SISTERS of ST. JOSEPH of ST. AUGUSTINE, FL Next Step News June 2017 Dear Friends, Come, Holy Spirit, Come! Most of us remember only too well, early October of 2016, when Hurricane Matthew brushed the shores of St. Augustine with its rain and strong winds; the city has not been the same since and life as usual is no longer the norm in the lives and hearts of many. Things have changed. The suffering that often foreshadows letting go, and new birth pangs became real. On June 4th we celebrated Pentecost, the birth of the Church, remembering how the Holy Spirit breathed on timid and fearful people...who were never the same afterwards. Things changed for them. This past Pentecost Sunday, Sister Grace Ford professed vows of chastity, poverty and obedience in the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph. The Sisters, her family and friends prayed the Sequence of Pentecost, Come, Holy Spirit, Come! Fill our hearts with your light! Then Sister Grace made her Profession of Vows; vowing herself to the same Spirit who is the fullness of love that is life-giving and self-giving in and through the Blessed Trinity. We were honored to have our Bishop, Felipe Estévez, celebrate this Mass for us, his diocesan congregation, along with Father James Kaniparampil, pastor of Sacred Heart, and Father George Vaniyapurackal, pastor of St. Paul, who concelebrated with Bishop. It was a joy to have John, her son, present to also witness her vows. I am grateful to Sisters Kathleen Power, Margaret Jeanne and Florence who have guided Sister Grace during her discernment and time of novitiate. I now ask the Holy Spirit to direct Sister Ann Kuhn as she will continue to journey and guide Sister Grace during her time of Temporary Profession. May the Spirit breathe his gifts over us all, continually calling us to new birth...something more than what we are now. Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
I have found him whom my soul loves. As Sisters of St. Joseph, we are women of the Church who are open to the transforming love of God which enables us to nurture our call to follow Jesus. From the Constitutions of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Grace was a working single mom of three children. She taught honors class in the local inner city high school. She was involved in care of the sick through home as well as hospital visitations. She also ministered to incarcerated youth. Even as a very busy woman, she still felt a strong call to search for more in her life. She connected with Sister Kathleen Power for a period of discernment. In August, 2014, with the blessings of her three adult children, John, Jacob and Amanda, Grace Ford entered postulancy with the Sisters of St. Joseph. As a postulant, Grace was introduced to the interdependency of community living; and through prayer, the discipline of silence and the dynamics of spiritual direction. This has been a rich gift in having the time to learn and study Scripture and deepen the faith, Grace reflected. The Congregation found Grace to be a worthy candidate to enter the novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph in June, 2015, and she became known as Sister Grace. She received the St. Augustine cross, the identity symbol of the Congregation and began in-depth preparation for the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. She grew in faithfulness to her personal and communal prayer life, a deep love of the Eucharist, and a life lived in community. During her canonical year, Sister Grace studied congregational and Church documents in depth. Her constitutional year of Novitiate gave her time to continue her religious studies as well as begin preparing for life in ministry, serving the dear neighbor and living the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph, that all may be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you; that the world may believe that you sent me. John 17:21. On June 4, 2017, Pentecost Sunday, Sister Grace made her Profession of Vows in the chapel of the Motherhouse in St. Augustine. Bishop Felipe Estévez, bishop of this Diocesan Congregation, celebrated the Liturgy, blessed and presented Sister with the profession crucifix which symbolizes her special participation in the Paschal Mystery. During his homily, Bishop reflected, I am excited that Sister Grace was so taken by the beauty of the story of the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine. This community has had such an impact in all of Florida in the last 150 years. Sister will begin intensive studies in the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Florida Hospital this summer. Song of Solomon 3:4 S. Jane receiving the vows of S. Grace
TEACHERS: The Dawn of Teachers, you are the most important and powerful people in the world! In honor of the many children they have taught and the many lives they have touched, Sister anointed them with oils from St. Joseph Shrine in Montreal. May 19th was a day of Inservice and Retreat for the teachers at Morning Star School, Jacksonville. Ms Jean Barnes, principal, invited Sister Jane Stoecker to offer a morning reflection. Sister affirmed the teachers for their faithfulness to their mission of faith, acceptance, love and service over this past year. Sister Elise proudly walked Sister Jane around the construction site of the new Guardian Catholic School to open in August. In her eagerness to see the building finished, Sister Elise assists one of the construction workers with a roof beam!
Mary in Art and Prayer On May 20th Sister Eileen Therese provided a spiritually enriching morning entitled Mary through Ar t and Prayer. With an exquisite series of famous Marian artistic works, Sister shared the richness of Marian images through the ages. Sister Ann Raymond led the participants in reflections on Mary in Scripture. This time was followed by quiet reflection in the chapel and/or around the convent grounds. The Morning concluded with the Litany of Mary of Nazareth and the Marian Hymn, Immaculate Mary. Vocation Ministry to the Youth On May 8th, the Sacred Heart Church Girls Vocation Club of New Smyrna Beach, met with Sister Josephine Marie, their Vocations instructor for the past three years. Sister provided spiritual nourishment as she introduced the girls to the Mysteries of the Rosary, lives of the Saints, and prayer. Often times Sister would invite guest Sisters to speak to the group of young girls. As Sister was S. Josephine introduces the sacristy assigned to St. Augustine, this last meeting with her girls was a celebration of what she had done with and for the S. Josephine Marie and S. Diane Couture with girls girls. Suzanne Cooley and Bonnie Montgomery have worked tirelessly to continue making the Girls Vocation Club a blessing. Live, as much as you can, in such a way that your life, in honor of the Holy Spirit, may be a continual act of the most pure and perfect charity that you are able to practice toward God. Maxim 4
Sister Rea Wurmnest Honored for Faith Formation Gail, Deacon Bob, Sister Rea On May 4th, Sister Rea Wurmnest (St. Pius School) along with Deacon Bob Deluca (St. Luke Parish, Jacksonville) and Gail Zub Polochak (Our Lady, Star of the Sea Parish, Jacksonville Beach) were presented with the Sister Celinie Joubert, SSJ Award for Catechetical Excellence. This award was initiated two years ago in the Diocese of St. Augustine Office of Christian Formation. Sister Rea entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1986. She was missioned to St. Stephen School in Miramar where she taught religion and social studies to junior high students. In 1991 Sister was assigned to St. Pius School in Jacksonville where she has been teaching for the past 25 years. Sister Rea will be transitioning from full time at St. Pius School, Jacksonville, to part-time ministry with the Guardian Schools as St. Pius and Holy Rosary merge into one new school for the 2017 school year. It was a special time for Sister Rea in that her daughter, Tina, was able to be present when her Sister Mom received this award! Over the many years of service as catechists, thousands of people have been touched with the Good News and faith in Jesus through Sister Rea, Gail and Deacon Bob. Who is Sister Celenie Joubert? Sister Marie Celinie was born in Felinas, France in 1844, and sailed to Florida with the first 8 Sisters of St. Joseph in 1866. In January she began teaching children in the O Reilly House. Soon after, she was missioned to Jacksonville to teach African American children at St. Catherine s School, later to become St. Pius V School where our Sisters have continued their presence. When the yellow fever epidemic reached Fernandina, Sister, along with Sister Marie de Sales, went to care for the yellow fever victims. They died just a few days apart from one another of yellow fever. Many years after her death, her body was exhumed and moved to Bosque Bella Cemetery. Her body was found to be incorrupt with the smell of roses. She truly was an Angel of God s Mercy to the dear neighbor! S. Marie Celinie Joubert Be nothing to yourself and be utterly given to God and to the neighbor. Maxim 39
You bless a van with a wonderful pastor, Father Tom Willis, a highly dedicated administrator, Patricia Poticny and faithful women religious from Our Lady of Lourdes Convent. The fully handicapped van will be used for transportation of the Sisters no longer in active ministry. (notice: not retired). While the Sisters residing at Our Lady of Lourdes Convent are no longer able to move about in a regular ministry outside the convent, they are far from retired. They have a continuous ministry of prayer to which they are dedicated. They certainly remember with gratitude and prayer the donors that helped to make this purchase possible. With our faithful driver, Jerry Veirestahler, the van will provide transportation to needed appointments as well as recreational outings. As you can see, the first outing was to Vilano Beach. Sister Elizabeth Ann recalls love for the water and the wonderful memories of her visits to the Islands when she was younger. Why, even her initials take her to the water (S.E.A.)! Recognizing the Centenarians On May 4th, Sister St. Margaret Zapf, along with 67 other senior adults, age 90 and above, were honored for their years of graceful living. The St. Johns County Council on Aging provide a Centenarian Luncheon each year in May at the River House, St. Augustine. At age 99, Sister St. Margaret was considered in the wanna be group. She is already making plans and looking forward to July 15th when she will join the three-digit years of wisdom, age and grace! Sitting at the table with the Sisters was Alexander Pozin, a Jewish war hero born in Russia. He proudly wore his medals of honor from World War II. Nory, S. Jane, S. St. Margaret, S. Margaret Jeanne, Margaret