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EPISODE#228
OC CATHOLIC RADIO: THE PRESENTATION SISTERS: A NUNUMENTARY

It is always a pleasure to have new friends join us in the studio, high atop the Tower of Hope on the campus of Christ Cathedral. The topic on the table today is all about some wonderful, Godly servants who reside at St. Bonaventure Catholic School in Huntington Beach. They are known as ‘The Presentation Sisters.’ On this podcast, host Rick Howick welcomes three unique guests: Alexa Vellanoweth (a former student at St Bonaventure), Kim White (the principal at St. Bonaventure) and Vanessa Frei (Director of Marketing and Enrollment).

So what exactly is a “NUNUMENTARY?” Tune in, and find out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally broadcast on 5/15/21

LOVERS OF THE HOLY CROSS CELEBRATE THEIR NEWEST AND OLDEST MEMBERS

On a sweltering September day, three young women lay prostrate in front of the altar at St. Columban Church in Garden Grove. They were covered by a large white pall as they each promised to die to this world in order to be reborn in a new life with Christ. When they arose from these final vows the three new sisters, Lovers of the Holy Cross, embarked on a path that began in the mid-17th century in Vietnam. 

For Kimberly Nguyen, one of the three professors, it was an unlikely journey taking more than a decade to bring her to this moment. She was born in Malaysia to parents who became “boat people” after escaping persecution in Vietnam in 1975. When Kimberly was a year old, the family was able to move to the United States. 

“Growing up, I never ever thought I would become a sister because I was really ‘mean’ and loud,” recalled a smiling and vivacious Sister Kimberly. “The only hint was when I was in fifth grade, one time during the consecration at Mass, a homeless man walked into the church and frightened many of the people. But at that moment, a voice came to me asking me if I wanted to do this. That was the first time I ever thought about becoming a sister.” 

Kimberly tucked that question into the back of her mind, where it settled while she pursued high school and college. “I had all these dreams for myself but it came to a point where I became exhausted, and just wanted to know what God wanted me to do with my life.” As she was kneeling in church, she asked God what he wanted from her. “I told God I will do anything for you but I really don’t want to be a sister. I want to travel and I don’t like to wear the same clothes every day. But as I prayed before that Crucifix, all I could hear was: ‘Why not?’  All the excuses I had felt unworthy, so I decided to give it a try and if it didn’t work out, I’d go back home.” 

The Lovers of the Holy Cross were founded in 1670 in Vietnam by the Bishop Pierre Lambert de la Motte, M.E.P. for the French colonial territories Tonkin and Cochinchina. In 1902 the sisters established a congregation in Phát Diệm where a large Catholic cathedral still stands. In 1954 the sisters migrated to South Vietnam, after the country was divided at the 17th Parallel, following the Geneva Conference. A small number of elderly sisters remained in the north, to protect the motherhouse, but by 1968 most of the buildings were destroyed by bombings.  

When Saigon fell in 1975, in the chaos the Mother Superior dismissed all the sisters who had not made final vows, and gave them permission to temporarily return to their families. On April 30, 1975, 28 sisters managed to leave Vietnam by boat, with nothing but the clothes on their back and some dried food. They had no idea where they were going to end up. Eventually they were reunited and sent to refugee camps in Pennsylvania and New York.   

In 1978 the sisters were invited to the new Diocese of Orange by Bishop Johnson, to help minister to the many Vietnamese Catholics who had recently arrived in the county. Today they serve 14 parishes and have 4 convents in Orange County.  

Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez presided at the September profession ceremony at St. Columban Church, and Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen, Auxiliary Bishop of Orange, was the homilist. They were joined by 30 concelebrants at the Mass and 850 friends and family in attendance. In addition to Sr. Kimberly, Sr. Maria Huong Xuan Thi Lam and Sr. Theresa Lan Ngo also made their final profession.    

The day also included a renewal of vows for several sisters, many of whom had arrived here in 1975. Celebrating 70 years with the Lovers of the Holy Cross were Sister Ann Chuyen Thi Nguyen; Sr. Mary My Le, and Sr. Martha Marie Phan Nguyen. Sr. Maria Rosemary Hong Nguyen celebrated her 25th Jubilee.  

For the sisters making their final vows, and the older sisters celebrating a lifetime of service, Bishop Nguyen honored their commitment. 

“By their vows, they announce to the Church and to the world that from now on, they commit their life to Christ, making constant effort every day along with other sisters from the same community, growing in inmate relationship with Christ, following their founder’s spirituality to let go and let God with one purpose –  to preach the Good News of Christ crucified in their apostolic ministry.”  

Sister Kimberly may not get to wear different outfits every day and travel the world as she had planned, but she now knows the answer to her question to God – and with abundant grace and the support of a large community of like-minded sisters, her adventure begins. 

EXPANDING THE FAMILY

Last month, four Norbertine sisters joined the faculty at St. John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa. The founding nuns of the Congregation of the Norbertine Sisters are from Slovakia and since arriving in 2011, they have been blessed with many vocations. One of these vocations is the education and faith formation of Catholic youth, and the sisters plan to continue this ministry. 

The newest members of St. John the Baptist’s community arrived in late January and are finishing their training period. “We are really happy to be here. We arrived two weeks ago and everybody has been very welcoming – the parents, the children. Everybody has been anticipating our arrival and has been very welcoming, so we are so excited to start,” one of the new arrivals, Sr. Gemma, said. 

“We were very kindly invited here by Father Augustine,” she continued. “Initially there were three orders who were thinking about coming, but the Church decided that since it is a Norbertine staff, it is probably best if the fathers and sisters are both Norbertine because we share the same charisms. So because our convent was full in Wilmington, we saw this as the perfect opportunity to branch out and to come to this convent.” 

Principal Paula Viles agrees that the timing of their arrival is perfect. “We have been waiting for a very long time for the sisters to be in the convent again and everyone is very, very excited and very happy about that happening,” she said. “The parents are talking about it and the students are waiting to see them, so this has all been a blessing from God because we have all been waiting for this for a long time.” 

Each of the sisters offer different skills to the community. Sr. Gemma actually attended St. John the Baptist School and is also a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. She has experience teaching catechism, kindergarten and subbing for first through fifth grade. Before learning English and traveling to America eight years ago, Sr. Adriana Gacikova was a registered nurse in Slovakia. Now, she is the superior and teaches second grade religion to help prepare the children for their First Communion. Sr. Desiree and Sr. Phoebe are postulates, meaning that they are still in the initial stages of formation. They will be working in the library after school for 15 hours a week. 

While the sisters have not officially begun their ministry yet, they have already started to connect with the children on campus. Adjacent to their convent, Fr. Damien’s office contains many different animals that the sisters utilized as a tool to begin interacting with the students. Between meeting the new sisters and playing with reptiles, the kids were very excited. 

“I am also very excited,” said Fr. Augustine Puchner. “In addition to the work and ministry that the sisters will do at the school, we are just very happy for their life here in our community and the prayer that they offer every day with and for us. It is very important for us to have their presence and their prayers here at St. John the Baptist.”

SISTERS, NUNS AND VOWS

When Sister Katherine ‘Kit’ Gray felt God’s calling to enter religious life, she was influenced to enter the community of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.

After all, the sisters taught her all through Holy Family School. They were joyful, related well to each other and made religious life look attractive, Sister Kit recalls.

“I was thinking about my future and they were in my life in a way that made it look really wonderful to be a sister, to be in community and in service to others,” she says. “We’re not perfect as a congregation, but what I’ve experienced as a sister is a certain joy and a great sense of service to the Church and the world.” It has been 53 years since Sister Kit took her final vows. She serves as Director of Mission Integration and Ongoing Formation at Christ Cathedral.

Like Sister Kit, many women called to religious life choose to become sisters, not nuns; and there are important differences. Sister Eymard Flood, vicar for religious for Christ Cathedral explains the distinction: Nuns belong to contemplative communities and do not have the freedom to come and go from their enclosed convents. Their primary goals are prayer and meditation. Sisters are women who are in religious life and are free to hold ministry positions in schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and more.

“A woman’s choice of community suits her personality and background, her education, and the ministry she wishes to be involved in,” Sister Eymard notes. “Yet the call to religious life is a call by God, not a choice on our part.” Rather than a career, service in religious life must be discerned together with a trusted pastor or spiritual director, friend of within a community, she adds.

When advising women who feel they are called to religious life, Sister Eymard encourages them to research and read about different communities, their ministries, locations and members. Once they determine interest in a particular community, women are advised to make plans for a weekend or weeklong visit to spend time in the community and experience their ministry and way of life, she says. Once a woman has narrowed down her interest to one or two ministries, their spiritual adviser will discuss with her which is best.

The formation process can last two to three years, she says, before a woman makes her vows. At the end of that period the woman must discern if her community is where God wants her to be.

Once they make final vows, women serve for their lifetimes, Sister Eymard says. They join the workforces of their community and continue in religious life.

Sister Eymard, who is a member of the Sisters of St. Clare, celebrated her Golden Jubilee of 50 years two years ago. She was a young girl in Ireland when she was impressed by the sisters.

“I was impressed with the kindness that the sisters showed my parents when I was in high school,” Sister Eymard remembers. “It had a big effect on me. We were not very rich for our parents to come up with monthly tuition, and the sisters always made concessions. Consideration was given and it really impressed me.”

The Sisters of St. Clare were very pastoral in their relationship with parents and girls, she says. “They tried to help and advise us on life issues as a time when we thought we knew everything.”

St. Clare’s vision for women is for them to be what their community’s Gospel needs are, Sister Eymard says. “In Assisi, she took women in to reach them, ministered to the poor, worked within the convent to empower women so that they could go out and help the less-fortunate.”

The women Sister Eymard serves have entered the Poor Clare Missionaries, the Eucharistic Ministers of the Holy Trinity, the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart and the Sisters of St. Joseph as they have worked to discern their religious life.

Apart from their spiritual formation, women must be emotionally and physically healthy with the capacity for educational accomplishments and participation in the work they’ll be doing before they can enter a particular convent, Sister Eymard notes. Some convents take members of different ages, while others are open only to younger women.

She recalls one woman who recently became a sister over her parents’ strong objections. “She entered a community and now has reconciled with her family and their relationship is much better. They were afraid of losing her, that she would be sent outside the country and they wouldn’t see her. Those are natural fears of parents with young daughters.”

Everyone recognizes that fewer women enter religious life these days, and Sister Eymard says there are many reasons why.

“There weren’t a lot of career choices for women to make in the past,” she says. “Today women can virtually do anything and they have lots of opportunities. In the past, entire high school classes would enter the convent together.” Still, she says, convents remain viable with dwindling members because of the Providence of God.

 

5,600-PLUS SISTERS CALL FOR CIVILITY BY CANDIDATES IN PRESIDENTIAL RACE

SILVER SPRING, Md. (CNS) — More than 5,600 U.S. religious sisters have signed a letter asking for civil discourse in the presidential campaign.

The letter was to be sent Aug. 8 to the candidates of the Democratic, Republican, Green and Libertarian parties as well as their vice presidential running mates and the chairs of their respective parties.

“We simply ask that all who seek to lead refrain from language that disrespects, dehumanizes or demonizes another,” the letter said. “We pray that all who seek to influence public opinion will be mindful of the common good and respectful of the dignity of each and every person.”

The letter was written by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which represents about 80 percent of the 49,000 women religious in the United States. LCWR, based in the Washington suburb of Silver Spring, has about 1,350 congregations of women religious as members,representing 80 percent of the 57,000 women religious in the United States.

As of Aug. 3, 5,671 sisters had signed the letter. Their ministries include education, health care, and other pastoral and social services.

“We urge you to join us in pledging to engage in careful listening and honest dialogue that honors the dignity of those with whom we disagree and treats all with the respect that is their God-given right,” the letter said. “Please join us in promising to seek the common good, to desire only good for all others, and to offer our own truth with equal measures of conviction and humility.”

The letter quoted from Pope Francis’ address to Congress when he visited the United States last September: “You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics.”

“Unfortunately, we live in a time when our politics is too often marked by self-interest and demeaning rhetoric. We seem to be caught in a political system paralyzed by ideological extremism and hyper-partisanship,” the letter said.

“Those on all sides of the growing political divide too often appeal to our basest instincts and stoke the fires of fear that tear at the fabric of our nation. We cannot let the voices of hatred and fear carry the day.”

“Unfortunately, it seems in this particular political season commitment to political discourse that preserves the dignity of the human person and promotes the common good is in short supply,” said an Aug. 3 statement by Sister Joan Marie Steadman, a Sister of St. Joseph who is LCWR’s executive director. “This is why LCWR is calling for civility in our discourse and decency in our political interaction.”

The letter concluded, “We know that you offer yourself in service of the people of the United States at great cost to yourself and your family. We promise you our prayers in the weeks and months ahead.”

SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY

ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) — The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph celebrated 50 years of advocating for the dignity of the human person, made in the image of God, with a July 9-12 conference in Orlando.

Over 700 individuals participated in the four-day conference, including college students who attend schools operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph, lay ministers, volunteers, and members and associates of the 16 communities of sisters.

The federation includes the sisters in all the Sisters of St. Joseph congregations in the United States who claim a common origin in the foundation of the religious order at Le Puy, France, in 1650. In the U.S. there are 4,465 sisters, 2,919 associates and 16 congregations.

Officials of the federation say it seeks to be an influence for positive change in the world while the sisters live out their vocation in their everyday ministries. A major commitment of the Sisters of St. Joseph is to improve the lives of survivors of human trafficking — a work that began five years ago in St Louis.

Florida is listed as third in the United States in human trafficking, behind New York and California.

The theme for this year’s conference was, “Our Emerging Story of Being ONE … God’s Love Unfolding,” reflecting the sisters’ charism: to love God and to love their “dear neighbor.”

Presentations focused on raising awareness of labor trafficking and the exploitation of farmworkers. The presentations also showed the participants how to advocate for victims.

Conference leaders gave attendees a call to action: to urge the Wendy’s restaurant chain to join the Fair Food Program launched by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in 2011.

The Fair Food Program is a partnership among farmers, farmworkers and retail food companies that ensures humane wages and working conditions as basic as shade and water for workers who pick fruits and vegetables on participating farms. It gives farmworkers a voice in the decisions that affect their lives and helps eliminate abuses.

The program has won widespread recognition for its effectiveness. The Washington Post newspaper has called it “one of the great human rights success stories of our day.”

For example, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers won an increase of 1 cent per pound of tomatoes picked by migrants in Florida and sold to fast-food restaurant corporations. The modest increase has had a minimal economic impact on the corporations, but represents a significant increase for the pickers.

One of the keynote speakers at the conference was Terry Coonan, an associate professor of criminology and founding executive director of Florida State University’s Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. He also is a practicing human rights and immigration attorney.

He illustrated the indignities of human trafficking through stories of Florida cases he has handled, pro bono, and how programs like Fair Food can help. He indicated that because of Florida’s tourism and large agricultural industry, the state is a prime target for traffickers.

According to the 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report put out by the Department of State, “The risk (of human trafficking) is more pronounced in industries that rely upon low-skilled or unskilled labor. This includes jobs that are dirty, dangerous, and difficult — those that are typically low-paying and undervalued by society and are often filled by socially marginalized groups including migrants, people with disabilities, or minorities.”

Coonan, who attributes his passion for human rights to his Catholic education, applauded the efforts of the Sisters of St. Joseph and their collaboration with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

He suggested that one way to help fight the situation of labor trafficking is through corporate governance.

“Corporate governance,” he explained, is “acting as responsible investors, demanding accountability from the kinds of places where our communities, our religious organizations have investments. … Catholic religious sisters have led the way in this area of accountability.”

He was referring to the fact that the Congregations of the Sisters of St. Joseph have had an official presence as a nongovernmental organization at the United Nations since 1979. The sisters also have consultative status at the world body, the highest status that an NGO can have. More specifically, he acknowledged the Wendy’s stock purchased by a Sisters of St. Joseph congregation.

The purchase was to have “a basis for a working relationship with the company” as a stockholder, said Sister Mary Ellen Gondeck, justice coordinator for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Michigan.

“It is really key that we and the Immokalee workers have a place at the table to speak about our concerns and that happens when we are co-owners with companies through holding shares,” she said.

During the Orlando conference, sisters signed letters and postcards to send to Wendy’s CEO, and members were provided talking points to encourage dialogue with the restaurant’s leadership. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is organizing a boycott of Wendy’s in September because the restaurant chain has refused to join the Fair Food Program, when most other fast-food chains have done so, and it also is shifting its tomato purchases from Florida to Mexico.

“Bad and abusive conditions continue to persist in agricultural industry,” Lupe Gonzalo, a farmworker and coalition member, told conference attendees. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but the important thing is to continue working together as consumers and farmworkers to be able to win the changes that are necessary in the fields. We have our voice and our truth.”

She said efforts to fight abuse in the industry have only been successful through the cooperation of corporations but the involvement of consumers.

Acknowledging how one person can make a difference, Sister Kathleen Power, a Sister of St. Joseph of St. Augustine and assistant vocations director for the Diocese of Orlando, said, “I had a strong experience of life exploding in the congregation. At my table, we had two young people, still in college, so excited about uniting love and (their) dear neighbor.’

“Then we had sisters who were in their 70s and 80s asking, ‘Who are some of the dear neighbors. … It made me feel so aware of the new life springing everywhere — in the young, middle-aged and old, all coming to learn, pray and take the fire back to the dear neighbor.”

 

Meekins writes for the Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Diocese of Orlando.

 

SISTERS OF LIFE HOLD UP DIGNITY OF SINGLE MOMS IN 25-YEAR-OLD MINISTRY

NEW YORK (CNS) — On a drizzly gray morning in early May, the bright kitchen at Visitation Mission on Manhattan’s East Side was filled with the sound of laughter and the inviting aromas of fresh-cut vegetables and baking cookies as postulants and novices of the Sisters of Life prepared food for themselves and their anticipated guests.

Visitation is the nerve center for the Sisters of Life’s material, emotional and spiritual outreach to pregnant women in crisis. The sisters help more than 900 women at the former convent each year, said Sister Magdalene, the congregation’s local superior.

The serious work of fulfilling the order’s vow to “protect and enhance the sacredness of human life” in all its messy contemporary circumstances is leavened by a joyful attitude nourished through communal prayer throughout the day.

The Sisters of Life is a contemplative and active religious community founded in 1991 by the late Cardinal John J. O’Connor. The original group of eight women has grown to more than 90, and includes 30 postulants and novices in a two-year formation program.

“At the heart of our charism is a focus on the sacredness of all human life and a profound sense of reverence for every human person,” said Sister Mary Elizabeth, the order’s vicar general.

“Cardinal O’Connor often said every person reveals one facet of God that no one else will, and the loss of even one human life is incomparable,” she said.

“One of the reasons for the joy in the community is we believe each person has some beautiful, unique goodness and we have the joy of discovering that in them and reflecting it back so she has the experience of her own dignity, goodness and strength,” Sister Mary Elizabeth said. “That person becomes a gift to us in our recognizing her for who she is. She reveals to us the splendor and beauty of God.”

Pregnant women hear about Visitation Mission from friends, former clients, parish priests, pregnancy care centers and other religious orders. The Sisters of Life do not advertise.

On a typical day, Sister Magdalene said, members of the order respond to phone messages, emails and texts, conduct three or four intake interviews with pregnant women, and make scores of supportive phone calls from quiet cubicles on the mission’s upper floors.

“Almost all of us are on the phones all day. We really believe each woman is sent to us by God to guide her. He has an amazing plan for them and we’re supposed to be the instruments to bring them home to God,” Sister Magdalene said.

In the calls and interviews the sisters try to create an atmosphere to let women “empty their bucket, describe their hopes and dreams and move from a place of chaos to inner peace,” she said.

Self-motivated women who need a home and can live with other people may be offered one of seven spots at the congregation’s Holy Respite, a residence across town at Sacred Heart Convent on West 51st Street. Pregnant women and new mothers are welcome to stay at Holy Respite until their babies are a year old. They are encouraged to rest, bond with their children, and continue their education or work as they prepare to move on.

Sister Catherine, the local superior at Holy Respite, said the order has hosted 140 women since the doors opened 17 years ago. The refrigerator in the communal kitchen is covered with photos of children whose mothers return to visit. One of the earliest infant guests returned as a volunteer to serve her confirmation community service hours.

Strollers line the hallway and happy gurgles punctuate the buzz in the community room. Guests prepare their own breakfast and lunch, but eat dinner with one another and the sisters. They are invited, but not required, to join the sisters in communal prayer, which include Mass, Holy Hour, rosary and vespers.

While a most of the women who seek help are Catholic, many are not. The congregation welcomes women of all faiths and none.

At Holy Respite, Rohini Brijlall, who was raised in the Hindu tradition, said her belief in God is supported by “all the little miracles that were placed on my journey.” As her son, Zakarya, watched from his perch on Sister Catherine’s lap, Rohini described how relatives dropped her off at an abortion clinic for a procedure she did not want to undergo. When she returned home pregnant, she was no longer welcome.

She lived with the Missionaries of Charity and commuted to work as an IT specialist for Goodwill while the baby’s father enrolled in a training program for electricians and lived at home. The day after she relocated to Holy Respite, she went into early labor. The sisters drove her to the hospital and stayed with her for the birth of her son.

Rohini said she drew strength from the Divine Mercy image one of the sisters gave her and is considering baptism into the Catholic faith. Zakarya’s father visits every day. His parents, who initially discounted the relationship, are now supportive and the couple sees marriage in the future.

For Claudia Gutierrez and her daughter Esther, Holy Respite is “a blessing from God. I asked for a place to live for my baby and me. God knew I would need help,” she said.

Gutierrez knew the Sisters of Life had a retreat center in Stamford, Connecticut, but had never visited. A religious sister put her in touch with the congregation and when she had to move from a relative’s home late in her pregnancy, she came to Holy Respite. Esther was hospitalized for more than two months after birth with palate and jaw issues, now corrected. The sisters were supportive and also hosted Claudia’s mother who came from the Dominican Republic for their first reunion in 12 years.

“The Sisters of Life is the best thing that happened to me,” she said. “I’m more secure and have more peace in my heart.”

PENITENT IN PINK

OK, they did it in shifts — each taking turns at prayer.

Still, by any measurement, the milestone reached by a group of cloistered nuns in Philadelphia last December was remarkable.

On Dec. 8, 2015, the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters — known as the “Pink Sisters” for their rose-colored habits — marked their centennial by completing 100 years of continuous prayer. For a century, at least one sister could be seen kneeling in prayerful vigil inside the Convent of Divine Love.

Now the sisters are working on their next 100 years of continuous prayer. No breaks allowed.

The 20 nuns of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters live a simple, uncluttered life. They do not take a vow of silence, but limit their speaking. TV? They only view programs of a religious nature.

The life of a contemplative religious, like a Holy Spirit Adoration Sister, is lived in prayer and contemplation of God. Three times a year, each sister is allowed a visit with family and close friends at the convent. The nuns only leave their monastery in case of emergencies.

They wear their rose-colored habits while in their enclosure; they switch to gray when they leave it. The Holy Spirit Adorations Sisters selected the color rose, as they explain on their website (adorationsisters.org), “in honor of the Holy Spirit.” The color “symbolizes our dedication to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. Additionally, the traditional color rose symbolizes the liturgical calendar of the Church — an expression of the sisters’ joyful adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.”

The lives of the Pink Sisters are quiet and uncomplicated — pretty much the opposite of 99.9 percent of the residents of Orange County.

There’s no order like the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters in Orange County, although a well-known contemplative order is nearby, in Alhambra. The Carmelite nuns there, members of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel established in 1913, live quiet lives of contemplation similar to their sisters at the Convent of Divine Love in Philadelphia.

Sister Eymard Flood, Vicar for Religious at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, notes that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, established in 1976, is relatively new and does not have a monastery of nuns.

Of course, Sister Eymard says, such an order someday could be established in OC, but for now, she says, “none have sought to come here.”

The 326 sisters, seven brothers and 89 religious priests in the Diocese of Orange are committed to lives of prayer and service, typically to the needy, ill, poor and marginalized. This devotion to ministry in parishes, centers, hospitals, etc., represents the apostolic dimension of consecrated life. Members of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters represent the contemplative or monastic part of that life.

On a typical day, the Pink Sisters wake up at 5:15 a.m. By 5:45 a.m. they’re engaged in morning prayer. A meditation period is followed by Mass at 7 a.m. Then it’s time for breakfast.

That meal — the sisters keep things simple — is followed by a midmorning prayer (“terce,” Latin for the third hour after dawn, or 9 a.m.) and assigned duties such as answering phone calls and responding to letters or making rosaries that are sold to help support the convent.

At 11:30 a.m., the sisters gather for midday prayer (“sext,” for the sixth hour after dawn), and then eat. They have a free hour following a midafternoon prayer (“none,” for ninth hour, or 3 p.m.) Then it’s back to assigned duties and at 5 p.m., evening prayers (“vespers,” Latin for “evening”) and benediction.

Some assigned duties are performed before supper at 6:30 p.m. Supper is followed by community recreation (crafts, outdoor activities), a night prayer and then bed — around 8 p.m.

Members of a cloistered order like the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters are devoted to Perpetual Adoration, the Eucharistic devotion in which members of a parish team engage in adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament 24/7.

Sister Flood notes that Perpetual Adoration does not refer to private prayer. “All of the sisters in Orange County gather in their communities for prayer and most include Eucharistic Adoration,” Sister Flood says.

“When we do, we are praying with, and we are praying for, the Church. We pray in union for the needs of the church and for the world, and for the resolution of the needs of people everywhere.”

Should a contemplative order of nuns like the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters ever be established here, perhaps they, too, will come up with a distinctive habit color.

The Orange Sisters, anyone?

 

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR THANK SUPPORTERS OF SUPREME COURT CASE

What do 207 members of Congress, 50 Catholic theologians, 13 law professors, nine professional associations and two prominent women’s organizations have in common with the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the American Islamic Congress, the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists and the International Society of Krishna Consciousness?

These individuals and organizations are just a sampling of the many people who have come to the aid of the Little Sisters of the Poor in support of our lawsuit over the HHS Contraceptive Mandate. They signed on to one of 43 amicus, or “friend of the court,” briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 11.

Together with the Little Sisters, our elderly Residents and their families in 27 homes across the country, they have said, “We’ll have NUN of it” with regard to the federal government’s demand that we offer contraceptives, abortifacient drugs and sterilization procedures as part of our employee health benefits.

We Little Sisters of the Poor are profoundly humbled and grateful to so many people from diverse walks of life who have supported us on this legal journey, which will soon reach its culmination in the Supreme Court. To all of them we wish to offer a very humble and heartfelt thank you!

Some of those who have signed amicus briefs, like our Sisters in the consecrated life, are longtime friends. For others, we can only marvel at the way our paths have crossed. Though the amicus briefs consider our case from varying perspectives, all turn to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to bolster their arguments.

RFRA was passed by Congress in the wake of a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting constitutional protections for religious liberty. It puts two qualifications on the government’s ability to impose limits on religious freedom: a “compelling interest” in favor of the common good and use of the “least restrictive means” possible.

In his signing remarks in 1993, President Bill Clinton noted “what a broad coalition of Americans came together to make this bill a reality.” Adding that this coalition crossed “ideological and religious lines,” President Clinton praised “the shared desire … to protect perhaps the most precious of all American liberties, religious freedom.”

Reading through the amicus briefs written on our behalf, I was humbled by “what a broad coalition of Americans” has come together once again to help defend religious liberty. What I found most striking were the concerns and fears expressed by our brothers and sisters of other faith groups, especially those representing religious traditions that claim relatively few American followers.

These minority religious groups note that our case represents an attempt by bureaucrats to question “the accuracy and reasonableness” of our sincerely held religious beliefs. They fear that “allowing government to second-guess religious beliefs and favor some religious groups over others uniquely harms the very minority religions that RFRA was designed to protect.” Adherents of minority religions “would have the most to lose,” they contend, if the government’s current position were to prevail.

I am also particularly grateful to our Southern Baptist friends for clearly articulating the reality that “a fundamental aspect of Christian doctrine is its requirement that faith must govern every aspect of a Christian’s life … The exercise of the Christian religion must guide and determine a Christian’s decisions, words, and deeds in every facet of life, including seemingly ‘secular’ matters like the administration of insurance and the provision of certain drugs and devices.” Their amicus brief describes Christian faith as holistic and broad in scope, noting that Christians have “a spiritual obligation to interact with and influence the culture outside the church doors.”

Space has allowed me to cite just a few examples from the 43 amicus briefs submitted on our behalf. Nonetheless, we Little Sisters are indebted to every group and to each individual who has voiced their support for our cause. You can read the amicus briefs at www.becketfund.org/littlesistersamicus/

With only a few weeks to go before our day in court, what is left to do in order to ensure the success of our case? Our foundress, Saint Jeanne Jugan, often said, “Pray, you have need of grace … If God is with us, it will be accomplished.” And so we Little Sisters turn to prayer, and ask you to join us in praying for a just resolution to our case, so that we may continue to minister to needy elderly persons across this great nation for many years to come. Please join us in saying “I’ll have NUN of it” with regard to the current threat to our religious liberty!

Sister Constance Veit is the communications director for the Little Sisters of the Poor in the United States.

If you would like one of the Little Sisters’ “I’ll Have NUN of It” buttons, visit LittleSistersofthePoor.org.

 

NUNS, SISTERS AND THE CALL TO SERVICE

For Catholic women, determining a vocation means knowing the facts

Even the most observant Catholics may not know much about women religious. The differences between nuns and sisters, why women choose to join particular religious orders, and the reasons some orders are enclosed, or cloistered, and others are not – this can be unfamiliar territory to both Catholics and non-Catholics.

While it’s common to use the terms “nun” and “sister” interchangeably – and the title of “Sister” is used to address both of these individuals – nuns and sisters lead different lives. A nun is a religious woman who lives a contemplative and cloistered life of meditation and prayer for the salvation of others, while a religious sister lives an active vocation of both prayer and service, often to the needy, ill, poor or uneducated.

“Vocations are given by God,” says Sister Eymard Flood, the Vicar for Consecrated life for the Diocese of Orange. “Some women are called to active service, some to contemplative life.” Vows for nuns and sisters are similar, except that nuns vowing to live in enclosed communities take a vow of permanency in which they pledge to remain in a particular convent for life, she adds. “Only Rome can change that for them, while sisters in active communities can be transferred.”

 

Cloistered and open convents serve differently

“Enclosed” is the preferred term (rather than “cloistered”) in reference to religious orders of men and women, explains Sister Eymard. In enclosed religious communities, nuns typically observe vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in addition to permanency. Nuns may decide to dedicate their lives to serving all other living beings, or might be ascetics who voluntarily choose to leave mainstream society and live lives of prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent.

Enclosed orders of men include the Benedictine and Trappist monks, while enclosed religious orders of women include Dominican, Carmelite and Ursuline nuns. Two of the enclosed orders of nuns closest to Orange County are the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles and the Poor Clare Nuns in Santa Barbara.

The Poor Clare nuns were founded in the 13th century by Saint Clare under the inspiration and guidance of Saint Francis of Assisi. “Our vocation is a precious gift within the mystery of the Church and a source of grace for the world,” the Poor Clares’ website explains. “Our hidden life is a silent proclamation of God’s existence and says that he is worthy of all our love.”

Women called to contemplative life do more than pray, Sister Eymard explains, but may take on work that comes from outside their convents. Still, nuns are not permitted to leave the convent to run to the store or go to the theater.

In contrast, the sisters most known within the Diocese of Orange are those who teach at many Catholic schools, minister at hospitals and serve in charitable ministries – like the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Orange. Their history began in 1912 when Mother Bernard Gosselin and eight sisters moved from LaGrange, Ill., to serve in the Sacramento diocese. The sisters built a motherhouse in Eureka, then many schools and their first hospital in Orange.

 

Determining a vocation and deciding on an order 

Women interested in religious ministry should pray, think about and fully research the kind of life they are called to lead, advises “A Guide to Religious Ministries for Catholic Men and Women,” a 2009 book that lists the nation’s religious communities. “Learn about the particular organization or denomination in which you anticipate pursuing a career.” Talking with trusted friends, family members and spiritual advisers can help.

Once she identifies her desired order, a woman called to religious life undergoes the process called discernment in which she works with the congregation’s vocations director. During the discernment process, she experiences the order’s culture, receives spiritual direction and may live in the convent for a period of time.

“The discernment process can be different for each ministry and each candidate,” Sister Eymard says. “It depends on the woman’s background, education and age or if she has been married before.” Once she and the order agree that she can join, it may be seven to 10 years before she takes her final vows.

While religious life certainly isn’t for everyone, many women continue to be called to be nuns and sisters in open and enclosed congregations, Sister Eymard says. “There will always be a place in the Church for consecrated men and women,” she says. “As long as there is an opportunity for ministry, people will be committed for life.”