B U S I N E S S N A M E Volume 14, Issue 1 ASBS NEWSLETTER FALL 2015 ASBS NEWSLETTER PILGRIMS VISIT THE SHRINE OF ST. KATHARINE DREXEL BY ASBS DIRECTOR CAROLE BLANKS The week of the World Meeting of Families 2015 in Philadelphia was an exciting time for thousands of people who participated in the much anticipated event. That same week was an exciting time at the Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel. For many, the week in Philadelphia included a visit to the Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel. Approximately 60 tour buses were expected to bring pilgrims to the shrine. That number quickly escalated to more than 80 buses Some ASBS Volunteers by the end of the week, in addition to those who arrived by car, Septa Train and cab. The shrine was open each day during that week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Many tour groups had a priest with them, and had made pre-arrangements for the priest to celebrate Mass in St. Elizabeth Chapel for the pilgrims. Approximately, 200 people, many of them ASBS, and SBS Alumni volunteered to assist with the tours or assist with security of the Shrine and the grounds. Gary and Kathy Scott from Sugar Grove, IL and Joyce Page from Houston, TX and Carole Blanks from Los Angles joined many Bensalem Associates volunteering wherever needed that week. The tour began with the viewing of a video prepared by the pastor of St. Katharine Drexel Church in Amador, CA. The video gave an overview of the life of St. Katharine Drexel, the Drexel Family and the ministry of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. The pilgrims then visited St. Elizabeth Chapel, the museum, the crypt of St. Katharine Drexel and the cemetery where the Drexel Family is buried, as well as many SBS. The last stop was the gift shop. In spite of the very large numbers of people who arrived at the same time, everyone was so patient, courteous and appreciative even if they had to wait for a time before their group had the opportunity to participate in the celebration of Mass. One group of 400 people had made arrangements for a catered lunch under a tent after their Mass and tour. Children enjoyed the opportunity to run and play ball on the beautiful spacious grounds. Throughout all of these activities, the visitors kept the grounds immaculately clean. Sunday Mass at St. Elizabeth s Chapel (Continued on page 5.)
WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES BY BILOXI ASBS CHERYL THOMPSON My Husband Fred and I had the privilege of being the guest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families. The World Meeting of Families Congress Agenda was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Here is just a sample of the workshops. On Tuesday I attended "Living as the Image of God: Created for Joy and Love, by Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop-Elect Robert Barron, the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. He spoke of how we as human beings have been made in the image and likeness of God. Our likeness is revealed in our intelligence, our hunger for the good, our creativity, our freedom and above all, in our capacity for relationship. In living for the other, in giving ourselves away in love, we most resemble God, who is love. We must keep God in our hearts and know that he loves us regardless. He is inviting us to come and worship, love our Brothers and Sisters and those in need. Come to Adoration and feel the presence of God who is waiting for you. He is always available, give Him a try. I also attended "When I was Hungry" by Mrs. Christine Codden. This workshop was designed to provide tools to generate creative ideas and discussion on how to improve the way a parish intentionally views and strengthens the family. There's no secret that we are all in the same boat. We need each other to survive. We need to bring our families back to church and pray, worship and eat together as a family. The whole trip was definitely a once in a life time experience and seeing people from all over the world gathered to see Pope Francis was amazing. Seeing Pope Francis up close for the first time was so emotional and such a blessing for us. As Pope Francis drove by us, next to me was a man who gave him a "thumbs-up" and the Pope gave a "thumbs-up" back. Had it not been for the barricades, I could had touched the Pope! That s how close we were. At the closing Mass for the World meeting of Families, the most precious memory to me was being able to receive Jesus in Holy Communion. Just imagine millions of people at the Mass, and here we were able to receive Jesus. I will forever be grateful for this moment. Being an ASBS and knowing how much the Eucharist meant to St. Katharine Drexel, I felt that she was with me in spirit and smiling when I did receive Jesus. During his Homily, Pope Francis spoke of St. Katharine Drexel, of how she as a young girl devoted her life to the Blessed Sacrament and her generosity to the needy. By her prayers and example we too, as Christians, must follow in her footsteps. Another amazing highlight of my trip was to visit the Motherhouse. Rita Esick an ASBS now living in Texas, volunteered to help at the World Meeting of Families and drove me and Fred to the Motherhouse. Greeting us there was none other than Carole Blanks with smiles and hugs. Another reason for the visit was to see Sister Mary John Soulliard, who taught my mother in school when she was stationed at Our Mother of Sorrows, Biloxi. What joy it was seeing each other! (Continued on page 3.) Page 2 A SBS NEWS LE TT ER
POPE FRANCIS IN PHILADELPHIA BY DENVER ASBS MARY LEISRING It was a great privilege and a grace to be in Philadelphia for the 2015 World Meeting of Families. For me, a smaller, but very impressive gathering with the Holy Father was the one in front of Independence Hall. Pope Francis spoke from the lectern which Abraham Lincoln used when delivering the Gettysburg Address. His theme was the value of religious freedom for all God s people. In the light of the world conflicts and his recent visit to Cuba, this was significant. Speaking to the many immigrants in the audience he encouraged them to use their freedom to contribute to the land they now call home. St. Katharine Drexel asked Pope Leo XIII who would evangelize the Native Americans and Blacks in America. The Pope replied: What about you? Pope Francis kept repeating this challenge to us and everyone who heard his words. What about you? What can I do to bring peace and love to build up the Body of Christ. In his final homily at the closing Mass in Philadelphia Pope Francis spoke of the miracles of small things which can change lives and families and, ultimately, the world. We can show more kindness, ask forgiveness, and bring the message of Christ to our personal relationships. Most of all, the Holy Father showed by example how to smile, to be gracious, to care about everyone, especially the young and the disabled. May each of our lives be changed by following his words and example. You have not only a glorious history to remem- ber and to recount, but also a great history still to be accomplished! Look to the future, where the Spirit is sending you in order to do even greater things. Pope Francis Note: This article was taken from the newsletter put out by ASBS Mary Leisring, Black Catholic in the Rockies, a publication of the Office of Black Catholic Ministries, Archdiocese of Denver. (Continued from page 2.) We were able to visit the gravesite of Sister Damian Widmeier, whom God called home in August. Sister taught me at Our Mother of Sorrows. I will forever be grateful of the Sister of the Blessed Sacrament who taught at Our Mother of Sorrows for their love and dedication and for making us the good Catholics we are today. Director Carole Blanks ASBS Carol Gaignard NEWSLETTER CONTACTS 421 S. Van Ness Ave. #35 Los Angeles CA 90020 (213)738-7192/ 999-3268 cblanks@dlsextreme.com ASBS Margaret Richard 1351 Burton Plantation Hwy. St. Martinville LA 70582 (337)394-6980 703 Terrell Court New Iberia LA 70563 (337)365-1343 carolgaudin@bellsouth.net V OLU ME 1 4, I SSU E 1 Page 3
PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD! BY SR. ANNETTE MCDONALD, SBS Having experienced the long, intense preparation for the coming of Pope Francis to Philadelphia this past September, I am now reflecting upon the advent of an even greater God/man, the Lord Jesus Christ. I am reminded of the words of the prophet Isaiah: Someone is shouting in the desert Get the road ready for the Lord; make a straight path for him to travel! Every valley must be filled up, every hill and mountain leveled off. The winding roads must be made straight and the rough paths made smooth. All mankind will see God s salvation Alas, with our already busy schedules and all commercialism connected with Christmas today, we have to be reminded: Jesus is the reason for the season! How can we make this season of Advent a true preparation for the coming of the Lord? While there are many possibilities, I am going to focus on welcoming. What a tremendous welcome was given to Pope Francis! Dignitaries met him at the airports. In spite of all the challenges, thousands lined the streets waving the Papal Flag. On his side, Pope Francis reached out to all. People of many faiths were there. All were accepted as they were. He even asked the atheists and agnostics to send him good wishes if they were not able to pray for him. He embraced all. There is much welcoming to be done during the Advent/Christmas season. Of course, we look forward to visiting with close family and friends. What about those who have been alienated? Perhaps, they could receive an invitation to a Christmas get-together. A Christmas card is a great way of connecting with those we are unable to meet. Also, it is a time to re-connect with those we have not had the time to keep up with during the year. While the holidays are happy times for many, there are those who find the holidays very difficult for many reasons: lack of family, broken families, being house bound because of age or infirmity, being in nursing homes, being in prison, lack of finances to provide food or Christmas gifts for their families, being homeless, being refugees, being in war torn countries. Is there any way you can show love and care for some of these people? Advent is a time to make that extra effort. Alternative gifts, such as donations to charities in the name of a relative or friend, who has everything, can be a true blessing. Those who have distanced themselves from the Church might welcome an invitation to return to their Church home. On the other hand, those who have never had a church home and may be searching for meaning and a sense of belonging might appreciate an invitation to join you at a Christmas Mass, or a church activity. Pope Francis gave us a wonderful example of spreading the good news of God s love as he traveled from place to place. Let us, like Pope Francis, welcome all as brothers and sisters of the one God, the Father. In the apostle John s first Epistle he exhorts the followers of Jesus: My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action 3:18. Have a Blessed Advent and Christmas! Page 4 A SBS NEWS LE TT ER
TAKE THE ASBS PILGRIMAGE CHALLENGE! BY NEW ORLEANS ASBS CAROLYN THOMAS In the summer of 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral across the country. It seemed like every time you looked up another group was being doused to raise money for ALS, which is certainly a worthy cause. I d like to issue a challenge to all ASBS faith communities, but it won t involve being showered by a bucket of ice water. Having worked on three ASBS Pilgrimages, I can tell you that planning such an event is full of challenges, but I consider the greatest challenge to be financial. Your Pilgrimage Planning Committee is tasked with providing a quality, memorable event while keeping registration costs to a minimum, while inflation is driving prices up on everything. Therefore, I would like to challenge every ASBS faith community to obtain at least one ad of any size in the Pilgrimage souvenir booklet to help defray costs. The NOLA ASBS community will lead the challenge by committing to a full-page ad. Be creative in how you raise the money to buy an ad. Perhaps your parish church or a club you belong to would be interested in advertising. Another option is if you can t physically attend the Pilgrimage, you could still make your presence felt by taking out a quarter-page ad for only $25. So, my fellow ASBS, instead of getting showered with ice water, you could be showered with gratitude and blessings by accepting the ASBS Pilgrimage Challenge! PILGRIMS VISIT SHRINE OF ST. KATHARINE DREXEL (Continued from page 1.) Sunday morning Mass in St. Elizabeth Chapel was filled to capacity with chairs added in the body of the chapel to accommodate the large number of people. There were people of many cultures that attended the Mass. They exhibited a spirit of joy, and were eager to sing hymns in their native languages. They continued the multicultural exchange after Mass as they all gathered outside of the chapel and joined in circle dances and song. Mother Katharine must have been clapping her hands saying, Holy Angels! at the sight of all of God s people first sharing at the Eucharistic Table and then sharing in song and dance. Some of the visitors at the Shrine that week were families who live in the surrounding community, but who had never visited the Shrine. Some pilgrims stated that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to visit the Shrine and to pray at the crypt of St. Katharine Drexel. Many wrote special intensions and placed them in the Apache Prayer Basket. Sr. Patricia Downs and her Planning Committee are to be commended for an outstanding job in coordinating such a memorable event.! Circle Dance V OLU ME 1 4, I SSU E 1 Page 5
HOW I SEE GOD IN OTHERS AS I WALK MY JOURNEY OF FAITH BY NEW ORLEANS ASBS CAROLYN THOMAS Sometimes when I listen to the gospels, I think to myself how lucky the Apostles and people of that time were to have physically seen Jesus, walked with Him, talked with Him, ate with Him. I almost envy them because of course, nobody since that time has actually seen the Lord, except for some of the saints who have had visions of Christ. Yet God has given us the opportunity to see Him just in different ways. What a great gift God has given us in the gift of sight. Through the gift of sight, I have seen, and continue to see God in nature in the Rocky Mountains when the snowcapped peaks stand out against a beautiful blue sky; in the late afternoon as the sun fades, the shadows do give the mountains the appearance of being purple in their majesty, as we sing in America the Beautiful. I see God in the beauty of flowers; in the intricate patterns of color that He gives to some animals such as the peacock, a parrot, or even the symmetrical stripes of a tiger or a zebra. I see God in the blazing colors of fall foliage. I see God in a powerful wave breaking over a rock, or a waterfall. These are some of the ways I see God with the eyesight He s given me. There is another way that I can see God, and perhaps this is the most important way we should see God, and it is seeing God in His greatest creation which is man, to paraphrase St. Katharine Drexel. As children we learn that we are made in the image and likeness of God. We learn that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which means that God dwells within each one of us. It is so powerful to think that God is in each one of us; and therefore, He is always present, even though at times we choose not to see Him. There is a beautiful custom that acknowledges the presence of God within each of us. There is an ancient Sanskrit greeting that is still in everyday use in India. When people meet, they put their hands together as if in prayer, and with a slight bow they say, NAMASTE which means The God in me greets the God in you. That is so deep and impressive to me. If we keep that one thing in mind, if we see God within each of us, it will certainly affect the way we treat people. When you see Jesus as St. Paul physically saw Him it can turn your life around. St. Katharine Drexel saw Jesus in the faces of Native and African Americans and look at how her life was changed because of it. It s hard sometimes to see the God in other people. Do you see God in your husband when he leaves his dirty clothes on the floor? Or when your wife nags you about picking up after yourself? Do you see God in your children when their room looks like a cyclone just hit it, or when they smart mouth you? Do you see God in your neighbor whose trash blows on your nice, clean lawn; or in a boss or co -worker whom you find aggravating? Do we see God in the faces of immigrants or refugees as Pope Francis suggested? We must try to see people through God s eyes. If we look through God s eyes, we can see things differently. God sees potential in us. In the book of Jonah, we know that Nineveh was a powerful city full of mean, ruthless people who were known to wage brutal wars and torture their captives. Through Jonah s eyes, he saw the brutality of the Ninevites and he didn t think they were capable of conversion. He dreaded going there to warn them to change their ways and so he tried to run away from the assignment given to him by God and, as a result, got swallowed by a whale. However, God saw that the Ninevites were capable of conversion, which they did in grand fashion, to the point of even covering their animals in sackcloth. That story teaches us that we should try to look at people through God s eyes. (Continued on next page.) Page 6 A SBS NEWS LE TT ER
HOW I SEE GOD IN OTHERS AS I WALK MY JOURNEY OF FAITH (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE) As we see God in other people, we are obliged to act so that other people can see God in us and through us. We have to bring God s love to others by serving them. Someone might be hiding a struggle, a fear, or some sorrow; so something as easy as a smile might make a difference to them. Any small act of kindness may help someone see that God is indeed with them, and He is showing it to them through you. Let s remember that: Whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for me. Matthew 25:40 The older I get, the more I see how God uses people as His instruments. He works through us to touch the lives of other people, and He uses other people to touch our lives. As I walk this journey, I realize that it s true that God puts people in your path for a reason or a season. I see God in others when I watch TV or read the paper and learn about some of the good works of charity that people do for those less fortunate that s God working through people. My biggest problem is keeping myself open to seeing God in my everyday life. When I m busy, hurried, worried, or tired, I tend to focus on other things and I m not as aware of God s presence as I should be. It s easy to be so caught up in everyday life that we miss God s messengers and/or messages. Or maybe I don t see others as God sees them. Nevertheless, He is there, within them and within me. I may not be able to see Him physically, but He is there and He will manifest His presence through someone who is walking this journey on earth with me. What I do now is to ask the Holy Spirit to help me be more receptive to any form of His messages, because when we receive spiritual messages, they come through the power of the Holy Spirit. So in closing, let s ask God to open our eyes to see Him in the beauty of His world around us in the sky, the trees, and the sea. Let s ask God to open our eyes to see others as He sees them. Let s ask Him to open our eyes to see Him in other people. Let s ask Him to open our eyes to see that He is present in every situation of our lives. Let s ask Him to open our eyes to see and appreciate the people He puts in our path as we walk this journey of faith. Pilgrimage Hotel Information Crowne Plaza Bucks County 4700 Street Road Feasterville-Trevose, PA 19053 Telephone: 215-364-2000 A block of 100 rooms will be held until May 1, 2016 at a rate of $119 per night plus tax. This discounted price is on a first come first serve basis. When making reservation give the code: ASBS Pilgrimage. GONE HOME TO THE LORD Sr. Karen Cunningham, SBS Sr. M. Damien Widmeier, SBS Vivian Streeter, ASBS May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. V OLU ME 1 4, I SSU E 1 Page 7
ASBS NEWSLETTER 703 TERRELL COURT NEW IBERIA LA 70563 TOTAL GIFT OF SELF NEXT ARTICLES DUE JANUARY 15, 2016 SBS AND ASBS LEADERSHIP Front row: Sr. Donna Breslin, SBS, President Joan Chisholm, ASBS, Assistant Director Carole Blanks, ASBS, Director Back row: Joyce Page, ASBS, Assistant Director Sr. Sandra Schmidt, SBS, Councilor Sr. Jane Nesmith, SBS, Vice-President Sr. Jean Olmstead, SBS, Councilor Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will. Please pray for these wonderful women leaders.