Mother of God
Monastery
110 28th Ave. SE ~ Watertown, SD
57201
Phone: 605-882-6600 Fax: 605-882-6658
monastery@dailypost.com
NEWSLETTER
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Way back in 1978, Jim Russell, moved from Eau Claire, WI, to Pierre, SD, to assume the leadership of St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre, SD. Twenty-eight active years later, he is ready to hand over the reigns to a new CEO and move toward a more relaxed way of life, though his life-long interest in health care will remain. He assumed the leadership of a hospital owned by the Benedictine Sisters of Watertown that had 120 hospital beds. Many of the rooms were double occupancy with a small lavatory with a sink and stool serving two rooms. He also inherited the first nursing school in the country built specifically to train Licensed Practical Nurses. Sr. Edna Nemec was the school’s administrator. Since the old hospital no longer met the requirements for a first-class facility, Russell spent his first three years planning for and building a new hospital, with much of the new building located across Dakota Avenue on newly-purchased property. The second phase of the new hospital project was built in 1999-2000 and included the new emergency room and two more floors to the east. The final phase was completed in 2004. According to Eileen List, his administrative assistant, there are now 27 active staff physicians and about 17 visiting specialists serving the Pierre area. In 1984, St. Mary’s joined Catholic Health Corporation, a multi-facility system of which Mother of God Monastery was a founding member. The Sisters continued to sponsor and be active in the operation of the hospital until 1996, when they alienated sponsorship of the Pierre facilities to CHC. Later that year, CHC merged with three other health care systems to form CHI (Catholic Health Initiatives), headquartered in Denver, CO. Today, St. Mary’s and Maryhouse Care Center remain CHI facilities. Jim Russell hails from Wisconsin where he graduated from the University of Wisconsin. Following a short stint in the army, Jim returned to the University of Iowa, Iowa City, where he earned his graduate degree in Hospital Administration. Jim and his wife, Char, whom he married in 1982, do not plan on leaving Pierre. Both of them share a love for the outdoors and look forward to more hours of sailing, biking and skiing. He has one son, who teaches at the University of Wyoming. When asked what he will miss the most, Jim replied, “the people I work with, the fun of interacting with the staff, doctors and board members. That’s really a positive experience.” What he will not miss are the 7:00 a.m. breakfast meetings. The Benedictine Sisters are grateful to Jim Russell for continuing the spirit of dedication and loyalty to the ministry of Christian health care begun back in November 1899 by the Benedictine Sisters from Yankton. He has excelled beyond our wildest expectations. May he reap the benefits of his efforts to serve the sick and needy in the Pierre area for all these years. |
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FIRST EASTER EGG HUNT AT MGM
Around 100 children, ages 2-12, braved the rather strong wind to search for plastic eggs which they then turned in for candy and Easter prizes. The following Watertown businesses contributed candy, prizes and signs for the event: County Fair, Econo Foods, HyVee, Target, and Wal-Mart. |
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Dear Friends, “There will be one fold and one shepherd.” (Jn. 10:16) Reflecting on this passage in Biblical Meditations for the Easter Season, Carroll Stuhlmueller, C.P. commented: “We will all be one fold, one family, one in love, one in sharing all that we possess. This ecumenical call reaches across churches, nations, races, and ethnic groups . . . People on the fringe of society are the ones to whom Jesus naturally turned.” Reading this reflection reminded me of the proposed immigration legislation now before Congress, most of it all over the board. It amazes me and sometimes appalls me how biased and prejudiced people can be. I know I have my prejudices, too, but I also know our U.S. Immigration regulations need to be changed and updated. I do pray for all of us that we can be more hospitable, open-minded and compassionate toward others. As for us Benedictine Sisters working in the Dakotas, we wouldn’t be here if Bishop Martin Marty hadn’t called our Swiss foundresses to come to teach the Native American children, as well as the children of the German and Austrian immigrants. It was not easy for the early Sisters as they received children into school who often did not speak English. The Sisters also spoke English as their second language. That was 150 years ago. We now have another wave of immigrants in our country. In the near future, the dominant language among Catholics in the U.S. will be Spanish. How are we responding to this? The Watertown 2000 census indicated there are 266 Hispanics and 349 Native Americans living here. The Sisters of Mother of God Monastery have been in conversations with the Watertown public schools about the needs of the Hispanic people in Watertown and how we might reach out to them. It will require us to re-educate ourselves in the areas of language, customs and culture. We cannot know Jesus independently of his extended family; the poor, the neglected and the stranger are a part of us—we are one fold with one shepherd. Meetings are never wanting in the life of a prioress. Since increasing our membership is a top priority for our community, four of us attended a vocations’ workshop in Ferdinand, IN, where we gained many ideas for sharing our mission and inviting women to join us. Attending the meeting with me were Sr. Emily Meisel, from vocations, Sr. Judith Emge, from development, and Jennifer Jacobek, our new Communications Director, who will begin her position this summer. In April, Sr. Francis and I participated in the regional Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) meeting in Little Falls, MN. Twenty-three religious from MN, ND and SD met for prayer to discuss current topics in religious life today. LCWR is celebrating its 50th Anniversary as a conference this year. It is a canonically established entity with accountability to the Congregation for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the same Vatican office that recognizes the official status of individual religious institutes within the Church. Blessings on you and your families, Sister Ramona Fallon, prioress |
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SISTERS BEGIN DIALOGUE WITH LOCAL HISPANIC STUDENTS REGARDING NEEDS
These students represented the nations of Mexico and Honduras. Following a lunch of enchiladas, the students presented a plan for the development of an Immigrant Immersion Center to serve the many needs of the new arrivals in the Watertown area; i.e., language classes, housing, jobs, child care, health, transportation. Sr. Ramona promised that this opening dialogue will set the stage for further meetings and reflection, not only of the needs of all minority communities in the Watertown area, but also on the role that the Sisters can play in getting needed services to these communities. |
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SR. MACARIA SCHMIDT DIES IN PIERRE
Pauline attended St. Mary’s School in Richardton, ND. After her freshman year, she entered Sacred Heart Convent in Yankton where she received the name Sister M. Macaria. Sister’s entire professional career was spent in health care. She completed nurses’ training in 1937, and was immediately appointed night supervisor at Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton. With some on-the-job training and a three-month course in anesthesiology, she began work as a nurse anesthetist. She worked in hospitals in Yankton, Gregory, Parkston, Tyndall and Pierre, SD, as well as in Canon City, CO, and Cottonwood, ID. During her 40 year stay in Pierre, Sister Macaria often held two or three positions: such as, night supervisor, nurse anesthetist, supervisor of OR, pharmacy, and/or the x-ray department. After retiring from nursing, she completed a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education and was instrumental in setting up the Pastoral Care department at St. Mary’s Hospital. She remained active, volunteering her services wherever needed until this past summer when illness forced her retirement. She lived in St. Benedict’s Convent in Pierre and, for a few weeks before her death, at Maryhouse Care Center S. Macaria is survived by her Sisters of Mother of God Monastery, Watertown, and several nieces and nephews. Following wake services in both Pierre and in Watertown, Sister was buried in the monastery cemetery on April 12, 2006. |
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE: A College and a University Celebrate Early 2006 was a time of double celebration for Adrienne Kaufmann, OSB, whose work at two colleges received recognition.
Adrienne’s second honor came from the American University, Washington, DC, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary of the International Peace and Conflict Resolution Program and the 10th anniversary of its degree-granting status. While teaching there, she and the present faculty chair, Abdul Aziz Said, initiated the program. During the celebration, hosted at the residence of the Ambassador of Yemen to the US, he remarked, “Our program began as a ‘Mom and Pop’ operation, and here is Mom Adrienne.” Sr. Adrienne’s response included the following: “It was an amazing privilege to be able to assist in the birthing of this program, and to spend 15 years working with Professor Abdul Aziz Said, a wisdom person from whom I learned so much. I sincerely believe that the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program attracts some of the best students at the University, because our students are motivated, not primarily to get a degree and a high-paying job, but, rather, they want to learn how to make a positive difference in our world toward more universal justice and lasting peace. “Most of you know that I am a Benedictine Sister, a celibate woman; therefore, I will never give natural birth. Yet we do give birth. As I look now at the growth of the program, it’s wonderful. (Eleven full-time faculty members, and, last year, 160 Masters’ Degree students, as well as undergraduates and Ph.D. students doing their concentrations in Peace and Conflict Resolution). Assisting in giving birth to this program has been one of the birthings of which I am most proud.” |
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SISTERS CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY DATES: Sixty and Fifty Years as OSB’s
Sister Del Rey Kuhn grew up near Glen Ullin, ND, the eldest of nine children of the late Peter and Celestine Kuhn. She had some contact with the Benedictine Sisters, which led her to enroll in Mount Marty College. After a year of college, she entered Sacred Heart Convent in Yankton and made her first profession in 1946. Her first ministry was teaching. When Mother of God Monastery was created in 1961, she became one of its founding members. In 1965, Sr. Del Rey was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis). As much as she enjoyed teaching, after this it became too stressful. A new ministry presented itself in pastoral care at St. Ann’s Hospital in Watertown, now known as Prairie Lakes Hospital. Working with adults turned out to be wonderful for her. During some of this time, she lived and worked at the Women’s Resource Center, a home and shelter for battered women and children. This proved to be not only a learning experience, but also an opportunity to help many people in need. As much as she enjoyed these ministries, however, her favorite ministry was pastoral care in hospice, helping prepare persons to die. “Hospice was such a rewarding ministry for me,” she said. “At this time of life, we face reality as never before. Participating in discussions with my patients was so life-giving for me.” Now Sister Del Rey faces many of the “surprises” of the aging process herself. Despite her health problems, she still reaches out to others. She noted, “I have been richly blessed by God and the many people I have encountered on my journey.”
Sister Marmion Maiers was born in Ipswich, SD. She had good Catholic parents who lived their faith and instilled it into their eight children. She attended Catholic school with Benedictines as her teachers. When she was in eighth grade, Sister Rosemarie Bierschbach asked her if she had thought of becoming a Sister. That was all the invitation she needed; Sister Rosemarie helped her enter Sacred Heart Convent at the age of 13. She re-entered the world at 17 to further discern her vocation. All during the three years she spent “in the world” she felt the “Hound of Heaven” urging her to be a Sister. When she returned to Sacred Heart at the age of 20, she really felt like she was coming home to stay. Sister Marmion became a founding member of Mother of God Monastery in 1961. Community living— praying, working, playing and sharing with other Benedictine Sisters—is something she greatly appreciates. Ministry in education and faith formation has been most fulfilling for her during these 60 years.
Sr. Amanda Wolf celebrates her 50th Jubilee on June 30 in the monastery chapel. She. was born on a farm near Zeeland, ND. Her parents were Mathias and Theresa Wolf. Amanda was the ninth of thirteen children. The Wolf family moved to a farm southwest of Raymond, SD, in the spring of 1942. Her family and the Sisters at Mount Marty High School, Yankton, nurtured Sr. Amanda’s call to religious life. She made her monastic profession on June 29, 1956, at Sacred Heart Convent, Yankton. When Mother of God Monastery was founded in 1961, Sr. Amanda transferred her vows to that new community. Her journey of ministries included teaching in Polo and Zell, SD, working in finance positions at St. Mary’s Hospital, Pierre, as treasurer and food service manager at the Watertown monastery, missionary to Gualan, Guatemala, volunteer work in the mental health field, peace & justice issues, and women’s shelters. She became the director of Care & Share, a shelter for the homeless in Crookston, MN, where she is presently on staff. Of her ministries, Amanda said, “I love to work with the rejected, abused, marginalized, oppressed—the ‘unloved in our society’. When love stops being spontaneous, it begins to die little by little.” |
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CHAPLAIN RICH ORTMEIER NOTES FIFTIETH
The Sisters
at Mother of God Monastery are planning a special celebration
on June 20 th honor and thank
A year after his retirement, the Sisters asked Fr. Rich to be their monastery chaplain, which he agreed to do. Presently, he shares the position on a 50/50 basis with Fr. Jerry Holtzman, also a diocesan priest. Rich is loved by all who know him. |
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RECENT HAPPENINGS AT BENET PLACE Ladies Coffee at Benet Place
Annual Ladies Spring Social
Benet Place Presents Seminar on Eyes On February 24, 65 people, including 55 from the Watertown community, gathered at Benet Place to hear Dr. Wayne Snyder, a local ophthalmologist, speak on “macular degeneration”. The seminar was extremely informative and included many questions from the audience. Dawn Brush, of the South Dakota Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired, also spoke and demonstrated the many new devices now available for those who are visually impaired. |
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SISTER MARVA CONTINUES TO MAKE THE NEWS Sister Marva Hoeckelman has been in the newspapers lately. Her poem, “Yessirree, Bub!” was published in the Feb. 24 issue of the National Catholic Reporter, p. 15. This honor was a direct result of the poets’ retreat she attended in January. Sr. Marva and her MLD therapist, Michelle Stark, were interviewed by the health editor of the Watertown Public Opinion on Feb. 23 for a feature article on lymphedema. This article, Living With Lymphedema”, was published on March 7, 2006. Sr. Marva was treated for cancer of the breast two years ago and now wears an elastic sleeve on her left arm to improve her circulation. |
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FERDINAND BENEDICTINES HOLD VOCATION CONFERENCE Ninety-eight religious women and men from around the world attended the 13th Annual Vocation Conference held by the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, IN, from April 4-8. The conference, “Awakening: A Rebirth of Enthusiasm in Vocations”, focused on helping religious communities strengthen and revitalize their efforts to gain new members. Those who attended represented 28 religious communities that live and work in nine countries and 20 states. |
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SISTERS WORK WITH SERRA CLUB Twice a month, the Serra Club of Watertown meets to celebrate Mass and to discuss fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The monastery Sisters have been invited to attend their sessions and pray with them for this purpose. The Serra Club began in 1935 in Seattle, Washington, and was named after the Franciscan priest, Junipero Serra. Its purpose has touched the hearts of many lay people, and has been active in our country since its foundation. Sisters Emily Meisel, Mildred Nikolas and Francis Schumacher have been attending their meetings. The Monastery has also hosted several of the Serra Club recent gatherings. They are grateful to these members for their continual interest and dedication in promoting this ministry within the Church. |
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WE APOLOGIZE for omitting the names of Maurice and Mary Bierschbach in our listing of donors found in the last issue of THE FOCUS. —The Benedictine Sisters Foundation Staff |
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NOVICE KIM ATTENDS NADI INSTITUTE
Each day brought new input on a variety of topics, focusing on monastic life and carrying out the theme, “Weaving Our Dreams”. The novices from each community presented their own monastery’s story as part of the evening sessions. Kim used pictures and script to trace the beginnings of our community that reach back to Maria Rickenbach in Switzerland, to Maryville, MO, and eventually to Yankton, Pierre and, finally, Watertown, SD. Another important feature of the Institute provided novices an opportunity to share, receive support and relax with one another. Their directors also found opportunities for mutual sharing. Midway through the session, the participants enjoyed a free day. Some visited Annunciation Monastery in Bismarck, some chose to enjoy the Badlands and Medora. The buffalo, wild horses, and the rest of the North Dakota Badlands was a feast for the soul and spirit. Another highlight was attending Vespers and having a meal with the monks of Assumption Abbey, also in Richardton. Attending NADI is an important event in a novice’s continuing discernment of her call by God into her respective community. |
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FOUNDATION EVENTS SPARK LOCAL INTEREST Prayer Breakfast, March 9, 2006 A group of 78 Watertown citizens gathered for the Second Annual Prayer Breakfast. The focus for this year’s event was “Multi-Cultural Awareness”. Waneen Polly, an International Development Consultant, was the guest speaker. Prayers were offered by individuals from Watertown representing the Hispanic, Native American , and Caucasian cultures. Tour of Tables, April 8, 2006
Throughout the meal time, the guests were treated to a style show featuring clothing from Molli Jo’s Boutique in Watertown. Singer Beverly Owens, accompanied by Helen Prouty, provided some music. Terri Lynn Becker, administrator of Benet Place and Evergreen, signed a song for the audience. |
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ANNUAL OBLATE DAY SET FOR JUNE Sr. Jeanne Giese, MGM Oblate Director, announced that the Annual Oblate Day will be held on June 11, 2006, at the monastery. Oblates are invited to attend Eucharist with the Sisters, followed by dinner and the ceremonies of enrollment, oblation and renewal of oblation. Oblate Gerry Allen, from Nebraska, will share his experience of attending the international meeting of Oblates in Rome last September. That gathering of oblates was initiated by the Abbot Primate, Notker Wolf, OSB, who resides in Rome. Gerry will be sharing with us, not only the content of the meeting, but also the experience of meeting other oblates from around the world. The monastery Sisters, all oblates and any guests they wish to bring along are invited to participate in this special OBLATE DAY. (If you are coming from a distance and may need housing or are planning on bringing guests, please let Sr. Jeanne know ahead of time so proper arrangements can be made.) Any one interested in joining the oblate chapter of Mother of God Monastery may do so by contacting Sr. Jeanne Giese, director, 110 28th Ave. SE, #201, Watertown, SD 57201. Tel: 605-882-6650. E-mail: jeannegiese@hotmail.com |
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SENIORS SEEK RESPITE FROM DAKOTA WINTER In late February, three senior adults from Mother of God Monastery, Ss. Johanna, Judeen and Clarice, traveled to San Antonio, TX, to attend a week-long workshop entitled “A New Vision of Aging and Retirement” sponsored by the Johnson Institute for Spiritual Gerontology: Ministry to Senior Adults. During their trip, they also explored San Antonio via the River Cruise, the Alamo, and other excursions. The Sisters also visited with confrere Sr. Ida Hericks, who works at the Mexican-American Cultural Center (MACC) located in San Antonio. Sr. Clarice Schmidt is now among the seniors at MGM. After nearly 60 years of ministry in many capacities, she recently retired from full-time, compensated ministry. Clarice insists, however, that this is not the end of her service to others, but actually a time for another period of spiritual adventure without the structures of full-time ministry. She is currently enjoying a sabbatical year, during which time she is searching for a non-traditional program for personal and spiritual enrichment that also has potential for ministry. Dr. Johnson’s program seemed to fit both of her goals. After her first workshop in New Jersey last October, “Redefining Retirement as a Spiritual Journey,” which focused on the spiritual aspects of adult faith development and aging, Sr. Clarice knew she was in the right place. To date, she has completed five of eight segments required for a Professional Certificate in Spiritual Gerontology. She hopes to share the experiences of this past year with her religious community, local parishes and communities, or with anyone who will listen—through mini-retreats, spiritual mentoring, group discussion or just plain everyday conversations. She commented: “This has been an enriching time for me. I am grateful for my sabbatical time and hope that my retirement years will be as challenging and exciting as the past.” |
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REGION XI CORT MEETING HELD
Mary Kessler, Program Services Director with the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators, presented the afternoon session. Mary's presentation focused on compensation planning for lay employees and negotiation issues. Officers for the coming year were named: Sr. Denette, Leifeld, Yankton, SD, Chair; Br. Brad Jennings, St. John’s Monastery, Collegeville, MN, Vice Chair; Sr. Joyce Piatz, MGM, Secretary; and Sr. Kathleen Ravn, SSND, Mankato, Treasurer. |
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HAPPENINGS AROUND THE COMMUNITY Blue Cloud/MGM Gatherings The MGM Sisters again enjoyed some Benedictine hospitality at Blue Cloud Abbey when 18 of them joined the monks for their annual Mardi Gras celebration on Feb. 28. Under the direction of Fr. Jerry Howell, originally from New Orleans and an expert on Cajun cooking, their staff prepared a traditional southern-style banquet with all the trimmings. After the meal everyone was invited to share some words of wisdom for the occasion. Sister Esther Schwehr, 90, stole the show with her rendition of a monologue entitled “Betty and the Bear (Barr)”! The following month, many of the monks came to the Watertown monastery to join the Sisters for the celebration of the feast of St. Benedict on March 21. They joined the Sisters for Evening Praise, followed by a delicious meal. The party ended with a quiz on the Holy Rule — only one group was able to answer all of the questions correctly!?! Maybe some of us need a refresher course on the Rule of Benedict. Meister Eckhart Workshop Well-Received As part of the monastery’s Retreat Series, Sr. Emily Meisel and Postulant Joanna Balzano presented a thought-provoking workshop on “The Life and Teachings of Meister Johannes Eckhart” on Saturday, April 28. Unknown to many, Eckhart is a 14th century German Rhineland mystic. Sr. Emily noted that Eckhart’s greatest contribution lies in his preaching that only within themselves can persons find God! This workshop attracted participants both locally and from the Sioux Falls area. |
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DISCERNMENT OPPORTUNITIES PLANNED FOR WOMEN INTERESTED IN RELIGIOUS LIFE
Benedictine Life and Values, July 21-27, 2006 This week provides an opportunity to be immersed in the life of Mother of God monastery, where a balanced week of prayer, work, study and leisure will be offered. Participants will join the Sisters for Morning, Noon and Evening prayer, Daily Mass, meals and works of the monastery. Individual spiritual direction, private prayer, an overview of the life and Rule of Benedict, leisure and recreational activities with the Sisters will be available. —Begins at 4:00 p.m. on July 21 and concludes at 2:00 p.m. on July 27.
Discerning Your Call: “Listening to God’s Voice,” Oct. 20-22, 2006 This week-end will provide a time to learn how to listen to God using Scripture and meditation. There will be time for individual spiritual direction to help you listen to the stirrings of God within you heart. You will understand the differences between the monastic, apostolic and cloistered religious vocations and will be introduced to the Benedictine monastic way of life through Morning, Noon and Evening Prayer, meals, conversation, and leisure time with the Sisters. —Begins at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 20 and concludes at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Participants are welcome to extend their time at the monastery either before or after the structured part of the experience listed. There is no fee charged for either experience. To participate in either event, contact: Adrienne Kaufman, OSB 110 28th Ave. SE, #214 Watertown, SD 57201 Tel: 605-886-4181, Ext. 4 E-mail: vocations@dailypost.com |
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UP-COMING EVENTS AT THE MONASTERY
June 4-9: Annual Retreat for Sisters Director: Valerian Odermann, OSB, from Assumption Abbey, Richardton, ND June 11: Annual Oblate Day June 25: In-House 60th Jubilee Celebration for Sisters Marmion Maiers and Del Rey Kuhn June 30: Sister Amanda Wolf’s Golden Jubilee June 26-29: Community Days/Chapter Meeting July 21-27: Benedictine Life and Values Experience October 14: 4th Annual Pheasant Hunt and Auction October 20-22: Discerning Your Call Experience |
