Celebrating Theresa's Feast Day

Imagine over 2500 sisters celebrating a death anniversary - the 136th anniversary of Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger! School Sisters of Notre Dame gathered last week in 34 countries to pray and to celebrate the life of our Foundress, whose spirit lives on in each of us! Hers was a vision for unity, wholeness and solidarity, Jesus' dream of ONENESS. Remembering her fearlessness encourages us to be audaciously hopeful. Love cannot wait... As she knew the empowering love of God, we too sense love's urgency. We weave connectedness through education, through dialogue, through active contemplation. It is God's love that sends us and accompanies us. If God's love took over your life, what would that mean and what would you be doing?

- Sister Lucy Nigh, SSND

A gentle call

“God’s call came gently in my high school years as I grew up on a farm near Mankato, Minnesota, and enjoyed many friends as we were taught by Jesuits and School Sisters of Notre Dame. I felt a special love for Eucharist and a call to join the sisters who taught me, although I knew nothing about religious life yet.
“I was blessed with loving small communities in my early years of teaching elementary school in Minnesota and Washington State. When we were invited to send 10 percent of our personnel to Third World nations, I volunteered. At age 40 I was called to Kenya and came to love our people at the Upgrading Centre for African Sisters.”

The journey continues

“After returning home to be near my aging Mom who went home to God, I was again invited to Africa to help open our first African Novitiate in Ghana. I truly loved our novices and later returned to Kenya to be with our postulants for 11 years. All along, we were blessed with new members and we became the District of Africa with leadership within each African country, including Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. 

“My journey continued with the people of The Gambia, then on to Ghana and finally Nigeria. Each country with its unique beauty and culture has been home to me over the past 29 years as a missionary. I will forever treasure my friends and neighbors across the continent of Africa. ‘May we all be and remain one in Jesus!’”

-Sister Sylvia Borgmeier
(Sister Sylvia returned to Mankato, Minnesota, in 2014, where she is on sabbatical and is in the process of writing “Memoirs of Africa" with many photos from her 29 years in Africa.)

On Saturday May 9th the School Sisters of Notre Dame will celebrate the Feast of Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger, Foundress of the the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

On May 9, 1879, Mother Theresa followed the last call of God in her earthly life and went home in the peace of the Lord to her final mission, which she herself described as “eternally to adore and love, eternally to rejoice in the glory of God and of his saints.”
                                                             ~Trust and Dare

On Sunday May 10th we celebrate Mother's Day. Let us take the opportunity to remember Blessed Theresa, Our  own Mothers, and other influential women who have shaped us into the person we are today. 

  

What do sisters DO?

I just loved this article from the folks over at Global Sisters Report about the great variety of ministries in which one can find Catholic sisters and nuns these days! Many people are surprised that they aren't all catechists, nurses, or silent contemplatives. Here's a small sample of the 18 surprising ministries mentioned in this article:

• NGO reps at the United Nations
• Herbalists who make medicines
• and even an archeologist!

You can find the full list here - as well as lots of other great articles from Global Sisters Report. 

A UK Vocations Boom?

A recent study indicates that last year marked a 25-year high in the number of Catholic women entering religious life in England and Wales. There has been great interest in this news, of course, and one of the best interviews I have seen on the subject came from a young woman named Theodora Hawksley. There is a great video interview with her here, as well as an article she wrote here. Both are brief but offer wonderful insight into this springtime for the Catholic Church in England and Wales!

What are your thoughts about this surprising trend? Do you think that it is possible for something similar to happen here in the US? Why or why not?

Pope Francis: "Go, do not be afraid, and serve"

As the weather begins to get warmer and the school year comes to an end many young adults are looking for summer volunteer opportunities. As a young adult myself I find service opportunities as a way to live out my faith and help those most in need. One of my favorite service opportunities was when I took a group of young adults to Ocean Springs, MS to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. Over the course of the week the temperatures soared to over 100 degrees but we keep working. We painted homes, built a shed, and met individuals who would be moving into the new homes. It was an incredible reward to see my hard work and determination impact the lives of others.

One of my favorite quotes from Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, Foundress of the School Sisters of Notre Dame is:

United and content with little,

We go out into the whole world,

Into the tiniest villages

Wherever God calls us

….to bring the good news

Of God’s reign.

This quote is so fitting as we look for those service opportunities. Don't be afraid to use your time, talent, and treasure to not only help those in need but to share the good news.

What are some of your service experiences?