Volume 2, Issue 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Newsletter for The Little Company of Mary School of Nursing Alumni SPECIAL EDITION First Alumni Link Gets Positive Response Second Issue Dedicated to the Sisters The first issue of Alumni Link received an overwhelming response from across the country. It created a valuable connecting thread among all alumni. This "special issue" of Alumni Link is dedicated to hon• Front Row (L-R): Sister M. Terrence Landini, LCM; Sister Catherine Shalvey, LCM; Sister Deborah Conley, LCM; Sister Gloria Harper, LCM; Sister Maria Antonieta oring the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary in their Benavides, LCM; Sister M. Eugene Trenner, LCM (seated) Second Row: Sister lOath Anniversary year of providing health care in M. Joseph Casey, LCM; Sister M. Mildred Radziewicz, LCM; Sister M. Patricia Dooley, LCM; Sister Kathleen Scott, LCM; Sister Rita Bracken, LCM; Sister Mary America. In those 100 years, the Sisters have made Jane Feil, LCM; Sister Teresa Oleniczak, LCM; Sister M. Damian Young, LCM; countless contributions to the healthcare field and the Sister Virginia O'Brien, LCM; Sister Jean Stickney, LCM; Sister Margaret Christina Hoban, LCM; Sister Mary Teresa Babcock, LCM; Sister Michael Murray, LCM communities they serve. We would like to share some Third Row: Sister Sharon Ann Walsh, :CM; Sister Jean Marsden, LCM; Sister memories from their interactions with us in the school of S~ei!a Brosnan, LCM; S!ster Ma.ry ,John SchlaxJ LCM; Sister Nancy Boyle; LCM; nursing, as well as bring you up-to-date on the many Sister Kathleen Mcintyre, LCM; Sister Renee Cunningham, LCM; Sister Maura Tangney, LCM; Sister M. Adrian Davis, LCM; Sister Marianne Herres, LCM Not facets of their ministry. Pictured: Sister M. Dominica Cekolin, LCM; Sister Peter Marie McCormack, LCM; Sister Helen Burke, LCM; Sister M. Magdalen Nolan, LCM; Sister M. Francis Beggan, LCM; Sister Carmelita Hoban, LCM 100 Years In America ... coming to their homes to care for their family members Celebrating our Little Company often doing so for months at a time. of Mary Sisters The Sisters' trusting faith and daring drive to build a hospital in the desolate and swampy area of Evergreen This year, 1993, marks the lOath Anniversary ofthe Park 62 years ago speaks of their vision, passion and arrival of three Little Company of Mary Sisters in determination. They perservered amidst the unfavorable Chicago to begin a home care nursing service. odds presented by meager financial resources and few Sisters to bring health care to the sick and dying - the Their journey began with an invitation from Mr. Charles purpose for which their founder, Venerable Mary Potter, Mair to bring their healthcare ministry to America. Mr. founded the congregation in 1877. Mair, a Chicagoan traveling abroad, was impressed by the "Blue Veiled" Sisters when his wife became ill and Over these past 100 years, they have made an impact on was hospitalized at Little Company of Mary-Calvary Catholic health care in the Americas, building, sustain• Hospital in Rome, Italy. ing and improving facilities in locations like: Evergreen Park, Ill. (1930 - present); Jasper, Ind. (1951 - present); Settling in a two-story frame house on 41st Street and San Pierre, Ind. (1952 - present); East Cambridge, Mass. Indiana Avenue in 1893, the Sisters traveled across the (1956 - 1959); Syracuse, N.Y. (1956 - 1959); Buenas city by streetcar to their home nursing assignments. A Aires, Argentina (1953 - 1975); Torrance, Calif. (1959 • multitude of tales are told by our older alumni and Little present); and Bronx, N.Y. (1974 - 1977). Company employees who have fond memories of Sisters continued on next page 100 Years In America - continued The Centennial theme, pre• sented by Sister Michael A JOURNEY OF Murray, LCM ('38) is ... A Included in these pages, are reports on the works of our Journey of Unconditional Sisters in our healthcare institutions. Their roles have UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Love. changed much from the early days. The diversity of the LCM ministries of healing includes not only traditional The design art, created by Pat Bugos of the Pastoral roles in hospitals, but also parish visitation, pastoral Care Department in leadership, spiritual/retreat direction, AIDS ministry, and Evergreen Park, is a rose parish and hospice nursing. The works are now more imposed on a cross within varied, but the same spirit of service prevails. an open heart, held by a hand reaching out. It is the hope of the Sisters that We honor and salute our Little Company of Mary Sisters through art and theme all for this great achievement and for the privilege of being will see the visual story of The Sisters of Little Company of Mary 100 years of reaching out a part of the mission of their work. with care for the sick and Celebrate 100 years dying of our community in of Health Care in America the spirit of human dignity Share in the and love . .June 5th Celebration You, the LCM Nurse Alumni, are a vital part of the The Sisters of the Little Company of Mary Evergreen Park chapter of the Sisters' history. The School respectfully invite you to join them of Nursing, which opened its doors in 1931, graduated in the Eucharistic Celebration of their six nurses from its first class in 1933. On June 16, 1984, the last class graduated and finalized an important seg• 1OOth Anniversary of Health Care ment in LCM nursing education. Over the span of 53 and Pastoral/Parish Ministries in America years, 1,£18 women and men graduated and entered the profession of nursing. Saturday, June 5, 1993 5:30 p.m. The Sisters' memories of you are a cherished and valued St. Bernadette Church part of their lives. Some were your directors, others your teachers and many more were your classmates. Please 9343 South Francisco know you are very much remembered at this time of cel• Evergreen Park, Illinois ebration and if you can accept this invitation, your pres• ence will be honored. His Eminence r-----------------------------------------------, : The Sisters of Little Company of Mary : Joseph Cardinal Bernardin I: Celebrate 100 Years of Health Care in America I: Archbishop of Chicago I I I I will preside. ::1 o will atten dhEh"Clb't e uc anstlC e e ratlOn : Social Gathering to follow at : 0 will not : I I Hilton Inn of Oak Lawn I I : 0 will : 9300 South Cicero Avenue I I attend the Social Gathering : Oak Lawn, Illinois will not : o I I I I I The Sisterspraise God for their past works I Name _ I and celebrate in thanksgiving for your loyalty I and support of their mission. Number attending : ~-----------------------------------------------~ Please complete this response card and mail to Sister Nancy Boyle, LCM, RSVP by May 25 American Province of Little Company of Mary Sisters, 9350 South California Avenue, Evergreen Park, Illinois 60642. 2 Lay Associates Share LCM An Invitation Sisters' Mission LCM Nurse Alumnae, desirous of deepening Do I have to join the order to be a part of this good their relationship with the Sisters of Little work? The answer is, not at all. The Sisters have been Company of Mary, and of being more closely encouraged to seek ways to invite others to help them. identified with their spirituality and min• Their constitution states, istries as Lay Associates, are invited to an "The Sisters should use every opportunity informative meeting with Sister Jean to engage our staff to share our spiritual Stickney, LCM. mission and enhance the carrying out of our apostolic work." Date: Thursday, May 13,1993 Sisters Mary Schlax, LCM Laguna Hills, Calif., devel• oped the LCM Associate Program several years ago and Time: 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Place: C-Wing, Meeting Room A Directors of Nursing Remembered Sister Dorothea Dwight, LCM (Director: 1931-1952) laguna Hills lay Associates with Sister Mildred Radziewicz, lCM (l) This lovely Bostonian woman is an LCM legend who and Sister Mary John Schlax, lCM. founded the School of Nursing in 1931 and led it for 21 years is now assisted by Sister Mildred Radziewicz, LCM. into prosperity building its rep• They found many women, some still at home with fami• utation as a school that graduat• lies or other retired individuals who were eager to help ed not only competent, but them and be a part of their work. extraordinarily caring nurses. Stories abound of her unique In Evergreen Park, Sister Jean Stickney, LCM, has guid• personality, clever, persistent ed the LCM Associates who extended the Sisters mis• and humorous ways, but also of sion and ministry as a magnificently large and car• employees and volunteers in ing heart. She died in 1964 the Hospital's services and after a relatively long illness. outreach programs. She made her mark in nursing education and has not been for- gotten. Sister Dorothea Dwight, lCM (Director 1931 - 1952) Loretta Cook ('48) "Because my father was out of work I felt I would not be able to enter nurses training as I had always hoped. Sr. Dorothea made all of that possible in my life. I approached her and told her my circum• stances and her characteristic response was "child, we will take you into our nursing program, but Sister Jean Stickney, lCM continued on next page 3 Directors of Nursing Remembered - continued Sister Michael Murray, LCM ('38) (Director: 1963-1968,1974-1982) there are two stipulations, first, you must prove to be a worthy student and second, you must pay your Obtaining her Masters Degree in Nursing Education tuition back." I did so by paying a $1.00 at a time. from Columbia University in .. my babysitting fee. By the end of the training I New York City, Sr: Michael had almost completed paying my debt.