Sharing & CaringVolume 25 Number 1 • Summer 2014

Sisters of the Precious Blood • Dayton, Ohio • www.preciousbloodsistersdayton.org

Celebratingour Jubilarians

With this issue of Sharing and Caring, you will find stories

about our Sisters not only in mission and ministry, but also those who are celebrating their jubilees. On the last day of our annual Spirit Days gathering, usually held on or close to the feast of the Precious Blood on July 1, we honor those Sisters who have reached the bench-marks of diamond (75 & 60), golden (50), and silver (25) an-niversaries. Prayer together, a lovely and lively celebration of the Eucharistic Liturgy and a banquet all offer opportunities to exchange stories, hugs, gifts and affirmation. This year, our Jubilee celebra-tion took on a different mean-ing for me as I was among those Sisters celebrating their golden jubilees. Although every year I acknowledge the anniversary of my entrance into the Sisters of the Precious Blood, that 50th anniversary gave me cause to pause. As we gathered to celebrate, I looked more closely at my classmates as they are now. I saw women with a remarkable resemblance to the young adults who came fresh faced and idealistic to the postulate in 1964, though now those faces are touched with laugh lines, and their bod-ies, like mine, exhibit hitches and twitches when getting up after a long meal or car ride, or walking up the steps to cha-pel. That idealism, so much a part of our becoming Sisters of the Precious Blood, is now tempered and grounded with

life experiences of all kinds. Most of us started out in one ministry only to find God’s call bringing us to many and varied life tasks, some antici-pated with joy, others toler-ated, all supported by prayer and community Although we have changed both inside and outside, our commitment has only grown stronger and more enduring. As I continued my reflection on 50 years as a Sister of the Precious Blood and all that we Sisters have done it is evi-dent, as our constitutions say, “that the work is not ours, but God’s” (Our Way of Life, par. 24). As you see from the biog-raphies, most of us in the Class of ‘64 started out as teach-ers and remarkably one has persevered in this important ministry over all these years. The rest of us have been taking a variety of paths following God’s call. We have an author and internationally known lecturer who has a doctorate in sacred theology, a missionary from the United States who has spent years in Chile and a Sister native to Chile who has served in formation and given retreats internationally, two of us have served in congrega-tional leadership, several have either ministered in parishes and/or dioceses, given work-shops and/or done spiritual direction, been campus minis-ters and/or companioned the elderly. To add variety, our deceased classmate had a doc-torate in high energy physics and taught at the University of

Michigan in Flint. If I added all the ministries of members of the other classes, I would run out of room. Yet all of us know deep in our hearts that in the end it is God who has accom-plished all these works and served all those people. As I look into the faces of my classmates, I am drawn to eyes that have seen so much suf-fering, so much joy, so many changes and so much support. And looking deeper still, I see a reflection of the One who is the source of their great peace. We acknowledge that while our bodies suffer the decline of aging, our spirits soar more easily, rest more tranquilly, abide more fully in the God who called us into being, who sustains us in our living and loving and who companions us faithfully on our way to perfect union for all eternity. May our next 50 years be as fulfilling.

Sister Joyce LehmanPresident, Sisters of thePrecious Blood

God's workFr

om th

e Pres

iden

t’s D

esk

2 Sharing & Caring

Edito

r’s N

otes

Established in 1989, Sharing & Caring is published quarterly by the Sisters of the Precious Blood, Dayton, Ohio, to communicate news of the congregation, Precious Blood Spirituality, and to promote the sisters’ mission.

All editorial content and photographs in Sharing & Caring are copyrighted. For reprint permission, please contact the editor.

CPPS Mission StatementUrged by the redeeming love

of Jesus the Christand rooted in Eucharistic prayer, we Sisters of the Precious Blood

proclaim God’s love by being a life-giving, reconciling presence in our fractured world.

EditorDave Eck, Director of Communications

Layout and DesignMichelle Bodine, Media Specialist

Address communications to:Office of Communications

Sisters of the Precious Blood4000 Denlinger Road

Dayton, OH 45426

Phone: (937) 274-2707E-mail: communications@

cppsadmin.org

PrintingProgressive Printers, Inc., Dayton, Ohio

PRINTED WITH SOY INK ON RECYCLED PAPER

3Summer 2014

At a cousin’s wedding, right after the vows were exchanged, the

organist performed Noel Paul Stookey’s “The Wedding Song" (There is Love). Though that was nearly 25 years ago, the same song is still used at Christian weddings because it fits the ceremony so well. There is something inspiring about God being at the center of a couple’s commitment to each other as they leave the life they’ve known to enter into something more fulfilling. That same sentiment exists for members of religious com-munities as well. If you ask a woman or man religious to share the appeal of religious life, they will often point out two key factors: prayer and community. They will tell you that prayer gives them the strength to carry on in their ministry and brings them into a deeper, loving relationship with God. It’s at the center of their lives. Community pro-vides support and companion-ship. Even if a member lives and ministers alone, a loving hand or someone to talk with

Prayer and community hallmarks of religious life

is only a phone call away. With the Sisters of the Precious Blood, community is best seen during the annual Spirit Days and Jubilee celebration. Part reunion, part business meet-ing and part socialization, the annual event brings Sisters from across the United States, Chile and Guatemala back to Dayton. Watching these Sisters interact, one can see the true joy they have for each other and their work. The smiles give it away. In this issue of Sharing & Caring you see those smiles through the images and words of Spirit Days and this year’s jubilarians. We introduce you to the 12 Sisters who are cel-ebrating milestone jubilees in 2014. Together these women have provided nearly 700 years of Christian witness — an im-pressive feat, indeed! One of our jubilarians, Vir-ginia Hebbeler shares her unique experience of receiving holy communion from then-Pope John Paul II during a 1987 papal Mass in Phoenix, Ari-zona, where she ministered for more than 20 years. A native of Cincinnati, Sister Virginia talks

about her journey of 75 years a Precious Blood Sister. In this issue we also meet Sister Amy Junk and learn of her ministry at Cherry Street Mission in Toledo. A former music teacher and parish musi-cian, Sister Amy works with homeless women on general equivalency diploma (GED) testing and work skills. Finally, congratulations to Sister Gladys Marie Lowe for her 100th birthday, May 30. Thanks for reading Sharing & Caring and if you have com-ments or story ideas for future issues, please contact me at 937.274.2707 or communica-tions@cppsadmin.org.

Dave EckDirector of Communications

New

s

4 Sharing & Caring

Story and photos by Dave Eck

Acentury of birthdays will catch the atten-tion of people in high

places. That’s the lesson Sister Gladys Marie Lowe learned. In the days leading up to her 100th birthday on May 30, Sis-ter Gladys received dozens of cards and notes, including an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Francis. Willard Scott sent her a letter and Queen Elizabeth weighed in with a card of her own. A note from President Obama was one of the first to arrive. Her Precious Blood com-munity also hosted several birthday events highlighted by a special luncheon with Mass and a reception on June 1 at Salem Heights. Sisters from Dayton and Cincinnati joined with family and friends to celebrate the milestone. The dining room was adorned with gifts, signs and colorful linens.

Sister Gladys held back tears as Sister Jeanette Buehler read aloud the blessing from the Holy Father. “I was so surprised,” Sister Gladys said. “I never expected so many people and so much support. Every day there was something going on.” On May 30 the Sisters and employees at Salem Heights sang and recognized Sister Gladys during lunch. A day earlier, Sister Anne Schulz brought the fourth grade class from Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School in Liberty Township, Ohio, to Salem Heights for an early birthday party with Sister Gladys, who has been a strong supporter of the school for years. The students gave a spe-cial birthday greeting and a large basket of stuffed ani-mals for Sister Gladys, who simply loves stuffed toys.

She beamed as she promptly affixed a small plush dog to her walker. After a snack of cake and punch, the students accompanied Sister Gladys to the Salem Heights chapel for a brief tour. Later as their school bus pulled away, Sister Gladys, with a wide smile, waved and blew kisses to the students. The visit from the students was special, she said, because much of her ministry was spent working with children, and it was during her own childhood with Precious Blood Sisters that she discovered her calling to religious life. A native of Dayton, Sister Gladys grew up in the former Sacred Heart Parish. Her fa-ther died when she was young and her mother sent her three young children to live at St. Joseph Orphanage, which was operated by the Sisters of the Precious Blood. Sister spent

Sister Gladys marks 100th birthday at special luncheon

Above, Sister Gladys Marie Lowe; bottom left, the fourth grade class from Mother Te-resa Catholic Elementary School visits Sister Gladys for her birthday.

AUGUST 9 Noreen Jutte10 Mary Kathryn Gurren Jeannine Kloeker13 Edna Hess Margo Young21 Jeanette Buehler 24 Judy Kroeger26 Bernice Krieg30 Ann Clark31 Joyce Kahle

Happy Birthday

SEPTEMBER 3 Cleophas Schumacher 8 Nadine Kaschalk Ruth Ann Meyer11 Mary Ann Mozser Florence Seifert12 Noemi Flores16 Della Mae Meyer22 Rita Rogier29 Rosemary Laux

OCTOBER 1 Marie Kopin 3 Beverly Ann Bodnar 7 Nancy McMullen13 Teresa Maher14 Dianne Skubby17 Patricia Kremer18 Mary Rose McCrate20 Luella Huelskamp29 Rosalie Kastner

In each issue of Sharing & Caring we recognize the birthdays of the Sisters of the Precious Blood. Congratulations to the Sisters celebrating Summer and Fall birthdays.

New

s

5Summer 2014

much of her childhood at the orphanage until her mom eventually remarried. A short time later, however, her mom died and Gladys was sent back to orphanage at age 12. She loved the orphanage and the Sisters. “They had so much kindness in caring for the children and the needs that they had,” Sis-ter Gladys said. “Their prayer services were so fulfilling that that’s why I wanted to be a Sister.” She remembers sneaking out of bed into the choir loft at the orphanage and listening to the Sisters praying and singing.At age 16, one of the Sisters asked Gladys what she wanted to do with her life. There was no hesitation: she wanted to join the convent. After formation, she spent 15 years working in the orphan-age, taking care of the little boys. She then ministered in Rome City, Ind., for 19 years before spending nearly 20 years at San Luis Rey in Oceanside, Calif. She made her lasting impact

at San Luis Rey, first at the Academy and then at the Old Mission Montessori School. She ran the student lunch store, watched the younger kids and helped the needy through St. Vincent de Paul. The school’s annual fiesta, though, is where she is best remembered. Sister Gladys operated a booth that sold ev-erything from trinkets to toys to jewelry. The items were donated. She was so popu-

lar that people would show up the day before the fiesta opened in order get a jump on their shopping. The booth is still part of the annual fiesta and it is named after Sister Gladys. “She’s just whole-hearted and gives to everybody,” said Sister Mary Yarger, who taught at San Luis Rey Academy when Sister Gladys worked there. “She’s just a good human soul.”

Above, Sister Gladys Marie Lowe with Trevor Brinkmann, a former Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School student, visiting Sister Gladys on her birthday.

6 Sharing & Caring

Min

istry

Not many people can say they have re-ceived communion

from a saint. Sister Virginia Hebbeler is one of those lucky few. When St. John Paul II toured the western U.S. in September 1987, he celebrated a papal Mass at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. Among those selected to receive commu-nion from the then-Pope John Paul II at the Mass were three people from St. Mary’s Basilica in Phoenix. Sister Virginia, who ministered at St. Mary’s for more than 20 years, was one of them. The temperature touched ninety degrees that Monday afternoon as Sister Virginia waited for three solid hours to enter the stadium, home to Arizona State University’s Sun Devils football team. More than 75,000 people packed the

Encountering a saint ahighlight of Sister Virginia's ministry

stadium for the papal Mass. Inside, the sacraments were being administered. “The services were such that in the stadium they had every sacrament,” Sister Virginia said. “It was beautiful.” As the Mass wore on, Sister Virginia recalled the letter she had received instructing her to hold out her hand to receive communion, which was just coming into vogue at the time. Make sure the Holy Father notices your hand, the letter urged. The pontiff, wearing red vestments, offered com-munion and pressed the Host in her palm. Just like that, she joined a select club. “It was very thrilling,” she said. “When he was canonized I thought ‘What a privilege.’” Sister Virginia never set out to receive communion from the pope, live in the western

United States or even become a nun. As a senior at Regina High School in Norwood, Ohio, she was planning to graduate and enter nursing school with four friends. Her mom, who wanted to be a nurse but never got the oppor-tunity, was pleased. In the middle of the school year, however, a Precious Blood Sister at Regina asked Virginia, whose religious name was Mary Claudine, what she wanted to do after graduation. The girl explained that she was going to be a nurse. “I don’t think so,” the nun replied, and asked Virginia to pray a novena to the Blessed Mother. She did and her path changed. On Christmas Eve, as Vir-

Story by Dave Eck; contributed photos

Above, Sister Virginia Hebbeler at St. Mary's Basilica in Phoenix; bottom left,Sister Virginia counts the monthly stipends for the Sisters at Salem Heights.

Min

istry

7Summer 2014

ginia and her mother were in the bathroom getting ready for midnight Mass, Virginia shared that she was going to forego nursing school after graduation and enter the con-vent. Her mother was disap-pointed, but her father was thrilled. After novitiate, Sister Vir-ginia trained as a teacher and taught grade school in Ohio and Missouri. She eventually fulfilled her desire to become a nurse and worked in Day-ton, California and Indiana. She later returned to teaching in California, Arizona and Colorado. In 1975, she became a pasto-ral assistant at St. Mary’s and stayed there for the next 22 years. She kept the books and handled other administrative duties. She also helped with pastoral ministry. She enjoyed working with the Franciscans who still operate the parish. “I was very happy there,” Sister Virgina said. “I loved

Phoenix. I got along with the Franciscans so well. We never had any problems, and if we did, we solved them.” Sister Virginia, who is cel-ebrating her 75th jubilee this year, retired from St. Mary’s

in 1997 and moved to Salem Heights in Dayton, where she volunteered her nursing and financial skills. In her bedroom is a photo of John Paul II, a link to a high-light of her life as a Precious Blood Sister. “I’m grateful for everything I’ve had,” she said. “It was just something that happened in my lifetime.”

'I loved Phoenix. Igot along with theFranciscans so well. We never had any problems, and if we did, we solved them.'

– Sister Virginia Hebbeler

Above, Sister Margaret Mary LeGlise (Sr. M. Claver) and Sister Virginia Hebbler in Ft. Defiance, Arizona; bottom left, Sister Virginia working as a cashier during a sale at Salem Heights.

As we recognize Sts. Peter and Paul for their fidelity to Christ, we

also celebrate the nearly 700 years of Christian witness by a dozen Precious Blood Sisters marking milestone jubilees this year. That’s the message Mis-sionary of the Precious Blood Father Stephen Dos Santos shared during the Jubi-lee Mass June 29 at Salem Heights. The Mass and ban-quet were the highlight of the Sisters of the Precious Blood annual Spirit Days. Sister Virginia Hebbeler is celebrating her 75th jubilee this year; 60th jubilarians are Mary Ellen Andrisin, Maryann Bremke, Della Mae Meyer, Madonna Ratermann and M. Rose Helene Wildenhaus; and 50th jubilarians are Sisters No-emi Flores, Paula Gero, Edna Hess, Joyce Lehman and Joyce Ann Zimmerman.

“Their fidelity and Sts. Peter and Paul’s are quite similar,” Father Dos Santos said of the jubilarians. From their first days of novitiate to standing in front a classroom to getting on a plane bound for missionary service in Chile, the jubilar-ians continued to renew their commitment to the Son of the living God, he explained. At a time when many people slow down and contemplate retire-ment, these Sisters started new ministries. “You’ve responded to the changing needs of the church over the years,” Father Dos Santos said. “Through every one of those changes and challenges, you’ve been faith-ful. Today we celebrate your fidelity.” The jubilarians participated in the Mass as lectors, cross bearers and Eucharistic min-isters. Following the homily,

Sister Joyce Lehman, presi-dent of the congregation, led all the Sisters in a renewal of their vows.

8 Sharing & Caring

Cov

er St

ory Jubilarians celebrated at Mass,

banquet during Spirit Days

Above, gifts for the Jubilarians. Photo by Sister Mary Lou Schmersal. Bottom left, Sister Maria Luisa Miller; bottom right, Sister Gerri McGeorge gives Sister Della Mae Meyer her Jubilee rose. Photos by Dave Eck.

Story by Dave Eck

Father Dos Santos extended a special blessing on this year’s jubilarians. “We praise you this day for choosing these Sisters,” Father prayed. “Bless them on this special day.” There were plenty of smiles and sharing of stories as the Jubilarian classes reminisced during the banquet meal. Speaking for the 60th Jubi-larian class, Sister Maryann Bremke shared that the class has jelled over the years. These classmates gathered at the congregation’s cabin fol-lowing their 25th jubilee and took a trip to the beach every other year. “We’ve grown personally,” Sister Maryann said. “I think we’ve enriched C.PP.S. as C.PP.S. has enriched us.” Sister Edna spoke for the five Sisters celebrating their 50th jubilee. “Thank you for your love and support over these 50 years,” she said. “We are grate-ful because you have honored

our lives and our ministries, but we remember that this is God’s work.” The jubilee celebration began June 28 with a prayer service at the close of Spirit Days. The honorees received a special gift and the back-ground of each jubilarian was featured in a light-hearted PowerPoint presentation. The Jubilarians will also be recognized during indi-vidual celebrations at their parishes and places of ministry throughout the year.

Spirit Days

Sisters from across the United States, Guatemala

and Chile gathered at Salem Heights for Spirit Days. With a theme of “Inflamed with the fire of redeeming love,” the event enabled Sisters to be reenergized and reacquainted with each other. Precious Blood Mission-ary Father Jerry Stack gave a keynote address on the

spirituality of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, founder of the Mis-sionaries of the Precious Blood. Spirit Days also in-cluded business meetings, small-group sharing and community presentations.

Cov

er St

ory

9Summer 2014

Left, Sister Amy Junk gives Sister Paula Gero her Jubilee rose; right, (from left) Sisters Maria Luisa Miller, Mary Ellen Andrisin and Madonna Ratermann enter the chapel for the Saturday evening prayer service during Spirit Days. Photos by Sister Mary Lou Schmersal.

'We are gratefulbecause you have honored our lives and our ministries, but we remember that this is God's work.'

– Sister Edna Hess

10 Sharing & Caring

Cov

er St

ory

Congratulationsto our

On the cover: Sister Edna Hess speaks for the 50th Jubilarian class; photo by Michelle Bodine. Above left, Sister Maryann Bremke has her corsage pinned on by Sister Nancy Kinross; photo by Sister Mary Lou Schmersal. Above right, Sister Edna Hess; bottom left, Sister Mary Ellen Andrisin (left) presents the cup to Sister Noemi Flores; below right from left, Sisters Edna Hess, Joyce Ann Zimmerman, Della Mae Meyer, Mary Ellen Andrisin, Maria Luisa Miller, Rose Helene Wildenhaus, Maryann Bremke are blessed by the community at the Jubilee Mass; photos by Michelle Bodine.

Cov

er St

ory

11Summer 2014

2014

Jubilarians

Above left, (from left) Sisters Rose Helene Wildenhaus, Maria Luisa Miller and Madonna Ratermann sing during the Jubilee Mass; photo bySister Mary Lou Schmersal. Above right, Sister Joyce Lehman leads the congregation in the renewal of their vows during the Jubilee Mass; photo by Michelle Bodine. Bottom left, Sister Virginia Hebbeler; photo by Sister Mary Lou Schmersal. Below right, Sisters Paula Gero and Della Mae Meyer at the Jubilee banquet; photo by Michelle Bodine.

12 Sharing & Caring

Min

istry

One of the best ways to understand Sister Amy Junk’s impact on the

homeless and poor women she serves at Cherry Street Mission Ministries in Toledo is to listen to her co-workers describe her. Organized. Compassion-ate. Comforting. Prayerful. They say these things and one begins to see how Sister Amy lives out her Precious Blood spirituality by ministering to those in need. “She is really good at show-ing God’s love through her ac-tions and through her words,” said Delray Busch, education and workplace development manager at Cherry Street Mis-sion. “She really helps women understand. She’s great at meeting them where they are and not overwhelming them.” With prayer and patience Sister Amy guides about a dozen women through aca-demic courses offered at the

Sister Amy helps break thecycle of homlessness

mission. Some women are preparing for college, studying to take the General Equiva-lency Diploma test or tailoring work skills. The women have different needs depending on their goals, so individualized learning plans are developed for each of them. “I talk to them about what their goal is,” said Sister Amy. “A lot of them want to get a job and some want to go back to college. After they take the (assessment) test and write an essay, I try to pull out what-ever goes with their goal to get them started.” On a typical day, Sister Amy gets one woman started on math problems, helps another with reading and helps yet a third work on her resume. Ev-eryone participates in a small prayer/devotional to start the two-hour session. Founded in 1947, Cherry Street Mission Ministries

houses more than 230 people and serves more than 880 meals per day. In addition to basic services, the agency offers programs designed to break the cycle of homeless-ness. Outreach operations enable clients to develop work skills and network with poten-tial employers. There are challenges. Some of the clients have had limited schooling while others fight through a language barrier. Al-most all the students suffer the effects of drug use, involve-ment in the criminal justice system or homelessness. Many are in some type of counseling or have long-neglected physi-cal problems. These personal issues can hinder learning. In addressing each person’s unique needs, Sister Amy is

Story and photos by Dave Eck

Above, Sister Amy with Cherry Street Mission co-workers Shawn Kellerbauer, exchange manager, and Rebecca Bowling, director of volunteers; below left, Sister Amy looks over instructor materials for her classes.

Min

istry

13Summer 2014

as much a cheerleader for her students as she is a teacher, celebrating their incremental successes. To keep the students moti-vated she encourages them to let go of their past, praises their accomplishments and strives to eliminate negativ-ity. She will also use fun brain teasers to stimulate her stu-dents and keep their minds off their personal situation. Hold-ing a devotional at the begin-ning of each session draws the students to each other and helps keep them focused. “Motivation is a big factor,” Sister Amy explained. “[Stu-dents] who aren’t motivated usually end up dropping out.” A former music therapist, teacher and parish musician, Sister Amy first became in-volved with tutoring and GED preparation after joining sever-al other Precious Blood Sisters who went to live and minister in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She began to see the need for adult education because the high schools were destroyed by the storm. After returning to Ohio, she moved to Toledo and began volunteering with Women Blessing Women, an agency started by women religious in Toledo that helped poor wom-en obtain an education and job skills. She eventually moved to Cherry Street, volunteering for a year before joining the staff. It’s a ministry she couldn’t have dreamed of as a young nun trained in music. A native of Ft. Wayne, Ind., Sister Amy had two aunts who were Precious Blood Sisters and an uncle who was a Mis-sionary of the Precious Blood.

She remembers little of them because they were much older, though her aunt, Sister Luca Junk, was well-known for her more than 20 years of ministry in Arizona. Sister Amy attended Precious Blood School in Ft. Wayne, and was taught by the Precious Blood Sisters who influenced her spirituality by their faith-ful living of the community’s charism. She sensed her own call to religious life as a child and entered Fatima Hall after graduating from eighth grade. Sister Amy was trained as an elementary teacher and taught in Ohio, Missouri, Ft. Wayne and North Dakota. She also served as a parish musician and liturgist for many years in Ohio, Indiana and Michi-gan before moving into music therapy. She ministered in that field for about ten years, mostly at nursing homes in Michigan. As a music thera-pist, Sister Amy used music to address individual needs of her patients. That experience helps her in her current min-

istry as she advocates for her students and develops their individual plans. “This seems to be where I belong,” she said. “I think that every ministry I’ve done has always been preparation for the next one.” Outside of her work at Cher-ry Street, Sister Amy is active in vocations. She has served on the community’s Voca-tions Ministry Committee and works with the vocation direc-tors in the Toledo diocese. Working with vulnerable women has deepened her spirituality, Sister Amy said. It has taught her to listen more clearly to her students, and to God. She begins her day with 30-45 minutes in prayer for strength. She trusts that God will get her students where they need to be. She reaches out to the community for support and regularly visits Salem Heights. “It has helped me try to be intentionally positive,” she said. “It shows me some blessings that I take for granted.”

Above, Sister Amy Junk works with a student at Cherry Street Mission in Toledo.

14 Sharing & Caring

"Iwish I could afford to see my son, but they locked him up for a

long time in Menard Prison, six hours away,” cried one mother. “When they send our children off, far from their family, they cause hardships to all of us. I just keep praying.” Plans were put together for an annual trip to Menard Prison. On June 10, 37 people, mostly mothers of sons who have been incarcerated for a long time in Menard Maxi-mum Security Prison, boarded a bus and began a journey that would change their lives forever. Soon, family members would see their loved ones; it was over five years since one couple had been able to see their sons. The questions being asked as they anxiously awaited the prison check-in and search were: “Do you have your two picture IDs? Are my clothes appropriate? Do you have

Menard Prison tripenough money to put on the food card?” Oscar, one of our Precious Blood Ministries of Reconciliation youth, was one of those feeling some anxiety, since this was his first visit to a prison. When he got to the check-in window he was refused a visit; while he had two IDs, they had just changed a rule and would not accept a college ID. His first response was not anger nor self-pity but sadness for Robert, the pris-oner he was to visit. First, we went off to the vending machines to purchase some non-jail food, which is one of the joys of the visit. (The prisoners cannot go to the vending machines.) All the while, eyes are on the door; what will he look like? What will we say to one an-other? Will he like the sand-wich I picked out for him? There he is! — now the long-awaited hug from mother, dad or loved one. There were tears; there was laughter; and then to an assigned table to sit across from, not next to, each other. We had two hours, so we kept watching the clock, hoping the guard wasn’t aware of the time. Visits were over and we went back on the bus. It was quiet. It seemed everyone just wanted to remember the time there and as one mother said, “I just want to hold on to the memory, to that hug, to my own son’s voice saying ‘Mom, I love you so much.’” One family had told of how their son asked them to forgive someone who was

responsible for his very long sentence. The man had sent him a letter asking for his forgiveness and he passed it on to his parents and asked them to forgive the man, as he had. The father wept and said he and his wife needed time, but they were amazed and proud of their son. They knew he had been transformed and was not the same young man who came into the prison. Oscar did get in to visit the second day. His friend, Rob-ert, smiled during the whole visit. This was Robert’s first visit in 10 years and very soon he and Oscar, who were once far off, became close. Oscar kept asking, “What will I say for two hours … TWO hours?” After the visit, he said the time went fast and he looks forward to visiting Robert again. Oscar closed his journal entry with these words: “I want to thank God for letting me go on this trip and for opening my eyes. This is exactly what I needed.” I asked one of the mothers if there was one word that would describe this whole journey and she said, “LOVE. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!” What a blessing it was for us to be a part of their journey of courage, faithfulness and long-suffering. I think we all needed this and none of us will be the same.

Story by Sister Donna Liette[Ed. note. This article first ap-peared in the Aug. 2014 issue of The New Wine Press. Used with permission.]

'I want to thank God for letting me go on this trip and foropening my eyes. This is exactly what I needed.'

— Oscar

Min

istry

Precious Blood Sisters living and ministering in the Toledo, Ohio, diocese attended the

23rd annual Urban All-American Celebration at the Pinnacle in Maumee on May 8. The event is a key fundraiser for the Central City Ministry of Toledo (CCMT), which benefits the students of CCMT campuses at Rosary Cathedral and Queen of Apostles in Toledo. Representing the Congregation at the event were Sisters Pat Gist, Karen Elliott, Amy Junk, Rita Rogier and Mary Lou Schmersal. Central City Ministries is a unique collabora-tive endeavor to make a Catholic education possible for inner city families through the gen-erous donations of time, talent, and treasure of countless persons and parishes throughout the area. These efforts provide hundreds of young people and their families the opportunity to be educated, thrive and grow in a Catholic faith community. During the event, significant staff and sup-port persons were recognized for outstanding contributions in the promotion and enhance-ment of Catholic education on two campuses: Queen of Apostles and Rosary Cathedral. An Achievement Award was given to two 2014 graduates who exhibit extraordinary achieve-ment or academic, athletic and/or career success. They were chosen because each is a positive role model for today’s students, dem-onstrating integrity, high ideals and moral character. In addition, Mercy, a member of Catholic Health Partners, was awarded the Rev. Bernard J. Boff Service Award for their on-going support of the students, staff and teachers of Central City Ministries.

Visitors to the community’s website have recently noticed a new look as the site has

been re-designed to make it more streamlined and functional. The layout is similar to the previous site, but information has been updated and new features have been added. On the home page, users will find a listing of recent news headlines about the community. Simply clicking on the headline will take visi-tors the news item. The vocations section was updated to better explain discernment to/and life as a woman religious/Sister of the Precious Blood. The new site also features drop-down section headings which enable users to hover the cursor over the tab to select the section that interests them. The new site is updated daily with prayers and photos.

The community launched its first e-newslet-ter on July 25. The initial issue, which was

sent to about 160 people, featured stories on the 2014 jubilarians. The e-newsletter will be e-mailed on a regular basis and include news stories and photos from the community. To receive the e-newsletter, e-mail Michelle Bodine at communications2@cppsadmin.org; please in-clude your first and last name, and your e-mail address.

Facebook has become an effective means of engaging people interested in the Sisters of

the Precious Blood and the community’s Face-book page continues to grow. The site topped 500 fans in late July and content reaches more than 10,000 people each month. Check us out on Facebook and make sure to ‘like’ our page.

Left, Sisters of the Precious Blood Pat Gist, Karen Elliott, Amy Junk, Rita Rogier and Mary Lou Schmersal at the CCMT Urban All-American Celebration at the Pinnacle in Maumee on May 8. Contributed photo; right, the Communications Office celebrated with a cake for their 500 likes on Facebook. Michelle Bodine photo

In Br

ief

15Summer 2014

16 Sharing & Caring

Voca

tions

The Vocations Ministry Committee welcomed Sister Ann Clark to

the group during its regular meeting Aug. 1-2. Sister Ann replaces Sister Amy Junk, who has served on the committee for the last six years. Though Sister Ann served on the committee twice before, she considers herself a new-comer, as the group now in-cludes three lay people and a member of the Precious Blood Missionaries. Lay people were added to the committee in 2010. They are joined by five Precious Blood Sisters. “I believe in our spiritual-ity,” Sister Ann said. “I don’t know what the future is going to look like but I believe our spirituality is valid and who knows where it will take us?”Utilizing her experience in parish ministry in both urban and Hispanic communities, Sister Ann is looking forward to assisting the committee in exploring ways to better con-nect with women from other cultures. The former elementa-ry school teacher often partici-pates in vocations events.The lay members of the com-mittee have helped the com-munity understand young women’s perspectives on religious life, Sister Ann ex-plained. “We see things one way through our eyes, but they see it through their eyes,” she said. “They let us know what other people see in our com-munity and what we present.

Sister Ann Clark joins Vocations MinistryCommittee

It helps us understand what young people are looking for in a religious community.”The lay people also bring an additional level of enthusi-asm and excitement to com-munity’s vocations work, she added. The group, which advises the community council, meets quarterly to evaluate oppor-tunities to share the commu-nity’s spirituality and gifts with others. Over the last two years, the committee has produced vocation material designed for presentations to young people of various ages, helped create content for the community’s website, invited parents to share feel-ings on their children entering religious life and is beginning discussions with other reli-

gious communities on multi-cultural members. A native of Dayton, Sister Ann spent her first three years of religious life teaching el-ementary grades in Troy and St. Marys, Ohio. After earning a Master’s in Hispanic Minis-try from St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colo., Sister Ann worked in parish ministry in Colorado and Arizona for 15 years. She returned to Dayton and spent eight years working in parish ministry at Our Lady of Mercy Parish. She has been a parish minister at St. Mary Parish in Franklin, Ohio, for the last six years. “I look forward to working on the committee,” she said. “I see a lot of energy there.”

Story and photo by Dave Eck

Above, The 2014 Vocations Ministry Committee gathered in Dayton Aug 1-2 for its first meeting. Back row from left, Sister Ann Clark, Missionary of the Precious Blood Juan Acuna, Sister Terry Maher, Cindy Schmersal and Sister Mary Lou Schmersal; front row from left, Sister Marla Gipson, Eillien Mendenz, Sister Terry Walter and Sister Mary Yarger.

New

s

17Summer 2014

— PBLC news release

In Sympathy Sister Helen Weber on the death of her sister-in-law, Au-drey Weber. Sister Marita Beumer on the death of her brother-in-law, Leonard Klosterman. Sister Rita Yahl on the death of her sister-in-law, Connie Yahl. Sister Nancy Kinross on the death of her brother, Greg Kinross.

Sister Carolyn Hoying on the death of her sister-in-law, Doris Hoying. Sister Della Mae Meyer on the death of her brother-in-law, Ken Monnin. Sister Eva Roehrich on the death of her brother, Nick Roehrich. Sister Nancy McMullen on the death of her brother-in-law, Harold Borchers.

Remembering George J. Knippen, brother of deceased Sisters M. Berch-mans, M. Clara and Vita. Marie Thomas, sister of deceased Sister Mary Bernard Reichert. Marie Dresher, former Sister M. Magdalita, sister of deceased Sister Canice Werner.

The Precious Blood Lead-ership Conference finds itself in the unique posi-

tion this year to respond to an appeal for assistance from the Missionary Sisters of the Pre-cious Blood for the education of their Sisters, especially in their African provinces. Sis-ter Mary Paul Wamatu, CPS, contacted Sister Fran Raia, CPPS/O’Fallon, Missouri, with a description of the areas of service that the CPS Sisters cover and the need they have for education. She also sent the costs for a Sister to be trained and receive a diploma, a mas-ter’s degree and/or a doctorate. Sisters with higher education are able to obtain positions in which the salaries allow the Congregation to become more self-sufficient in the future, thus freeing other Sisters for training and ministry among the poorest of the poor. The Precious Blood Leader-ship Conference has given a gift of $10,000 to the Mis-

PBLC donates to Missionary Sistersof the Precious Blood

sionary Sisters of the Pre-cious Blood for the education of their young Sisters in the Province of East Africa. This unique and one-time gift was able to be given because of the change in the structure of the Conference. The gift allows the PBLC to connect and col-laborate with other Congrega-tions devoted to the Precious Blood who are not members of PBLC. The demographics of the CPS Congregation have changed in a way that the younger Sisters are coming from countries where they do not have the financial sup-port of Sisters who have gone before them. “To meet the modern de-mands of services provided by the congregation, the Sisters need higher education,” Sister Mary Paul wrote in a letter to Sister Fran. “Education is costly, especially in countries where incomes are very low. Help(ing) the Sisters get better

jobs will bring a higher income to the community so that the community can support itself in the future.” The Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood were founded in Durban, South Africa, in 1885. They number around 800 Sisters and serve 21 countries throughout the world. They work primarily in the educa-tion of women, health care and social work, as well as pasto-ral work, domestic work and agriculture. Among specific ministries are orphanages and homes for vulnerable children and the elderly, as well as work with street children and children with AIDS. PBLC members include the Missionaries of the Pre-cious Blood, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, Missouri) and The Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, Ohio).

18 Sharing & Caring

In M

emor

iam

Resurrection liturgy for Precious Blood Sister

Marie Renee Hoehn was held at Salem Heights Chapel on Saturday, August 16. Sister died at the Maria Joseph Center in Dayton, Ohio, on

August 12, 2014. Renee had been a Sister of the Precious Blood for 69 years. The second oldest of six children, Velma Margaret was born in Ottoville on July 1, 1929 to Sylvester A. and Frances A. (Gergen) Hoehn. She formally entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Precious Blood at age 16. In religious life she was known as Sister Marie Renee. In her religious life Sister Renee was always happy to do whatever needed to be done because she felt as if she touched God in a

Sister Marie Renee HoehnJuly 1929 — August 12, 2014

unique way when she ministered to others. Sister was an educator for 47 years, teaching primary grades in Phoenix, Ariz.; Escondido, Calif.; St. Joseph, Missouri; Ft Wayne, Ind; and in the Ohio cities of Bellefontaine, Centerville, Celina, Columbus Grove, New Riegel, North College Hill, Wapakoneta and Kettering. From 1995-2012 she lived at Salem Heights in Day-ton and was a part-time helper at the Maria Joseph Center serving in the post office, gen-eral store and at Emma Hall where the in-firmed CPPS Sisters resided. Because of failing health she moved in 2012 to the Maria Joseph Center. Sister Marie Renee is survived by her sisters Dorothy Bowen, Lorene Lindeman and Eileen Kehres and nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her brothers Arthur and Donald. Interment was in the Salem Heights Cemetery.

Resurrection liturgy for Precious Blood Sister

Evelyn Monnin was held at Salem Heights Chapel on Sat-urday, August 9. Sister died at the Maria Joseph Center in Dayton, Ohio on Wednesday,

August 6, 2014. Evelyn had been a Sister of the Precious Blood for 72 years. The oldest of six children, Evelyn was born in Russia, Ohio on January 24, 1926 to Clarence H. Monnin and Anna (Dapore) Monnin. On August 13, 1942, at the age of 16, she formally entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Precious Blood. In religious life she was known for some time as Sister M. Georgina before she returned to using her baptismal name. “I soon learned that convent life was differ-ent from farm life. I had more time to pray and to study under the guidance of Sister Nathalia, whom I dearly loved.” Sister Evelyn was a compassionate, loving, and soft-spoken person who was always willing to help or go on an adventure. Sister was an educator for 44 years, teaching grades 1-8 in St. Joseph, Mo; Arvada, Colo; and

Sister Evelyn (M. Georgina) MonninJanuary 1926 — August 6, 2014

in Dayton, Vandalia, Coldwater, Celina and Russia, Ohio. Nine of those years she served as principal. As a principal, she was a mentor to her staff. Evelyn knew what was right and acted accordingly, even when it was difficult. A friend of Evelyn’s wrote, “I remember how Evelyn’s students loved her. She had good disci-pline and didn’t let them get away with things; at the same time, they knew she loved them. After school, former students would flock to her class-room, and she would always find time for them.” From 1990-1993 she was a gentle, loving caregiv-er to her mother in Russia. For 8 years afterwards she served as Assistant Coordinator at Emma Hall, Dayton, Ohio, serving the Congregation’s in-firmed Sisters. She retired in 2001 at Salem Heights in Dayton, Ohio and continued at Emma Hall as a volunteer until 2013. Because of failing health she moved in 2014 to the Maria Joseph Center. Sister Evelyn is survived by her sisters Kath-leen Heuing and Norma (Ronald) Bensman and her sister-in-law Doris (Carl) Monnin, as well as her brother Linus (Rita) Monnin and brother-in-law William (Elizabeth) Mann. Preceding her in death were her sister Elizabeth and brother Carl. Interment was in the Salem Heights Cemetery.

19Summer 2014

In M

emor

iam

Resurrection liturgy for Precious Blood Sister

Elizabeth Kammerer was held June 17 at Maria Joseph Cen-ter’s Chapel in Dayton. Sister died at Maria Joseph Center on June 15, 2014. She had

been a Sister of the Precious Blood for 68 years. A native of Norwood, Sister Elizabeth spent 23 years in education as an elementary school teacher and principal in Meza, Ariz., San Luis Rey, Calif. and Falls Church, Virginia. From 1966-71, Sister Elizabeth served as the Sisters of the Precious Blood southern region superior. She then worked in pastoral ministry in Detroit for seven years before then-Cincinnati Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin personally invited her to serve as Vicar for Religious in the Cincinnati Archdiocese. Following six years as Vicar, Sister Elizabeth served at the Congregations’ retreat center and shrine in Maria Stein, Ohio, where

Sister Elizabeth KammererMay 1926 — June 15, 2014

she seved on the retreat team and gave spiritual direction and later assisted in fund development. I couldn’t thank God enough for my time in Maria Stein,” Sister Elizabeth said. “(It) has been a ministry I liked the best—to be able to walk with others on their spiritual journey in their search for God. (It) was an awesome privilege.” She retired in 2005 at Salem Heights in Day-ton, Ohio. Because of failing health she moved in 2014 to the Maria Joseph Center. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoyed travelling, reading, word puzzles and card games, especially Nick-les. She found delight in watching and feeding the birds and was ready to create a party for any reason! She was known for her ready smile, her great sense of humor and her love of Dairy Queen ice cream. Sister Elizabeth is survived by her sister, Lois Wall of Plymouth, Mich. and her sister-in-law Augusta Kammerer Dublin, Ohio. Interment was in the Salem Heights Cemetery.

Resurrection liturgy for Precious Blood Sister

Valeria Abele was held at the Salem Heights Chapel on Monday, May 12. Sister died at Maria Joseph Center in Dayton, Ohio on Thursday,

May 8, 2014. Valeria had been a Sister of the Pre-cious Blood for 64 years. One of nine children born to Lawrence and Helen (Leonard) Abele, Virginia Ann was born in Dayton, Ohio in August 1924. On August 15, 1949 at the age of 25, she formally entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Precious Blood and received her name in religion, Sister M. Valeria. She truly loved and believed in her religious community and considered being a member a great privilege. In 1952 Sister began her community ministry as a teacher of grades five and six in Wapako-neta, Ohio. She enjoyed teaching there for seven years. Because of her compassion and sensitiv-ity, the Precious Blood Congregation asked

Sister M. Valeria AbeleAugust 1924 — May 8, 2014

Valeria to train to become a registered nurse. For a total of 34 years Sister ministered to oth-ers as an RN. She began her nursing in Dayton, Ohio, and in Flint, Mich., where she served as Director of Nursing Service. She also ministered as a nurse at Rome City and Auburn, Ind. For 17 years Valeria ministered in Tucson, Ariz., including a year as house mother for unwed mothers, helping with the care of their babies. Sister retired in 1997 at Salem Heights in Day-ton, Ohio, doing various volunteer work and en-joying hobbies, especially cross-stitching at which she excelled. Due to her deteriorating health Valeria moved to Maria Joseph Center in 2013. Sister Valeria is survived by her sisters-in-law Catherine (James) Abele, Rita (Jerome) Abele and Marcella (Thomas) Abele, all of the Dayton area. Preceding her in death were her brothers Law-rence, Richard, James, Thomas and Jerome, and William, who died in childhood; and her sisters Mary Margaret, and Sister Dorothy (Teresilda), who preceded her in the Precious Blood Order. Interment was in the Salem Heights Cemetery.

For the full texts of the eulogies given at the sisters’ funerals, go to: www.preciousbloodsistersdayton.org; click on About Us>In Memoriam.

4000 Denlinger RoadDayton, OH 45426-2399

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDDAYTON, OHPermit No. 966

20 Sharing & Caring

Anew effort to highlight religious life in the Arch-diocese of Cincinnati is

colorful and visual. The Sisters of the Precious Blood have collaborated with seven other religious communi-ties to create a full-color poster featuring men and women in religious formation. The poster features photos of 13 men and women who are either from the Cincinnati Archdiocese or are working in the archdiocese. Un-der each photo is the person’s name, religious community, stage in formation, home parish or diocese and location of min-istry. A quote from 1 Samuel and contact information for the eight participating communi-ties are also included on the poster. The project was spearheaded by Precious Blood Sister Mary Yarger, the community’s voca-tions coordinator, and designed by the Precious Blood Sisters’ communication office. The com-munities provided the photos and information for the poster. The poster was paid for by the participating communities. The poster is similar to one

New poster features those in religious formation

produced by the Athenaeum of Ohio featuring photos of semi-narians who are in discernment at St. Mary Seminary in Cincin-nati. The religious formation poster is the first one produced in the archdiocese in recent memory. Plans are to update the poster yearly. The poster is being distributed to parishes, Catholic schools, Newman centers and other Catholic institutions in the Cin-cinnati archdiocese. It is also on display in offices

of the Chancery and in Arch-bishop Dennis M. Schnurr’s office. Archbishop Schnurr commented that the poster helps him illustrate the level of com-mitment to religious life in the archdiocese. On social media, the poster has been promoted on the arch-diocesan website and Facebook. Other communities have fea-tured the poster on their social media outlets as well.

Story by Dave Eck