Franciscan Living of the Way of the Trinity: Mercy and Compassion for All

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1 January - February 2017 Volume 09, Issue 01 echips Mercy in Action by Covenant Companion Jeanne Guilfoyle November Province Gathering by Sr. Margaret Province Breaking Down Christmas Walls by Sr. Bea & Pictures & 2017 A Style of Politics Jubilee Celebrants By Sr. Sheila Electronic Newsletter for and from the Wheaton Franciscans Franciscan Living of the Way of the Trinity: Mercy and Compassion for All Georgene L. Wilson, OSF, D.Min. On the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year of , Pope Francis ritually closed the Holy Doors of St. Peter s in Rome, Italy, symbolizing the conclusion of the Holy Year of Mercy that he had declared for the universal Roman Catholic Church. This year long Holy Year was Pope Francis way of inviting us to be intentional in our spiritual practices of mercy and compassion toward all kin and every creature of Earth. Each act of mercy and compassion with another became a seed to grow gardens and groves of love for the good of the Beloved Community on finite Earth as it is with the Infinite Good God. The Holy Year was indeed a blessed time of spiritual practices for growing a global reawakening of the goodness, mercy and compassion of God. And it invited us to be with others as God is with us. However, as Franciscan women and men the time of the Holy Year may be over, but the way of mercy and compassion is always our pilgrim practice. As a global community of followers of Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi, and thus as Wheaton Franciscans, we are pilgrims living the Gospel each and every day. Michael Crosby, OFMcap. invites us to ponder which Gospel we are living: The Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Phillip, Peter, Thomas, Mary Magdalene, or some ancient translator s or theologian s or pontiff s interpretation or rendition of the Arabic, Greek, or Hebrew sacred stories and memories? Indeed! Which gospel do we Franciscans live? Michael s challenge is to consider that the word gospel means way. Franciscans, as evangelical practioners, are covenanted and missioned to live the Way, the Gospel of the Holy Trinity. The Trinity lives as One. That Oneness is infinitely diverse in its constancy and presence of love, compassion and mercy with each and all humans in all of our diversities. The Holy Trinity s Gospel is The Way of Love and Compassion and Mercy always, and with all Creation. Every year is a Holy Year! This is our Franciscan Gospel Way: to be women and men who incarnate the Trinity s love, compassion and mercy in our world every day of our lives on Earth, as it has been and is in eternity and will be so forever. Such is our God. Such are Franciscans to live.

2 2 Mercy in Action By: Covenant Companion Jeanne Guilfoyle Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy, Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount. The Taizé Community defines mercy as the fullness of God and of human beings. The merciful are already living God s own life. Mercy is an action word in the original Greek taking it beyond a feeling of compassion and kindness to doing concrete acts. Our dear Diane Lindley, a nurse for Clare Community, has long been a face of mercy for us. Diane recently shared a personal story of love and mercy inspiring this article. By 1988 Diane had successfully raised her two daughters, Colleen and Cheryl, to early adulthood. She felt called to move outside her boundaries and to be of service; to help others and to broaden her view of reality. Diane decided to go to Guatemala for four weeks with World Opportunities, a Christian organization that operates short-term Diane with children in Guatemala volunteer missions to orphans all over the world. Traveling by herself to Guatemala, Diane felt vulnerable and alone, but once she started her service with the children those feelings ceased. The children were desperately poor; some were starving, others had disabilities and illnesses. Imagine the burst of sunshine and love Diane was to those children! Diane spent her days being for the children; feeding them, comforting them, singing and playing with them, holding and loving them. Diane was her merciful self toward them. Meanwhile, Diane was introduced to an American man who took daily runs on the main road along the Pan American Highway where the orphanage was located. The orphanage had cool, clean drinking water and made a perfect stop for the runner. The gentleman was Keith Lindley, a fifty-eight year old missionary for Missionary Ventures. Keith was working with Christian schools and he was a marathon runner. As Diane and Keith got to know each other, they gradually became aware of something special taking hold between them. The month passed quickly and Diane returned to Wheaton. She and Keith continued to nurture their relationship through an active correspondence, offering them the opportunity for deep sharing and a growing tenderness. In 1989, Keith was scheduled for a marathon in Utah at a time when Diane was to be in California for the wedding of her youngest daughter. Keith attended the wedding and met Diane s two children and her beloved parents. Their love was affirmed and a year later they were married! Through their actions of mercy, Diane and Keith received the gift of mercy and love. In 1990, Diane and Keith returned to Guatemala (as a married couple) for a health team mission Keith led.

3 November Province Gathering By: Sr. Margaret Grempka November 4-5, 2016, 45 Sisters and Covenant Companions met at the invitation of the Council and the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters Foundation Board (Ss. Glenna Czachor, Margaret Grempka, Melanie Paradis, Pat Norton, Rose Mary Pint and John Oliverio.) The intentions of the meeting included sharing information about the Foundation, inviting input and guidance for the Board in developing values and priorities for the Foundation and gaining a sense of ownership for the foundation by the Province. Jan - Feb 2017 Sister Glenna shared a PowerPoint presentation: Our ministry story: a legacy of responding to the needs of the times. As we looked at the photos and listened to the stories of our ministry in Healthcare, Teaching and Childcare, Housing, Foreign Missions, Spirituality, Justice and Peace: Advocacy and Outreach, and Leadership, we were moved by the depth and breadth of our experiences. We shared our areas of concern for our world and then named some priorities for the Foundation. Through the experiences of these days, we deepened our sense of connection with each other and hope for our shared future. 3 We prayed together and gathered in small and large circles to share our reflections on the Foundation mission statement In the spirit of Francis of Assisi and our foundress Clara Pfaender, we respond to the needs of the church and the times. We shared with each other what we mean NOW by in the spirit of Francis of Assisi and our Foundress Clara Pfaender. We identified some values which resonate in this time of our shared life and charism. All of this was offered to the Foundation Board for their further work in naming the values for the Foundation. The following are some of the comments from the circle participants to the Board at the end of the two days: I think that this process these two days helped us to claim some ownership for the Foundation. It is not like you are doing this separate from us; you are doing this on behalf of us so it gives us a sense of "we". We are in this together. This process was a way to help us let go The service continues in a different form, so we can let go of what was so that we can be present in the now which takes us into the future. Taking a look at the body of the spirit present here whatever you need let me know. I will pray that you receive the joy in your work. I appreciated the give and take and the sense of hearing everyone and growing sense of we and especially of our integrity which is all of us. I appreciate all that you are doing and if there is any way I can help, I am ready. The work is before you and us as we bless our world with these resources that we have been so blessed to have received the wonderful stewardship through the years.

4 4 Province Christmas Gathering photo credit: Michel Nijhuis

5 2017 JUBILEE CELEBRANTS Jan - Feb We are happy to honor these wonderful Sisters who will celebrate their Jubilee on Saturday, June 24, Each of them deepens our experience of love and faithfulness. None of the below are celebrating 25 years (this includes Covenant Companions living or deceased). Living Deceased 75 Years 75 Years Sr. Catherine Ann Weyenberg Sr. Zita Betonski Sr. Rosalie Klein Sr. Bernette Holdmeier Sr. Leander Huelsing 70 Years Sr. Anselma Micka Sr. Pauline Langfield Sr. Therese Ortiz 65 Years 65 Years Sr. Anthony Baechle Sr. Diane Sledge 60 Years Sr. Georgene L. Wilson Sr. Margaret Zulaski photo credit: Michel Nijhuis

6 6 Covenant Companionship News By: Covenant Companion Jeanne Connolly Covenant Re-Commitment Ceremony On Sunday, January 8, 2017, twenty-two (22) Covenant Companions gathered to publicly re-commitment their covenant with the Wheaton Franciscans. They were joined in spirit by 15 Covenant Companions unable to be present because of health, distance, or prior life commitments. The chapel was filled with the hope and joy of the Feast of the Epiphany and our commitment as People of God to be people of the light. Prospective Covenant Companions In September, the Provincial Council accepted the application of three individuals to enter the Orientation and Integration Process for Covenant Companionship. The three individuals are Chuck Gaul, mentored by Sr. Lynn Schafer, Connie Gaul, mentored by Sr. Diane Przyborowski, and Faith Devine, mentored by Sr. Theresa Langfield. The Orientation Session began in mid-october and will continue every other month until June. The Covenant Commitment Ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, October 29, We are grateful to Covenant Companions Kathy Schneider and Consuelo Cabral for their attendance at our orientation sessions. All Wheaton Franciscan are welcome to attend. Please contact Jeanne Connolly for more information. Who Are the Wheaton Franciscans sessions Scheduled for Spring Two sessions of Who Are the Wheaton Franciscans have been scheduled for spring The first session is scheduled for Sunday, March 5, at noon (following Coffee & ). The second session is scheduled for Sunday, June 4, at noon (following Coffee & ). Please extend an invitation to individuals you may know who are curious about the Wheaton Franciscan community and would like to know more about our charism, mission, ministries, and ways of connecting. Meeting the Communication Needs of Our Times This will be the final issue of e-chips. The communication needs of the Province, our Province Associates, faith community, and friends are changing rapidly and the way we communicate must also change to remain relevant. Beginning in August 2017, we will publish a quarterly e-magazine that will feature articles, reflections and photos that are not time-sensitive yet provide a deeper sense of the life and spirit of the Wheaton Franciscan Community. This publication will be available to the general public. Around the first of February, we will publish Chiplettes (a working title). This will include brief stories and updates relevant to Sisters, Covenant Companions, and Province Associates. We anticipate that Chiplettes will be produced once or twice a month. This will include a calendar of events, stories of up-coming activities, thank-you notes, as well as other time-sensitive information. We will also continue to publish Prayer Notes and Updates as necessary. Help us name our new quarterly publication! We are inviting all readers of e-chips to help us name the new quarterly publication. Please submit your suggestions to Emily España, by April 28th. We will share the suggested titles and readers will have an opportunity to vote on the name. There will be a prize, so get those create juices flowing. Thank you for your faithful support and kind words about e-chips. We are looking forward to birthing these new publications with you.

7 Breaking Down Walls - Stories of Hope By: Sr. Beatrice Hernandez On January 1, 2017, World Day of Peace, we ushered in the New Year. Here in the United States, we are acutely aware of the growing anti-immigrant sentiment, fueled even more by the political rhetoric of our recent presidential campaign. Along with this, religious discrimination directed primarily toward Muslims is on the rise. In response to this, the Interfaith Coalition of Du Page County hosted an interfaith gathering. Jan - Feb The theme was Breaking Down Walls Stories of Hope. Sisters Bea Hernandez, Sylvia Wehlisch and Mary Lou Wirtz attended the service along with nearly 300 people from many faith traditions. We joined our hearts and voices in songs, prayers and hope for peace, understanding, respect and solidarity with one another. Testimonies and words of inspiration were shared by representative of Beth Shalom Congregation (Jewish), New Life Covenant Church, Baha i community of Naperville, the Sikh Coalition, the Hindu Temple of Aurora, the Buddhist Meditation Center and the Islamic Center of Naperville. The keynote address was delivered by Rev. Dr. JoAnne Marie Terrell, an ordained elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Michigan. She is a professor of theology, ethics and the arts at Chicago Theological Seminary. In her remarks, Rev. Terrell called us all to truly live the love that animates our faith. She pointed out that justice is empty unless it is rooted in love. She called on each of us to open ourselves to the transformative power of love and to carry that power into the world, thus creating the reality we hope for! Non-Violence: A Style of Politics for Peace By: Sr. Sheila Kinsey, FCJM Executive Co-Secretary of the Inter-Congregational JPIC Secretariat The World Day of Peace Message has been released by Pope Francis. His theme Nonviolence: a Style of Politics for Peace deeply resonates with me and with our Catholic Nonviolence Initiative group. Some of us submitted suggestions for this message. It is exciting to know that now this nonviolence message is a part of Catholic Social Teaching and we had made contributions to the words of Pope Francis. The document has become foundational for our work. We continue to work with the dicastery for promoting Integral Human Development Services as we move the message of nonviolence forward. For more resources to develop this theme and for a copy of the nonviolence document, please go to

8 In Memoriam United States Province Sister Catherine Albers, born Catherine Adelaida, died on December 27, Sister Julianne Diebold, born Ottilia Alvina died on January 2, Indonesia Province Father Benitius Brevoort, OFMCap, died on January 17, German Province Sister M. Aldegund née Paula Slebioda, died on January 3, Sister M. Johannilda, born Henriette Peitz, died on November 13, Sister M. Rogata, born Maria Tschimmel, died on November 4, Dutch Province Sister Patricia, born Anna Maria Juckers, died on October 24, Looking Ahead February Coffee & - February 5, 2017 March Lent March 1, 2017 Ash Wednesday March 1, 2017 Coffee & - March 5, 2017 Who are the Wheaton Franciscans - March 5, 2017, noon to 1:30 p.m. Province Gathering - March, 24-26, 2017 April Coffee & - April 2, 2017 Palm Sunday April 9, 2017 Good Friday April 14, 2017 Holy Saturday April 15, 2017 Easter April 16, 2017 May Coffee & - May 7, 2017 June Coffee & - June 4, 2017 Who are the Wheaton Franciscans- June 4, 2017, noon to 1:30 p.m. Jubilee June 24, 2017 Franciscan Federation June 16-19, 2017 DESIGN AND LAYOUT EMILY ESPAÑA EESPANA@WFSISTERS.ORG EDITOR COVENANT COMPANION JEANNE CONNOLLY JCONNOLLY@WFSISTERS.ORG ECHIPS IS PRODUCED BY THE WHEATON FRANCISCAN SISTERS, COVENANT COMPANIONS, AND INTERESTED FRIENDS AND PARTNERS. Like us on Facebook WHEATON FRANCISCANS 26W171 ROOSEVELT ROAD WHEATON, IL