Brother John Johnston Recovering Well

November 2006

Brother John Johnston recovering well Brother John Johnston is recuperating from colon cancer surgery at the Lambert Hall community. During the surgery, the doctor discovered another cancerous mass on his appendix, so some sections on both sides of the colon were removed. He is gaining strength and is walking only one week after surgery. He will meet with the medical oncologist in the next two to three weeks to learn of the plan for chemotherapy.

International Assembly was a success During the International Assembly in Rome three attendees from the Midwest District sent reports on the progress of the gathering. Brother Frank Carr, Dr. Mary Catherine Fox and Brother Ed Siderewicz explained their observations on the gathering of Lasallians from around the world. About 150 participants speaking fifty-one native languages came together for this historic event. The final days of the Assembly were spent developing the areas of emphasis along with several action items for each area. All three reports are available on the Midwest District web page http://www.cbmidwest.org/ under the section titled “In the News.”

Retirement Fund for Religious The national collection date for the 19th annual appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious is December 9-10, 2006. Brothers are encouraged to contact their particular diocesan representatives if they would like to speak at parish masses on that weekend. Ninety-four cents of each dollar donated benefit retired and elderly religious women and men. The rising numbers of elderly religious and the rising costs of health care are well documented and result in a growing need for help. Please support the annual appeal this year both individually and as communities. Pre-Christmas brunch date is set The Provincialate Community will again host an Advent Brunch on Sunday, December 10th from 11am to 2pm. Those who anticipate attending should contact Brother Martin Spellman (773) 586-0562 or [email protected] to tell him how many from each community will be there.

Welcome back Brother Tom Sullivan will be in the country from November 5th to December 4th. He will visit family, friends and Brothers during that time. Welcome back!!

Brother Frank’s schedule was mailed Brother Frank Carr’s schedule through January was mailed to all. Anyone who did not receive the calendar should contact Charlene Hermann at [email protected]

Winners announced for the Christian Brothers Benefit Raffle On Friday, November 3rd, the drawing was held for the annual Christian Brothers Benefit Raffle. The following winners were announced immediately: $5,000, Latehia Owens (Broadview, IL), Jack Cady (Hermann, MO); $2,500, Joseph Murray (Westchester, IL); $1,000, Fran Mistrata (Berwyn, IL), Dan Hack (Chicago), Esteban Guzman (Chicago); $500, Janet Krawczyk (Lemont, IL), Pat Mihaljevich (Westchester, IL), Kathy Ejka (Orland Park, IL), Ken Crowder (Chicago), Tina Lechwick (Glen Ellyn, IL); $250 Michael Keretzman (Somers, MT), Rita Koss (Inver Grove, MN), Jesus Rivera (Chicago), Darlene Marchina (Crown Point, IN), John Walsh (Chicago), Dominic D'Ambrosio (Burlington, NC), Ella May Rosenwinkel (Plano, IL). The total awarded for this year was $19,750.

Huether Lasallian Conference is in San Francisco The 2006 Huether Lasallian Conference is set for November 30th to December 2nd at the Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel in San Francisco. A new feature of this year's Huether Conference will be several breakout sessions designed specifically, but not exclusively, for those associated with Lasallian institutions of higher education. The theme of this year's Conference, “Deepening Vocations - Roles and Movements in the Lasallian Educational Mission,” is both broad and deep. It is designed to assist those who have been called to serve in a Lasallian institution to better understand how their role is crucial to success in the shared Lasallian mission of educating poor and underserved youth.

National Vocation Awareness Week is in January Vocation Awareness Week will be January 7th to 12th. Each one of us has been given the responsibility to foster vocations in the Church. During this week pray especially for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Also, encourage someone who could be a candidate for religious life or priesthood to think about it.

Campaign for Human Development is in November For thirty-six years the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has stood with poor and low-income people, helping them create permanent solutions to poverty. CCHD has invested in the dignity of the poor by supporting community and economic development initiatives of their own creation. The annual appeal for the CCHD is the weekend of November 18-19. Lasallians in the District are encouraged to support the efforts of the CCHD to break the cycle of poverty and build strong communities. Statistics from the Region were announced As of Sunday, October 15th eight hundred and four Brothers lived and worked in the US/Toronto Region. The numbers by District are the following: Baltimore (175), LINE (77), Midwest (194), New York (148), NOSF (81), San Francisco (104), Toronto (25).

District Directory The directory will be sent out on Thursday, November 9th. Sorry for the delay. Posthumous Congratulations  At the CBU School of Business annual Founders Award Dinner on November 11th. Brother Emery Hogan and Brother Roland Klassen will be posthumously honored with the Faculty Award of Distinction.

Health Updates  Brother Peter Dannecker briefly blacked out from very low blood sugar level and broke his wrist in a fall. He was taken to the hospital by emergency personnel but has since returned to his community.  Brother Chris Kavanaugh continues his rehabilitation at Manor Care Health in Westmont. Gradually he is getting back on his feet, in spite of the fractured leg and broken wrist.

Directory Update  Brother Martin Sellner: email - [email protected]

Rest in Peace  Betty Widener, 84, sister of Brother J. Francis Walsh, died in Roseville, CA, on October 13th. Survivors include one son, four daughters, one sister and three brothers. Her funeral was on October 18th at St. Rose of Lima Church.  Jane C. Mingo, 89, of South St. Paul, MN, died on November 1st. She was the sister of the late Brother Emery Hogan. The funeral will be on Saturday, November 11th at St. John Vianney Church with interment at Resurrection Cemetery.

Thank you Brother Frank Walsh wishes to thank the Brothers who sent notes of sympathy on the death of his sister, Betty Widener. Healthy November Notes about Hypertension from Sheila Hallmann, RN.

Blood pressure is the amount of force of blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day. Both numbers in a blood pressure test are important, but for people who are age 50 or older, the top number, or systolic pressure, gives the most accurate diagnosis of high blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and is recorded as two numbers-systolic pressure (as the heart beats) “over” diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats)-for example, 120/80mmHg. Normal systolic is less than 120. PRE-hypertension systolic reading is 120-139. Hypertension is systolic reading at 140 or higher. Normal diastolic or lower reading is less than 80. Pre- hypertension diastolic reading is 80-89. Hypertension is diastolic reading at 90 or higher.

Because blood pressure changes often, your doctor may recommend that you have it taken on several different days before deciding whether your blood pressure is too high. It is widely publicized that obesity is a major risk factor for hypertension. There’s no magic formula for weight loss. You have to eat fewer calories than you use up in daily activities. Just how many calories you burn daily depends on factors such as your body size and how physically active you are. What you eat affects your chances of getting high blood pressure. For an overall eating plan, consider DASH, which stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” This diet is recommended by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. You can reduce your blood pressure by eating foods that are low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy foods. I went online today and spelled the words Dash Eating Plan and all kinds of great information came up. A book called The DASH Diet Action Plan by Marla Heller, MS, RD, looked worth reading.

Remember that with herbs, spices, garlic and onions you can make your food spicy without salt. There’s no reason why eating less salt should make your food any less tasty. As you read food labels, you will be surprised that many foods contain sodium, including baking soda, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate (MSG), seasoned salts, and some antacids.

If you have high blood pressure, the lifestyle habits I’ve discussed may not lower your pressure enough. If they don’t, you’ll need to work with your doctor on taking prescribed medicines. Be patient as sometimes this process means trying out a medication and you may not tolerate it well or your body may not respond appropriately. In this instance, your doctor may try another antihypertensive medicine that is right for you. Although you need medication, you will still make your lifestyle changes by taking thirty minutes a day to move around in any form and eating healthy foods. You deserve these positive changes! By losing just five pounds, your heart will benefit. Make those changes to keep your body running at its optimum level. God bless you all in your work toward a healthy lifestyle. During this month of November, I thank God for knowing and working with you during my time on earth.