the symposiums throughout 12 years. With enormous generosity she offered two times all resources of her congregation, so that through the international symposia the networking of the NORFOLK RECEIVES GREEN LEAF AWARD BY SR. ROSANN OCKEN, OSB The City of Norfolk recognized the contribution the sisters of Immaculata Monastery have made toward beautifying the city by their outdoor landscaping and gardens during the City Council Meeting on 5 November Stan Staab, the Tree Advisory Board Chairman presented the award in the presence of city mayor, Josh Moenning, City Council members and visitors. There to receive the award was Sr. Rita Marie Tofflemire and Sr. Rosann Ocken. Benedictine women could be developed. The hospitable house at the Via dei Bevilacqua did not only receive us (commissions), but also more than 50 persons for the first international symposium and in the course of the years, many times the secretaries, the representatives, the participants of the commissions. When we needed speakers, secretaries, translators, guest-sisters, helpers in the kitchen or at table, Sisters who prepared the Liturgies, Sisters for administration, Sisters for the Finances the Missionary Benedictines of Tutzing, made all of them available to the commissions and symposia with the maximum Sisterly love as if it were normal (Selbstverständlichkeit). Without this homely place for our landing in Rome, the Symposia could not have taken place and the commission could not have developed as it happened. To all of this we have to add the personal contribution of M. Edeltrud: Through her strength in faith, her vision and her friendliness she always again and again encouraged us, to believe that things that are not yet existing, could become reality. Through her experience of life in the Church and in the Order, she knew to guarantee with wisdom a moderate tempo of development. So she could succeed to bring the commission of Benedictine women from all continents to a common conviction. We have the confidence that this fundament of Vision and Wisdom, which M. Edeltrud in a great part laid down, will forcefully still guide the commission in the work that still has to be done. Fr. l-r: Stan Staab, Sr. Rita Marie, Mayor Moenning and Sr. Rosann

6 Congregation Lifestream 6 Sr. Ma. Salete Sr. Tecla Sr. Lioba Sr. Athanasia Sr. Maria Salete da Rocha from Rome to Sorocaba Priory Sr. Athanasia Simon from Ndanda Priory to Haus St. Benedict/GD Sr. Elisabeth Busbach from Bulgaria/GD to Tutzing Priory Sr. Margarete Wegscheid from Madrid/Torres Novas Priory to Tutzing Priory Sr. Tecla Mbevi from Nairobi Priory to Bulgaria/GD Sr. Lioba Yang from Ndanda Priory Sr. Lioba to Daegu Priory on a short term assignment. Sr. Elisabeth Sr. Margarete Rest in Peace Sr. Ma. Conceição Fernandes da Costa, 81, died in Torres Novas on October 28. Sr. Mechtilde Shikongo, 82, died in Windhoek on December 2, Sr. Ma. Goretti Moreira, 101, died in Recife on December 7. Sr. Lioba Tiamson, 93, died in Manila on December 13. JUNIORATE from page Sr. Rose Marie Kavugho (Jinja), 2. Sr. Mary Rose Xavier (India), 3. Sr. Regina Nakkazzi (Jinja), 4. Sr. Evelyne Nanfuka (Jinja) with the other Korean Benedictine Junior Sisters and Brothers. THE GENERALATE M. Angela Strobel, OSB Sr. Lumen Gloria Dungca, OSB Sr. Caridad Choi, OSB Sr. Ma. Salete da Rocha, OSB Sr. Regina Tesch, OSB