www.livestrong.com September

Volume V Issue No. 1 January - February 2017

PRIORESSES MEET IN ROME

Participants First Row (seated): Sr. Timotea Kronsnabl, Sr. Regina Tesch, Sr. Caridad Choi, M. Angela Strobel, Sr.Lumen Gloria Dungca, Sr. Ma. Salete da Rocha. Second row: Sr. Rosalina Fajardo, Sr. Rosa Maria Santana, Sr. Terese Zemale, Sr. Lugarda Park, Sr. Ma. Ignatius Glaser, Sr. Ma. Gratia Balagot, Sr. Ursula Fuchs, Sr. Elizabeth Busbach Third Row: Sr. Adelaida Ygrubay, Sr. Eva-Maria Zierl, Sr. Pia Portmann, Sr. Adriana Ribeiro, Sr. Antoinette Adelmann, Sr. Ruth Bartonico, Sr. Rosann Ocken, Sr. Rose Marie Hwang. Fourth row: Sr. Madalena Mendonça, Sr. Martha Baumeister, Sr. Ruth Schönenberger, Sr. Maoro Sye, Sr. Mary Thomas Prado Congregation Lifestream 2

PRIORESS MEETING…FROM PAGE ONE The following days were dedicated to topics of the Constitutions focusing mainly on how to live them interculturally. To better understand the term and meaning of living interculturally the participants were asked to read excerpts from the book of Anthony J. Gittins “Living Mission Interculturally.” President Guillermo Arboleda of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation presented the petition from the Benedictine Sisters of Mount Olives Monastery, Abt. Guillermo Jerusalem. The Casa Santo Spirito in Rome hospitably A day was entirely dedicated to the topic of received the participants to the Prioresses’ initial and on-going formation. The following day Meeting which – a Sunday- was spent in prayer as there was so started on much to thank for and to ask February 16 for. and ended on Another theme that took a February 27. whole day was “Authority and T h e y Finances”. Sr. Maria Ignatius e x p e r i e n c e d and Sr. Eva-Maria gave their their unity in reports while Sr. Caridad diversity as Dr. Cotogni presented guidelines for the they solemnly Administration of the Assets. entered the Dr. Marco Cotogni, was also invited for his chapter room financial expertise. for the opening The General District communities gave a liturgy. Each report of their ministries, their hopes and their sister carried in concerns. her hand a Sr. Lumen presented a video symbol of her on a visit she and Sr. Salete country or paid to a pious community of c o m m u n i t y. women in Togo, West Africa Among typically cultural symbols were the more who follow the Rule of St. pious ones like statues of Mother Mary, from Benedict. Fatima (Portugal), Aparecida Abt. Gregory The inspiring conference on (Brazil) and Lujan Community life of Abbot (Argentina). Gregory Polan was a highlight and In her opening speech M. summary of these days. Angela Strobel said that in Sr. Rosann Ocken prepared a synthesis of the this fast changing world it twelve-day meeting using a powerpoint M. Angela would be necessary that the presentation. A closing liturgy followed that Generalate, prioresses and captured the theme of the meeting “We Are regional superiors meet more often than every six Different Yet One” affirmed by the scriptural years. This fosters their bonds as one passage “So we, though many, are one body in congregation living the charism and Christ.” ( Romans 12:5a). M. Angela’s closing strengthening their unity in diversity. Sr. Lumen remarks which was integrated in the liturgy Gloria with her unique gift of summarizing in ended with a quote from Psalm 135:3, “Praise words and drawings, recapitulated Francis’ the Lord for he is good; sing a psalm to his Vultum Dei Quaerere Name, for he is our delight .” consisting of 12 themes and 14 articles. By: Sr. Elisabeth Busbach, OSB Congregation Lifestream 3

January 3. The Generalate called for a meeting held at the January 14-29. M. Angela Strobel and Casa Santo Spirito, Rome to discuss the on-going Sr. Regina Tesch made a canonical renovation of the convent in Zarevbrod, Bulgaria. Present visitation at Haus St. Benedict, Tutzing. in the meeting was the entire Generalate; Sr. Elisabeth Busbach, the of Bulgaria; Sr. Ma. Ignatius Glaser, February 1. Fr. Fabrizio Meroni, PIME, the General Econome; Sr. Kunigundis Amon who has been secretary general of involved in the project since its conception. A meeting of the Pontifical the Generalate with Sr. Elisabeth ensued to tackle other Missionary Union, concerns. met the Generalate at Casa Santo Spirito, Rome to confer possibilities of implementing authentic renewal for the on-going formation of missionaries in Africa and Asia. SCHEDULE OF VISITATIONS From L-R: Sr. Lumen, Sr. Salete, Sr. Kunigundis, Sr. Elisabeth, M. Angela, Sr. Ma. Ignatius, Sr. Regina March 10 – April 10 January 10-13. Sr. Lumen Gloria Dungca was delegated Olinda: M. Angela and Sr. Salete by M. Angela to go to the Benedictine Sisters of Mount of June 20 - July 5 Olives in Jerusalem to help in the discernment process of Torres Novas (Portugal/Spain): the future of their monastery. M. Angela and Sr. Salete

Sr. Margareta

•Sr. Margareta Maria Arnold from Tutzing Chapel of the Monastery Priory to Haus St. Sr. Veronika Benedikt •• Sr. Veronika Huwiler from Tutzing Priory to Haus St. Benedikt

Sr. Columba Back to Home Priory: • Sr. Columba Kim from Ndanda to Daegu • Sr. Barbara Batac from Norfolk to Haus St. Benedikt Community Sr. Barbara Manila Congregation Lifestream 4

FROM PAPAL VISITATOR TO POPE BY SR. MONIKA GROTH, OSB

W e M i s s i o n a r y stated: 1925, a year of jubilee Benedictine Sisters of for us Tutzing have a mission in July 31 the apostolic visitator Bulgaria since 1914 and Angelo Roncalli stood at our there are some accounts door. In the evening we were by the sisters about the Sr. Burkharda sitting in the vine-covered garden visit of Apostolic Nuntio hut. Sr. Deogratia, our eldest novice, offered him Angelo Roncalli. a plate with currants, from our garden. He From the Obituary of Sr. enjoyed them so much that she picked more Harlindis Baumann berries and put them on the plate. In the summer of 1925 the Two days later he said with contentment that we superior and the sisters in their had been the greatest joy for him in Bulgaria Sr. Harlindis poor convent at Badarski-Geran until that time. We were quite overcome, still experienced a great joy. The papal visitator standing at the door. Our Westphalia M. Juliana Roncalli came to their house and was touched by spoke a prophetic word.. This man could become their great poverty. Sr. Superior Harlindis was the Pope.” privileged to do two deeds of charity for the high I read somewhere that the place which a prelate – to mend a torn part of his coat and to visited is blessed. Perhaps we owe it to this saint polish the Episcopal ring to sparkle anew, which that we are still allowed to pray and to work had been dulled by the kisses of so many people. together here in Bulga When the visitator on getting the ring back was Just before Roncalli’s departure, there were four pleased with its look he also noticed, that a small of us standing on the veranda, our pastor, Father precious stone was missing. Luckily Sr. Harlindis Franz, big and round (he was the one who had had not thrown out the water, and so she was able asked M. Birgitta in Tutzing to send sisters to to hand back the lost little stone a few minute Bulgaria) Fr. Alois, likewise round, the Bulgarian later. Her joy was great. Her joy would have been guide of Roncalli, and Sr. Juliana, small and even greater, had she guessed, that her small well-rounded. Roncalli looked at each one. Then deeds of love were done for the future Pope John he smiled and said: “Those who want to rise up XXIII. higher should be well-rounded.” He made it to being Pope. His last words were: “Today your Sr. Burkharda Betz in 1974 wrote a chronicle and congregation has won a new friend” FROM ABBOT OF CONCEPTION ABBEY TO ABBOT PRIMATE BY SR. MONIKA GROTH, OSB The new Abbot Primate Gregory P o l a n , f o r m e r A b b o t f r o m Conception Abbey, Missouri and his new Fr. Mauritius Wilde from Münsterschwarzach came for a visit to Casa Santo Spirito, Rome on December 23, 2016. We gathered for a relaxing coffee colloquy and afterwards a friendly exchange at the conference room Fr. Mauritius Abbot Gregory especially on the situation after the earthquake in Norcia.

Congregation Lifestream 5

by: SR. PIA PORTMANN, OSB

it takes 50-70 years. We, the 43 prioresses from USA, Mexico and Canada, greatly enjoyed the beauty of the surroundings and the warmth of the sunny days. On February 1we had our business meeting, in reviewing the CBP structure and the proposed new structure, and we elected a chairperson instead of a president, in Sr. Jennifer Mechtild Horner, Prioress of our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, IN. Sr. Michelle Sinkhorn, OSB, the Technology Administrator of the T4 project – “Wisdom Connections: Timeless, Tradition, Technological This year’s meeting of the Conference of Times” presented the project already in the 3rd Benedictine Prioresses (CBP) took place at the year and appealed to the Conference for further beautiful Renewal Center of the Redemptorists support that will be discussed at the Symposium outside of Tucson, Arizona in the Sonoran in July in St. Leo, FL. Desert. The Sonoran is the only place in the We also nominated sisters for the Council and world where the famous saguaro elected on February 4 four sisters to serve on our cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) grows in the wild. new Council for the CBP according to the new From each place in the Renewal Center we structure considering the diversity of the could see this gorgeous cactus. They can grow Federations and Congregations. over 21 m high and until the produce the first arm

LAUGHTER weary mind. heart, Laughter is an art of being, Laughter soothes drooping for you shall see God face to springs from the well spirit, sweeps away face! within. bitterness within, Laughter rejuvenates the creating serenity and Laughing heart tranquility. with and beautifies the soul. Laughter dries up tears is healing! Laughter lightens heavy and awakens new burden; possibilities gives strength and hope to Blest are you with a peaceful Sr..Rosalina Fajardo, OSB Congregation Lifestream 6

Part II (Part I: November-December 2016 issue) The Congregation is consecrated to the Sacred Heart. Tutzing is the main monastery. . Such were the descriptions of our identity in 1934. In these Constitutions we find no norms about our missionary activity in itself, but rather about the circumstances of trips, how the group sent is structured, about accounting, about modest behavior, but also about the rite of mission, and about the habit etc. Under the keyword of “mission” we find something about the money for mission, and mainly the mission- procurator. But also in the last case, practically mainly the Decree on the Renewal of Religious the statutes talk about money and material things Life (Perfectae Caritatis the sisters get when they are sent. But looking The Decree “Perfectae Caritatis” (I quote the into our history, we have to note, that it was a texts according to W. Abbot: The Documents of time of fiery missionary zeal among the Sisters; Vatican II, New York 1966) of the Second it was normal that everyone wanted to go to the Vatican Council (reacted against the two goals, foreign missions. Elderly Sisters told us, that the saying in number 1 that “the more ardently /the majority of candidates entered probably because religious/ unite themselves to Christ, through a of the mission-orientation, and then learned to self-surrender involving their entire lives, the appreciate the Benedictine element. more vigorous becomes the life of the Church and the more abundantly their apostolate bears If I remember right, the Canon of Church Law fruit”. The goals of the renewal of religious life had said, that the Constitutions should not were enumerated in number 2: contain spiritual directions. In our case one a. the following of Jesus Christ should refer to the RB. So we do not find b. the faithfulness to the special charism, hereby deliberations on how far the mission task mentioning specially the wholesome (sanae) influences our life as . Always traditions, again this question came up in the ’ c. the participation in the life of the Church congregation. The ascetical directions again and (different fields, like scriptural, liturgical, again had to be shortened. doctrinal, pastoral, ecumenical missionary and social are enumerated) The following General Chapters proposed d. knowledge of the contemporary human changes, and they could be written on little conditions. papers and pasted on the older text. This e. spiritual renewal and as a consequence the happened after the 3rd and 4th General Chapter desirable changes. (Fribourg 1947) and 1957 in Grottaferrata. Just three examples: A very important change for our Concretely number 3 urged the congregations to missionary work was that Sisters were now revise the constitutions and other normative allowed to be midwives. Before it was books. Number 4 says concretly: “Successful prohibited. This prohibition was cancelled later. renewal and proper adaptation cannot be Also a later General Chapter said that the achieved unless every member of a community residence of the Generalate was Grottaferrata, cooperates.” But fearing some democratic near Rome. The counsellor to the Congregation reactions, (according to a written petition of was at first the archabbot of St. Ottilien, and then more than 400 Fathers) the Council text went on: the Abbot Primate. “In the work of appropriate renewal, it is the responsibility of competent authorities alone, These little sheets of paper have also a symbolic especially of general chapters, to issue norms, to value. The situation of the times changes, with pass laws and to allow for a right of prudent this people are changing, and the Constitutions experimentations.” And the first paragraph have to be adapted to the different circumstances. finished again with the involvement of all The more detailed the norms, the more one has to members (according again to the another change. proposal of more than 400 Fathers). The Vatican Council and its Consequences, THE DEVELOPMENT, PAGE 7 Congregation Lifestream 7

THE DEVELOPMENT, FROM PAGE 6 Document: a booklet (in German: Rezess) which comprised the chapters: Identity (the word in Shortly after the conclusion of the Council (1966) German is Selbstverständnis), liturgy and prayer, the Vatican issued the “” “Ecclesiae vows, , monastic life (mainly sanctae,” (Official text to be found in Acta containing community life) , apostolic work, Apostolicae Sedis 57(1966)757-787.), which dealing with outside (Verkehr nach außen), gave more specific hints for the implementation formation, health, habit, government. It laid of the Council decrees and prescribed that all already the groundwork for the upcoming Religious examine and adjust their Constitutions “Temporary Constitutions” (from now on to the teachings of the Council. All members of abbreviated as TC). the Institutes should cooperate with the superiors. This document of 1967 opens wide the The next General Chapters may have two windows or doors to the new time. We were sessions. Temporary Constitutions should be encouraged not to fear renewal. It was a written, 1 - containing biblical principles (and courageous putting ourselves into the current of from tradition), 2 - necessary norms valid for Vatican II. The changes – so it was said explicitly multiple conditions, (Ecclesiae Sanctae II,13) and – are not about making something more easy, but 3 - other norms more subject to change. to be more deeply rooted in Christ and to open up A new way had to be found. Our Congregation to the signs of the times. It called us to greater took the directives of both documents seriously responsibility and more confidence. “We have to and put them into practice in the next following appreciate more the value of our persons as General Chapter 1967 (held as first session). children of God, and also the possibility of a free, One is impressed how the members of the more joyful, harmonious spiritual1 growth”. preparatory Commission to the Chapter and then (Recess : Generalkapitel der Missions- the delegates studied all the pertinent documents Benediktinerinnen von Tutzing, Erste Session of Vatican II, and the following “Motu Proprio”. 1967, pp 6-7) It is in the line of the “timely renewal of religious life” (PC). The introductory I found an exemplar of the Council Documents in 2 our library in Rome, where this work is letter of M. Gertrud Link is worthwhile to be kept documented (marking the texts, writing many among our important documents. Her foreword is references at the margin etc!). (In the Edition of a prophetical call to have courage to change W. Abbot: The Documents of Vatican II, New according to the new times of Church and society. We have to cancel some elements which are not York 1966) 3 The General Chapter of 1967 was already essential, but underline our essential elements in a considering a revision of our Constitutions. As life dedicated to God and his kingdom, and in this today (2017) we are again faced with regard to become more serious and radical. A traditionalist movements, it is freeing to look into greater responsibility is demanded, and more the courage our Sisters had in the years after readiness to respond to the call of the Church Vatican Council. After Vatican we could sense today. All members have their role in this polarizations: currents of radical openness, common movement. liberation, wordliness on the one hand and As our goals no more two – more separate, but looking back to past traditions (some narrow a single one, yet twofold - was stated: living for ones) on the other hand were flourishing, and this the honor of God and the of people. in general, and also in religious Congregations. I Indirectly we were referring to the Second really thank God, that our Congregation as a Fundamental Thought of Fr. Amrhein: “The Lord whole took a wise way avoiding extremist options put ‘hallowed be Thy name’ before “Thy kingdom fanaticism of right and left. (This does not say come, giving it pre-eminence before all else.” The that our communities were not affected by the Recess 1967 goes on that the important directive: crises and storms after Vatican II). “That in everything God be glorified” comprises The first session of the General Chapter in 1967 our missionary sending and shows that prayer and elected M. Gertrud Link as General Prioress. The missionary service are in insoluble unity. chapter was still taking place in Grottaferrata. The written outcome of this chapter was the Chapter (to be continued) Congregation Lifestream 8

Five Junior Sisters had their final profession at the Daegu Priory Chapel on February 10. They are from left to right: Sr. Abraham Lee, Sr. Marie Eve Kim, Sr. Marie Luca Kim, Sr. Paulo Seo, and Sr. Jihye Maria Lee

Sr. Ingomara Mayr, 89, died at Haus St. Benedikt, Tutzing on December 19, 2016. Sr. Ethelberga Löhr, 93, died at Haus St. Benedikt, Tutzing on Sr. Ann Therese Sr. Gabriella February 1, 2017.

On January 25 -30 Respect Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of CONCLUSION: MESSAGE OF THE 2017 PRIORESSES' MEETING Omaha Nebraska made the annual March for Life 2017 in Washington As we reclaim our identity as an international Congregation, DC and Pilgrimage in Pennsylvania each one of us will again have to face the question of what area, this year we visited the Shrine brought us to the doorstep of our Congregation. If we believe of St John Neumann and St that the Kingdom of God is universal and inclusive, we will work Katherine Drexel. January 27 was towards building authentic intercultural communities that go the big event for the March for Life beyond mere collection of Sisters from different nationalities. We participated by about 800,000 will exert best efforts at sharing life together and integrating our marchers from across the country differences in cultures, age, education, personalities and and overseas. From Nebraska were backgrounds and embrace the challenges of intercultural living. 4 buses with more than 200 high Our internationality will then be our gift, our witness and our school students, adult leaders, service to the world. We realize that doing this is living the priests and religious. Sr Ann Terese paschal mystery of Christ but we also have faith that resurrection Dana and Sr. Gabriella Urian awaits us. Only in God can we be one. Only in God can we see that joined the Omaha group. Traveling diversity is a blessing. Only in God can there be acceptance, trust 24 hours was a big sacrifice for and communion. Only with God can we realize our common everyone but it was worth it for the vision. promotion of the sacredness of every life especially for the babies. by: Sr. Gabriella Urian, OSB