possumus - fall 2007

Leading theWay

Lord, inspire us today

with the qualities

of good leadership.

Give us insight

to make wise decisions,

integrity to face the truth,

courage to make difficult

choices and compassion

for the needs of others.

Make us a model of

justice and honor to the

world, and let us never

forget that our job is to

serve both You and

others.

Please tear off and usethis bookmark as a companion in

your reading and prayers.

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul ProvinceMinistries Foundation1884 Randolph Ave.Saint Paul, MN 55105

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDSt. Paul, MN

Permit No.1990

PPOOSSSSUUMMUUSSWe Can

A Publication of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

Ministries Foundation

FALL 2007 LEADERSH I P

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WE CAN:

Move toward a world ofhope, reconciliation, andjustice for all people.

Eradicate extreme povertyand hunger.

Achieve universal primary education.

Promote gender equalityand empower women.

Reduce child mortality.

Improve maternal health.

Combat HIV/AIDS malariaand other diseases.

Ensure environmental sustainability.

Develop a global partnership for development.

Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletMinistries Foundation

www.csjministriesfoundation.org

From the United Nations Millennium Development Goals

Leading from where you are.

17

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet can’t beleaders without the support of friends and neighborswho believe in their mission.

Sometimes that support is physical or emotional.Sometimes it’s spiritual. And sometimes it’s financial.

If you think the efforts of the Sisters of St. Josephare important to our community, please consider supporting those efforts in any way you can.

Maybe you can’t be on the front lines of thestruggle for justice, but you can write a check.

Maybe you can’t volunteer your time to trainfuture leaders, but you can open your wallet.

Maybe you can’t dedicate your life to help thosein need, but you can give a generous donation to theSisters of St. Joseph.

Empower the leadership of the Sisters with your pocketbook. And, in a very real way, you’ll bepracticing leadership, too.

To make a donation to support the programs of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet,please visit www.csjministriesfoundation.org

Or send your check to:Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul ProvinceMinistries Foundation1884 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105

Remember, you don’t have to be a saint or ahero, or be rich, to do enormous good. You just haveto be willing.

Thank you.

Visit us on the web at www.csjministriesfoundation.orgfor updates on previous articles you read in Possumus.

Dayna Burtness grew up in Coon Rapids, and had, by her account, a normal childhoodthere ——one that had nothing to do with farming.But something happened to Dayna between herfreshman and sophomore years at St. Olaf Collegethat turned this young woman into a dedicatedenvironmental activist specializing in sustainableagriculture. In the process, Dayna discovered withinherself the courage it takes to be a leader.

As an Environmental Studies major, I wantedsome hands-on experience. So I signed up for a 3-month internship at Foxtail Farms, which has acommunity supported agriculture program inOsceola, Wisconsin. I had never thought about myfood before and where it came from. They reallyopened my eyes to the food cycle and the ridiculousthings going on in American agriculture. All of asudden it hit me: I could use some of St. Olaf’sland to start an organic farm and supply the collegecafeteria with fresh produce. I’m the kind of personthat, if I get an idea, I just assume it’s possible. So Iemailed the Curator of the college land about myidea. He told me all the reasons why I couldn’t doit. I have to admit I gave up on it for, maybe...anhour. But I went ahead and found an acre of landnearby, then approached the company that managesthe cafeteria. After I showed the college that I alreadyhad everything I needed, they said yes and I wasfarming. Now you might call that being courageousand persistent, but I call it being stubborn andimpatient. Those are two of my best qualities.

Dayna Burtness

Possumus is Latin for we can. Itsums up the drive and willpower thatidentifies the Sisters of St. Joseph asone of the most influential non-profitorganizations working in Minnesotain the past 150 years.

Lessons from Geese

Fact: When the lead goose flying in formationgets tired, it rotates back into the formation andanother goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hardtasks and sharing leadership. As with geese,people are interdependent on each others’ skills,capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts,talents or resources.

Transcribed from a speech given by Angeles Arrien at the 1991 Organizational Development Network,

based on the work of Milton Olson. Visit www.csjministriesfoundation.org/links.aspx

to read the other four lessons.

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PERSPECT IVE S

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Facets of leadership.

Alberta Huber became a CSJ in 1936. Backthen nuns taught school, which is what SisterAlberta did for almost three decades. In 1964,she was appointed President of The College ofSt. Catherine. The 60s and 70s were turbulenttimes on college campuses, but Sister Alberta ledSt. Kate's through it all. Under her direction, thelittle boarding school for girls grew up into aserious institution of higher learning for women,one with a mission to "educate women to leadand influence." Sister Alberta died recently at age90. But it's clear she would have had much leftto teach us.

I wasn’t exactly ready for a challenge so bigwhen I took over in 1964. It was a busy time;there was a lot of unrest. I realized that, first of all,we had to bring the college into the 20th century.As we dealt with in loco parentis issues, we had tolearn how to treat students as adults instead ofchildren. We started the weekend college in the1970s so women who had to keep working couldbetter themselves. O’Shaughnessy Auditorium andsome other important buildings were finishedduring my term. And we started pushinginternational and minority education and greatlyexpanded the numbers of those students. Throughit all, I tried to maintain my own leadership style.I think leadership is about enabling other peopleto develop their potential. I’m proud of the factthat I was President during a very difficult time,yet I managed to keep the college on an even keel.I handed it over as a good, sound, intellectual,educational institution for women.

Sister Alberta Huber, CSJ

If the name sounds familiar, it’s becauseOscar Reed had a legendary nine-year career as arunning back with the Minnesota Vikings ––including three Super Bowl appearances. As aresult of his post-football work as director ofyouth programs with the Minnesota PublicHousing Authority, Oscar helped found a youthand family service agency, Life’s Missing Link.These days, he directs his own restorative justicenonprofit, The Restorative Way. Oscar has shownan aptitude for leadership throughout his life. Butit didn’t happen without a lot of encouragementfrom others.

I’ve yet to figure out whether leaders areborn or made. But I’m starting to lean toward theidea that it’s a combination of both. I played onlots of sports teams as a kid. People saw qualitiesin me that you would find in a leader, so theynurtured that in me. I didn’t ask for it, it justhappened. I think those qualities are in everyone,but some can tap into them better than others.I’d say the leadership style I’ve tried to follow iskind of unassuming, laidback, quiet. I’m a bigguy, so that surprises people. But great leadersdon’t talk all the time. They listen, and they leadby example. A leader doesn’t have to be out infront all the time either. They can be behindpushing. I tell myself to take it one step and oneperson at a time. I believe, if I can influence oneperson, they’ll take that with them into their life,and someday they’ll influence others. After all,that’s exactly what happened to me.

Oscar Reed

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Leadership.

As you read through this issue of Possumus, we hope you will give uscredit for even attempting to put into words what is best expressed by example.Throughout the issue, we circle around the topic of leadership in an effort toilluminate its core.

Leadership usually is neither what you think it is nor where you expectto find it. It’s not tied to characteristics such as popularity or talent. It’s closerto courage and selflessness and the ability to listen.

Though our Sisters are known as leaders, you’ll discover on these pagesthat familiar contradiction in which others express deep gratitude for theSisters’ leadership but the Sisters themselves dismiss the reference. You mayfind yourself wondering if someone can be a leader and not know it. You willfind this kind of strong, unassuming leadership especially in the St. JosephWorkers (pages 2-5); the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Justice Commission’s work onbehalf of Liberian immigrants (page 15); and in the words of Sister AlbertaHuber (page 16), who died shortly after we interviewed her for this issue.

Ultimately, I would venture to say that leadership is a common tool usedto repair or build a just society. The tool damages easily if used incorrectly andbecomes dull if not used at all. Since everyone practices leadership in adifferent way, I’d be interested in knowing how you would define it and hearingyour own story of leadership as well.

Thanks for reading. Possumus!

Sister Irene O’Neill, CSJExecutive Director


POSSUMUS

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Sister Mary Martin and Angie work togetherat The Vineyard English Language School inFrogtown. They tutor two classes of adult Hmongand Vietnamese. It’s clear that they share mutualrespect and admiration. But while it may beobvious to an outsider that Sister Mary Martin ishelping to develop leadership skills in Angie,neither woman seems to want to make it thecornerstone of her experience.

“I didn’t join the Sisters to be a leader,” SisterMary Martin says modestly. “It was a religiouscalling that brought me in. I’ve had leadershippositions in the past, but I don’t really think ofmyself that way most of the time.”

Angie adds, “Leadership skills are important,of course. But that’s not why I became a St. JosephWorker. I didn’t think of it as a course in leadership.I thought of it as a great opportunity to effectsocial change.”

Leadership is one of the core values of theWorker program (along with Social Justice,Spirituality, Intentional Community and LivingSimply). In fact, this is one of the few volunteeropportunities in the country that focuses ontraining women to become leaders for socialchange. Yet Angie and Sister Mary Martin havedifficulty talking about it. Could it be that theculture of equality and humility these two women

share prevents them from discussing a subject asself-aggrandizing as leadership? Or is leadershipsimply a difficult topic for anyone to articulate?

It’s a little of both, says Doug Menikheim,expert in the principles of leadership (see article onpage 10). “The Sisters’ culture does leave themwith an unusual reluctance to label themselvesas leaders. But even in other walks of life, themost successful leaders aren’t exactly sure whatmade them that way.”

If there’s one person who is comfortabletalking about leadership among the St. JosephWorkers, it’s Sister Suzanne Herder, who heads theprogram. It’s her job to select the future leadersfrom among the crop of young women who presentthemselves yearly before the SJW interviewingboard. If she does her job well, the Sisters willfind the right kind of raw material to work with.

“The St. Joseph Worker program,” SisterSuzanne says, “is for young women who wouldlike to be mentored into leadership. We can helpthem accomplish that goal by assigning them towork in various community organizations. But ifthey want to make a difference in the world, theymust find their own authentic style of leadership.While they’re with us, we help them find theirown voice, speak their own truth, recognize theirown values, and then share them with other

PASSING THE TORCH.The two women sit across from each other at the conference table, eyeing the tape recordersomewhat uneasily. One is a small, quiet, 85-year-old nun named Mary Martin Nelson. She hasbeen a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet for 60 years. The other is Angie Van Den Hemel, anoutgoing 23-year-old who is currently participating in the St. Joseph Worker program. They arehere to talk about leadership skills among the CSJs.

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people. We hope to foster in them the couragethey need to work as dynamic leaders who canbring about positive social change.”

There’s a compelling reason why the Sistersof St. Joseph feel the need to mentor a group ofyoung women in the ways of social justice. Today,the average age of the 300 or so CSJs in St. Paulis about 75 years. Fewer women want to take vowsthese days, even if they do have a desire to live alife of service to others. And although the numberof nuns in the U.S. has more than halved in thelast 40 years, it’s evident to the Sisters here thatthe need to work for positive social change hasnot halved. Instead it has increased exponentially.As a result, the Sisters began the St. Joseph Workerprogram in 2002. They conceived it as a paralleluniverse to the CSJs, offering the chance for youngwomen to live in community and make positivesocial change ——just as Catholic Sisters do ——butwithout the obligation of permanent religiousvows. (Or even the requirement to be Catholic.)

The program began five years ago with justtwo volunteers. This year there are 13 Workers.They are in their early twenties, just past collegeand looking for something positive to do withtheir lives. In many cases, they were raised inhomes where social causes were discussed nightlyover pot roast. Workers are recruited annually fromall around the country. They often encounter theCSJs for the first time at a volunteer service fair. Inspite of their deep appreciation for the spiritualitythat enfolds and supports them, the St. JosephWorkers don’t feel the need to profess vows. Theyare content to pursue their commitment to socialchange as laypeople ——bolstered by the roomand board, the $100 monthly stipend, the healthinsurance, and the two free classes at the College ofSt. Catherine. Not to mention the lifelong spiritual

mentorship the Sisters offer them in exchange fortheir year of volunteerism.

During their time as Workers, under theguidance of the Sisters, the young women learnto serve the unmet needs of the community withdignity and respect. They also learn how to runeffective organizations for change, in a programthat includes leadership training, retreats,workshops, community nights and mentoringrelationships.

The Workers live together in two totallynondescript houses: one in Minneapolis, one inSt. Paul. There is nothing about the houses, insideor out, that gives away the residents’ commonpurpose. In the modest dining room of the St.Paul house, two more Workers, Megan Kuhl andJennifer Haut, sit down to talk. They’re askedabout the paths that led them to the program.

The story Jennifer tells is probably the mostcommon one. “I knew that I wanted to do a yearof service after college,” she says. “I just wasn’t surewhat form it would take. When I stumbled ontothis program, I knew right away it was the one.”

But Megan’s tale is slightly different: “I had nointention of volunteering. I wanted to get a jobat a nonprofit after I graduated. But I stayed withfriends at the Minneapolis SJW house and decidedthis kind of social conscience community was whatI really wanted. ‘Megan,’ I said, ‘it’s calling you.’”

After some encouragement, both womenwarm to the topic of leadership. Megan speaksup first. “I’ve had a lot of training in leadership,”she says, “but this is a whole different kind. It’snot managerial at all. It’s living by pure example,knowing yourself, making yourself appealing toothers so they’ll follow you. That’s the kind ofleader I want to be, and this program encouragesthat.” Jennifer says, “Some of us think we have

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the background for leadership; some aren’t soconfident.” Then she adds, “I think all 13 of uswould define it differently.”

Megan refers to the tagline of the St. JosephWorker Program, which is women committed to socialchange. “Even saying that we want to be committedto social change is radical,” she says. “In a way it’staking a leadership role just to say it.” She alsopoints out that the CSJs are known for pushingthe envelope as far as women’s leadership rolewithin the church is concerned. “We’ve becomeaccustomed to the way the Sisters do things. Wethink that’s how it should be.”

Monday evenings are special for the Workers.That’s when they gather together for “Sharing ofthe Heart,” a centuries-old CSJ tradition. A questionis asked and the Workers strive to answer in asheartfelt a way as possible. “How were you aleader this week?” is one most often asked.This sharing of stories, witnessing each other’ssuccesses and failures, fosters their courage tolead. In a year (or two, if they “reenlist”), they willmove on to other places, other lives. But theywill move on with greater confidence and a finersense of purpose. The Sisters like to say thatthese young women have received a “passport tothe world.” Everything they’ve accomplished intheir time with the Sisters will sustain them intheir lives as teachers, lawyers, nonprofit workers,neighbors, family members and leaders in thesocial justice community—— wherever they endup. They swear the Sisters will always be part ofthem. “When I began the program,” says Jennifer,“I had no idea how present the Sisters would bein our daily lives. I want to keep that presencewith me forever.”

The Sisters will never forget them either.“Our St. Joseph Workers never really leave us,”

says Sister Suzanne. Indeed, every Worker whohas gone through the program is still in touchwith the Sisters somehow, somewhere.

As director of the program, Sister Suzannehas the final word on the leadership they’veshown. “Whether they can articulate it or not,”she says, “these 13 women have definitely showntheir authentic leadership skills this past year. Iknow they will take those skills out into theworld and do great things.” �

The 2006-2007 SJWs:living examples of leadership

Alena Chaps Coordinated ELL program atHOPE community; started Reading Circles forEnglish learners. Christy Fast Advocated forLatino patients at St. Mary’s Health Clinics. LilaGilbert Advocated for victims of human trafficking;facilitated meditation at Peace House. JenniferHaut Was a coordinator for the America Readsprogram. Maggie Hartzheim Began a Christmasgift collection program at Cornerstone, a domesticabuse shelter. Katie Heil Set up Christmas giftgiving program at Our Lady of Guadalupe. MeganKuhl Conceived and executed the AlternativeAdvent Fair at Cretin-Derham Hall. CarolineMartin Coordinated the Global Health Project atHealth East. Christie Mueller Advocated forwomen in transition at Sarah’s...An Oasis forWomen. Lylee Rauch-Kacenski Planned andcoordinated 11th Day Prayer For Peace with theJustice Commission. Melissa Schmidt Plannedand executed various promotional efforts forWisdom Ways and Heart of The Beast theater.Angie van den Hemel Tutored adult Englishlearners at the Vineyard School. Anika WalzHeaded the Darfur projects for the MinnesotaCouncil of Churches; helped with Day On The Hill.

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The Sisters of St. Joseph are impelled by amission that guides our interactions with oneanother and with our neighbors: Animated by theSpirit of Jesus, we reach out in compassion and justice tomeet the needs of our time. From this mission flowsour vision:

• To share our spiritual and temporal resources.

• To act as agents of systemic change to effect ajust society and sustainable life on Earth.

• To build on historical relationships and developnew alliances and networks.

• To foster and promote leadership for the future.

• To revitalize community and increase vowedmembership and other opportunities for deeperparticipation in the mission.

To accomplish this vision, we commission ourSisters who serve on our Leadership Team tofacilitate our interactions in keeping with fourprinciples.

The principle of subsidiarity means thatthose immediately involved in an issue takeresponsibility for making decisions that affectthem. If all of the Sisters will be affected, thenall the members are given the opportunity tocontribute to the final decision. Though onoccasion our proceedings may seem inelegantand cumbersome, in the end we stand togetherin our purpose.

Through the principle of collaboration wehold that the best decisions are the ones that bringtogether all the stakeholders in a decision, bothwithin the community and in our interactionswith partners in our mission and ministry. Our

Leadership Team is also encouraged to seek outthose with helpful knowledge, skill or expertisewhen needed.

The third principle, mutuality, acknowledgesthat we are colleagues in our lives and worktogether, and that each of us has the capacity forperforming leadership functions in our owncontexts. Sometimes we are called upon to exercise“courageous followership,” as we discussed in acommunity sponsored leadership seminar last year.That may mean bringing disagreement to thefore so alternative views can offer enlightenmentabout an issue. Or stepping up to do the “heavylifting” that moves a vision to real outcomes, ortaking the risk to ask just the right question at justthe right time. Or it may mean offering supportfor those who are serving in ways that challengetheir reserves.

The fourth principle is accountability. Wehold for ourselves an expectation of collectiveand personal responsibility in our acting and inour being. And that means caring about eachother and our work, providing equal access toinformation and power, equitable use ofresources, and active participation in the life ofthe community. It also means pitching in andhelping out whenever and however possible.

We strive to act out of these principles inwhatever capacities we serve. We also strive to bethe loving presence of Jesus in our world today. Andfor that, each of us must hold the vision, andparticipate in the dance that moves us from lead-ership in its many manifestations, to courageousfollowership, to supportive presence. �

Karen Hilgers, CSJ

Our leadership mission. “Without a vision, the people perish.”(Prov. 29:18)

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I was in my sophomore year at Cretin-DerhamHall High School in St. Paul when I first heardabout the Power Summit put on by the Sisters ofSt. Joseph. Up till then, I was involved in theater,and thinking I might eventually go to the EastCoast to college. But one of my older sisters hadgone to a Retreat Day the year before and metJennifer Tacheny, who coordinates the PowerSummit with Sister Jill Underdahl. My own sisterknew I had some interest in social justice, sotogether they recruited me to attend the firstPower Summit in the summer of 2006.

That year they had different tracks that youcould go on. I chose the Non-Violence track.Those few days at the Summit put it in my mindthat, somehow and some way, I wanted to keepon working with the people I met there. Theyput me in such a good mood. It made me feellike there were things that I could actuallyaccomplish. When I went back to school in thefall, I got more active in social justice issues. Mysisters and brother and I went on the School ofthe Americas protest at Fort Benning, Georgia,where the U.S. is training Latin American soldiersto terrorize their own people. It was both scaryand fulfilling and made me want to do even more.

Then the Sisters asked me to help lead thenext Power Summit, held this past summer. Ihelped come up with the activities for the Global

Citizenship track, which focused on sharing waterand other resources. There was also a track calledSustainability, which dealt with organic farmingand all the concerns surrounding that. Over thefour days of the Summit, we had educationalsessions and then time to think about and applywhat we were learning. And the keynote speakerswere amazing.

As a result of this exposure to these peopleand these issues, I know I’ve become a differentperson. I’m more focused and more interested insocial justice now than in theater. I always knewthere were things to be done in the world, andnow I have some resources to do them. I’mspending time with different kinds of people,people who have the same focus I do. I’m workingat Trotter’s Café, where all the food served comesfrom sustainable sources. I’m in my senior yearat Cretin-Derham Hall now, and thinking aboutapplying to Jesuit schools out West, where Ibelieve people are more dedicated to issues likethis. I think I’d fit in well out there. In fact,everything I learned at the Power Summit givesme the idea that I really can change other people’slives for the better ——or maybe just my own. �

Annie Hill

The Power Summit.

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In this case, person zero was Jeremy Hanson.He’d grown up playing city hockey in Richfield.Lately, he had been watching sadly as the hockeyprogram he had loved so much as a kid began todie out. It seemed as if Richfield kids just weren’tinterested in the sport anymore, and it didn’ttake Jeremy too long to figure out why. He didsome demographic research. Though there wereapproximately 2000 kids in the school system theright age for Mites hockey, a significant numberof them had no hockey playing tradition at all, nointerest in putting on skates. They were Latino.

Jeremy was not deterred. He talked it overwith his brother, Steve, who also grew up playingfor city teams in the Richfield Hockey Association.Together they decided to rescue their belovedhockey program by challenging the idea thatLatinos don’t play hockey. As Steve says, “It’swhat we do in Minnesota. We play hockey.” TheAssociation was backing them. Now all the twoAnglos had to do was convince los niños Latinos ——who had never thought of lacing on a pair of iceskates ——to give it a try.

This is where Ruth Evangelista and TelmaFeight come in. They worked for MIRA, a Latinresource center located at the Church of theAssumption, which collaborated with St. Mary’s

Health Clinics. MIRA is a focal point for theLatino community in the suburb. Families taketheir children there for medical care. “We went toMIRA and met with Ruth and Telma,” Steve says.“To our surprise, they ran with the idea.”

“The Latino community thinks this sport isonly for Anglos,” says Ruth. “But I said, okay, I’lltry to get them to participate. I said to the moms,‘Maybe you don’t like this activity, but maybeyour kids will.” She and Telma were persuasiveenough to get a large group of moms and theirkids, ages four through nine, to show up at aFree Skate night. There, the kids laced up iceskates for the first time in their lives. Steve says,“We picked them up and dropped them on theice. Surprisingly, they got into it pretty quickly.”Some of their moms were brave enough to puton skates, too——and that’s when the Latinohockey program truly was born.

In hesitant English, hockey mom Ivon Mezasays, “I see Victor play hockey and I’m happy forhim.” “She yelled loud,” claims Victor, age 10.Another mom, Ofelia Navarro, describes herson’s reaction: “Diego told me, ‘Mom, I want toplay hockey. Come with me, come with me.’”

“We thought we might get one team together,”Steve says, “but we got almost three. And the

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Contagious leadership.

Sometimes it seems as if leadership is catching. It starts with one person. That person hasan idea, an urge, an obsession. Or maybe just a simple question: “Why are so few kids in myneighborhood playing hockey these days?” And the next thing you know-¡qué milagro¡ It’s amiracle. Dozens of Latino kids are taking to the ice in Richfield, Minnesota, in part because oftheir families’ connections with St. Mary’s Health Clinics, a program of the Sisters of St. Joseph.


attrition we were expecting never happened. Thefirst time we played our games, every kid wasthere, and the stands were full of parents.”

Though there were team sponsors, anddonations helped out, all the families paid thefull amount required to participate in the Mitesprogram. Organizational leadership was requiredof the families. And there were sacrifices-as anyhockey mom will tell you. However, these hockeymoms tell of traveling to games not in a minivan,but on a city bus —— with sometimes three orfour smaller children and that awkward hockeyequipment in tow. Without that kind of commit-ment from 20 moms, Ruth believes the programwould not exist.

At season’s end, the Latino teams wereinvited to take the ice between periods at aRichfield high school game. Each player’sname was called out over theloudspeaker as the crowdcheered. It was a big moment forsome small hockey players.

Steve coached one of the threeteams. “It was the most rewardingthing I’ve ever done,” he says, witha great deal of pride. But whateverhe and Jeremy got out of theiradventure in leadership, it palesin comparison to what the Latinofamilies got. When they speak ofconfidence, of self-esteem, ofacceptance, they don’t just meanon the ice.

Ruth explains, “The Anglo community andthe Latino community are working together onthis. So here we have something in common.”It seems that, when leadership catches on,miraculous things really can happen. �

Porque soy unico,

Porque soy Latino,

Puedo alcanzar mis metas.

Because I am unique,

Because I am Latino,

I can reach my goals.

Sign on the wall at MIRA clinic

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Holding the mirror.

PURPOSE

Doug Menikheim, Captain, USN (ret.) is the

co-director of the Centre for Applied Leadership and

an adjunct professor in the MBA program at the

University of St. Thomas. Doug has a BS in Naval

Science, a MS in Personnel Administration, and has

completed coursework for a PhD in Organizational

Psychology. The clientele at the Centre consists of

standard small to medium sized businesses. But

lately, he’s been talking precepts of leadership with

the Sisters of St. Joseph. Doug says he’s come to feel

a deep connection with the Sisters.

Q You’re a graduate of the NavalAcademy. You had a 28-year career in themilitary commanding both ships and ashore station. And yet you feel a kinshipwith the peace-loving CSJs?

A Surprising, isn’t it? I feel more at home withthem than with most groups I associate with. Ithink it’s because we have mutual respect foreach other’s purposeful devotion to peace. Wejust take different paths to get there.

Q Why did you and the CSJs begin thisleadership exploration in the first place?

A They invited me to join them in a kind of adhoc way, as they attempted to define and refinewhat leadership means within their community.

Q Do you admire the CSJ style of leadership?

A Very much so. They’re doing pretty mucheverything they should be doing to foster

leadership in their organization, and they’vebeen at it for nearly 400 years. They are as tighta group as you’ll ever find.

Q If they’re already doing everythingright, why is it important for them todefine it?

A Two reasons. First, because they don’t knowthey’re doing it right. They don’t see that leadershipis part of their culture. The CSJs have the hardesttime acknowledging that they’re leaders. After all,their culture values humility. We’re helping themhold a mirror up so they can see who they are,and giving them the language to articulate theirown brand of leadership.

Q And the other reason?

A If they don’t understand what they’re doingright, how can they pass it on to those who comeafter them? The Sisters used to work in hierarchicalorganizations, like schools and hospitals, whichwere a natural leadership training ground. Whenthey left those settings, they lost their traditionalstructure. They’re having to reinvent themselves.

Q What is their leadership structure now?

A It’s unusual. Every five years, they appointthree Sisters of equal rank to guide the decision-making process for their community. They listen

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PURPOSE

to all points of view, and then decide on a courseof action. It can take forever to make a decision.But once it’s made, the other Sisters, even thosewith other ideas, responsibly support it. They agreeto disagree. There’s not a corporation on earththat could function that way, but the Sisters do.

Q Is that why it’s important to fosterleadership in women who join their order?

A Yes, but they recognize that they have amore pressing problem now. As their numberswane, the Sisters have felt the need to developlaypeople to take up their mission——St. JosephWorkers, Consociates, volunteers ——women andmen who can carry on their work without benefitof the structures of Sisterhood.

Q So that explains why they came to you?

A I believe so. We’ve been evaluating theirculture using the five precepts of leadership (seebelow). No one exemplifies those precepts betterthan the Sisters. They know what it means tointegrate the intellect and the soul. They havewhat it takes to be both a courageous followerand effective leader. It requires sacrifice. TheSisters get that. They live it every day.

Q If leadership can’t be taught, howwill you know when this effort has beensuccessful?

A Once the Sisters themselves come to someconsensus about their own brand of leadership,then they can not only hold it up and look at it, butthey can give it as a gift to the next generation. �

Leadership is internally derived andexternally manifested.

By understanding who you are, you can understandwhat kind of leader you can become. Authenticleadership comes from the inside and projectsoutward. You cannot lead by simply applyingsomeone else’s style to yourself.

The apprenticeship of leading is following.

Being a courageous follower is the first challengeon the path to authentic leadership. To coura-geously follow, you must be a loyal challenger,take a stand for what is right, raise alternativeideas, bring hidden assumptions to light, andwhole-heartedly participate with the leader inmoving forward.

Leadership cannot be taught, but it canbe learned.

You cannot book-learn leadership. It must belearned through trial-and-error. With experienced

leaders and knowledgeable guides to providecritical feedback, you learn to make effectivechoices. You learn how to hold yourself accountablefor mistakes.

Leadership must be intended.

At the heart of intention is the realization thatyour actions are key to the success of the effortor enterprise. Effective action springs from theintention to lead. Intention fuels the courage,heart and discipline leadership requires.

Leadership occurs when emotions,intellect and spirit work together.

Activating just one of those personal qualitiesis not enough. All three must work togethersynergistically to make you an effective leader.Together they foster competency, trust and ameaningful expression of purpose. Above all,leadership is a holistic process.

Doug Menikheim

Five Leadership Precepts

11


And justice for all.

The Justice Commission. The name conjures up a phalanx of superheroes out to right wrongswherever they find them. But in this case, it refers to something very real: the JusticeCommission of the Sisters of St. Joseph. They are not superheroes. But that doesn’t mean theyaren’t ready to stand strong in the name of truth, justice, and a better way of life for everyone.

12

Since their founding in France in 1650, theSisters of St. Joseph have cared for poor andoppressed people wherever they find them, allacross the globe. But for these Sisters, charity isnot enough. Their mission also calls on them todetermine the root causes of poverty andoppression existing within governments andsocieties and to work to eliminate those causeson a systemic level. At times throughout history,this struggle for justice has cost the Sisters theirfreedom, sometimes even their lives. And yet thework goes on—— globally, regionally, locally, and

personally.Here in the

St. Paul Province,this never-endingquest for justicethrough systemicchange is thework of the 21

people known as the Justice Commission. Theyare guided in this advocacy work by the Sisters’own Acts of Chapter, which includes a challenge“to be in right relationship with people who areexploited and impoverished and to be in rightrelationship with the earth.” This guiding principlecompels them to ask the right questions as

well as perform the right actions —— ones that willeventually diminish suffering and lead to justice forall. It also encourages the Sisters to ask themselvesthis: what more can be done—— now—— to makejustice happen?

Because the job is so big and their numbersare so limited, the Sisters of St. Joseph mustfirst “collect power” according to Linda Crosby,current co-Chair of the Commission. TheCommission (8 Sisters and 13 Consociates, whoare lay members of the CSJs) draws peopletogether from both inside and outside the CSJcommunity, recruiting interested others to jointhe struggle with them. Once the power of manypeople working together toward a common goalis amassed, she says, “Then we can move out intothe community to do our mission.” “That collectivepower for mission has been our bond,” addsGinger Hedstrom, the Commission’s other co-Chair.“It draws us and it drives us.”

Unfortunately, the Commission memberscan’t follow up on every injustice in the world.Says Joänne Tromziak-Neid, Justice Coordinatorfor the St. Paul Province, “We ask the memberswhere their passion is, and then where theirenergy is. We might have a passion to see aparticular change happen, but not the energy.You need the energy to pursue it.”

SOUL


SOUL

13

When a need is identified, a working groupor a less-permanent task group is formed toaddress it. The working groups in turn invite anySisters, Consociates or interested others withpassion for the subject to join them in the workof the group. Currently, there are groups organizedaround eight topics: Criminal Justice, DismantlingRacism, Earth Partners, Homophobia andHeterosexism, Human Trafficking, Immigration,Legislative Advocacy Partners and EndingPoverty in MN.

The first order of business for any newlyformed group is learning everything there is tolearn about their subject. “Doing our homework,”as Ginger calls it. They explore all possibilities,

unearth all options, and talk with the peoplemost affected by the injustice —— until the groupmembers know their subject thoroughly. By thispoint, says Linda, “You’re part of something somuch larger than yourself. You’re moving forwardin a collaborative and consensus leadership model.”

The group’s findings are then reported backto the full Commission. Most often theCommission supports their recommendationsand involves the whole CSJ community in theconversation. Decisions to take action for systemicchange are most often made this way, within thecommunity at large. Linda says, “We disagreesometimes. But we make decisions everyone canlive with. There’s no sabotage or undermining.

JusticeCommission

Working forsystemic change bypromoting awareness,

education andaction.

Legislative Advocacy Partners

Preparing for the2008 Conversation with

our Legislators.

Immigration

Working on UN MillenniumGoal #8: partnering globally

for development.

HomophobiaHetersosexism

Promoting theunderstanding of gay,lesbian, bisexual andtranssexual persons.

Human Trafficking

Focusing onsexual trafficking of women

and children

Criminal Justice

Influencing Federal legislation;distributing duffle bags to those

released from prison.

Earth Partners

Ensuring environmental sustainability,with an emphasis on water and climate change.

Dismantling Racism

Heightening awarenessof racism in the areas where

privilege blinds us.

Ending Poverty in MN

Encouraging the work of theMinnesota Legislative Commission

to end poverty by 2020.


SOUL

It’s very different from mostcorporate environments.” In fact,leadership on the Commissionis about raising others up,putting them into an energetic,dynamic, fluid environment,and then putting aside yourown ego to do what’s best for the group’s success.

Once a course of action is decided upon,the Justice Commission swings into action.Distribution links disseminate what they’velearned. That’s how the struggle for justice reachesthe broader audience beyond the Commission.Everyone in the community makes it her businessto learn the Commission’s point of view. Sistersand Consociates interested in the topic ask to bekept informed. That way, when the advocacy phasebegins, the community speaks clearly, loudly andwith one voice. The Sisters have found, over theyears, that a communal voice, calling for truth,justice and freedom for the poor and oppressedcan be a powerful thing.

Needless to say, the main work of theCommission and its many groups is advocatingfor justice. Bringing about change in the systempeacefully through legislation. It is indeed abouteducating legislators on specific issues, but whatthe Commission is doing is not lobbying.Lobbyists are paid to represent one topic or specialinterest or industry. These advocates volunteertheir time on the Commission, and they representmany different topics of interest. Locally, the thrustof this work is aimed at the Minnesota legislaturein St. Paul, though the work also goes onwithin the national federation of the CSJs ––inWashington and up to the United Nations level.

Who better to explainhow it’s done than JoanWittman, head of theLegislative Advocacy PartnersWorking Group? The firstsubject: Action Alerts. “Wehave a ready network of 80

to 90 people called LAP (Legislative ActionPartners),” she explains. “When they receive anAction Alert, they contact their own legislators byphone, or email or in person, to advocate on behalfof the dear neighbor.” The Action Alerts, comingout of the various working groups, describe ingreat detail the issues at stake in a matter beforethe legislature. During the last legislative session,the LAPs handled 14 Action Alerts.

There is another way for the working groupsto educate others. It’s called Justice Night. Eachmonth, a different working group, with theirunique focus, takes on the responsibility of hostinga gathering and presenting their own program.The evening is part education, part social event,part spiritual experience. Anyone who is interestedis invited to hear what the group has to say. Thatincludes the whole neighborhood.

But perhaps the most popular means ofadvocacy the Commission uses is referred to asConversations With Legislators, which take placeat the CSJ Provincial House. Picture a dining roomfilled with constituents, sitting around small tables,primed and ready to talk something over withtheir senators or representatives. They have spentthe morning going over extensive briefs on varioustopics. They are ready for in-depth discussionson matters of their choosing. In the afternoon,the invited legislators arrive, and for one and a

14


SOUL

15

Most Liberians who live in the UnitedStates came here as a result of the civil warin their home country that ended in 2003.Though immigrants from other countriesobtain Permanent Residence Status (PRS)after 4 to 10 years, the Liberians are stillwaiting. On October 1, 2006, the Departmentof Homeland Security terminated theTemporary Protected Status for all Liberianimmigrants, effective October 1, 2007, claimingLiberia now has a democratic government.The order meant that hundreds of thousandsof people, legal immigrants, were about tobe deported. Lives would be torn apart.Families separated. And people who hadonce fled their homeland under threat ofdeath would be returned to an uncertainfate. The Immigration Working Group wasmade aware of the termination orderthrough newspaper reports and the efforts

of Tee Tee, a Liberian and former resident atSarah’s...An Oasis For Women (one of theCSJ ministries). The CSJs quickly took action.In March 2007, the Province Leadership Teaminvited Senators Klobuchar and Coleman tosign on as co-sponsors of Senate file 656,providing PRS for Liberians. They soon signedon. Action Alerts and postcards were sentout in support of PRS. Together with severalother advocacy groups, CSJs on a nationallevel urged passage of the bill. Finally, onSeptember 12 of this year, President Bush,recognizing that Liberia was not ready toreceive these repatriates, signed an ExecutiveOrder allowing them to remain in thiscountry through March of 2009. While thisis a victory, the work of the ImmigrationWorking Group goes on until Liberiansreceive full Permanent Resident Status.

The Justice Commission: Triumph for Liberians

half hours straight, they talk completely off-scriptwith the people they work for. “They look forwardto these days,” Joan says. “They enjoy finding outwhat their constituents are thinking. Especiallyconstituents as well-informed as we are.”

What’s next for the Justice Commission?Recently, the state legislature has formed a

Committee to End Poverty in Minnesota. TheJustice Commission has just formed a workinggroup. It is another group of dedicated peoplegetting together to speak up for the rights andinterests of the dear neighbor. And united in theircertainty that the Gospel demands nothing less. �


WE CAN:

Move toward a world ofhope, reconciliation, andjustice for all people.

Eradicate extreme povertyand hunger.

Achieve universal primary education.

Promote gender equalityand empower women.

Reduce child mortality.

Improve maternal health.

Combat HIV/AIDS malariaand other diseases.

Ensure environmental sustainability.

Develop a global partnership for development.


www.csjministriesfoundation.org

From the United Nations Millennium Development Goals

Leading from where you are.

17

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet can’t beleaders without the support of friends and neighborswho believe in their mission.

Sometimes that support is physical or emotional.Sometimes it’s spiritual. And sometimes it’s financial.

If you think the efforts of the Sisters of St. Josephare important to our community, please consider supporting those efforts in any way you can.

Maybe you can’t be on the front lines of thestruggle for justice, but you can write a check.

Maybe you can’t volunteer your time to trainfuture leaders, but you can open your wallet.

Maybe you can’t dedicate your life to help thosein need, but you can give a generous donation to theSisters of St. Joseph.

Empower the leadership of the Sisters with your pocketbook. And, in a very real way, you’ll bepracticing leadership, too.

To make a donation to support the programs of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet,please visit www.csjministriesfoundation.org

Or send your check to:Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul ProvinceMinistries Foundation1884 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105

Remember, you don’t have to be a saint or ahero, or be rich, to do enormous good. You just haveto be willing.

Thank you.

Visit us on the web at www.csjministriesfoundation.orgfor updates on previous articles you read in Possumus.

Dayna Burtness grew up in Coon Rapids, and had, by her account, a normal childhoodthere ——one that had nothing to do with farming.But something happened to Dayna between herfreshman and sophomore years at St. Olaf Collegethat turned this young woman into a dedicatedenvironmental activist specializing in sustainableagriculture. In the process, Dayna discovered withinherself the courage it takes to be a leader.

As an Environmental Studies major, I wantedsome hands-on experience. So I signed up for a 3-month internship at Foxtail Farms, which has acommunity supported agriculture program inOsceola, Wisconsin. I had never thought about myfood before and where it came from. They reallyopened my eyes to the food cycle and the ridiculousthings going on in American agriculture. All of asudden it hit me: I could use some of St. Olaf’sland to start an organic farm and supply the collegecafeteria with fresh produce. I’m the kind of personthat, if I get an idea, I just assume it’s possible. So Iemailed the Curator of the college land about myidea. He told me all the reasons why I couldn’t doit. I have to admit I gave up on it for, maybe...anhour. But I went ahead and found an acre of landnearby, then approached the company that managesthe cafeteria. After I showed the college that I alreadyhad everything I needed, they said yes and I wasfarming. Now you might call that being courageousand persistent, but I call it being stubborn andimpatient. Those are two of my best qualities.

Dayna Burtness

Possumus is Latin for we can. Itsums up the drive and willpower thatidentifies the Sisters of St. Joseph asone of the most influential non-profitorganizations working in Minnesotain the past 150 years.

Lessons from Geese

Fact: When the lead goose flying in formationgets tired, it rotates back into the formation andanother goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hardtasks and sharing leadership. As with geese,people are interdependent on each others’ skills,capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts,talents or resources.

Transcribed from a speech given by Angeles Arrien at the 1991 Organizational Development Network,

based on the work of Milton Olson. Visit www.csjministriesfoundation.org/links.aspx

to read the other four lessons.

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Leading theWay

Lord, inspire us today

with the qualities

of good leadership.

Give us insight

to make wise decisions,

integrity to face the truth,

courage to make difficult

choices and compassion

for the needs of others.

Make us a model of

justice and honor to the

world, and let us never

forget that our job is to

serve both You and

others.

Please tear off and usethis bookmark as a companion in

your reading and prayers.

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul ProvinceMinistries Foundation1884 Randolph Ave.Saint Paul, MN 55105

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDSt. Paul, MN

Permit No.1990

PPOOSSSSUUMMUUSSWe Can

A Publication of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

Ministries Foundation

FALL 2007 LEADERSH I P

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possumus - fall 2007

Documents

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